In our journey to see every state in each
other's country, we've found ourselves in our 13th Mexican state, Yucatan. This state is a riot of color, flavor, and
sound, and what better place to begin discovering it all than its capital of Merida. It's where colorful colonial opulence clashes
with the ancient culture, and where the aroma of one of Mexico's greatest regional cuisines
mingles with the sounds of live music in every plaza. It's a city that grabs you by the senses and
doesn't let go, perfect for curious travelers like ourselves. So let's dive in and discover the best things
to do, the most delicious bites to savor, and the fascinating history that makes Merida
one of Mexico's most underrated travel destinations. Welcome to Merida. This video is a part of our fundraising efforts
for Miles4Migrants, which we'll share more about later. Welcome to "Adirem". That was silly. I'm so excited. to finally be in Merida. I've been wanting to come here for year and
we've heard nothing but great things about it. And we're starting our journey in the heart
of the city center. So there's a couple of things we want to show
you guys over here. The first is the Merida Cathedral, which is
also known as the Catedral de San Ildefonso... Hey, good memory, tricky name. This is actually one of the oldest churches
in all of the Americas. We're gonna go check it out inside. As with any city in Mexico, we have to see
the cathedral. Let's go. Okay, we were about to get inside, but then
I noticed something very funny in front of Merida's Cathedral. That is an eagle with a crown, that's a symbol
of the first Mexican Empire. You don't see that too often. If somebody knows why, you can put it in the
comments, but that's according to me it's from Agustin de Inturbide, which was the first
empire in Mexico, but could be wrong. We still have a lot to learn about the history
of the city, which is why our next stop is to the museum. We should learn some interesting things here. Merida has a rich history dating back to the
Mayan civilization, with the city being built on the site of the ancient Mayan city of T'ho. After the arrival of the Spanish in 1542,
Merida was established as a Spanish city, and many Mayan people and their culture were
destroyed. The Spanish actually used stones to construct
their colonial buildings, which contributed to the nickname "White City." Today, Merida is a thriving city with a diverse
population of just under 1 million, with about 60 percent of its residents being of Mayan
heritage. This actually is a very nice museum, it's
free, and it's only one block, two blocks away from the city center. I love it. I love the way Mexican cities are designed
because oftentimes they revolve around a Zocalo or some sort of central plaza, meaning that
a lot of the main attractions are near each other, like our next stop, Casa de Montejo. That's right, this is also a museum that is
over here. It used to be the entire block, the house,
but nowadays the only thing that is from the original architecture of the time is over
here, just the entrance. Which is a little bit controversial because
you can see two Spanish soldiers on top of some heads that look like Mayans. So, I don't know, it's kind of weird. Some people say they are demons, some people
say they are Mayans. I don't know what to think, but it's controversial. Either way, definitely a reflection of the
times back then. We're gonna go take a look inside, see what
it's all about. And you can see the Mayan roots in this city
already. Over here, we have Casa de Montejo, and I
love it. It is in Spanish, English, and also in Mayan. That's beautiful, the heritage we have to
celebrate. This 16th-century mansion is a perfect example
of the unique architecture of the city. Originally built for the wealthy Montejo family,
the house is now a museum open to the public, where visitors can explore the beautifully
preserved interior, which includes elegant furniture, beautiful tile work, and stunning
decorations. That was a cool little place, and we weren't
even expecting to come across this today. That's right, the museum is from an artist. I don't know if it rotates or if it's the
same artist all the time, but you can see history and you can see art. Yeah, tons of opulence here, and it's a nice
little place to spend 30 minutes walking around, and it was free. If it's free, it's for me. We've got to stop saying that; we're really
not that cheap. But it is one nice thing about the city, a
lot of the stuff has been free so far. That's right, not only is Merida affordable,
but it's also safe. We receive messages all the time from folks
itching to start exploring Mexico but still have some reservations due to what they hear
on the news. Now let's be real, the news tends to hype
things up more than needed, but we get it, safety is a top priority. That's why Merida is the perfect place to
dip your toes in the water and start falling in love with all that is Mexico. Many consider it the safest city in Mexico
due to its low crime rate and high quality of life. The city has a strong police presence, and
the local government has implemented a number of initiatives to promote safety and improve
public services. So it's cheap, it's safe, and another thing,
it's delicious. And if we had to recommend one restaurant
for you to try during your time in Merida, it has to be La Chaya Maya. We want to try it because, in Yucatan, they
have a lot of beautiful and tasty dishes. Actually, it's one of the states that has
more influence on Mexican food. So, there are a lot of dishes that we want
to try over here. I'm curious, who watching has seen our Cancun
videos? Because we already kind of started to explore
some of the food of the Yucatan in that series, but we're going to be trying even more dishes
today. And we're very excited to announce that over
the next few weeks, we're publishing a whole series on the state of Yucatan. Yeah, because the state of Yucatan, I think
it deserves its own food video. So next week, keep watching because we're
going to be sharing all the food you have to try during your visit to the Yucatan and
showing you specifically where to find it. Spoiler alert, La Chaya Maya is one of them. But it's not the only one. They told me the best place to buy a guayabera
in Mexico is Merida. So I'm looking for one over here in the street
62 that is full of different shops. For you guys that don't know what a guayabera
is, it's like a shirt made out of linen. The version that I like and how the guayabera
was created was in Cuba, and it was to put some fruits in their pockets or cigars in
the pockets, also guavas, that's why it's called guayabera. In Mexico, we use it for formal attire. Actually, the Mexican presidents, whenever
they visit the southeast of Mexico, they use guayaberas for their formal occasions. Also, I was explaining to Juliana that every
time you have a wedding over here and it's in the middle of the day or it's hot weather,
you can use a guayabera and look amazing. I'm on the hunt for a guayabera for myself,
so let's see if there's one that is at a good price and something that I like. That one looks good; let's go check it out. Mission accomplished! I got my guayabera, and this place is called
La Elegancia de Guayabera... Actually, Juliana also got a dress that is
typical, very nice, and made out of linen. We got what we wanted. Before we continue showing you Merida, we
want to talk about an organization that is close to our hearts: Miles4Migrants. As some of you may know, I'm an immigrant
to the United States. Although my story is nowhere near as difficult
as some of the people that Miles4Migrants helps. The immigration process is hard enough as
it is. But it's even more challenging for those who
are forcibly displaced and don't have the financial means to pay for a flight. That's where Miles4Migrants comes in. They use donated frequent flyer miles and
money to purchase flights for refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants who are forced
from their homes for a variety of reasons, from natural disaster to war, persecution,
and torture. It really represents so much of what we stand
for at Tourists to Local. In celebration of my two-year anniversary
in the U.S. this month, we are running a fundraiser for this charity. Over the next 30 days, we'll be donating 100%
of the AdSense from this video, so make sure to share and comment so that we can reach
a larger audience and get a flight for a migrant in need. If you're interested in donating to our campaign,
you can find a link to their website in our video's description. Not only can you donate cash, but you can
also contribute miles and points from dozens of airlines and credit card programs. With that said, let's continue our exploration
of the beautiful city of Merida. We just moved to another part of the city. There are a couple of activities that we want
to do over here. As you can see, this is very pretty. This is why Merida is known for its big houses,
and we're actually right now in Paseo Montejo, which is one of the most beautiful streets
in Merida. So let's take a look around. Paseo Montejo is a grand boulevard whose unique
architecture reflects an important part of Merida's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
Merida became home to more millionaires than any other city in the world due to the production
of henequen, a resource used to make rope for the shipping industry. Wealthy locals even sent their children to
private school in Paris and combined shopping with picking them up at the end of the school
year. Inspired by the beauty of the Parisian avenues,
the people of Merida decided to create their own version. Today, we can enjoy a street in Merida that
reflects the style and grace of Paris. We were curious about what the inside of these
mansions looked like, and I guess we timed our walk down the street perfectly because
Montejo 495 opened their gates just as we were passing by. Built in 1906 by henequen baron Ernesto Camara
Zavala, the mansion was among the first houses in the Yucatan to have electricity. We got a tour and were in awe of the airy
rooms with high ceilings, which keep the perfect temperature in the hot Yucatan sun. The house is filled with original furniture,
French tapestries, Persian rugs, glass art, and sculptures. In 1964, the Barbachano Herrera family purchased
the house and added their favorite antiques, family paintings, and photos, including one
of the American President John F. Kennedy, who was a family friend even though he never
visited the house. Jackie Kennedy is said to have stayed after
his death. Oh, that was so cool! They actually referred to it as the "Versailles
of the Yucatan" at the end, and I was like, yep, that is exactly what this is. The people owning this house used to own one
of the main haciendas in Merida; that's why they were so rich. That's why it was designed by the French,
that's why it looks French. The marble was taken from Italy, the furniture,
everything was made of...it's impressive. It's totally curated, and what's really interesting
is, of course, this place is extremely old, but there have been people living in it as
recently as 2020. That's right, it was so trippy to me to be
seeing extremely old art next to a crock pot from the 70s. Yeah, like it's a new museum, it's a new museum,
and it was a great experience. Actually, I highly recommend it, and the tour
having that to go around was really useful because otherwise, I would have had no idea
what I was looking at. Now I want to have a game room; I'm jealous. Well, first of all, we need to get a house. If you know a little bit about Merida, you
know that it's hot. And today it's very very hot. Luckily, there are a lot of attractions next
to each other, like this one that is the Museo nacional de anthropologia e historia de Merida. And the tickets they include other archeological
site, like this one Malinalco, and this one from Cancun, the museo maya. As usual, as content creators, whenever we
go to these places, we have to pay 50 pesos more to record, like Juliana's doing right
now; otherwise, you just have to pay your regular ticket, which is 90 pesos. So, you guys know we're on a journey to see
every state in the USA and Mexico, with the goal of showing each other the beauty of each
other's countries. But one surprising thing that we never really
anticipated having to tackle when going through this series is some of the dark sides of each
of our countries. There is a dark side; sometimes, it's not
fun and nice to talk about the dark side of history for both of our countries, but we
have to because we're learning. Yeah, you definitely can't forget about the
past. A few weeks ago, we were in Savannah, and
we were talking to you guys a little bit about how slavery really shaped that city and how
you can be enamored with how beautiful it looks, but you can't forget that it was built
on the backs of slaves. And also, in Mexico, even though slavery wasn't
legal in Mexico, you have to be blind if you think there weren't slaves in Mexico, because
in las haciendas, in the haciendas state over here in the state Yucatan and also in my home
state in Morelos, there was something called "tienda de raya," The workers couldn't buy
from another store or go to a different hacienda. They have to be over there and sometimes they
had debts that their child would pay or even their grandchild had to pay. So, basically, they were slaves. We cannot forget that all the opulence of
these houses had a cost. For sure, and that's a very interesting subject
for me to learn about. I don't think I would have known some of the
darker sides of these buildings we're seeing without having you here to teach me all this. I hope you guys understand what we're trying
to say. It's not to say that you can't enjoy this
place, but you should be aware of the past and the history and why it is the way it is
today. If you want to know more about this topic,
you can find information on the Guerra de Castas because it was a big topic, and it's
a huge topic over here in the state and the peninsula de Yucatan. Yucatan is famous for its cenotes, and we
knew we wanted to check off one very special one during our time here because you can find
them absolutely everywhere. This one is very weird; it's called Cenote
Ka'Kutzal, and it's outside of a Costco, like literally in the parking lot. You cannot get inside of this one, but it's
very nice that you can see it from the outside. It's beautiful. This is so freaking cool. I never imagined we would ever be showing
a Costco in one of our travel videos, but I think this one is worth the visit. Some people find deals at Costco; others find
cenotes. Now, if we've done our job right by this point
in the video, you should be fully ready to book a trip to Merida. But where do you stay? This is where we called home during our two
weeks here. I'm so excited to share this Airbnb with you
guys because I think this may be our new favorite one we found in all of our travels. The architecture in Merida is so unique. We're actually talking about how from the
outside, a lot of the houses don't look like much; they actually look rather thin. Once you get inside, they go way back, and
this Airbnb we found is a perfect example of that. Plus, it has all the amenities we need. We also love that the ceilings are so high
because it's hot here, so they designed these buildings so that the heat rises and it's
cool during the day. The cost of this Airbnb starts at $53 a night
– what a steal, especially for everything that's included. Let's take a look around. Here, you can work, rest, and play all under
one roof. This apartment is perfect for travelers, especially
those planning to work remotely during their stay. The unique open concept of this apartment
allows for flexibility and customization. You can either keep the rooms open for a spacious
and communal feel or separate them for extra privacy. The apartment is also equipped with high-speed
internet, suitable enough for the two of us to be on Zoom calls all day, and in a quiet
neighborhood that is just a few minutes from downtown. For those who need to get some laundry done,
there's an in-unit washer and dryer available. The apartment is nicely decorated with a touch
of Mexican charm, and it's filled with tons of guides and local recommendations. If you love to cook, you'll appreciate the
fully-equipped kitchen. For those who need a refreshing shower after
a long day, there's great water pressure in the shower. But the highlight of this apartment is definitely
the pool in the back, perfect for cooling down on those hot Merida days. And as always, the host has no idea we're
making this video. Maybe we'll send it to them after since we
did a pretty good job showing this place. As always, we have a link to the Airbnb description
down below in case you're interested in booking. We don't get anything from you guys booking
this, but we're really excited that we found this option. On the first day we were in Merida, I was
joking with Martin because, like, how inefficient are these benches here? And then Juliana did a little bit of research,
and what did you find? I found out that there's actually a very good
purpose for this. There's a few different myths of what the
reason is, but it seems to be that most people believe that there was a very conservative
father in Merida who had a daughter going out with a guy and didn't like seeing them
so close to each other on the bench. So, he came up with this bench idea, and now
they're all over the city, so you can actually see each other. It's like a symbol of the city, and the city
center is full of them. I think it's so comical that in Plaza Santa
Lucia, there's a giant version of this, that is correct, it's huge. And if you happen to find yourself passing
through this park at 9:00 pm on a Thursday, like we did a few days later, you might be
catching a really cool orchestra of Yucatan music that's hosted by the tourism board. That's right, like all the tourists, international
and national, they want to hear what this is all about. The place gets very busy, so I recommend you
to come over here very early, grab yourself a marquesita, find a good spot. But this is where we say goodbye to you all
for this video. We had a blast showing you around Merida,
but make sure you stay tuned because next week's video of our food tour of Yucatan food
in Merida, you cannot miss it. So long, travel well, and make the world your
neighborhood. See you guys next time. Bye!
