Merida

We had to practically drag the girls out of the water this morning when it was time to leave Celestun. Diane immediately started negotiating: “can’t we just extend our trip by a week and come back here? Why not??” Melina’s tactic was to continue snorkeling, hoping that we would just forget about her and leave her behind. But no such luck. We said goodbye to Owner-Karen, the dogs, the cats, the birds in the garden (mot mots and orioles!), the geckos and lizards, the mosquitoes (who are keeping about a liter of us as a memento of our time together), our perfect beach, and headed back east to Merida.

Merida is a much bigger city than Valladolid and has a very European, cosmopolitan feel. It has a vibrant historic center full of lush parks, trendy restaurants, churches, and even a mansion-lined boulevard (where the mansions have mostly been turned into banks). It is a shame we have only one day here, but we were lucky to get cooler weather so we did a lot of walking and exploring.

We picked a fancier place than usual for lunch and were absolutely thrilled! My mole sauce was by far the best I have ever had, and I’m already sad I may never have mole as good again. Our waiter was delightful, and loved that we were trying to speak Spanish, however clumsily. He helped us out with some words and pronunciations, and told us how disappointed he is that some people live in Merida for years and never try to learn Spanish. He was impressed with the phrases the girls have picked up, and encouraged them to learn a second (and third!) language. The girls were totally smitten and as we walked away Melina told me she was regretting that she didn’t choose to take Spanish next year, but that she was looking forward to taking it in high school. Hooray!

We’ve actually had many chances in Merida to practice our Spanish, mainly because the touts in this tourism-driven city are first rate. The modus operandi seems to be for a random pedestrian to start chatting us up in Spanish, (“Hola! Where are you from? How long are you in Merida?”) and go on for a while about our trip (“only one day in Merida?”), about Virginia (one guy even said, “The Cavaliers!”), then recommend a few nearby sights, and finally start talking up the amazing Mayan crafts that can only be purchased in a specific shop just around the corner, which is only open for one more hour and closed for the next few days. “You must go now! It is the best place for shirts! Hats! Hammocks! Blankets!” Then practically shoving us in the direction of the shop. This happened to us three times in an hour and I still haven’t figured out how to derail the conversation, even when we see it coming. The guys are just so darn nice, and it is a great way to practice our Spanish! But of course, we are cheapos and never buy anything, so the poor guys are totally wasting their time on us. But we did check out one pretty Mayan market just for the fun of it (and for the pictures).

Bejeweled live beetles are used as bait to draw tourists into shops

Our hotel is in a beautiful old building from the 1500s with tons of character. The pool helped to cool us down during the hottest part of the day, which the girls loved, and Zach and I enjoyed complimentary “welcome cervezas” on our patio. But the best part may be in our room; Diane asked about a hook on the wall, and I wasn’t sure what it was but we looked at the opposite wall and there was another hook with a bunch of ropes hanging from it- a hammock!! So Diane got to sleep in a hammock hanging in the middle of our hotel room. She was an instant convert, and tried to convince us we could install one in her room back at home (not happening).

At one point Melina was getting too clingy in the pool and Zach started to reprimand her but she interrupted him. “I know, I know, keep your hands on yourself!” She pantomimed feeling herself up (her words!) and had us all in stitches. That kid is either on fire hilarious or full teen angsty. Thankfully, we have been staying in safe places so she has had the option to hang out in our hotel rooms at times when she needs a break from family togetherness. This has helped her to have far more happy moments than angsty ones on this trip, which means a better trip for all of us!

In the evening we had a late dinner at a funky 70s style diner where the food was mediocre but the juices and atmosphere were perfect for a low key family dinner. Zach and Diane loved their banana milks, and Diane even got her favorite, hot cakes, while still drooling over Melina’s fruit salad (Melina graciously shared). We were all in a great mood afterwards when we joined the masses of tourists to watch an outdoor dancing and music festival.

This morning we got out early to see the Catedral de San Ildefonso and to the Mercado Municipal to grab some licuados de frutas (smoothies) and breakfast pastries. At the mini panaderia in the market Zach, Melina, and I picked out small breakfast rolls but Diane’s eyes grew as large as saucers when she saw what we have since been calling the “Mega Muffin.” I asked what kind it was and the senora told me, “mantequilla” (butter). It was cheap and she was besotted so that’s how Diane ended up eating most of what was basically a pound cake for breakfast.