Yes, she's strange and different...but not THAT different.

13 November 2006

Mexico - again

As I sit here in the Houston airport waiting for my next flight to Mexico - this time to Monterrey - I figured I ought to finish singing the praises of Merida, Yucatan. (la-la-la, mmmmmm ... warmed up and ready to sing). Quite simply, it’s a great place. It’s architecturally beautiful, and it’s more laid back and less concerned with crime than any other place I’ve been in Mexico. And I’m assuming that they’re less concerned with crime because there’s less crime. The climate is terrific if you like it warm but not too hot during the day and cool but not cold at night - all the time. If you’re the type that likes to see the seasons change, Yucatan is not for you. As is the case everywhere I’ve ever been in Mexico, the people are terrific: friendly, helpful, nice, etc. Merida is near Cancun but far enough away to not be swamped by beach tourists. It’s also close to the Mayan/Toltec ruins, which are awesome. So, enough singing and on to some showing. Pictures follow:

Aerial view of Merida from the balcony of my hotel room (7th floor). The bigger buildings you see are hotels and are the tallest buildings in the city.


Sculpture.


Lots of sculpture.


On the city streets.


Blocks and blocks of art.


Way cool.


What is this? It’s the Merida Wal-mart. All parking is underground and the building blends in with the neighborhood where it’s located. But it IS Wal-Mart.


Colonial (Spanish colonial, that is) houses abound - some grand and elegant and some just very nice. A lot of them have been taken over by commercial firms as offices. This one was for rent. I didn’t ask how much.


Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. I got to actually do something besides work: visit this awesome place. I don’t know if I’m more awed by the Mayans who originally built this place (and others) a thousand years ago or the generations of archaeologists who have restored much of it in the past fifty years.


The celestial observatory at Chichen Itza. I didn't take this picture, but I'm in it. Want to guess which person is me?


When you end up staying five days longer than planned, you sometimes have to rinse out a few things in order to stay socially acceptable. This is four pairs of socks (all white) and 3 pairs of panties (1 white, 1 blue, 1 orchid). I usually pack a few extra so this was all I needed to wash. When there’s no washing machine available, I do my wash on the road by throwing the items in the shower while I’m in it; rub a little soap on them, drop them, walk on them as I shower, rinse them out, all clean.

  • On 11/14/2006 4:15 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Fantastic photos! I've seen the pyramids in Egypt up close and they're amazing, so I kind of envy you right now as I'd love to experience such wonders again.

    I especially loved the photo of the tree with the faces on it. It reminded me of the tree sculptures my sister snapped when she went to New Zealand. x

     
  • On 11/28/2006 5:34 AM, Blogger DeniseUMLaw said…

    No idea which one is you! :) Loved all the pictures, except the one of your laundry. ;)

     
  • On 11/28/2006 10:12 AM, Blogger Jami said…

    Hey, laundry is life! And just to give you a clue, I'm the third hat from the right (since all you can see is the hat and my back).

     
  • On 9/09/2007 8:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Jami:
    I also love Merida, and try to get there a couple of weeks every year.
    You don't quite give the weather its due, though. July and August are HOT in Merida, which is why the entire city empties out to the beaches on the north (Gulf of Mexico) coast.
    But the culture, music, theatre, architecture--all wonderful. There is some kind of FREE music or theatre event every night, 365 days a year, on a weekly schedule that's run forever. Every Saturday night they close the Centro to cars and the restaurants pull their tables out on the street and have live music and dancing. Every Sunday the downtown streets are closed all day and the whole state of Yucatan comes to town for the festivities.
    It is certainly a best kept secret (well, until your blog, anyway).
    By the way, you show the WalMart but not the Sears, JCPenney, Costco, Sams Club or Home Depot. There's a lot of money in Merida...

     

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