Mérida 15-16 November

We left Uxmal at 10:30 and turned north. An easy drive, not much traffic in the towns along the way except the ever-present Coca Cola trucks and the small three wheeled motorcycle taxis.







Before long we crossed the state border into Yucatan. and very quickly were following the periferico (ringroad) around the city.





Carefully watching the Guia Roji, Churchs' directions and the GPS we were sure we would have no trouble finding the centrally located RV Park. At the last minute we realised that the intersection we had been so carefully watching for was now an overpass and we had just missed the exit we needed! We took the exit for the north coast; we're now on the right road but going in the wrong direction! A kilometer or perhaps less we found a retorno (legal U-turn) and backtracked. As we passed under the perifrico, the exit we should have taken now joining this street on our right we were back where we should have been.

Churchs' book noted that if the new entrance from the Liverpool mall was complete, access would be easy from there. As we waited for the traffic light at that intersection we noticed a small wooden sign with an arrow pointing to a narrow gate on our immediate right. The light changed, traffic began to move and so we turned right, alongside the Liverpool.

The new entrance hadn't even been started! Now we were alongside a shopping centre on the wrong side of the traffic light. As usual in Mexico, and in many big cities, returning the few hundred meters wasn't quite that simple; We did manage to turn around without disconnecting the jeep, a bonus, but were again north bound on the divided street looking for the same retorno we had just used!

This time around we made the right angle turn and crawled slowly along the track into the RV Park. In spite of all, we arrived at the Rainbow RV Park in Mérida at noon. At least we supposed it was the Rainbow RV Park. There were no signs saying so, but it was in the right place.

There was one other rig here, a small trailer and van with Ontario Plates that we thought we recognised from Saltillo, our first stop in Mexico this trip.

We quickly had the jeep disconnected, the motor home parked and leveled, slides out power, water and sewer connected, the Satellite dish up and dogs walked--it was time for lunch!

We had planned to spend two nights here as there was a possibility of internet (which we could never get to work) and Merida was reportedly a beautiful city. The rest of the day we lazed around, visited with William and Robert who were of course the people we had met in Saltillo some weeks before and Art went shopping for water and a few groceries, a trip that almost deserves a post on its own:


The Chedraui, the store he set off for, he didn't find, noticing the sign as he drove by it, but spotted another supermarket just across the street, so of course took the next retorno. Except this led him into a lane with a barrier not allowing him into the right lane until he had passed the one open entrance. There was another further along but it was blocked off due to construction!

Deciding that perhaps there was a side entrance he turned right at the end of the block. No such luck. Well, nothing for it but to turn right again and go around the block. He was soon in a residential area with very narrow streets and tight 90 degree corners. However he eventually made the required third right turn, in spite of the many one way streets and eventually found himself in the far right lane approaching the shopping centre. Being careful not to turn into the drive out lane of a fast food place, he took the next right and found himself alongside the mall parking lot with a high curb between them! Not to worry, ahead he notice cars exiting the lot onto the street ahead so he carried on. To find it an Exit Only! Fortunately, this was a two way street and he was able to make a U-turn utilizing a couple of small driveways and back on the main street, found the mall entrance.

By time he was done and north bound again for the RV Park traffic had built up and the sun was beginning to set. Good thing he had had a couple of practice runs at the returno north of the periferico because that is were he was going again, arriving back at the motorhome just as darkness fell.

Next morning we put the dogs in the jeep and went into Centro. William had given us a good tip for finding the centre of town using the Garmin Mexico map on the GPS: Just select CITY (in this case Mérida) as the destination and press GO. It takes you right to the Zocalo (Town Square) usually in the centre of tow, near the Cathedral, frequently a market, just where we wanted to to be.

And it worked perfectly, though the route seemed to be round about, it was seemingly the best way in. Finding a parking space was difficult, and spent some time driving around in circles (well squares or rectangles to be accurate) but eventually we found a space in a private lot where we arranged to have the car washed as well.





First on the agenda; we found a restaurant opposite the Zocalo and settled in for lunch. Trekker was quite interested in Gillian's. The dogs as usual got a lot of attention. A couple of Japanese girls working in the city to learn Spanish stopped to admire the dogs, we found it amusing to chat with them in Spanish!






After a great meal we spent some more time wandering around on foot with the dogs, taking a few photos and just being tourists.








A couple of places made us feel right at home!







The GPS took us back to the motorhome in almost a straight line! We realised that traffic congestion had mandated one way streets, and finding streets wide enough had determined the in bound route. Along the way we stopped at the Chedraui for something that had been forgotten on yesterday's trip and arrived home once again via the by now well known retorno and again at dusk.


Tomorrow a short drive to the small town of Piste, near the famous Chichen Itzá ruins.