Day 2 of our trip and today we spent most of it in beautiful downtown Merida! We had a relaxed morning at Casa blanca and left the house around 9:30. After just a short trip, we were in the main Placita, where every Sunday, they close down the roads and there’s an open market. We had some time before mass to do some shopping and sightseeing. We saw the Government Palace and a modern art exposition by Jan Hendrix.

We then went to mass at Catedral de San Ildefonso, which is the oldest cathedral in Mexico! We then split into groups, did some more sightseeing, and saw a traditional dance performance on the street! We then met up and went to lunch at La Chaya Maya, a beautiful restaurant where they handmake tortillas and serve traditional Mayan cuisine.

After a long morning, we headed back to Casa blanca for a quick siesta before going to the Merida Junior Symphony. The concert was lively and interactive. It finished with two encores and a musical number where they had the audience join in and clap along! When we left the concert hall, there was more live music! There was a band performing and couples of all ages dancing to popular Latin music. It was so much fun to dance in the street and experience a Sunday night in downtown Merida!

After our busy day we returned to Casa blanca to make dinner. We split into groups, one helping make dinner and the other cleaning up. We made pasta salad and Niki made homemade salsa! We then had reflection in la palapa, the gazebo, and talked about our day, Merida’s culture, and issues surrounding language, Mayan migration, and Mayan tradition. Such a fun day!