Blogs from Progreso, Yucatán, Mexico, North America

This morning we were up very early as we are going to the Mexican Gulf at Progreso. We leave the hotel at 7am and walk to the bus station. A 20 minute walk at this time of the day is absolutely fine. We locate the bus station, purchase return tickets and walk straight on to a bus. We even get seats near the front! We were expecting a chicken bus but actually it’s quite a nice air con one. We settle back in our seats and enjoy the 55 minute journey to the coast. We have arrived in Progreso and already the heat is quite intense. We pass the first item of interest - a tall lighthouse. It’s been built quite a long way from the sea shore...making us wonder whether it is of much use ... read more

Breakfast on the roof, then a walk east along the beach for a couple of miles. We hit the high tide about 10:30. Beach was very secluded with just a few walkers and playing dogs. Many large homes, some almost mansions, some run down. Not much sign of life, no "for rent" signs, so probably vacation property of Mexicans. Saw many overturned fishing boats up on shore, and one fast-moving catamaran out on the water. Saw a couple of small kids playing in the water. The wind was very brisk. Lots of washed-up kelp along the shore. I picked up some small white shells as we walked along. Got a good view of the long pier. It goes out straight, then turns to the left. About 2.5km were built in 1942, a terminal was built in ... read more

Good breakfast of fruit, rolls, and coffee included at the hostel. Noticed this morning they have three house cats. Very cute. We reserved the same place for two nights after our return from Progreso. We spent the morning sightseeing. Walked to Plaza Grande. This time noticed lots of purple flowers, posts in which to plug your devices, lots of laurel trees, and several shoeshine chairs. Horses and carriages lined the street. On the east side of the Plaza is the Cathedral de San Ildefonso, begun in 1561. It Is on the site of an old Myan temple. Some of the stone from the temple was used in construction. There is a giant crucifix behind the altar, but the interior is not particularly ornate. A statue which was burned without charring was supposed to be present, but ... read more

Ola, Vandaag is Luka ziek. Ze heeft koorts en moet harder hoesten. De man van ons hoteletje neemt ons direct mee naar een dokter die blijkbaar nergens te vinden is. Dan maar naar de dokter van de "cooperativa Pescadores", normaal enkel toiegankeliojk voor de vissers van de gemeenschap. Iedereen is SUPERvriendelijk en behulpzaam. Hoe armer de mensen, hoe warmer de mensen, lijkt het bijna. De dokter geeft ons de raad om enkel koortswerende middelen te geven en haar voldoende uit de wind te houden. onze uitstap met de boot wordt dus een dagje verschoven. ... read more

Progesso is about a half hour drive to the coast, from Merida. On a nice hot January day we decided to venture to the beach in our rental car. It was an easy drive due north of the city, through scrub land featuring palmetto fronds and brush. The landscape here is very flat, and the flatness continues beyond the shore. Indeed, Progresso has what is said to be the world's longest pier, at 4 miles. But it is no longer walkable, due to 'national security.' The pier is so long because the depth of the water remains too shallow for shipping, closer to shore. The seawater of the Gulf isn't very attractive here — mostly turbulent and lacking that gorgeous blue of the Caribbean beaches. Progresso seems a nice enough beach community, aside from its water ... read more