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Progreso and Merida have been written up in many travel books, so if you want to know the who-what-when-where-why, look for those books.  I'll give you the idea of the cities from a point of view from someone who lives here. My husband and I live in a small town adjacent to Progreso, named Chicxulub.   If I write the information from a personal point of view, it's easier! Progreso And Its People Progreso is a great town, begun as a fishing village, and fishermen still abound today.  You can see them out most evenings at sea, their small boats strung together, sharing nets.  Progreso has friendly people, quiet streets and lots of sunshine.  Most of the people lead rather uncomplicated lives, many without telephones, email, faxes or voice mail. (I hear some of you people gasping...) Some don't even have hot water in their homes.  If they want to see each other, they get on the bus, take a bike or walk to their friend's homes.  Cars are less plentiful here than in Merida.

The entrance to Merida from highway.

Merida's Main Park A facade of a building built in 1821 Lover's chairs

There is a central downtown area which boasts many businesses and restaurants, the central Mercado (fresh market) and street vendors.  The streets are numbered in Progreso like they are in Merida...East-West streets are odd-numbered and North-South streets are even.  Makes it easy to find any place, as long as you know the cross streets!

A Big Meteor Landed

National Geographic did an article in October, 2003 about the cenotes (suh NO tays) in the Yucatan.  These are fresh-water pools and cave rivers in the porous limestone base of the peninsula, which were formed 65 million years ago, when a giant meteorite landed right here, creating a global cataclysm!    The epicenter of this 110-mile-wide crater is here in Chicxulub.  So, we are “on the map,” so to speak.  At least with the archaeologists.

Getting Around

The transportation system here is very good.  Buses run throughout the town all the time, and the cost is only 25 cents to go to the center of our little town of Chicxulub (that's chik-shu-loob) and 30 cents to go a bit farther, in the other direction, to Progreso.  Each bus driver carries supplies for his bus engine...water, anti-freeze, tools...most of the buses are quite old.  But I tell you what...you sure can depend on them!  And in addition to the buses, there are probably 40-50  "combis" or "collectivos" which are usually Volkswagen vans that can hold up to about 10 people, and the price is the same as the bus.  You can tend to be a bit squashed in the combis, so keep that in mind.  Whenever you want to get out of a bus or combi, you just holler "baja" (from the word ‘bajar’, to come down, get down) or "esquina." (meaning ‘the corner’).  That lets the driver know you want him to stop.  Usually, just standing up and moving towards the door will make a bus driver pull over at the next corner.
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Fishmonger in Progreso

Shopping For Food, etc We buy our fruits and vegetables from the street markets, and they are very fresh, locally grown, and not very expensive.  In Progreso there are many street vendors selling fruits and vegetables, plus a large market where you can buy everything from shoes, clothing, household supplies, meat, chicken and fish besides the vegetables and fruit.  There is also a supermarket (San Francisco) where you can purchase all the rest of your household needs.  There are convenience stores open 24 hours as well. We still see men with horse-drawn carts here in Progreso …. and tricycle-carts too.  These are bicycles attached to carts which carry people, groceries, and supplies.  The cart portion is in front, and the bicycle is in back.  And people ride sometimes 4 to a regular bicycle!  You wouldn't believe your eyes...bikes and motor scooters with 4 and 5 people on them...usually a mom, dad and a couple of kids.  Scary to see, as no one wears helmets!

Progreso, like Merida, attracts lots of Canadian and American "snow-birds" who come for 3 to 6 months of the year and set up residence.  The 40,000 population swells by several hundred people, who assist the economy quite well.  There are also cruise ships that dock in Progreso twice a week, so more Americans and Canadians are being shown the area … if only for 9-10  hours!  It is easy for them to find tour guides to take them around the area, even as far away as Chichen Itza, the large Mayan ruins 1 ½ hours from Merida.

Food Places

Progreso has several restaurants, serving local Yucatecan fare as well as fish, chicken and pork.  We are becoming enamored of some Yucatecan dishes, mainly Sopa de Lima, Poc Chuc and Pollo Pibil.    On most days, especially Sundays, you can find grilled whole chickens for sale, served with side dishes of spaghetti or rice, some type of salad and tortillas.  Usually you pay around 30 pesos for this meal that will feed a small family!   And 30 pesos is just under $3 in the US.

On a daily basis, you can find several “cocinas economicas” (economical kitchens) that are set up, usually in the front of a home, with one or two women serving lunch.  The selections are all-inclusive, from juice, soup, rice and a main course and dessert.  Usually you won’t spend more than 25 to 30 pesos ($2.50-$3.00, US) 

There are lots of restaurants where we can buy whole fish, gutted and fried whole, served with salad, rice and bread.  On the side, you are served "botanas" (snacks) before the meal comes, and they range from 1 or 2   items, like ceviche (a seafood cold plate with onions, chiles and cilantro), beans, mangoes-in-lime, pineapple with chile powder and lime, and tortilla chips.  Once we had 8 different botanas served to us before our meal.  We had 3 fish, 8 botanas and 4 beers, and the total was just under $14.00 (US).  You won't go hungry and you won't go broke!

We can get  2 liters of freshly-squeezed orange juice for under a dollar. The bakeries in the neighborhood offer fresh bread, cakes and cookies twice a day.  We can get two loaves of french bread for 30 cents, and if you throw in 2 cinnamon rolls, it boosts the price up to 60 cents!  It's a nice treat every now and then.
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At the fast-food places, jalapeños are available to spice up your burgers, salads or chicken!  You will find all the American fast-food places, if you have a hankering for burgers and fries! Merida boasts restaurants for every taste and price range.  As far as American franchises goes, Progreso only has a Burger King! Usually A Very Tranquil Setting Most months of the year, Progreso and Chicxulub are very quiet and tranquil.  In the summer, however, and during the 2 weeks of Easter, the place blossoms with the homeowners from Merida who come to the sea to rest, play and party.  For those who don’t own homes here, they rent condominiums and houses of others to spend the summer.  Jet skis rip up and down the shore, sailboats and yachts breeze by, and swimmers crowd the shore to play.  Traffic swells to record levels and new businesses pop up on every block to serve those who are here.   Our house is owned by a family in Merida, so the summer belongs to them here.  We must leave for July and August and see other parts of the world.  I’m not so sad to be gone during this busy period…we like the tranquility offered instead.

Sunset on the beach in Progreso

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About Merida

Merida is the capital of the Yucatan, and is about 40 minutes from Progreso.  Its population is 950,000, so it is a well-developed city.   Founded in January of 1542, it has retained a  beautiful charm of old-world, mixed with modern world.  If you want an of location, it is just south of New Orleans in the US, across the Gulf of Mexico.  It has a tropical climate, with rainy season June through September, when it rains for just an hour or two late in the day.  Maya is still spoken by many inhabitants, and it sounds quite different from Spanish.  I equate the sound (to my ears) of Native Americans of the United States. If someone speaks Maya, he usually speaks Spanish as well, so it is still easy to communicate.  Many people even speak English! 

When we want to go to Merida, we take a bus that runs every 15 minutes or so, directly from Progreso. The fare is roughly a dollar each way, and the buses are comfortable and air conditioned.
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Vegetable market in Progreso

Dental Care, Medical Care We have found a great dentist in Merida, and you can find equally skilled doctors and other health practicioners.  Many doctors have been trained in the US, Canada and Europe, so their English is good.  We have not needed a medical doctor yet, but I am sure we will find several to suit our needs. Merida is beautiful and clean, with a great transportation system in addition to an international airport.  Its nickname is “The White City,” as many buildings were painted white in the early days.  Now, other bright hues adorn the homes and buildings there.  They have some of the most beautiful stores! The Sears store looks like Neiman Marcus.  There is a large English-speaking community of Americans and Canadians in Merida who live there all year long.  There is an English-language library which offers over 15,000 volumes, rental movies, books on tape, and community bulletin boards.  It is staffed by volunteers, and runs well. The first Friday of each month they hold a social, where we “foreigners” can meet and share a story and a glass of wine.

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What’s Really Neat…

In Progreso and Merida, you will still see older women dressed in the traditional dress called a hipile (hip ee lay).  It is white, with embroidered bodice and hem of brightly colored flowers.   Many men wear the traditional shirt called the guayabera (gwy a berra), usually white, with fine stitching and smooth fabric.  Those shirts are seen all over Mexico, and they originated in the Yucatan.   It is refreshing for me to see people keep traditional clothing, food and celebrations in their lives…gives me pause to wonder what traditions I keep!  Not many, I’m ashamed to say….

It’s also great to see people ride horseback down the beach in front of our house, kids running around with no shoes, parents holding their children lovingly, grandmothers and grandfathers living with or socializing with their children and grandchildren.  Family togetherness is very obvious here, and people seem more calm and happy.  Grown daughters hold hands with their moms just because they want to, and men kiss their sons, brothers and friends….because they want to also!

Many public establishments still have ice blocks delivered to keep food and beer cold.  Haven’t seen that in the US since the fifties!

We are very glad we live here in the Yucatan, and in Progreso in particular.  We are exploring Mexico, and may choose another location in the future, but for now, we have planted ourselves in the sand!

The following is the first article Jan wrote for the magazine:

Why Xalapa? ~ From Chicago To Mexico

(For more information, check out our newsletter about living in, and moving to, Mexico.  You will find it at www.mexicoanswers.com.  You can reach me at: janbek@mexicoanswers.com) 
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