Let's Get Spiritual

From the article "Spirited Away in Merida" by Guy Saddy for ENROUTE the inflight magazine published by Air Canada.

Although gods have shaped this place, the hand of man has also played its part. Speeding down cobblestone thoroughfares with John Powell and Josh Ramos, two ex-New Yorkers who’ve made a permanent home in Mérida restoring and leasing Spanish colonial homes, we pass street after street crammed with centuries-old architecture. The motherlode is on Paseo de Montejo, a boulevard lined with spectacular mansions; most were built during the henequén, or sisal, boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Mérida was rumoured to have more millionaires than any other place in the world.

We shoot by Parque Santiago, where we will later dine alfresco on habanero-laced Yucatecan specialties such as sopa de lima and panuchos at La Reina Itzalana while a guitar-and-vocal duo bangs out a tune – yet more evidence that almost everywhere you go in Mérida there’s music. We pass Parque de Santa Ana, whose night vendors sell sweet, tequila-flavoured ice cream, and circle Plaza Grande.

But soon a sense of déjà vu takes over: Haven’t we been by here before? Many of the streets are dominated by pastel-, white- and cream-coloured structures, lending a uniform esthetic to much of Centro Histórico and likely the reason Mérida earned the nickname “The White City.” After a while, the streets – and, indeed, the city itself – appear to meld into a single, disorienting blur.

Slow Food

An article from the SF Gate on Merida's new slow food market.

"Slow Food International, which began in Italy, is best known for its activities in Europe, but the movement has spread to 132 countries. The aim is to preserve culinary traditions, focus on organic regional produce, and encourage healthful eating — in other words, the opposite of fast food. Though Mexico is a relative latecomer, it was a natural, and nowhere more than in the Yucatán, where tradition still rules."

"Slow Food Yucatán's first endeavor was to publish a directory of sustainable, organic food growers and artisanal food producers in Yucatán. Projects on the drawing board include rooftop gardens in Mérida, raising funds to help farmers learn organic growing and find a market for their produce, and distributing healthy lunch kits and nutritional information to school children."

How Safe is Mexico?

AOL has an article on Safety in Mexico fear factor 1 to 5.... 5 being safe.

CANCUN, THE RIVIERA MAYA AND COZUMEL

Fear Factor: 5

Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular beach resorts, which average around four million American visitors per year. Last year a retired Mexican general investigating corruption was assassinated by drug traffickers, but that's been an isolated event. Over-consumption of alcohol by younger tourists is a problem, and there have been rapes. But on the whole, Cancun is extremely safe. "The leading cause of foreign tourist deaths in Cancun is heart attacks, car accidents and accidental drowning," says Canadian writer Marlo-Renay Heresco, a Cancun resident who blogs about her life in Mexico on her website, atravelartist.com. "The key to success when traveling or living abroad is exercising common sense." The Riviera Maya (the Yucatan coast stretching south from Cancun) has little to fear beyond sunburn. The island of Cozumel off the Riviera Maya is a popular, very safe destination for cruise ships, where problems are the occasional purse-snatching or picked pocket.

MERIDA AND THE MAYAN RUINS IN YUCATAN

Fear Factor: 5

Although many people visit Chichen Itza on day-trips from Cancun, Merida is the gateway to comprehensive exploration of Uxmal and other significant Mayan ruins scattered across the state of Yucatan. Merida is a quiet, charming city, and the main ruins have well-organized tours and visitor's centers, as well as guards. In addition to hotels in Merida, the Yucatan has a number of colonial-era haciendas that have been converted into small resorts. Mayan villagers are welcoming. Here again, it's not a good idea to drive on unlighted roads at night, but central Merida's busy colonial-era streets are safe to stroll at night. "Mexico is a large country... deciding not to travel "to Mexico" because of violence is like saying you won't go to New York because of a murder in Denver," says Merida resident Ellen Fields. " Yes, there are places in Mexico where violence is on the rise. Where I live, Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula, and the nearby Mayan Riviera, has not seen this violence and is a very safe place to visit or to live."

MEXICO CITY

Fear Factor: 4.75

No one thinks twice about visiting our nation's capital, and the same should go for Mexico's capital. In 2008, Mexico City had a homicide rate of nine for every 100,000 people, while Washington D.C. had a rate of more than 30 per 100,000 -- over three times higher. Visitors to Mexico City should exercise the same precautions taken in any of the world's big cities; sticking to busy, central areas and remaining aware of one's surroundings. It's very important to take only radio-issued taxis or taxis from official stands, never the "libre" (independent) or Volkswagen cabs, as there have been many instances of robbery and kidnapping. Don't walk at night except short distances on busy streets. This is an exciting city full of museums, art galleries and fabulous restaurants, not to be missed. Most people include a visit nearby to the majestic ruins of Teotihuacan, which are well patrolled and perfectly safe, with a visitor's center and organized guides.

New York Magazine

New York Magazine has an article in their Weekend Escape series by Denise Penny on where to stay, what to eat, what to see if you only have a weekend in Merida.

She came, She saw, She Blogged

Martha Stewart came to the Yucatan in August and toured the cities of Merida and Valladolid. She shopped in Merida's central market and went to Los Dos cooking school after visiting the city by horse cart. She went to the ruins of Ek Balam near Valladolid and visted the Domincan church in nearby Uayma. She visited an herbalist house in Santa Elena near Uxmal where his makes hammocks and embroiders huipils. After swimming in a cenote Martha gives us a tour of the hacienda San Bernardo near Maxcanu where she stayed with Paula Cussi. There are 8 videos from her show and more photos and recipes on her blog.

Mexicos World Heritage Sites

New York Times

Off a lazy plaza in the historic center of Izamal, Mexico, across the street from a Franciscan monastery built in 1561 on top of a Maya pyramid, a small market putters along. Behind open arches painted golden yellow like every other colonial building in town, poor quality T-shirts cover the walls, their silly English slogans clearly targeted at local residents, as are the avocados and chirimoyas sold by an older woman nearby.

Souvenir vendor awaits tourists at Chichén Ítza.
But squint a little, and it's easy to imagine a different future for this small Yucatán town. The bargain "No Problem" and "Sport Attitude" jerseys morph into crisp, overpriced Izamal T-shirts; the woman is still there, but selling knickknacks to tourists who've just toured the pyramids or the monastery, El Convento de San Antonio de Padua, with its nearly two-acre atrium. Then they will head off to picturesque hotels that do not yet exist.

If municipal officials have their way, Izamal, or at least the convent, will be designated the eight-hundred-and-somethingth Unesco World Heritage site, and that new tableau will be all but ensured...

Take a ride

From an article in the Denver Post some good advice and some bad.

It's a tradition maintained since the 17th century and favored especially among young sweethearts because, as our guide, Braulio Rosales Diaz, explained, "The in-laws can't see both of you." Take sustenance at Los Almendros on Calle 57 and get a taste of the Yucatan at its most authentic, especially if you ask for poc chuc, slices of grilled marinated beef covered with onions; or pollo pibil, perfectly seasoned chicken wrapped in banana leaves.

Then stroll - or, better yet, rent a calesa, a horse-drawn buggy - along the broad Paseo de Montejo, lined on either side by ornate 19th-century homes, many converted into offices, and by a tree canopy offering shelter from the tropical sun.

Calesas depart from the main plaza and also travel along the Paseo de Montejo to the Monumento a la Patria. A one-hour buggy ride costs as little as $12, but agree on a price before you start. Because of weekday vehicular traffic, buggy tours are most enjoyable on Sundays.

The good advice is to take a buggy ride through town because you notice details that you miss when walking or driving in a car. It's the perfect pace for seeing the city of Merida. The bad advice....eat at Los Almendros! Don't!