Exploring Abroad: First Impressions of Mérida, Mexico

After months of preparation our global adventure finally began last week when we departed for our first stop—Mérida, Mexico.

Why Mérida? Capital of the state of Yucatán, it’s a vibrant city of about one million residents with a rich Mayan and colonial heritage.

Several factors have made Mérida an increasingly popular expat destination:

• Easy access to and from the States 
• Proximity to the beach (less than an hour’s drive)
• Boatloads of culture 
• Central location for exploring lots of surrounding UNESCO-designated archaeological sites, including Chichén Itzá, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World

And the low cost of living that we’ll report on at every location we visit.

In the Mérida airport we got Mexican pesos from an ATM to pay for the taxi ride to our Airbnb rental.

After using the US dollar in Ecuador all these years it felt weird to be handling foreign currency. Fortunately, the conversion is simple—one peso roughly equals a nickel.

During this initial trip we’ve decided to stay in private rooms with shared common areas for the following reasons:

1. It’s cheaper
2. Your host is an immediate and invaluable source of insider information about best places to eat and things to do
3. If something goes wrong with your accommodations, you’re not stranded. It’s your host’s problem too because he/she is living there!

This is our room in Mérida. Tile floors. Twenty-foot ceilings. Really cool.

We always advise taking your scouting trip at the worst time of year weather-wise. If you like the place then, you’ll love it the rest of the time, right?

So here we are in May, the hottest month of the year. How hot?

Try high 90s and high humidity during the afternoon.

Solution: get out there early; stay inside with A/C in the afternoon; enjoy the delightful breezes and more pleasant temps in the evening.

We also suggest taking a tour when you first arrive in a new place to get acquainted with your surroundings. Luckily the local government of Mérida offers a free walking tour every morning at 9:30 that was both interesting and informative.

So what else have we been doing these first days?

Exploring!

And of course, eating. We’ve quickly learned that Yucatán food is not the typical Tex-Mex chow we’re used to.

Yes, you can get favorites like enchiladas and burritos, but the sauces are much different, rice isn’t typically served, and beans are more of a puree.

And like the weather, salsas are scorching hot. Beware those habanero peppers!!

The specialty here is cochinita pibil, a marinated pork dish baked in banana leaves and seasoned with achiote (a reddish spice) and sour orange. Incredibly delicious.

In this pic it’s diced and served in a small soft corn tortilla. We’ve also sampled a chicken variation prepared as a stew.

Cynthia ordered the local version of ceviche for lunch our first day here. Around three dozen shrimp in the bowl for USD $7. Next time we’ll share!

And this fabulous pizza rivals the best we’ve had anywhere on the planet.

On Saturday morning we met new friends at Mercado Slow Food Yucatán, an artisanal market with lots of organic food products.

Of course, we bought yummy treats from the bread guy, Bernardo Gartner.

And enjoyed authentic huevos rancheros for breakfast.

What do we think of Mérida so far?

We can already see the appeal for those who don’t mind the heat.

There’s such a wealth of things to do that we’ll barely scratch the surface during our time here.

Everyone, both local and expat, has been extremely friendly and helpful to these two newcomers. Reminds us of our early days in Cuenca.

And prices really are low. Uber rides have been less than $2. And you saw that mound of ceviche for seven bucks!

Lots of exciting activities are on the calendar during the rest of our visit.

We’re going to the beach. Checking out real estate. Meeting other expats at fabulous looking restaurants they’ve suggested.

Learning to shop for and prepare Yucatán cuisine in an immersive all-day class. Attending a wine tasting event.

Plus staying at two of the top-rated hotels in the city.

Whew. When we go somewhere new, we hit the ground running! 😀

Got questions or comments about our journey? We’d love to hear from you.