Merida, travel diary

 

As usual we have to turn a night bus in approximately nine hours has led us from Palenque to Merida. We arrived at their destination around half past six in the morning, with the ideas already clear about where all'ostello reside. Our plans are, however, gone up in smoke in front of us when it is presented lordling with white hair who spoke excellent English was the owner of another hostel located right in the center, which cost even less than we identified . We were too tired to reject his proposal and that is how we got on his car super Scassa and we came up to our new home.
Although the bus trip had proved more comfortable than the previous ones were dead tired and after a light breakfast we finished lying on the bed. Wake up in the early afternoon, after having recovered a map of the city, we went to the pizza Central with the intention of visiting the magnificent cathedral. As soon as set foot in the center, we were stopped by a slender Mexican, who spoke Italian and smoothly after having bombarded with a series of information on and around the city, escorted us to a Mayan craft shop. Here we were greeted by a bold young man who began a long explanation of the Mayan traditions and the construction of crafts and in particular on hammocks and Panama hats. Obviously his intent was to sell us something, unaware of our precarious financial situation. Obviously we have not bought anything and it was not easy to quit the shop: we invented a line of balderdash to be able to remove that person back.
We were now drained of all energy, when we finally re-directed towards the cathedral. Right time to put your feet in the main square and here again the position that an obese gentleman talking a good Italian, passed himself off as an employee of the municipal tourism. After an avalanche of talk came to the point: we proposed a visit to the only real store of Mayan handicrafts, arguing that all other proposed only banal imitations. The thing began to smell bad, but it is amazing the power of persuasion of certain people ... in men who do not tell, and almost without realizing it, we were in another shop that brought us even hammocks. If the first time we have been patient and courteous, this time we had fin sopra i capelli e ci siamo dall'impiccio released without too much hesitation. Back to the cathedral and again stopped dall'ennesimo seller of smoke ... this time was really too much, we have not even addressed the floor and head down, we put in the cathedral. Even in the peace of the church, we had the fear that at any moment it would be popped from behind a column or in a confessional, another seller of smoke. Fortunately seems to have some adversity in the places consecrated and we were able to enjoy peace in the interior of the cathedral. Exit had already fallen and the darkness we have to make a direct shower.
After a brief dinner, we put to bed to recover the fatigue of travel to Merida.

The following day, after a breakfast of bread and jam, so we spent a stroll through the city, between the market, the most characteristic streets and the town hall where you had a superb view of the main square. We returned to hostel soon enough and we had knowledge of a strange guy who lived with us. He, too, although Mexican handled very well and so our language in a chat and the other we found quell'omuncolo had spent more than half his life to become an artist of the street around the world, without forgetting of course Bel our country where he spent seven years and left a son. Apart from these chats, we also provided valuable information on places to visit nearby citizens in identifying and Celestun Cuzama, destinations that we absolutely can not let escape.
In the evening we were directed to dine in one of the many restaurants that populate the center ... thanks to a couple baldo named Ulysses, we consumed a delicious dinner and very abundant. But the insistence of good Ulysses had not finished with the meal: a meal eaten in fact wanted to bring all costs into a nightclub where she worked. We had to decline the invitation because the next day we expected a super trip to Cuzama, but with the promise that we will be revised the following evening.

That done, the next morning we were already on the trucks that in about an hour we would have a Cuzama. It is high time that you explain what you will never be seen in this town, in fact, the town has nothing to offer, only a few houses in the middle of a cactus and rocks, but it is precisely from this city that leaves an interesting journey which led us to visit the famous "cenotes, natural pools of fresh water that are hidden beneath the vast desert of Mexico. Another interesting and least characteristic was the way to achieve these spectacular cavity: it is a primitive railway built in ancient times for the collection and transport of a plant (which does not remember the name) from which you extract the juice (which by rise to the tequila) and from which fibers are produced the famous hammocks and plenty of items for daily life. And so we embarked on a craft that the truck instead of the wheel loaders mounted wheel railways that lies on the rickety rails. In place of the locomotive was a restless mule who occasionally did whims and he went for his being made on time attacked the pilot.
The "cenotes" are simply wonderful: long metal staircase leading to a depth that varies between fifteen and thirty meters and a water crystal where it is even possible to dive and swim for a refreshment from the stifling heat in the surface. The visit had three stops in as "cenotes" in which we have not missed the opportunity to go swimming. Truly incredible, as in a hostile area and desert you can hide these natural oases that for centuries have ensured the survival of the local population. All this beauty lasted three hours, after which we returned to the starting point from which we ripigliato the last bus to Merida.
Returned to base and had a shower we were granted the luxury of a pizza from the questionable taste, after which, as promised the previous evening, we met with Ulysses for an evening in one of the many local citizens. It was a sort of disco full of young Mexicans who will wiggle to the sound of music typical of the local and international successes danced. We tried not to make too late because the next day we decided to leave Merida at a time of Celestum.
Backpacks shoulder in direct us to the station from where we took the bus to the coast. It was a long time that we were far from the sea and the desire of a dive was beginning to become unstoppable. Unfortunately, once there we realized that what we had before was not exactly the Caribbean Sea that we had in mind. A little evil, our visit to Celestum had another purpose: a tour of the lagoon (a nature reserve), in which it was possible to carry out bird watching. Just gotten off the bus we went to put our backpacks in the hostel of the city and then go to see the decisive challenge for the award of the championship flag: Milan-Juventus. On the advice of the hostel owner we went into the room where it was possible to see the game, a "tavern" in the ocean shore crowded with local intent to drink beer and swallow devilry based entrails of fish. The environment was certainly typical and characteristic ... well too! from the speakers went out deafening music that prevented completely listening to the game. As soon as we finished the match paid and removed the tents we were directed to our room where we consumed a dinner of two girls preparataci known ostello Thanks Daniela!

Wake up with good hours, we boarded one of the many boats to head towards the lagoon, the tour has divincolato between colonies of cormorants, flamingos and pelicans of neglect without an excursion from a lush forest of mangrove trees and petrified by the salt. After two hours we were already back, time for a snack to resume once the bus to Merida, the solution required to reach Cancun.