Sunday in Merida

Arrived in town too early to check in to our hotel, so we dumped the car and headed for the main square and found ourselves in the middle of regular sunday festival. The roads were closed to traffic, there was dancing and singing in the street, hundreds of stalls selling clothes, souvenirs and food and most of the population out for the afternoon. Very lively and safe, despite the constant attention of the indian women selling shawls etc.
Still trying to choose my favourite local beer - which has, of course, required considerable research. Think I have settled on Modelo Especial but will have to keep tasting.
A bit of a mixup over the hotel booking - despite 10 or 11 email confirmations. It was a very small place and they had decided to take Sunday off- we probably bumped into them in the square without realising - they had arranged for someone to meet us to let us in but we missed each other. Took a bit of time wandering the streets until we found a new place - an old Mission - named for a famous priest who spent his life baptising those indians who were willing and burning those who weren't! Slightly disconcerted by the floodlit freestanding cross in a wall niche beside the bed until we found the light switch.
Spent Monday on the Lagoon at Celestun. This is a huge saltwater lake on the Gulf of Mexico which is home to thousands of Flamingos which breed here between March and April. We took a two hour boat trip to see the Flamingos, the mangrove swamps and the freshwater springs - I had a swim in one of these until we noticed the crocodile around the corner.
We shared the boat with a Mexican couple which led to my longest Spanish conversation of the trip - not sure that we understood everything but I think I got away without saying anything too embarassing.
Thankfully - as a result of my exposure to our Canadian friends - I overtipped the boatman which meant that he and his mates were more than willing to give me a push start when I found the battery was flat - guess who left the lights on?