Mediocre Merida

The sad fact is that when travelling I simply don't have the time to do justice to each place i visit. It obviously not possible to spend a week or month or year everywhere. But there are also times that merely by going to a place at all, you've given it too much precious time. Such was a feeling I had on a recent visit to Merida, Mexico.

So let's start with the positive. The whole city is buzzing with wireless internet. The bus station is wonderfully air-conditioned. It's located within striking distance of 2 of Mexico's best ruins. And... ummm... that's about it. The city is one of the hottest in Mexico, and it's not one of those “good” heats. The stifling humidity coupled with the continuous belching of toxic fumes from the constantly busy traffic is an immediate turn off. The place is gritty. Unlike most other colonial towns in Mexico, Merida's hasn't bothered sprucing the place up. Hardly any of the facades have been touched up. And while a Disney-fied appearance is never good, they could at least slap on a coat of paint once every half century. It really isn't any wonder why they haven't bothered. Being located on the Yucatan Peninsula is a licence to print money. With Mexico's biggest tourist attractions like the beaches of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen plus the Mayan ruins of Chitzen Itza and Uxmal, Merida doesn't have to compete for tourist dollars as it's damn near guaranteed that tourists have to pass through the area anyways.

There are a few things to see and do in the city that are of mild interest. Merida is sort of the cultural capital of the region. So the museums here are the best in the region. While I didn't visit all (or even most) there are better museums in the country. There are free city tours given out of the central tourist office, and sometimes even in English. And there's even one of those double deckers tours of the city (for M$75) but not really worth the money in my opinion. One saving grace was i was couchsurfing the city to i manage to find some cool people to hang around and have fun with. Merida certainly does have an above average nightlife. Maybe not the same as Cancun, but miles better that San Cristobal or Oaxaca. But nightlife is not what those other cities are about. And it was fun being in the city when Mexico beat France in the world cup. Things were fun around the Monument of the “motherland”. But it was quickly (and peacefully) dispersed by the police before anything crazy (read “interesting”) could happen.

I'm not saying Merida should be avoided. It is the regional transport hub and likely any tourist to the region will have to at least pass through the city. Getting stuck there for a night wouldn't be the end of the world, but time should not be taken out of a busy tourist itinerary to visit the city.