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Merida,Mexico (Part 1)

June 21, 2012 by Jean Holy Smithereens 5 Comments

Merida, Merida, Merida…. I don’t know how to begin my experience with this city.I always research prior to any trip and the articles I came up with, and more importantly the feedback from people I know who’ve actually been to Merida have all been Positive.To sum it up, the feed back was that Merida is a beautiful gorgeous city, and is such a haven compared to Mexico City. I was going to both cities, so the general message was:
Merida= awesome. Mexico City = bad.

Perhaps I expected a lot from the Merida raves, or that my idea of “nice” and other people’s is extremely different. Because I just did not enjoy Merida that much compared to Mexico City, which is my favourite place in Mexico (to date).

So where is Merida?

It’s in the state of Yucatan, about 35 km away from the coast of Gulf of Mexico. It’s considered one of the safest cities in Mexico.

we arrived in Merida mid-day flying in from Mexico City. Weather in Merida was sweltering hot. And this is a pretty big statement from someone like me who loves summer and thrives in tropical climate.
It was just hot And dry when we were there. And the little wind that blew was hot as well.

After we checked in the hotel ( post on that later), we headed to the “downtown” area aka the plaza or Zocalo.  Then we hopped on a tourist hop on hop off bus. Ok the number one reason why I didn’t seem to enjoy Merida that much? It felt like a ghost town. Wonderful and beautifully made buildings, but it was Too quiet for me. I don’t like noise, but when I say quiet, I mean that there are no bustle and activity around. It was as if the whole town was in siesta mode the entire day.

I’m not exaggerating when I say we were the only people in the bus plus the driver, and the recorded voice over information on the stops, which was in Spanish anyway.

Merida really is pristine compared to Mexico City. They have kept modern buildings to a minimum so the whole city has a very historic vibe (sort of like Vigan in the Philippines).

A-ha! gotcha. Burger King in an old building. Nah, we didn’t get any burger King. We had lots of local Yucatan food in Merida which is a bit different from your usual Mexican cuisine.

Anyway,  this is my favourite part of Merida:

This is actually very large in real life very impressive. Amidst all the Spanish influence, the Mayan heritage stands loud and proud. And I like that about Mexico. They are proud of who are/were before the Spaniards came. They embrace their pre-hispanic history with great pride.

Merida at night on the next post…

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Filed Under: Central America, Mexico

About Jean Holy Smithereens

Jean is a lover of luxury travel and adventure, always looking for that "Holy Smithereens"-inducing moment on her travels. Follow the blog and other social media pages of Holy Smithereens to get the ultimate travel ideas for the luxurious adventurer!

Comments

  1. Working Gringa says

    June 25, 2012 at 5:28 pm

    You probably didnt see anyone because you went out in the middle of a hot day. Meridanos tend to stay inside when its hot. Go out at night and the city comes alive!

    Reply
  2. Eva says

    June 25, 2012 at 8:21 pm

    Who said Mexico City was “bad?” I love Mexico City but I will probably live in Merida one day.

    You were there off season – that has a lot to do with the lack of visitors on the double decker bus.

    Paseo Montejo, the beautiful road you drove up with the museums and circles (with the monument you liked) is always sort of quiet – it’s the beginning of the rich, exclusive area of Merida.

    Maybe you picked the wrong hotel? If you stayed at Luz or Las Cascadas, you would have met other guests to confer with about restaurants, nightlife, etc.

    Mexican food is very regional; while you get some stuff everywhere, it’s always best to eat the Yucatecan food in the Yucatan; mole in Puebla or Oaxaca, etc.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    June 27, 2012 at 1:53 am

    Merida’s a pleasant city to visit for a week or 10 days – longer if you want to enjoy the beach, pool or cultural activities.

    Summer afternoons are too hot for most people to be out. Nights are never hot.
    Merida’s considered an excellent place to live but a terrible place
    to find reliable workers.

    Reply
  4. lynette says

    June 28, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    “…and the recorded voice over information on the stops, which was in Spanish anyway.”

    OMG, how outRAgeous!! The tour was not done in English??

    Reply
  5. Smither Reens says

    June 28, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    To Eve and Working Gringa –thanks for your informative comments yes I think we were there on low season –I prefer that over a very crowded heavy tourist season anyway – I loved the local yucatecan dishes it reminds me of home cooked food where I came from.

    To Lynette-yes I said that as a factual observation not a complaint. It did not have an English translation as opposed to the hop on hop off bus in Mexico city. English is my second language and I love learning languages, Spanish most of all. I state all facts as they are , so I’m sorry to disappoint you but I’m not the dumb tourist you’re trying to insinuate me out to be ( in a very cliche and unoriginal way too) . You are too defensive , relax yer tits !

    Reply

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