Bread delivered to the door!

Yum, these are sweet rolls that are called 'Conchas' or 'shells'. A man on a motorcycle with a glass case full of homemade breads comes through our neighborhood selling them. They are soft and so fresh, yum.

Spring in Merida

Golden Shower tree



Flamboyane tree



pink Adenium Obesum

I can tell that spring is here! All the trees and flowers have started blooming and are beautiful. I stopped on the way into town today and took these photos of the trees in the middle of the road. I took some of the Bottlebrush plant, with red powder puff flowers, but it didn't come out well. Most of the trees here look like sticks all winter (even though it's 75-90 degrees) and then start to flower, then for summer, they get leaves.
Easter week has been quiet here in Merida, since most of the residents head out to the beach for the vacation week.

Have you seen this? I have (in Mexico).......

There is something different to see here each day! this is a list of some of them I have seen so far....

1. a Mime on the street corner, entertaining people at the stoplight.
2. Trucks so full of oranges that they fall off in the road.
3. Guy in an SUV with a blue painted Cow skull with horns wired to the front of his car.
4. A man breathing fire at the stoplight, more entertainment at the light!
5. Bread man coming through the neighborhood like the ice cream man- with music! :)
6. A juggler on the street corner, even more entertainment!
7. Full service Gas stations- they check the oil, wash the windows, and pump the gas too! (and all prices are the same in the country because the govt. owns all the stations) :) 

So sorry I didn't get pictures of any of them, most were hard to get while we were driving through town. (really sorry we didn't get a picture of the blue cow skull though! lol)

Things happening in Merida this week.....

This has been a busy week so far, and it's only Wednesday! We are getting to know more folks here in Merida, Xcanatun, Chelem and Chuburna, so we have many invitations to do things.

Monday we went to the local Pharmacy to see if they would give us refills on our prescriptions from the US. They did, and we were surprised at the prices, very cheap. My asthma inhaler cost was less than what my co-pay from Insurance was in the US. AND it's made by the SAME manufacturer!! wow.
Next, we found a new mall close to us, on a different road than we normally go on. surprise! didn't even know it was there, and it's pretty big.

Tuesday we were invited to the Press Conference for the first ever English newspaper in Yucatan. big news here in Yucatan!! We went to the Teatro Armando Manzanero (see above photos!), it is an old Theater that was built in Art Deco style. We met several new US and Canadian families there, and several students that are studying Tourism.


Joanna was the MC for the event



one of the Students from the Youth Symphony with the Director played for us.

Tuesday night we went to a Fundraiser event (dinner) out in Chuburna ( a nearby beach town) to help out the School there. It was a fun night, at a friends' house around the pool. A lovely evening with friends, and some new friends  as we listened to music, and chatted in the cool evening (77 was cool last night!!) We drove back into Merida about midnight, and amazingly did not even have to go through one police checkpoint. (they are serious about having no drunk drivers on the road here, and have set up checkpoints on the highway and every car has to stop and have the drive do a breathalizer test.) We have been stopped twice already coming into town, but of course, we passed through.

Wednesday was our weekly trip to the Merida English Library, we checked out new books, and DVD's and talked with friends there. I also checked out the plants for sale out in the garden- they are only $1.25! I got a huge Aloe Vera plant this week. Next I will be on the lookout for a very cool pot for it.
After the Library was our Weekly trip to the Mailboxes Etc. to see if they have located any of our mail this week. ha. (mail is not the easiest thing here)

Wednesday evening we met our new Canadian friends at a fairly new Italian restaurant downtown called Rescoldo's. It is owned by a Canadian couple and they have a brick oven and make pizzas, calzones, and have greek salads. yum. Grabbed a taxi to take us, so we didn't have to worry about where to park at night downtown. Everything we had was fabulous!! Husband had a brick oven pizza, our friends had a calzone (which was huge) and I had the ravioli that was handmade by the owners. For dessert we all had one of the specialties of the house- Lavender/ Honey Gelato. It was so tasty, and great mix of flavors. They get the Lavender brought in from Canada.

Who knows what else this week will bring, but it sure has been busy so far!! :)

Merida History and Anthropology Museum



Statue from Chichen Itza



Outside of the Museum- 'Palacio Canton'

Inside the Museum- Marble floors and very ornate

Trip to the Palacio Canton where the Anthropology Museum is housed.
The Museum itself is a beautifully restored huge mansion, with Marble floors and staircase and beautiful architecture. It is worth going here just to walk through the house!
The History and Anthropology Museum has a wide variety of objects that have been found at all the Mayan Pyramids and Ceynotes. They were well labeled in Spanish and English for visitors, a plus is that it is also Air Conditioned.

Mayan god of honey!



Elongated skulls of Mayan people- they used boards to flatten babies skulls for life.



Jade found in a sacred Ceynote- (freshwater sinkhole)



more jade!

Sunday at the Park in Merida



Embroidered dresses the Mayan women wear.

 Every Sunday in Merida, the roads in the center of town are closed, and vendors set up at the Central Plaza. There are people selling food, and lots of crafts, and clothes there. There is music and native dancing also at the park.


Central Plaza



Check out this guy checking his laptop on the wireless at the Park!





Group that teaches music to the kids in the villages.



He is playing a Conch Shell- like the Mayans used to do.



A ride in the Park

Art Show....handmade Mexican Art

Husband helped set up (with the International Men's Club) for the AANY Art Show this weekend. Handmade Mexican art from all over. Fabulous show! Got some great things, will post some pics too.

Carved wood statues

Handmade woven straw rugs

Bag made in Santa Elena (will do a whole separate post on Santa Elena soon) project to help the women make money



Mario's newspaper boxes- rolled newspaper!



close up of an unfinished box- funnies from the paper



finished newspaper box, looks like wood



inside of finished box from Mario

I didn't take photos of all the vendors, too many to take! :) There were lots of people selling jewelry- some made of bull's horns, some from black coral (not sure if Black coral is protected here or not- should be!), some made of shells, crocheted shawls, carved wooden chairs, handmade baskets, paper mache statues, frames, lamps made with woven shades, some fiber flowers (made with corn husks!), corn husk dolls, granite statues, porcelain bowls and plates, handmade ceramic bowls with ancient Mayan hieroglyphs painted on them, wow, too many more things to name! If you are anywhere near Merida, you need to see this show!!
Check this site for directions: http://www.yucatanliving.com/

Sometimes you need something American.......

Well, have to admit that twice now I have had the taste for something American. :) So, one day I went to the Fiesta Americana Hotel (big hotel in town) and walked through the Mall there, and ate lunch at Chili's Restaurant.

Then yesterday just had a taste for US peanut butter, had to go to WalMart to find some..... oh and while we are there, just get a Rotisserie chicken.... ahhh.
Funny what you miss when you are without some things. ha