Michoacán
Michoacán is a state in South-Central Mexico. It was the home of the Tarascan Empire, a powerful nation of warriors with copper arrowheads. They were one of very few nations to remain independent of the Aztec Empire. Their capital was TsinTsunTsan on the shores of Lake Patscuaro.
TsinTsunTsan is a charming little village. The Archeological site is right on the edge of town. The pyramids sit on top of a huge artificial plaza twenty feet or more above the surrounding landscape. The floor-plan is a rectangle with 5 half-circles bulging out of one side. The whole complex is half a mile long and about 15-20 feet high. It's a ruin of course, so there's no indication of how tall they were in their heyday, or of what use the half-cirles had. I doubt they were used for human sacrifice. There was no mention of that in the signs around the park. But the views of the lake and surrounding countryside is extensive. It's obvious why they picked this spot for their capital. Plus it's probably more defensible. The backside of the complex is a relatively tall and rugged mountain.
Photos from the towns of Erongaricuaro, Patzcuaro & Uruapan; Patcuaro Lake and the island of Janitzio
TsinTsunTsan is a charming little village. The Archeological site is right on the edge of town. The pyramids sit on top of a huge artificial plaza twenty feet or more above the surrounding landscape. The floor-plan is a rectangle with 5 half-circles bulging out of one side. The whole complex is half a mile long and about 15-20 feet high. It's a ruin of course, so there's no indication of how tall they were in their heyday, or of what use the half-cirles had. I doubt they were used for human sacrifice. There was no mention of that in the signs around the park. But the views of the lake and surrounding countryside is extensive. It's obvious why they picked this spot for their capital. Plus it's probably more defensible. The backside of the complex is a relatively tall and rugged mountain.
Photos from the towns of Erongaricuaro, Patzcuaro & Uruapan; Patcuaro Lake and the island of Janitzio
A traditional Purehepecha Troje - wooden house
School girls at an afternoon assembly in the plaza in Erongaricuaro
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Little Girl at the Uruapan Eternal Spring
One of 11 plazas in an old convent, now
an artesanias center with many shops. 
The dancers and band before the Rodeo
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Cotton Candy vendors at the Rodeo
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Munching charales (tiny fish that look like french fries with eyes) and a beautiful mooch who ate more than her fair share.
The boat in Patzcuaro headed to Janitzio Island, filled with people returning from school and work
Janitzio Island, in the middle of Pátzcuaro lake, is a town with staircases instead of streets. A monument to the revolutionary hero José Maria Morelos is the crowning attraction at the top of the cone shaped island.