When you fall in love with a country you have to be prepared to remind yourself that change is the only constant. Especially when your visits, once frequent, have become less so with longer time gaps in between. You are bound to notice some differences and allow yourself to pine a bit for simpler times. Beneath modernization and development can lie the remnants of culture but hopefully Mexico is able to maintain its unique charm as is the case so far in the Yucatán.
Getting There
Not one to take a direct route I had to spend at least a small amount of time in the Yucatan Mexico before heading to Belize for the month of February.
Having been many times there is a real pull for me to return to some of my favourite places in the Yucatan especially Merida and Progreso. I have blogged a fair amount about the Yucatán so will limit myself to some of the changes and highlights for the time I spent there.
New to Me – The Maya Train
Since I first heard about the new Maya Train I’ve wanted to give it a go. You can pre-book your train tickets on the Maya Tren web-site, but while still in Canada, it took a few tries throughout a couple of weeks before I was successful. The web-site indicated that the train left from the Cancun Airport station and the convenience was so inviting that it peaked my enthusiasm to the point that I booked a first class ticket to Mérida, $81.00 CAD.
The new and not quite finished Maya Train stations are monolithic, tons of poured concrete and stylish architecture but situated for the most part in construction zones so they have an eerie quality of not being anchored as of yet. The stations although huge are quiet, deserted and house little in the way of conveniences. What was there was closed for the day. So don’t arrive hungry, thirsty or in need of cash until things are really up and running.
I’m sad to say that the train does not really leave from the Cancun Airport but is located at the farthest end of the airport and I was given to understand that the only way to the station was by taxi. In retrospect I think that if I’d spent more time asking I would have a found a bus or a shuttle to the train station. However, an official at the airport told me that a taxi was the only way to get to the station on time and that the last train left at 6:00 pm which gave me cause to panic as I had a ticket for the 7:20 train. Rookie mistake, I opted for the taxi. The price was exorbitant for a fifteen minute trip and I arrived at the station just before 6:00 pm, discovering of course that my train was indeed leaving at 7:20 as printed on the ticket.
The train departed on time and a short time before departure a fairly good sized crowd had gathered, we were all lined up and a friendly young policeman had us place our bags in a row in front of us and his sniffer dog made it’s way down the line of cases. After that we were allowed into the actual station and then waited for the all clear to ride the escalator down to track level.
The first class train car, all sparkly and new, has two seats on one side and a single on the other so if you are travelling alone you can sit by yourself. Not an issue as I think there were at most about a dozen passengers in the car.
Just over four hours to Merida, we arrived at the station which is way outside of central Merida. The Merida-Teya station again is stunningly big and new and shiney clean and although it is far from town there is a tram (bus) that takes you to another new “station” about forty minutes away in Merida called La Plancha for only 45 pesos.
From there a small shuttle bus takes you to the Center of Merida to a park that thankfully was within walk distance of my hotel. Getting there late at night meant that there weren’t any taxis at La Plancha so I was grateful for the shuttle and the help of a young train worker to get me on it and explain to the driver where I wanted to go, especially since I was yet to acquire a phone card or cash.
New to Me – Trendy Avenida 47.
If you’re going to stay in a hotel in Merida I highly recommend staying somewhere on or just off the Paseo de Montejo as close to the centre of town as possible. The hotel I chose was “The Chariot” right on the Paseo and I was really happy with my stay there. Inexpensive and close to everything I wanted to see and do I discovered a whole new area that has opened up to book stores, antique shops, restaurants, pubs, galleries etc and the art instalments in several of the restaurants are great in themselves.
Now heralded as the “Corredor de Gastronomico” Avenida 47 is busy, fun, great for food and art lovers and leads directly to La Plancha.
And right around the corner from Avenida 47 is one of the oldest restaurants on the Paseo de Montejo. A favourite spot for the locals and tourists it serves up food in the decor of a fifties diner.
The La Plancha
Wow what an endeavour to modernize and upscale what was once a rundown old train depot. Again sleek, gigantic and people friendly, La Plancha includes kiddy parks, outdoor exercise stations, an amphitheatre, gardens and fountains and covers city blocks of land. Old train cars have been recommissioned and turned into Cafes and Bistros and there is a huge food court with seating for hundreds of people. Very empty the day we went but eventually when this new trendy area and the Maya Train is complete I’m sure it will become a welcome attraction for Meridians. Hopefully one day the train will actually land here!
Progreso
Dear little old Progreso just keeps progressing. Over the years, the Malecon went from a busy traffic street to pedestrian only, there is a now a Starbucks and many of the old mansions have been renovated and turned into expensive dining spots with ocean views. A ramshackle old hotel that I used to pass daily is now the nicely renovated and expensive Scapatta Hotel which is where I stayed in the cheapest room. Quite satisfactory, until a bat took up residence outside my door causing quite a pile of excrement on a nightly/daily basis. Luckily for me the hotel clerk was as offended by the bats behaviour as I was and upgraded me without cost to a much nicer room. I would stay at the Scapatta again but prepare myself for much higher prices than in my pre-covid meanderings. It’s just the way of the world at the moment, what used to be very affordable is no longer the case.
A New to Me Cenote
Of course a trip to the Yucatán must include a visit to a cenote. Every Cenote has its own distinct characteristics and amenities. Some very natural and informal and others organized and regulated. The Hacienda Mucuyche fits in the latter category. It is lovely, not cheap and you need to reserve online to guarantee a spot. You are assigned a guide who first shows you the remains of the old hacienda clearly resplendent in its day. What was thought to be only a well eventually revealed itself to be a series of Cenote joined by underground passages. The guide takes his limited number of people in life jackets into the first cavernous cenote and you eventually swim along an above ground channel only to enter a second dark and cavernous cenote that has a number of interesting limestone formations including numerous stalactites. After your swim there is a restaurant on-site where you can enjoy a meal in your pretty surroundings. See the link below if you’d like to visit.
https://www.cenoteshaciendamucuyche.com/
Certainly if you’re interested in a more expansive view of hacienda life that also includes a swim in a cenote visit the Hacienda Sotuta de Peon.
https://www.haciendaviva.com/en/contacto-sotuta-de-peon-yucatan
Also New to Me – Bacalar
Bacalar is within striking distance of Belize so a chance to visit an area that I’d heard good things about and to spend a few days on a fresh water system (sweet water) of lakes and lagoons presented itself. Sadly, the rainy and cooler temperatures of the Yucatan followed me to Bacalar, and between the rain and one day of feeling ill meant that I was unable to take full advantage of the fun things in Bacalar. Riding a bike out to a beach club one day included sheltering from a deluge for several hours before it was safe to ride back to my hotel.
Bacalar is a nice place however and tourism seems to be the main industry. A pretty town square surrounded by bars and restaurants and a growing number of fusion style restaurants along with the beautiful blue lagoon attracts a lot of tourists, International and Mexican.
Wander With Stella - Solo & Together 