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First Time Reader? ......here is the background to this series of blogs:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lobo/9/1233502800/tpod.html

Mexico: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months

Merida
no. 21 of 23 destinations (this is not a ranking)
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Merida - High Expectations and First Impressions
Part 1 of 3

Merida was another destination that was highly anticipated albeit for a different reason than any of the others.

My "raison d'être" blog for this trip described how the inspiration came from the publication "International Living" and their rating of Mexico as the world's number one retirement destination for 2008.

As an aside, in 2009, in the same publication, Mexico has slipped to no . 2 behind Ecuador which in a selfish way is actually good news because this provides another reason for a future trip. (Panama was rated no. 3)

All right, so there you have it. In the context of 2008, Mexico was rated as the number one destination for ex-pats. But the question becomes - where in Mexico? Well doing a bit of detective work, and it wasn't difficult, I observed that the editor of International Living, Dan Presher, had made the choice of living in Merida.

I could only conclude that with the knowledge (should this be "information about") of Mexico that is contained in the collective writings of International Living the editor would make the choice of living in the best destination.

By the way, subscribe to International Living's free newsletters at your own peril as you will be bombarded with daily multi-pitches for various destinations and investment opportunities. I do admire the writers who make the various "pitches" because it is a level of persuasion that I can only dream about . Not to be outdone the former editor of International Living, Kathleen Peddicord, has launched a competing site called "Overseas Opportunities Letter". Not surprisingly, it follows exactly the same format as International Living with endless e-mails.

One of its recent mailings was:
Top Retire Overseas Options Rated and Ranked, here is a link to the website:
http://www.liveandinvestoverseas.com/

This is a hypothesis (the editor living in the best destination) that I was eager to submit to the "Myth Busters Test" - so to speak. In this case I would be the "Myth Buster".

Our arrival in Merida by bus took place in the early evening with darkness having descended upon the city by 19:00. Remember, this was after all the month of January. Despite it being a winter month we did arrive in a sweltering city. Our taxi ride from the bus station located on the outskirts brought us through a somewhat grimy city that we were desperately expecting to rapidly improve in looks as we neared the center. Unfortunately this did not happen.

Unlike a lot of the destinations we had visited in Mexico our first impression of Merida left something to be desired.

This impression was created by dimly lit conditions, heavy traffic, shabby housing and grimy streets.

Our hotel was again selected by the taxi driver and was as usual based on two criterions: proximity to the center and price . In this case the hotel barely made the third criterion - acceptability. After the Hotel Lopez in Campeche the next hotel would be a tough act of follow and this one proved that point.

We ditched our suitcases as quickly as possible and headed for the Main Square or "zocalo" to see what Merida by night had to offer. It was at this point that we were in awe at the number of people milling about under the colonnades around the "zocalo" and in the park occupying the middle of the square. The main focus point was an outdoor classical music concert that attracted hundreds enthralled by this cultural experience. Apparently this concert series is a nightly occurrence in the summer. No, on second thought, this is not the summer. It just seems like it, for this is the winter. Winter is after all the pleasant time of year in Merida as the summers are sweltering and unbearably hot. But then no one is asking the ex-pat to stay here year round. Even the editor of International Living has opted for a summer residence in Cuenca, Ecuador .

Merida, also known as the "White City", is billed as one of the most modern cities in Mexico and as a center for the arts. The concert series would be an example of "a center for the arts". But "one of the most modern cities in Mexico" - that one leaves me puzzled, as our short stay failed to elicit any thoughts similar to that.

The city is further touted as being vibrant, having a welcoming atmosphere, colonial-era historic Spanish architecture, churches, museums, theatre and cinemas, art exhibitions, symphonies and great restaurants. It also has a Convention Center, golf courses, malls, international airport, modern hospitals, acclaimed universities and much more. It also has an English library.

Come to think of it, all of the above is what must be attracting the ex-pats to Merida. But I remain unconvinced.

Getting back to the "zocalo", yes two sides of it were quite animated with throngs of people under the colonnades enjoying the heat of the evening but the other two sides were strangely underwhelming due to lack of lighting and activity . In my opinion, the main square could have been more impressive.

In a reality check I have to admit that none of my photos capture any of the negativity that my blog seems to transmit which I find puzzling. On the other hand there is a tendency to show the best side of a destination.

Anyway, manana es un otro dia and it showed Merida in a different light.

Oh yes, manana - January 20, 2009 - was a special day. Does that day mean anything to you? It should, for it was the day that the 44th president of the United States of America, Barack H. Obama, was inaugurated. When I put the inauguration together with the fact that there were a lot of ex-pats here in Merida I wondered whether there was anything special going on to a mark the event. That is the subject of the next blog.

The blog after that will show how the "henequen boom" turned Montejo's Boulevard into one of the greatest avenues in all of Mexico .

http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Merida

Then there is the hectic scene at the Centro Commercial Cuevas which I have chosen to include in this blog.
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Feedback: travelswithlobo@yahoo.com
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Coming Soon: Merida - Where Were You on January 20, 2009?