ON TO MERRY MERIDA

Smooth travel day yesterday as we took the Harvard award-winning Mexico City airport bus. Then chose $110,  1 1/2 hour flight over $70 24-hour bus to Merida (MER-ee-da). Extinct volcanoes poking out of clouds, higher than 25,000 feet en route.

We're now in Yucatan on the eastern side of the country. Much lower altitude, air not so dry or dusty, flat terrain. Our luck continues as Hostel Zocalo is right across the street from the ---- zocalo!--- the main square of town. The hostel's owner/manager (?) cooks the free breakfast buffet, washes the dishes, and drives travelers around! There are cyclists pedaling to Peru, mature Mexican ladies going el cheapo, and a tattooed/pierced/nouveau-hippie mother from France traveling with her 9-month old son. All of this is a new level of variety for us at hostels.

Merida has the highest concentration of indigenous population in the country (60% Mayan). The lowest crime rate. And the highest level of education achievement. The colonial cathedrals, statues, and other stone buildings date from the 1500's and  have been maintained and lit up beautifully. The historic main street is lined with elaborate mansions you would see in any older European city; they date from the era of wealth and European land-grab.

On Sundays like today Mexico continues to impress us with activities for the locals. Main streets are closed to traffic to allow bicycling, rollerblades, kids playgrounds, ad lib painting lessons, and all kinds of outdoor exercising. Chairs and awnings are put out to create a pop-up stage for clowns and dancers, etc. And the parks are dotted with "matrimonios" ---- concrete chairs where courting couples face each other. What are these two smiling about??