The Market, The Museum and Merida en Domingo

This morning we continued our exploration of Merida, but ventured a bit farther out of the touristy downtown. We spent the morning shopping for our cooking class tomorrow, which meant a trip to the market!

Before we head inside the market, Maria gives us a little bit of history. The Lucas de Galvez marketplace has been here since the late 1800's and offers a huge variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, kitchen equipment, pets, plants, traditional sweets, hot food stands and is also a place where you can find cobblers, watch repairmen and other tradesmen.

The goal of the day: buy all the ingredients we need to make some delicious tamales tomorrow! We found Carly and Mary walking around near the candy aisle

They were in search of banana leaves, but weren't sure where to find them, so they asked a vendor and he pointed them in the right direction.

In the outside area we spotted the Reiley, Lilly and Jeremy looking for the last ingredient on the list

Chaya! Chaya is a prickly leaf that has lots of micro-nutrients (like spinach or kale) and is found in all kinds of dishes here, as well as juices! We've tried chaya-pineapple juice, and tomorrow it will be mixed into the dough for our tamales.

After our adventure in the market, we crossed the street to the museum to learn a little bit more about the history of Merida. Here the group is looking at a replica of the Mayan city of T'ho, which is what the conquistadors built the city on top of.

Carly and Reiley found a recreation of a Mayan burial

And Jeremy looks at an old map of the region

We spent a little while wandering around the 3 floors of the museum, then took a stroll down a street with lots of piñata vendors and made our way back to the main square to see all the vendors that put up their stands on Sunday mornings.

Contemplating all the new sights, smells and sounds that we encountered today, and ready for a full day tomorrow!

Small Town Days: Our time in Yaxunah

Before we began our time in the rural community of Yaxunah, we passed through the small city of Acanceh, where we were able to tour through the market and visit the prehispanic structures that make up the ancient Mayan settlement that today is fused with the architecture and modernity of the town. These ancient structures tell their story through the exposed stones and glimpses of preserved stucco. The pyramid of the masks holds eight stuccoed masks, two on each side of the structure, each one with characteristics associated with the sun god Kinich Ahau. A few blocks away, past the large catholic church and down a side street, surrounded by family homes, the Palace of Stuccos has a frisee that adorns the north face of the building with zoomorphic beings. Just like in the city, the best part of the program is when the students get to meet their new host families. The family is the main pillar of support for the student’s immersion into any context, but it is especially important in smal

The Grand Adventure: Orientation Trip

Our orientation trip began in the southern part of the state of Yucatan, in the community of San Mateo, where we were able to explore the natural resources of the area and learn about a few of the most important trees in the Mayan culture. We also admired historic buildings in the middle of the jungle that are evidence of military bases that were established along the ancient roads of Yucatan after the Caste War. One of the most fascinating experiences we had was entering into what the ancient Mayans knew as the inframundo , or the underworld. We rappelled down into the cenote of San Mateo, breaking the silence within and sending hundreds of bats circling around the high vaulted ceiling of this massive natural well. It is a unique experience that very few people are lucky enough to see. The next part of our trip took place in the state of Quintana Roo, where we were awed by the beauty and culture of the region. We enjoyed our stay at the lakeside cabañas Síijil Noh Há. The food was g

Merida: Our Days in the City

The first part of the student’s time in Merida, meeting and integrating into their host families, is probably the most important step in beginning an immersion program. In our case, here in Merida, host families are fundamental for the students to adapt to their new urban context. Another important aspect of their time in Merida are their Spanish classes, since the language will allow them to interact and immerse themselves more completely in the culture. During these language classes, the students not only learn grammar and structure, but they are also able to develop their own linguistic abilities by sharing, discussing and practicing the everyday vocabulary and expressions that they hear outside of the classroom. Mayan culture classes are another key part of the program, they help the students understand diverse aspects of the culture, how a Yucatecan family lives, the differences between interacting in an urban or a rural setting, and provide the hidden historical context for wha

Adventures in Yucatan, Mexico

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