Merida: My Last Excursion in Mexico (for now!)

So I know that I haven't posted anything for quite some time but I have been really busy with other things. Anyways, my last trip in Mexico was to Merida (yes, back in December!) so I wanted to go ahead and do this final entry on Merida so I can start doing other posts. I loved a lot of the cultural aspects of Merida but I would never live there! It is too hot! However, I did experience the genuine hospitality of many people in Merida (although I still have to say that Oaxaca is my favorite for friendly people in Mexico!). I've included a few pics from the centro of Merida, a very colonial city in the state of Yucatan. My friend Paloma and I had a lot of fun traveling to different places in and around Merida (so I included the pic of me on a bus-we spent a lot of time on buses!). I also wanted to show the big cathedral that overlooks the zocalo of Merida. This huge church (and I mean HUGE) houses the Cristo de las Ampollas (Christ of the Blisters-which is shown in one of these pics). This statue is famous because it is a black christ and he has survived not one, but two fires and he came out completely unscathed (which is quite fascinating) so I had to take a picture of him (he's now obviously enclosed with special protection and no one can actually touch him). Merida was a lot of fun despite the hot, hot, hot...and humid weather. I am so thankful that I was able to go there and comingle with the descendents of the ancient Maya and be welcomed by so many Meridianos.

These are more pictures from around Merida. The one of Paloma is from right after we landed and got to our hotel. We were both sooooo hungry and decided to hit the streets of Merida and find a vegetarian restaurant (even though Paloma isn't a vegetarian, she was always pleasantly willing to accompany me to a veggie restaurant). We were both really excited to be in Merida but when we stepped off of the plane, WOW! That heat, even in December, was almost unbearable! I cannot imagine what it's like there during May, which all the locals told us was the hottest month (but I'm sure it's still hot in June, July, and August). I included a picture of Hotel Aragon, the place where we stayed. I also wanted to include a picture from La Noche Mexicana which is a weekly event in Merida. Every Saturday night in el centro de Merida, dancers and singers perform regional dances and songs from around Mexico. We just had to check it out! We had to sit quite far back from the stage and I wasn't willing to push my way up to the front to get some better pics so many of the ones I took are very grainy and unfocused. But it was very entertaining and we didn't know what else to do on a Saturday night (since neither Paloma nor I go to the "antros" or danceclub/bars. Also, the first day we were there, an exhibit with colorful sculpted cats was just in plain sight in the alley between some buildings. It was pretty cool (because I love cats!) so I included a picture of my favorite cat!

These are photos from the Anthropology Museum in Merida. I have so many pictures but not enough time or patience to put all of them up in one entry. I just wanted to show a few of these and sum up my week-long trip to Merida. Also, I've included a few of the pics from Progreso, the beach and local "hotspot" which is like 20 minutes north of Merida. There were quite a few Americans having lunch at the same place that Paloma and I went to (and by having lunch I mean an all-liquid lunch! They were so rowdy and loud!).

And here I am at Dzibilchaltun, another Maya site that flourished in the Classic period (around 200 0r 250CE through 850 or 900CE). It is a relatively small site but this building (the one where I'm in the "window") is called the Temple of the Dolls because of several (I think they found seven) "dolls" that were found here during one excavation. It is surrounded by the dense and plush forests and jungles typical of the Yucatan peninsula. Dzibilchaltun also had one of the earliest sweat baths (in the 6th century CE) of the Maya lowlands. This unique building was definitely the highlight of Dzibilchaltun.

And lastly, here are a few more pictures from around Dzibilchaltun. It was a rather small site but I did enjoy visiting yet another Maya site. I just had to include a picture of another iguana because I always think about my friend Vicki's iguana Charlie. This particular iguana in the photo let me come pretty close to take her picture. But anyways, as I try and remember all of the experiences I had in Merida, I really do begin to miss Mexico. What an adventure! I sure am glad that Paloma was there to be my friend and traveling buddy. It would have been much more difficult (or not as much fun) if I did not have a friend to share with in these adventures.