Whiling Away a Sunday in Mérida

It´s 5:15PM, and the traditional dance display has just started on one of the four streets that surround Mérida´s main plaza (de la Revolución). Every Sunday is 'Domingo en Mérida', and about twelve blocks of the downtown core are handed over to the people for singing, dancing, eating, and relaxing. Artisans and vendors set up shop in all corners, selling everything from México's finest amacas to the locally-made Guayacabas - shirts often traditionally hand sewn from a cactus-like plant. At any given point today, there have been over 5,000 people here in the plaza, enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Yucatán.

Mérida is the capital of the state of Yucatán, and as such is a cultural and historical landmark. The oldest cathedral in North America overlooks the Plaza from the East, and tucked in beside is the open-air Museo MACAY, whose exhibition space is only ever filled with Yucatecan artists. Four blocks to the North is the Paseo de Montejo, a wide street with ten blocks (two per sidewalk per block) of sculptures from contemporary North American artists. I missed the highly-recommended Museo de Antropológico due to its shorted Sunday hours, and hope to catch it open tomorrow.

Most establishments close Sundays, which means greater crowds in the car-free downtown core. When experiencing Mérida, it becomes clear what Cancún lacks, and that is a heart, or corazón. What you see in Mérida is a real Mexican city at its finest, unencumbered by a weekly deluge of pale-skinned tourists looking for a postage stamp of beach and a drink in both hands. Well, at least they weren't burdened so before I showed up.

The plan was to leave for Palenque on the 11:30PM bus tonight, but there is so much to see within an hour of here that I decided to stay another full day. Progreso is a beachfront town only thirty minutes north, and many ruins and cenotes (sinkholes with fresh water for swimming, once used in Mayan ceremonies) are at most thirty minutes more. Plus, sitting around with the staff at The Nest has been great for my Spanish.

Given my discussions with Michèle from Québec, I get the sense that my travel plans may need a-changin', and soon. My current plans may mean missing all the treasures not written up in my guidebook; treasures like a Sunday in Ciudad Mérida.

*** A note on images - those I have posted to date are not my own, as I failed to bring a cord to connect my camera to a PC. There is a Canon shop that will be open tomorrow, so look for updated posts and photos tomorrow evening.

Cancún - Day Two

I am kicking back on Av. Hidalgo, the main street on Isla Mujeres. Note that every town and city has an Av. Hidalgo, and 9 of 10 times this is the street where everything happens. The reason for it is due to Hidalgo's role in the Méxican Revolution, along the lines of the US's Lincoln or Canada's... Um... Adanac?

I woke up early, grabbed a shared taxi to Puerto Juaréz, and dropped the 70-peso return fare to take the half-hour ferry ride to Isla Mujeres. Once you are off the boat, you sense the difference between Cancún and Mujeres. This is aided by the following visible distinctions:

Taxis are actually golf carts, and sometimes mopeds.
The preffered mode of transport is on foot.
There is no Zona Hotelera.

I walked the avenue for about thirty seconds, then was drawn to the soft white sand beaches for my first taste of the Caribbean. After walking around the entire town (the beach wraps around the northern edge of the island, where the town centre is located), I thought my effort warranted a beer. I settled for a very fine espresso.

Slipping down to the South end of town, I stuck my thumb out hoping for a ride to the Turtle Refuge. I was picked up by the first car(t), but it was in all likelihood the slowest cart on the island. The couple from Wisconsin did not seem to mind, and we ended up toodling and beachcombing around the entire southern half of the island. This turned out to be a bit more interesting than the Turtle refuge, as the staff had long ago let all the larger turtles free in anticipation of the Hurricane.

Seeing locals race by on two wheels really has me thinking about buying a motocicleta, though I understand the paperwork is a nightmare. I will check into it tomorrow, but will not spend too much time - next stop is Mérida, and possibly the ruins at Chichén Itzá along the way.

So goodbye beach - nos vemos en seis semanas.

Cancún - Day One

I am nearing the end of my first stint in Cancún, and I am generally getting the swing of things. That I have never travelled alone, have never hostelled, and have only a marginal grasp on Spanish left me with shaky knees at the airport. But before long, I found the cheapest way to el centro (15p on a luxury bus), found the hostel, and hit the supermarket for dinner. I have learned that one cold litre of beer costs the same as the aforementioned bus.

One item I should comment on is the effects of Hurricane Wilma on Cancún. The force the hurricane unleashed here is evident as you fly in, with all the trees in the area leaning at a 45 degree angle, away from el Mar de Caribe. The city itself seems unaffected, though I hear the hotel zone is still hurting.

On that note...

Imagine a big hotel. No, a REALLY big hotel. Now put about seventy of them side-by-side and then place them on the most glorious beachfront property in México. That is the Zona Hotelera, and I can see it on the skyline. You cannot miss it or the effect it has on Cancún - those who have been to Cabo San Lucas will understand.

Seattle in a Nutshell...

I just could not help myself! There is just so much time (and money) that can be spent at REI. Heading to REI teaches you that everything can be smaller, lighter, and faster, but at a price. I did not exactly break the bank, but I did ensure I will be living on the cheap for the next couple of weeks.

Other notable items from my time in Seattle include a great Tuesday evening at the Capitol Club watching the Children of the Revolution please a full house. Thanks to the FG for that. Also topping the list was trivia night - the night I have heard so much about but have not until Wednesday lived. One black mark on trivia night was the screaming headache I received from their house red - it was my best friend all the way to this hostel in Cancún, where I now sit.

I packed my life into...

... this!









As is customary, I did sew on one of these...

Canada Votes 2006

I voted this morning - it took about four minutes. Of course, I will subject myself to three to four hours of election coverage tonight as I unpack and repack my travel bag, thinking that by watching I will somehow change the outcome.

But I already did. I voted. And I voted for a candidate and party, not against another. I am utterly baffled by the logic behind 'strategic' voting, which is one short step from voting for who you think's going to win. This approach works in horseracing, but little else.

If you want to be strategic, you vote for the person or party that aligns with your principles, not against one that does not. This helps in two ways:

1) Your vote reflects your principles, and is counted by the media, pollsters and (even opposing) political parties. This gives street cred to the candidate or party you choose.

2) Your vote supports your principles, as Elections Canada divides funding according to the votes parties receive. Increased funding means more resources for those who share your views, and more resources means a louder voice in the political landscape.

But don't take my word for it - Rafe Mair has posted an article on The Tyee debunking the notion of the 'wasted' vote. There are no wasted votes, unless you vote 'strategically', of course.

If anyone doubts Neko Case's abilities...

... they obviously have never heard South Tacoma Way. I recommend to anyone who has come to understand the intricacies of of love and loss (or wants to) take a listen to this song. You don't really have to stop and really listen, because before long it will make you.

Some notable lines: I put on that sweater you gave me I woke up in the kitchen a few minutes later I didn't know how I had gotten there Did you guide me ... So lost I was asleep in the palms of your hand In dreams we were happy and safe I can't comprehend the ways I miss you They come to light in my mistakes ...

Some sites rightly include this is as one of the top ten love songs ever, alongside Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel #2.

Of course, such top-ten lists are always biased, and usually controversial. We see this on CBC's National Playlist, where kd lang's rendition of Hallelujah somehow gets the nod in front of Rufus Wainwright's.

So, here's an open call to all, for your top-ten love songs ever.

It's not the needle that hurts...

Over the past two days I have run the gamut of all of the immunisations and pills that allow my very fragile system to travel safely on my way. Not that I am complaining, but that put a dent in my travel budget big-time. Granted, how much would you spend to be (mostly) immune from Malaria, Typhoid, and Mumps (which I hear can make you sterile!!!)? I would say that complete coverage (not including lifetime HEP B immunisation, which costs a FORTUNE) at somwhere around $200 is a deal.

Of course, I did not get on the bandwagon and jump on Dukoral, which is a new oral treatment for common traveller's diarrhea. If you factor in the opportunity costs, and you are not too careful with your dietary decisions when abroad, then I bet dropping the 75 bucks or so on this is a good idea.

Frankly, I am more worried about saltwater crocodiles than a spell of the trots. Now that I am a bit more educated about these reptilian mommas (3-4m) and pappas (5-7m), my irrational fear of sharks has totally disappeared. All of a sudden, sharks look pretty darn nice.

Rick Mercer for Prime Minister

Just in case those of you outside Canada didn't notice, we are in the throws of a fairly nasty federal election campaign. The stage is set as follows:

1) The incumbents are seen as crooked, and probably are, more than we ever know (though they were exonerated by the report into their crookedness).

2) The NDP pull at my heartstrings, but their leader has sounded like a broken record lately.

3) The Bloc have by far the best leader of the bunch, but they are intent on breaking up the country. Westerners - especially Albertans - still hold out hope for some Bloc representation in their ridings.

4) The Green Party is a party, but they aren't allowed to come to the leaders' debates - if they did come, the stage would be too cluttered, and fragile Canadians would get confused. Note that you can break through the confusion by finding the right person to agree with by the colour of their ties.

5) The Conservatives will likely form the next government. Green Party leader Jim Harris pointed out on CBC this morning that they are no longer called the Progressive Conservatives. There platform reflects this, but they will form a minority government nonetheless.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Rick Mercer should be Prime Minister. He has already chosen his Conservative Party Fantasy Cabinet, providing relevant quotes to support each posting. My personal favorite is not Stockwell Day, even though he represents my hometown; instead it is David Sweet, tapped for Minister responsible for the Status of Women, who is quoted as saying:

“There's a particular reason why Jesus called men only. It's not that women aren't co-participators. It's because Jesus knew women would naturally follow. Men, on the other hand, had to be called."

Who's your favourite?

Final Plans... Finally

One of the hardest parts of planning travel is finalising where to go. After numerous discussions with other experienced travellers, my goal of taking on both South and Central America over the course of just over two months seemed less and less tenable. So, I have finally bit the bullet and booked a flight to Cancún, which will serve as the starting point for my Central American tour. It is ludicrous how inexpensive it is to travel such a long distance - only $650CDN return from Seattle - when recent shorter flights (Kelowna -> Victoria) amounted to $200, one-way.

It is entirely possible that receiving Lonely Planet's 'South America on a Shoestring' guidebook for XMas was the deciding factor in my trip. That and knowing that I will be able to rendezvous with my sister and her family on the beaches of Playa del Carmen on the last few days of my trip. Babysitting has been generously offered, and I will enjoy having some beach time with the Sonster. Here's hoping I don't look like a bushman when I join them - S. may not like the beard, and looking scruffy may limit my chances for surfing couch at the all-inclusive.

My tentative approach to Central America is: Cancún-> Guatemala -> Honduras -> El Salvador ( -> Nicaragua) -> Belize -> Playa del Carmen. Again, I suspect I am biting off too much geography, but there is simply too much to see to rule out any one place or people.

It has been hard to turn my back on South America, and the mysteries it has to offer any traveller, for another year. I hope that I have only delayed, not declined, my visit to this amazing continent.