Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-08-12
Picturesque and Beautiful
Mexico Found in Villages
BY JOSE RODRIGUEZ

due TO the practice Of the children always
to kneel for a moment every time the 4
passed the altar.
One Sunday at Janitzio, we witnessed
the Feast of the Corpus
The church, built on the steep escarp-
ment of the island, overiowed with wor-
shippers
Outside, in the brilliant sunlight, the
fishermen were stringing fshnets over
the streets and then scattering flowers
over the nets.
lust beyond the doors of the church,
kneeling on the fiintyedged stones OF
the street, this reporter observed young
woman with a baby in her arms, remain
motionless for half an hour oblivious to
all things other than her devotions. To
kneei on that surface even for moment
and upon a pad, would be torture in
American eyes
We passed long lines of Tarascans on
the road, fathers, mothers and children,
loaded with sugar cane or maize stalks.
Every one of them, as they passed, sang
out "buenos dias' or "buenas tardes' so
good humoredly. so clearly and heartily
that one automatically responded courte-
ously TO the-very last grinning urchin.
BY the tishcrman's dock close to PATTI
cuaro, herd Of blooded cattle cropped
the lush grass II was in the care of
cowboy, aged 9, who ran among them,
in his left hand tOrtlla rolled with fried
beans and in his right a willow withe
7 IE WAS having trouble with Pabellon,
l l stately white bull, and settled the
matter by jumping on Pabellon's back
and rousting him farther inshore. /.
He confded that his ambition was u
own Pabellon, but that negotiations with
the owner, Gen. Moya were not yet COM
pletc
Far to the south and west, over the
spine of a low range, Mexico's newest
wonder, the -month-old volcano Pari-
cutin, Haunted its column Of smoke and
ashes by day and its pennon Of fame and
lava by night.
Gardens in Patzcuaro some 70 miles
away have thin but appreciate layer
of volcanic ash on the ground, all from
Paricutin.
There are two objects Of daily use
around Patzcuaro which give an indefn-
able but unmistakable atmosphere to the
region.
One is the Tarascan model Of the straw
sOmbrero, SO weighted with clay that il is
and worn with matchless natural grace.
The other is the butterfly net of the
fishermen formed Of an elliptical wooden
frame on which the net is hung. A group
of dugouts on the lake with the nets
dipping in and out flashing white in the
sun Is an unforgcttable sight.
over all this country. with its red soil
~ and its deep green vegetation, its roll
ing hills marked with the red tiles OF
roofs and the rising believers Of
churches is the Incompatible beauty and
majesty of the moody Mexican sky.
In no two 10-mnute periods Of the
day Is the light the same rain and sun
light chase each other in sudden and
transitory sovereignty.
The clouds resemble cathedrals or FAM
tastic animals or battle flags in nev&
ending transition.
And everywhere is the instructive grace
and amiablity, and frequently the pride
and personal beauty, Of the true Mexican
peasant, racc-no matter what its tribal
or racial origin-that seems born 10 easy
courtliness mixed with sclf-contained dig
nifty
Americans who would know Mexico as
1t lives and works outside the big cities,
who would know it as fresh and vigor-
Gus and always beautiful land, can pick
no better spot in which to spend little
time, TO their great profit and delight,
than the charmingly historic country
around Patzcuaro.