Month: February 2016

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Dinner at La Chaya Maya, Mérida

I wanted to try Yucatán cuisine while I’m here (duh!) and yesterday Buzzfeed Mexico helpfully published a list of 12 of the best Yucatán restaurants in Mérida. Number two on the list, La Chaya Maya, was about 2KM away and really well reviewed, so I decided to go there for dinner. I must have walked close to 20km today, btw!

I’ve passed these former beauties several times today:

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There are two Chaya Mayas and the best reviewed is this one at the corner of Calles 62 and 57.

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I was given an English menu. It was actually pretty well translated, but not particularly helpful. I gave up trying to imagine what anything tastes like and zeroed in on this “Flavours of the Yucatán” deal that would give me four different items for just $95! I ordered it as “sabores del Yucatán,” though. 😉

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I ordered a XX beer, but the server said that the bartender wouldn’t sell me one because they weren’t cold enough. Dinner was off to a good start! I picked a beer at random, Montejo, and discovered that I have a new favourite Mexican beer! It is a pale lager that is incredibly smooth. I could have downed several of those!

Beer came with totopos, two kinds of refried beans, habanero sauce, and salsa mexicana (“pico de gallo”). The habanero sauce took out a layer of my taste buds. The brown beans had a strange flavour that was okay, but not really to my taste. The black beans were awesome and the salsa mexicana had an extra ingredient in it, possibly sweetened vinegar, that made it addictive!

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So here’s my meal. Isn’t it pretty?!

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The turkey on the left was soaked in a black sauce reminiscent of squid ink in appearance only. The middle one was also turkey and I’m pretty sure the other two were pork. Yucatán is not an agricultural state like Sinaloa and so the cuisine is very meat-heavy.

Using their online menu and my incredible powers of deduction, I think I had:

Top: vaporcito (not on the menu). It’s shredded meat with masa around it and a red sauce over top.

Bottom Left: relleno negro taco (black-filled taco). The black apparently comes from a mixture of a bunch of spices and chiles…

Bottom Middle: panucho (black beans smeared on a tortilla) with shredded turkey and veggies.

Bottom Right: cochinita (pulled pork marinated in sour orange and other things) and topped with purple stuff.

Everything was just delicious (and nothing was even remotely spicy!). It was all foreign to me and I’m having a hard time remembering what each individual thing tasted like. I know the panucho turkey tasted like a well roasted turkey that had been brined, but had no other seasoning. It was the best plain fowl I’ve had in Mexico. The black stuff was my favourite. I sampled everything, then worked my way around the plate to finish with the black taco. I left one and a half tortillas and the egg behind, but otherwise gobbled up everything. I really need to go back and try each thing individually. But, hey, now I know there are four things on the menu that I like!

The bill had a cute presentation:

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I found the beer very pricy at $31 (and I ordered off the cheap menu!), but even with a generous tip, my dinner came to only $150, or 12.35CAD. I know! If that’s the going rate for a gourmet meal in Mérida, I’ll be able to eat out like this every night!

Needless to say, I’d recommend La Chaya Maya!

I was pretty stuffed and actually looked forward to my walk home after. But I did mull over whether that was a good idea. I’m in a very residential neighbourhood that is very dark and quiet at night. It is well kept up, though, and the bulk of my walk was up a street with buses passing frequently, so I decided I was okay to walk. I passed three people on my walk home and they were all women about my age walking alone. There you go!

Not only does Mérida have street name signs and addresses, it actually let’s drivers know they are turning on a one-way street and which direction to go. *squints at Guamúchil*

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First Amble in Mérida

After this morning’s post, I headed down Mérida’s famed Paseo de Montejo, a beautiful boulevard, to find the nearby Waldo’s to get a few more things for my place. I was really hoping to find ice cream quickly and was delighted when I got to the corner of my street and the busier 35 that a man on a peddle cart was headed my way. Could I be that lucky? Yes! He had ice cream cones! I flagged him down and asked what he had. Coconut ice cream. Yum! A small cone was just $10. It looks quite melty in the picture, but it wasn’t at all.

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I had to make a few turns until I got to the Paseo de Montejo.

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And crossed my first of several scary intersections. I do have to give kudos for there being crosswalks showing exactly where to risk your life and I actually found the drivers here more respectful of pedestrians than what I’m used to in Maz.

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It was scorching out, so this short tree covered stretch was welcome!

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I am literally around the corner from Walmart. Pity I don’t like Mexican Walmarts at all. I always come out feeling that they don’t have anything and what they do have is expensive.

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The next roundabout had some amazing rock work:

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I was apparently in the “historic monument zone.”

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Other side of the roundabout:

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I passed an establishment called Delorean. How many famous faces can you spot in the picture below? Front centre are the Beatles and way above them is Edgar Allan Poe. I suppose the name of the place rather explains the strange cast of characters. 🙂

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This Ford dealership is very likely going to be where I buy my next vehicle! What I want is 10,000CAD cheaper in Mexico and has options, like a manual transmission, that I can’t even get back in Canada.

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This mosaic was gorgeous:

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This restaurant has a menu written on the door in French:

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Oh, look, a pub! I’ll have to see if they’re open one of these evenings! I’ve missed living near a pub that I can walk to.

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Two and a half kilometres from home, I found this trifeca: a huge Waldo’s, an Office Deport, and a good Soriana-style grocery store. Of course, I can’t remember the name of said store now! Starts with an A!

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I went into Waldo’s and got a few things, then went to the grocery store to buy a pot and see what they were selling. They had hummus, but it’s labeled as “botana arabe” (Arabic snack) here. No, I didn’t buy any to try it. 🙂

I took one road over from Paseo de Montejo to get part of the way home and came across this gem. Too bad the tree seems to have died on them!

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As I approached my turnoff on Paseo de Montejo, I remembered that I have a garrafón of water coming, so I popped into Walmart to get a pump for it. They’re just $40, so I don’t mind picking one up and this way I know it’s clean. I checked out the kitchen wares and they were dismal. The pot I’d picked up was super cheap ($65) and there was nowhere near anything at that price for that quality at Walmart.

I got in and made a quick lunch (using my new pot!). I failed at finding a potential spot to have dinner tonight, so I need to get on Google for that. I’ve already walked at least 10KM today, so I hope to find somewhere nearby!

It’s really hot, but no worse than in Maz, and I’m used to the sun now so I don’t burn as easily, even through sunscreen. I’m just going to hang out here at the apartment for a bit and relax since I’m beat. Time to research some touristy stuff I could possibly do tomorrow. 🙂

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First Morning in Mérida

I didn’t sleep well last night, but that’s normal for being in an unfamiliar place. It was surprisingly quiet except for the odd train whistle that I think I could learn to live with. My street is a little cul-de-sac (calle cerrada/closed street) so there was no traffic and my apartment is well off the street anyway. The bed was surprisingly comfy, and very much so by Mexican standards, so that wasn’t a problem. I would have liked a blanket and not just a sheet because I prefer sleeping with some weight over me, but temperature-wise, I was comfortable. I went to bed just past midnight and gave up on sleep at 8:00.

First order of business was coffee. I’d brought my French press, pre-ground beans, and milk. The only thing available in which I could boil a small amount of water was an enameled pot, so I used that, knowing the handle would get really hot! I had to wash everything I used, mug, spoon, and pot, because they had been washed with a sponge that had seen better days. The water here smells pretty bad, almost mouldy. No idea if that’s because the tinaco needs a rinse or if it’s just a city water quality issue. I don’t drink it, so I’m not too concerned. I’ll do like at home (Isla) and make sure things are dry before I use them.

Coffee made, I enjoyed it on my deck off the bedroom. What a treat this space is! I’m going to spend a lot of time out here as it has the most comfortable chairs in the house. I have some proofing work to do while I’m here and what an office this space will make!

I had scoped out the neighbourhood using Google Maps, but was pretty sure that they didn’t have the exact apartment pinned down. I was right. What I saw on Google Map is Calle 36, the next street over, which is a main thoroughfare. This is where I live:

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You go through that door into a charming little courtyard with a tile floor and textured walls:

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I forgot to grab a picture of the courtyard, sorry. 🙂 There’s just a metal staircase leading up to an apartment.

My building is behind the one you see on the street. There’s a very narrow path leading to it. Much measuring would ensue if I had to buy furniture and appliances for this place!

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There are three apartments in my building. I’m on the second level and the third level has the roof as a terrace.

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My front door is at the top of the first flight of the spiral staircase.

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Inside, the layout is standard. Entrance/living room/kitchenette, short hallway with a bathroom behind the kitchen, and a huge bedroom at the back with an open closet.

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The little bit of orange in the kitchen and the dark brown mouldings make the white walls and floors a lot easier to stomach than my equally bland place on Isla. I’m surprised that I could see myself living in this space long-term! The bedroom is large enough to neatly separate into the two rooms I would need, but, of course, I wouldn’t have any guest quarters. But I’d consider coming back here when I start house hunting if I do end up doing so in this neighbourhood.

First order of business after coffee was getting some groceries. Both Google and Apple swore there is a Soriana five blocks away, but they both goofed. It was twenty blocks away. While they had the correct address, 514, they had the location at being around 415.

It was a pleasant enough walk there, the crowds increasing the closer I got to the 500 block. Getting around Mérida will be easy since all the streets are numbered. Odds go in one direction, evens in the other. All streets are well marked and most buildings have addresses on them.

Soriana was very small, just a food store, but it was adequate for my most immediate needs. I was glad to be in a familiar store where I could just grab the products I know and not have to over think things since it was very busy. I still need to go out to Waldo’s (which hopefully will be where Google says it is) to get some cheap cooking things since there isn’t even a decent spatula.

I schlepped home with only just what I could carry that far. I washed a few things and put together a very nice toasted ham, cheese, and tomato sandwich as my brunch. I had passed a few small loncherias where I could have grabbed breakfast, but I wasn’t that hungry until I’d worked up an appetite and was happy to baptise the kitchen I’ll be living with for a week.

One thing I need to sort out ASAP is water. I have some empty garrafons (5 gallon jugs), so I’m hoping there is an exchange system like on Isla. I go through a garrafon a week, so I’m much better off getting one of those than buying smaller water containers. I just sent my host a text asking about that and FINALLY added the Spanish keyboard to my iPhone. Should have done that sooner! Took only two seconds. *shakes head*

Oh, here’s a text from my host. Water can be bought from the tienda right at the corner, but if I can wait till 5:30, he’ll bring me one. I am not schlepping one of those things that far and up those stairs, plus I bought a litre for today, so I can wait! 🙂

First impressions of this part of Mérida? Quiet (quite a respite from bustling Isla, to be honest), clean, neat, walkable, with friendly locals. I’m just off of the main thoroughfare for this neighbourhood, Paseo de Montejo, and that’s where I’m headed next as I meander my way to where Waldo’s is supposed to be. I’m also going to scope out a spot to grab dinner tonight!

 

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Landed in Mérida!

Oy, it’s been a very long day, but I’m here!

maz to mer

I made the mistake of going to bed at my usual time yesterday and so I was up at 6AM, not good when you know bedtime won’t be till 11PM your time/midnight local time.

I had 5.5 hours to kill till departure for the airport so I had a lie in, then made breakfast and finished packing and cleaning the house (I always give the floors a final pass at the last minute). My ride showed up 10 minutes early, but I was very nearly ready. Better early than late when you’re on your way to the airport!

The road out is just about all paved!!! It’s unbelievable. I heard that there is talk of paving more of the main street on Isla, too. The times, they are a changing! Needless to say, we were at the airport in record time.

Since I wasn’t sure that my luggage was under the weight limit for carry on, I elected to check in at a desk, something I haven’t done in a long time. To give me less to handle, I only had my small suitcase and my tote bag, which was full to bursting with my electronics, documents, liquids, and more. It was heavy, but I made the right call. Check-in, done in Spanish, went smoothly and I was given tags for my bags confirming they had been weighed and were to good to go. I was warned that there would be a 10-minute delay for my flight, but assured that I had plenty of time to make my connection…

I’ve spent a lot of time on the main level of the Mazatlán airport, but had never been upstairs. All there was up there was a couple of restaurants and shops, plus a Carl Jr’s hamburger stand. I was pretty sure there was nothing beyond security for food and, being a full three hours early for my flight, I’d decided to have lunch at the airport. The two restaurants were ridiculously expensive, even for an airport, and not appealing, so I caved and got a fast food cheeseburger. Should have brought my own lunch!

I then went through security and, wow, that went very quickly! I didn’t get a pat down (it helped that I remembered not to wear a bra with underwire!) and I didn’t have to take my shoes off. My liquids were packed correctly (which the lady at check-in had confirmed anyway) and I didn’t have to turn on my electronic devices. My suitcase did raise a flag and they asked for permission to open it. What was I going to say, no?! As I expected, they were curious about my stainless steel French press, but accepted my explanation without even touching it. I did get a laugh for having marked my bag of white powder as “leche con polvo” (powdered milk)!

There was just about nothing on the other side, just a jewelry stand and a small bar/cafe where I could have gotten an even more expensive lunch than on the other side. I did spend a whopping $15 on a bottle of water and also $40 for a coffee. My first thought was that was a crazy price, but it was an Americano, so espresso from fresh ground beans with hot water. It was so smooth I was able to enjoy it black. Totally worth the money!

It was a long wait. I really could have left home later, but I’d rather the wait than to be rushed. I watched an ep of the show I’m currently enjoying (Defiance) on my iPad and that helped 45 minutes go by quickly! I also finished a funny book about the career of a customs inspector in the UK, rather à propos reading for my location.

We finally boarded, 10 minutes late, but we were off very quickly. I’ve only ever before flown Air Canada, West Jet and one of the U.S. airlines. InterJet had something none of those airlines have: leg and elbow room.

It was interesting to see Maz and Isla from the air as we took off. The airport is so close that I could spot my house as we were taking off. I am not joking/exaggerating! It was a case that I had to know exactly where to look as we made our ascent, and I did!

We only had about a 1.5 hour flight, but still had a snack and beverage service. I accepted a small bag of rather yummy Frito/Dorito-style chip things with a bit of kick, but was at a loss as to what to ask for a beverage other than water. When flying in Canada, I always get ginger ale and it’s a huge treat, but I knew they wouldn’t have that in Mexico. I asked if they had a soda with lime hoping to get something like a 7-Up or Sprite. The flight attendant pondered my question for a couple of seconds and said, “7-Up?” Yup, that worked. 🙂 I only have soda on airplanes because the carbonation helps me clear my ears.

I read through my flight and we were in Mexico City in no time! It’s huge! I thought Chicagoland (where I’ve landed several times) was big, but this was civilisation as far as the eye could see! Traffic was bad! As we landed, I could see many roads were backed up.

By the time I’d deplaned, I only had about an hour until my next flight was supposed to board, so my first priority was to find my new gate. It wasn’t on the boards, so I asked at an Interjet information kiosk and was told to come back at 7:00, about 45 minutes later. So I went off in search of food and found a rather uninspiring food court with Subways, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Wings, and a few other stands. I picked Sbarro’s, which I think is a U.S. pizza chain (I only know the name from the movie The Terminal), just because pizza sounded good and their pizza looked decent enough, even if a slice with toppings was $72! I went with just plain cheese for $51 and had to grudgingly admit that it was pretty good, especially for airport pizza. 🙂 I then popped into a 7-Eleven to buy a litre bottle of water so I wouldn’t have to worry about finding some when I got to Mérida. That would give me enough to get me through the morning, including making coffee. $11. Even Mexico airports gouge you on everything!

It was 7:00 by that point, so I went back to the information kiosk, where I was told to come back at 7:30. What? That’s when we were supposed to leave! They said a word I did not recognise. I know “delayed” as “con retrazo” (very close to the French “en retard). They used a word that started with d and it took me a second to process that this is what they were saying. Delayed?! OMG. I asked how long and they said about 30 minutes.

Thirty minutes was fine. I’d told my host I would be there between 10:00 and 11:00 and a half-hour delay put me at the apartment around 10:15, 10:30. Absolutely no reason to panic. I still had no idea where my gate was going to be and found a seat within sight of the information desk. Minutes after I sat down, a man in a bright orange security vest came up to me and said “You’re going to Mérida?” I replied in the affirmative and he told me to go to gate three and that we’d be boarding around 7:45. Talk about service!

This was my first time traveling through a country where I can barely understand the language when spoken and I’m glad I made it through as well as I did. There were some English announcements, but the accent was so strong it wasn’t really not much clearer than the Spanish.

Our plane finally arrived and the passengers on it deplaned in record time. I was one of the last ones to be allowed to board. Air Canada will board rows such and such, then such and such and Interjet has a similar zone system. I understood this on my first leg of the trip, but couldn’t find my zone on my ticket. This time around, I had plenty of time to locate it way at the bottom. Zone one, since I was in row six. Great, I’d be one of the first to deplane!

We boarded with great efficiency and were taking off in no time at all. I was very impressed! It was another very short journey, just enough time for a snack and a few chapters of a book before Mérida was sprawled below me.

I’d texted my “greeter” in MC and hadn’t received a reply, so I decided to call him before getting in a taxi. Always risky. I don’t do well on the phone at all. I thought we agreed that he would be waiting for me when I arrived, but had a feeling I’d be left waiting on a curb…

Like Maz’s airport, Mérida’s airport has official taxis with set rates. I’d been told it would be $200 to go to my apartment, but they insisted on $270. Fiiiine.

I knew I wasn’t in the proverbial Kansas anymore when my taxi driver actually buckled up… and didn’t drive like a maniac… and obeyed all red lights and stop signs. What I could see of Mérida was very clean and tidy, with clear road signs. All a sharp contrast to Mazatlán. I told the driver this and we started chatting. He says that April and May are the worst months here weather-wise.

He found the apartment without any trouble and I knew I was at the right place because a) the street had a sign that matched the street name I’d been given; b) the building had a number that matched the address I’d been given; and c) the building looked like the picture from the Airbnb site. 🙂

So there I was on the curb. The door into the apartment complex was locked. I was a bit earlier than I thought I’d be, the journey from the airport having been super quick, so I figured the guy was going to be along shortly. But after a good 20 minutes, I was beyond ready to be settled for the night (and grateful to be in a neighbourhood that felt safe!) and used the last 4% of my battery on the phone to try my “greeter” again. Augh, he’d been inside one of the apartments the whole time waiting for me to call!

He rushed out to show me to my place, in the back of the complex and up… a spiral staircase. Be still my beating heart! The only way I would be more excited about my apartment was if it also had a turret. I’ve always dreamed of living somewhere with a spiral staircase!

The apartment is large and seems clean. I got a whirlwind tour and discovered that I have a balcony! What a bonus! I am a tad disappointed by the kitchen, though. I don’t even have a decent pot in which to boil water tomorrow. So I have some shopping to do. I’m going to be here for eight days and it’ll totally be worth it to get some cheap things to be comfortable. Just from tonight, I know I need:

– a pot and a frying pan;
– a new sponge for the kitchen;
– wash cloths for the bathroom (I knew I should have packed some — even my hotel in Durango didn’t have any);
– trash bags (although shopping should will take care of that);
– toilet paper

No big deal at all. It’ll give me a chance to figure out where I’ll be buying home goods when I move to this neighbourhood! 🙂

I had a shower and then crashed in bed with my computer, where I am writing this post. I am very grateful that the bed is super comfortable, a huge improvement over my bed on Isla, even with a topper!

I think I will be happy here for the next eight days. Let’s see what the morning brings.

I apologise for any typos in this post. I’m starting to see double. 🙂

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Lovely Ambiance

I had dinner with my friend Sue tonight. I didn’t realise until the bill came that I was being treated for my part in the Great iPad Rescue, so what a lovely surprise that was! Thanks!

We started with a glass of wine and a sunset from her roof, which has an amazing view of the harbour where the cruise ships come in. We then went nearly next door to a restaurant that is open in the evenings, a rarity on Isla. This is a fairly new place just up from the beach off of the road to Goat Island. Sue has been there a few times and you really need to know it’s there because there’s almost no lighting. Best way I can describe it is that it’s on the new access road to the beach, about halfway between the beach and Goat Island road entrance points. They have a sign listing their offerings and that they are abierto (open).

The restaurant is really charming. The furniture is made from pallets. You can sit out in the open overlooking the water…

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Or under a giant palapa on a brick terrace.

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This is not a “cendaduria” like Miguel’s with inexpensive fast food, but a proper sit down restaurant to enjoy a gourmet meal. Sue had had the garlic shrimp before and loved it, so we went for that, plus a Pacifico each. The garlic shrimp were plump and cooked to perfection. They came with the standard tomato rice and a surprising salad made of romaine lettuce, onion, cucumber, tomato, and pineapple (!), with a really good dressing made of oil and lime juice. We also had a basket of tortillas.

Dinner for two was $280, so $120 for the garlic shrimp and $20 for the beer. Definitely too much to make it a regular haunt, but what a great spot for a romantic date or just relaxing with a friend. I will definitely be back!