As I have said in the past, my family almost never spends Christmas at home opting for warmer weather in places like Florida or Mexico. In 2014 we spent the season in Merida Mexico. Boasting close to one million people, it is the largest city in the Yucatan and considering I had only been to the small fishing village of Zihuatanejo, this was quite a change. Besides spending time with family we mainly walked the streets, ate mexician food and learned a bit about the Mayan culture and their spirituality.
The highlight of the trip was our visit to Chichen Itza. The pyramids themselves were incredible, but unfortunately the guide our hotel attendant set up for us spoke quietly and so-so English.
A few phrases he did not have trouble with were:
- Listen (insert hand clapping)
- Act like you are here (while glaring at my brother)
- Take off your sunglasses (uh, they’re polarized)
There was also a little dictation on where we could take pictures and if dilly-dallying “Act like you are here” came into play. Thus we began calling him the tour guide nazi “no photo-op for you”. He also mentioned that he may not be able to remember everything and therefore may improvise as he goes along. Thus the Mayans could have perished due to Vikings or Aliens.
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