For those of you who might be considering coming to Mexico early, or staying later, here are some interesting things to see in Michoacan, not far from Patzcuaro.

For more information, see: Alternative Travel in Michoacan

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries

Michoacan is the winter home of the monarch butterfly. Several ecological safe-havens have been established in the lush state for this delicate butterfly's preservation. Monarchs migrate several thousand miles and depart Michoacan each year, almost exactly on the Spring Equinox to fly northward. So they will be nearby during our retreat. If you are taking additional time to explore the area, consider visiting to a monarch sanctuary.

For more information, see: The Yearly Sojourn of the Monarch Butterflies

Cathedral Half-Buried in Lava

On February 20, 1943, farmers were working in a cornfield... that was perfectly flat... By the next morning, there was a pile of ashes one hundred feet high, over what had been a cornfield... By the end of the first year, the volcano was fifteen hundred feet high and had spread out to cover the village of Paricutin, which was buried just as Pompeii had been but more slowly.
-Isaac Asimov

The Paricutin is the most recent volcano to have formed on the Western Hemisphere, and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.

Paricutin erupting, 1946 (click on image to enlarge)

For more information, see:
- Travel: Uruapan, Paricutin, Tingambato & Paracho
- Wikipedia: Paricutin
- Paracutin postcards & stamps