February 25, 2016 by Rae

A Burger and a Pint at Hennessy’s Irish Pub, Mérida

Hennessy’s Irish Pub is practically right around the corner from my temporary Mérida home, so I knew I had to give it a try. One of the things I miss most about city living (and by city living, I mean being in Ottawa), is being able to walk to a pub. I lived across the street from The Dunvegan, but my favourite was the Winston Churchill, quite a distance away in front of the National Art Gallery. Many a night did I stumble home through some of Ottawa’s rougher streets, perfectly safe because it was my territory. Despite its promising name, Hennessy’s definitely won’t be my regular watering hole in Mérida, I’m sad to say.

This is an upscale pub, not a cozy one at all, and the menu is expensive.

I skipped the international beers at $60+ (Guinness was $85) and went for a XX Oscuro at the Mérida price of just over $30. I really find the price of beer at bars and restaurants disappointing and know that finding the deals will be high on my list when I live here. This was my first XX Oscuro and like XX Lager and Amber, it did not disappoint!

My “bien cocido” (well cooked) hamburger was insanely huge and came with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and fried onions. I think they forgot the BBQ sauce, but I didn’t miss it. It was served with McCain-style seasoned potato wedges and Heinz ketchup. I ate the whole thing. 🙁 All that walking sure works up an appetite! The burger was absolutely amazing, but, at $135, wouldn’t be a habit I’d get into! Funny how I think that’s a really fair price for a high quality burger in Canada, though! 🙂

I enjoyed reading this sign about Guinness. This is the first beer I ever drank in any sort of voluminous capacity. The ad claims that Guinness is very healthy and nourishing… What’s surprising about this stout is that while it’s known for being a heavy beer, the kind you can stick a spoon in and have it stand upright, it actually has fewer calories than most other beers!

My menu and service were all in Spanish, but there were no Mexican customers in the pub tonight (granted, it was early for them). Instead, it was all expats. The music was the grating pop stuff out of the States and the football (soccer) game was in English. I won’t learn to appreciate a place like this until I go to Eastern Europe this summer and finally go somewhere that the language is completely foreign to me. I might not be anywhere near fluent in Spanish, but I can get through my day here and do what I need to do without an excruciating amount of mental exertion. A place like Hennessy’s must be an oasis for those folks whose Spanish is much more limited, or even practically non-existent. I’m certain that if I was in, say, Bangkok, I would be very excited to find it. But since I’m not, La negrita remains my best prospect for my Mérida watering hole.

Now, to see if I can beat Hennessy’s burger. I have a feeling it’ll be a tough act to follow!

February 25, 2016 by Rae

Checking Out Santiago, Lots of Wandering Around, and the Museo Regional de Antropología de Yucatán, Palacio Cantón

I did some work this morning, then headed to Barrio Santiago, Mérida’s preferred expat neighbourhood. It is located just northwest of the Zocalo and is anchored by a plaza and old church of its own. It is Mérida’s oldest neighbourhood.

En route, I spotted some “se renta” and “se venda” signs and made notes of the various agency websites. I’ve had a poke around the sites and it looks like most cater to those with Canadian budgets, but I will still keep them as references. I actually would be happy to deal with an English-speaking agent who could help me through the ropes of finding a place and signing a contract, as long as I don’t end up paying a hefty extranjero tax.

Some of these houses don’t look like much from outside, but are very adequate inside (as per pictures I’ve seen on websites and homes I’ve been able to peek into). I’ve been spoiled with my two Mexican apartments so far as they were very new construction, but I’d be willing to take something older and a bit grottier to have the location and size I want at a good price, as long as I’m allowed to apply a fresh coat of paint. I find these older homes have a ton more character.

I passed “La casa del cheesecake,” the cheesecake house. Temptation was hard to resist!

This is interesting. In Maz, pedestrians don’t seem to have many rights. In Mérida, we have lots of crosswalks and many drivers will do the Canadian thing of stopping to let you pass if there are no cars behind them! But check out this fine: yield to pedestrians or face a fine of 16 salaries something. Not sure what the M stands for, but I can’t imagine it’s monthly… And look at the colourful buildings across the street!

Mérida, like Durango, has tons of signage for tourists. Here’s a helpful placard at Santiago square:

There was lots of good stuff around the square in Santiago. Here, we have an Oxxo, pharmacy, and a small grocery store. On the opposite side were taquerias.

I love Mexico’s city squares as they are oases of greenery.

Santiago’s church:

And there was a cinema on another side of the square. That alone would almost tempt me to join the expats!

Here’s a two-bedroom apartment for rent on a main street in Santiago. Research tells me that this place would likely be two to three times the price of a comparable apartment in a neighbourhood expats find less desirable.

Santiago was beautiful, really a village within a city (kind of like Juárez in Maz), but I saw more expats than I did Mexicans. I’d like to be in a little less desirable area and be able to order ice cream in the language of the country where I am living. To each their own! Again, every expat has their own reason for coming to Mexico. Mine is not to be in a Canada with a better climate, but rather to actually be in Mexico and be “dépaysée.” 🙂

I was ready for lunch after my Santiago wanderings and wanted some basic inexpensive food at a restaurant locals go to. TripAdvisor sent me to El Trapiche, which perfectly fit the bill. The food was good, but not memorable (pretty sure the sauce was canned), and inexpensive. I got a pineapple agua fresca that was essentially watered down pineapple juice (which is just a description, not a value judgement. It was cold, frothy, and super tasty. If I go back by there, I would get one to go!). I picked green “Swiss” enchiladas, which just means they had some barely melted Gouda cheese over top of chicken stuffed corn tortillas drowned in green sauce. Yes, gouda. Very popular here in Mérida. By the way, I’m pretty sure there is some sort of addictive substance in salsa verde…

Look at my bill. Those are Miguel-level prices (although not Miguel-quality food!)! Also another big difference with Mazatlán, just about everyone is computerized here. I know this is something that Mexico is moving towards, but it’s slow to catch on in Maz and the environs (according to the last newspaper report I read).

I then ambled aimlessly and found a restaurant called Pita…

THAT SELLS FALAFEL. I think you know where I’m having lunch tomorrow or Saturday! If Mérida has even remotely decent falafel, I am buying property here! 😀

It’s on Calle 55 next to the “first square,” not that would mean anything to anyone but me. 🙂

I’ve passed this sign a few times and it never fails to make me a little nervous. “Respect my entrance and I’ll respect your car.”

I ended up on Paseo de Montejo near home and popped in at the Museo Regional de Antropología de Yucatán, Palacio Cantón, the anthropology museum. They were open, so I decided to visit. There was very little English here and some translations were interesting.

The building alone is gorgeous and worth a visit!

Entrance was $55. The man at the taquillera (ticket booth) just grunted and pointed to a sign saying how much. The ticket puncher, on the other hand, told me very quickly that photos are okay without flash and to not touch anything. I processed that, blurted out that I understood, and he winked, looked at the surly ticket taker, and shrugged.

The exhibit was called Maya: the language of beauty. There was a lot of information about all the body modifications the Maya did to show off their culture, allegiances, rank, and more. I bemoan the fact that we live in a culture where such things are frowned upon beyond basic ear piercings. I’d have more piercings (beyond my ears and nose) and maybe a tattoo or two if they were more socially acceptable. Mayans would stretch out ear lobes, elongate skulls, chisel teeth into points, and pierce just about anything they could, on top of wearing elaborate clothing.

Along with the very informational panels (which were well translated into English), there were so many wonderful artifacts to behold! Unfortunately, all the artifact descriptions were in Spanish only. I still think that non-Spanish understanders would get a lot for their $55.

This jade mask is hilarious!

Look at the ceiling in the palace!

This reminds me of looking at Egyptian hieroglyphics.

More amazing arches and plasterwork in the palace. It was built in the early 20th century in the “Belle époque” style and was designed by an Italian architect.

This statue shows the ornaments a Mayan wore. Clothing also played a huge role in conveying one’s place and role in society.

This fabric was preserved in the sacred cenote near Chichen Itza. I overheard a guide point out that, if you look closely, you will see it has a swastika pattern, a Hindu symbol of peace that was misappropriated by the Nazis. Like me, the guide believes in the cross-pollenization of ancient cultures and thinks that this fabric points to possible ties and trade between ancient Indians and Mayans… or it could just be a coincidence. Who knows. But how amazing that this thousands of years old fabric has survived!

I loved the hat on this figure.

The pottery is exquisite and so colourful! The Maya used over 30 colours in their pottery, clothing, and artwork, more than many other ancient cultures, and all the colours came from natural sources.

The jewelry was rather impressive too.

This piece really made me think of Egyptian artwork.

Do you see the parrot on top of the cover for this bowl?

One of several beautiful floors in the palace.

Kukulkan, the feathered serpent. I recently lost my scarab pendant and have been looking for a replacement. I’m going to try to find something that features a representation of this deity who represents the sacred vital energy of life.

This is a tejón, or Mexican raccoon (same family!).

Loved this jaguar pot.

The stairs!

Another figure that amused me.

More masks and jewelry.

And another work of art floor.

I like how the jewelry is displayed on this figure.

These skull carvings are quite impressive. The ears on the figure to the left have ear lobe stretchers.

Another figure showing some of the decorations the Maya wore.

And here’s the exterior of the palace, as seen from Paseo de Montejo (the entrance is on Calle 43).

I managed to do quite a lot today without having any firm plans! Hard to believe I only have two full days left. I didn’t make it to the Irish pub last night, but I’m definitely doing that tonight. I am sort of thinking of going to the nearby resort town of Progreso tomorrow as it is very inexpensive to get to. I probably should have done a bus tour of the city when I first got here, but that will likely happen Saturday morning, if I find a company I like. I know there are tours in English since I passed some today.

Mérida is a huge city, but I think I’ve got a handle on the Centro part of it. There is so much beyond the perimeter highway, but I can only see so much in a week. I’m quite pleased with my exploration jaunt so far and am feeling confident about my decision to move here. I really don’t think I could ever be bored living in Mérida.

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!

January 4, 2016 by Rae

Off to Mérida!

My trip to Mérida is booked! It was hard to get a nearly perfect flight, so I’m going later than planned, leaving February 19th and coming back February 28th.

I wanted to fly around my work schedule, so that meant I could only fly on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (giving me Monday as a buffer to settle in or in case there is a flight delay). I’m leaving on a Friday and coming back on a Sunday, so nine nights total. The other thing was that I didn’t want to have to overnight in DF (Mexico City) or get back to Mazatlán after dark. Finally, I really preferred not to fly out before 8AM. Price ended up being my last consideration, but I did okay. I think it will come out to between 500CAD and 550CAD with the exchange rate.

I used Sky Scanner for the first time and it was worth it because it found flights on discount sites that weren’t available directly through the airline. I didn’t save any money, but I got a better choice of dates and times. My flight is with InterJet, but I booked through Travelocity.

So I leave Maz at 3:05 p.m. local time, have a 1.5 hour layover in DF, and get to Mérida at 9:10 p.m. local time. I’ll take a taxi to my destination. My hosts (more below) are prepared that I might not get in till 11:00 p.m.

For the trip home, I leave Mérida at 8:25 a.m., have a 3.5 hour layover in DF, and get home at 2:35 local time.

After speaking with a few friends who have tons of experience flying out of Maz from Isla, I’m planning to leave my truck here, take the lancha to Maz, and grab a cab there to get me to the airport or investigate the possibility of a bus.

I will get eight full days in Mérida, of which I will work for three. Mérida is on the same time zone as work, so that means I’ll be working 8:00 to 4:00 and so those days will be pretty much a write-off, but I should at least be able to enjoy a few evening hours out.

Now, for housing. I really wanted to rent an apartment in a neighbourhood I might want to move to to get a feel for what life could be like for me in Mérida. I’d spent some time on TripAdvisor learning about the various neighbourhoods in Mérida and made a list of the neighbourhoods to investigate. One of the neighbourhoods at the top of my list had nearly the perfect place. All-in, it’s 32CAD per night. The only thing I’m not happy about, based on the pictures, is that it’s a boring white house like my casa here in Maz. I had hoped to find something more architecturally interesting. But it’s fine for a week. I’ll be choosier when I’m looking for a long-term residence!

A couple of people asked me why I’m not driving or taking the bus. Here’s why:

Mérida is 2,500KM away. It would be like my driving 63% of the way back to Haven for just a week!

Just for kicks, I checked out the bus option. It’s 26 hours and 2,000MX each way. So 52 hours of travel time for 4,000MXN total. For 2,500MXN (200CAD) more, I can get there and back in about 18 hours total travel time. Air travel is a wonderful option! 😀

There is tons to do around and outside Mérida, but I won’t be focused on cramming in too much tourism since I plan to move there full-time! Really, the purpose of this trip is to try out life in the city and focus on practical matters so I can hit the ground running when it comes time to searching for an apartment to rent long-term.

Next project, wrapping my brain around my summer in Europe…

January 1, 2016 by Rae

Number Crunching Day

The ‘new year’ is just an arbitrary change of number that could really happen at any time. So I don’t really treat it as a special event. Last year was the first December 31st that I can remember since that of ’99 going into ’00 that I did anything. I’m sure it’s not the only one, but the night is such a non-event that I’ve have to go back over old journals to see if there are others.

I’m more of a follower when it comes to social engagements, attending parties and other events if I get an actual invitation, especially on a super busy night where going out on my own wouldn’t be much fun anyway. No invitations for last night came, so I stayed in. I’m not sure I would have accepted one anyway. I’d been up since about 4:30 a.m. and was not sad that I was able to conk out at 9:00, despite a loud party going on next door!

January 1st tends to be a bookkeeping day for me. It’s always quiet and I can start to close the previous year’s books, open the new year’s, and take stock of my goals for the year. For 2016, the goals are to find another steady client who pays well and to end the year in Mexico with a residency visa. I’d like to spend the summer in Europe, but I wouldn’t consider having to put that off as a failure. It’ll all depend on whether the current income levels continue or not.

2015 was an extraordinary year. It started and ended in Mazatlán and ended up being the year where I spent the bulk of my time outside of Canada! I was only home for about five months, spent just about a full six months in Mexico, and just about a full month in the U.S. It was the year that I started to figure out how I’m going to manage to see the world, by renting apartments in the locations I want to experience. It was also the year that I was able to look back on all the grief I’ve experienced and think, “It was so worth it!”

Happy 2016 to all my readers!

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

Moving to Mexico

A Burger and a Pint at Hennessy’s Irish Pub, Mérida

Checking Out Santiago, Lots of Wandering Around, and the Museo Regional de Antropología de Yucatán, Palacio Cantón

Exploring Mérida’s Paseo de Montejo and Centro Histórico

Off to Mérida!

Number Crunching Day