July 5, 2021: Day Fourteen

Well, we got a little waylayed today by a visit from the grave by the great Aztec king Montezuma II. Yup. Yuck. So, it was a pretty laid back day. Got some work done. Virtually did nothing other than run to the store a couple times, and once out for dinner.

While waiting for dinner, I talked with the server about the beach in general. It was still slow, as I was out for dinner at an odd hour. Turns out, this time of year is normally people from Mérida and the rest of México. People come from far and wide, Nuevo Leon, México City, Guadalajara, etc. We also discussed the composition of the crowd. I observed that it was rather conservative for a beach town, not a lot of scantilly clad youth, acting out. Instead, lots of families and the occasional couple. Very different in a lot of regards. He agreed that generally speaking, this place is very laid back and although people do party, its not anything that gets out of control.

Sunset at Progreso

That's actually been my experience of México so far. Pretty laid back, fairly conservative. Now, my observation comes during a time when the cantinas are all closed, so its hard to tell how "real" this is.

And so ends, day fourteen.

Steps: Didn't count.

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July 18, 2021: Day Twenty-Seven

Today is Sunday. On Sundays in non-corona times, they shut down the more glamorous part of the Pasejo Montejo and allow for bike-riding. In corona times, they shut down the north-bound lane of the more glamorous part of the Pasejo Montejo to allow for bike-riding and allow the traffic to flow south like normal. We decided that this would be as good a time as any to take a walk on the Pasejo Montejo. Actually, we've been walking up and down this street ever since we came back to Mérida from Progreso. They call the road the "Champs Elysée of Mérida". I have also heard Mérida referred to as the Paris of México. Let me start by saying that I can see the resemblance, but any references to Paris are a bit of a stretch, if you've been to Paris. If you haven't been to Paris, I think maybe the resemblance might be enough. There are a lot of Haussmann-esque homes here, but unlike in Paris, they are isolated, they don't run for blocks and ...

Overview

This year, we are spending thirty-eight days in México. To be exact, the Yucatán peninsula, México. My new calling (minister) provides me with ample vacation time, which I totally mismanaged, leaving nearly half of it untaken. My contract year ends on July 31, so nothing like waiting till the last minute. I also have two weeks per year which I am to dedicate to learning and becoming a better minister. Then, I have one week of General Assembly/Ministers’ Meetings. Normally, General Assembly means travel to a convention hall somewhere, but this being Corona Year Deux, General Assembly is virtual again, meaning as long as I have internet, I’m there! Yucatan Trip Itinerary So, we took off the Tuesday before GA, which is the second of three days of Ministers meetings, which like General Assembly is also virtual. There is a gap of a few days which I’ll get some work done as well. Add it all up, and you’ve got thirty-nine days....

June 28, 2021: Day Seven

Francine had a half day of work today so we worked in the morning and then headed out on a small trek. We walked down to the beautiful malecón. Malecones are a pretty uniquely Latin American thing from my perspective. The only American word we have - and the one often used - is "boardwalk", but that's not accurate. A malecón is a pier or a sidwalk on a sea wall that runs along a seashore. This one had pedestrian paths and bike paths. I've never seen that before. It was Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, with all the glitz stripped away. Unlike the one in Guayaquíl, this one did not have a retail presence. Malecón, Campeche From the malecón we walked to the market, which turned out to be closed. Then, we got a salad lunch back in town. Later in the day it was off for a trolley tour of the city. It is quite a nice city in almost all respects. Its certainly nicer than the historic center of Mérida. Its about 1/8 the population of ...

2021 Visit to the Yucatán

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