Merida is a very large city with different regions and cultures, just like home. Our first stay is southwest of the city center where the culture is strong and not americanized. We plan to stay in several of the regions around the city to get a good feel of where we want to come back to.

We arrived late in the afternoon and the sun was so very hot. Dinner was egg salad burritos in the cool of the air conditioned house. There is also a small, very nice pool in the back yard where we’ll spend the hot afternoons.

Next morning we agreed it was best to get out early to do our shopping while it was still cool (cool being a relative term). A 15 minute walk put us right in the bustle of the amazing open air market with all the fresh fruits, vegetables, household goods. There was also a local mercado (grocery store) where we were able to get some of the staples like bread, chips, milk, etc. We filled our bag from the open market with fresh papaya, avocados, tomatos, limes, and a fresh rotisseried chicken for a whooping 50 cents.

Keith then headed up the street to the local barber shop for a much needed cut and shave. I hardly recognized his handsome face when he returned. He described it as ‘the best cut and shave he has ever had’. They started with a rough cut to get the facial hair under control, then leaned him back in the chair, put hot steamed towels over his face where he almost fell asleep. Next came the razor shave and actual hair cut. Cost was $10.00 usd.

The rest of the hot part of the day will be napping, dipping in the pool and then dinner out.

Ahhhh, this is the life!