This city is everything I hoped for and more! The temperature is perfect~ sunny, warm & humid~ just right for a couple of gringos coming from inversion-plagued SLC.
The Luz En Yucatan, our hotel selected as the “Moon Handbook’s” favorite & TripAdvisor’s #1 choice for Merida is comfortable, quiet & a great value.
Merida is touted as the cultural capital of the Yucatan. Each night there are free events, including live music, on the main street closed for pedestrians only starting just ½ block away from our hotel. We have visited three art museums housed in restored colonial mansions loaded with a variety of historical murals, antique furniture and visual art, both modern & from the ancient Mayan civilization. The past two mornings we have toured the city with a knowledgeable bilingual guide whom pointed out many examples of the Spanish Conquistadors’ reuse of Mayan constructions as cathedrals, churches and city streets.
Last night we enjoyed Ballet Folkloric dancing in a beautiful theatre for free with a new travel buddy, Caroline, who we plan to visit in Antigua, Guatemala in April.
Late this afternoon we fraternized with a local restaurant owner who soon had us hooked up with a real estate agent looking at houses after he challenged Keith to a hot pepper eating contest for a free meal. Unfortunately for his tummy, Keith tried the challenge and was tricked with an easier contest involving chile-shaped Marzipan cookies.
All this in two days! Plus we have enjoyed naps, great local food & free Kahlua for our coffee each morning.
Life is peaceful on the Yucatan Peninsula this December and I think we can wager it’s going to get even better in the days to come.
Thanks once again for sharing your travels. I'm always happy (and a little jealous) to know you're on the road again. Happy Trails
ReplyDelete