Merida - no good

They are good, they are really good. They are everywhere around the main square and the cathedral. One started talking to us as if nothing... talking about his life, the weather, his country. But when he told us the building date of the 3 monuments on the square something told me he was not that genuine. He was a tout guide, an unofficial guide trying to hook us, take us for a visit and get money from it.

I watched them in the afternoon from the other side of the main square and they do not stop chatting up tourists, joking with them, laughing. They are really nice and funny. I wonder how successful they are. After watching them for 45mn I only saw one actually leaving the square with a tourist.

Anyway, I do not like Merida. It is very touristy and you can really feel the US influence. I did the city bus tour this morning and it was horrible (unlucky for the 1st bus city tour I ever do). For 2h the bus took us to see strrets with nothing to see, ugly monuments, avenues with Toyota/Chevrolet/Mercedes car sellers and finally to the 3rd largest mall in the country (including Starbucks, Mc Donalds, Sears, C&A and trhe like) What a tour I tell you my friends. Highly not recommended.

The only OK thing here is the main square and Paseo Montejo, a large avenue hosting the grandiose houses built by the rich families of the end of the 19th century (now occupied by banks). My pix are crap, but there is nothing much to show here.



But Merida is a great base to explore the rest of the Yucatan state, especially its 2 main Mayan sites Chichen Itza and Uxmal. Let´s see tomorrow...