Mérida, Mexico

I spent a handful of days with friends in Mérida and really enjoyed the town. We stayed at the Nomadas Hostel to save a little money. If the hostel didn’t have a pool, I can’t say I would stay there again. The rooms were acceptable but the free breakfast was not good and the customer service at the front desk was poor. Also, we had to wear wristbands while staying there. People kept asking us if we were staying at an all inclusive or if we’d been at a rave.

Wristbands, seriously?

We spent our days wandering around town, eating and drinking, and lounging by the pool at the hostel. We visited Mercado San Benito a handful of times for some cheap food.

We also took a cooking class with Urban Adventures. We toured the market with Gustavo then went to his aunt’s house for a cooking lesson. Once all the food was ready, we ate an amazing meal together as a group. This was definitely a highlight of my time in Mérida.

Photo credit: Pamela Dawn

Thanks to the lovely and talented Pamela Dawn for sharing her amazing photos with me. Find her Instagram feed here.

Along with the cooking class with it’s delicious local dishes, we kept eating (and drinking) our way around Mérida.

One of the many delicious spreads while visiting Mérida.

We stopped by Huevos Motuleños twice for breakfast. The food and the service were outstanding. The main dining room is small but there is additional seating and an outdoor terrace upstairs.

We popped into La Negrita Cantina for drinks and enjoyed the lively atmosphere. We also visited Mercado 60 for a drink and some food. It was fun but more expensive than I think it’s worth.

When we needed a light snack or meal, we’d walk down to Gorditas Doña Gorda. The gorditas are small; one is a perfect snack, 2-3 work for a light meal. Each gordita costs around $15MXN. Also, they have a handful of vegetarian options on the menu.

For delicious tacos, we visited Wayan´e. There are a handful of locations but we went to the one on Calle 59. I ordered three tacos and a Coke. They were filling and my lunch only cost $42MXN.

In between eating, we visited the cathedral and learned about the city and its history.

We stayed in town for most of our visit but did spend an afternoon at the beach in Progreso. We hopped on a bus ($38MXN roundtrip) and were there in about 45 minutes. The beach was clean and not too crowded for such a hot day.

Buses to Progreso leave from the Auto Progreso station.

Mérida is filled with color and texture.

When I started planning my next move, I wanted to know all of my bus options. As I’ve mentioned in a past blog, the bus companies in Mexico (ADO and and it’s subsidiaries) are getting organized and a little more expensive. In Mérida there are two different bus stations one for the 1st class buses; another for the 2nd class buses. They are near each other so that makes it easier. And while they offer the same routes, the departure times, trip lengths, and, of course, prices are very different. To get from Mérida to Campeche, I chose to take a 1st class bus (but not the Platinum option) which cost about $127MXN one way. ADO also has an app that you can download but the ticket prices are a tad higher, maybe an extra $1-3USD per ticket. This is also true of purchasing tickets through their website. If you have the option, I recommend buying tickets at the bus station so you can save a little money and this way you know exactly where you need to be. I found another blog that covers the ADO bus system in more detail. I recommend checking it out if you plan on taking a lot of buses around Mexico.

Choose your bus station; but choose wisely.

Sibiu, Romania

The historic city center in Sibiu is lovely but quite small. We spent two nights in the city but we could have spent one day and easily wandered through the Old Town. But because we had the extra time, we kept wandering and really enjoyed ourselves. Sibiu seems to have a lot of festivals and city events going on (at least in September when we visited). We were able to attend Cibinfest which is their local version of Oktoberfest. The website for purchasing VIP tickets was very confusing so we just went and grabbed a seat in the open section and had an amazing time. There was also a theater festival going on as well as a street music festival which was highlighting ragtime music while we were there. The town of Sibiu gives visitors a lot to do and see which is why I recommend spending a few days there if you have the chance.

The colorful town of Sibiu.

Guadalajara, Mexico

Guadalajara is not a pretty city in the conventional way but it has a lot to offer visitors. The city is large and sprawling. And in the four days that I was there with two friends, I did not get to see nearly as much of it as I would have hoped but that means I have lots of exploring to do when I return.

 

We stayed at an Airbnb near Parque Alcalde. The apartment was very nice and had a balcony which we took full advantage first thing in the mornings and then again in the afternoons when we needed a rest from wandering the city streets. I cannot recommend this Airbnb host enough. He was so accommodating, helpful, and gave us some great information on the city. And he has multiple properties in Guadalajara to choose from.

We had originally planned to stay near Avenida Chapultepec Norte and thus found bars and restaurants to check out in that neighborhood. We dined at El Sacromonte and I would highly recommend it. I had steak in a delicious sauce for around $250MXN.  We also wondered down the way and split a bottle of wine at Romea. It was very chic and a bit on the expensive side (our bottle of wine cost $730MXN) but a nice treat to sit outside on a nice evening and enjoy some delicious wine. Later during our long weekend, we went to Pigs Pearls in the same neighborhood. We needed a break from traditional Mexican food and grabbed burgers. Lunch (a burger and a glass of wine) was perfect change of pace and only cost $85MXN.

We definitely ate a lot of food while we were in Guadalajara and it seems as though the street food was easier to find at night than during the day. Much like anywhere else, I would recommend if you’re eating street food find vendors that are busy with locals, saddle up, and eat everything. We did eat in the mercado in the city center one day for lunch and it was delicious. Also, we are here during Lent in the Catholic faith and there were a lot more fish options than I would have thought we’d find. Hopefully this is not just during the Lenten season but is all year round.

Usually when I sit down at any sort of food vendor in which prices are not listed, I ask what the prices are. But I found in Guadalajara that when I didn’t ask first, all of the prices were perfectly acceptable and I never had any issues with people over charging me. This might be because I speak enough Spanish to order food and ask questions. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. And while a lot of people here do speak English, I think that it was easier for everyone when I used my small amounts of Spanish.

This torta ahogada (the drowned torta) included pork, cabbage, onions, and a tart tomato sauce.

We also ate at a little place called Casa Mitote which serves Oaxacan dishes. It was so delicious and were so glad that we caught them on a night when they were actually opened.

We attended a performance by the Jalisco Philharmonic while we were in town. The music was just lovely and tickets were very affordable. We had wonderful seats in the center of the theater for $220MXN each.

We also visited Tlaquepaque on a Saturday which was a nice break from the city. It was also a great place to shop for locally-made crafts. Some of the items that we found here were very similar to other items we found in Oaxaca but at cheaper prices.

Few locals had amazing things to say about taxi drivers so we opted to use Uber when we needed to get around the city and could not walk the distance. We took one from our Airbnb to the city center and it cost about for $2USD one way. There are currently two train lines that serve parts of Guadalajara but since we were not here very long and we tend to walk a lot of places, we did not take advantage of the public transportation.

I also visited the Panteon de Mexquitan cemetery one afternoon. The architecture and stone work of the mausoleums was beautiful though some where in sad states of repair. I really enjoyed wandering the quiet paths and reflecting on this cities history and its people.

Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico

We went to Chiapa de Corzo to wander around the square and to take a boat tour of Sumidero Canyon. We also took some time to go into the market and eat some delicious food. Choose any stall that is busy but know that a) most stalls only serve one kind of food (tacos, tamales, caldos, etc.) and that b) Spanish is a must. But you’ll save yourself a lot of money by eating in the market than going to the restaurants near the river. A plate of three tacos cost about $20 MXN whereas the menu del dia at the restaurants on the river cost about $65 MXN.

 

Sumidero Canyon

The tour of the canyon is well worth the $160 MXN and takes about two hours but know that information is only given in Spanish. It seems as though there is only one tour company that runs these tours. We found a booth on the square but you can also go directly to the river to purchase tickets.

 

While in town, we saw a ruin of some sort up on a hill near the church (which is on another hill) overlooking Chiapa de Corzo. It’s well worth the short walk uphill for the ruin and the views of the area.

Hilltop ruins

 

To get to Chiapa de Corzo from Tuxtla, you must take an autobus to an area called Soriano (I think it’s one of the bus depots but I’m not sure). At Soriano, on the roadside, there will be colectivo drivers hollering for passengers going to different destinations that are close-by. The cost was $12 MXN each way.

Barcelona, Spain

Recently, my friend Katie and I traveled to Barcelona. When we travel together, we tend to focus mostly on wandering around, eating, and drinking. Here are some of our finds and a few tips.

We stumbled across a great little tapas bar in Barri Gotic called La Cala del Vermut, Carrer de les Magdalenes, 6. It’s not far from the Cathedral de Barcelona, but it’s tucked away enough that the tourist crowds can’t find it. We had a small lunch of a few tapas and a drink which cost about €6 per person. The staff was very friendly, answered our questions, and tolerated my poor Spanish.

La Bodegueta, Rambla de Catalunya, 100 is a delightful little tapas place usually full with patrons. It’s too small for standing so grab a table and order something wonderful from the menu. We really liked the Manchego cheese, the tiny pimientos de Padrón (grilled peppers) and the pan tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato and garlic, then drizzled with olive oil). We ate here twice and both times the bill was under €10 a person.

Taktika Berri, Carrer de Valencia, 169 is a great pinxtos bar. At €1.45 per pinxtos, it can get expensive if you eat a lot but you can also try a handful of great items and keep it under budget. The general rule is to let the bartenders serve you unless its very crowded; then you can take what you’d like for yourself. Also, remember that when you are ready to pay, your toothpicks will be counted (usually at the register) and you will need to tell the bartender who many drinks you had. It will all be tallied up. Side note: It seemed that most people did not tip at pintxos bars. I’m not sure if it was because you kind of serve yourself, although they are filling your drinks and bringing around new pinxtos. We decided to tip when we felt that the service was exceptional.

We didn’t only eat and drink, if that’s what you are thinking so far. We also took a bike tour of the city (bad idea), went into the Cathedral de Barcelona (which is free before 12:45 p.m. and supposedly free after 5:00 p.m.), and we made the pilgrimage to La Sagrada Familia. Do not wait in line to get into Gaudi’s church. Tickets are available online via Ticketmaster (for a fee) or you can buy them at one of the many yellow ServiCaixa ATMs and skip the fee. The machines are tricky and don’t seem to work with all credit and debit cards, so try more than one card, pick a date and time, and skip the line at La Sagrada Familia.

We also made more than one trip to La Boqueria, the large market just off La Rambla. It’s a good place to buy produce, cheeses, and ready made snacks, but it is also over-run. Watch your bags while you are there.

New York City, United States

I recently spent a few days in New York. I wanted to wander the city but also see some of the major sites.

I went to Ellis Island and Liberty Island. Now, I made the mistake of thinking that since summer had not started, that I would have no problem walking up, buying a ticket, and getting on the first ferry to the islands. Boy was I wrong. So, I recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time so you won’t have to wait in the same line as the rest of us poor schmos who waited in line for a full hour before getting on a ferry. Reserving tickets is no more expensive. You just have to know what day and time you will be there to use your tickets.

I also went to see a play on Broadway. Instead of paying full price, visit http://www.tdf.org for discounted theater tickets. One of the ticket booths is on the South Street Seaport. There is another ticket office in Time Square but I recommend avoiding that booth along with the area at all costs. It’s way too crowded. There will be a board with all of the shows that offer discounted tickets. There will also be people you can ask questions of and get descriptions on what the plays are about. Get there early, at least 30 minutes before the booth opens to try and ensure you get tickets to the show of your choice. See the website for more information.

Last, but not least, I went to New York to eat. I highly recommend checking out the food trucks in the city. Food trucks are not the same as the street food vendors. Food trucks are usually trendier foods with better ingredients (think braised beef tacos with pickled onions). But, since they are competing with the food vendors and nearby restaurants, their prices are very affordable. This is a great way to eat something tasty and keep your costs down. It’s also a nice way to enjoy all of the public parks New York has to offer. Assuming the weather is good, you can sit outside and enjoy the view while eating delicious food. If you have a smartphone, look into downloading one of the many food truck apps that are available. Also, you can follow most of these food trucks on Twitter.