A trip to Uxmal and sights along the way...

Every year we come to Progreso we try to visit some of the many interesting sights nearby so with a group of new friends we rented a combi and spent the day exploring the area around Uxmal, which is a restored Mayan site not far from Merida.

We stopped off at a little town called Oman which is very pretty so we spent some time walking around the market and the church in the square...

Here is a picture of the local taxi...

Ladies at the mercado.

Our guide, Russell explaining the heat in the various chillis for sale.

This lady was intent on her job of making chili paste.

Checking out the meat for supper...

And of course there are always flowers for sale and they are so inexpensive...

Some roadside markets by the church...it was early so everyone was out getting their food for the day.

The main church was huge and the caretaker let us go up the many steps to the top which had a great view of the town and beyond...

Having a private moment...

Me posing on the top of the church..

The view from the top of the church...

We then drove on to Uxmal early before the sun got too hot and the tourists too many...

Our first view of the pyramid going into the grounds.

Uxmal is believed to be a site that was occupied around 850-925AD. It rivals Chichen Izta for its importance as a significant site of Mayan Culture. I thought it was much better than CI, not as many crowds and more interesting buildings.

The buildings are large and richly decorated...

The stone work was amazing!

 

The House of the Doves

 

Climbing the Pyramid of the Magician...

 

This is as far as I went...

 

We then visited one of the little Mayan villages in the countryside and stopped by one of the homes where we met this Mayan family who told us a little about their lives...

Madre made us fresh corn tortillas

Padre and granddaughter showed us some of the old ways, including how they used to harvest the hemp to make rope which was a huge industry in this area years ago...

 

Don checking out his garden...

 

Lunch was calling so we made a stop by an old hacienda which had a restaurant and apparently owned by one of the richest men in Mexico. It is far from restored but the grounds and the building still showed glimpses of their former glory...

 

 

 

I love this picture of the wall in one of the workshops as it has faded but taken on a beautiful color.

On the way back we stopped at a small cenote for a swim but I didn't trust the steps going down as they were very rickety but the water looked refreshing.

It was a great day on another little adventure in exploring the many beauties of Mexico!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hola from Progreso, Mexico!

We are spending another winter in the Yucatan...this time for four months! We have been here since the beginning of December and it has been quite easy to slip back into the familiar routine of life in Progreso.

Families enjoying time at the Beach.

A quiet day for a walk on the Malecon.

 

On Dec 14 we celebrated our 40th anniversary, yes 40, by spending the weekend at a small hotel in Merida, the capital city of this area. We really enjoyed the weekend as it gave us time to explore the city and be able to eat out at some of Merida's fabulous restaurants. The city was also dressed up for the holiday season with concerts and lights everywhere. On Sunday we went to the Cathedral where they were celebrating their special saint, Guadeloupe.

 

A beautiful suite and sunny courtyard...

Lunch on the patio in one of the city's many squares.

Light displays everywhere

Another square featuring musical entertainment and of course street food...

 

One of our special evenings out at Rosa and Chocolate...wonderful service!

 

A sample of our 16 course tasting menu at Kuuk Restaurant...a gastronomic feast!

 

This meal was unbelievable! Each course was served in a specially designed dish with cutlery unique to each serving. It has its own food lab to practise molecular gastronomy, it's own garden and well trained wait staff. We couldn't believe we were the only people there for most of the evening.

Some pictures from the Central Square on Sunday...

The nuns were having a bake sale outside the church.

There were many candles for Guadeloupe.

 

We even saw Santa Claus taking a rest...he must have been hot!

People enjoying the peace and quiet of a Sunday in the park.

Lots of handicrafts for sale at the Market....love the colours!

We also celebrated New Years here in Progreso at a local restaurant called Faces. We had an international buffet, listened to some great music and met some friends from other years...

 

A New Years tradition here is the Burning of the Old Man where you write the troubles of the past year on a slip of paper, stuff it in the Old Man and then set him on fire signifying the end of the old and the beginning of the new.

 

There have been lots of meals shared with old and new friends as well...

Every year we come we meet more new people and are happy to see friends from previous years. Many of the Canadians here contribute their time and money to helping the local people and one Sunday in Chixculub, a small town next door, they held a Mass to thank them. We, along with many more Canadians attended and then were treated to a meal at the Community Food Kitchen.

Outside the Church many of the locals were selling used clothing in the central square.

The guapo Altar Boys.

The flower display...there was also a presentation by the Canadians to support the local schools. This is the town where I teach English one day a week.

 

One of the advantages of living here is the freshness of the venduras y frutas....

 

This is the lady we buy them from...

This boy is taking care of his pig...always such great smiles!

So a little slice of how we are spending our time. I have been lax in posting this year so will need to catch up with some more frequent posts so stay tuned....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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