This semester, I've been taking an Art and Architecture course. This Thursday we went on a field trip to see colonial architecture in Merida. We first headed to an old cathedral. By old, I mean 1600s. So it was pretty neat to see!
The stones of the church were taken from the Mayan city that existed before Merida was built. Merida actually built the city to utilize the roads and platforms that the Maya built. The buildings and temples were destroyed to make the buildings on Merida. Not a very nice thing to do...
Anyways, after we checked out the church, we went to a school that used to be an old fort. The fort wall was still up and visible, and the old buildings were also still standing. Part of the area was only about 100 years old, but the center area was from the 1600s. The buildings were beautiful!
We also checked out one of the arches of the city. The arches were built back in the beginning years of the city, to separate the different neighborhoods. At that time, if you lived in one neighborhood, you may not be allowed to go into other sections of the city. There were clear divisions of classes, based on family origens. The Maya and other indigenous peoples were oppressed, and the Spanish had all the power.
Finally, we saw the convent of the church, which is now an architectural school. We explored a bit and saw some old painting on the walls. It was a really neat place to go to school!
On our way home, we stopped for ice cream. It was still pretty hot outside, so the ice cream tasted really good, even if was a little melted. And then our teacher accidentally hit a car...and drove off. That's what happens in Mexico! :)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
End of Break
The rest of my spring break was pretty uneventful. I really didn't do anything worth noting- just rested and worked on homework. I'm glad I was able to sleep in for a few days at the end of break. While I'm traveling, I never seem to be able to sleep in very late- especially not in hostels.
Classes this week have been pretty easy. It's just after midterms, so I guese the profs are giving us a break. Although I have an outline due for a paper on Friday, and lots of internship stuff to do. So I'm finding things to keep me busy!
The weather here is starting to get HOT! It's supposed to be above 100F starting today, and who knows when/if that will end. One forecast mentioned 107F for 2 days this week! It's still hard to fathom that because it's only March. Luckily the humidity isn't too high, so it really doesn't feel that warm, especially if I stay in the shade or in the house. However, the moment you step into the sun it's a different story!
Classes this week have been pretty easy. It's just after midterms, so I guese the profs are giving us a break. Although I have an outline due for a paper on Friday, and lots of internship stuff to do. So I'm finding things to keep me busy!
The weather here is starting to get HOT! It's supposed to be above 100F starting today, and who knows when/if that will end. One forecast mentioned 107F for 2 days this week! It's still hard to fathom that because it's only March. Luckily the humidity isn't too high, so it really doesn't feel that warm, especially if I stay in the shade or in the house. However, the moment you step into the sun it's a different story!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Dzibilchaltun Photos
The temple is illuminated from the sun, which is directly behind it.
A little after sunrise. The sun is coming over the top of the building!
The sun peeping through the doorway! I have better pictures, but they are sideways, and I don't know how to make it straight on here....
Before the sun rose. The clouds are starting to burn off!
This is how the site looked right when we got there. Kind of eerie!
Dzibilchaltun
On Saturday, the day of the Spring Equinox, we all went to the ruins at Dzibilchaltun. This site has a temple that is oriented with the movement of the sun. On the equinox, as the sun is rising, it passes through the doorway of the temple.
I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning, which was a little difficult. We left the house at 5am sharp. Keith missed it because his alarm was messed up, or he just slept through it. The ruins are just outside of Merida, so it was a short drive. We had to walk a ways to get to the temple, and we were nearly running because we didn't want to miss it. However, we managed to get fairly close to the temple about 20 minutes before the sun rose.
There were a lot of people there! We all had cameras ready as 6 am hit. We were off to the side, and almost missed seeing the sun rise through the doorway because you have to be exactly in the center to see it. Luckily, everyone started rushing to the middle, so we figured it out quickly.
We were a little worried because it was kind of cloudy. We were hoping that the clouds burned off in time to see the sun rise. We were lucky, and it was absolutely beautiful! The clouds burned off enough to see the sun rise. We were all so happy. Last year it rained, and last fall I think Val got the wrong day. But it was perfect for us! Check the next post for pictures!
I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning, which was a little difficult. We left the house at 5am sharp. Keith missed it because his alarm was messed up, or he just slept through it. The ruins are just outside of Merida, so it was a short drive. We had to walk a ways to get to the temple, and we were nearly running because we didn't want to miss it. However, we managed to get fairly close to the temple about 20 minutes before the sun rose.
There were a lot of people there! We all had cameras ready as 6 am hit. We were off to the side, and almost missed seeing the sun rise through the doorway because you have to be exactly in the center to see it. Luckily, everyone started rushing to the middle, so we figured it out quickly.
We were a little worried because it was kind of cloudy. We were hoping that the clouds burned off in time to see the sun rise. We were lucky, and it was absolutely beautiful! The clouds burned off enough to see the sun rise. We were all so happy. Last year it rained, and last fall I think Val got the wrong day. But it was perfect for us! Check the next post for pictures!
Spring Break Photos
This is a picture of the beach at the Chankanaab Park. We spent the whole day lounging in our beach chairs and snorkeling. This picture is actually taken from inside the restaurant that we ate at for lunch. I love open air restaurants, which are VERY common here in Mexico, even in Merida and away from the beach.
This was my bed at Hostelito, the hostel in Cozumel with the huge dorm. The beds were nice and everything was clean. Definitely a plus in the hostel world!
This is a palapa on the beach at Chankanaab, similar to the one we were sitting under. It kept us from the getting burned, and the chairs were nice.
Robin and I are ready for the ferry ride to Cozumel. Right in front of us was where the band played.
This is 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen, the heart of the tourist district. There are tons of restaurants and shops, as far as the eye could see. We spent a lot of time wandering around this street.
Cozumel
Cozumel is the island across from Playa del Carmen. We had to ride a ferry to get there, which was a new experience for me. Unfortunately, the water was rough, and I didn't feel too good the whole way there. Luckily the ferry had a live band on board, which helped to distract me. It took 45 mins or so to get to the City of Cozumel, and I was glad to get off the boat. I think all of us were.
We first found our hostel in Cozumel. We reserved beds at a hostel that had a 26 bed mixed dorm. I was a little nervous that it would be loud and dirty, but it was a really nice place to stay! I was impressed. And it was only 2 1/2 blocks from the pier and main square, so it was a great location. You couldn't find anything better for $12 USD.
The first afternoon we were in Cozumel, we decided to go snorkeling. We signed up for a 3 site tour in a glass bottom boat. We got it for just $300 MN, or about $20 USD. That's a pretty good deal! I wasn't impressed with the snorkeling. The reef was really far down in the water, and it wasn't very pretty. But we got to feed the fish, and they swarmed around us, which was neat. By the end of the tour I was feeling a little seasick, since the water was still rough.
The second day we decided to go on an adventure! :) Alright, we just got a taxi and headed out of town to the Chankanaab Park, which is had some "ruins", a beach, snorkeling, a lagoon with fishies, and a botanical garden. It was also the place where people could pay to swim with dolphins. I rented snorkeling gear and spent a few hours in the water. It was much better than the glass bottom boat tour. Since I didn't have to wear a life jacket, I could dive down and look at things close up. I loved that, even if I did drink a little salt water. We stayed there until it closed at 5pm. It was a great day!
Cozumel is a peaceful town. It's still really touristy, but not as bad as Playa del Carmen. I enjoyed it a lot, and it was a great end to our break.
We first found our hostel in Cozumel. We reserved beds at a hostel that had a 26 bed mixed dorm. I was a little nervous that it would be loud and dirty, but it was a really nice place to stay! I was impressed. And it was only 2 1/2 blocks from the pier and main square, so it was a great location. You couldn't find anything better for $12 USD.
The first afternoon we were in Cozumel, we decided to go snorkeling. We signed up for a 3 site tour in a glass bottom boat. We got it for just $300 MN, or about $20 USD. That's a pretty good deal! I wasn't impressed with the snorkeling. The reef was really far down in the water, and it wasn't very pretty. But we got to feed the fish, and they swarmed around us, which was neat. By the end of the tour I was feeling a little seasick, since the water was still rough.
The second day we decided to go on an adventure! :) Alright, we just got a taxi and headed out of town to the Chankanaab Park, which is had some "ruins", a beach, snorkeling, a lagoon with fishies, and a botanical garden. It was also the place where people could pay to swim with dolphins. I rented snorkeling gear and spent a few hours in the water. It was much better than the glass bottom boat tour. Since I didn't have to wear a life jacket, I could dive down and look at things close up. I loved that, even if I did drink a little salt water. We stayed there until it closed at 5pm. It was a great day!
Cozumel is a peaceful town. It's still really touristy, but not as bad as Playa del Carmen. I enjoyed it a lot, and it was a great end to our break.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Playa del Carmen
Our second stop on Spring Break was at Playa del Carmen, which is north of Tulum on the coast. Our bus dropped us off on the main pedestrian street in Playa, 5th avenue. The whole street is closed of to traffic, and it's the heart of the tourist district. It's long, and about a block from the beach. It's just a really neat place to be! Lots to see and do, and easy to find food.
Our first thing to do was to find our hostel. I accidentally printed off the wrong email, so I didn't have an address or phone number. Noboday seemed to know where our hostel was, and it wasn't in the phone book. We eventually walked by an old shirtless guy, who helped us out, for a tip. He was a little creepy, but we really needed the help. So we dealt with the creepiness!
Our hostel was about 1/2 a block from 5th avenue, right in the middle of everything. It was a great location! And our room was amazing. For $12 USD each, we got a room with 4 beds, a bathroom in it, a balcony, AC, lockers, breakfast, and a TV. We were so happy! It was an awesome place to stay, and a great deal. The breakfast was really just toast and coffee, but that was good for me. Saved us some money! And having a TV was nice. We haven't watched TV since we left the US, unless it is online. We found a channel that had stuff mostly in English, and we watched Law and Order. It was nice during siesta time and at night. And having AC in Mexico is always a blessing and luxery!
Our second day in Playa we went to the public beach. It was nice, although it was a little crowded. I didn't go in the water, but Sara did. She said it was kind of dirty and there was trash in it, so she didn't stay in long. I fell alseep in the warm sun, as did Robin and possibly the other two. So comfy and peaceful! Luckily, I had my good sunscreen on, so I didn't get burned.
The rest of the time in Playa we just hung out on 5th avenue, checking out the shops and vendors, of which there were many. Playa is super touristy, and everyone speaks English (which kind of made me sad). If we spoke Spanish to the waiters or vendors, they would be really impressed, and Sara even got a great exchange rate after telling a vendor that she was a student in Merida. He sold it to her for 10 pesos to a dollar, when it really should have been 15 pesos to a dollar. Nice!
Playa was an odd part of Mexico. It was so Americanized that it didn't feel like Mexico, and 5th Avenue seemed very European, oddly enough! It's a nice place to vacation, I suppose, but if you want to see "real" Mexico, don't go there! Very little Mexican culture, language, or even food is available there.
Our first thing to do was to find our hostel. I accidentally printed off the wrong email, so I didn't have an address or phone number. Noboday seemed to know where our hostel was, and it wasn't in the phone book. We eventually walked by an old shirtless guy, who helped us out, for a tip. He was a little creepy, but we really needed the help. So we dealt with the creepiness!
Our hostel was about 1/2 a block from 5th avenue, right in the middle of everything. It was a great location! And our room was amazing. For $12 USD each, we got a room with 4 beds, a bathroom in it, a balcony, AC, lockers, breakfast, and a TV. We were so happy! It was an awesome place to stay, and a great deal. The breakfast was really just toast and coffee, but that was good for me. Saved us some money! And having a TV was nice. We haven't watched TV since we left the US, unless it is online. We found a channel that had stuff mostly in English, and we watched Law and Order. It was nice during siesta time and at night. And having AC in Mexico is always a blessing and luxery!
Our second day in Playa we went to the public beach. It was nice, although it was a little crowded. I didn't go in the water, but Sara did. She said it was kind of dirty and there was trash in it, so she didn't stay in long. I fell alseep in the warm sun, as did Robin and possibly the other two. So comfy and peaceful! Luckily, I had my good sunscreen on, so I didn't get burned.
The rest of the time in Playa we just hung out on 5th avenue, checking out the shops and vendors, of which there were many. Playa is super touristy, and everyone speaks English (which kind of made me sad). If we spoke Spanish to the waiters or vendors, they would be really impressed, and Sara even got a great exchange rate after telling a vendor that she was a student in Merida. He sold it to her for 10 pesos to a dollar, when it really should have been 15 pesos to a dollar. Nice!
Playa was an odd part of Mexico. It was so Americanized that it didn't feel like Mexico, and 5th Avenue seemed very European, oddly enough! It's a nice place to vacation, I suppose, but if you want to see "real" Mexico, don't go there! Very little Mexican culture, language, or even food is available there.
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