December 2020
We leave small and charming Campeche for the third leg of our ten week road trip, to the capital and largest city in the Yucatan State, Merida.
Late in the 19th Century, the area surrounding Merida prospered from the production of agave (for the alcoholic drink, Mezcal) and for a brief period around the turn of the 20th Century, Merida was said to house more millionaires than any other city in the world!
The city of Merida was founded in 1542 and today has a population of about a million people.
Anecdotally, in 2019, Merida was named the second safest city in the Americas, behind Quebec City.
We are feeling a bit like “country bumpkins” arriving in the big city. This city is on an entirely different scale from Campeche. As we drive into Merida, on super smooth well maintained highways, we start wondering where in this large city, our house for the week will be located. We have scored a home exchange ~ which is always fun because it allows us to experience real neighborhoods we might not otherwise discover.
We find ourselves in a somewhat gritty, working class neighborhood. The apartment itself is basic yet spacious with a mezzanine bedroom space that takes advantage of the unusually high ceiling. The space is minimalist, all white, restful and provides an opportunity for us to chill for the week. We use the downtime to catch up on work, laundry, and to think about how we want to shape our road~trip moving forward.
After Campeche, Merida (at first) feels … a bit dismal. Especially to Ben. He is missing Campeche and lamenting that we didn’t linger longer. We would have, but our home exchange here was locked in. (The tradeoff for having free accommodation is that it needs to be co-ordinated and cannot be done “on the fly”).
Gone are the well restored and renovated colourful pretty houses. Instead, there seems to be an abundance of neglected and abandoned homes.
Why are there so many abandoned houses? Clearly this phenomenon is not due to the pandemic as so many of the buildings have been in a state of neglect for decades. Tree branches push their way through windows and over walls, bricks and plaster crumbling. Hopefully these homes will one day be restored and have life inside them again.
Finally, Ben’s eyes start to recalibrate and he catches up with my enthusiasm and delight at all the different textures, layers of history, grit and character of our neighborhood.
For the first few days we were out of synch, with me trying to lure him to see what I saw ~ the light, the architectural beauty amongst the decay.
Gastronomy-driven meanderings
As museums are closed, due to the pandemic, we opt to discover more of the city by anchoring each meandering around a pre selected restaurant. Everything feels far, and we are grateful to have our wheels. We choose a restaurant a day that we want to try and then stroll the streets in the vicinity.
From big city streets to a rather hip neighborhood with small shops, galleries and the feel of a part of the city that has been invested in and well maintained over the years. We get a lead on a small gallery which is housed in the Colonial home of an artist family, that is actually open. Exciting development….
Dzibilchaltun
Beyond our city meanderings, we venture a bit further out to visit one of many Mayan sites within reach. We drive to Dzibilchaltun, firstly because we like the name, and secondly it’s a mere thirty minutes drive from Merida. A pleasant easy day trip to get into nature and at the same time enjoy a stroll through the Mayan ruins.
There is a small museum within the grounds of Dzibilchaltun, which houses the stone carvings and artifacts recovered from the site. These artifacts provide helpful additional context for the pyramids and stone structures.
At Dzibilchaltun we see our first cenote (water hole) which is co-located to the archeological site. Cenotes are a phenomenon that is unique to the Yucatan region ~ a network of hundreds of small and deep natural pools of water, created in the earth by falling asteroid pieces millions of years ago. In fact, the large asteroid which collided with earth and which led to the disappearance of dinosaurs, crashed to earth in this part of the Yucatan peninsula. Plenty more on cenotes as we make our way through the Mayan world, but … this is the first one we see.
This ends our meandering in Merida. Onwards for several more weeks of road-tripping in the Yucatan, Mexico!
What intrigued me most was the concept of a family museum: one not just funded by a family, but filled with a family’s art, shown in their home. No doubt other examples exist in the world, but I’ve not come across one. The daughter’s linoleum prints are especially pleasing.
Sometimes it’s the little details in your posts that ‘catch’ me. Seeing the street scene with the lone bicyclist and the fruit cart made me hungry for the Liberian markets, and the sellers who’d set up along the road. Of course, the boys who’d come to the door were fun, too. I miss those bananas, papayas, and pineapples!
Linda, you are correct, this gallery was most unique. Additionally the amount of work by each of the artists was very nicely shared, with not one overshadowing the others… very balanced. And importantly, there is another artist in the family, the other daughter, who is a culinary artist, so while her art is not represented on the walls in the gallery, she has catered multiple gallery events in the past… resulting in a four artist family collaboration.
The closest thing I have ever done was to have a joint gallery exhibition with my paintings and my son Adam’s photographs, about a decade ago, The theme was Nicaragua and it was such fun to collaborate with him as artists.
It’s rewarding for us when readers pick up on or resonate with those small details in our posts. We love seeing what things ping back to us through the feedback in the comments.
Peta
From grit to glorious, thank you both so much for sharing your travels and accompanying photos. The art works are simply – fabulous.
Thank you Susan. So glad you enjoyed this post so much. Finding a gallery open and then one that was so full of richness, was such a treat for us both. We were feeling a bit art deprived.
Peta
I’m glad you got to see both sides of Merida. I loved the family museum.
Darlene, we thoroughly enjoyed our week there…
We loved the gallery too it was such a novelty to find something open and then to find something that really had meaning and visual impact for us both. Tamayo has been a favorite artist of mine for decades and it was great to see work inspired by him. We also loved how the work was displayed.
Peta
So interesting that you each reacted differently to the city. I’m curious about what Ben is holding over his cappuccino in the picture where his attitude did the 180. He’s looking pretty happy even before he’s imbibed.
Good strategy about planning your exploration around restaurants. Can’t look at art in an empty stomach, and this city is a work of art. Thank you for a vivid post.
It’s interesting because as you know Ben and I are pretty much well synched in most cases but Merida was definitely not the case, especially initially. We often say how much a place is impacted by the place we have just been. For example, when we arrived in Turkey from India and found Istanbul to be rather “bland” in comparison! In this case Ben was still lusting after Campeche…
That’s funny… Ben is pouring in his beloved Miel de abeja (honey) into his cappuccino.
This strategy works out pretty well actually as we are as much food centric as we are art centric. Especially in a big city one needs something to direct you. Normally in a big city museums would play this role, but good food does the trick too.
So glad you enjoyed this post.
Peta & Ben
I’m glad I was able to read this post…the first one didn’t work and I was worried I would miss it.
I’m sorry the neighborhood wasn’t quite what you expected, but loved that you looked for beauty there nevertheless. Sometimes we just have to accept things as they are, and I know you are quite good at that!
As for your sweet dog, I don’t think he’s spoiled…just smart. “Why walk when you can be carried?” I’ve had quite a few dogs who believed in that philosophy too!
We don’t have pre expectations actually about neighborhoods and the like, we just observe what we get and then play our hand from there. We had no pre conceptions and in this case, starting with a “dismal” initial first impression only added to the overall experience. We are never phased by a gritty neighborhood, we are much more concerned with if the bed is comfortable, the wi fi good enough and so on… The rest we can always deal with.
Yup Esco is one smart pup.
Peta & Ben
I think my reaction may have been like Ben’s however as you continued to explore and to illustrate the architectural marvels, I could see the appeal. Having read many wonderful things about Merida, I am glad to see another side of it.
Sue as we have often noticed, our experience in a place is often shaped by the immediate one preceding it. As a great example, we once travelled from India where we had spent about six weeks, to Istanbul Turkey and Istanbul came across as very “bland” a city, and colorless in comparison to India!! So having come from Campeche the contrast for Ben was front and foremost in his mind.
I’m sure there is so much more to Merida that we did not get to explore as we were only there one week and definitely in chill mode, rushing nowhere…. perhaps we will visit there again and be able to get to go to some of the museums which have a grand reputation.
Peta
Got the email for this post, twice! Better that than not at all. Loving being able to come along on the journey with you.
Deb
Yes, a few hiccups, but now hopefully resolved. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading us and glad you enjoyed the journey. More to come….
Peta
I also got two emails for this post. The first went to an Oops page. Glad you found the family museum. We’ve encountered a few of those in unexpected places.
Yes, we have had a few kinks in the system but hopefully they have now been ironed out. Thanks for your patience!
First time we have ever see a family-wide museum, so pretty novel for us. And nice work too!
Thanks for stopping by,
Peta
The tile floor and the grillwork in the colonial home/art gallery is beautiful. That’s what I think of when I think of Mexico. As for your accommodations, at least you can now say you’ve been there, done that!
Yes, beautiful tile work indeed. They refer to is as “pasta tile” for some reason, traditional to this region.
We were pretty happy with our accommodations actually. It was free, spacious, quiet and just what we needed for a week of downtime. And it led us to discover an interesting neighborhood. What else could we ask for?!
Peta
That house museum is gorgeous…what an incredibly talented family! I’d like to live there, surrounded by all of that art.
I laughed at your tale of Ben reminding you hourly that his first impression of Merida was “dismal.” And I can completely relate to having my spirits lifted by something as simple as a perfectly prepared cappuccino. I think you already know this, but your ‘food-centric’ neighborhood adventures are exactly the kind of adventures we enjoy. Your travels are inspiring, as always! We just got our vaccines and we’re feeling hopeful that we’ll soon be exploring beyond our own backyard.
OK Laurel, now that you are vaccinated, the world is your oyster. Perhaps you’ll consider Mexico as a possible destination?
Food is always a component of our travels, but this time it turned out to be more than that, it was the driver to help us discover the city. Worked out quite nicely!
Another great tour!!!
It’s wonderful that Esco has Ben to carrying him.
Peta, unlike Esco, only has 2 legs. Hopefully Ben will carry bipedal creatures too when they tire.
Lol Judy. Not really planning on offering back-rides, but I get your point. If I offer a ride to my dog, I suppose it’s only fair I offer it to my girlfriend!
Ben
Gritty is a good way of describing this neighbourhood. Often places gown on you, once you can see past the facade. I find that staying in authentic areas where the locals live is a lot more fascinating than the more touristic, manicured areas. Loved your description and photos.
Thank you Gilda. Definitely one of the benefits of using homeexchange as opposed to staying at hotels. I suppose that these days airbnb does the same thing as what Homeexchange used to offer as a unique approach to staying in “real” neighborhoods. I dread what will happen to us when we have fully used all our accumulated home exchange credits and have to start paying for our stays!
Thanks for the compliment on the photos!
Peta
I was feeling the dismal-ness at the beginning, too! We’ve had similar experiences and, as you note, sometimes the previous destination colors what comes after. Still, the early scenes were more than a little forlorn … I might have sided with Ben! LOVED the family art museum, and as always, I admire your tenacity in seeking it out. The post overall was so meaty it took me a few days to really read and re-read it all (oh, and I got the email 3 times! No problems with that, though, just FYI). What a great series of days for you in the “big city” and the Mayan countryside.
Thanks Lex,
Forlorn, yes, that’s exactly the feeling. It gave us the same type of impression as when you visit a European town that has been slowly drained of its lifeblood, like those infamous “house of one Euro” offers in Italy. No one in the streets, no apparent “street life”, no restaurants/bars/shops etc. And yet, as we observed once we got past the forlorn aspect, the fundamentals or our area were exactly the same as those in the more upscale neighborhoods that have been lovingly restored. How long before this part of the city “turns”? hard to predict.
Yes this post was a tad “meaty”. We have had so many memorable stops along our roadtrip that we didn’t want to stretch beyond one post, one town/destination.
Thanks for stopping by!
Peta
We too were not thrilled with Merida, even though we went to Campeche after. Our airbandb neighbourhood also felt deserted, but was at least in a non-crumbling part of town. We walked and walked and walked and still didn’t find anything much to please us. Interesting that my research turned up that Merida flourished from the sisal trade.
The crumbling buildings with trees growing from them reminded me of Havana.
That family gallery was a wonderful find. I’m not a fan of the mother’s work, but love the art of both the daughter and the father.
Alison we are assuming you visited Merida before the pandemic and therefore it is interesting to read that you had a similar experience, even though you went to Campeche after.
Yes, it was remindful of Havana and a few other places we could think of. The difference I think in this case was just HOW many of these homes were like this and how thick the foliage was in so many cases..
Both of us favored the paintings of the father. Being a painter myself, I could most relate to these works, but enjoyed the variety and the collaboration within one family.
Peta
I enjoyed reading (and seeing the photo collage unfold) how Ben morphed from not liking the city to it growing on him. I had no idea Merida had this many inhabitants. One million… that is a lot. The same as in Brussels when I grew up. It would be fun to buy one of the colonial houses, fix it up, and live there. What are you waiting for? 🙂 Great post and I liked the map and facts provided: 11 mechanics?? Yikes!
Ha Liesbet, I can’t tell you how many places we go to that we have the idea of buying a place to restore, in addition to the ones we already have done and lived in, but truth be told the restoration process is a long grueling stressful one. Fun too, but not for the feint of heart and given that we have “been there done that” more than once… we sure ain’t leaping to that, even if we did have the $.
Thanks for mentioning the map and the facts provided. Ben is proud of his handiwork on that map. Yup pretty much a mechanic in almost any place we stayed more than a few days.. more to come.
Peta
It’s good you found the beauty in the gritty. I tend to see the gritty and then have a hard time changing gears.
Question, if you don’t mind my asking. Do you still own your house in Sri Lanka, or are you cashing in (so-to-speak) on house stays that you banked?
We’ve never done a house exchange, so I’m not familiar with the details of how it works.
I think my favorite picture is of Ben doing a hand stand against the brick wall. 🙂
Patti, I am definitely a fan of gritty cities. I prefer them over something that is very manicured and pristine actually.
We never owned our house in Sri Lanka, we were renting it. And for the year that it was vacant when we moved to Viet Nam, we used it to accumulate home exchange credits. I’m happy to give the details of how home exchange works, just shoot me an email petakaplan@hotmail.com
I love that photo too. The wall is a remnant of a Mayan wall. They used large boulders to construct it. I like the design that runs through it too, if you look carefully.
Peta
I love traveling with you as you provide a unique perspective and photograph such
interesting things.
I love the vivid colors of the buildings, so imaginative. Where I live in Southern Cal, all the exteriors are a shade of brown.
When I taught art, I included several units on Mexican art, and the students always loved them. Explaining some of the culture and history of the people who initiated the artwork was a big part of each lesson and gave the kids a sense of belonging to a larger world. Wish I’d known you then – you contribute so much info about what you’re seeing.
I didn’t realize that you’re thinking of buying a home – big step but you’ve taken much bigger ones in the last decade.
Thanks Sharon for appreciating our perspective and it’s nice to know there is appreciation for what we photograph. After living in Nicaragua for six years, where most of the homes in Granada are all bright different colors, we became very aware of how dull houses tend to be in most places (not all) in the U.S. Certainly the use of neutrals for “higher resale” value seems to be the trend. We painted our house in the burbs of Chicago a variety of colors after our first visit to Nicaragua and we sure got some weird comments from our neighbors haha.
Great that you had a component on Mexican art for your students. When I went to school in South Africa the Art history lessons covered the Greeks, the Romans and the Dutch. No mention of anything in Latin America! Either in history or in art. One interesting example of art/travel/history is our backwards discovery of the imagery of skulls in Mexico. We first became acquainted with the skull as a major part of Day of the Dead. But we had no understanding prior to traveling to the Maya world, that skull imagery was already carved into the stone in the big pyramids. The point is that the more we travel in Mexico the more we are able to connect the dots, including around visual imagery and what comes from where.
We always play with the idea of buying a home but no we are not currently actively moving on that topic. For now, we are enjoying not having the responsibility of owning a home, it affords us geographic fluidity if we want it.
Thanks for your comments, as always, interesting and thoughtful.
Peta & Ben
I suspect that Mike and I would be a tad disappointed coming from the beautifully restored/renovated buildings of Campeche to the faded glory of Merida. I admire your ability to see beyond the decay. Based on what you created in Sri Lanka, I would have total faith in your ability to restore that neglected building in the photo to something creative and stunning.
It must have been wonderful having the Mayan site to yourselves.
Caroline, I had to work hard to pull Ben out of his post Campeche funk! The contrast was definitely stark. I value character and grit over pristine when it comes to cities… Not sure that I have the stamina do a fourth restoration project in me. Probably do, but oh its just so much work and effort. Not yet anyway….
Wonderful to be at such a popular site without the crowds. We saw photos online that had us gasping at the masses. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as big crowds always overwhelm me. This was really perfect!
Peta
A fascinating post, Peta! Reading through the comments I see how one of your sons is a photographer. I suspect your entire family is creative. I appreciate the map at the beginning to give me a frame of reference.
Interesting anecdote about about safest city along with Quebec City for 2019.
My breathing stopped for a second when you described entering your home for the week. A fun, expectant feeling when visiting a new place. Concrete walls is something new. A good point about architectural beauty amongst the decay. And, then some of the areas that have been restored. I still recall swimming in a cenote many years ago. I look forward to reading more.
Wonderful photos!
Yes I would say that the artistic and creative juices flow freely through the family tree. My dad did wonderful sketches every single time he and my mom travelled and my mom was a very proficient ceramicist. Ben’s mom was a painter. Yes, my youngest Adam has a very good eye and therefore is a wonderful photographer and kickass ceramicist.
We always enjoy discovering our new digs, especially home exchanges which can delight or disappoint. But even when they don’t quite meet expectations, the experience is always an interesting one staying in someone’s home. In this case this was a second home, so it was more geared as an Airbnb.
Thanks for the compliments on the photos. Glad you enjoyed them.
Peta
Fascinating fact about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs striking the Yucatan peninsula; I didn’t know that. I visited Merida in January 1986, but the only two things I remember about it are: 1. Devouring a delicious chicken dish simmered with tomatoes and olives; visiting the white sand beaches nearby.
Jude
Jude, interesting that you were in Merida all the way back in 86. Funny how a good food dish can stay with us like that for years and years. Wondering which beach you went to? as of course Merida is inland but yes there are beaches in all directions.
Peta