horse and trap in Merida
Merida, Mexico is the state and regional capital of the Yucatan. Merida lies on the Caribean coast on the same latitude more or less, as Cuba, so it enjoys a similar climate. That’s around three hundred miles south of the Florida keys, so much warmer.
The Yucatan climate is what makes the place – and hammocks – so popular with people from cold climates such as Canada.
Unlike Cancun, however, which lies around four hours to the east of Merida, few Americans have heard of the place.
Merida – where our hammocks are made
Mérida is a cultural center, featuring multiple museums, art galleries, restaurants, movie theatres and many shops selling hammocks, woven Panama hats, tooled-leather belts and sarapes etc.
Mérida retains an abundance of beautiful colonial buildings and is a vibrant cultural center with music and dancing playing an important part in day-to-day life. You will find a dance on the various plazas in Merida almost every day, free of charge and full of people having fun dancing the cha-cha-cha, salsa and pasa double.
That is what makes Merida different from most other destinations in Mexico – the place has retained it’s strong culture and links with Europe; indeed, roads to the rest of Mexico were not built until the 1960’s when I first lived in Mexico and the only way to get here was by plane.
Today, Merida is a modern city boasting a comprehensive range of shopping malls, auto dealerships, top quality hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities. The famous avenue, Paseo de Montejo, is lined with original sculpture, banks and expensive restaurants.
Merida carnival, every February
Get here in February and you’ll experience the Merida carnival passing along the Paseo de Montejo. The women on the floats throw gifts to the crowds to the sound of powerful music. Although most of the floats are sponsored by Mexican beer companies, drinking is carefully regulated and is usually forbidden in the streets, except or carnival time. Even then, the crowds are carefully watched by legions of policement in their dark blue outfits. Their speed in dealing with any disturbance is instant! We have only witnessed one would-be argument starting, and eleven policemen dealt with the offending men and took them away in their police van.
Sundays in Merida
On Sundays, Merida’s Paseo de Montejo shows street art, and it is closed to traffic so families can cycle, walk their dogs, and enjoy the live music and shows playing in the many plazas.
Each year, the MACAY Museum in Mérida mounts a new sculpture installation, featuring works from Mexico and one other chosen country. Each exhibit remains for ten months of the year. In 2007, sculptures on Paseo de Montejo feature works by artists from Mexico and Japan.
English library Merida
Mérida and the state of Yucatán have traditionally been isolated from the rest of the country by geography, creating a unique culture. The conquistadors found the Mayan culture to be incredibly resilient, and their attempts to eradicate Mayan tradition, religion and culture had only moderate success. The surviving remnants of the Mayan culture can be seen every day, in speech, dress, and in both written and oral histories. It is especially apparent in holidays like Hanal Pixan, a Mayan/Catholic Day of the Dead celebration. It falls on November 1 and 2 (one day for adults, and one for children) and is commemorated by elaborate altars dedicated to dead relatives.
It is a compromise between the two religions with crucifixes mingled with skull decorations and food sacrifices/offerings. Múkbil pollo is the Mayan tamal pie offered to the dead on All Saints’ Day, traditionally accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate. Many Yucatecans enjoying eating this on and around the Day of Dead. And, while complicated to make, they can be purchased and even shipped via air. (Muk-bil literally means “to put in the ground” or to cook in a pib, an underground oven).
It is easy to find your way around Merida. The local saying is: “If you get lost in Merida, it’s because you want to get lost”.
The street grid is based on odd-numbered streets running east/west and even-numbered streets running north/south, with Calles 60 and 61 bounding the “Plaza Grande” in the heart of the city. The more affluent neighborhoods are located to the north and the most densely populated areas are to the south. The Centro Historico area is becoming increasingly popular with expats who are rescuing and restoring the classic colonial structures. The area around the English library is known as ‘Gringo Gulch’ although most expats in Merida are actually Canadian.
