So, the past trip to Mexico was more than just to observe the Day of the Dead - it was also a great excuse to see another area of Mexico that offered both the opportunity to spend time in a Colonial city, rich in history and culture AND indulge in a little R&R at the beach.
On arrival in Cancun, Hubby and I rented a car (crossed our fingers it would survive the journey, in tact) and headed on a four hour toll highway drive to Merida, capital of the Yucatan State. Deemed the most boring drive in the world, by David, it was also a pretty expensive toll road with two pit stops that cost us about $38 to travel the highway, one way! Why? Probably because the Mayan Pyramids were also accessed by multiple tour buses everyday on this road - a great way to pay for the cost of this highway, over and over again! Can anyone say cha-ching?
However, on arrival in Merida, we found some fantastic haciendas and their welcoming entrances, including this lovely hotel on Pasejo de Montego - Merida's take on a grand European main street.
Above is just one of many mansions built on this impressive street. You can see one of two "unique" modes of transportation in Merida - a horse drawn buggy. About 50% of the transportation seems to be either buggy or an original VW beetle!
Merida is one of the oldest cities in Mexico. Once an area inhabited by the Mayans, the Spaniards, led by Francisco de Montego took over the area and built Merida. In fact, the Spaniards dismantled many of the pyramids in this immediate area and used the stones to build structures for the new city. One of the most well-known is located in the centro historico (historic centre) of Merida - the Cathedral San Idelfonso. This Cathedral is the oldest on the American continent with a date of 1556.
The historic centre is where we hung our hat for a few days - walking up and down the narrow streets and impossibly narrow sidewalks, seeking out history, areas of interest, great cantinas, bistros and restaurants, quirky shops, including some fantastic chocolatiers and mostly, escaping the persistent rain storms!
Here's the remnants of a 30 minute rain storm - needless to say, both clothes and shoes were a bit worse for wear during this trip!
However, when the rain came, we gave in... Hello Cantina!
Order drinks, get free food! What a great culture! Here's a shot at one local hangout - look down
Look up...What's not to like? :-)
Even rained out, there is always a way to enjoy cheap beer in Mexico!
The next shots are from the Governor's Palace, adjacent to the Cathedral in the Plaza Principal in Merida:
Two-story Colonial Palace
One of 24 murals painted by a single artist over his lifetime that depicts the journey of the Mayan people
Colonial door in the Palace next to another mural, just to give you an idea of the size of each mural!
After a few days in Merida, we headed to the coast, located on the Gulf of Mexico. Progreso is a small fishing town of 55,000 people but with one odd addition: it is home to one of the largest piers in the world, spanning over 5 miles directly out to sea! Why? The Danish built this pier to help with importing/exporting to Mexico. And of course, where there is a pier, cruise ships will come. Cruise ships now have Progreso as a port of call several days a week.
And last, but certainly not least, the final days of our trip was spent in Cancun - an area new to both David and me - though we have flown into Cancun several times, this was our first taste of the area. Very American in feel, it resembles a mature area of the States not unlike the Florida Keys, with lots of high end restaurants and shopping, but both a large lagoon and the ocean on either side. The beach is probably the best in the entire area - makes sense, hotels typically find the best stretch of beach to place their property and Cancun was developed before the now hugely popular Riviera Maya. If I had to make a choice, Cancun would be it!
0 comments:
Post a Comment