Monday, November 7, 2011

Domingo En Merida

Just last week an old friend of mine returned from a trip to Mérida, in the most wonderful part of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula. While she was there, she snapped some shots of the locals and their bicycles out for a Sunday ride about town. She knows I love this stuff (both Mexico and bicycles which I would happily combine any day of the week as they are two of my favorite things!).


What a lovely place to just putter around! I would ride all over the place all day long. I wish Guadalajara had been this accommodating when I lived there in 1992. I hear it has really changed since I was last there. Copenhagenize has ranked it on a global scale and it beat out SF! That blew me away! Viva México!!


I wonder if these are part of a bike share? If so, they put Mérida firmly ahead of San Francisco on that front (we still can't get it together here!).

I love those recumbent pedicabs! Power assist, nice seating, comfortable for the operator... I would ride those all over the place instead of a taxi any day! I don't know if they are for rent as they have no signage, but man they are cool!


The city of Mérida closes some of its streets every Sunday for several hours to allow the public to frolic in the peace. Nice for the tourists, but even nicer for the locals who get a regular break from the cars and the fumes.

So now I want to get back to Mexico even more than I did before! How about you? Ever ridden a bicycle along Mexico's cobbled streets? Do you commute in a city of my southern neighbor? Tell us about it!

*Stupid Blogger won't let me upload any more pictures right now, but when I can I will put up the shot she sent of the local plaza wit bicycles lying about waiting for their riders. A truly civilized scene, I assure you.

4 comments:

  1. Well, according to Google's satellite photos they've paved paradise (Puerto Angel, where I lived in 69 before the coast road went through) and put up a pink hotel and a parking lot. Cars and trucks where the chickens, pigs and children used to run wild without care.

    They've also "remodeled" the Zocalo in Oaxaca (where I lived in 70) and not everyone is happy with the results. On the other hand they kicked the cars out completely.

    Seems I can't go home again.

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  2. Love the notion of Sundays with no cars. Viva Mexico!!

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  3. kfg- Mexico has been changing for the last 30 years in all kinds of ways. Some for the better and some for the worse. Just gotta roll with it.

    LceeL- wouldn't it be lovely if the whole world went without cars on Sundays?

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  4. Well, I have to admit I appreciated the arrival of the brick shit house, even if I didn't much like using it right after someone took a shower.

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