Merida Morning

            Each morning I wake at about 6:00 AM.  No alarms, no one shoving me out of bed.  I am eager to get downstairs, make coffee, and sit on the patio enjoying the peaceful serenity of a Merida morning.

            There is nothing in the world I love more than a Merida morning.  I sit with my coffee and computer, checking reservations for our B&B, catching up on overnight news.  I pause as Marlon Brando, the neighbor’s white feline, whom a guest named Marlon Brando because of his ragged-looking face often torn up by all the fights he seems to get into, gingerly makes his way along the top of our property-line wall, a feat requiring no small amount of dexterity due to the many, broken bottles cemented into the top of the wall to keep “intruders” out of our neighbor’s yard.  But Marlon is no intruder, just a local citizen looking for a challenge, or maybe an enticing bag of trash someone forgot to put inside a trash can.

Marlon Brando’s visit makes me think of another denizen of the neighborhood: a large, silver and green iguana who lives on the opposite side of our property.  I always hope he will come by to sit on our wall in the sun, or sit on his perch on the top of our casita, or even brave our scary yard for a chance to sip from our pool.  But with all the activity at our B&B in the late mornings, he seldom comes around, so it is a rare treat to see him up close, like today.  This morning I spot him sitting on a tree limb in the next yard, just next to the Balam room.  In the afternoons we often see him taking in some rays on a high branch of a tree.  The last time he was in the yard I grabbed the camera and made a video for our Facebook page of him trying to scurry away from me, finally running to the back and up the wall to safety.

My mind returns to the present.  The pool is quiet; no pump shooting water through the filters and back out the two Ticul-stone cannons and into the pool with a constant splashing – only a gentle ripple now and then after a leaf slowly floats from the trees above to the calm, still water. 

Suddenly there is a loud screeching of birds, and I know that the green parrots that live in the area have arrived for their morning visit.  About a dozen of them flock from limb to limb, screaming to each other with a sound that affects me like fingernails on a chalkboard.  But joining them this morning - but keeping her distance - is a black-as-night turkey vulture.  Scoping out its next meal, perhaps?  The parrots keep their distance as well, and screech louder and more forceful than usual.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it is quiet again, and the sense of calm is even more profound than before.  I mentally check off my tasks for the day: make breakfast, clean rooms, fill that crack in the rear wall.  I pick up my empty cup and computer and start to make my way back inside, turning off the dim lights left on overnight for the guests to make their way to their rooms after late-night dinner or clubbing.  I notice the leaves on the walkway and mentally add “sweep the walk” to my task list.  Time to make breakfast, and greet another great day in Merida.

Temozon, A Furniture-Hunter’s Dream

Just an hour and a half drive from Merida is a small pueblo called Temozón.  It’s proximation to the larger town of Valladolid makes it an ideal second stop on a day trip to this wonderfully beautiful area. 

                We first heard of Temozón through our Spanish teacher, Lulu.  She said that if we wanted great hand-crafted furniture, this was the place to go.  So off we went one day in search of the little town supposedly filled with wood artisans.  We found the town just 10 kilometers north of Valladolid, less than two hours from our front door.

                There is only one main road through Temozón, so you are sure to pass every carpenter’s shop in town.  Some specialize in specific pieces, such as chairs, both rocking and otherwise.  Others offer a host of pieces, from sofas, chairs, and side tables, to beds, wardrobes, dressers, and much more.  Stop at every one because you will be constantly surprised at the variety of woods, styles, and finishes.  The carpenter we chose to build all the furniture for our B&B will make anything, and do it beautifully. 

                Jose has an open tienda on the East end of town.  His strong, hand-finished furniture caught our eye from the road.  Upon closer inspection we were excited to see the love and care he put into each piece.  Jose uses mainly three types of wood:  pine, cedar, and tsalam, a local hardwood with beautiful blonde streaks running through it.  We had all our furniture made of tsalam, with a light brown finish. 

                As I said, Jose will make anything you desire; we gave him a picture of a desk and he copied it exactly.  But he also has available many stunning pieces ready to go.  We especially love his sofas and chairs; they exude a strength of character, yet have a wonderful delicate quality that you just have to see. 

                It may be a bit difficult to send furniture home, but we feel it will be well worth the effort.  This is furniture your nieces and nephews (or children and grandchildren) will be enjoying for generations.  And the cost of shipping it is far outweighed by the savings of the furniture itself.  I daresay you could not find this furniture in the U.S. for many times the cost of it in Temozón.  

A Day Trip to Ticul

Chichen Itza, Mayapan, Dzibilchaltun, Ek Balam, Uxmal – these are only some of the must-see Mayan civilization sites one can visit on a day trip from Merida, on the wonderful peninsula state of Yucatan, Mexico.  But what else is there to do for an excited traveler bent on seeing a bit more?  Try a shopping/sightseeing trip to one of the many local towns within a couple hours of Merida where you can find many handcrafted items lovingly made by talented indigenous peoples, marvel at historical architecture, and take in the slow, steady pace of life in the Yucatan.  Here we suggest a trip to the pottery and ceramic town of Ticul.

Just sixty miles and an hour and a half from Merida is the town of Ticul.  You will find many small shops (tiendas) offering their own, hand-crafted ceramics and pottery.  Begin your search in the heart of town, exploring the main square, with its many shops and food stands.  Every little town in the Yucatan revolves around its own main square, sometimes called a Zócalo. 

You will find shops offering clothing, ceramics, and shoes, shoes, shoes (and sandals).  Pick up a piñata for your nephew or princess costume for your niece, pick out a pair of sandals for your kids, or a locally-made guayabera for your loved-one (and then wear it yourself when he’s not looking). 

Now, I know this is supposed to be a shopping trip, but since you are in Ticul, you should see Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua, located just off the main square.  Although looted on several occasions, the church retains some original touches, such as the stone statues of friars on both side entrances and a Black Christ altarpiece.

Also take note of the many Mayan statue reproductions in the medians and on many street corners.  There is also a fascinating open-air market at the corner of Calles 23 and 28a.  Check it out.

Grab an ice cream, or eat at one of the restaurants adjacent to the square.  Then hop back in the car and head out highway 188 (Calle 23).  After a few blocks you will begin seeing shop after shop of beautiful ceramics and pottery.  Pick up a little ceramic butterfly, frog, or one of those ubiquitous iguanas.  Looking for something more impressive?  You will see pots, both gigantic and not-so-gigantic, fountains, birdbaths, and much more at a tienda just past Calle 36b, on the right, with “alfareria” (pottery) painted on the front.  Further on is another alfareria, this one on the left and offering smaller, more delicately painted pottery.  By the way, all the tiendas in Ticul will carefully wrap and ship your selections home, so don’t shy away from purchasing that huge Mayan god facemask you want for the rumpus room.

At this point (somewhere near Calle 38) you should just park the car, and with a bottle of water walk down Calle 23.  There is store after store of imaginative, beautiful pieces of arts and crafts.  You’ll want to spend an hour in each store, and easily could, but we have to keep moving. 

On the right is a store, Chaa-Multun-Ka’t, with hanging ceramic pots and sconces.  Next to that is Artesanias Decoración Maya, one of my favorite places, selling reproductions of Mayan statues and wall hangings.  Pick one up and the family who owns the place will tell you exactly what Mayan god is represented and why they are important. 

Two doors down is La Perla del Sur, another alfareria, and then a small, unnamed (at least last time I was there) shop with some of the most imaginatively designed sconces I have seen.  The family’s son, who is about 20 years old, has begun to design his own pieces, and they are striking in color and design.  Many of them are featured in our Bed & Breakfast in Merida.

Across the street is a ramshackle building with a black roof that seems to be falling in.  But don’t let that deter you from checking out their brightly-colored sconces and pots of sunflower designs.  The roof isn’t really falling in; it is simply made of a very inexpensive, flexible material and so is often used on local shop buildings. 

If you are still up for more, walk a couple more blocks, or take the car to a brightly-colored, yellow lean-to on the left.  The woman running this tienda has a large number of pots in more traditional designs and natural terracotta. 

Now you will want to turn around and visit your favorites again to see exactly what pieces you cannot live without.  Have them pack up your treasures and hop back in the car (after stopping for another bottle of water), and head back to your home base at Casa Del Maya Bed & Breakfast in Merida, where your extremely well-appointed hosts will be waiting to see what great taste you have.  Take a dip in the pool while we drool over your art pieces, then grab a nap before heading out for a fun night on the town.  But come home early and get some sleep, because tomorrow it’s off to Temozon for wonderful, hand-crafted furniture.

Primer Año

     It's funny how milestones make you stop and think about life.  We are quickly approaching one year as official residents of Merida and it is time to renew our visas.
     Our first year in Merida has flown like one of the many soaring green parrots that pass over our house most mornings.  Where are they going so quickly?  Where are WE going?  Time may have flown, but it is also mind-boggling how much has happened in that year.
     We arrived in Merida the end of April 2012.  We immediately began to interview contractors to renovate and build our dream property.  On July 1 our selected contractor and crew began digging foundations for our two new casitas, and we were off and running.

We checked the progress daily, we chose fixtures, appliances, and the thousands of other items needed by our contractor, Luis.  We chose paint colors.  We designed our breakfast terrace.  We arranged for furniture to be made by a carpenter in Temozon; we drove to Ticul to purchase ceramic sconces and wall hangings.  At Xmatkuil we found Mayan wood masks and in Dzitya we picked out the pool fountain cannons and our own shower shelves. In between time we even found time to take Spanish classes.
     Construction was completed on December 11 and on December 12 we welcomed our first guests.  From there it was a whirlwind of guests crossing our thresholds.  We cooked breakfasts, cleaned rooms, fixed air conditioners, did the laundry again and again and again, made beds (again and again and again), cleaned the pool, carried home a couple hundred pineapples, several hundred mangoes, and countless avocados, bananas, melons, strawberries, and any other fruit in season.  
     Then, on May 1, it all stopped.  We spent the month sprucing up, upgrading, and enjoyed being tourists, ourselves.  And here we are, at the end of May, and time to renew our visas.  So we stop and think about where we've been, and where we are going.  Are we still enjoying running our B&B?  Has it been all we expected?  Are we going to continue with this endeavor?  Given the demands and our ages, CAN we continue with this endeavor?
     The answer to all those questions is an emphatic "YES".  We have enjoyed this new life more than we could have expected.  We love meeting our guests, and making them our new friends.  We have fun trying to give them each the best vacation experience.  And we are looking forward to what the next tourist season has to offer.
     We feel extremely fortunate to have landed in Merida.  The people are warm and friendly, the fresh fruits and vegetables are cool and inviting, and the weather is, well, you probably already know.  So here's to another year of new friends, delicious fruit, and my own little paradise - with pool.
     And will we still feel this way next May?  Stay tuned.