but still an incredible time! there is such a wonderful sense of community in this city. always something going on. the greatest is when they have outdoor concerts and they take over the street to set up chairs and a stage. the weather is warm and pleasant (at night) and you don’t realize how long you are out there just listening. my hotel was really pretty, affordable and extremely hospitable. look up “hotel maison lafitte”. just note they don’t have elevators for your luggage because it used to be a mansion (it’s converted) so mind there is going to be only staircases… (we had wheels on our suitcases)

we explored a cave (gruta) and a few hidden lagoons (cenotes). we visited chichen itza and uxmal (mayan ruins). we rented a car and drove to progreso. merida is great because it’s central to everything. best week i had all year. i would try to go in the spring though for the weather’s sake – avoid that humidity and rain – because i never sweated so much or got bitten by so many mosquitoes in my life! :)