Merida, Girls' Road Trip

Merida
      coffeeshop...

Guess they have great poetry readings here on the weekend.  Maybe someday I'll be able to attend.


Meanwhile, good smoothies and beer.

Good company...
     Sall & Rosy....

it was a 'girls' getaway, I guess, as it turned out...
and we had a lot of fun :)
Rosy procured the truck, and we were off!  She had put it in a parking lot on the Cancun side.

We filled up at the PeMex in Cancun& started off down the toll ('cuota') highway, 400 km to Merida.


We made it in good time, no problemas....
We wasted no time in getting ourselves comfortable in Rosy's lodgings (her brother's Merida house).

Then, off to get some liquid refreshment.
I love how the courtyards in Merida have the feel of old world charm--sophisticated & elegant & comfortable.  Here, Sall & Rosy are enjoying , or should I say, recovering, from the trip.

This courtyard was just typical of any you'd find...not that much of a standout but just what was needed after a long trip to Merida--I guess 4 hours....? via the cuota highway. 

we considered the free road, but maybe next time 

(we took it in Feb with Denny, but it can easily double the time...)

Anyway, it's really very doable, and a wonderful highway--just rather boring crossing over the peninsula, through the scrub jungle.  But it's cool to think you're leaving Quintana Roo, and crossing over the Yucatan.  Just the sound of 'The Yucatan' is enough to put one in a different frame of mind.

We had a 3 days, and 2 nights in Merida, at Rosy's brother's house, and took in some music and some shopping--pics later.

 But, coming back, and another reason for the trip, with a truck, was stopping at this Carpinteria shop in Temozon, outside Valladolid. It's an area full of carpenter shops, where they would probably try
to make anything you ask for.





It was fun looking and thinking how things would work out in rooms, on patios, etc.
We did end up getting a truckload, and making good use of the truck, the purpose after all.

And, we have some ideas for down the road.
I liked the tree trunk as an idea for a table base.
I loved the rocking chair with caning, and it's not too different from one I have on the farm, so I don't feel I really need it on Isla.

I did opt for some lounge chairs and a couple adirondack chairs. The wood they're made of is called 'zalam' which, I think, has special properties and is immune to termites, besides being striated and lovely to look at.

 These stools were something we both thought we would like in future. We especially liked the leather covering, and oddly (since this is more ranch country here) it made them much more expensive. But, I guess it was the treatment they give the leather, which is time consuming, and the little decorative nails, etc. It all adds up.

We both wanted something a little taller, to fit around a kitchen island, so maybe on a future visit, he'll have them ready. But Rosy got some other stools which were almost as nice, just without the leather, and with wood strips. We each also got a small coffee table made out of wood slats. It really almost had an 'Arts & Crafts' look to it (from Prairie School wood architecture, I'd say....  will put pics up later of that...

 Eventually, we made our way back, beating a rainstorm..hadn't thought of that, and not wanting a load of wet furniture.  Then, we worried about making the 5:30 car ferry, esp as they had to drop me off at UltraMar so I could meet with my attorney & get my temp visa, which she had ready. wow...talk about multitasking. We really try NOT to multitask on Isla, as that has been our prior life, and we'd like to get away from that in future.
So, I got to Isla before them...and waited at the car ferry landing for them.  Above is a pic of the 2 car ferries which operate on Isla, a photo I had taken  from another time.
Personally, I have yet to ride on the car ferry, a crossing of 45 min., vs. UltraMar's 20 min. or so.
It's cheaper for passengers, and therefore, a lot of Isla folks are using it lately as main transportation.

And here are Sall & Rosy arriving, after a successful crossing, and having made the 5:30 crossing.  Otherwise, they would have had to wait until the 8:30 crossing, and  we really didn't feel like unloading furniture in the dark.

 So, there we were.

3 women and a truck.
We did it!



Took lots more photos from the trip, but since I've been home, have been involved in a time-consuming tutoring assignment.
So, more trip photos soon.