The architecture in Merida is so diverse.  Ranging from the mansions that the Conquistadors built that have been turned into museums and businesses (some remain as private homes), to the many Gringo Renovated attached homes all over town, and the old mansions in great need of renovation.

 

This isn't a historical home, but like many for sale, is in great need of repair.

There are so many worthy of renovation and most of them are For Sale

Many have tall walls enclosing the huge estate 

Tall Walls and amazing plant life

This is one of the more incredible ones that we saw on our walk this morning.

 

This one is now a Museum and those are Mayan Artifacts standing in the back yard

This is inside the "house"

Another inside shot.  The columns and moldings are all made of cement as is all the trim on the outside of the houses.

Directly across the street or next door, the neighborhood can look like this.

Many times the front facade has been rennovated but the sides and backs remain original

And now, our all-time favorite Starbucks - In Merida amongst the mansions

View looking across the street from Starbucks' Outside Patio

Building right  next to Starbucks....

Someone bought me a house but I had to turn it down as they spelled my name wrong!

And as is typical, the houses next door could use some work!

Tulum and Coba

After we left Laguna Bacalar, we drove to Tulum - a small town on the Caribbean that has many tourists.  We shared our lunch table with a young couple from Austria - they recommended Croatia as a beautiful place to travel and visit.  We wouldn't have thought of that country as a destination but they spoke highly of its beauty and the friendliness of the people.  Anyway, below are some photos of Tulum.  We found a nice hotel only to realize around 9 p.m. that Tulum was celebrating Carnival....  The very noisy parade circled around our area several times and a stage was set up just one block away.... they have bands that play until dawn.  Needless to say, we didn't get any sleep that night.  The Ganglun style song (from Korea) is quite popular here - as is one called "Sexy Lady!"  Heavy bass all night.

Lynne and Tulum Friends - can you tell I didn't get any sleep the night before?

  We arrived at the ruins exactly at opening time  (8 a.m.) but of course if wasn't open yet.... so we went back at 8:20 - still not open.  So we ended up driving to the trendy beach front where we had a $4 (u.s. dollars) cup of coffee!  Then we drove to a grocery store and bought yogurt and bananas that we ate in the car for breakfast.  By the time we got to the ruins it was 10:30 and the tour buses had begun to arrive.  With its proximity to Cancun and the fact that it is the only ruin overlooking the Caribbean, Tulum is one of the most visited Mayan sites.

 As I said, it is on the Caribbean and has access to the beach.

We didn't go down.  It was a very hot day and we wanted to get to a smaller ruin.

Yes, that is the Caribbean that you see to the left of this castle perched on a cliff.

Iguanas pretty much have the run of the place and seemed to love to pose for photos!

More Mayan Ruins

Coba was settled around 100 BC and it's main pyramid is the second tallest in the Yucatan Peninsula.

The height of the steps are typical for the pyramid(s).  The stairway is steep and narrow.

The Dzibache ruins cover 40 kilometers as was one of the largest uncovered to date.

Dzibache - central plaza.  This is a great example of how the plants are taking back the land.

The Mayan Rivera stretches from Cancun to Tulum.  Tulum is the only Mayan Ruin built by the sea.

There were a fair number of Iguanas out the day we visited Tulum.  This guy is about two feet long.




Have you ever wondered why many toilets in Mexico do not have seats?  We think we may have found the answer.

Folk Art

Following are some photos of some of the Folk Art for sale here so you can see what is available and what prices are.  These were in higher-end stores and the prices are not negotiable.

This is a typical piece of folk art displaying the story of life.  It is actually called El Arbol de Boda or The Tree of the Wedding.   I took photos of each section starting with the wedding at the bottom and have more detailed fotos  of each "story" below - the handwork is quite intricate and the piece stands about 2" tall

The Wedding

More detail from the piece

Then of course the baby and its baptism

And Finally death and grief

 Once again, the full piece

And the price is.... $1,765

You do the math!  Exchange rate is about 12.6 pesos to the dollar.

Equates to about $240 U.S. Dollars

Jaguars used to roam this area freely so they are a popular theme in local art.

About $40

This is a metal door knocker at a cost of about $100 (U.S.)

Now this hat comes in at $175....  I don't think the rest of these items are overpriced and still think we can get a "fine" hat for around $85

I really like this one and may have to go back for her!

I guess I didn't get the price on this - think it was around $95