Mérida

We decided to visit Mérida, which is in the Northwest part of the Yucatan Peninsula. To get there, we took the car ferry to the mainland (only 18 pesos, compared to the 70 pesos we paid for the high-speed ferry last week).  We then took a van to the bus terminal. Buses are leaving about every hour for Mérida, so we knew we should be able to get one soon. We got the 12:30 ADO-GL,  and then we had about a four-hour ride from Cancun to Mérida. ADO or ADO-GL is the recommended level of service. It was very comfortable. Arriving in Mérida, we then took a taxi to our hotel, which we had booked in advance. We are staying at the Gran Real Yucatan near the city center. After getting settled in and washed up, we went out searching for a place to eat. We found a place with live music and looked no further. Now that we are away from the high tourist Cancun area, the menu is more of a challenge. I think we are both just ordering by names that sound good. So far, it has been working, and we are getting to try new dishes. To get off to a good start, we booked a two-hour narrated bus tour of the city for the next morning. At breakfast, we found almost all the other guests in the hotel were with a German tour group. We shared our table with a young German couple, so we had someone we could speak with in English. Before our tour, we checked out a couple of churches close by. After our tour, we had lunch and then went to see a Dali art exhibit at the Olympio. Of course, we had to check out the shopping. Our best tip came from a local who pointed us to a Mayan Cooperative. We feel very comfortable in this city. The people are very friendly. The streets, parks, plazas, and shops are just bustling with activity. The little bit of Spanish we have absorbed is really paying off.