From Jocotepec it’s only a 90-minute drive to little San José de Gracia, Michoacán, located quite close to the popular mountain resort town of Mazamitla. San José has been holding a big Expo Orquidea for the last seven years, but word about it had never reached our ears. Now, thanks to Alex Solís, who promotes various events taking place south of Lake Chapala, we knew this expo was going to take place from February 6 to 8, over the weekend.
So, last Sunday we headed for the hills, but the fact is we had no idea what we might find: Maybe five people displaying their orchids on card tables under a lona?
To our delight, the expo turned out to be a well-managed, first-class event. The moment we stepped into the plaza, we realized these people were serious and we were going to have a great time.
First of all, the plaza is quite large and picturesque and there were orchids everywhere, all of them gorgeous and of the highest quality. While a troupe of bikini-clad dancers entertained a big audience in front of an outdoor stage, we wandered through a long, shaded area where the best orchid raisers in the town proudly displayed their finest flowers. It was truly a feast for the eyes and the local growers were delighted to answer our questions about caring for orchids, fertilizing them and what sort of insects each flower is trying to lure for pollination.
There we met Leo Toscano, president of the Festival. I asked him how and when this little town had been bitten by the orchid-raising bug.
“This genus of orchid, which is called Cymbidium, was first brought to San José de Gracia 75 years ago from Holland,” he replied. “They were brought by an engineer who was born here and they did very well at our altitude, which is 2,000 meters above sea level (1.2 miles). At that time we had seeds for only two colors of these orchids, yellow and pink. Well, they turned out so well in terms of growth and bloom that, little by little, the whole town became crazy about them. The truth is that when it comes to Cymbidium today, there’s no place in Mexico where you can find anything even close to the quality that we have here in San José. Our climate seems to be perfect for raising them.”
Cymbidium, I later learned, is called Boat Orchid in English and is composed of 52 species. According to the American Orchid Society, Cymbidiums are prized for their long-lasting sprays of flowers. The Australian orchid nursery calls the Cymbidium the King of Orchids. “They are, along with Phaleonopsis, the most recognizable of all orchids, cool-tolerant and suitable for most temperate locations worldwide. Easy to grow and bloom, these elegant hardy orchids come in a huge range of colors, sizes and shapes.”
The Royal Horticultural Society rates them as one of the least demanding of indoor orchids, but warns that they do best in climates with cool nights.
I asked Toscano how many families in town are raising orchids.
“The truth is, all of them! If you go into any house in San José you´ll find at least one orchid. A good number of the townspeople, however, have gone on to become professionals and three years ago 29 of us joined the Asociación Mexicana de Orquidología and now it’s our group that organizes the expos here.”
Toscano says that last year over 3,000 people attended the expo, which is always held during the first weekend in February. “Every year more people come, from all over the country, and I think this year we will set a new record.”
It is interesting to note that all the orchids sold in San José de Gracia are hybrids because Mexican law does not allow the sale of many native species which may be endangered. “San José still doesn´t have its own lab for producing new hybrids,” said Toscano, “but some of our members are now working on this. Meanwhile, we get our hybrid seeds from California.”
Toscano invites the public to attend the next Orchid Expo in February 2016. “Besides orchids, you will find other exotic flowers and locally made foods like cookies, cupcakes, ponches and chocolates. On top of that, San José happens to be the number one producer of milk in the entire state of Michoacán. As a result, this is the best place to buy cheeses, yogurt and other milk products such as chongos and cajetas. I should also mention that here you will find the prettiest women in all México!”
If you want to check out those tasty cheeses and beautiful girls, there’s no need to wait until next February. Just follow the directions below and when you are in San José, don’t forget to visit the Presidencia, where you can see the “cartoon mural” depicting San José’s most illustrious sons. The one wearing an eye patch is Luis González y González, a world-famous historian and inventor of “Micro-History.”
How to get there
From Jocotepec, drive south and east, skirting the lake until you reach Tuxcueca. Here you’ll find Highway 404, which goes to Mazamitla. Drive 37 kilometers south from the Lake and watch for a sign to Jiquilpan. Turn northeast onto this road and drive 2.8 kilometers. Now turn left (north) onto Highway 110, still signposted Jiquilpan. After 11 kilometers you’ll reach San José.