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!

Orientation 2024: A Journey along the East Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula

We began our orientation trip for the College of the Atlantic Yucatan Program on the beautiful eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo. We avoided the main tourist hubs of the Riviera while visiting historical sites, influential cities, and small communities that welcomed us in to see how they are working to preserve their environment and maintain cultural practices. Along the way, we met some amazing families, ate delicious food, learned about the history of the peninsula and worked our way closer to our final destination, the city of Merida, capital of the state of Yucatan. Our journey began on the beaches of the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, where we visited one of the most important archeological sites from the Mayan Postclassic period, the ancient city of Zama, better known today as Tulu...

The Beginning of Immersion: Diving In!

During 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. The host families in Mérida are fundamental for the students to adapt to their new urban context. Another important aspect of the students' time in Mérida are their Spanish classes, since the language will allow them to interact and immerse themselves more profoundly 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 everyday vocabulary and expressions that they hear outside of the classroom. The 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 what w...

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 contex...

Adventures in Yucatan, Mexico

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