There I was, just four days ago, down in warm (80-90's), sunny, clear blue sky Mérida... and today, stuck indoors with over a foot of snow mounting up outside. What a fool I am to have returned after only a week!
But, that is Maine for you--all too often we get teased by spring temps, sunny days, daffodils popping up over the septic tank (the first place that thaws) and then, wham, we are slammed with a real doozy of a snow.
Mexico, as always, was a treat. I ate tons of delicious Yucatecan food like cochinita pibil--baby pork in a slightly spicy annato sauce slow baked in banana leaves--served with refried beans, pickled red onions and handmade corn tortillas-- or panuchos--semi-crispy fried corn tortillas topped with black refried beans, lettuce, shredded cooked chicken, slices of plum tomatoes, pickled red onion slivers and avocado wedges-- or sopa de lima-- a rich chicken stock soup with red peppers, onions, shredded chicken, and fried tortilla pieces with loads of lime juice in it. A true Yucatecan-Jewish mother-in-law cure-all soup.
I walked many miles every day, all over the city of Mérida, out on the beach at Progreso, around the town of Izamal and the ancient Mayan ruins of Mayapan. There is something very humbling about climbing pyramids that were built around 500 ad. Or seeing a stone set in the wall of the huge church in Izamal with the date 1648 etched into the limestone. Although it did bother me that this church, built by the Spanish, was on top of the Mayan pyramid that had been there for 800 to 1000 years before the arrival of the Spanish.
It will take me awhile to process all the new sights, feelings, history of the Yucatan area but I do know that I will be going back at some point. There are just too many places to see down there and the people are just too darn nice to not return. As I go through my notes, I will continue to post things here about the trip and the various adventures I had.
Rabbit rabbit to you all.
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