Pastel buildings, some faded and peeling, traditional Spanish colonial architecture, deserted streets with little traffic was the scene that greeted us as we made our way to our Airbnb in Mérida. Having an eagle eye view as our plane descended we could see the city sprawling below, not such a small place after all! We took a local bus from the airport and somehow found our way on the grid-like streets, not an easy task for Bob in particular. Somewhere between the horse-back ride to see the Mariposa Monarcha and the miles of walking in Mexico City the dull ache of sciatica blossomed full scale and was taking its toll on mi esposo! Perhaps it was the sudden change in altitude; we left CDMX at 2,200m (7,200 ft) above sea level to Mérida a mere 10m (30 ft) above sea level. Walking any distance was very difficult, so we hunkered down in our comfortable little apartment taking taxis and short walks, as the pain permitted, to explore this lovely city.
Built on the Mayan city of T’hó, Spanish conquistadors, lead by Francisco de Montejo, renamed Mérida after the Spanish town of the same name. Carved Maya stones from ancient T’hó were widely used to build the many Spanish colonial buildings in the centro histórico area and are visible, for instance, in the walls of the main cathedral.
Much of the architecture in the city, reflects the opulent European influence of the time, with Spanish courtyards, French doors and Italian-tiled floors.
The capital of the Yucatán State, the once thriving sisal industry made this area very prosperous and a center of commerce, not to mention culture. Agave plant fibre was harvested to make henequén, (rope), and many maquiladoras, (manufacturing plants), opened. However, with the invention of artificial fibres the plants closed, commerce suffered, the wealth of the city declined leaving behind remnants of a more affluent time. This is evidenced by the grand mansions along the imposing Paseo de Montejo. This wide boulevard, built during Mérida’s prime at the end of the 19th century, was the attempt of city planners to emulate the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City or the Champs Elysées in Paris.
The Plaza Grande in Mérida is very typical of Spanish colonial towns: a wide green square or zocalo where people come to meet, hang out, and enjoy the shade of huge laurel trees. As with other cities and towns, the zocalo is framed on one side by a cathedral with the other three sides housing government buildings, banks, cafes, and restaurants.
One of the buildings framing the Plaza is La Casa de Montejo built in 1549. It originally housed soldiers but was soon converted into a mansion where members of the Montejo family lived until 1970. Nowadays it houses a museum and bank. The outside facade is remarkably well preserved and shows triumphant conquistadors with halberds standing on heads of the barbarians who are depicted much smaller than the victors.
As with any city, a visit to the market is a must especially after reading a brilliant account of the Merida markets. This sentence aptly summed up most Mexican markets we have visited: “It was chaos. Mérida had taken the jigsaw puzzle called “Shopping”, hacked up the pieces with scissors, stuffed them into a piñata, and then hit it with a rocket launcher.”
Mérida gave us time to regroup and come up with a plan to try and deal with Bob’s back and subsequent leg issue. He needed a prescription for the same medication, (no, not THAT wonder drug), he took when dealing with a previous bout of sciatica. An American style private hospital with English speaking physicians was recommended by our Airbnb host, so off we went to the emergency department. Despite our initial reservations, we were pleasantly surprised by the efficiency and professionalism of everyone we came in contact with not to mention the ridiculously low cost of seeking such care.
Reflecting back we saw most of the recommended sights and feel we did the city justice. We did miss some of the evening activities as there seems to be something going on almost every night and our typical long walks were also shelved for the time being. Definitely not fun being laid up while travelling, but must say Bob is a trooper and made the best of this unfortunate situation.
Looking forward to connecting with our adult children and our long time best friends, we headed off to Playa del Carmen. Sun, sand, surf and hot weather might just be the right antidote for Roberto!!
Bob, you are a real trooper! Horseback riding could have been a factor. American style clinics are great- we know from experience. Doctors are trained by American doctors at their universities.
Mérida is a retirement town; lots of Canadians live there. Keep on enjoying your trip. Marianne🌼
I love the colour of the bldgs, so bright . Hang in there Bob, I can relate though. You must be starting to wind down now, Home soon?
Yes, the big countdown has begun…1 week from today! 😫😢 Bob is also doing much better, thanks!
The “Secrets” is out. Enjoy!😍🤨
Marianne
Hahah, good play on words mi Amiga! Is that where you & Mic stayed when visiting here?