the reason for the season
While the majority of Mexican academic institutions enjoyed (de hecho, are still enjoying) two weeks of spring break, the BUAP apparently decided that one week would be sufficient to observe the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and made us come back to school right after Easter Sunday. I'm totally not bitter. (But la verdad, after spending so much time blissfully alone in my day-to-day life, eight straight days of nonstop social interaction was about all I could handle anyways).
Some Fulbright friends and I decided to make the most of our time off by heading to the Yucatán Peninsula, where we'd be able to experience a new culture (read: have an excuse to eat ALL the food), explore nature (read: swim around in underground caves because that's something some people think is fun supposedly??), and soak up the sun (because who doesn't love that post-shower instant sweat and the year's first big sun burn?!).
Armed with bug spray— the Yucatán is Zika territory, after all— and fueled by copious amounts of agua de melón we put in an average of seven miles a day walking around the picturesque cities of Mérida and Campeche and venturing to nearby zonas arqueológicas and natural attractions.
{around town}
Mérida
Giant tú y yo chairs
We stumbled across a Mamma Mía movie night at this outdoor café. If that's not happiness, I don't know what is.
Campeche
More Holy Week festivities
Fun fact: Campeche is surrounded by a wall because attacks by pirates were common back in the day
{neature}
I went into the trip mentally prepared to step out of my comfort zone and try some outdoorsy activities that wouldn't normally appeal to me. I didn't really plan for a full day of cenote-hopping by mototaxi, but I mean hey, what's life without a little spontaneity? *nervous laughter*
This may or may not be the inspiration for this scene from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Any resemblance to Voldemort here is purely coincidental
Yeah, I'm the chick flailing around like she's never been swimming before ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I was relieved this cenote wasn't in a cave until I found out that it was surrounded by wild raccoons!!
{ruins}
Chichén Itzá: One of the Seven Wonders of the World (the 8th wonder=my solo shots in front of the main pyramid here)
Uxmal: Where the infamous McSwain "flush" reached its full potential in the blazing heat
These are referred to as "lizards" but I'm pretty sure they're more closely related to dragons tbh
Edzná: I don't recommend visiting three archeological sites in a week because then something like this just feels "kinda" impressive. But riding in a taxi with a couple of German girls and the hood of said taxi slamming into the windshield while we were going about 50mph made for some memorable moments.
{eats}
Poc Chuc
Heladería Colón
Stole this picture from Zoe because I ate my marquesita too fast... but couldn't resist what's essentially cheese inside an ice cream cone
Huevos motuleños
We went here twice because duh
The best beach snack
Market lunch
Pulque de frutas
That time they brought us free cheesecake
Torta de Chilaquil: as in a sandwich with my favorite Mexican breakfast food inside #heaven
Technically from when I got back to Atlixco, but a gringa never hurts (except the shame that comes from being a gringa and ordering one)
{floors & doors & other pretty things}
Hope your week is as fabulous as these bedazzled beetles!
