It's Carnaval Time

This year Billy and I decided to visit Merida for Carnaval with a group of friends. After doing a little research, we learned this was the first year that Carnaval would be held outside of the city, the end of a Merida tradition. Many local residents were upset about the change, but we decided to check it out with an open mind.

Upon arrival, we couldn’t help but feel like we were at Jazz Fest meets Mardi Gras. The new location was a fair ground in a rural town, accustomed to hosting big events and large crowds. There were food booths and concerts set up with different areas to visit like a car show, clothing vendors, and a fair for kids. As far as the parades, think somewhere between Morgan City and New Orleans parades. Also, replace marching bands with Sol and Tecate promo girls. There were promotional floats for pretty much anything you can think of, including a Cup of Noodles “sexy” model on the supermarket float (yes I said supermarket float.)

Unfortunately they did not throw beads, but they did give out some free beer. Beer > Beads. Jenny caught a tortilla warmer which I'm sure will come in handy in Mexico. Free goodies aside, one thing I really enjoyed about the Merida Carnaval was the different King/Queen categories. They had senior citizen, teen, and mentally/physically disabled royalty all strutting their stuff throughout the parade route. You could see how proud they were to be a part of the big celebration.

We went to two parades, Friday and Saturday. Although the parades were nearly identical with a few costume changes, the two experiences were totally different. To my surprise, Friday started with a great parking spot and scoring front row seats for the parade. When we stopped to buy beer, we learned that for less than a $1 more, you could buy an ice chest! Sold. We walked around, enjoying the fair ground and drinking a few beers. We took our seats for the parade which was entertaining, and by the end of the night, we had a good time. Merida did it right. 

Sunday we knew that we had our fill of parades and decided to take it easy in the city. Merida has a lot of charming activities on Sunday like the bicycle ride and live music in the town squares. We had a great weekend with friends, and I’m glad that Billy and I were able to see what Carnaval is all about. We missed Mardi Gras for the first year ever, but Carnaval in Merida was the next best thing. 

Campeche

Sometimes in life, it’s fun to just get away. That’s exactly what Billy and I decided to do for Valentine’s weekend. Living in Ciudad del Carmen, the daily grind (running out of water, air conditioners breaking, and overall chaos) can get the best of anyone. Luckily, the Yucatan offers a lot of exciting destinations when you need to just kick back and relax. One of our most recently discovered gems, the city of Campeche, is a short 2 hour drive from the island. 

We left Saturday morning with nothing much on the agenda. If you know us, you know that we aren’t planners. We decided to stop along the way in a city called Champoton for a bite to eat. Trip Advisor had a whopping five choices listed, so we set off in search for el numero uno. Upon arrival at what we thought was “Abbey’s”, we noticed a giant inflatable Sol beer bottle and music blaring. I asked if they were having a party. They explained that it was their Grand Opening, and we were their first customers! Two free beers promptly arrived to the table, and we knew that our trip was off to a good start. 

We arrived at our boutique style hotel in the afternoon. Our friends Marc and Raquel had introduced us to Socaire, an inexpensive but totally adorable hotel in Campeche on a previous trip. It is within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and the town square. We checked-in and set out to see the city. Aside from the city wall/fort and a museum, there are not a ton of attractions in Campeche. There is, however, a quaint town square, an enchanting cathedral, and beautiful cobblestone streets with brightly colored buildings. What more do you need for a weekend getaway? We walked up and down the malecon (the boardwalk) checking out the old canons and boats dotted along the gulf. We proceeded to check out “El Centro” which is the downtown area between the old city walls. Campeche has done a great job of preserving the buildings and creating a charming atmosphere for locals and visitors alike.

One of our favorite details of Campeche is the different art exhibits that place sculptures throughout the streets. The theme this time was fantasy creatures which were all very unique to say the least. We spent our afternoon checking out the art and having a beer on Calle 59, imagining we were outside at The Bulldog with friends. Saturday night we had a romantic dinner at Casa Don Gustavo, and of course, ended the night with some vino at one of the nearby street bars. 

We woke up Sunday morning with intentions of visiting the fort. We never found the fort entrance, and the wall was all under construction #fail. After taking a lazy stroll on the waterfront, we decided to head back to Carmen. We stopped at the playa (beach) along the way for the perfect ending to our weekend. We even met up with a few of our friends there and had a nice afternoon relaxing at Tortugueros.

Campeche was just what the doctor ordered. We came back relaxed and rejuvenated. It’s a beautiful town, especially at night when the town square and cathedral are lit up. If you find yourself in the state of Campeche, stop by the capital city for a tranquilo/relaxing evening.