BOLT = Black Old Lesbians Traveling
Our mission is to inspire fearless, serendipitous and penniless travel. We are Kathy and Marci Halili Akoma, two retired African-Americans. Join us as we share our travels with you. We hope to hear about yours.
Contact us at boltraveling@gmail.com. Like us on www.facebook.com/pages/bolt. Follow us @boltraveling
THE WORLD IS OURS...SEE YOU THERE!
We have really come to love this city! A year passed by really quickly! Lots of good adventures, wonderful new friends made and just another wonderful year for Black Old Lesbians Traveling!
There are so many helpful videos on YouTube about traveling! This is a good one about travel to Merida. For this week’s post I thought I’d just share it.
Pok-Ta–Pok is an ancient Mayan ball game, that was played thousands of years ago as part of a sacred, sacrificial ceremony, pitting good against evil. The general belief is that the ball, five pounds of solid rubber, could only be hit with forearms and thighs. The goal of the game was to maneuver the ball through a stone hoop extending from a wall. It is said that the winner of the game was sacrificed, supposedly a high honor.
Pok-Ta-Pok ball courts can still be found at Mayan archeological sites, such as Chichen Itza, and Uxmal.
You can now experience this ancient game right here in Merida.
The show is held Wednesdays at 8 p.m, in front of the Merida Cathedral in Centro.
Entrance is free but assigned seating is limited. We had a great, safe time!
While Covid infections are on the rise here in Merida it is important to find outdoor, socially distanced and masked events to attend. We’d love to hear your suggestions.
The beautiful Christmas tree at Paseo Montejo Remate.
This is the second pandemic Christmas for our world. Merida, like most cities, has suffered a lot. I’m feeling a lot of hope and joy with the beautiful decorations and holiday spirit here.
Glorieta de NativityParque Santa Ana
Glorietas!
Burger King sponsored Glorieta
A glorieta is simply a roundabout. There are many of these in Merida. Some have statues or fountains. But during Christmas the glorietas are transformed into magical holiday delights. One of our great community members here, Monte, made a great video of the glorietas. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrFmzVcXUY&feature=youtu.be
His YouTube channel is actual a wonderful font of information on life in Merida.
If you are in Merida here is a link to a map of many of the glorietas. If you are not here please enjoy and like Monte’s video.
Las Caravanas are especially wonderful tradition of the Merida holiday seasons. Floats, full of musicians, decorations, holiday characters and of course Santa, visit all the different neighborhoods.
Emiliano Zapata Oriente Caravana
We we so excited when they visited our neighborhood of Emiliano Zapata Oriente!
Peppermint Soiree
Of course, the season is not complete without at least on holiday party! We had a great time at the Peppermint Soiree.
Children’s Christmas Party de Amurt-Amurtel
Most importantly, Christmas is a season of giving! I’m so grateful to have participated Amurt-Amurtel and their wonderful Christmas party for the underserved communities of Merida. Thank you to everyone who helped me collect toys for the children there. It was truly the best part of the season.
Amurt-Amurtel and Las Mamás de Amurt-Amurtel are a wonderful organization here in Merida. I have found so much joy and satisfaction working with them.
Each week they collect donated fruits and vegetables from the market vendors here in Merida. Then they cook delicious vegetarian meals and distribute them to the underserved communities of Merida.
Currently they are also collecting new and used toys clothes and blankets to enrich the holidays of these communities.
Merida is feeling more and more like a good home base. While Kathy and I want to continue to travel the world we need an affordable comfortable and safe place to rest and rejuvenate between travels. This lovely city in the Yucatan state of Mexico provides that and much more.
There is great community here, we’ve made a wonderful group of people and there are frequent meet ups, gatherings and events.
Merida is close to the beach. Chelem and Progreso are beach cities about 45 minutes away. Cancun and Playa Del Carmen are an enjoyable 4 hour ride away if you want a more resort experience.
There is an international airport here. This is very important to us as women who want to travel a lot.
Merida is close enough to the United States to allow for visiting to and from family and friends.
If you do visit there is lots to see and do. From the vibrant night life, art scene, historical wonders like Chichen Itza and the beautiful cenotes, Merida has more than enough to keep anyone happy and interested. Have questions about Merida? What to pay us a visit? Drop us a line at boltraveling@gmail.com.
BOLT: Black Old Lesbians Traveling 