As you can see by the map we had to take a bus from Progreso to Merida and then another bus from Merida to Campeche which took another 2.5 hrs. As usual the bus ride was pleasant and the time went quickly,having an English movie playing on the screen also helped the time pass by.
Off the coast of Campeche there are rich oil fields that were discovered in the 1970s and now produce 70% of Mexico's oil. This has increased the fortunes of the region and a lot of money has been put to restoring the Historic Centro of Campeche.
The houses are all freshly painted and the streets are clean and free of clutter.
Campeche is also a UNESCO heritage site as it is a well preserved walled city with ongoing work to keep the walls in good shape.
Here you can see a portion of the wall in the background as well as one of the many street sculptures that are around the city.
Here is another view...
The fortress walls were built to protect the city from pirates who plundered the city of its wealth in the 1600s. People can walk the 3 kms around the walls but unfortunately they were closed when we visited.
We stayed in a neat little hotel in the center of the city just off the main Plaza. It was called Hotel Socaire, a typical Mexican style inn with only 6 rooms.
Don in the door way of the hotel.
The inner courtyard...
Beautifully decorated lobby...
We took a short tourist tram ride around the city to see some of the sights...
One of the old cannons protecting the barrios...
One of many brightly coloured churches...
Another one...I love the yellow against the blue sky!
The city has a beautiful central plaza...
While we stopped for a drink on Sunday afternoon they were setting up for Bingo where everyone brought their own cards and in addition to numbered squares there were also pictures on them. I haven't figured out why?
Waiting for the game to start and they played well into the evening.
It also has a long Malecon...
Lots of old cars....
Of course we tried the local restaurants...
This one ran out of eggs for breakfast so no omelettes for some of us!
OK, what will we order?
Wrong choice! I ordered the local specialty...pan de corzan ( baby shark ) and it was awful.
But....
these coconut shrimp were right on! Campeche is famous for its shrimp and it was delicious!
We also got a chance to visit the Mercardo which was huge and a great place for pictures...
A woman in traditional dress
One of my favourites pickled onions which they always give you when you order chicken from the BBQ places.
Speaking of chicken...
Now which one for supper??
Fish also seems to be a favourite item
Don's favourite...bacalo
Many shades of red...
Don charming the women at the market!
I liked this picture of the older lady seeking some shade.
We spent a couple of nights here and always went back to the Plaza which is dominated by a huge Cathedral...
The altar
The courtyard
And the Cathedral at night...
Overall it was a nice visit to see another part of Mexico but two nights were enough and then we were glad to be back to Progreso.
So we are now in our last week in Progreso for this winter and then on to another part of Mexico. Let the hot weather continue!
Location:Progreso,Yucatan,Mexico
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