Cuanajo is near the halfway point between Morelia and Pátzcuaro off the main highway. As many times as I have passed by there I have only stopped in once or twice to look around.

True, they are the town for wood furniture and some is very nicely carved work. Because of their location they have more traffic than Pichataro so typically have a larger selection. You will find a variety of plain and elegantly-carved, finished and unfinished, and some brightly painted, and some not.

They will make furniture to order, as will Pichataro. You may want to compare the two for prices but for just stopping in along the way you will find more on display in Cuanajo.

In the past I had only the small apartment I originally built as phase I and had a lot of stackable furniture to accomodate visitors or stow things in their absence. Now that the big house and all its patios are completed and nearing being "finished" I have planned to go to Cuanajo to see what I can find. If I do that any time soon I will let you know what I see and take a couple photos.

Another furniture place closer in is by "The Monumento" in Morelia which is at Madero a number of blocks west of the Catedral where the turnoff for Pátzcuaro is located in the Centro. their funiture tends to be a bit more "pedestrian" though there are some very nice pieces at a bargain. I bought a few pieces there recently, bed bases, utility tables, coffee tables, book case, dressers, and a nice black dining table and chairs for Tere's dining room.



You may see some of those in photos on this site that I took around the house, almost all the wood furniture pieces in those photos. A lot of that is not shown here, some of the nicer chests and dressers, as that is mostly in Tere's private living space. Look at my library photos and those of my house to see some. We bought some finished and others unfinished. Excellent prices we paid.



I take it back, there is not much visible here so I included these photos. Other laminated wood pieces were made by George and myself also - those would be some corner tables, cabinets, and shelving mostly. I have a similar coffee table as that shown in the library/classroom but the top is carved, also bought there by the Monumento.

We made the trip to Cuanajo and were blown away by the shear number of shops and factories! A very interesting and enlightening experience!

Slideshow: https://picasaweb.google.com/118146709599975173363/CUANAJOMICHOACANMEXICO?authkey=Gv1sRgCLSV2oi7hIOl-AE#slideshow/5646135535862321426

Thanks for the slideshow, Neil. Sorry we missed you while here, I was knocked off my feet for a week or so the evening before you met with Jim and just now returning to normal again.

Those shope in Cuanajo are amazing, no? There are certainly some elegant pieces for prices that are almost unimaginably affordable. One can select from elaborate wood-carvings to plain and unfinished pieces that fit anyone's budget. How those big store pre-fabbed laminated pressboard articles get sold here is amazing with what hand-made pieces are so available and priced so well, not to mention the convenience of home-delivery these shops offer.

Not attempting to preach to the choir as you know better than many folks what kinds of products are available in these villages in this area, but I still am in wonder every time I visit these places. It is a good life living here.

I hope you both had a pleasant visit. Maybe we'll meet up next time around.