Michael Powell's Blog, page 98

The Parque Centenario & Mérida’s Zoo

It’s a considerable hike from the city center, but the Parque Centernario (Centennial Park) on the west side of Mérida certainly warrants the effort, or the cost of a taxi, if only to pay a visit to the zoo which hosts a surprising number of exotic animals.

Like so much in Mérida, the zoo is completely free to visit… which, of course, immediately sets alarm bells a-ringin’. I mean, I love free stuff, but how well are animals really going to be cared for in a zoo funded solely by the city? Inde...

A Concise History of the Yucatán

The phrase “Yucatecan history” inevitably conjures images of the ancient Maya, who constructed out of limestone and ingenuity one of the most fascinating civilizations mankind has ever known. The Maya might be the most brilliant piece of the puzzle, but there are others. Here’s our drastically concise rundown of the peninsula’s story.

66 Million BC
The dinosaurs are wiped out by a massive meteoric impact, which creates the Chicxulub Crater just off the coast of the Yucatán.


13000 BC
Having crosse...

The Museo de la Ciudad in Mérida

Mérida’s grand former post office, just a couple blocks southeast of the Plaza Grande, is now home to a museum which introduces the city and its history.

When we decided to move to the Yucatán, it was because of the Maya ruins, the warm winter and great beaches. We knew nothing about Mérida itself, and only chose it as a base because we’d heard that it was the peninsula’s largest and best-connected city. But within almost no time, we had advanced from total ignorance to decently knowledgeable...

The Plaza Grande and the Casa de Montejo

The Plaza Grande is the heart of Mérida, and an exhausting day of sightseeing can be had just by visiting the buildings which surround it. After visiting the city cathedral on the east and the Palacio del Gobierno on the north, we cut straight across the plaza to check out the Casa de Montejo on the south.

Known officially as the Plaza de la Independencia and alternatively as the Plaza Mayor, the Plaza Grande is by far the best spot to become acquainted with Mérida. Whether to enjoy an ice cre...

El Palacio del Gobierno in Mérida

On the northern edge of the Plaza Grande, catty-corner from the city cathedral, is the Palacio del Gobierno. Built in 1892, the key-lime-colored mansion should be among your first stops during a visit to Mérida.

What makes the Palacio del Gobierno so special, and of particular interest to Yucatán newcomers, is the Salón de la Historia on the second floor. Here, Mérida-born painter Fernando Castro Pacheco has brought the history of the Yucatán to vibrant life in a brilliant series of murals.

Fro...

El Catedral de Yucatán

Completed in 1599, the Cathedral of the Yucatán in central Mérida is the second-oldest cathedral in the New World, beaten out only by the Dominican Republic’s Santa María la Menor. Four hundred years after its founding, this incredible church is still the focal point of the city.

Apart from its tremendous size, the cathedral’s most striking aspect is its sobriety. The facade is very plain, with almost no decoration or ornamental flourishes. Maybe the Spaniards didn’t want to overwhelm the loca...

Mérida – Capital of the Yucatán

A gorgeous colonial-era city of nearly a million people, Mérida is the capital of the Yucatán and will be our home for the next three months. Despite its size, it’s a city mostly overlooked by travelers. In fact, before deciding to move to the Yucatán, we had never even heard of it! But we’ve chosen well. Mérida is an invigorating city filled with historical sights, hectic markets, friendly locals, relatively few foreigners and an unbelievably active cultural life.

Mérida was officially founde...

Bienvenidos… ¡al Yucatán!

The Yucatán Peninsula, a land of pristine beaches, caves and mind-blowing Maya heritage, will be our home for the next 91 days. We’ll be based in Mérida, the peninsula’s largest city, but plan on exploring everything this amazing region in southern México has to offer: the history, food, jungles, colonial haciendas, Maya ruins, traditional art, music and dance, underground limestone lakes, flamingos y mucho más.

After toughing out the previous 91 days in Iceland, where we ogled icebergs in the...

Sjáumst Síðar, Iceland

The daylight hours were growing shorter, but we took our leave of Iceland before the true onset of winter, when the country would be plunged into a period of almost unbroken darkness. For us, Iceland was all about the light. A light which powered unbelievably long summer days. Which fought through clouds to reflect off an glacier and momentarily blind us. Which illuminated unforgettable vistas of mountains, fjords and waterfalls. This light, which shone on a country that didn’t need anywhere...

And Finally, We Climb a Glacier

Almost inconceivably, we had lived in Iceland for three months without having been on a glacier. These massive chunks of ice account for over ten percent of the surface area, and exert enormous influence over life on the island. Had we totally neglected them, our exploration of the country would have been truly incomplete. And so, on our final Icelandic excursion, we struck off across the ice.

We arrived at Skaftafell bright and early on a Saturday morning. Yes, I said “bright”. In stark contr...