Chinese mural in Tzintzuntzan?

I saw this mural on the wall of the Franciscan monastery of Santa Ana in Tzintzuntzan. Construction of the monastery began in 1526. I've never seen any Purepecha art that resembles this.   Maybe a visiting Chinese artist? 

Probably not but just thought I would ask

Guitar Festival in Paracho - 2011

The Paracho Guitar Festival is actually a national music festival held once a year. Dates for 2011 are July 30 through August 7, starting this Saturday.

Dozens of guitar shops line the main plaza and side streets of Paracho, where you can buy a guitar from the person who made it. Every August Paracho comes alive as it hosts the Mexican National Guitar Festival. The festival features classical guitar concerts, parades, mariachi and Purepecha folk performances and competitions for guitarists and guitar makers. But ultimately, it is the town that emerges as the main character in a spirited display of tradition and community pride.

Mexican Indian Town Fights to Keep Out Illegal Loggers

MEXICO CITY – A small Indian town in Mexico has blocked roads in an effort to keep out illegal loggers who are protected by gunmen from organized crime groups, an attorney told Efe.

Cheran, located in the western state of Michoacan, has been plagued for three years by the illegal logging of its forests, which residents use in a sustainable manner, attorney David Peña said.

Gunmen began guarding the trucks used by loggers about 18 months ago, when residents tried to stop the illegal activity, Peña said.

Nine people have been murdered and five others disappeared after they confronted the criminals, the attorney said.

Three people have been murdered since mid-April, when residents closed off access to the community because officials took no action to help them.

“If the government does not have the ability to protect them, they are going to take care of themselves,” Peña said.

Classes have been cancelled in the town of 19,000, the majority of whom belong to the Purepecha tribe.

Residents managed to get the gunmen out of Cheran and closed off the entrances to the town with burning buses.

One person was shot in the head during the clash and is near death, the attorney said.

A delegation from the town met with federal Government Secretariat officials and asked that Federal Police officers be sent to the town.

Nothing has been done to end the illegal logging and violence, even though complaints have been filed with state, federal and environmental prosecutors, Peña said.

Residents do not want state police to guard their land because they consider the force less qualified for the job and suspect that some officers work with drug traffickers, the attorney said.

Michoacan has been the scene in recent months of numerous violent incidents blamed on the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel and the newly formed Caballeros Templarios gang.

Illegal logging is a problem across Mexico, where organized crime groups are involved in the activity, contributing to deforestation. EFE

Latin American Herald Tribune article

Diana Kennedy in Zitacuaro

Author Diana Kennedy, a leading expert on Mexican cuisine, checks a draft of her newest book while working in her kitchen at her home in Zitacuaro, Mexico. Sparkling brown eyes, sharp tongued and hilarious, at 87, Kennedy has a new cookbook coming out, "Oaxaca al Gusto," featuring more than 300 recipes gathered over decades. (Associated Press).

ZITACUARO - If the grand dame of Mexican cooking were a foodstuff, Diana Kennedy might be a pickled pepper. Absolutely indispensable at the table. But be careful. A little chili habanero goes a long way.

Three hours west of Mexico City, we pass happily up the cobblestone drive of her home tucked into a forested hill outside a sleepy little pueblo in the wilds of Michoacan. But when Kennedy spots an unexpected guest, a fellow reporter just along for the ride, she recoils in fury, points, and demands, "What is she?"

"I am very, very annoyed," Kennedy says, and turns on her heel.

There is a difference between hospitality and gastronomy, and Kennedy is much more about the latter and is famous for her tart tongue, quick temper and withering appraisals of competitors.

The Washington Post Article

Monarch Reserve trip report

Three of us made the drive to Angangueo today with the intent of seeing Monarch butterflies at Sierra Chincua. (It was about 148 miles from Patzcuaro's La Estacion area to Sierra Chincua.)

Everything worked fine, especially the new highway that's nearly finished between Maravatio and Irimbo. That is, until we arrived in downtown Ang .... there we ran into lots of soldiers and local police. My friends who are visiting from Seattle were a little taken aback by so many soldiers in combat gear and I, too, thought it a bit odd. At the top of the hill, we saw a military helicopter flying overhead and were stopped by three police/military patrols. And, the road into Sierra Chincua was barricaded. Now this was definitely leaving us with an uncomfortable feeling.

For whatever reason, the officials at the turnoff into the reserve let us proceed; however, at the gate where one normally pays an entrance fee, we were told we couldn't go further. Sensing our befuddlement, that's when someone probably broke all security rules: He told us President Calderone was participating in a special event and we couldn't enter the reserve until 1 PM. So we had to figure out something to do for nearly 3 hours. Thankfully today was market day in town, and we were sated with delicious freshly made blue corn tortillas filled with a combination of bifsteak, beans, cheese, and great salsa. (Are you reading this Don y Dona Las Cuevas??......you would love them and at 7 pesos, the price couldn't be beat!)

At 12:45 we headed back to Sierra Chincua, where we had to wait at the entrance. Maybe 10 minutes later, the President's caravan of vehicles exited and we were allowed into the reserve. Well, lo and behold, the ratty structures of the past are gone, and today's event was the inauguration of several new buildings for little restaurants, trinket shops, new bathrooms with American standard toilets, and a huge salon for educational purposes.

We were unable to find Don Pancho, an elder of the ejido who has guided me to the butterflies in the past. Instead, we met Noe Valdez who agreed to leave the festivities to guide us to the nearest colony. Imagine my surprise to learn that he's participating in a certificate program to be a bird guide. Perfecto. Although Noe doesn't speak English, he spoke slow enough that I could understand nearly all of his Spanish. The weather was lovely - not cold or windy. Our walk to the colony took us through patches of green meadow and through oyamel-pine forest. The trail was well groomed and was a gentle climb, not the grunt I've done twice at Rosario. Be that as it may, our hearts were beating and we were somewhat out of breath. Brief stops along the way allowed us to rest. New interpretive signs provide important information about the butterflies, in Spanish and English.

When we arrived at the colony (30-40 minutes), we had an amazing experience. We were alone with trees full of butterflies. Noe showed my friends how to sex the butterflies. We were very close to the butterflies; they were flying all around and momentarily landing on us. Because no one else was in the vicinity, we could hear the butterflies' wing-flapping. This was truly a mystical time with Mother Nature.

While some individuals recommend that the best time to visit the reserve is in January or February when many more butterflies are present, I maintain that it's worthwhile to visit early in the season when hordes of visitors are not there. Soon the area will be roped off and whispering is mandated. It's dustier and hawkers are assertive. Visiting a Monarch butterfly sanctuary is a must-see thing to do. I just wanted everyone to have another perspective.

I definitely recommend Noe or Don Pancho as local guides. I doubt you could do better.

From the Yahoo group - Michoacan Net