Mérida – Day 1: Colonial Charm
MÉRIDA
Day 1: Colonial Charm
August 24, 2022
Yep, you guessed it – yet another bus trip. This time to Mérida, a city in the state of Yucatán. As with most of my other stops, I had three days to spend here, though this time I only had plans for one of them.
I spent the first afternoon wandering around the city centre, soaking in the streets and admiring the colonial buildings. While it looked quite similar to the other cities I’d visited, one charming detail stood out: scattered across Mérida’s streets are these paired white chairs facing each other, known as Sillas Tú y Yo – or “You and Me Chairs.” They’re designed for couples or friends to sit and chat. Needless to say, as a solo traveller – and a single one at that – I didn’t get much use out of them.
Later, I made my way to the Paseo de Montejo, an impressive tree-lined avenue flanked by some of the most jaw-dropping mansions I’ve ever seen. It’s named after Francisco de Montejo, the Spanish conquistador who founded the city. I walked quite a bit, but as luck would have it, the cathedral and most of the museums I was hoping to visit were closed.
There was also some kind of festival going on. While I’d usually love to join in and find out as much as possible about such events, I decided to pass up on this one – only because I needed to rest. In fact, Mérida was the first city I felt like I’d neglected a bit. I would’ve never done such a thing before! It’s not that I was feeling exhausted or desperate for a break, but I definitely felt the need for a slower day. I’d been going at it non-stop ever since I started travelling. And by that point, I’d already visited my fair share of cathedrals and museums – so skipping a couple more didn’t feel like such a big deal.
At the same time, I didn’t want that to become a habit. I never wanted to get so accustomed to certain things that I’d stop appreciating them. Even if some places start to look similar on the surface, each and every one of them has its own history, its own meaning, its own style. So I promised myself I’d keep showing up and do my best to visit as much as I could – regardless.