When I told my Centre friends that I would be studying in Merida this semester, I got two common replies. From those who had not been to Merida, I heard advice such as the obvious "don't drink the water". However, I got a very different response from Centre in Mexico alums; they all expressed jealousy because they were not returning. This made me very excited because if people want to return to Merida so badly, I was sure I would have a great time. I had to pack and repack my bags about 10 times to meet the weight limits (have your school books shipped if you come here!), woke up at 3:15 am to leave for the airport, and arrived in Mexico less than 12 hours later. As you can gather from Michael and John's entries, we have had a packed schedule so far, so I'll spare some of the detailes by making a top ten "best of list" for week one.
10. Our Group & Random Happenings
Our group of 22 is made up of people who are from all over the USA, one from Honduras, and one who lived in Belgium. We are all very different, but have so many shared experiences even after one week that have made us all friends. Whether learning to salsa with an instructor who spoke no English, riding in a van for hours playing "Would you rather", or bonding over tacos and tamales at a Mexican truck stop, we always find something to talk about and many things to laugh about.
9. Progresso
I'm from Tennessee, so going to the beach is no small task at home. However, here it only takes 30 minutes and about a dollar's worth of bus fare to make it to the costal town of Progresso. Most of the group went to this beach on Friday and spent the day lounging in the sand, trying traditional Mexican homemade candy, talking to people who were curious about us, and swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Not a bad way to spend a Friday when all of your Centre friends are in classes.
8. Ek' Balam
Ek' Balam is a Mayan site that was a real urban center at its peak. It was fortified with three walls & used beautiful stucco sculptures to decorate parts of the town. When we visited, we climbed all the way to the top of the temple. Tourists are not allowed to do this at many sites (such as Tulum or Chichen Itza) so this was very special. When we all made it to the top, we got some great pictures and took in the view before taking it slowly, one careful step after the other all the way back down.
7. The Pizza
I know it is surprising that I am commenting on Italian food while I am in Mexico, but it really worth mentioning. I have had two experiences with pizza whine in Yucatan and both times, it was simply amazing. The first was in the city of Valladolid. Claudia took Me, Kara, Phyllis, and Alison to a small Italian restaurant that is owned by a couple. The Italian husband cooks all of the food, and the Mexican wife runs the restaurant. Kara and I split a Hawaiian pizza that was simply amazing. The crust was a hand tossed work of art, and in its entirity was the best pizza I have ever had. Ever.
My second experience with pizza was also nothing short of wonderful. A group of eight girls decided to get Italian food after returning to Merida from our trip to the coast. A man on the street offered to show us a place, but we did not want to eat there. At this point, he decided to take us to a place where you can see the pizza being made in a brick oven from your table in a loft above the restaurant. Four of us split a Hawaiian pizza (can you tell what my favorite toppings are...) and an order of garlic bread. We were more than pleasantly surprised to get a lunch tray sized thin crust pizza piled high with toppings and cheese. The best part was that for foru of us to eat this huge pizza, garlic bread, and each have something to drink, it only cost 120 pesos!!!
6. La Grita
The way that Mexico celebrates its independance is very different from the USA. We were privelaged to join thousands of Yucatecans in the main square in Merida for "La Grita de la Independencia". At this event, we all gathered in the square and waited for the governor of the Yucatan to walk onto the balcony of the Governor's Palace and begin to shout "Viva Mexico!" then the crowd responds with "Viva!" this exchange goes on for about 5 minutes of screaming before pounds of confetti fills the air. After the Grita, there was a crazy concert that lasted for a few hours more. This was such a great experience that I'm so glad to have had!
5. Los Tres Cenotes
If you can imagine an underground cave filled with equal parts of natural light and crystal clear water, then you can begin to realize the beauty of a cenote. Cenote is the Mayan word for "sinkhole". Many years ago, a meteor struck the Yucatan and the result was a series of caves formed in the thick limestone that eventually filled with fresh water. For our trip to three of these caves, we took a horse drawn cart down a set of skinny tracks that were used to transport plant fibers in the days of Mexico's haciendas. After riding in the hot sun, we descended down rickety ladders and wooden stairs into the darkness. Inside, the cenotes were truly a perfect remedy for the heat. They are out of the sun's direct light and have cool, clear water.
4. Valladolid
Valladolid is a great colonial town that is about 2 hours from Merida. We spent only one night here, but I really wish that we could have stayed longer. The square was filled with people and the weather was cool. We walked through the town with our guide Miguel and were able to see a girl's quincenera ceremony, a beautiful monestary, and artefacts from the colonial period that were recovered from a cenote below the town. This city was picturesque and friendly, and I difinitely plan on returning.
3. Puerto Morelos
The costal town of Puerto Morelos was our last stop on this first excursion. Here, we layed on the beach, ate great food, and went snorkeling in the second largest reef in the world. None of these are the reason that Puerto Morelos is so far up on my list. What I loved most about this city was something that only Kara and I saw. After dinner we decided to get ice cream and walk around the square. During this, we saw a stage filled with dancing children and were curious. We sat down and watched for about an hour and a half while the whole town came together to dance and socialize. It was so interesting to see people so uninhibeted. People in America generally will not dance at random occasions, and if they do, it is usually accompanied with sarcasm and ironic dance moves like "the robot". The most interesting part to me was when the whole crowd took off their shoes and line danced to "Achy Breaky Heart". Kara and I believe that they took off their shoes because it was a "country song". This has really been my favorite night here so far! I don't have a picture for this night because we decided that we wanted to blend in as much as possible. Gringitas with cameras stick out way too much and get more attention than is necessary.
2. Our Meal on the Beach
Some of the group members found a fisherman at the beach that would take a head count, go catch enough fish for everyone, fry it in a hut, and serve it with salsa, lime, and tortillas. About 18 of us opted to do this for dinner one night in Puerto Morelos and I believe it is the best dinner choice we could have made. We all gathered around our 7 kilos of fish (this was wat too much!), picked it off the bones with our fingers, and made the freshest possible fish tacos. What made this even better is that we were able to do this on the beach while watching the sunset. It was one of those moments that will be a great memory for me forever.
1. Homestays!
One of the things that I was most worried about was how I would be able to survive in a household where I only had the language ability of a 7 year old. This has actually proven to be my favorite part of Mexico so far. I love my family and all the experiences I've had with them so far. For the first few days, we had no idea how many people lived in our house because there were always 5 or 6 new people in the dining room everytime my roommate and I came downstairs. Now we know that there are only 5 people in the house including us but that we also have a HUGE extended Mexican family. We met even more of them this weekend at an art gallery opening. One of our Mama's daughters is a famous Yucatecan artist and was part of the premier. It was such a great feeling to be included in this special family event. Our Mama is wonderful and is making the transition to la vida Yucateca very smooth!
In conclusion, I know why the Centre in Mexico alums were jealous. Mexico is wonderful.
-Rachel
Our group of 22 is made up of people who are from all over the USA, one from Honduras, and one who lived in Belgium. We are all very different, but have so many shared experiences even after one week that have made us all friends. Whether learning to salsa with an instructor who spoke no English, riding in a van for hours playing "Would you rather", or bonding over tacos and tamales at a Mexican truck stop, we always find something to talk about and many things to laugh about.
9. Progresso
I'm from Tennessee, so going to the beach is no small task at home. However, here it only takes 30 minutes and about a dollar's worth of bus fare to make it to the costal town of Progresso. Most of the group went to this beach on Friday and spent the day lounging in the sand, trying traditional Mexican homemade candy, talking to people who were curious about us, and swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Not a bad way to spend a Friday when all of your Centre friends are in classes.
8. Ek' Balam
Ek' Balam is a Mayan site that was a real urban center at its peak. It was fortified with three walls & used beautiful stucco sculptures to decorate parts of the town. When we visited, we climbed all the way to the top of the temple. Tourists are not allowed to do this at many sites (such as Tulum or Chichen Itza) so this was very special. When we all made it to the top, we got some great pictures and took in the view before taking it slowly, one careful step after the other all the way back down.
7. The Pizza
I know it is surprising that I am commenting on Italian food while I am in Mexico, but it really worth mentioning. I have had two experiences with pizza whine in Yucatan and both times, it was simply amazing. The first was in the city of Valladolid. Claudia took Me, Kara, Phyllis, and Alison to a small Italian restaurant that is owned by a couple. The Italian husband cooks all of the food, and the Mexican wife runs the restaurant. Kara and I split a Hawaiian pizza that was simply amazing. The crust was a hand tossed work of art, and in its entirity was the best pizza I have ever had. Ever.
My second experience with pizza was also nothing short of wonderful. A group of eight girls decided to get Italian food after returning to Merida from our trip to the coast. A man on the street offered to show us a place, but we did not want to eat there. At this point, he decided to take us to a place where you can see the pizza being made in a brick oven from your table in a loft above the restaurant. Four of us split a Hawaiian pizza (can you tell what my favorite toppings are...) and an order of garlic bread. We were more than pleasantly surprised to get a lunch tray sized thin crust pizza piled high with toppings and cheese. The best part was that for foru of us to eat this huge pizza, garlic bread, and each have something to drink, it only cost 120 pesos!!!
6. La Grita
The way that Mexico celebrates its independance is very different from the USA. We were privelaged to join thousands of Yucatecans in the main square in Merida for "La Grita de la Independencia". At this event, we all gathered in the square and waited for the governor of the Yucatan to walk onto the balcony of the Governor's Palace and begin to shout "Viva Mexico!" then the crowd responds with "Viva!" this exchange goes on for about 5 minutes of screaming before pounds of confetti fills the air. After the Grita, there was a crazy concert that lasted for a few hours more. This was such a great experience that I'm so glad to have had!
5. Los Tres Cenotes
If you can imagine an underground cave filled with equal parts of natural light and crystal clear water, then you can begin to realize the beauty of a cenote. Cenote is the Mayan word for "sinkhole". Many years ago, a meteor struck the Yucatan and the result was a series of caves formed in the thick limestone that eventually filled with fresh water. For our trip to three of these caves, we took a horse drawn cart down a set of skinny tracks that were used to transport plant fibers in the days of Mexico's haciendas. After riding in the hot sun, we descended down rickety ladders and wooden stairs into the darkness. Inside, the cenotes were truly a perfect remedy for the heat. They are out of the sun's direct light and have cool, clear water.
4. Valladolid
Valladolid is a great colonial town that is about 2 hours from Merida. We spent only one night here, but I really wish that we could have stayed longer. The square was filled with people and the weather was cool. We walked through the town with our guide Miguel and were able to see a girl's quincenera ceremony, a beautiful monestary, and artefacts from the colonial period that were recovered from a cenote below the town. This city was picturesque and friendly, and I difinitely plan on returning.
3. Puerto Morelos
The costal town of Puerto Morelos was our last stop on this first excursion. Here, we layed on the beach, ate great food, and went snorkeling in the second largest reef in the world. None of these are the reason that Puerto Morelos is so far up on my list. What I loved most about this city was something that only Kara and I saw. After dinner we decided to get ice cream and walk around the square. During this, we saw a stage filled with dancing children and were curious. We sat down and watched for about an hour and a half while the whole town came together to dance and socialize. It was so interesting to see people so uninhibeted. People in America generally will not dance at random occasions, and if they do, it is usually accompanied with sarcasm and ironic dance moves like "the robot". The most interesting part to me was when the whole crowd took off their shoes and line danced to "Achy Breaky Heart". Kara and I believe that they took off their shoes because it was a "country song". This has really been my favorite night here so far! I don't have a picture for this night because we decided that we wanted to blend in as much as possible. Gringitas with cameras stick out way too much and get more attention than is necessary.
2. Our Meal on the Beach
Some of the group members found a fisherman at the beach that would take a head count, go catch enough fish for everyone, fry it in a hut, and serve it with salsa, lime, and tortillas. About 18 of us opted to do this for dinner one night in Puerto Morelos and I believe it is the best dinner choice we could have made. We all gathered around our 7 kilos of fish (this was wat too much!), picked it off the bones with our fingers, and made the freshest possible fish tacos. What made this even better is that we were able to do this on the beach while watching the sunset. It was one of those moments that will be a great memory for me forever.
1. Homestays!
One of the things that I was most worried about was how I would be able to survive in a household where I only had the language ability of a 7 year old. This has actually proven to be my favorite part of Mexico so far. I love my family and all the experiences I've had with them so far. For the first few days, we had no idea how many people lived in our house because there were always 5 or 6 new people in the dining room everytime my roommate and I came downstairs. Now we know that there are only 5 people in the house including us but that we also have a HUGE extended Mexican family. We met even more of them this weekend at an art gallery opening. One of our Mama's daughters is a famous Yucatecan artist and was part of the premier. It was such a great feeling to be included in this special family event. Our Mama is wonderful and is making the transition to la vida Yucateca very smooth!
In conclusion, I know why the Centre in Mexico alums were jealous. Mexico is wonderful.
-Rachel
LOve the pictures! Wish we had tried some of that fish! Alison and Phyllis
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