Merida. The White city

Merida.

Merida is known as the ‘White City’ which I guess refers to the many white washed buildings and some of the not so ‘white’ washed buildings you see everywhere you go in this the capital city of the Yucatan.
We had decided to use Merida as a base to explore the archaelogical sites in this part of the Yucatan and had booked ourselves into the Casa Del Ballam hotel, a block away from the Plaza Grande and the imposing Catederal de San Indelfonso. The hotel is a charming retreat from the hustle and bustle of the narrow streets in the old part of town and is very convenient to the historical section with numerous al fresco restaurants to choose from a mere stroll away from the front door. The hotel has been converted from an original Mexican Art Deco house once owned by a distinguished Mexican family, headed by Fernando Barbachano Peon, one of the pioneers of tourism in Mexico. The hotel is now run by his daughter and a competent and enthusiastic team. Many of the original features in this small hotel add to its charm with comfortable and well equipped rooms and good en-suite facilities. The daytime snack menu lacks imagination and whilst the all inclusive rate includes a continental breakfast it is limiting.

An extra charge is made for a cooked dish which doesn’t bring you much to get excited about but as we had already learned during our travels in Mexico if you’re not big on chili’s the cuisine is not the reason you visit Mexico. Most menu’s are a variation on a theme of pizza’s, pasta’s and salads although we did find chicken pibil a worth wile alternative in some establishments.

Open air art in the Plaza

Colourful Sunday market

On Sundays the Plaza comes alive for the weekly fair where we found an abundance of crafts, jewellery, clothing and all manner of things and activities that go to making a true Mexican fiesta.
In fact there is something on everyday in Merida. Thursday there is music and dance in the Parque Senta Lucia, Friday folk ballet at the Uni and on Saturday evening we went to the Noche Mexicana at the top end of Paseo Montejo where the old city meets the new. We watched a colourful performance of Mexican folk dancing and singing on the outdoor stage. Afterwards we strolled through the night market sampling Mexican food and at the end of the evening took a horse carriage ride the full length of the Paseo Montejo into the modern part of the city and circled back again to the old part to complete a memorable evening’s entertainment.

Merida is an interesting blend of old colonial Mexico with the new but there seems little regard for organised and orderly town planning which is probably half its charm. We found art galleries and craft shops hidden away down narrow streets amongst derelict buildings that seem to be awaiting some long forgotten refurbishment. Around one corner we followed music Pan like, which led us to a small church where a trio were playing traditional music in rehearsal for a wedding. The players nodded a greeting to us as we ventured inside the cool church and listened for a while.
Merida in mid summer is hot but you can find many places to cool off besides the hotel pool like the small but well laid out Museum of Anthropology which is a must see before embarking on field trips to the archaeological sites.

Uxmal

As enthusiastic ‘ancient culture vultures’ the impact of seeing our first Mayan site at Kabah was a thrill but the overwhelming majesty of nearby Uxmal was unexpected.
The scale of the site and the condition of the buildings and the general aura they exuded left little to the imagination. The entire site is exceptionally well maintained by the authorites and due to its scale there are many quiet corners at Uxmal to sit and gaze upon this ancient city and picture the lifestyle of the Mayan’s many centuries earlier.
Other equally important sites are within easy reach and the jewel in the Mayan crown, Chichen Itza, is only a couple of hours away along a well maintained highway but that is another story.

TAXCO "Silver City'

A little over an hour from Mexico City lies the compelling colonial hilltop town of Taxco, the centre for Mexican silver craftsmen. Along its winding cobblestone streets inside the whitewashed buildings hundreds of craftsmen create a mind boggling collection of silver items.

Jewellery is naturally the main attraction but in addition you will find massive silver urns, large platters, bowls and even animal figures like Jaguar's and Eagles. In one large showroom we were shown a silver crucifix around 1 metre high which we were told so impressed the Pope during his visit that he ordered one for the Vatican. The owner was so flattered that he donated it to the Vatican (value around $20,000) and made a replica to display for visitors to his shop.

Walking up the winding streets to the top of the town you reach a magnificent church Santa Prisca.

It is said that this church in the style of a cathedral was built especially for one man's son.

The man was Jose de La Borda a Frenchman who had moved to Mexico to make his fortune in Silver. 'God gives to Borda, so Borda gives to God' Borda declared after making his fortune from the silver mines in the hills around the town. With permission from the Catholic church he single handedly financed and oversaw the entire project. He employed the finest craftsmen from France and Spain and after a ten years the church was finally consecrated in 1759 and the first priest was none other than Borda's son. It is said that Borda wanted his son near him and this was one way he could be assured that this would be the case.

The church is one of the finest examples of Mexican baroque architecture and houses 12 towering and intricately carved and gilded altars with amazing detail and intricacy depicting hierarchical religious content.

In November of each year Taxco honours its source of wealth with the famous Feria Nacionale de La Plata (Silver Fair) when craftsmen, artists and silversmiths show their creations.

Mexico City Stop Over

Mexico City with its population of 22 million was not as formidable as we had first been led to believe. We had decided to fly into Mexico City from Miami as the start of our 16 day self guided tour which would ultimately take us to the Yucatan to see a selection of the Mayan sites.

In Mexico City we had highlighted Teotihuacan as our prime target and also a trip to Taxco the centre of Mexican silver.

The travel agency attached to our hotel organised a private day tour to Teotihuacan which also included a visit to Our Lady Of Guadalupe. We learned that this site is the second most visited Catholic site in the world after St Peter's in the Vatican.

The complex is massive with the 16th century Basilica now tilting dangerously due to land slip. You can still walk through the lovely church but unfortunately out of necessity there is scaffolding propping it up inside.

An impressive statue of Pope John Paul stands outside between the old Basilica and the very impressive circular new Basilica.

The story of Guadalupe plays an important and cherished role in the lives of Mexicans.

According to legend it was here in December 1531 that an Aztec Indian, recently converted to Catholicism and baptized Juan Diego saw a vision of the Virgin Mary.

The encounter resulted in Mexico's version of the Shroud of Turin, a cloak with an image of a dark skinned virgin.

This iconic object is displayed inside the new Basilica behind the altar and can be viewed in a specially designated area complete with a moving travelator that allows everyone the best viewing opportunity of this important and sacred piece of Mexican religious history. Whilst we were there a service was in progress and the chanting prayers in the background created the right atmosphere especially for the many visiting pilgrims.

Teotihuacan is 50 kilometres outside the city and it derived its name from the Aztec words meaning 'place where the Gods are made.' The ruins are monumental and the complex is spread over a wide area with the Sun and Moon pyramids and Ciudadela, or Citadel, with its temple of Quetzalcoatl (the plumed serpent) among the many buildings along the mile-long Avenue of the Dead.