Mexico 2005: Mérida

We flew into Mérida and stayed there for the first four days of our trip. The excuse for this trip was to attend a wedding, but we also met lots of family and saw the amazing ruins of Uxmal and Chichén Itzá.

From the Eyewitness Travel Guide for Mexico:
"The conquistator Francisco de Montejo the Younger founded this city in 1542 on the ruins of a large Maya settlement. He named it Mérida because it reminded him of the ruined Roman city of the same name in Spain. An important city during Spanish colonial rule, Mérida rose to prominence again at the turn of the 20th century when it enjoyed an economic boom, based on sales of locally grown sisal for rope-making. In the early 1900s, Mérida was said to have more millionaires per head of population than anywhere else in the world. This prosperity is reflected in its grand mansions, squares, parks, and statues. Modern Mérida is an important manufacturing city, and also a university, business, and cultural center."