Photo map of Mérida and surrounding area. Click image for interactive map.

Mérida is so hot right now. And I mean, hotter than actual Hades right now. Mérida had been on our constantly updated short list for a city break for a long time. Travel conditions were favorable for a quick trip, so atmospheric conditions were a secondary concern. An evening arrival gave us hope for clemency. But the big bright bully in the sky brought the gavel down the following morning. It would be scorching, we would be sweaty messes at all times, and we would be fine with that. Todo bien.

We arrived on Friday evening and hopped in a taxi to Centro. As we got closer to the city center, the crowds intensified in both numbers and flavor. We had arrived at the onset of Pride, and could not believe our luck. After a quick check-in at our hotel and change in to our rainbowiest outfits, we hit the streets to enjoy the celebration. The parade was everywhere, around every corner and with no clear direction. After a pause to watch the drag contest on the big stage, we grabbed some tacos and called it a night.

The plan for the next day was to explore the city center, and we did. I went out alone early in the morning to take advantage of the brief cloud cover. I had a friendly chat with a local photographer I met while waiting to cross the street, and he showed me the building where the parrots like to roost on the roof. After a trip around the square, I went back to the hotel to collect Jay, and we explored a larger radius around the center. We then made our way north to check out a few local landmarks, and finally stopped for lunch when our hydration status insisted.

That evening, we had reservations for dinner at Salón Gallos, a gastropub with a great reputation. I brought my camera along, as we were walking there and hadn’t been that way yet. I didn’t take many photos on the way to dinner (largely thanks to a divergence of opinion regarding the directions), but I had my camera in hand as we walked back to the hotel. It was after dark by then, so I was photographing some of the historic buildings as they were lit for the evening. As I framed a shot on the opposite side of the street, I saw a young woman in a beautiful pink dress walking by. I fired off a few shots in the moment, with no time to adjust settings (such is street photography). The slowish shutter speed ended up working for the shot, as it lent an ethereal blur to her dress as she walked. This became one of my favorite shots of the entire trip.

The next day dawned hot and bright from the jump. We went to rent a car, unsure of our exact plans for the day. When we found out the car had to be back by 5 pm, we decided to drive north toward Progreso and the coast and see what we could find. Our original plan had been to drive to the Uxmal ruins, but the heat and the distance moved it down the list. After a stroll around Progreso and a drive over to Chicxulub (yes, like the asteroid), it happened.

Jay found the flamingos.

I had actually looked into nearby spots to view flamingos before we left for our trip, and was disappointed that it would not be the right time of year for those places. In those locations, we would have had to pay a decent amount to hire a boat tour to take us to the birds. But here we stood, able to photograph them from the dirt road. Strong work, Jay. High five.

The way I looked at Jay when he found the flamingos.

Not a flamingo. Not a few flamingos. ALL the flamingos. The first flamingo was spotted as we took photos at Sendero Jurásico. I had my longest lens, my 70-300mm. Jay pointed at a small pink dot on the horizon, and the zoom confirmed that it was indeed a feathered friend. We leapt back into the car, and a few dirt roads later, there they all were. I was not expecting to do wildlife photography that day, but when opportunity knocks, you answer. The great news is that flamingos are easy, even at a distance. They don’t move quickly, and they like to hang out in the bright midday sun, out in the open. No dark canopies or tricky backlighting, no branches competing for focus, no motion blur. Just big groups of big, beautiful, pink birds.

We returned to Progreso for victory tacos, then headed back to Mérida. No fancy dinner this night, we had insanely good takeaways from Gorditas Doña Gorda for less than $10 USD. Maybe I was still riding my flamingo high, but they hit the spot like nothing else. A perfect end to a day of suprises, sweat, and sweet, sweet shots.

Back in the air conditioning with a fading sunburn, I enjoyed the familiar excitement of the post-trip cull and edit. The flamingos were the undisputed stars of the trip, but I absolutely had some gems from the city itself. Who says a city break can’t turn into a wildlife expedition? Nunca digas nunca.

Boarding Pass: MID

Boarding Pass: MAO

Boarding Pass: TIJ