B’ix a bèel? Ma’alob’, utz tèech? B’ey xan tèen. ****

Ek Balam: Dona Celestina (left) who only speaks Maya

Sounds Greek to me, the old saying goes. But, to almost one million people on the Yucatán Peninsula this conversation sounds normal – it’s Yucatec Maya, the indigenous language they speak at home.

How are you? Good, and you? Same with me!

Each Tuesday and Thursday evening, I greet my teacher at Mérida’s Academia Municipal de la Lengua Maya Itzamná with these same words. Named after the creator god of Mayan mythology, Itzamná, this publicly funded school attracts hundreds of students, most of them locals but also a few foreigners like me.

My teacher - Maria Josefina Citom Pool

Imagine this: almost five centuries after the Spanish enslaved the Maya and burned all their books, this beautiful language endures!

I have wanted to learn Yucatec Maya ever since I spent three weeks volunteering in the village of Ek Balam near Valladolid. Three times a day I went to the homes of different families with whom I shared my daily meals, which were always prepared by the grandmothers – las abuelitas. More often than not, they didn’t speak Spanish, only Maya. We couldn’t communicate directly, and smiles and nods only get you so far, I am sad to say. Their children translated for us because the middle-aged generation is fluent in both Spanish and Maya. I hated this barrier and said to myself, Some day I will learn Maya!

Fellow students practicing

Native speakers call the language Màaya t’àan, which means “Maya speech.” Linguists added the tag, Yucatec, to distinguish this Mayan tongue from the 27 other ones found in the Mesoamerican countries. All together, 6 million indigenous Maya in the Mexican states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas, and in Guatemala, Belize and Honduras speak a Mayan language.

B’ix a k’àab’a'? (What’s your name?)

In k’àab’a'e’ Jorge. (My name is George.)

Uts teech? (And yours?)

In k’àab’a'e’ ixka’ansaje Maria Josefina Citom Pool. (My name is teacher Maria Josefina Citom Pool.)

Jach ki’imak in wóol in wilikech. (Pleased to meet you!)

Some of my English students in Ek Balam

With each passing year, fewer and fewer young Mexicans of Mayan descent speak the language of their ancestors. My school, which stands south of the Main Square near the Church of La Ermita de Santa Isabel, is attempting to reverse that trend. Among the other 15 students in my class are a group of university students. Actually, I’m not the only foreigner in the beginners’ class: Raphael is from San Francisco, California and plays the viola in the Yucatán Symphony. Married to a Yucatecan, he’s as eager to learn Maya as I am. Already, he answers questions confidently and quickly.

What will she speak - Maya, Spanish, or English?

If you saw Mel Gibson’s movie, Apocalypto, you also heard Yucatec Maya. Native speaker Hilario Chi Canul from the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto in Quintana Roo state translated the script from English into Maya and served the actors as language coach. Whatever your opinion is of Gibson and this film, it has served to bring the Mayan language to a wide audience.

Yucatec Maya sounds nothing like Spanish and in some ways shares “hard sounds” like “ch” with Germanic languages such as English. My brain aches by the end of each class – I’m learning a foreign language in a different foreign language; all of Maestra Maria Josefina’s explanations come first in Maya and, if we don’t understand, then in Spanish. English doesn’t enter the picture unless Raphael secretly explains our assignments to me.

Merida: My school, Academia Municipal de la Lengua Maya

Want to hear what Yucatec Maya sounds like? Click here.

Do I really think that I will speak Maya after completing this class? No, I’m afraid not. But, I’ve begun to recognize words that I hear on the street and this is progress.

I look forward to the day that I can return to Ek Balam, walk up to the house that Doña Celestina shares with her family and say,

Ba’ax ka wa’alik? Ko’ox hana! (What’s up? Let’s eat!)

**** Pronunciation Guide:

B’ix a bèel? (Beesh ah bell?) How are you?

Ma’alob’, utz tèech? (Mah ah loh. Ootz tay etch?) Good, and you?

B’ey xan tèen. (Beh eh shan tay ehn.) Same with me.

Ba’ax ka wa’alik?  (Bah ash ka wah ahlik?) What’s up?

Ko’ox hana! (Koh ohsh hah nah!) Let’s eat!

Academia Municipal de la Lengua Maya Itzamná

Address: Calle 64-A No. 536 between 77 and 79, Ermita. Mérida, Yucatán, C.P. 97000

Tel: +52 (999) 924-0841

Tuition: MX$500/US$50 for two two-hour classes weekly for five months.

Additional Information: Classes are taught in Maya and Spanish. The instructor is unlikely to speak English.

Merida: Monument to the Flag, the backdrop for Swan Lake

Music and dance performances top my list of fun stuff to do this week when visiting Mérida. Folk, Big Band, classical, and opera music will all be heard streaming from concert halls and public spaces nightly.

Monday, March 28, 9:00 pm: Fernando Delgadillo – in Concert. What? You’ve never heard of Mexican singer Fernando Delgadillo? Ok…I hadn’t either until I saw that he was coming to Mérida. Delgadillo is the creator and major interpreter of the Mexican music style called “Informal Song,” which, to me, sounds like ‘60s folk music. Here’s a video of him singing. If you can’t make it to the concert, don’t worry: you can buy the special limited edition collection, 25 Years, which includes 13 CDs, T-shirt, and certificate of authenticity personally autographed by Delgadillo. For Further Information: Teatro Armando Manzanero; www.fdelgadillo.com.mx; scaenaproducciones@gmail.com; +52 (999) 900-6890

Tuesday, March 29, 8:30 pm: Remembranzas Musicales. Each evening, the City of Mérida sponsors free music and dance events in different parks in the Historic Center. Remembranzas Musicales, or Musical Remembrances, takes place every Tuesday in Parque de Santiago on Calle 72 at 59. A great crowd fills the square, dancing to the Big Band sounds of the Jarana Orchestra. Take a break from dancing and enjoy coffee and dessert at Restaurante Flor de Santiago. Cost: Free

Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, 7:00 pm: Swan Lake, the National Ballet of Cuba. For a ballet “bunhead” like me, it doesn’t get any better than this: Alicia Alonzo’s National Ballet of Cuba dancing the full-length classic, Swan Lake in a FREE performance. The 62-member company will perform on a temporary stage in front of the Monument of the Flag on Paseo de Montejo – now, that’s a backdrop! Get there early – I’m not the only balletomane in Mérida. The company will also perform in Chetumal, Cozumel, Villahermosa, and Cancun on its southeastern Mexico tour. Cost: Free

Saturday, April 2, 12:00 noon: Metropolitan Opera Live Simulcast – Tosca. Thank you, Opera Yucatán! You have made it possible for Méridanos to watch the live opera transmissions beamed out monthly from New York City to locations around the world, including 15 cities in Mexico. Arrive at 11:30 am for an informal chat about Tosca (in Spanish, of course). Location: Siglo XXI Convention Center, Sala 3, Calle 60 Norte #299-E Ex-Codemex, Col. Revolución, between Gran Plaza and Liverpool shopping malls. For Further Information, including ticket prices: operayucatan.org, contacto@operayucatan.org

Hacienda Yaxcopoil: Double Moorish arch

Yucatán’s long and storied history of economic boom and bust cycles is nowhere more apparent than in the haciendas that dot the back roads near Mérida in southeastern Mexico. Built in the century following the overthrow of the Maya in the 1540s or in the 19^th century, the haciendas – former plantations, really – can be quiet or bustling, abandoned or reconstructed, but they always create a romantic and sometimes mysterious atmosphere. Visiting these rural properties is so popular among tourists on the Yucatán Peninsula that a Hacienda Route driving tour has been mapped out that features well-marked signage on state highways.

In the 19^th century, these plantations dominated the world’s production of henequén, which brought untold riches to their owners who created lavish homes for themselves. Henequén, the fiber better known as sisal, was used worldwide to produce just about every rope used on ships and farms, and in factories. The industry collapsed in the mid-20^th century with the invention of plastic and the haciendas were abandoned, destroying the local economy. Over the decades, the elegant homes and sometimes even more beautiful processing plants became sad but atmospheric ruins.

Hacienda Temozon, Swimming Pool

By the 1990s, the haciendas’ owners and smart investors realized that the properties represented a golden opportunity to expand tourism on the Yucatán Peninsula. Nowadays, recreated small-scale henequén plantations, museums, restaurants, and hotels occupy the former plantations and welcome visitors from around the globe.

Closest to Mérida is the Hacienda Xcanatun, located 6 miles north on the busy highway that leads to the coastal port town of Progreso. Opened in 2000 after a five-year restoration, this luxury hotel also is home to Casa de Piedra restaurant, which is one of the area’s finest.

Rising just off the toll road between Mérida and Cancún, the Hacienda Teya was built in 1683 by the Countess de Miraflores. It is a popular site for weddings and other special events, where guests can explore the 1905 machine house, spice garden, and San Ildefonso chapel, which houses reproductions of paintings by artists Velazquez and El Greco.

Hacienda Temozon

Near Valladolid stands the Hacienda San Miguel, now privately restored and operating “cabañas ecoturisticas.” These bungalows share the property with a still-active chapel and a charmingly noisy flock of turkeys, ducks, and geese.

The three Starwood hotels  – Temozón, Santa Rosa, and San José Cholul – offer luxury accommodations in haciendas reclaimed by Mexican billionaire, Roberto Hernandez. They provide excellent home bases from which to explore the region’s many attractions, with first-class dining and spas adding to your vacation experience. U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both visited Temozón and their photos are prominently displayed in the hotel lobby. My pampered stay there, in a former administrative building, is among the fondest memories of my time in Yucatán.

Hacienda Yaxcopoil: Henequen processing building

The most evocative of the haciendas is Yaxcopoil, which appears virtually untouched since the 19^th century. Once among Yucatán’s largest henequén producers, Yaxcopoil originally extended across 22,000 acres of land and still remains in the same family that purchased it in 1864. Today, the caretaker (who himself used to work in the plantation’s packing plant) leads unpretentious tours through the main house with its imported European furniture, a small museum of Mayan artifacts found on the site, and the looming processing facilities. Several rooms are available for rent and come with meals hand-cooked by the caretaker’s wife.

Campeche: Hacienda San Antonio Yaxche

Hacienda Sotuta de Peon has the most touristic development, with slow-moving horse-drawn rail car rides through replanted henequén fields. Bus tours from Mérida include the ride plus transportation, lunch, and visits to the hacienda’s recreated typical Mayan house, gardens, and cenote, the entrance to an underground river.

Representative of the hundreds of now-abandoned haciendas is Hacienda San Antonio Yaxche in northern Campeche state. The ruins stand near the old Mérida-Campeche highway south of Uxmal and Santa Elena on a two-lane road that leads to the Mayan archeological site of Xcalumkin. You can wander through the decaying main house, its ceiling long since collapsed, and understand just what effort it has taken for Yucatán’s entrepreneurs to restore the beautiful buildings. On the day I was there, a herd of pigs rutted noisily in the former garden.

Hacienda Chichen Itza

Hacienda Chichén Itzá possesses what is likely the richest history of all the haciendas. The yellow-painted main house, built as the haciendado’s home in the 16^th century, now contains the lobby, restaurant, and library of the famous Hotel Hacienda Chichén Itzá and Yaxchin Spa. The graceful structure, which is constructed of stones from destroyed Mayan buildings, was the center of a wide-ranging colonial economic enterprise, a cattle ranch.

In 1895, Edward H. Thompson, the American archeologist who first explored Chichén Itzá, purchased about 100 square miles of land that included both the ruins and the hacienda. The next generation of scholars, from the legendary Carnegie Institution’s first Mayan Research Expedition, lived in cottages interspersed throughout the reclaimed gardens – hotel guests now overnight in these same quarters. Owned since the mid 20^th century by Yucatán’s pioneering tourism family, the Barbachanos, Hacienda Chichén Itzá has once again been reinvented. The hotel has received global recognition for its green practices, preservation of flora and fauna, and support for indigenous Maya education, health, and economic development.

Hacienda Chichen Itza: The author's students

I admit my prejudice: Hacienda Chichén Itzá is my personal favorite. I like it so much, in fact, that I spent a month living there as a volunteer English teacher and gave classes to the hotel’s staff. You can read the story of this amazing experience at yucatantoday.com.

During my childhood in California, I used to make my parents stop at every historical marker that we would drive by on vacation road trips. I guess I haven’t changed so much – a journey with me along the Hacienda Route moves slowly and is punctuated with frequent stops. But – I assure you – we won’t regret making a single one.

Merida: Teatro Armando Manzanero

This week presents a hodgepodge of fun activities for visitors to Merida. If you’re fortunate enough to be spending a few days in the Yucatan state capital you can choose from events as varied as a parade of horse-drawn carriages carrying local artists and a good old-fashioned chili cookoff.

Monday, March 21 to Sunday, March 28: The 9th International Festival of Intimate Theater. Organized and hosted by El Centro de Investigación Escénica El Teatrito, the 2011 festival, called International Encounter: Roots, brings to Mérida theater companies from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela. El Teatrito is located at Calle 25 # 91 at the corner of 14th, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida. For Further Information: http://elteatrito.com/; info@elteatrito.com; +52 (999) 178-0796

Wednesday, March 23, 9:00 pm: Yucatán Youth Symphonic Orchestra Concert. Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Yucatán performs in a concert titled, Three Grand Pianists, at the Teatro Armando Manzanero. On the bill are musicians from Spain and Austria who will play works by Mozart and Beethoven. Watch the young musicians in action on this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo7OU_tF6bQ. Cost: Adults, $50 pesos. Students with ID and Senior Citizens, $30 pesos. For Further Information: Teatro Armando Manzanero

Wednesday, March 23, 8:00 pm: Carteles Cinematográficos – an exhibition of film posters. This family-friendly event takes place in the Centro Cultural José Marti, one of Mérida’s most active arts centers, in Parque de las Américas. Cost: Free. For Further Information: +52 (999) 1719-3000; ccjosemarti@cultura.df.gob.mx

Saturday, March 26, 7:00 pm: Lo Nuestro – Parade of Yucatecan Artists in Carriages.  Imagine this: Mérida is honoring its artists by giving them a parade! They will ride in horse-drawn carriages from the Monument to the Flag and to El Remate, which is the square at the foot of Paseo de Montejo. Stick around after the parade and enjoy the weekly Noche Mexicana, a street party with music, dancing, food stalls, and craft stands. Cost: Free

Sunday, March 27, 12:00 pm: Annual Chili Cookoff and Bazaar benefiting Mérida English Language Library. Local expatriates meet up each year for an old-fashioned chili cookoff, which is a largest fundraiser of the year for this Mexican not-for-profit organization.  Taste some chili, shop at the antiques and artisans’ bazaar and support this important local resource. Location: At the home of the U.S. Consul: Calle 33 No. 378-A between 6 and 4, Col. Montebello. Admission: $100 pesos for adults, $50 pesos for children. Tickets are on sale in advance at the library. For Further Information: http://www.meridaenglishlibrary.com/; +52 (999) 924-8401; meridaenglishlibrary@hotmail.com

Merida: Lucha Libre - Psycho Clown and Jack Evans

The clown hurtles through the air and lands loudly, crushing the chest of the gymnast who now lies prostrate on the floor.

Kapow! Boff! Zap! Whamm! Crash!

Watching Lucha Libre – Mexican-style wrestling – is like landing in the middle of a Batman fight scene, complete with exclamation points.

No one will believe that I, of all people, have come to Mérida’s Poliforum Zamná, no one except my young German friend, Lucas – also known in Lucha Libre circles as AstroBoy. We met when I was teaching English and he, German, to the employees of Hotel Hacienda Chichén Itzá. Little did I know then that he would soon become a star on the underground Lucha circuit of Chetumal, the capital of Mexico’s Quintana Roo.

Merida: Lucha Libre - Dancing girls warm up the crowd

But, thanks to Lucas I have stepped far out of my comfort zone in Merida‘s Santiago neighborhood and waded into a crowd of screaming Yucatecan fans surrounding a boxing ring in the center of this indoor sports arena. Today’s star luchadores: Cibernetico and La Parka vs. Silver King and Chessman; and Psycho Clown, Murder Clown, and Monsther Clown vs. Jack Evans, Aerostar, and Super Fly.

When I arrive, leering men are crowding up to the ring’s edge, angling for a closer look at the gyrating dancing girls who entertain the crowd between bouts and are as much a part of the lurid spectacle as the wrestlers themselves. I take a seat on a folding chair at the crowd’s edge, order a beer from a waiter, and buy some unhealthy snacks from a passing vendor. I’m going to need some fortification and lubrication if I am going to survive this afternoon.

Merida: Lucha Libre - Woman, man, or both?

Lights flash on the other side of the arena. Smoke billows from hidden machinery. Through the bright haze, shadowy, costumed and bewigged luchadores emerge, looking like toy action figures come awkwardly to life. The announcer’s deep, booming voice announces each one. The crowd – not just men, but women and children, too – roar as each wrestler climbs through the ropes and into the ring.

Kapow! Boff! Zap! Cibernetico and La Parka attack Silver King and Chessman, heaving themselves from the tops of the corner posts directly onto the backs of their opponents. One of them, dressed as a woman, is actually a man in drag, I am certain. Lucha knows no gender identity boundaries, and I kind of like that. The stocky referee pushes himself between Cibernetico and Silver King, averting a potentially bloody moment, and draws the wrath of both wrestlers.

Merida: Lucha Libre - Member of Team Psycho Circus

Next up: Psycho Clown, Murder Clown, and Monsther Clown.

I suspect that I hate clowns because of my forced early exposure to Emmett Kelly during those hours when my parents would check me into the Kids’ Entertainment Center at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe while they gambled nearby.  Kelly’s Weary Willie character and his sad-sack face were not so much frightening as depressing. And, maybe I’m still a little resentful that he never gave me one of the chalk self-portraits he whipped up during the shows.

Nevertheless, clowns creep me out like nothing else and here I am, sitting yards away from three of the biggest, baddest, and ugliest ones I’ve ever seen.

Whamm! Crash! Psycho Clown – or is it Murder Crown? – hurtles through he air and lands loudly, crushing the chest of Jack Evans who now lies prostrate on the floor. No! Not poor little Jack – he’s the only normal looking one in the bunch. Not to worry, Jack is too crafty and speedy for a hulking clown to defeat him.

Merida: Lucha Libre - Jack Evans plots his revenge.

But, Jack’s valiant efforts are for naught. The referee declares the three clowns of the Psycho Circus team the winners.

The crowd boos. I join them.

Never fear, Jack, Aerostar, and Super Fly!

I will tune in tomorrow – Same Lucha Time, Same Lucha Channel.

Merida: Lucha Libre - What luchadores like AstroBoy eat

Merida: Hennessy's Irish Pub, the Polo Bar

¡Erin go bragh!

St. Patrick’s Day in Mexico? That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Along with the rest of the country, Merida celebrates Dia de San Patricio – this year on Thursday, March 17 – and not just for the obvious reason that Irish culture and beer are beloved worldwide. There’s an even more important link between Mexico and St. Patrick.

Mexico honors the members of St. Patrick’s Battalion, who fought on the Mexican side during the war with the United States from 1846-1848. Several hundred soldiers, including many Irish immigrants, deserted or defected from the U.S. Army for reasons historians still debate today. Almost 50 were court-martialed by the victorious Americans who sentenced them to death by hanging; even more had died in the combat. In Mexico, the San Patricios, as they are called, are honored as martyrs. The country pays tribute to them on September 12, the anniversary of their executions, and on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day.

I can suggest three places to go in Merida where you can toast the Irish saint or your favorite Irishman on the greenest of all holidays:

Hennessy’s Irish Pub opened in late 2010 and is already a popular hangout on Paseo de Montejo for expats and upscale Meridanos. On St. Patrick’s Day, they will crowd into the pub’s Irish Writers’ Room, a billiard room, the spacious outdoor courtyard, and the intimate Polo Bar. For Further Information:  http://hennessysirishpub.com/index.shtml

St Patrick’s Bar will also be packed on March 17 with an enthusiastic crowd drinking one of the 40 beers offered here, many of them from Ireland. St Patrick’s is located at Calle 32 #55 at Calle 57, Colonia San Antonio Cucul in Mérida. For Further Information: +53 (999) 217-4794

Zamna Hotel, on Calle 53 between 70 and 72 in Merida’s Centro, will host a “Night with Elegance,” a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner, commencing at 7:30 pm. The three-course Irish repast includes Mushroom and Leek Soup, Kerry Meatloaf served with rich onion gravy, Colcannon cabbage and creamed potatoes, and Connemara spiced Apple Pie with cream. The price per person is $125 pesos, about $10 USD. Tickets should be purchased in advance at the hotel reception and will not be available at the door on the night of the dinner. For Further Information: www.casazamna.webs.com

If St. Patrick’s Day just isn’t your thing (or you’ve still got energy after celebrating), on Friday, March 18 at 5:00 pm go to MACAY’s Gallery 16 and watch young art students work on their latest creations at The Artist is in the House. For further informationr http://macay.org/.

Merida’s baseball season opens on Saturday, March 19 at 6:00 pm in Parque Kukulkan with the local team, the Leones (The Lions) facing off against Campeche’s Piratas (The Pirates). For further information, http://www.leonesdeyucatan.com.mx.

The 2^nd Annual Merida Showcase of Homes takes place on Sunday, March 20, at 3:00 pm. A benefit fundraiser for the HIV/AIDS nonprofit, Brazos Abiertos, the event features tours of private homes in the Santiago neighborhood and a reception with cash bar at the organization’s HIV Education and Prevention Center. Tickets cost $250 pesos, or about $20 USD. For Further Information: http://www.hivyucatan.org/en/events.html

“Hey, Mistah! Throw me something!” According to my friend Joan, this is what the crowds scream at the people on Mardi Gras floats in her native New Orleans

Now, they are screaming it at me. But, they’re speaking Spanish, I’m in Mérida and here they call it Carnaval.

I oblige. Handfuls of gold-covered chocolate doubloons, lollipops, and that most coveted item – cheap, glittery green, gold, purple, and silver bead necklaces – fly from my hand.

Riding on top of an open-air double-decker bus, I am traveling down the Carnaval parade route that follows Paseo de Montejo into Mérida’s Historic Center. It’s Friday night and this is the Parade of the Corsos, which somehow means both “Carnaval Parade,” or “Corsican.” Take your pick of meanings: Parade of the Corsicans or Parade of the Carnaval Parade. Maybe I don’t know what “Corsos” means, but I do know that my eyes are hidden by a silver mask, my neck is weighted down with necklaces and leis, I’m sporting a green hat covered in sequins, and thousands of people are calling out to me!

Merida: Carnaval 2011, "Throws" for the crowd

Mérida’s annual pre-Lenten Carnaval celebration is one of the most important events on the city’s social calendar. Of the many interpretations of the word “Carnaval,” the one I like best is “a farewell to the flesh.” This is the last week that observant Christians can eat meat, enjoy pleasantries such as cakes, cookies, and candy, get drunk, and generally embarrass themselves with rather un-Christian displays of debauchery.

Earlier this evening, I joined a large group of mostly expatriates and climbed aboard a red tour bus. It’s the same Turibus that I see frequently during the day plying the streets around the Main Square and carrying a load of sunburned tourists on its open-air upper deck, where I am now sitting. Our host this evening is Tom Williams, the affable owner of the #1-rated hotel, Luz en Yucatan, although tonight he is costumed as a bishop on Easter Sunday, all white and gold. Floats shaped like sailing ships – a nod to the Corsicans and the pirates called corsairs, I guess – line up before us, carrying scantily clad dancing girls, rotund Carnaval kings, cute little kids, and even the Burger King. Our Turibus follows them, the last vehicle in the parade, and while not quite a float this is probably the closest I am ever going to get to riding on one. Our group is well known from previous years for the lavishness of its “throws,” as the candy and necklaces are known in Carnaval lingo.

Merida: Carnaval 2011, Float

The parade starts at the Monument of the Flag and passes some of my favorite places in Mérida: Hotel Rosas & Xocolate, Hennessy’s Irish Pub, and the Anthropology Museum. Along the route, stages have been erected, each featuring its own emcees, musicians, and dancers; between them, an endless procession of food carts offer tacos al pastor, waffles, and French fries. Everywhere you look, there’s beer, beer, and more beer – in cans, bottles, kegs, overflowing plastic cups, and on the soggy shirtfront of more than one unsteady Méridano.

As we approach the Fiesta Americana and Hyatt Regency hotels, our Turibus shudders to a halt. My fellow revelers and I peer over the side to see what has happened. The driver tries to restart the engine. And fails! The parade pulls away, leaving a growing gap between the brightly decorated floats and us.

Merida: Carnaval 2011, Dancing Girls

Is there anything sadder than a broken down Carnaval float? A tow truck hooks onto our front bumper. The crowd shouts catcalls. How quickly they have turned on us! We limp onto a side street and are towed back to the staging area. We have missed out on our triumphal entrance into the Main Square, and now carry forlorn bags of un-thrown “throws”.

Good thing that on Wednesday I had attended the ceremony called the “Burning of the Bad Moods.” Nothing can stop me from enjoying this Carnaval night in Mérida. I wade into the dense, undulating crowd and make my way down the Paseo toward home. No worries – I’ve still got four more days of parades and parties before we burn the effigy of Juan Carnaval on Ash Wednesday and begin our Lenten fasts.

Merida: Carnaval 2011 - Tom with the King of Carnaval

Merida: Carnaval 2011, The author in front of a parade float

If you’re still standing after all dancing in the streets at last week’s Carnaval parades DON’T STOP NOW! Carnaval continues on Monday and Tuesday and ends, sadly, on Wednesday, March 9. For further information see my Carnaval overview.

On Thursday, March 10, look for my next blog and hear the story of my evening riding in the Carnaval parade and its unexpected ending.

After all the Carnaval partying, you might want to turn down the volume on your Merida vacation and explore some of the more refined offerings in the lovely capital of Mexico’s Yucatan state: lovely homes and gardens, an intriguing contemporary art exhibit, and the Marilyn Monroe Film Festival.

Wednesday, March 9, 9:45 am: Centro Historico House and Garden Tour. One of the most popular walking tours of Merida is offered by the English Language Library and tour guide Keith Heitke: the House and Garden Tour. Participants gather at the Library for an introductory chat with Heitke who explains the history of Merida’s colonial and henequen-era history home building and gives an overview of architectural styles. Heitke then takes the group to 3-5 fine private homes and B&Bs, which normally are not open to the public. Frequently, the owners themselves will greet you and tell their stories of renovating centuries-old buildings in the Historic Center.

Event: Centro Historic House and Garden Tour

Tour dates: Wednesday, March 9 (also through the end of the month), 9:45 am to approximately 12:30 pm

Price: MX$200/US$20

Payment: Cash

Location: Tour departs from the English Language Library, Calle 53 No. 524, between 66 and 68, Historic Center

For Further Information: House and Garden Tour; +52 (999) 924-8401; Meridaenglishlibrary.com; Meridaenglishlibrary@hotmail.com or kheitke@worldstudioinc.com

Friday, March 11, 6:00 pm: 4th Festival of Dance of the Golden Years. Judging from the photos, the event at Teatro Daniel Ayala celebrates dancers who have kept moving well past the ages at which others had retired. Go, senior dancers! Wait, this COULD be me. Admission: Free. For Further Information: Compania Umbral Danza Contemporanea

Friday, March 11, 7:00 pm: Opening Reception for Soho Galleries’ Exhibit, Erotica and Fantasy. Who says that Merida is a conservative city? Cutting edge art is found in the Yucatan, too, at Soho Galleries in the Santa Ana neighborhood. This esteemed gallery turns up the heat with an exhibition of fantasy and erotic-themed art created by artists from Mexico, Cuba, France, and Italy. The show runs through May 31, 2011.

Event: Erotic and Fantasy Art Exhibit

Location: Soho Galleries, Calle 60 No. 400A between 43 and 41, Centro

Admission: Free

For Further Information: Soho Galleries; Tel. +52 (999) 928-5710; info@sohogalleriesmx.com; www.sohogalleriesmx.com

Saturday, March 12, 5:00 pm: The Marilyn Monroe Film Festival. Merida’s celebration of Marilyn Monroe continues with Monkey Business (Me Siento Rejuvenecer in Spanish). Howard Hawks’ 1952 tells the story of a chimpanzee, a Fountain of Youth serum, and the madcap hijinks caused by the inventor’s secretary played by Monroe. Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers also star (97 min.).

Location: Cineteca Nacional “Manuel Barbachano Ponce” in the Teatro Armando Manzanero, Calle 62 No. 495 between 59 and 61, Centro, CP 97000, Mérida, Yucatán

Tickets: Free admission

Further Information: Teatro Armando Manzanero;+52 (999) 930-4700, Ext. 54019; manuel.may@Yucatan.gob.mx

The best thing to do this week in Merida, March 2-9,  is obvious: Carnaval, the pre-Lenten mad party known as Mardi Gras in French and Fasching in German. Whatever you call it, it’s a non-stop fiesta during the week before the Christian holyday, Ash Wednesday. In 2011, we celebrate Merida’s Carnaval from March 2 to 9 with parades, kings and queens, and performances and dances.

This year’s theme is Carnival City, which means that, as with Pasadena’s famous Rose Bowl Parade, all the floats in the five parades will try to outdo each other with depictions of other global carnival cities. I expect that Venice, New Orleans, and that big Carnaval queen, Rio de Janeiro, will be popular entries.

The celebrations kick off on Wednesday, March 2 with the Burning of the Bad Mood. Got negative juju hanging over your head? Toss it into the fire in front of the Palacio Municipal (Calle 62 between 63 and 61) at 8:00 pm.

Carnaval ends on Ash Wednesday, with another fiery spectacle: the Burning of Juan Carnaval, who represents the spirit of the festival. Also, in front of the Palacio Municipal at 7:00 pm.

The first parade is on Thursday, March 3 at 7:00 pm: the Pre-school Parade. This one has a short route to accommodate these adorable, dressed-up tiny tots. It starts at Palacio Municipal and continues to Parque Santa Lucía at the corner of Calles 55 and 62.

Here’s the schedule of the rest of the nightly parades, which start at the Monumento a la Patria on Paseo de Montejo and end in the Historic Center’s Parque de San Juan at the corner of Calles 62 and 71:

Friday, March 4, 7:00 pm:  Corso Parade

Saturday. March 5, 7:00 pm: Fantasy Parade

Sunday. March 6, 12:00 pm: Party Parade

Monday, March 7, Regional Parade (with local groups representing Yucatan’s towns and villages)

Tuesday, March 8, 12:00 pm: Parade of the Battle of the Flowers

Wade into the crowds that fill Paseo de Montejo and the Historic City and join the revelry. If you like a bit more comfort you can purchase tickets for box seats along the parade route. Buy them at the temporary store set up at Calle 56 No. 495 between 57 and 59 in the Historic Center. Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.  Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Sunday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

For further information, go to http://www.merida.gob.mx/carnaval/ or call +52 (999) 923-1195

Merida: City of Peace Tower

“Aren’t you afraid to visit Mexico?”

When I talk to my friends and family in the United States this is usually the first question they ask me. My answer is always, no, I’m not. The question is a reasonable one: if the American media broadcasts any news about Mexico it’s usually about the drug wars that have engulfed the northern border cities and some places along the Pacific Coast.

“Isn’t it dangerous in Mérida?”

A few weeks ago I noticed that what had been a five-story tall metal Christmas tree was transformed into a gleaming white tower, full of twinkling white lights and doves in flight. The sign in front of it said, Mérida – City of Peace.

In late 2010, Mérida declared its intention to remain the safest city in Mexico by becoming one of 100 Cities of Peace, an international organization of metropolises; Cozumel is the only other Mexican city to make this commitment. Among the qualifications are “having an active and engaged citizenry disseminating a culture of peace and human rights, beginning with the right to life, social justice, and environmental balance.”

The peace celebrations have continued in 2011 with the inauguration of the white tower, raising the International Flag of Peace over Parque de las Americas, and most prominently, a free concert on the Paseo de Montejo on January 29 given by Colombian singing star, Juanes. Some 80,000 people attended the event and the city named Juanes a “Méridano of Honor and Messenger of Peace.”

Merida: Paseo de Montejo at night

“Can you walk around the city at night?”

I first came to Mérida in 1997 and I have never felt unsafe. My little apartment lies near the Plaza Grande, the city’s main square, and I am not afraid to walk on the streets, even to the 24-hour Café La Habana late at night. What I will say, though, is that some neighborhood streets are often totally empty at night, which has alarmed a few of my visiting female friends. There’s no danger, I assure them, it’s just a little creepy – as if a neutron bomb hit Mérida, killing the residents but leaving the buildings intact. But, you don’t have to worry about purse snatchings or pickpockets, I am happy to say.

“I saw a story about all the drug wars in Mexico on TV.”

Mérida is located 1976 miles from Ciudad Juarez, which remains plagued by narcotrafico violence – about the same distance as from Napa, California to Madison, Alabama.  According to yucatantoday.com, Mérida, the country’s 12^th largest city, enjoys the lowest crime rate of any of them. Some have said – and I can’t confirm this – that crime syndicate leaders themselves live with their families in the safe northern neighborhoods of Mérida: that’s why there’s no drug crime in Yucatán. And, in 2010 alone, the Yucatán state police received training from national law enforcement teams from France, Colombia, and Canada.

Merida: Calle 64 near La Ermita

“Will I be safe if I come and visit you?”

Yes, I say to my friends, you will be safe in Mérida…in all of Yucatán, really. The state’s population in 2010 was 1,953,027 – about the same size as West Virginia. USA Today reported last year that Yucatán’s murder rate was 2 per 100,000, about the same as Wyoming and Montana.

As far as I can tell, that means you’re as likely to be killed on a visit to Mérida as you would be on a ski trip to Sun Valley.

No worries, then – just come visit me in this amazing city, state, and country!

Sources:

http://100citiesforpeace.org/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-08-03-Mexico-drug-violence_N.htm?POE=click-refer

http://www.theYucatántimes.com/2011/01/annual-police-report/