To acquaint ourselves with the layout of Mérida and help us work out how we want to spend the next couple of days, a driver called Joséquan picks us up and takes us on a two hour drive around the city. Originally a small Maya settlement called Xuanticho, or T’ho, it’s now approaching a million inhabitants and is the capital city of the state of Yucatán.
We start with a drive down the grand Paseo de Montejo, built in 1888 with the enormous wealth of the 19th century henequen plantation owners, to create Mérida’s own version of the Champs Elysée, with French-inspired mansions lining sections of the avenue. We’ll be heading there tomorrow to explore in more detail, so beyond that we enter the more modern, northern environs of the city with conference centres and international business hotels, before turning on to Avenida Reforma which still has a functioning Plaza de Toros, bullfighting arena.
At Parque de las Americas we ask Joséquan to stop for a while so we can check out the monuments to all the nations of the Americas that encircle the park, as well as have a quick look at the open air theatre and library to Cuban politician Jose Marti. From there we continue up Itzaes Avenue to pass Parque Del Centenario, with its botanical gardens and small zoo, and reach the southern arch of the old town just beyond Iglesia de Santa Rosa.
The church was the last stop for the citizens of Mérida to pray for safe passage before they set off on the ‘Royal Road’ to Campeche, a journey which would take more than two days by horse-drawn carriage. The five arches of Mérida were control points to guard the city and due to be the first part of constructing a walled city, like Campeche, however the actual walls were never built. The arches alone were enough to control who could legally enter the city, with only Europeans, Creolles (pure blood descendants of Europeans who were born in the New World) and mestizos (of mixed heritage) allowed in. Indigenous people were forbidden to enter Mérida unless they had proof that they were domestic servants of rich families, returning from visiting their relatives in rural villages.
For many years Mérida has had the nickname of the White City, which has now been re-purposed because aerial photos supposedly show it full of limestone buildings, but the colourful facades of historic Mérida give that lie away. It was originally called La Ciudad Blanca because of the strict apartheid it practised and which ultimately led to La Guerra de Castes, where the Maya rose up and rebelled against their Spanish overlords.
The Governor’s Palace, which we visit after we are dropped off in Plaza Grande by Joséquan, contains 27 dramatic murals by Fernando Castro Pacheco which detail the history of Mérida and graphically illustrate this turbulent period.
The colonial city was founded on January 6th 1542 by Francisco de Montejo. His father, also named Francisco de Montejo first arrived in the areas as a Conquistador twenty years previously. But it was his son and nephew, both also confusingly called Francisco Montejo, who developed the city, as well as the modern-day pueblos mágicos Ixamal and Valladolid, two other grand colonial Yucatán cities, after the original Francisco tired of life in the New World and returned to Spain, eventually dying poor and alone.
There is a mural of the three Francisco’s in the Governor’s Palace, alongside others depicting the conquest and enslavement of the Maya, their forced labour on the henequen plantations that made their overlords unimaginably rich, their struggle for freedom and eventual emancipation after La Guerra de Castas and the Mexican Revolution. A mural of Salvador Alvadaro, who was Governor of Yucatán from 1915-1918 and is remembered as a liberator of the Mayan people, gives him the look of a benevolent Stalin.
El Palacio Del Gobierno is next to a historic ice cream parlour called El Colon and we stop there for a sorbet made of the local fruit mamey, which is similar to papaya. Mérida, even in January, is very hot and extremely humid so it’s a welcome chance to cool down in the shade and watch the world go by for a while, before we poke our head into the all-white Mérida Cultural Centre with its circular lobby.
On the other side of Plaza Grande is another historical gem, Casa de Montejo, which was once a grand home and which has in part been restored by a Mexican bank to its turn-of-the-century grandeur. Mérida was hugely influenced by the eclecticism of Victorian-era fashions so the house showcases the art, furniture and decoration of the 19th century revival spirit from classical and rococo to baroque and gothic.
There is also an art gallery housing works by the Dutch abstract artist Jan Hendrix and in the upstairs rooms there is a wonderful exhibition of photographs by Armando Salas Portugal documenting life in the Yucatán in the 1940s, with hardworking locals and carefree European expats having, seemingly, a gay old time. Certainly the rather good-looking Armando, who was financed and sponsored by his “dearest” male friend, had an eye for the homo-erotic, at least for those in the know.
And this part of the world flies its rainbow flag in many ways, not least in its multi-coloured place names, but it’s taken to its tastefully sophisticated zenith at Casa Maya, the sister restaurant to Le Makech, where we stop for lunch. It’s a beautiful space with a gorgeous courtyard and eye-catching details wherever you look.
And sure enough, the owner is a flamboyant gay who instantly makes us his favourite customers, finding us a table in the middle of the crowded restaurant, and announcing with a flourish, “I knew I’d love you. Thank God you’re not Americans!” His name is Luca and he’s camp, hilarious and hugely eccentric which explains the decor. There’s Mayan artefacts everywhere, along with Day of the Dead iconography, beautiful modern artworks and huge Caterina statues, but Luca is proudest of the fact that he’s recently repainted the ceiling rafters with the colours of the rainbow flag.
He tells us he’s the beloved son of his family because not only is he wildly creative but also a Mayan shaman and healer, who has inherited his gift, down the family line. Tonight he is conducting a Mayan marriage ceremony on a pyramid near Ixamal for a same sex couple who have sought him out to bless their union. One of the men is a local from Mérida, while his new husband is from Boston and has relocated to Mexico now they have signed their civil marriage documents. They want a religious ceremony but as the Catholic Church refuses to recognise their union, they have decided to have a Mayan ceremony to pledge their lifelong commitment in front of their friends and family.
Luca shows us the huge jade pendant he is wearing in preparation for tonight and explains that he is a conduit for energy which draws people from all over the world and he believes it is why his restaurant is always full, while others compete for customers. He also tells us reads auras and while it’s exhausting to know the spiritual and often physical health of everyone he meets (there’s currently a female diner a couple of tables away who he can see has some terrible health issues she’s not yet aware of) it can bring much joy too, as he instantly vibrates with certain people.
Our auras are obviously glowing as he’s effusive towards us and tells us that he felt an immediate connection, which to be honest is probably because we’re a couple of sophistigays and not one of the coachload of American tourists loudly shouting at his waiters at various other tables. But he’s a canny business man too as we’re so love bombed we stick around, trying on his collection of embroidered sombreros and ordering a second glass of wine. At least it’ll help cover the cost of the incense for the ceremony tonight!
It’s a roastingly hot and humid afternoon so back at Hotel Caribe we go to the roof to spend the rest of the day by the pool but a huge and sudden rainstorm sends us running back to the room so we take shelter for a few hours before wandering to Santa Lucía Parque for dinner.
The restaurants there are so carnivorous we go on the hunt elsewhere and just a few steps further on find the exquisitely glamorous Hacienda Teya, which elevated Yucatán cuisine to fine dining status. It’s at the pricier end of Mexican restaurants but even with the collapse of the pound’s value abroad due to our inept government, it still proves very good value for the magnificent cauliflower croquettes and avocado tempura tacos we tuck into.
We walk back via Santa Lucía’s park and manage to find a seat amongst the big crowd who have gathered for the weekly Serenata; a free concert which has been held every Thursday night since 1965 and combines traditional poetry, music and dancers, compered by an amusing host, and is a brilliant way to round off our evening. The balmy air, jovial audience and wonderful performances are fantastic, heightened by the fact that January is also the month of Mérida Fest, so they really pull out all the stops with free entertainment throughout the Centro Histórico.
We slowly amble back to our hotel, soaking up the atmosphere, feeling very at home indeed in this pretty and charming place. And there’s still so much more to discover tomorrow!
