Sunday in Merida has always been fun for us as there is a huge selection of taste treats from about every corner of Mexico. Since we were last here three years ago, the food part of the the special day has expanded. So we have had a couple of weekends of exploring new foods and old favorites. I decided today that I would take my video camera along and do a little video of the sights and sounds of what a Sunday in Merida is all about! But before I post the video, last night was an especially nice evening. The front that gave you the cold temps up there has lowered our humidity and temps. It was 83 yesterday and about 84 today. Low humidity is a great thing!
I took these pictures as the sun was setting last night. So enjoy. I will post the video after the pictures.
Okay, here is the video from today. It is only the sights and sounds, no commentary! There is a sound that you will hear and about half way through the video, I show you what that sound is! Enjoy! (Best if you click the "You Tube" link lower right when you start the player.)
Today I decided to take a combi (public transport van) to the town square and explore. There are so many stores and vendors that I just enjoy looking. I also get to indulge in one of my favorite things- people watching.
I had a fun time watching both locals and tourist in the Zocalo (town square park.) I also went to the Independence Plaza on the west side of the park.
When you go in and up the stairs, you will find the exhibits from the Cultural Center. I attempted a video, but it did not work out. Instead I have a few photos from the exhibit.
This was probably 4 to 5 feet wide and was hanging above my head so I held the camera up to get the photo.
This is part of an exhibit about a public art stamping event. In the upper left corner is an actual stamp that was used -you can see that it is reversed. It says "Calle Estampa" - which would translate to Street Stamp.
This is an actual bottle of what appears to be "Chocolate Soldier" - but apparently is considered art. Some of the art was rated R - more than I choose to show here. I am trying to keep it family friendly.
Exiting the exhibit, I crossed the street to go back to the park. I sat and did a bit more people watching. Then I got up to make this video
The guy at the end of the video took his photo of the sign and was gone before I even spoke to him. No matter. But I did take a photo of the sign also.
And more photos:
Taking advantage of the park's free wi-fi
This photo shows the recycling bins (organic and inorganic) that are throughout the park.
This large panel van was parked beside the square. You see "Ciudad Blanca" on it because Merida is known as the White City. I am not sure but I think this was some type of mobile medical unit. Actually on closer inspection, I see that the paper sign says that they are "sold out of appointments for mammogram" - so it was a mobile mammogram unit.
I had a nice late lunch of a Relleno Negro torta. That is a "black turkey stew" on a sandwich roll - I had them leave off the boiled eggs. I enjoyed it and then sat in the restaurant and returned a missed call to my niece in Alabama.
In the late afternoon we are sitting on the back patio enjoying the cool breeze - earlier we each had a glass of horchata (the rice milk/cinnamon flavored drink.) A brilliant yellow bird, that I have not been able to identify (yet) stopped in the top of the orange tree that comes up next to the patio. The patio is on the second floor, so the top of the tree is close. I am hoping to see the bird again and get a photo.
For now, I am signing off. It is time to put my feet up and enjoy paradise.
Good evening! We did a day trip today after dropping our laundry off at the lavanderia. He charges 10 pesos per kilo. We had a full bag today, I am sure there were several kilos there but they come back clean, folded and in a plastic bag ready to be hung back up and worn! Nice!
So, after dropping the laundry off, we went out to Progresso, the port city of Merida about 25 miles north. This is also the beach area and some of you may even be familiar with the pier facility as there are now several cruise ships that use Progress as a stop.
So, off we go, out of town, onto MEX 261 North! Four lanes in each direction for the majority of the way!
Just incase you forgot something or made a wrong turn, the last turn around until Progresso!
Following the Combi, (the smaller transit vehicles) road signs tell us we are on the right road, right direction, always a nice feeling! Hightailing it out of town to the beach at warp speed of 90 km/hr!!! Closely enforced by the way!
Oh, and just incase you didn't know, it is illegal to use your cell phone and drive here too!
Yep, that is correct, the Yucatan Country Club, and yes, it is in English! I've never been there, but I am told it is a very popular place for golfers worldwide.
Beautiful day for a trip to the beach! It has been a little warm and humid the last couple days. We are running the AC at the apartment again!
Getting close! Takes about 40 minutes from our apartment to Progresso. The longest part is getting out of the city traffic.
OH NO! Construction! Oh thank goodness, they are only painting the top guardrail. Only one lane closed. Not a problem, traffic is light and a slowdown for safety then back to warp speed!
Getting close now, I can smell the ocean air! Yep, the topes (speed bump) is coming up where the expressway ends! We are about to enter Progresso!
Past the PEMEX gas station and under the overpass and we are almost there!
...and we are... almost there! Cruise ship day, an unscheduled one from Europe we are told, German. If you look closely, you will see two guys washing the windshield on the car in front of us. Unless you tell them very strongly NO, they do it and expect a payment. Well, seems they were not counting on the short cycle of the light, they finished just as the light changed (it's green in the picture), and the lady drove off... no pay this trip boys! They dashed out of traffic waiting for the next cycle of the light.
Just a couple more blocks and we are there! We went to the east end of the Malecom (the main road right along the beach). The east end is rarely crowed. Found a parking place and walked back down the Malecon to our favorite place called "The Shark"! Fresh seafood that was swimming in the gulf early this morning is now on your place for a late lunch!
Ah yes! Sitting under a palapa, enjoying the wonderful breeze right off the Gulf! Gene and I have ordered and waiting for our main course. If you have ever been to any of the Latin countries, once you order, they will bring you botanas, Spanish for "small plates". There is always something interesting in this collection.
Here is what we got: directly in front, the brown looking stuff is ground pumpkin seeds with seasonings. Pretty good stuff with the fresh deep fried chips. Next to the pumpkin seeds stuff is empanadas stuffed with shrimp. The glass has Gene's horchata, a rice based drink with cinnamon and sugar. Next to the limes is a new one we have not had before. Potato salad... Mexican style! It was good. Next to the chips was the HOT stuff... if you wanted it! And finally, what I am holding up is what we think the waiter called pibis, a traditional Day of the Dead dish. It was pretty good and the cabbage was almost kraut! I'm not sure what the meat was and dare not ask!
Both of us were hungry when our main course arrived so we jumped in and just started eating! I finally realized we had not taken pictures so Gene took pictures of our almost half eaten lunch! Mine was a fresh grouper, deep fried and oh so good!
Gene had the shrimp Diana, shrimp, mushrooms and three cheeses. It was wonderful as well. You can see the chunk of fish I gave him to try on the left side of his plate. He thought it was okay, but thought grouper was a bit strong fish taste and definitely did not like the skin still on! Oh well, could have gotten it in filets as well!
We finished and sat for a while just enjoying the breeze. A German family from the cruise ship came and sat near us. After looking the menu over it was clear there were questions so Gene hopped in and one of the ladies spoke english, so all the questions were resolved. We paid our tab, then walked on down the Malecon looking at the shops. It got very busy near the area where they drop off the cruise passengers, so we went back and drove down the road for a ways enjoying the day, the scenery and relaxation. We came to the end of the road where there are natural beaches with no buildings. The road ends because from that point on it is mangrove swamp/tidal water areas. So we took a little time at the beach and enjoyed the solitude.
On the way back home, Gene took his cell phone and played with the video. It actually makes pretty good videos. I did some editing and the video is posted below. We got home tired but happy. Another great day!
So today has been the second day of Día de los Muertos. We learned that you can not rely on a business to be open on a holiday.
On day one of Día de los Muertos, we were going to walk to a nearby restaurant for supper- but they were closed. So we hopped in the rental car and went to the nearest mall. It is about 2 miles there. We went to the food court to eat. There was not a huge crowd there but there were plenty of people to "people watch" as we love to do that. Most of the people are pretty friendly.
After I finished eating I needed to wash my hands - it was messy and good! On the way back to the table I saw an adorable sight. There were to little girls dressed in day of the dead costumes.
I politely asked the father if I could take a photograph. He smiled and said "Si" and then told them to pose. The posed so sweetly as I took the above photo. I thanked "papa" and the young ladies and showed them the photo. The girls smiled even bigger when they saw the photo.
One regular feature in the area near the food court is the train. Since business was slower on the holiday it was not filling up quickly. So I took the opportunity to get these photos.
Again, I asked the adult guardian for permission to take a photo - and it was granted. I think this time it was abuelo (grandfather.)
These little ladies chose the caboose for their ride. In the picture of the train you can see abuelo standing there at the back of the train.
This morning I went to pick up an order in town only to find the business closed. So we did other errands and sightseeing - it is Mexico and you roll with it. (grin)
Since my AT&T phone that is supposed to just work in Mexico and allow me to call the US and Mexico will not call Dave's Mexico-based cell phone, we went to WalMart and I got a second phone to solve the problem. (remember - you have to roll with it.) The price was not bad at all. The phone and a month's worth of talk/text/data (2GB) was less than two months of my plan at home. Should I mention that the phone is very up-to-date having been released in August of 2016?
After getting home, I decided to go for a nice walk to Parque de la Mejorada. It is about a mile round trip- a nice evening walk. As I went on my way, I noticed that most businesses were closed. So when I got to the park, I was happy to see the food cart that sells hot dogs and hamburgers.
One other evening I had eaten a "hamburguesa" (hamburger) here. I pulled out my new cell phone and called Dave. We decided that I could get two of them and bring them back to the apartment. I ordered two and took photos while the cook prepared them.
A curious thing is that each hamburguesa has a slice of ham (jamon) added to it. I suspect that it is turkey ham, but I can't be sure. The cheese slice was put on top of the ham on the grill to melt it. He added a nice pile of grilled onions to the burgers along with lots of condiments.
I was very impressed that he handled the implements like a true pro and never touched the food.
I stopped in a beer store (the only thing open) on the way back and got small bags of chips to go with the burgers. Grand total for supper for two: 62 pesos (including tipping the cook.) Just over three dollars spent on the meal.
Dave and I both proclaimed the burgers "Delicious!"
And so night has fallen on another day in paradise.
Yesterday, I got shirts for us to wear on November 1 - the first of two days of Día de los Muertos.
Gene's on the left----------------- --------------Dave's on the right.
The "Hanal Pixan" on Dave's shirt is the Mayan way of saying Day of the Dead.
Día de los Muertos is a celebration of ancestors and loved ones who are deceased.
As Gene noted, I have been just a little under the weather and it is nice to be back up and functioning 100%, or at least pretty close. Splenda gives me extreme stomach problems and I thought I knew all the names it goes by in the Latin world. Well, I have a new name and it has been committed to memory, I will search a label over several times from now on just to make sure!
Anyway, we went to another of the regional mega stores to gather a few things we needed for the apartment. Needed some bacon and eggs for breakfast, some cheese, more fresh bread and a general assortment of general household needs. We went to this store five or six years ago. It has been remodeled and expanded greatly. It was at least as large as a Walmart Super Store and it seems the prices are better than the other stores. I bought bacon for $117 per kilo, that is about $6.25 USD for 2.2 pounds. The other store charged $149 per kilo, that is about $7.85 USD for 2.2 pounds.
Gene did a short video...
You will notice in that video that the crescents were on $5.50 each that is about $.30 each. And they are made there, not "prefab" frozen.
The produce section is absolutely one of the most colorful sections I believe I have seen. Take a look
Some of these dried chilis are HOT and are not cheap. Some selling for $24.50 per 100 grams!
When you share environments with Mr. Black, you best have plenty of coffee around. So we had to pay the coffee area a visit! You might notice some familiar products here!
Gene's note: Dave has to have his coffee too.....don't let him kid you!
If you don't want to walk around with a currency converter going, I use a general rule to get in my mind the price. Right now, the currency exchange rate for pesos to the dollar is almost 19 pesos to the dollar, so for a quick conversion I use 20 pesos to the dollar. So the $81.05 price on our coffee is about $4 USD for the large container. We use instant while we are here as ground coffee is considerably more expensive. And the instants here taste different, more like coffee. The Nescafe at home doesn't taste like it does here.
And of course, there are always other wonderful things to smell and treat the eye!
And they had just received a new shipment of Dragon Fruit! As you can see, they are not cheap! But they are beautiful. {Gene's note: Cheap is relative. That would be less than $2 US funds. But here it is a bit expensive for fruit.}
Today Dave was a little under the weather so I took a combi into town by myself to do more exploring. Sunday in Merida is a special day. The streets around the main park (zocalo) are closed for the day. Merchants and food vendors set up all in the area of the park and along the closed streets. So it is fun to just wander around, shop and people watch.
But first I went to the mercado and looked a bit more - then the smell of food drew me in!
I sat down, ordered from this menu:
Those prices are pesos. Ten pesos is approx 55 cents.
I ordered a panucho pavo (turkey) and a empanada queso and to drink I got a horchata. My drink came first:
The photo is misleading - it was huge - and delicious. Horchata is a rice drink with cinnamon added. It is somewhat sweet and very refreshing. I was happy that it came early because I was thirsty- and this picture is after I had taken several large swallows. mmmmm
The signs hanging over and around the tables all have food listed.
The place was busy! I took this short video while I waited for my food.
But the food arrived and I had a couple of bites first.
Then I took this photo:
That was very tasty. The empanado filled with cheese was delicious -and I added some salsa that was on the table over it to spice it up.
I had to visit one of the food carts in the zocalo and get a marquesita. It is basically a freshly made ice cream cone wrapper stuffed with cheese -and you can add other goodies - I got cajeta (aka caramel.) WOW was it good. I took a video of a lady making them but it is part of the video that you will see later. (You can read about them here.)
I saw a clown in the area selling balloon animals:
He was not a "scary" clown.
For my friends who do handwork, take a look at this vest. It is all crocheted with rather small thread.
I asked the vendor for the price. She said 360 pesos. That is around $20. There is a LOT of work in that piece. I would charge much more if I had made it.
Here is a bit more video showing a few of the stalls and the people.
If you are watching on a mobile device you won't see that I have an annotation that the brown vest was actually 80 pesos - about $4.
And I did take a couple more pictures while I was in the mercado:
It seems there are always fresh flowers for sale.
This lady was making masa dough for making your own tortillas. She forms it into balls and packages the balls in plastic bags for the customer to carry home.
Have a great day. I am having a marvelous time here in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
