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T U L U M
Ancient Tulum.
If you stop and scan the horizon from within this pre-Columbian walled city it’s easy to see why the Mayans picked this particular site for their regional trade hub. On one side, steep cliffs fall dramatically to a protected beach on the Caribbean Sea. On all others, the terrain slopes gently away for many kilometres making Tulum the highest point in the area and the perfect lookout post for Mayan sentries. While they weren’t taking in the view or defending the city from invaders, the Mayans did a brisk business in the valuable, volcanic glass – Obsidian. Today Tulum has some of the most wellpreserved archaeological buildings in Mexico, among them the impressive Temple of the Descending God. The entire site is walkable, the beach is open and the natural setting is spectacular. So, bring your swimming gear and your camera.
I T Z I M N Á
Itzimná remains one of the most beautiful colonialera neighborhoods in Mérida, Yucatán. Prior to the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán this historic neighborhood was the ceremonial center for the worship of Itzamná the Mayan god of creation. The Catholic church located in the plaza was completed in 1719 and is accompanied by a lush parish garden "Los Recreos de Itzimná". Like many areas of Mérida, Itzimná is home to a large number of 19th century mansions echoing their past greatness. Many buildings have been restored as private residences or businesses making Itzimná a fine choice for an afternoon of shopping, cafe-hopping and sightseeing.
A N D R E W X E N I O S
Meditative, Adventure Photography. Andrew Xenios grew up in Long Beach, California and first came to the Yucatán in 1972, initially settling in Progreso with other writers, photographers, painters and artists lured by the sun and contemplative spaces of the Mexican gulf. Since then he has travelled extensively, most notably in Afghanistan, Greece, Germany, France and Cuba. The fruits of his travels are in permanent exhibition at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, The Fogg Museum at Harvard University and Bibliothèque nationale de France. Occasionally you can find Xenios at his home on Cozumel but more often at his studio in Mérida, basecamp for exploring the fascinating confluence of ancient Mayan and Spanish Imperial cultures that have shaped Mexico's Yucatán peninsula for centuries.
He bills himself as a fine art/adventure photographer. But as he talks about the Yucatรกn and the methodology of his photography workshops and exhibits it's clear he is engaged in something somewhat more elusive. A kind of meditative photography. Xenios makes the analogy to the act of drawing as a child, sometimes revealing innocence but always capturing a moment of raw essence. He sees photography as a means to simultaneously reveal and empower the subject... and the artist. Sit with his prints in person or in the pages that follow and you begin to understand that Xenios is guiding you into a deeper understanding of Mexico with the purpose of understanding yourself.
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Los Cuadros de Mérida.
While exploring Mérida's historic Centro you will surely discover some of the more than one-hundred plaster corner plaques with names like ‘El Elefante’, ‘El Loro’ and ‘La Tortola’. Some are literal, centuries-old land-markers as with ‘El Arco de Santa Ana’ while others like ‘El Motor Electrico’ are clearly from more recent times. But what do they mean?
Through its 400+ year existence, MĂŠrida grew into an often confusing grid of streets and lanes that made finding places difficult. In response, businesses and residents marked their important corners with murals, paintings and sculptures. While most of the originals have faded away, the City has restored the corners with iconic plaques in their characteristic earthy-red, hand-drawn style.
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NuMéxicana.
Upon entering this custom t-shirt & gift shop you might think you have teleported to New York’s Soho or Toronto’s Queen St. West… but this eclectic bit of urban coolness is confidently at home in Santa Lucia, Centro, Mérida. Tejon Rojo founders Annie Farias and Erika Canto conceived their quirky méxicana boutique theme in 2012 after stints in design and business college respectively. The two collaborate on screen and sublimationprinted original t-shirts, re-cycled dresses and hand-stitched streetwear. Add in some hand-picked accessories from local artists and a muralled patio with design furniture from Retrorica Interiorismo and you have a wonderfully weird boutique experience in the heart of colonial México.
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V O C H O
Bug, Beetle, El Huevito, Coccinelle, El Vocho...
These are some of the affectionate names the world has created for a car the German government commissioned from Porsche in the 1930′s. The Volkswagen Type 1 was designed to be the people’s car. It needed to be an easily mass-produced, utilitarian vehicle for the newly-built German roads. As spectacularly as the WWII Germans failed, the VWI succeeded. Only a few years later it was rolling off the line and into Japan, UK, Africa, South America and México.
The developing world loved this car for its inexpensive initial cost, good gas mileage and ease of maintenance. It proved itself unquestionably as a trustworthy road companion in México where ‘El Vocho’ has come to represent the practical, do-it-yourself spirit of the people. Of course, the VW Beetle had many design upgrades but its signature, dome design prevailed. Accompanied by slick marketing in the early 2000's it even became a hit with the North American urban-hipster crowd. Although the last Vocho was produced in 2003 in Puebla, over 20 million were manufactured in México – and millions are still rolling!
R E S O U R C E S ANDREW XENIOS TEJON ROJO
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