MERIDA (Day 4)

It's hot here... even with the fans blowing, it was too hot to sleep very well. There are often hooks on the hotel walls for a hammock, so Ron used them.

At the info office, they were having free city tours of the four buildings surrounding the main square: the pink Palacio Municipal (city hall), ...

,.. the old Casa de Montejo, home of the Spaniard Francisco de Montejo who founded Merida in 1542, replacing the old Mayan city of T'ho, ...

... the imposing Cathedral of San Idelfonso, first built in 1598 using stones from dismantled Mayan pyramids, ...

... and the green Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace) with its numerous paintings, including the execution of Jacinto Canek who was quartered with hot pincers and pokers after a rebellion in 1761. Wow! What a horrible way to go!

We took a break in Parque Hidalgo overlooking a church (Iglesia de Jesus) ...

... then walked to the Museo Regional de Antropoligia Palacio Canton (archeological museum). The museum covered Yucatan history since the age of mastodons.

The rest of the day we enjoyed some local shopping and gastronomical delicacies.

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