Every now and again you have to splurge, given how far the dollar takes you in Mexico. It was a three hour bus ride through the pueblos before we found ourselves in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. After being in the rancho for three weeks, a nice hotel in the city did wonders.
As soon as we arrived to Hotel de la Soledad we knew this is exactly what we needed. You walk into a beautiful hacienda style patio, with a beautiful fountain in the middle. The sounds of the water surrounding you with a sense of tranquility. As you walk around the property you realize how beautiful the Mexican style colors bring a vibrancy to life and it makes you wish you had a house that looks like this. Then you walk into the hotel room and you know you’re going to have the best sleep and the best shower you have ever had.
Given our baller status we wanted to eat at the best restaurants, where even a fancy culinary experience cost you about $15. We had some enchiladas estilo Michoacan and chille relleno de uchepo. Living and loving life with every bite of food, enjoying the five star restaurant where they treat you extra nice and you begin to second guess if you’re holding your fork and knife right.
As I walked around the city appreciating the architecture I started to recognize how much history Mexico carries. Walking through Morelia always has me conflicted because the architecture is so old and the style of the city reminds me so much of Madrid, only to remember they were our colonizers. But its still pretty! The cool thing is that despite the architecture being very European in nature there’s Mexican culture throughout the city. Some days you will find the purepechas dancing their indigenous dance, other days you will find the tamorazo in the middle of the plaza with a group of people zapateando.
Going out to for the nightlife was another adventure in itself. We found ourself at a bar overlooking the cathedral. It was so beautiful especially as the sun was setting and the lights of the cathedral were turned on. It was a breathtaking view with the cerros in the background and the most beautiful clouds, the perfect place to wait out the rain drinking micheladas. We asked the waiter what places he recommended for later that night. What we found out was that Mexicans like to party every night of the week and it being Thursday, it was guaranteed to be a good time.
We ended up at Pecatto, where they have banda everyday. What’s great is that when you order a drink they bring you chicharrones con chile as an appetizer. We were sitting front and center and it was easy to make friends. In Mexico everyone likes to dance, so you’re bound to be asked for a dance. Not too long into the night we made friends with the college kids at the table next to us. And soon after that we had a a señor buying us bottle service. First thought that crossed my mind was- is he was a narco? Thankfully the college kids took one for the team and kept him entertained since they kept throwing back drinks from the bottle he got. What it is to be young and party like you’re 20… but to be broke and depend on others for drinks. In the end we all had a good time, dancing and singing all of the jams at the top of our lungs- “Y sigo siendo el rey!”. That is until the young homies got too drunk and started falling on the tables making it the perfect time to call it a night.
Morelia was a nice reminder of how easy it is to make a life anywhere. I'm getting the idea that living in the city might be fun. Close to family, living the culture and eating Mexican food everyday. But just enough city to find a good job. It might just happen one day. Mexico is a good look for me.
