At the suggestion of one of my oldest web site visitors I stayed in town an extra day to visit the Isla de Janitzio (thanks Ben). Boats leave regularly so I went and bought a ticket for 40 pesos round-trip and hopped on board. It was well worth the trip.

After a short ride on the murky lake the boat docked at a pier chock full of vendors. In fact the (steep) roads leading up to the 130 foot statue of José María Morelos were lined with shops selling just about everything. I was kind of surprised to see just how self-contained the island was. There was a school, an outdoor arena, a church and even a graveyard. One set of power lines brought in juice from the longest unsupported strand of power line I’ve ever seen. Garbage appears to be removed from the island using little barges that stink like you wouldn’t believe.

Up at the statue 6 pesos lets you inside the park area. The inside of the statue was amazing. Huge murals line the wall showing the life of Morelos (he was a revolutionary rebel leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement). The winding staircase takes you up right into the giant raised fist here you can look out over the town of Janitzio and the surrounding lake.

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