We arrived in Merida after a short 5 hour bus ride from Palenque. After some of the other bus rides we had had, 5 hours felt like a breeze. However, I was especially happy to arrive, as I had developed a mild case of the hives! So after checking into Nomadas Hostel, a delightful place with a pool, live music and a great free breakfast, we hot footed it to a pharmacia to get some antihistamines!
Once the itching had subsided, we made our way out for dinner. Immediately we could tell that Merida, much like San Cristobal, was a cool and pretty city with a cosmopolitan feel. So we were excited to be there and looked forward to exploring the city the following day.
After a hearty and free breakfast (the best kind) the next morning, we set off around town. Once again like all the other places in Mexico which we had previously visited, Merida had a gorgeous central and cobblestoned square, positioned next to a beautiful church. The square was particularly pretty as it was beginning to prepare for the upcoming festive season.
Again, like San Cristobal, Merida had many funky shops and cool little restaurants. One restaurant in particular caught my eye. It was like Mexico’s version of Hogs Breath Café, as in it had a bunch of Mexican paraphernalia and license plates all over the walls. So I convinced Adrian it would be a good place to go to later for dinner. Once we had a good look around the town, we headed back to the hostel to book a few tours for the next few days.
After a restful afternoon it was time head back to Mexican Hogs Breath. It had a cool atmosphere and was pretty lively when we got there. Once we were seated and ordered our beverages, the menus arrived. Typical Mexican dishes were on the menu. However, they were not typical Mexican prices. Yep, I had managed to pick one of the more expensive places in Merida. However, we felt we’d committed ourselves after ordering our drinks, so stayed and ate. We both had meals common to the region. Both delicious, but probably not worth the price tag, especially when other meals, which were almost exactly the same in other places we ate at in Merida, were a third of the price. Ah well, the atmosphere was good...
The next morning it was time for our first tour. We were off to Homún Cenotes. A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, which is caused by the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. There are three different kinds, including exposed, semi exposed and enclosed. Thankfully at Homún Cenotes, we got to experience all three.
To get to them we had to take a horse and wagon train. When we arrived we were escorted down some stairs where it opened into pool of blue. The second second cenote was enclosed, meaning it was in a big cave, accessible by stairs. The water was super blue and quite cold. It also contained a fish endemic to the Cenotes. It is a blind fish known as Astyanax Mexicanus or Mexican blind cave fish. It was a little creepy, but kinda cool.
The last cenote was my favourite and is known as Cenote Chaksikin. It was semi enclosed, the largest, and by far the coolest. It had stalactites and stalagmites, there was a section you could dive from and of course, the blind cave fish. It was truly beautiful.
After swimming for a while, we took our horse train back to the main area. We were treated to a delicious lunch and got to know the others in our group. One was a lovely older couple from Chile, and another lovley couple from Chicago. Thankfully one of the guys from Chicago spoke fluent Spanish, so through him we got to know each other. The lady from the older couple was originally from Mexico, but found the standard of living in Chile better, even if she thought their Spanish was strange. The two guys from Chicago were escaping winter and had met through work. Both had been to Mexico before and loved it so much, they were back. They were all so nice which helped to make it a great day!
The following day we got up bright and early for a trip to Reserva De La Biosfera Celestún. We were visiting this place for one reason and that was to see the amazing flock of pink flamingos which frequent the biosphere every year after mating elsewhere. They start migrating there in November, so we didn’t get to see the flock in all its masterful glory, but there were a couple of hundred and still an incredible sight to see. The population at its peak can number more than ten thousand!
We learnt that the flamingos are protected in this area, but still have to contend with natural predators such as the jaguar. If there appears to be one in the area the local rangers will find it and try to get it to go away by leaving their dirty clothes around the area. Apparently jaguars don’t like stinky men’s clothes either. We also learnt that if you see flamingos away from the flock and by themselves, it means they are sick and singled out so as not to infect the flock.
As well as the flamingos we saw other sea birds and a small Morelet’s crocodile. However the flamingos were the highlight. Especially when we saw them flying. Not the most graceful of birds, especially when their necks are not quite at full stretch, as they look broken. Very funny to see.
After the reserve, we then made our way to a local beach area, Progreso. It was very pretty and the water looked inviting. Unfortunately it was blowing a gale. Adrian was the only one to brave the whipping sand and go for a swim. The rest of the group chatted over a few beers and let our seafood lunch settle. Not too long after, it was time to make our way back to Merida.
For our last day in Merida, we had a sleep in, then made our way out for lunch at one of the many lovely restaurants the city has to offer. Then at around 2pm we were picked up for our final tour of the area. This one was to the Mayan Uxmal Ruins for a tour of the archaeological site, as well as a light show.
Uxmal actually means ‘thrice built’. The whole city itself was not built three times, but refers to the Pyramid of the Dwarf, also known as the Pyramid of the Magician. It is the tallest building at the site and is pyramids built on top of one another. Uxmal was one of the largest cities on the Yucatan Peninsula and at it’s peak, had a population of around 20,000.
When we arrived we were given a tour by a very eccentric tour guide who was carrying a cane, wearing a fedora and a cravat. He explained the site very well and also treated us to his singing ‘talents’ in order to demonstrate the acoustics of the main square. He was certainly a showman!
After the tour we were free to explore the ruins. Unlike other ruins, here they were stable enough that we were allowed to climb to the top of a few structures and take in some amazing views. We also got to see, for the first time, a blue crowned mot mot. However, the real star of the show was the Pyramid of the Dwarf or Magician. The pyramid was named as such because the Dwarf/magician promised the higher powers in the Mayan community that he would build the pyramid over night and of course, as legend has it, he succeeded. Whether it was built in a day or over 10 years, it is still one of my favourite pyramids. It is very tall and the details facing one of the courtyards is so intricate and we’ll preserved. It is truly beautiful.
Not too long after, we were asked to leave and head for dinner down the road. Then once we had finished dinner, we were escorted back to the ruins for the main event. The light show. When we got there, we discovered that the lovely boys from Chicago and the older couple from Chile, who had been at the cenotes with us, were also there. We all sat down together and got ready for the show. As it started we realised, it wasn’t just lights, but a story of the Mayan population to go along with it. Of course it was in Spanish, but luckily our Chicago friend translated for us all.
After about 45 minutes the show came to an end. The story was interesting and the lights pretty, but as I had suspected, it was a little cheesy. Kind of Vegas meets the world of the ancient Mayans. The first half of the tour was definitely the highlight.
Soon it was time once again to say goodbye to our lovely friends and head back to Merida. The next morning were up bright and early. It was time to see what Chichen Itza and Cancun were all about.
Holly.
No comments:
Post a Comment