Human trafficking in Merida

It's a very negative change to this city, human trafficking.  When I was here 14 years ago it was common to see vendors on the streets selling their hand made wares and it may seem the same today, but if you look closelyy and you talk with the locals, you will find that  things have changed.  

One anthropology student blames it on the Chinese mafia and the Lebanese who have moved in.  You will see mostly young girls selling goods.  They all sell exactly the same things -scarves, bags, jewelry.  The locals say most of the goods are made in Pakistan and China.  I tend to believe them because I have been to the cooperatives and the merchandise is very different.  I am told that the girls are rounded up each night and kept in upstairs rooms in the centro where they are fed a little and sleep.  There, they hand over much of what they earn to the guys who make the real money off of the girls' hard work.  Basically, they are being pimped out.  I feel sorry for them because they are desperate and it doesn't appear that the government is doing anything to help them.  Perhaps what is going on is not illegal.  I don't think the girls speak much Spanish either, because they don't seem to understand and their lines sound rehearsed. 

If you purchase from one of the collectives, you will pay a little more, although they will bargain, but you help many families.  The Maya weave and embroider rugs and other textiles.  They also make the Panama hats from hennequin and sew and embroider the Guayabera shirts.  The last  two are similar to those originating in Cuba.  When Fidel Castro came into power, many Yucatecans returned to their homeland and began producing these items locally.  Since the climates are similarly tropical, they caught on here and now the Yucatan is known for production of these items as well.  All of the local men wear the Guayabera and many also wear the Panama hats.

The older women wear the huipiles, some of which are intricately embroidered.  If you want the real thing, hand embroidered, you must visit a colectivo and look at the back to see that it is made by hand.  Another popular item is the hamaca.  They used to be made of hennequin (sisal in English), but today they are either made of polyester or cotton.  Look for the cotton ones also found in the colectivos.  

A Yucatecan Tour With Mexicans

If you ask a Meridiano where they are from, they will tell you they are from Yucatan.  They almost never refer to themselves as Mexicanos.  Perhaps that is because Yucatan was separate from Mexico after the Spanish conquest.  It did not join Mexico until 1823 and later, in 1841, as a result of cultural and political conflicts declared its independence once again.  In 1848, Yucatan again rejoined Mexico. 

Restaurants advertise Yucatecan and Mexican food as separately as they do Italian or Japanese.  It's true that Yucatecan food is very different.  You won't get a taco, tostada or enchilada here unless you go to a Mexican restaurant.  The food is influenced by the tropical climate and the Maya.  It also has a certain European influence, especially French.

Much of the architecture has European influences, French and Italian in particular. The beautiful Paseo de Montejo is called the "Champs Elysees" of Yucatan. It is a wide boulevard with many trees and old mansions from the hennequin days.  Today there are boutique hotels, exclusive shops, museums, restaurants and a few outdoor cafes.  On Sundays they close off the street for the bici-ruta.  People ride bikes, walk their dogs and rollerblade. from 9-1 after which they enjoy a meal or snack with their friends and family.  This is the more elite population of Merida as well as tourists.

So back to the topic of this post...

I signed up for a tour of Dzibilchaltun, which is said to be the oldest Mayan archeological zone in the Yucatan peninsula.  It's located in the heart of the old henequin plantation area between Merida and the gulf coast town of Progreso.  By the way, henequin is known in the states as sisal, a fiber which comes from the agave plant.  You may know that tequila comes from the agave plant, but that's blue agave which is grown in Mexico, not Yucatan.

I was the first to be picked up in our small group and soon learned that all of the other tourists were from Mexico and very little English was spoken.  Our guide, Juan, said he didn't really speak much English, however, his English was excellent.  He translated all of the information he gave to the others and even though I understood, I let him translate out of curiosity.  

The last pair to be collected was an older disabled woman and her granddaughter.  Juan had given me the front seat, but I offered it to the grandmother and she was very greatful not to have to climb to the back of the van.  While the others were polite, they seemed a bit bothered by the idea that this woman might slow down the group.  I learned that she was very well-traveled and wanted to show her granddaughter (aged 15) a little of the Mundo Maya. This woman, Carmen, kept up as best she could and never complained.  At one point, she asked the guide where we would be walking and sat down to wait for the group to circle back.  I let Montse walk with me and even took her down to swim in the cenote. Montse seemed fascinated by the odd duck, me, and really wanted to talk to me about everything.  She was a darling girl and I happily answered all of her questions.  We are now Facebook friends!

On traveling solo

When I told people that I was going to be traveling solo during part of this trip to Merida, some felt sad for me and many were concerned for my safety.   While I love traveling with my fish friend and would not trade one single experience traveling with her, I can honestly say that traveling solo has been a very unique experience.  I have loved every minute of it.  

First of all, when I am with Julie, I tend to depend on her for most communication in Spanish.  The five days we were together in Guatemala, I did a lot more listening than speaking.  In a way, this was good for me because I haven't really spoken Spanish full time in many years.  I found that I understood a lot, but the vocabulary I needed wasn't coming to me until I heard Julie use it.  Since I first arrived in Merida, I have been speaking and listening almost 100% of the time.  It's not easy, but there is already a big improvement.

Another great reason for traveling solo is that you meet people that you might not otherwise meet.  Some examples:

1. Vendors in the market - When I speak Spanish, they initiate conversations.  They ask a few questions like where I'm from and what do I do, but then they begin to tell me about themselves.  Many are from nearby villages and come to town to sell their produce.  One man told me all about the difference between Haas avocados and giant Yucatecan avocados as well as the best season for them.  There was a Mayan woman sitting on the floor with a basket of papaya, she was asking, "Who wants papaya?"  When I said, "Yo lo quiero. (I want some)." She gave me a big toothless smile and picked out the most amazing papaya for me.  Meridianos are also very proud of their city and want to know if you love it as much as they do.  

2. People in cafes - A woman near my table was coughing because the habanero sauce that is typical of the region was too caliente.  I checked to see if she was ok and a conversation ensued.  She was in Merida on vacation and is a preschool teacher from the neighboring state of Campeche.  We had a nice chat.  The next day after a little shopping, I stopped at an outdoor cafe for lunch.  The maitre'd separated a table from three older men having coffee so I could sit down.  The men welcomed me and asked a question or two.  Soon a fourth man arrived and the only place for him to sit was with me, so I offered him the seat.  It turns out three are retired and one still works as an actor.  They are old friends and meet every day at noon for coffee and talk.  A couple of them had worked in the US at one time, but said they prefer Mexico.  They joked with each other and told me about the changes in the city since I had last visited.  It was a fun time and I hope to run into them again before I leave.  

I will write about more observations in other posts.

Day 1 - Arrival in Guatemala

Internet was a problem in Guatemala and there was very little down time, so it was difficult to blog.  I will try to catch up on the highlights.  

My part of the trip to Guatemala, although long, was mostly smooth going.  Julie had some delays, but thanks to some kind Aeromexico employees, we made our flight to Guatemala City.  La Aurora airport is one of the cleanest I've traveled through and the people are very polite.  Our Gate 1 bus was there to pick us up along with others on the tour.  We were transferred to Barcelo hotel a short distance away and had a bird's eye view of the planes taking off.  Actually, they were at eye level on the 8th floor!  

Since there was no meeting with our tour guide, we asked the hotel for a restaurant recommendation and were directed to Kacao, a typical Guatemalan and fusion restaurant.  We were a bit early, but they kindly welcomed us into a beautiful palapa-covered tropical paradise.  The food was amazing and the service excelente.   We both had delicious squash raviolis in a cream sauce.  By the time we left, the place was busy and everyone recommended Kacao before any other restaurant.

We crossed a few busy streets and I noticed that unlike Chico where you have 10 seconds to cross a street, you have about a minute.  They have digital signs to let you know how much time before the light changes.  While they drive fast, Guatecas generally drive within their lane as opposed to the middle of the road like Mexicanos.

Off to bed early for our morning trip to Antigua and Chichicastenang.