Liz: Day 18: At The Hacienda

We are staying at an hacienda near the Mayan ruins, Uxmal.  The hacienda itself is very elegant.  The floors are made from gorgeous tiles of different colors and designs and tall trees and palms give it a natural garden feel.  In the distance there are horses grazing and sheep in the fields and nearby is a full-size swimming pool.  As we walked around I could feel my ambitious sight-seeing plans for tomorrow fading in importance.  It is very quiet here, except for the birds in the morning and the women's tour group that checked in late last night.  There are no glass windows, just wooden slats that open and close, so the sound carries a little more than usual.  Many famous people have stayed here in the past; Queen Elizabeth, Jacqueline Kennedy, Prince Grace of Monaco, to name a few.  It adds some glamour to the experience!

Today we stopped at another hacienda, Hacienda Ochil, en route.  The haciendas are from the time of henequen (sisal) plantations. Sisal plants look like giant blue Aloe Vera plants but they produce a tough fiber that can be used to make things like hammocks as well as industrial twine.  The sisal plantations went out of business when synthetic fibers overtook the market, but a number of the haciendas have been restored and are now used as hotels, museums or spaces to rent for events.   Although now faded, Hacienda Ochil inspired the imagination.  There is a small museum there and a restaurant where you can get lunch.  I would love to have a time machine to see what it was like in the time of the Mayans and then in the time of the haciendas.

Pictured below: some photos of Hacienda Ochil and our hotel, Haciend Uxmal (first).

Liz: Day 17: Last Day In Merida

As I'm typing at 7:30 am Monday morning there are trumpets and drums playing somwhere in the background, reveille style.  Merida never stops celebrating!  Yesterday afternoon there was a saxaphone playing in the park up the street along with some jazzy singers and last night was the big party in the main square.  We gave in and let ourselves be hustled into a touristy restaurant with street-side tables. They brought us huge sombreros to wear and gave Otis a gun. The waiter threw down a stack of trays right behind him so it sounded like he fired.  Venders kept stopping by our table trying to sell us toys, gum, sombreros and shawls. That was annoying, but it was fun when a boy saw Otis playing with a newly purchased toy incorrectly and showed him how to use it the right way.  Earlier at the market I found the cutest Mayan sunhat made by hand by a quiet woman behind the booth. I'm glad her husband talked me in to taking a look! 

We're looking forward to moving on and seeing what's next.  Merida has been a great city to visit; safe, clean, friendly people, great food and lots to do and explore.  We recommend it! 

Liz: Day 13 & 14: Fish Pedicures

Wednesday we all were a little stir-crazy but had to stay home to get everyone healthy. Patrick caught up on some reading. Otis triumphed over the carrot after much effort in Bowsers inside story ds game, Sofia caught up on cartoons and I caught up on sleep. We enjoyed our fresh fruit from the market, mangos and strawberries, ripe and freshly picked. 

Thursday had a dramatic start as Sofia had another high fever so we scrambled around to find a doctor.  Finally I was able to consult with a doctor who makes house calls and he said to take her to the hospital as there is a strong influenza going around right now and they would have better tools to take care of her there.  In the mean-time I had given her a fever reducer right away and now Sofia was doing jumping-jacks and showing her muscles to passersby. We have made the mistake before of taking a sick child who currently appears quite healthy to the doctor and didn't want to do that again.   

We decided to go to a set of Mayan ruins close to town and then to the beach at Progreso.  We had maps to a good hospital on the way and a recommendation for the hospital at Progreso so that if Sofia started feeling sick again we could take her in right away. It turned out she started feeling a lot better in the afternoon so we didn't need them.

Dzibilchaltun (tzee-BEEL-chahl-toon) was a peaceful place.  It was a great ruin to see first as it was smaller and there weren't many people. We hired a guide to show us around and we learned a lot from her.  The kids had many questions.  Sofia said she wish the Mayans were still alive and our guide told us that she is Mayan.  She showed the kids her last name, Ek Moo, which means star (Ek) and a type of Macaw bird (Moo).  She also told us that there was no evidence of human sacrifice at this site, a site that was only Mayan, whereas the Mayan at Chichen Itza (for example) were influenced culturally by the Toltec, who were a bloody, warrior people.  (her words)

After our tour she showed us the cenote on-site, where you can sit with your feet in the shallow end and have a fish pedicure.  We tried it and enjoyed it. The kids loved it and it was soothing sitting there watching the little fish nibble at your toes. A little bit of free spa therapy was just what we needed.
Afterwards we drove another 15 minutes to the beach at Progreso and chased waves for a while. 

We finished up the evening with a horse and carriage ride back in Merida from the city center up the Paseo Montejo, Merida's version of the Champs Elysees. Sofia asked if we could do that every night.  It was gorgeous, with beautiful older mansions, as well as statues and monuments along the tree lined street. There is a starbucks with valet parking, packed with people.   There is so much to see and do around Merida!  We have decided to cut out our three days in Cancun next week and stay a little longer.

Pictured below is the temple of the seven dolls (Siete Munecas) named for seven smaller figures they found when excavating it. This building is a great example of the Mayan's talent for astronomy and timekeeing. Every spring and autumn equinox the sun shines right through the middle square on rising, and on winter and summer solstices the sun shines through one of the smaller squares (each has a specific square, I don't remember which is which).