3 We remembered Portico De Peregrino from our visit 5 years ago, were able to find it, and went there for dinner every single night in Mérida.
4
5 There is public perfornance of some sort every day a week in Merida.
6
7
8
9
10 Breakfast on the main square. I still can't remember how to say "fried eggs" in Spanish
11
12
13 This used to be a major museum showing Mayan artifacts. Our last visit to Mérida we got here just as it was closing. We made sure that not to happen this time. But something didn't seem right. The exhibits were interesting, but didn't appeared to be permanent, and all the Mayan historical display were missing. It took me a while to figure out that we didn't skip a building or several floors, they move the content of the museum to a new Maya Mundi museum many kilometres from the downtown. So, maybe next time...
14
15 Some of the art objects were very similar to some of those from Ken's collection from his trips to Mexico. Even the name matches.
16
17
18 The museum itself is in an impressive palace
19
20 Back to the hotel, figuring out what happened to the Museum of Anthropology
21 Sidewals of Mérida. One person wide.
22 We were admiring typerwriters on display in this gentlemant's store window, and he invited us inside to share more of his treasures. Once outside the main tourist area, people were very nice and curious about the strangers passign by. We had a chat with the lady next door when buying cold coke, too. And all of that in spite of our very limited Spanish.
23
24
25 An old colonial home, still privately held, but offering tours and renting the grounds for weddings and such. It wasn't bad life being rich back then. I guess it still wouldn't...
26
27
28
29 Hooks for hamocks
30
31
32
33
34
35
36 A huge kitchen. With staff, of course.
37
38
39
40
41
42 The house next door to the Montejo mansion. The lady of that house grew up in this house.
43 I love Yucatan food.
44 Hotel Real Yucatan
45
46
47 Another night, another trip to Portico del Peregrino
48 Another public music event. Trova Yucateca, love ballads. I couldn't understand the MC ,but he had a lot of personality
49
50
51
52
53 We found a breakfast place with real drip coffee, just few minutes from our hotel. Most coffee served in Mexico is terrible instant coffee, so this was a treat.
54 Art museum on the main square. The square was hot and teaming with people buying last minute Christmas gifts, this place was cool, serene, and mostly empty.
55
56 A piece of art celebrating beaches and beach trash of Baja.
57 We kept looking for the jewerly store where Larry bought my opal on our last visit, and went to many wrong places. Then we walked into this one, on the way from the hotel to the plaza, and realized it was the place we had been looking for.
58
59
60
61 So that we remember the next time!
62 Christmas Eve, midnigh mass in the main cathedral (it is called Christmas mass and doesnt' happen at midnight). The family up front had a freshly born baby that was stepping in for baby Jesus. I learned all of that from talking to Patty once I got back to work, it didn't make much sense in the moment.
63
64
65 Archbishop. Changing hats for different parts of the mass. He has not skipped any meals lately.
66
67
68 When we walked around on Christmas Day morning looking for a place that served food, we stopped by a small Santa Lucia church right in the neighborhood. I liked it much better than the cathedral. Should we ever be here again on Christmas, I want to come here instead.
69 Chaya juice for Christmas day breakfast. I am not in Ostrava any more.
70 And some pork with pickled onions. SO GOOD
71
72
73
74
75
76
77 I wanted to spend Christmas day on a beach, so we headed north to Progresso. It was very windy, sort of cold, and the beach or the town were not inviting at all. Next time I would go to Celestun, no need to return here.
78
79
80 Since beach was disappointing, we just spent the afternoon sitting on the plaza and enjoying our last day in Merida that way.
81
82
83
84 Pink dolphin. Or something. The plaza is always interesting, AND it has free wifi.
85
86
87 When sorting and packing everything in car, we realized that our shell the first week of the trip has had a tenant :-( We wouldn't have taken it had we know, but he was hiding really well.
88
89 Permits? What permits???
90
91
92
93
94 More examples of creative electrical work
95
96
97
98
99 -
100
101
102
103
104 I just really had to try one of those. Marquesitas, marquesitas - we could hear it from everywhere. Your pick of filling - cheese, condensed milk, nutella, or a combination
105
106
107 -
108
109 The hotel bar. They were little confused by our order, and we are not bar snobs at all, but they tried their best.
