January 15, 2023 - Issue # 5

THE CURATOR

COME EXPLORE 2023 WITH

SOUL OF MEXICO TOURS!

 

Happy New Year and welcome to 2023! We hope you are ready to set some adventurous intentions for your year ahead, and will join us for one or more of our travel opportunities.

 

We kick-start our year, annually, with butterfly tours from Morelia, and are really excited to have an extensive tour starting in Guadalajara on Feb 10, ending in Mexico City on Feb 19 - so if you are interested in art and nature, please spend some time looking over our itinerary. We travel with biologist Trecia Neal from Atlanta, Georgia, Jaime Hernandez Jr and Sr of Patzcuaro, and Gerardo Chavez from Morelia.

 

We are working on a new format for our tour pages, as clients have mentioned having difficulty finding the prices. We now have a menu on the left hand side of our tour pages, so you can click on whatever you want to see, and the page will take you there. It may take us a while to reconfigure all of our pages, so if you do have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us!

 

Questions?

Jennifer Bjarnason

thecuratorinmexico@gmail.com

Whatsapp/Text +52 443 639 2782

IN THIS ISSUE

As this is our New Years Newsletter, we are focusing on our tour schedule for the year ahead. We will return to our other format in February!

 

TOUR SCHEDULE 2023

 

PLEASE REMEMBER: CREATING CUSTOM TOURS WAS HOW OUR COMPANY WAS BORN, SO IF YOU DON'T SEE SOMETHING HERE THAT SUITS YOUR NEEDS, CONTACT US ABOUT A PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE!

 

Monarch Butterfly Tours

February 1-3 - Hope for the Monarchs (Morelia - 5 Seats left)

February 10-19 - Art & Nature Tour (Guadalajara to CDMX - 5 Seats left)

February 13 - Day trip to Sierra Chincua from Morelia

February 15 - Private tour to Sierra Chincua with Dr. Jaramillo

February 23 - Day trip to Sierra Chincua from Morelia

 

We do have some other tentative tours for the Butterflies in late February/early March, so please contact us if you are interested in cost-sharing with other travelers.

 

Dia de Muertos Tours

October 28-Nov 2 - Sacred Treasures of Dia de Muertos (Sold Out)

October 28-Nov 2 - Pilgrimage to Dia de Muertos (Patzcuaro - 6 Seats Left)

October 28-Nov 2 - Exploring Dia de Muertos (Morelia - 4 Seats Left)

October 31-Nov 2 - Introduction to Dia de Muertos (Patzcuaro - 3 Seats Left)

 

Beyond Michoacan Tours

July 14 -27 - Mexico's Silver Road (CDMX to Zacatecas)

November 13-24 - Copper Canyon Tour (Los Mochis)

 

We originally had our Silver Road tour marked for March, but have changed it due to personal request that we travel in summer, for beach-dwellers who need an escape from the burdensome heat at that time of year

 

Art Tours & Events

May 13-14, 2023 - Fiesta for Frida Art Creation Festival (Patzcuaro)

Custom Dates - Cultural Treasures of the P'urepecha Meseta (Patzcuaro)

HOPE FOR THE MONARCHS

WITH DR. PABLO JARAMILLO LOPEZ

 

Our Hope for the Monarchs Tours are educational experiences that help guests engage with the story of this phenomenal migration, learn about the health of their habitat, the history of how they were discovered, and ways in which we can assist them with the every day choices we make. Dr. Jaramillo Lopez has been working as a research scientist in the reserves for 12 years, and will offer guests incredible insight into these mesmerizing creatures.

 

Our next Hope for the Monarchs tour starts in Morelia on February 1, with our dinner party and lecture at Cielo Cocina Fusion. We are super excited to have special guest David Blink joining us for this evening, playing meditation music to bless our tour. Blink and his colleague Rob McKay have been working on a fascinating project in the Monarch Reserves, which guests will learn more about while on tour. This is a really special treat, as Blink is not often here when we are leading tours into the reserves, so for the guests who are signed up for these dates, this is a bonus!.

 

On February 2, we will depart for the Sierra Chincua Monarch Reserve, then head to Tlalpujahua for the night. We will have a snack ready for guests to eat in the parking lot, before heading into the reserve. While you are in the reserve visiting the colony, your host (me) will be in the parking lot putting together a truly elegant picnic, complete with salami, cheese, baguette, crackers, smoked oysters, homemade tapenade and carrot hummus, veggies and fruit with my Nan's dip recipe. We have delicious White and Red wine from Baha, and beer for those guests who prefer. If you would prefer a non-alcoholic beverage, please let me know and i can bring some San Pellegrino beverages, or the Virgils sugar free Cream Soda or Black Cherry. We will also have water available. Our picnics are served on re-usable melmac dishes, for less waste.

 

The following day, we will explore thecharming gold-mining town of El Oro de Hidalgo, and have lunch before returning to Morelia.

 

The price for this tour is $10,000 MXN. (Single Supplement for a private hotel for 1 in Tlalapujahua is $325 MXN) This price includes dinner at Cielo Cocina Fusion, the lecture, tour to the Colony with Dr. Jaramillo, sound bath by David Blink, entrance fees for the park, picnic with wine and the hotel in Tlalpujahua. We do not include tips for the guides, or room service at the hotel (please leave anywhere between $20-$40 Pesos for your room service). All other meals are separate, and the drinks and drink tips at Cielo Cocina Fusion are separate. Horseback riding at Sierra Chincua is optional. The park is lovely and the hike can be challenging, due to the high altitude, but most of our guests prefer to walk to the colony, and some will ride back. Horseback riding will cost about $150 pesos one way.

 

PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to join the lecture at Cielo Cocina Fusion on Wednesday, February 1, contact us for more information and ticket prices!

MORELIA TOUR FEB 1 - 2

FROM THE P'UREPECHA PLATEAU

TO THE MOUNTAIN OF MONARCHS

 

We are very excited to be hosting Biologist Trecia Neal for this Michoacan adventure, as it covers a broad variety of activities and landscapes. Starting from Guadalajara, our first two days will traverse an indigenous region of Michoacan that is rarely visited by foreigners, and where guests will have the opportunity to purchase art pieces directly from traditional artisans in authentic and remote villages. We will visit ceramic villages, and artists who make museum quality textiles. After a night in the city of Uruapan, we will visit Jesus Alexandre, to learn about his interesting Tableau Vivant style art, then to the National Park and Paracho, for the Sunday Market. We will visit Cheran, to learn about the indigenous resistance movement there, and stop at the home of a special mask maker in Sevina. We then arrive in the enchanting Pueblo Magico of Patzcuaro to continue exploring the arts of Michoacan in the Lake region. On Monday evening, we are excited to be hosting Trecia Neal for a lecture about the Monarch Butterflies. We will be announcing the restaurant shortly. (If you live in Patzcuaro and would like to attend the lecture, Tickets for the event are $200 Pesos. Your meal is separate.)

 

On Tuesday, February 14th, we will venture around the Lake and make our way to Morelia for the night, and a special Valentines Dinner!

 

Our tour conclusion includes 3 luxurious nights at Rancho San Cayetano, near Zitacuaro, and 3 days observing butterflies at Sierra Chincua, El Rosario and Cerro Pelon, which are all unique from one another. While at Sierra Chincua, we will enjoy a lovely picnic in the park with wines from the Baha, and our other tours will include other meal options.

 

We will spend our last afternoon drifting through the floating gardens of Xochimilco, to visit the Island of Creepy Dolls, which National Geographic has named 1 of the 25 creepiest places in the world. Our boat ride includes a simple picnic, and a chance for guests to relax and process everything we have just experienced.

 

The price for this tour is $66,000 MXN. This price includes hotels, transportation, meals, and all activities, with the exception of drinks + drink tips, and optional horseback riding at Sierra Chincua and El Rosario. (We have included horseback riding for Cerro Pelon).

 

Please contact us if you would like to join this tour - we still have a few spaces left! This link will take you to our website to see the full itinerary and ample photographs of the art mediums you will see, and the reserves.

ART & MONARCHS FEB 10-19

DIA DE MUERTOS

EXPERIENCES 2023

 

Dia de Muertos is our busiest tour, and as it is the biggest tourist attraction for Patzcuaro, it is crucial to book hotels well in advance. We are already sold-out for our Sacred Treasures tour with Jaime Hernandez Balderas, but as we work with several guides, we are still accepting reservations for guests staying from October 28-Nov 2, and October 31-Nov 2. As we are limited for English speaking guides, our Dia de Muertos Experiences are a minimum of 2-5 nights.

 

If you would like to organize a custom tour for your family or group of friends, please contact me ASAP so we can get your hotels booked, and van rental secured. We are also accepting group reservations for our Sacred Observations Tour for 2024.

DIA DE MUERTOS 2023

5TH ANNUAL FIESTA DE CATRINAS CLANDESTINA

OCTOBER 28, 2023

 

We have already booked 16 guests for our 5th Annual Catrina Party for Saturday, October 28, 2023 - so even if you aren't part of our Dia de Muertos tours, you can join us for this bewitching party of the dead! We will have make-up artists on site, a fabulous tasting menu, and cash bar with artisan wine, beer and mezcal. Enjoy live entertainment and a few fun surprises!

 

You will need to be located in Patzcuaro or Morelia, to join us for this beguiling event. We will have return transportation available for all of our guests!

 

Early Bird Tickets are $1400 MXN until August 31, 2023. Regular price is $1600 MXN from September 1-October 20th. Reservations are cut-off on October 20th, so the chefs have enough time to prepare and source ingredients.

 

Tickets are limited to 80 Guests

RESERVE TICKETS

MARIGOLDS & CALAVERAS

OCTOBER 30, 2023

 

National Guide extraordinaire and cultural expert Jaime Hernandez Balderas will present his captivating lecture about the indigenous roots of Dia de Muertos, which explores the traditions, symbols, flowers and insights into the Lake Patzcuaro region. We invite guests to bring a small photo of a deceased loved one, to place on the altar during this touching observation. Dinner will be a set-menu, TBA.

RESERVE TICKETS

LA PUERTA DEL CAMINO REAL

MEXICO'S SILVER ROAD

13 NIGHTS FROM CDMX TO ZACATECAS

 

Perhaps our favourite, albeit highly under-rated tour follows the footsteps of ancient indigenous merchants and warriors, who inscribed this path for the trade of salt, feathers, and other important commodities of their time. The fatal decision of a few trusting Chichimeca warriors to introduce the Spanish to silver deposits spilled blood across this highway of merchants, giving rise to the construction of countless mines, handmade roads and stone bridges, extravagant cathedrals, lavish haciendas and inns, and 7 garrisons that were the result of the Chichimeca War that followed Spain's exploitation of these indigenous lands.

 

Now famed as Mexico's Silver Road, or El Camino de Tierra Adentro, this UNESCO protected region of ghost towns and opulent cities will beguile history lovers, photographers, historians, anthropologists, architects and anyone with a love for indigenous narratives.

 

Join us this summer (TBA) for an extensive 2 week exploration of a segment of Mexico's Silver Road, often called La Puerta del Camino Real - or "door of the royal road." This is Part One of three enthralling tours that will be developed for this historical route that intersected in Mexico, for trade through the ports of Veracruz and Acapulco - thus an intercontinental trade route that ultimately connected the world.

 

Please Note: We have had a request to organize something for beach-goers who want an escape in the summer months. If you are interested, please contact me and once we have enough guests, we can discuss the dates. We will upload this to our website soon.

INTO THE LANDS OF THE RARAMURI

COPPER CANYON TOUR

 

Many tours to this region will scratch the surface, traversing the Sierra Tarahumara along the railroad of the legendary El Chepe train, yet declining to delve into the heart of these powerful and mystifying canyons for an all-embracing adventure. This tour promises just that - over a satisfying journey that begins in Los Mochis and ends in Chihuahua City. We will stay on the rim with spectacular views of Copper Canyon, engage in some cultural activities, and stay in the Pueblo Magico's of El Fuerte, Batopilas and Creel. On our way to Chihuahua, we will visit the Mennonite farms in Cuahtemoc, and stop at Basaseachi National Park to hike to Mexico's second highest waterfall.

 

We are currently tweaking the details for this tour, and will post our website page shortly. Please contact us directly to be added to our mailing list if you are interested in this specific tour!

FIESTA FOR FRIDA

ART IN THE GARDEN

MAY 13-14, 2023

 

Save the date! Fiesta for Frida returns to the luscious gardens of Casa Werma again this May! We are very excited to already have some friends in Patzcuaro who have offered to host some artists during this festival, which means we can invite some new artists to join us, from the P'urepecha Meseta. If you are in Patzcuaro, and would like to host an artist in your home, please contact Jennifer. The artists will arrive on Friday May 12, departing on Sunday evening May 14th, or possibly on Monday morning (so they don't have to drive or bus at night).

 

Please join us and come make art in the garden! We are expanding our workshops to include deshilados, embroidery, fringe-tying (for rebozos), and will also offer the copper class, portrait painting, catrina class, milagros and popotillo weaving. If you are an artist, and you want to make a larger-scale project, please contact us for more information. As the artists will be offering workshops over two days, it would be possible to offer space to someone who wants to create one art piece at a higher level of expertise. We just need to discuss the possibilities with the artists.

 

Fiesta for Frida 2022 was a joy to organize, and we truly hope you will join us for this opportunity to learn about the creative process, and to gain a deeper, first-hand education about what these various art mediums require. Check out our beautiful video below, which was created by Axel Javier Sulzbacher.

CULTURAL TREASURES OF THE

P'UREPECHA MESETA

 

Our favourite region to introduce to serious art collectors is undoubtedly the P'urepecha Meseta. This fascinating region is brimming with delightful ceramics, special wood carvings, and museum quality textiles. Driving through the rural regions between the villages is akin to the loveliest Sunday drive one can imagine, with rolling fields and thick pine forests, ample livestock and traditional farming. Our tour to this region includes the opportunity to break bread (er - corundas or tortillas) with indigenous families, in their homes, and to learn first-hand about their art mediums. There are rebozos woven on backstrap looms from wool, cotton, some with feather fringes, and incredible lace-like pieces that take 3-4 months to weave, due to how fine they are. We will take you to studios where artisans make beautiful, lead-free ceramic dishes, planters, and other functional pieces, and to Ocumicho, where the whimsical diablitos are found. We will meet a gabon weaver who shears his wool, washes, cards, spins and then weaves his ponchos so tightly, they break the wind and are very warm. If you love masks, you will enjoy meeting a celebrated mask carver who not only creates new pieces for local dance groups, but also sells antique masks from his own family's collection. A trip through the Meseta is eye-opening and life-changing, as to date, there is no tourism in this region, save maybe for the newest Pueblo Magico of Paracho, where we often stay. Visit the Church Ruins of San Juan Parangaricutiro, and learn about indigenous resistance in Cheran. If you love indigenous arts, and would like to visit this region, please contact Jennifer for more information and a price quote for your group.

If you would like to see photos of our latest full tour to the P'urepecha Meseta, follow the link below! We also organize day trips and can shorten a tour to one night with two full days of touring.

PHOTO GALLERY

We will return to our regular format next month, with Feature Artist and articles of interest! We truly hope you've had a wonderful start to 2023, and we look forward to hosting you soon!

Warm Wishes,
Jennifer Bjarnason (Proprietress)

 

Email: thecuratorinmexico@gmail.com

Whatsapp/Text: +52 443 639 2782

Did you miss our last issue? Please click on the link below!

DECEMBER 2022 ISSUE

Questions?

Please contact Jennifer at thecuratorinmexico@gmail.com

Patzcuaro, Michoacan Mexico
+52 443 639 2782

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