February 21, 2016 by Rae

Exploring Mérida’s Paseo de Montejo and Centro Histórico

Today was another getting the lay of the land kind of day, trying to get a feel for the location of Centro Histórico to further narrow down where I might want to live. Calle 35 is a bit too north, but not bad. I think I’d like to be between 41 and 59, though.

First order of the day was to pop in at the Oxxo a few blocks away to add some pesos to my account since I ran out last night. The internet in the apartment is a bit unreliable, so I added $200 and then bought the $169 “Alto7” plan that gives me 1GB of data with a week to use it up. That’s cheaper than paying the per MB rate, which is what I’ve been doing for a while since I’ve only been using my phone when out and about in Maz and, for some reason, sites like Facebook are free to use. I couldn’t phone or send a text from my phone last night, but I could still post to Facebook. Too funny! My $200 purchase netted me $200 in “salda regalo” (gift balance)! So that will cover me for calls, texting, and casual data use for several months!

I walked up the Paseo de Montejo from the Oxxo and discovered that one lane is closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays!

There were a lot of folks on bicycles.

I strolled for a bit, wanting to find the Paseo de Montejo information kiosk. It was marked as being at the intersection of 33A and Paseo de Montejo, but this intersection was not on Google Maps. I walked up the Paseo de Montejo to the intersection where I turned onto it yesterday and saw the kiosk kitty corner from Walmart. Say Walmart is the NE corner, the tiny information kiosk is on the SW corner.

I went in and got a map as well as the free tourist guide book. I had a nice chat with the couple running the kiosk. They were pleased that I’m planning to move to Mérida and thrilled that I am avoiding the expat Santiago neighbourhood at all cost so that I can get a more authentic Mérida experience. They think that I picked the right neighbourhood (Paseo de Montejo) and strongly urged me to go check out Santiago and Santa Ana for my peace of mind that I did my research and got it right. We also talked about the weather and they said that if I can handle the weather this week, I could make it through the hottest part of summer as long as I have AC and a pool. I have been thinking of looking for a house with a pool… 🙂 But seriously, I think that too much fuss is made about the heat. People come to Canada to live in areas that frequently hit 40 below or colder and nothing is really thought of that other than to buck up. The culture here is used to the heat and there is siesta. I will be fine. I’m more not looking forward to the rainy season.

From the kiosk, I turned around to go back the way I come to go down to the area of the Zocalo, or Mérida’s main square, where I could catch a free traditional dance show at 1PM.

The Paseo de Montejo is known for its grand houses:

This one’s for rent. I wonder how much!

These are “las sillas de confidentes” and are featured on the cover of the tourist guide.

This one’s bound to be cheap, right?

This is the museum of archaeology. I’ll be visiting it for sure!

So beautiful. Remembers me of some of the architecture in Southern U.S. cities.

This tricycle looks like a lot of work.

Roads were blocked for bikes all the way to the Zocalo.

This is a smaller plaza. There were lots of vendors selling jewelry and traditional clothing.

Now, we’re at the Zocalo. See that green umbrella on the left? Little did I know I would be sitting under it some time later!

Basilica.

Entering the Zocalo. Lots more vendors.

Pretty building off the Zocalo.

I wouldn’t mind living above shops…

Very useful discovery!

Artisan market, but it was mostly shut tight.

This part of Centro is a lot more like Maz, only the drivers aren’t insane.

Another artisan market, with some vendors open. I had a look at the clothes and am glad I can recognise what things are worth now. Some things (like my dressing gown) are made of very thin fabric with seams that fray on the understand because they are not overlocked. Other things (like my traditional dresses) are made of thicker fabric and better finished. I don’t mind my lesser quality items because I paid a fair price for them. I didn’t like the prices here at all.

I then went into the central market. It was huge. Some parts were really pleasant to shop through, but the bulk of it, especially where the veggies are sold, was very grotty and was over due for a power washing. I actually don’t know if I could see myself buying produce there!

Speaking of produce, I’ve never seen a stem on a pineapple!

I made my way back to the Zocalo. I was ready for lunch and when I spotted a place with shade and beer, that was good enough for me!

I ordered a traditional Yucatán dish called poc chuc. There was no description on the menu, so talk about taking a leap of faith! It wound up being pork marinated in sour orange. The meat was very gristly and I had to work hard to get good bits of it, but what there was was very tasty, especially dipped in that non-spicy red sauce on the plate (to which I added the spicy sauce you can see in the above picture). I loved the grilled onions and black beans, as well as the slightly charred tortillas to mop up my plate. Lunch was only $140 with the tip and I also got some advice from my server to take an organised tour out of town instead of renting a car…

By the time I’d picked up a lime sorbet thingamabob in a cone from a cart, toured all the vendors in the Zocalo, and found a place to stand for the dance show, it was 12:40. I was disappointed it had been standing room only by the time I’d arrived back a the square at 11:30 since I was pretty fatigued, even with having sat for lunch.

The show was very entertaining, but having to stand for most of it and move around to stay out of the sun and get different views means I didn’t get to really absorb it as much as I would have liked.

The dancers wore traditional costumes. I love those white dresses with the bright embroidery. Women here wear them all the time! I’ve seen coloured dresses with the same embroidery and which I find tempting, but the cut is not fitted and so wouldn’t suit me well. They are so pretty, though!

There were a lot of different dance numbers. There is a video after the pictures with highlights of my favourite bits.

See the yellow flowers in the hair of the dancer closest to me? All the ladies had a different main colour to the embroidered part of their dresses and matching flowers in their hair, as well as, for some numbers, a shawl.

The music was live, and very loud!

Here they are with their shawls. That’s my kind of outfit. 🙂

This was a Maypole-type dance number, where they wove the ribbons.

Here they are building a “palapa” (their word). I really appreciated all the times the announcer said, “¡Lista cameras!” (ready your cameras)!

I’m really glad I stayed till the end because of this amazing number, where they danced balancing trays of glasses on their heads. That’s in the video!

There was another info kiosk right by the Zocalo, so I popped in to ask about tours. I was given a brochure in English, but got all the information in Spanish, same as at the Paseo de Montejo kiosk. The man understood my desire to do something close by (I’m saving Chichen Itzá for when I move here!) and proposed what sounded like the perfect tour. It’s well reviewed, so I contacted them to see if they can fit me in this week…

I then schlepped home, tempted as I was to get in a cab, and popped into a a shop to get three cold Tecate Light beers, which were only $32.50, or just under $11 each. I get four for $52 on Isla, or $13 each. I was surprised since beer at a restaurant is so pricy here compared to Maz.

I hadn’t planned to go out again today, but now I’m hungry and trying to decide which will take less energy, walking to a restaurant or making my own dinner. 🙂

It was a very good day for getting myself grounded in this part of Mérida. Now, I’m ready to play tourist!

February 20, 2016 by Rae

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:

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

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. 😉

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!

So here’s my meal. Isn’t it pretty?!

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:

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*

February 20, 2016 by Rae

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.

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

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.

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

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.

The next roundabout had some amazing rock work:

I was apparently in the “historic monument zone.”

Other side of the roundabout:

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. 🙂

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.

This mosaic was gorgeous:

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

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.

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!

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!

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. 🙂

February 20, 2016 by Rae

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:

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

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!

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

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

IMGP2897

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.

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!

February 19, 2016 by Rae

Landed in Mérida!

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

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. 🙂

A Life By Design

"Sometimes in life, we reach to a right place by departing from a wrong port with a wrong ship!" ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

Yucatan

Exploring Mérida’s Paseo de Montejo and Centro Histórico

Dinner at La Chaya Maya, Mérida

First Amble in Mérida

First Morning in Mérida

Landed in Mérida!