Merida

Some thoughts (but mostly pics) about Merida.

Travelling to Mexico having spent over 3 months in Guatemala was an enlightening experience. It was clear to me that Mexico (or at least Merida) is doing much better economically than Gautemala—there is a flourishing middle class, a lively arts scene, and relative personal safety. And while Merida enjoys the fruits of tourism, it is also not entirely dependent on it, and much of the city's cultural happenings are for locals.

In terms of size, Merida is a happy medium between town and city. It is hot, busy, bustling, and friendly. The baking days yield to gorgeous warm nights in which the whole town seems to be out in the main square.

Wandering around the commercial areas, watching the locals going from shop to shop, I was struck by how 1950s the place felt. It may have been my imagination, but it almost felt like a nostalgic recreation, with shopkeepers selling locally-made shirts and shoes to women in dresses and high heels. We bought ice creams from a shop on the main square, sipped coffees in a coffee shop with waiters and old men chatting at wood tables. We frequented a vegetarian restaurant where the waiters got to know us and one asked me for advice on going to school in Toronto.

Merida isn't necessarily the most picturesque place in the world, but it has a real charm that I haven't found elsewhere.