Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Sunday 30th of July
08.30 We have woken up in our room at the hotel One Villahermosa Centro (https://www.onehoteles.com/hoteles/one-villahermosa-centro). Here we have spent another travel night. It was a gold medal for Sarah Sjöström. Now she is the one in the swimming world who has the most World championship medals in long course.
09.32 Here at the hotel we live, feel and eat well. It is hotels like this that make us want and be able to travel the world.
09.59 Very soon and shortly we will catch up with what was not done last night due to the late arrival and the bad weather. We had both time and weather against us then. In short, we will see a bit of the city Villahermosa before we leave from here.
10.18 We have looked out a small walking route that we will have time to complete before checking out from the hotel. The sun is shining and it's quiet out on town. At Parque Los Pajaritos we met a man on the phone who wished us a good morning.
10.27 It's not too hot today, but it's humid. We have walked around the Plaza de Armas in the most central part of the city and look towards the viewpoint and the astronomical observatory (Observatorio Astronómico Turístico). By the river Grijalva below, some kind of street work is going on. They seem to be building a walkway along the river. Now the sun peeks through the clouds again and with it comes the oppressive heat.
10.51 The heat took over and we have walked back to the hotel room. Now we have to get ready for departure.
11.34 Today it is faster and easier to get between the hotel and the bus terminal. Partly because we avoid all puddles and partly because we now know how to walk.
15.26 The bridge was passed and we entered Ciudad del Carmen on Isla del Carmen. Had we had more time, it would have been nice to split the day's leg with an overnight stay here. Almost exactly 17 years ago we were in another Carmen in another part of the world. Then it was Chocolate Hills near the village of Carmen on Bohol in the Philippines. Here in Ciudad del Carmen we have now made a stop. I hope it won't be too long.
19.20 Later than expected and what we had hoped for, we arrive at the bus terminal in Campeche. It's time to find a taxi. It's just too far to downtown to walk, even for us who occasionally walk off on insanely long walks.
Monday 31st of July
Morning at the One Villahermosa Centro hotel.
We and other guests enjoy a hotel breakfast.
A big tree and an early morning man at Parque Los Pajaritos.
Obelisco Plaza Bicentenario.
The state of Tabasco is governed from here.
Observatorio Astronómico Turístico, Villahermosa.
A new footpath is being created at the river Grijalva.
Plaza de Armas, Villahermosa.
Parque Juárez, Villahermosa.
Peter returns to the hotel.
Back at ADO's bus terminal.
At Nuevo Campechito, a state border is crossed.
We arrive in Ciudad del Carmen.
The sun disappears into the Bay of Campeche.
Peter in a new hotel room.
The interior of Hotel Castelmar.
We visit Patroni's Bar.
A satisfied Peter has received his food.
Calle 59 in Campeche.
08.46 After a good night's sleep in a comfortable room and a refreshing shower each, we are soon ready for breakfast here at Hotel Castelmar.
09.36 Many are the times I have stated that and now I am doing it again. Breakfast, especially when it comes in buffet form, is a good start to the day. With this as a basis, we can now plan the rest of the day, the last in the month of July. Breakfast was paid for at the reception and eaten in the open, sunlit area of the hotel's interior. 10.35 It has been warmer in other places. There has also been higher humidity in other destinations. Today, however, the combination of the two is in a class of its own. That's why we take a bench break by the cathedral. When there is a clear blue sky in a tropical climate, an incredible heat is created. The mentioned cathedral has, according to catholic tradition, a long complicated name, Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción. The park/square we are at goes by two names, Parque Principal and Plaza de la Independencia. 10.46 In the heat we passed through the Puerta de Mar, the Sea Gate. It is one of several gates through the city wall that would once protect the city from pirates. A bit away, a brass band is rehearsing. They should practice further. They have cute police cars here in town. They resemble little golf cars. 10.53 To cool off for a few minutes and to survive the upcoming walk, we have walked into an OXXO store. It was nice in there. 11.06 This city also has capital letters that form the city's name. They stand beautifully by the sea near the sculpture El Ángel Maya. In addition, on at least four occasions we have seen statues of beautifully painted felines. Now we stroll along the promenade. Behind us is the Gulf of Mexico. Ah, now I understand why police vehicles look like golf cars.
We wake up to a new week at the lovely Hotel Castelmar.
Some have started eating breakfast.
Plaza de la Independencia, Campeche.
Christer rests in the tropical heat.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción, Campeche.
One of many stone jaguars in Campeche.
11.20 A lady in a skirt sits on some rocks and looks out to sea. What is she looking for? How long has she been sitting here? Who is she? The sculpture is called Novia del Mar (Bride of the Sea). We have walked about a kilometer along the Malecón de Campeche promenade. It's nice by the sea but it's treacherous. The winds mean that you don't feel how the sun is burning.
11.35 Under a palm tree at Plaza de las tres culturas we are sitting now. Beside us there is a priest, a conquistador and one from the indigenous population. They are not alive here, but in the form of statues/sculptures. Our seaside walk is coming to an end. 11.52 We have arrived at the final destination of our walk, the shopping mall Galerías Campeche. Here we hope to find coffee, a working internet connection and maybe also a lunch. It all depends on how long we´ll stay here. 12.04 Inside the mall it is cool and plenty of people. Now we have to cool down before we do anything else. 12.39 We each sit on a sofa outside the Liverpool department store. Desperately we try to get a working internet connection. It's not going well. It is negative because we need to buy bus tickets for future trips. The internet was bad at the hotel and unfortunately also bad here. We've also tried standing close to Starbucks to access their network, but that didn't get much better either. Right now we are thinking about whether we should eat lunch or take a coffee break here in the mall.
Small police cars in Campeche.
Puerta de Mar, one of the city gates.
Colourful houses along Calle 8.
El Ángel Maya.
Christer at Letras Campeche.
Novia del Mar, Campeche.
12.44 We are still in the mall and are now going to eat. Here at the restaurant Los Trompos (https://www.lostrompos.com.mx) we have ordered lunch. We hope for a positive experience even though the name reminds us of Donald Trump. Christer chose pasta and beer. I just said dos, two. If things go badly, we only get a plate and a beer to share.
13.15 We actually each got a meal and a beer. Now, on two occasions, we have ordered two coffees from two different waiters. Do we get two or four cups? This is exciting. 13.27 So far we haven't received a damn cup of coffee at all. It takes longer to get the coffee than the food. 13.49 It ended up being two cups of coffee. Now we search the internet again for bus ticket purchases. It's not going so well. 14.20 Finally, the connection near Starbucks and also the ticket website was in shape. Great! Then we have a trip from here tomorrow. In what shape we will be when we get back to the room remains to be seen. We have a few kilometers to go in the tropical afternoon heat. 14.42 There is a headwind on our walk along the sea and that is good. We are back at Novia del Mar. The woman is apparently waiting for the man in her life to come ashore. 15.11 We have stopped outside our hotel to photograph it. Soon we will also enter the building to have a long-awaited siesta in a cool room.
Monument of three cultures at Plaza 4 de Octubre.
Christer at Plaza de las tres culturas.
Galerías Campeche from the outside.
Galerías Campeche from the inside.
Peter is having lunch at Los Trompos.
Walking against the wind along the sea.
15.18 Christer stocked up at OXXO before we entered the hotel and now he is in the shower. It's nice to be home.
18.13 We haven't been completely idle since last time. More bus tickets have been bought when the internet was reliable for a while and we have been thinking about some upcoming activities. 19.27 Some potential dinner restaurants have been checked. We've read reviews and looked at menus. How did we do in the past when we didn't have the internet to help us? At least one of these restaurants we'll make use of, we hope. 20.07 The restaurant El Bastión de Campeche (http://www.elbastion.mx) is located at the Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square) and we are now sitting at one of their tables ready for tonight's dinner. 20.26 Our restaurant has another premises next door, La Chocolatera del Bastión. It seems to be closed now during the evening. We are satisfied with this small cozy restaurant. 20.35 We were a bit keen to try giant prawns in mango sauce, but opted out because it was a bit unclear in what form the prawns would be served. Instead, I have ordered Cochinita Pibil, a local dish reminiscent of pulled pork. Christer is eating Cordon Bleu. 21.17 We are once again back in our room. Here we sit with good tastes in our mouths. Now we're going to take it easy for the rest of the evening. 22.57 We get tired from taking it easy or is it due to something else? After all, we have walked quite a few kilometers in a tropical heat today.
Hotel Castelmar, Campeche.
Christer at El Bastión de Campeche.
Peter will eat Cochinita Pibil.
We are saying thank you and good night to El Bastión de Campeche.
A nice evening in the park.
The cathedral and the moon.
Tuesday 1st of August
08.41 So the month of July was over for this time. It's time to take on August, a month that begins with continued traveling but ends with work and everyday life back home.
Today we continue a little further here in Yucatán.
We get on the bus that will take us from Campeche to Mérida.
We will stay here for two nights.
Near our room.
Our hotel has a swimming pool.
The evening darkness has arrived.
Christer is eating pizza at Bistrola 57.
13.31 The sky is getting cloudier and we note that it is thunder. Otherwise, there are no problems during this trip.
14.37 The dark sky is leaking, it doesn't hold tight. It's raining here at the TAME bus terminal in Mérida. It is probably not so smart to walk the two kilometers to the hotel in this situation. Now there was lightning and pretty soon there was a thunder. 14.46 We have placed ourselves on a bench indoors in the bus terminal and bought some snacks in a shop. We wait here until the weather improves. Mérida with 949,888 inhabitants is the capital of the state of Yucatán and takes its name from Mérida in Spain, a city near the Portuguese border. The city is considered one of the safest big cities in Mexico as well as in all of the Americas. 15.15 It is time for us to make an attack on the hotel. It can make or break. Right now it's just a little drizzle. 15.47 We survived the torrential rain and are at Hotel Santa Lucia (https://www.hotelsantaluciamerida.com) and in the queue for check-in. On the way here, we met two motorists who got their driver's license in the taco chip bag. One gassed and honked at us at a pedestrian crossing and one punctured a puddle and splashed us. 16.07 It was a long process to check in at this hotel. The information was written in a bib with carbon paper between the pages. I didn't know carbon paper still existed. Now we have crossed a courtyard and gone up two flights of stairs to room number 532. We have a view down to a swimming pool which is currently completely deserted due to the rain. 17.16 We currently feel no direct desire and see no point in going out, but who knows, we may change our minds.
A mixed crowd of guests at Bistrola 57.
Good pizzas are even better when one is for free.
Rectoría El Jesús Tercera Orden.
18.36 Even tonight we are going to pick and choose among some options when it comes to food intake. It is mainly tomorrow that the city will be seen, but in any case we have to go out to eat already this evening.
19.46 After opting out or postponing various options, we finally landed at the restaurant Bistrola 57 where we were assigned a window table. Unfortunately they don't offer craft beers tonight. 21.04 The restaurant had an offer regarding its pizzas. Order two pizzas but only pay for one. Both the pizzas and the price were to our liking and the dinner was cheaper than we had expected. On the way home, we went shopping or at least bought a few items at a Circle K store. Now we are at home in our room and now peace and quiet await. 23.07 Neither our TV nor our toilet is in any good working condition. we hope for improvement.
Wednesday 2nd of August
08.32 Today is the day of remembrance for the genocide of Roma during the Holocaust. Here in Mérida, hammer blows are heard and the sun is shining. Today awaits a full day here in the city. Yesterday we only managed to see a few streets and most of it was seen in the dark.
09.17 We went down to the reception and asked about the breakfast ticket. We got it and then we were directed to the Hotel Colón on Calle 62 two intersections away. Now we have sat down and here comes the waitress. 09.44 We ordered and soon received juice, toast, marmalade, margarine, coffee, scrambled eggs and ham. It was hardly a large meal and a good start to the day. On the way back we were greeted by a gentleman with "Hello my friend". He wondered if we were Germans. He learned from Christer that we were Swedish. Ah, then you should turn left to the market. That's where Swedes go, was his reply. No, I said, we're going to the right and back to our hotel. 10.35 The room is cool, but in here there is not much to take pictures of. It's warm outside, but there's a lot to photograph. What do we do? Also, how about lunch? Where do we eat and what? 10.55 We have left our hotel and are moving near yesterday's dinner restaurant. We are currently in the park that celebrates mothers, Parque a la Maternidad. 11.15 In the center of Mérida is the large square/park Plaza Grande (or Plaza Principal). Here are letters that form the name of the city. A bit away from us is the Catedral de San Ildefonso, a cathedral from early Spanish colonial times. Here, as in the rest of the city, it is oppressively hot. The sweat is flowing.
Breakfast was served at the Hotel Colón.
Hotel Santa Lucia, our home in Mérida.
Parque a la Maternidad, Mérida.
Calle 59, Mérida.
Rectoría El Jesús Tercera Orden in daylight.
Plaza Principal de Mérida "Plaza Grande".
11.28 Our latest new favorite coffee drinking chain The Italian Coffee Company (https://italcomerida.com) is being visited in this city as well. It's cool here but plenty of people. At least we found a table far into the room.
12.18 It's still hot outside. It was like walking into a wall when we left the nice cool café air. We have walked a number of crossings to the south and it is time for a rest and refreshment break in Parque San Juan. A little further away is the simple Arco de San Juan. It is an arch over the street that has stood here since the late 17th century. 13.09 We are at home as soon as possible in the room at Hotel Santa Lucia to cool off. The cleaning patrol is coming in, so we'll probably go out again soon. We are not imagining things about the heat. According to information, it will be +37°C in the afternoon today. 13.27 The room was handed over to the cleaning staff with a warm hand. We went to Pizza Messina's Centro (https://messinaspizza.com) instead. The waitress thought we should move to a cooler place in the restaurant where the AC system cools better. At least now we have ordered. 14.31 We didn't get any small meals (spaghetti and pizza) at all. The Jamaica drink with hibiscus flowers tasted like lingonberry drink. At home in Sweden, BK Häcken was knocked out by KÍ Klaksvík from the Faroe Islands in the Champions League qualifier. KÍ Klaksvík advanced after penalty kicks. By the way, we were in Klaksvík at Easter time last year. In fact, we were also standing outside the football stadium there.
Letras Mérida, popular to photograph.
Museo Casa Montejo, a restored building from the 16th century.
Catedral de San Ildefonso was built in the 16th century.
Christer visits The Italian Coffee Company.
Arch of San Juan.
Iglesia de San Juan Bautista, Mérida.
16.15 I don't know if it's because of the heat today or if it's the sum of all the travel days, but I know that right now we're tired. We can call it siesta so maybe it feels more acceptable?
18.26 Now we are on our way to buy things that may be good to have in the coming time. We don't have a reasonably sized supermarket near the hotel so it's going to be quite a walk now just after dark in Mérida. 19.48 In the evening darkness, we walked to Soriana on Calle 56. Now we have a lot to drink and also a lot of bread mainly for tomorrow. 20.40 After a moment's hesitation, we have finally agreed to go out to at least look at a place that offers food. 21.00 "Home sweet home" by Mötley Crüe is played in the speakers at Cuerno de Toro Taproom, a beer place that also offers food. We recently ordered burgers and craft beer. The place seems lovely, but we sit outside without walls facing the street, which means real heat and humidity. The city buses also thunder past just outside. 21.48 The music got better, the burgers were enormously good, but the best was still the craft beer, Joya Cream Ale. 22.24 We are back at the hotel after drinking very good beer and eating the best burgers in a very long time. A weak internet put sticks in the wheels when we had to pay the tourist tax for the state of Quintana Roo, which we will reach on Saturday. But shame on the one who surrenders. A network and mobile restart resolved it. Yes, we are completely safe in 72 hours. Then there will be a confirmation of what we have paid. 22.42 We like beer and think it's nice to review new varieties on the app Untappd. Now we are drinking some new varieties that we bought from Soriana earlier tonight. Mexico has a lot of interesting beers to try and discover.
Our lunches at Pizza Messina's Centro.
A nice visit to Cuerno de Toro Taproom.
We are close to public transport.
Peter enjoys good food and drink.
We say goodbye to tonight's lovely dinner place.
Ready for the night in room 532.
You can see 43 photos from July 30 in this photoalbum.
You can see 59 photos from July 31 in this photoalbum.
You can see 14 photos from August 1 in this photoalbum.
You can see 48 photos from August 2 in this photoalbum.