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Records of the Office of Speechwriting (Clinton Administration)
Alison (Lissa) Muscatine's Files
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Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. manifest
re: Aircraft Manifest (1 page)
05/02/1997
b(7)(C), b(7)(E), b(7)(F),
b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Lissa Muscatine
OA/Box Number: 12087
FOLDER TITLE:
Merida/Uxmal, Mexico
2017-1164-S
rc2830
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. manifest
re: Aircraft Manifest (1 page)
05/02/1997
b(7)(C), b(7)(E), b(7)(F),
b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Lissa Muscatine
OA/Box Number: 12087
FOLDER TITLE:
Merida/Uxmal, Mexico
2017-1164-S
rc2830
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
Information for the First Lady's Speech in Merida, Mexico
Mexican Conservation Corps
[Through Partners of the America, 20 Mexican states are linked with 6 U.S. states, to
provide a network of volunteers for technical assistance and support.]
In 1994 with funding from USAID, Partners of the Americas initiated the Cuerpos de
Conservacion Mexicanos (Mexican Conservation Corps - MCC). Modeled after the
successful California Conservation Corps, the MCC matches job training for youth and
young adults with natural resource needs. MCC members between the ages of 15 and 35
assist with agriculture and forestry projects, work on trail construction, help with recycling
efforts and carry out historical preservation and conservation activities.
Local corps are carrying out projects throughout Mexico that teach conservation skills to
young people, nurture their leadership abilities, and promote wise stewardship of the
country's natural resources. The program enjoys the support of the Mexican government,
local environmental organizations, and Mexican and international corporations and
foundations.
Hundreds of "graduates" of the MCC program are now affiliated with Mexican conservation
organization, which in collaboration with the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la
Naturaleza (Mexican Nature Conservation Fund - MNCF), are training Community Teachers
throughout Mexico. Once trained, these volunteers work in small communities teaching
children and the general public the importance of protecting the environment.
Mexican Nature Conservation Fund
The MNCF began with a $20 million USAID contribution establishing the Fund's
endowment. The Government of Mexico has pledged an additional $10 million ($4 million
contributed to date), and the international community through the Global Environment
Facility has provided an additional $17.5 million.
The MNCF provides a sustainable source of funding for the conservation of biological
diversity in Mexico. Two major results are expected:
(1) conservation of biological diversity resulting from grants to Mexican private and
non-governmental organizations; and,
(2) strengthening of environmental institutions in Mexico to take leadership roles in
biodiversity conservation
MNCF priorities were established through a participatory process involving 6 regional
meetings with 450 participants from 250 NGOs and community groups; local experts will
help evaluate proposals.
u:\drpub\ees\missions\mexico\flotus97.mex
1
Partners of the Americas and
Cuerpos de Conservacion Mexicanos (CCM)
Background
Partners of the Americas works with the Cuerpos de Conservacion Mexicanos (Mexican
Conservation Corps) in Mexico. Through Partners of the Americas, twenty Mexican states
are Partner states with the U.S.. Yucatan partners with Iowa; Mexico City partners with San
Francisco; Oklahoma partners with 11 Mexican states; Texas with five; Arizona with one;
and New Mexico with three. Through these partnerships, Partners of the Americas works
jointly with Cuerpos de Conservacion Mexicanos (Mexican Conservation Corps) to involve
youth in the environment along the lines of FDR's Civil Conservation Corps (CCC).
USAID funds Partners activities that not only promote development but build lasting human
linkages between the U.S. and Latin America.
USAID/Mexico is the primary source of funds for the Partners of the Americas Conservation
Corps Program. Partners is now developing similar programs in other countries of the
hemisphere based on the success of the USAID model in Mexico.
The Mexican Conservation Corps (CCM) is collaborating with the Fondo Mexicano Para la
Conservacion de la Naturaleza (Mexican National Conservation Fund) to train Community
Teachers throughout Mexico. Once trained the volunteers work in small communities
teaching children and the general public the importance of protecting the environment.
The President and Mrs. Clinton have links to Partners that go back to the Arkansas/Bolivia
Partnership when President Clinton was Governor.
Site Visit
This project, called Conservemos la Riqueza Natural y Cultural de Cuxtal will be
inaugurated on May 4th, 1997. Visitors will see corps members meeting with children and
their parents and will take part in the teaching of a module to the children that includes
making and using puppets.
As part of the launching of this project on May 4, Community Teachers will conduct an
environmental education project in the Mayan community Hacienda Tzebacahu located in the
Cuxtal Ecological Reserve on the outskirts of Merida.
The activities will take place in a 19th century hacienda.
508
The Yucatán Peninsula
509
Today, however, placidity reigns in this agricultural market town. The
Uxmal
center is mostly colonial, although it has many 19th-century struc-
tures. The main sights are the colonial churches, principally the large
0
cathedral on the central square and the 16th-century San Bernardino
Ciudad
0
Church and Convent three blocks southwest. The latter were pillaged
80
Mante
Ciudad Madero
during the insurrection.
Ebano
Valladolid is renowned for its cuisine, particularly its sausages. Try
San Luis
Tampico
one of the restaurants within a block of the square, which also has
Potosí
Cárdenas
70
Ciudad
two very good and reasonably priced hotels. You can also find good
Valles
180
Laguna de
buys on sandals, baskets, and the local liqueur, Xtabentún, made
Tamiahua
from honey.
To Uxmal and the Puuc Route
120
57
105
Tuxpán
5
Follow Route 180 south and turn onto Route 261 at Umán; 80 kilo-
meters (50 miles) farther south you'll reach Uxmal. If Chichén Itzá is
Querétarb
Poza Rica
22
85
El Tajin
4
3
the most impressive Maya ruin in Yucatán, Uxmal is arguably the
Celaya
130
Papan
most beautiful. Where the former has a Toltec grandeur, the latter
Tula
Pachuca
seems more understated and elegant-pure Maya. The architecture
131
reflects the late classic renaissance of the 7th-9th centuries and is con-
120
Cuaufitlar
Teatihuacán
temporary with that of Palenque and Tikal, among other great Maya
2
Ja
metropolises of the southern highlands.
Morelia
Mexico
City
The site is considered the finest and largest example of Puuc architec-
Chall
Zitacuara
140
ture, which embraces such details as ornate stone mosaics and friezes
Tolued
Puebla
Córdoba
on the upper walls, intricate cornices with curled noses, rows of
columns, and soaring vaulted arches. Lines are clean and uncluttered,
with the horizontal-especially the parallelogram-preferred to the
vertical. Many of the flat, low, elongated buildings were built on arti-
ficial platforms and laid out in quadrangles.
light show recounts Maya legends, including the kidnapping of an
Uxmal princess by a king of Chichén Itzá, and focuses on the people's
While most of Uxmal remains unrestored, three buildings in particu-
dependence on rain-thus the cult of Chac. The artificial colored
lar merit attention. The most prominent, the Pyramid of the Magi-
light brings out details of carvings and mosaics that are easy to miss
cian, is, at 125 feet high, the tallest structure at the site. Unlike most
when the sun is shining. The show is performed nightly in English and
Maya pyramids, which are stepped and angular, it has a strangely
is one of the better such productions.
Site and museum: $6, free on
elliptical design. Built five times, each time over the previous struc-
Sun. and holidays. Parking: $1. Use of video camera: $8. Daily
ture, the pyramid has a stairway on its western side that leads
8-5. Sound-and-light show in English: $4.50, 9 PM.
through a giant mask of the rain god, Chac, with its mouth wide open
to two temples at the summit.
Four smaller Puuc sites near Uxmal are also worth visiting, and en
23
route you pass through beautiful hilly jungles. Kabah, 23 kilometers
West of the pyramid lies the Nunnery, or Quadrangle of the Nuns
(14 miles) south of Uxmal on Route 261, lies almost entirely in ruins;
considered by some to be the architectural jewel of Uxmal. You may
its mounded landscape has a soft, almost Grecian beauty. Linked to
enter the four buildings; each comprises a series of low, gracefully
Uxmal by a sacbe, at the end of which looms a great independent
repetitive chambers that look onto a central patio. Elaborate decora-
arch, is the 151-foot-long Palace of the Masks (also known as Codz-
tion blankets the upper facades, in contrast with the smooth, sheer
Poop or "coiled mat"), so called because of the 250 Chac masks.
blocks that face the lower walls. The mosaics thrust into the upper
facade are huge, sometimes surpassing several feet in size.
24
Five kilometers (3 miles) to the south you'll see the turnoff to Sayil, or
"home of ants," the oldest site of the group, renowned primarily for its
Continue walking south; you'll pass the ball court before reaching the
majestic three-story palace with 70 rooms. The structure recalls
Palace of the Governor, which archaeologist Victor von Hagen con-
Palenque in its use of multiple planes, its columned porticos and sober
sidered the most magnificent building ever erected in the Americas.
cornices, and in the play of its long, graceful horizontal masses.
$4,
Interestingly, the palace faces east while the rest of Uxmal faces west.
free on Sun. and holidays. © Daily 8-5.
Archaeologists believe this is because the palace was used to sight the
planet Venus. Covering five acres and rising over an immense acrop-
Another 9 kilometers (6 miles) beyond Sayil, on Route 261, rests the
olis, the palace lies at the heart of what must have been Uxmal's
25
monumental arch at Labná. This lovely arch, called "La Puerta" or
administrative center. Decorating the facade are intricate friezes that
"The Gateway," is a fanciful corbeled arch rising high into a near peak
required more than 20,000 individually cut stones.
with elaborate latticework and a small chamber on each side of it. One
of the true curiosities of Maya civilization is that the Maya never dis-
First excavated in 1929 hv the Danish explorer Franz Blom. the site
the
a
S....
3
Daily
8-5
502
Mérida and the State of Yucatán
503
Casa de
Montejo, 2
Mérida
corners of the park, which comes alive at night with marimba bands
Catedral, 5
and street vendors.
Ermita de
12
10
Santa Isabel,
Just north of the park, on Calle 60 is the Italianate Teatro Peón Con-
16
treras, designed in 1908 along the lines of the grand European turn-
Mercado de
Artesanías
of-the-century theaters and opera houses. Today, in addition to
"
10
"Garcia
performing arts, the theater also houses temporary art exhibits and
Rejón", 6
the main Centro de Información Turistica (2 99/24-91-22), which
Mercado
Calle 59
Municipal, 7
can provide information about local attractions. A new café serving
15
Museo de
cappuccino and light snacks spills out to a patio from inside the the-
4
Arte Popular,
5
ater to the right of the Information Center.
15
"
Museo de la
Opposite the theater, the arabesque Universidad Autonoma de Yucatán
3
Ciudad, 8
plays a major role in the city's cultural and intellectual life.
Palacio
2
12
Cantón, 14
Heading north on Calle 60, you'll pass the Parque Santa Lucía on your
Palacio
65
left, at Calle 55. The rather plain park draws crowds to its Thursday-
del Gobierno, 4
Palacio Munici-
night serenades, performed by local musicians. The small church oppo-
pal, 3
site the park dates from 1575 and was built as a place of worship for
Parque
the African and Caribbean slaves who lived here.
Hidalgo, 9
Parque
Beginning at Calle 47 and running adjacent and roughly parallel to
Santa Lucía, 12
13
Calle 56, the 10-block-long street known as the Paseo de Montejo
Paseo de Mon-
7
tejo, 13
exemplifies the Parisian airs the city took on in the late 19th century,
Plaza
when wealthy plantation owners were building opulent, impressive
Principal, 1
100
Calle.
mansions. The broad boulevard, lined with tamarinds and laurels, is
Teatro Peón
TO
sometimes wistfully referred to as Mérida's Champs-Elysées. The
Contreras, 10
AIRPORT
100
14
maters
most compelling of the mansions, the pale peach Palacio Cantón,
Universidad
Autonoma
presently houses the Museum of Anthropology and History, dedicated
de Yucatán, 11
to the culture and history of the Maya; it's one of the finest of its type
destroyed during the Revolution. According to legend, the Christ fig-
in the country. Although bilingual legends accompany the fascinating
displays, lengthier explanations are in Spanish only; private guides
ure was carved from a tree that had burned all night yet appeared the
are available for hire. There's also an excellent bookstore. Calle 43 at
next morning unscathed. A later fire left the statue covered with the
Paseo de Montejo, 99/23-05-57.
blisters for which it is named.
$4.50. Tues.-Sat. 9-8; Sun.
8-2; bookstore open weekdays 9-3.
Head two blocks south from the cathedral along Calle 60 to Calle 65,
The Paseo de Montejo continues north, eventually becoming the road
Mérida's main shopping street. This bustling heart of the commercial
to Progreso. Before turning back from the museum, walk a few
quarter is lined with, among other businesses, banks and perfumeries.
blocks north; you'll pass numerous restaurants and several hotels.
6
Turn left to the Mercado de Artesanías "García Rejón," a market where
15
you'll find local handicrafts and souvenirs. Shops selling dry goods,
Several blocks east of the plaza, along Calle 59 to Calle 52, the Museo
straw hats, and hammocks occupy both sides of Calle 65. A block far-
de Arte Popular is housed in a fine old mansion. The ground floor is
ther east, between Calles 56 and 58, stand two picturesque 19th-cen-
devoted to Yucatecan arts and crafts, displaying weaving, straw bas-
tury edifices housing the main post office and telegraph buildings.
kets, filigree jewelry, carved wood, beautifully carved conch shells,
Behind them sprawls the pungent, labyrinthine Mercado Municipal,
exhibits on huipil manufacture, and the like. The second floor focuses
where almost every patch of ground is occupied by native Mexican
on the popular arts of the rest of Mexico. Calle 59, at the corner of
women selling chilies, herbs, and fruit. On the second floor of the main
Calle 52, no 2.
Free. 0 Tues.-Sat. 8-8.
building is the Bazar de Artesanías Municipales, the principal handi-
At the far south of the city, about nine blocks south of the square at
crafts market, where you can buy jewelry, pottery, embroidered clothes,
16
Calles 66 and 77, stands the Ermita de Santa Isabel (circa 1748), part
hammocks, and straw bags.
of a Jesuit hermitage. A resting place in colonial days for travelers
8
History lovers should stop in at the small but informative Museo de la
heading to Campeche, the restored chapel is an enchanting spot to
Ciudad, on Calle 61 between Calles 60 and 58, housing prints, draw-
visit at sunset. Next door there's a little garden with a waterfall and
ings, photographs, and other displays that recount Mérida's past.
footpaths bordered with bricks and colored stones.
Calle 61 at Calle 58, no 2.
Free. = Tues.-Sun. 8-8.
To Chichén Itzá and Valladolid
North of the square on Calle 60 there are many noteworthy parks
and historic buildings, including, only half a block away, the small,
Numbers in the margin correspond to numbers on the State of
9
cozy Parque Hidalgo, or Cepeda Peraza, as it is officially known.
Yucatán map.
from Taxis can be hailed on the street, or-more reliably-commissioned
do not even speak spamsh,
the main taxi stand (Calle 8 between Calles 55 and
graphic and, hence, cultural isolation from the rest of the country.
981/6-23-66 or 981/6-52-30) or at stands by the bus stations 53, B
Physically, Yucatán, too, differs from the rest of the country.
them market. Because of the scarcity of taxis, it's quite common to share and
Its geography and wildlife have more in common with Florida and
with other people headed in the same direction as you. Don't be
Cuba-with which it was probably once connected-than with the
surprised to see one already occupied slow down to where you are
central Mexican plateau and mountains. A mostly flat limestone slab
standing if the cab driver thinks he can pick up another fare.
possessing almost no bodies of water, it is rife with underground
Guided Tours
cenotes, caves with stalactites, small hills, and intense jungle.
Baluarte A three-hour walking and driving tour of the city departs daily from
It is, of course, the celebrated Maya ruins-Chichén Itzá and Uxmal
every afternoon at 4 during the months of July, August and Decem-
San Carlos (Av. 16 de Septiembre at Circuito Baluartes)
especially-that bring most tourists to the Yucatán, but small towns
such as Valladolid, while bereft of star-quality sightseeing attractions,
ber, as well as during Holy Week (March or April); the fee is $5. For
charm visitors with their very unpretentiousness. Rains fall heaviest
further information contact the tourist office (see below).
here between May and November, bringing with them an uncomfort-
Important Addresses and Numbers
able humidity.
EMERGENCIES
Police (Av. Resurgimiento s/n, a half block from the Hotel Alhambra,
Exploring
981/5-24-11). 981/6-23-29, or, in town, 06); Red Cross (Av. Resurgimiento s/n,
Mérida's traffic and noise are frustrating, but the city is the cultural
and intellectual center of the peninsula, with museums, schools, and
LATE-NIGHT PHARMACIES
attractions that greatly enhance the traveler's insights into the history
Clínica Campeche (Av. Central No. 65, near the Social Security Clinic,
and character of Yucatán. Consider making it one of the first stops in
Hotel Alhambra (Av. Resurgimiento No. 85, between Av. Universidad
981/6-56-12) is open 24 hours. The Farmacia Alhambra in the
your travels, and make sure your visit includes a Sunday, when traffic
is light and the city seems to revert to a more gracious era.
deliver to guests of other hotels.
and Av. Augusto Melgar, 981/1-12-46), open 7 AM-11 PM, will
Numbers in the margin correspond to points of interest on the
Mérida map.
VISITOR INFORMATION
1
Begin at the main square, which the Meridanos are beginning to call
The headquarters of the State of Campeche Office of Tourism is
the zócalo along with its traditional names, the Plaza Principal and
be rently at Calle 12, No. 153 (& 981/6-67-67); however, it will cur-
Plaza de la Independencia. Ancient, geometrically pruned laurel trees
moved. Two smaller offices are located at Circuito Baluartes soon
and confidenciales-S-shaped benches designed for tête-à-têtes-
between Calles 12 and 14 (25 981/6-73-64) and Baluarte Santa Rosa
invite lingering. The plaza was laid out in 1542 on the ruins of T'hó,
6-9, Saturday 9-1.
(see Exploring, above). All three offices are open weekdays 9-3 and
the Maya city demolished to make way for Mérida, and is still the
focal point around which the most important public buildings cluster.
MÉRIDA AND THE
2
The Casa de Montejo sits on the south side of the plaza, on Calle 63.
Montejo-father and son-conquered the peninsula and founded
STATE OF YUCATÁN
Mérida in 1542; they built this stately French-style palace ten years
later. The property remained with the family until the late 1970s,
Updated by
Patricia Alisau
tented maddeningly slow-moving traffic, it has a self-sufficient, self-con-
There is a marvelous eccentricity about Mérida. Fully urban, with
when it was restored and converted into a bank. Step into the building
weekdays between 9 and 5 to glimpse the lushly foliated inner patio.
of air that would suggest a small town more than a state capital
Continue around to the west side of the square, occupied by the 17th-
flair pretentious turn-of-the-century buildings have an Iberian-Moorish
some 600,000 inhabitants (locals say there are 850,000). Gaily
3
century Palacio Municipal (Calle 62, between Calles 61 and 63)-the
city hall-which is painted yellow and trimmed with white arcades,
for the ornate, but most of the architecture is low-lying and
balustrades, and the national coat of arms.
facades although the city sprawls, it is not imposing. Grandiose colonial
adorned with iron grillwork, carved wooden doors, and arch-
4
Occupying the northeast corner of the square is the Palacio del Gob-
hark ways conceal marble tiles and lush gardens; horse-drawn carriages
ierno, or Governor's Palace (Calle 61, between Calles 60 and 62),
back to the city's heyday as the wealthiest capital in Mexico.
built in 1885 on the site of the Casa Real (Royal House). The upper
floor of the Governor's Palace contains Fernando Castro Pacheco's
In addition to the European influence, the native Mexican is
murals of the history of Yucatán, painted in 1978.
bones unmistakable: People are short and dark-skinned, with presence sculpted
and almond eyes; women pad about in huipiles (hand-embroi-
5
The oldest Catedral on the North American mainland stands cater-
dered, sacklike white dresses), and craftsmen and vendors from the
corner from the Palacio del Gobierno. Begun in 1561, it took several
after outlying villages come to town in their huaraches. So centuries
hundred Maya laborers, working with stones from the pyramids of
of the conquest, Yucatán remains one of the last great many strongholds
the ravaged Maya city, 36 years to complete. Its Renaissance-style
Mexico's indigenous population. To this day, in fact, many Maya
facade is stark and unadorned, with gunnery slits instead of windows,
and faintly Moorish spires. Inside, the black Cristo de las Ampollas
(Christ of the Blisters) next to the altar is a replica of the original,
430
The Yucatán Peninsula
W
HEN ASKED what attracts them to Mexico
most visitors will mention beaches and
ruins-and some of the best of each ⑆
found on the Yucatán Peninsula.
Yucatán comprises Mexico's most popular tourist destination, C
cún, and some of the country's most celebrated ruins, the pre
Columbian cities of the Maya. While much of the peninsula is vast.
scrubby desert-"one living rock," as an early Spanish priest put it.
with a smattering of jungles and hills, its eastern coastline on the
clear, turquoise waters of the Caribbean has superb natural endow-
ments. In addition to a semi-tropical climate, the Caribbean coast
offers unbroken stretches of beach and the world's fifth-longest bar-
rier reef, which lies just off the island of Cozumel. Also part of the
Yucatán is the diminutive Isla Mujeres (Isle of Women) and, on the
west side of the peninsula, Mérida, a city that deserves more tourists.
than it gets. Mérida was one of the first cities built by the Spaniards,
and it retains its colonial ambience and charm.
The peninsula's spectrum of attractions is matched by an equal range
of accommodations, from the never-leave-the-site resorts of Cancún
to more modest properties near the ruins and humble but adequate
beach shacks. Yucatán therefore appeals to travelers of all budgets
and inclinations, from package tour-takers to backpackers and tray-
elers who prefer to rent a car. It offers bird-watching, water sports,
archaeology, handicrafts, and the savory Yucatecan cuisine. Above
all, however, there are the Yucatecos themselves: Veteran travelers to
Mexico often remark on the openness and friendliness of these people
who, like their Maya ancestors, are short and swarthy, with promi-
nent cheekbones and aquiline noses.
Exp
The peninsula encompasses the states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quin-
tana Roo (until 1974 a Mexican territory), Belize, and a part of
Guatemala, and covers 113,000 square kilometers (43,630 square
miles). International airports at Cancún and Cozumel provide non-
stop service from several North American cities; the Mérida airport
handles primarily domestic flights. Cruise ships call at Cozumel and
Playa del Carmen, and other harbor facilities are being developed at
Progreso on the north coast off the Gulf of Mexico.
CANCÚN
Updated by
Flying into Cancún, Mexico's most popular destination, all you see
Melissa Rivers
are green treetops for miles. It's clear from the air that this resort was
literally carved out of the jungle. When development began here in
1974, the beaches were deserted except for their iguana inhabitants.
Now, luxury hotels line the oceanfront, and nearly 2 million visitors
a year come for the white sand beaches and crystalline Caribbean
waters. They also come for the sizzling nightlife and, in some cases,
for proximity to the Yucatán ruins. Although the resort is too glitzy
and tourist-oriented for some, it draws thousands of repeat visitors.
Cancún City is on the mainland, but the hotel zone is on a 22½½-kilo-
meter (14-mile) barrier island off the Yucatán peninsula. The resort is
designed to please American tastes; most people speak English, and
devotees of cable TV and Pizza Hut will not be disappointed. Dedi-
cated beach bums will cherish the cool, white, porous limestone sand
and clear blue waters here, and the sun shines an average of 240 days
Merida
http://mexico-travel.com/yucatan/mid/mid_excur.html#meridal
Uxmal (Pronounce Oosh-MAHL)
This Classic/ post-Classic Mayan city is one of the great showpieces of Mayan architecture and artistic
refinement. Uxmal means "thrice built" reflecting the city's many phases of development. Throughout
you will see clean, uncluttered lines and symmetry, and purist examples of the ornate and whimsical
"Puuc" style. The whole site has been expertly restored. The city's main temple is the Pyramid of the
Magician, an unusual oval structure. The Nunnery is a exceptional example of Puuc ornamentation. The
Governor's Palace is a majestic 322 foot long master-piece of intricate lattice-work and mosaics.
Located 48 miles south of Mérida, Uxmal is accessible via several escorted tours. Time permitting, do
not miss the superb light and sound show performed in English and Spanish evenings during the winter
months.
For those want to explore other area ruins, overnight lodging is available at the Hotel Hacienda Uxmal
(tel. (99) 247142, Misión Uxmal (tel. (99) 17500), and the Villas Arqueológicas, operated by Club Med.
Nearby Uxmal are the sites to Sayil, Kabah, and Labná, each noted for its Baroque, ornamental "Puuc"
style.
3 of 3
04/30/97 18:12:47
The Discovery of Mexico
The first recorded sighting of what is now Mexico occurred in 1517. Bernal Díaz
del Castillo was the chronicler of the first expeditions and the Conquest of New Spain, as
he called his book, is still the best guide on the subject. Three boats under the
command of the rich hidalgo who financed the expedition reached the north-eastern
coast of Yucatán twenty-one days after leaving Cuba. Sighting a large settlement with
white stone temples, they were convinced that they had reached Cathay, the land of
the Great Khan, so they named the city "the Great Cairo."
The first two expeditions failed to gain a foothold on the mainland. The second
expedition, under Juan de Grijalva, brought back enough gold trinkets taken from the
Indians of Tabasco to make Diego Velázquez, the governor of Cuba and financial
backer of the expedition, a rich man. The glint of gold worked up enormous
enthusiasm for further explorations. Velázquez set about organizing a third
expedition. He put up part of the money, but as he had no intention of leading it
personally, he looked about for a partner who would put up the rest and take charge
of the entire venture. Many aspirants came forward. In the end, Velázquez settled on
Cortés, against the advice of his courtiers.
Since dropping out of Salamanca, Cortés had led the picaresque existence typical
of a poor hidalgo's son whose ambitions far exceeded his means. He shipped out to
Cuba, eventually settling down in the eastern city of Santiago. In time he made a
modest fortune farming, mining and acting as a free-lance lawyer on the side.
This was hardly the life he had dreamed of. In 1519 he was 34 years old, his time
was running short. So when Velázquez chose him to head the third expedition, he
mortgaged his lands and houses, sold his Indians, and invested the total proceeds in
the eleven-boat expedition. Velázquez began to have misgivings. As the date of
departure approached, Cortés was warned that Velázquez was replacing him, so he set
forth before the appointed day and thereby foiled the governor's plans.
The official purpose of the expedition was to record events and map the western
seas; to rescue the Christians from a previous sortie reputedly kept in captivity; to win
the Indians over to the service of his Catholic Majesty, Charles V, to instruct them in
the Christian faith, "and as a sign of submission to him to send great quantities of
gold, gems, pearls and other things that they might have
Reaching the island of Cozumel, east of Yucatán, Cortés set about tracking down
the shipwrecked Spaniards. Only two had survived. Of the two survivors, one had
taken a native wife and had sired several children who thus became the first true
Mestizos in the land. He had gone completely native and had no desire to leave his
family. The second, Jerónimo de Aguilar, being a cleric, had remained celibate. When
he presented himself before Cortés in a canoeful of Indians, Cortés asked, "Where is
the Spaniard?" One of the naked, sunburnt men, with only a loincloth "to cover his
shame" spoke up: "Soy he said. Even his accent was strange. He unwrapped a small
Book of Hours from a bundle of tattered clothes as proof of his identity. Cortés took
him aboard, gave him "Christian" clothing, and from that moment on, Aguilar, with
his knowledge of the Mayan language and customs, became an invaluable assistant.
The expedition then sailed along the coast of Yucatán toward the mainland until
reaching the great Grijalva river of Tabasco, named after the Spanish captain who had
discovered it. It was on that occasion that the natives had showed themselves so
friendly and given Grijalva and his men the gold which had so excited Velázquez and
the other Spaniards in Cuba. Now, however, they were definitely hostile and Cortés,
landing, had to fight his first battle, in which he acquitted himself like a seasoned
campaigner. The Indians were defeated by their own ceremonial approach to war as
much as by the surprise of Spanish firearms and horses. They jumped and yelled
instead of attacking, throwing fistfuls of dust and leaves up into the air to conceal
their dead comrades from the enemy.
The Indians finally surrendered. Gifts changed hands - glass beads for gold ag
and twenty slave women "to cook" for the Spaniards on their boat. When asked
where the gold came from, the Indians pointed west, repeating the words "Culhua"
and "Mexico," which meant nothing even to Aguilar. The Spaniards left on Palm
Sunday after mass. The slave women were baptized. Then, to the Indians'
astonishment, one by one the iron warriors kissed a cross made of fresh cut sapling
before they returned to the boat. Thus Cortés, his Mercedarian chaplain and his
soldiers established the ritual they were to follow after every landing and every
victory in the course of the Conquest of Mexico.
The Founding of Veracruz
The best gift Cortés was ever to receive was an inquisitive, restless, good-look
slave woman, who pestered Aguilar, asking for the names and uses of things. Her O
name was Malinali, so they baptized her Marina, which was as close as they could go
to it in Spanish. Her usefulness was not recognized until they reached the desolate
sand dunes of what is now Veracruz. There Cortés, landing again, finally came face
face with Moctezuma's ambassadors. Nobody understood a word they said except fc
Marina. They spoke Náhuatl, her native tongue. She translated into Maya, and Agui
then passed it on in Spanish. Her resourcefulness far exceeded her usefulness as a
translator. After Veracruz, she became indispensable to Cortés, whose bed she came
to share as well as his thoughts. She was wily, tactful, possessive. By her desire to
please the Spaniard, she turned herself into a diplomatist of genius. She presented hi
to the natives in the best possible light, lacing his proposals with the euphemisms ar
compliments that still constitute the most effective passport for Mexican travel. Aft
his eventual triumph, Cortés gave doña Marina a handsome settlement and married
her off to one of his own men, Juan de Jaramillo, who is recorded as having got
almost too drunk to attend his own wedding. Mexico remembers her with great
cruelty as a betrayer of her people, conveniently forgetting that her own people had
sold her into slavery. Her name has given us the word malinchismo to indicate the
servile adoption of foreign values and customs in preference to our own, regardless
their merit. It is a term of profoundest scorn which does injustice to the memory of
doña Marina.
In Veracruz, Moctezuma's ambassadors failed to persuade Cortés to take the
Emperor's gifts and go away. In a last desperate attempt, Moctezuma sent Cortés
those treasures which were soon to astonish Europe. It was, of course, exactly the
wrong thing to do. Nothing could persuade the Spaniards to turn back after they ha
seen the gold and silver jewelry spread out on the sand and a helmet full of gold.
Realizing their mistake, the Aztec ambassadors disappeared as unexpectedly as
they had come. The Spaniards faced a dilemma. To remain in the vast emptiness COL
mean either death by starvation or on the sacrificial altars of the obviously powerful
Moctezuma. To return to Çuba meant sacrificing honor, glory and treasure to
Velázquez, and probably being excluded from future expeditions. The stranded
Spaniards were divided between those who were loyal to Velázquez and those who
urged Cortés to conquer the land, though this was not the expedition's purpose.
Taking a legalistic line, Cortés found a way to bow to the will of the latter grou
which coincided nicely with his own ambitions. He called on the expedition's
scrivener to testify that on a certain day - and he chose Good Friday as being suitab
- the Rich City of the True Cross (Veracruz) was founded in the name of their most
Catholic Majesties. Aldermen were chosen, and as the new city lay outside Velázque:
78
jurisdiction, Cortés, whose authority derived from Velázquez, formally tendered his
resignation. The City Council accepted it, considered the situation, and presently
summoned Cortés to inform him that they had elected him Chief Justice and Captain
General, agreeing also to give him a fifth of the expedition's proceeds after the
deduction of the royal fifth. The whole thing went like clockwork.
A few days after the Aztecs had vanished, other Indians appeared who
inadvertently showed Cortés the way to defeat Moctezuma. These Totonac Indians,
sent by the Fat Cacique of nearby Cempoala, informed Cortés that the Aztecs were
hated throughout the land. The Fat Cacique - so fat he could not come personally to
greet the Spaniards - begged them to visit him in Cempoala. Cortés accepted and lived
to bless the day. The Fat Cacique became his first and greatest ally.
The Burning of the Boats
After that events came thick and fast. Five arrogant ambassadors from
Moctezuma arrived to scold the Fat Cacique for befriending Cortés, and demanded
twenty sacrificial victims to erase the affront. Cortés prevailed on his host to take the
Aztecs as prisoners and give them a sound thrashing. "The act was so astonishing,"
Bernal tells us, "that they said it must be the work of teules, which means gods or
demons," a name which stuck to the Spaniards. The same night, Cortés himself freed
two of the prisoners and sent them off to Moctezuma as living proof of his good faith.
The Cempoalans were terrified of the possible consequences of their actions.
Cortés promised to defend them if they would swear fealty to Charles V, which they
immediately did. The Fat Cacique then offered Cortés a fat princess, his own niece, as
a bride, and seven other maidens for his men. Cortés accepted on one condition, that
the Cempoalans abjure their idols, forbid the prostitution of boys dressed as women,
and accept Christ as their Lord. (Another Totonac custom was to get drunk by means
of pulque enemas, a filthy habit, though perhaps the least objectionable way of taking
pulque.) The Fat Cacique and the priests agreed to see what could be done about
sodomy, but on no account would they give up their gods. At this, Cortés and his men
swarmed up the pyramids and demolished their idols while the Cempoalans cowered
below in terror. When nothing happened - the sun went on shining, the earth did not
swallow them up the Cempoalans recovered their spirits and embraced the
Spaniards affectionately.
News from Cuba reached Cortés in Cempoala. Velázquez was in a fury. He was
trying to bring influence to bear on the Spanish court. Hearing this, Velázquez's
friends plotted to desert Cortés and steal away on one of the ships. It was then, faced
with the possibility of defection, that Cortés "burned his boats," in the traditional
phrase, though in fact he only ran them aground and dismantled their rigging.
The Spaniards left Cempoala in August, 1519. They could move more easily
now; the Fat Cacique had provided them with many bearers. They climbed up
toward the central plateau by way of Jalapa. The intense cold was something they had
not foreseen. In Xocatlán, a city loyal to the Aztecs, they found "more than one
hundred thousand skulls" neatly piled in the temple square. The local Cacique tried to
make Cortés turn back by describing the greatness and power of Moctezuma. But his
descriptions of Moctezuma's treasure only made the Spaniards forget their cold and
hunger in their eagerness to reach Tenochtitlán.
The Tlaxcalan Campaign
The independent seigniory of Tlaxcala, correctly described by the Cempoalans as
the principal enemy of the Aztec Empire, proved to be every bit as hostile to the
Spaniards. Having successfully resisted all Aztec attempts to conquer them, they had
79
no intention of surrendering their independence to others. "There were so many
warriors that they could have blinded us just with fistfuls of earth," said Bernal. They
fought rather more cleverly than that, giving battle in such broken terrain that the
Spaniards' horses were of little use. They killed a mare to show that the horses were
not immortal. In short, they set about disproving the Spanish teules' supposed
divinity. Several inconclusive battles took place before the Tlaxcalans sued for peace.
News of the Spanish victory over the hitherto undefeated Tlaxcalans flashed
across the land. Five Aztec nobles immediately appeared in Cortés's camp. Aside from
the usual gifts, they brought dire warnings of the Tlaxcalans' treachery, and the
surprising news that Moctezuma was willing to submit to Charles V and send him
yearly tribute providing that the Spaniards stayed away from Tenochtitlán.
The Tlaxcalan elders, for their part, begged him to visit their city. They provided
500 bearers for his cannon and calmed his suspicions by offering themselves and their
families as hostages. Cortés finally accepted and Tlaxcala received the Spaniards with
a joyful celebration. The Tlaxcalans offered their noblest maidens to the Spaniards. As
in Cempoala, Cortés refused unless they agreed to abjure their idols and adopt
Christianity. Being more spirited than the Cempoalans, the Tlaxcalans refused so
energetically that the Mercedarian chaplain advised Cortés to let them be.
The most Cortés was able to achieve for the time being was the use of a newly
whitewashed temple for the Virgin Mary and the christening of the Tlaxcalan
princesses, who were given such peninsular names as doña Luisa and doña Elvira and
then parceled out to his captains. Cortés destroyed the cages where men and women
were being fattened for sacrifice, as he did afterwards in every town he entered.
A tug-of-war now ensued between Moctezuma's ambassadors and the Tlaxcalan
elders. Each sought to win Cortés's trust. Moctezuma, fearing an alliance between
Spaniards and Tlaxcalans, sought to effect a separation as soon as possible. He
proffered a courtly invitation to Tenochtitlán and suggested that Cortés take the road
through Cholula, where he and his men would be well looked after. The Tlaxcalans
told him it was a trap. He should take the road through Huejotzingo, a town held by
loyal friends and allies.
After much deliberation, Cortés chose the road through Cholula. The Tlaxcalans,
though hurt by this sign of mistrust, offered an escort of ten thousand men, assuring
him that he would need them. Cortés accepted only one thousand.
Cholula was a beautiful city of towers and temples. It was the sacred city of
Anáhuac, and the Tlaxcalans refused to enter it. Cortés and his captains were lodged
in a palace with a large courtyard, but shortly after their arrival they saw that they had
indeed been tricked by Moctezuma. They were provided with firewood and water, but
no food. Nor did the local chieftain appear to welcome them. More ambassadors
arrived from Moctezuma, now insolently ordering Cortés to go no further. The
Tlaxcalans sent word that 20,000 warriors were deployed in the countryside to
slaughter the Spaniards. Doña Marina, talking to an old Cholulan woman, confirmed
the rumor. The Cholulans had even sacrificed seven Indians to assure the success of
their plans.
Cortés lost no time. He announced to the Cholulans that he was leaving early the
next morning and would need 2,000 porters to accompany him to Tenochtitlán. The
Cholulan nobles, priests and warriors were laughing, Bernal says, when they gathered
in the forecourt of Cortés's palace the following morning. Their glee vanished when
Cortés, interpreted by Aguilar and Marina, spoke to them from astride his horse. He
itemized the details of their plot against him, mentioning even the pots of salt, chili
peppers and tomatoes waiting for the flesh of the twenty live Spaniards who were to
be sacrificed in a ceremony of thanksgiving. He upbraided them for their treacherous
80
methods. The priests and caciques admitted the truth of these accusations, adding that
they were merely obeying their lord Moctezuma. After hearing their confession,
Cortés gave the signal. A shot was fired, and the slaughter began. Musket and cannon
were emptied into the ranks of the Cholulans. The killing spread through the city, and
temples and towers were set on fire. The carnage, fuelled by the Tlaxcalans' ancient
enmity to the Cholulans, was so atrocious, that Cortés had to intercede in their favor.
When a semblance of order was restored, Cortés pronounced his usual homily to the
Indians, ordered the town to be whitewashed, and set up a cross as proof of the
impotence of the Mexican idols before the power of the Christian God. After Cholula,
there could be no further doubt about Moctezuma's intentions.
The fact that the Spaniards were obviously mortals and not teules had not
entirely dispelled the idea that Cortés might still be Quetzalcóatl's avatar. After all, the
Plumed Serpent in his time had also appeared in human guise. Now, as Cortés
approached the valley of Anáhuac, a comet appeared and flared nightly above
Tenochtitlán; while Popocatépetl spouted a vertical column of black smoke.
When the Spaniards crossed the pass between the volcanoes and descended
toward the city on the lagoon, Moctezuma yielded to his fate. He donned his fine
cotton cloak, his gem-studded sandals, his tiara of gold and, accompanied by the
noblest lords of the realm, he walked to receive Cortés, begging him to enter and rest
himself and take possession of his city.
The Neighboring Republic of Yucatán: the States of Yucatán, Campeche
and Quintana Roo
Mexicans affectionately refer to the whole of the Yucatán peninsula as "The
Neighboring Republic of Yucatán," though it now comprises the three separate states
of Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo (pronounced "raw"). To the traveler, until
very recently, it suggested Mayan ruins and the charming "white city" of Mérida.
Roads are a recent development in Yucatán. In 1865, when the Empress Carlota
decided to visit Uxmal, she had to ride all the way out from Mérida on a mule. Now a
network of paved roads has made the archeological centers easily accessible, as well
as the iridescent beaches of Quintana Roo. The traveler can drive from the posh
seaside resort of Cancún to that most poetic of Mayan ruins, the seaside temple of
Tulúm perched on a cliff above the many-colored Caribbean. If so inclined, he can
continue southward to the Guatemalan border or cut west across the jungles to the
walled city of Campeche on the Gulf side, and to the oil platforms of Ciudad del
Carmen. He can bathe in magical lagoons along the way or watch the chewing gum
trees grow, for this southern jungle of Yucatán is the source of most of the chicle
chewed in the world today. The chico zapote (Achras zapota), or sapodilla tree, grows
forty to fifty feet high, has glossy small leaves and the most delicious fruit imaginable.
The chewing-gum is made from the rubbery latex drawn from its trunk. Chewing
chicle has been a Mayan habit since prehistoric times.
How chewing gum got from Chichén to Chicago makes a curious story. When
General Santa Anna was defeated in San Jacinto, he was held prisoner in Washington.
The young officer detailed to keep a watch on him observed that he was constantly
chewing something that he never swallowed. He asked what it was and Santa Anna
offered him a piece from a small loaf he carried in his pocket. The officer found the
chewing so pleasant that he decided to share the pleasure with the rest of the
American people.
Campeche (from the Maya, kam, snake, and pech, tick - not an inviting place
name) provided the door through which the Spaniards finally entered and conquered
Yucatán. The east and north coasts of the peninsula proved impregnable. Montejo the
Younger, a son of of Cortés's WHA left with the rish of colonizing in Tabasco the
area after his father one had in captains, despait; he first fortified himself successful and,
when he had achieved the given necessary up strength, launched his ultimately
assault on the Mayan bastions of the peninsula.
From the beginning, bitter rivalry existed between the Inititied the political port of
Campeche and the island a of Mérida. The campechanos resented
domination of the northern city Being the to the minsula, and, Campeche after had
to withstand the attacks city. of during colonial times much
Independence, even constant attack from Santa pirates Airna's navy in 1812 Atter of the political
maneuvering and a genocidal an struggle between the Мяуяя and the rest
population, Campeche finally achieved statchood in 1858
Quintana Roo, the flank of the peninsula, .lid not become a state until
1974, though the federal on eastern had separated it in 1902 hom Yucatán, rebellions whose in
government had unable government with the sporadie and lieree had taken the
area, where most proved of the unsubdued to cope Mayas of the War of the arter refuge.
The modern has thus been reduc 10 il triangular territory It of
calcareous rock, sinkholes state of Yucatán and ruins in the north of the peninsula. and Cozumel; has
Campeche, of its precious Quintana woods and offshore oil, but You ando has kept character
consolations, though. Mayan Roo can boart of Cancún, Fulum its
and its people, the ineffable
Physically and yucatecos. form Я race apart. Though descended in classic from the
Maya, they did not inherit culturally the they tapered profiles preserved Mayan
art. The likeliest of elegantly the difference IN that classic all portrayed princes, from
priests and warriors explanation of breeding, whose heads were artific fally shaped birth to birth
the characteristic of the profile, while H beader turquoise inwards. was
to an ideal standard of beauty. high Babies' heads were banded spon after or jade produce
placed on one side elongation of the of the nose to tease the baby's eye beautiful, as However be
strange this description bridge sound, the results were stunningly of may
seen in the carved heads may of Palenque and opan, or the amiability. lay statucttes which is the Jaina. essential This
jarocho beauty trait more devout citizen, of of notable (from did poblano the and not, present empire-builder, Veracruz) defects (from however, day Puebla) are yucateco. can pointed denote be is is stingier coarse: thought any When out great along the than his other hypocritical; regiomontano degree shoulder a with Scot; regional their of the At the (from virtues Inpaim. stereotypes all times: heery Monterrey) from Thus the and are Jalisco, norteño, the entertaining discussed, diligent an is from admirable one and the their hell
northern a guy, but border carries states the is macho open-handed chip on AN he is open minded, classification. but an inverted snob,
countrymen readily that he is bright, slightly nurry, and totally a sympathetic. joke. It is
proud to be a bronco. Only as the yucateou has escaped invidious His
historical fact. Yucatán - the whole peniusula did at one time coincided with Mexico
But the phrase "The agree Neighboring Republic of Yucation" IN secede not from a
to form an independent The Wat 111 the Castes, in 1847. aimed the the
extermination of all the Creoles and Mextisos in Ym atdn, was unparalleled.
Mexican-American War. state. The sávagery of the Mayan rebebo who at
could be expected from that already Desperate appeals Were sent the and of
Yucatán, in 1839, had secretal, and, now Mexico being from at war, Mérida no help
Campeche to Washington, London, quarter even Spain, valub offering sovereignty aid. The
Yucatán to whichever and provide immediate military Belize, so it rebels
were at the same time getting government arms and <<<<<< from the binglish the in rains was end not
very realistic to solicit help from London only the of The rebels put an back to
this first and most violent onslaught of the War of the went to
82
plant their fields before taking up arms again. By that time, peace had been
re-established between the United States and Mexico (1848), and the central
government was able to send Yucatán help against the rebels. As a result of this,
Yucatán finally and definitively joined the republic.
Yucatán's offer of its sovereignty to foreign powers is not as disloyal as it seems.
It, after all, had little reason to consider itself part of Mexico. Yucatán was not
conquered by Cortés but by the Spanish Crown. Its close political links with Mexico
dated only from 1821. Given its history, Yucatán developed a strongly independent,
therefore federalist, spirit. When Mexico became monolithically centralist between
1835 and 1846, Yucatán rebelled and, following the example of Texas, broke
relations with the central government in 1839.
The War of the Castes lasted long after 1848, though it never again came so near
to winning its objective. About two-thirds of the population of Yucatán perished in
the initial years of the war. The surviving rebels retreated to the south-eastern jungles,
where they continued to receive rum and bad advice from the British. They refused to
sign a truce with the government of Yucatán, declaring they would govern
themselves according to their ancient customs. They did, however, promise not to
attack the Creoles. They had given Queen Victoria their word and they intended to
keep it.
The Twine Binder and the Agave
The agricultural revolution that took place in the United States after the Civil
War sparked a movement of intensive mechanization, which was to benefit a Yucatán
drained of men and resources by the War of the Castes.
In 1875, George Appleby invented the twine binder for use with the machine
harvested cereals. The demand for binder twine was enormous. Its supply was found
in the benequén agave, which grew wild in Yucatán, thriving on its poor soil despite
drought and neglect. After 1875, vast plantations of henequén were grown
throughout the peninsula. (Since the twine was shipped out of the port of Sisal, this
became the generic name for any agave fiber.)
The sisal boom and the great haciendas coincided with Porfirio Díaz's long and
generally peaceful dictatorship. The sisal fortunes created an atmosphere of prosperity
in the cities and of European luxury in the town houses of the hacendados. Things
went swimmingly until 1900, when prosperity ended as suddenly as it had begun. The
International Harvester Corporation formed a trust and quickly beat down the price
of sisal by stopping all purchases. The planting of henequén lost all interest for the
growers. In any case, the Revolution took the decision out of their hands in 1910. The
Agrarian Reform parceled out the haciendas to the peasants who had neither the
capital nor the time to cultivate the slow-growing agave. Seeking the advantages of a
monopolistic control, President Cárdenas created the Gran Ejido Henequenero to
control the national supply of sisal fiber, but the bureaucrats who managed it simply
got rich while the ejidatario languished. World War II gave the moribund industry a
brief boost, but the invention of synthetic fibers finally killed it. In 1955 the Gran
Ejido was liquidated and the twine industry became a state monopoly.
So the state of Yucatán, which once lorded it over the entire province, is now the
poor relation living on subsidies from the federal government. The islands and
beaches of Quintana Roo have become international tourist attractions.
Torrents of chicle continue to bubble out of its southern jungles. Campeche has
oil, shrimp fisheries and cattle. Yucatán, like an impoverished aristocrat, has kept its
pedigree and its traditions, the underground lagoons and sacred grottoes, the richest
ruins and the poorest lands. And, of course, the ineffable yucatecos.
83
How It Happened
From the time of its wholly imaginary but perfectly legal founding by Cortés,
Veracruz has been the foremost port of Mexico. For more than a century it remained
Europe's only door to the New World.
Before long, Veracruz became Europe's door to the Orient as well. The
Philippines - the real Indies Columbus had looked for but missed - had been clearly
placed on European maps since Magellan discovered them in 1521. Contrary winds,
however, had made trade impossible between them and New Spain until the
discovery, in the 1560's, of the easy, though roundabout, return route - north to
Japan, thence east to California, and down the coast to San Blas and Acapulco. The
Manila Galleon brought silks, porcelain, ivory and spices, which the powerful
merchant-shippers from Mexico City and Puebla sent on to Spain through Veracruz.
Thus the establishment of the overland Veracruz-Acapulco link finally provided the
long sought European route to the Orient.
In 1522, Cortés imported a lot of sugar cane from the Canary Islands and built
an ingenio - a sugar mill - in the fertile hinterland of Veracruz. The industry prospered
but the Indians collapsed. Negro slaves were brought in from the Caribbean islands.
They survived in their new occupation and multiplied so rapidly that in 1602 they
were strong enough to stage a rebellion and escape from their Spanish owners. In
1609, the Crown recognized the justice of their cause, granted them liberty and a tract
of land where they founded the town of San Lorenzo de los Negros, now called
Yanga after their original rebel leader.
The Pirate Problem
The silver strike of Zacatecas in 1548 made Veracruz the most tempting morsel
for privateers in the New World. Millions in bullion were sometimes stored there,
waiting to be picked up by the Spanish fleet. There were pirates of every nationality,
but historical circumstances favored those who sought the protection of the English,
Dutch or French sovereigns, Spain's traditional enemies. These were outraged at Pope
Alexander VI's presumption in splitting the newly discovered lands of Africa, India
and the New World between Spain and Portugal. It became a matter of honor to arm
and license corsairs for the purpose of acquiring a share in the wealth of the New
World. In New Spain, the cities of Campeche and Veracruz were the main targets. The
depredations of John Hawkins and Francis Drake in the 1570's and of the Dutchman
- Laurent de Graff - "Lorencillo" a century later, obliged Spain to build fortifications
around these towns. The walls of Campeche are still standing, as are those of San Juan
de Ulua, both equally useless.
The Hacienda - AID project setting is a nacienda
When Fanny and her husband visited General Santa Anna, she called his estate a
quinta, or country house, though it comprised 900 square miles. She could not know,
so soon after her arrival, that such estates were known as "haciendas" in Mexico, nor
could she yet imagine the importance of the role the hacienda had played in the
development of the country.
The principal precursor of the hacienda, the encomienda, appeared in the first
years after the Conquest. In theory, the Spanish encomendero, or beneficiary of the
encomienda, undertook all responsibility for the Indians in his charge, indoctrinating
them in the Christian religion and protecting them from their enemies. His native
encomendados, in turn, were obliged to work for him a certain number of days a
week. Since the encomendero was usually a soldier avid for riches, not converts, the
relationship easily degenerated and the encomendero himself became the worst
86
entemy of the Indian he was supposed to protect.
The missionaries abominated the encomienda. They agitated violently in support
of the Indians, even taking their cause to the Council of the Indies and the King
himself. The Crown eventually paid heed and promulgated the New Laws of 1542,
legally abolishing the encomienda. Despite the howl set up by the encomenderos, the
Crown slowly but surely deprived them of all their de facto privileges. A royal decree of
1591 declared all land in New Spain to be Crown property. They could however,
purchase the land from the Crown if they wished to obtain clear title. After 1615, all
lands lacking proper title were auctioned off. By 1648, most properties had been
legalized and the ex-encomendero or his descendants could take full possession of
their lands. It was these properties that became the first haciendas.
Land, however, was practically worthless without the Indians' free labor, so the
landowners devised a means of nailing down the native population. Playing on the
Indians' innocence in money matters, the hacendado extended credit to his peons in
the hacienda's commissary - the tienda de raya - far beyond the peon's ability to pay.
Since he could not legally leave his employer while owing him money, this practice
inevitably resulted in a system of serfdom through debt. Such debts were passed on
from father to son. Eventually, the peon and his family became part of the hacienda's
inventory and their debt was included in the purchase price of the hacienda. Though
manifestly unjust, the system proved remarkably stable. The government of the New
World colonies was an intermittent affair at best. Communications between Spain
and New Spain lagged from two to four years behind events. Matters had to be
decided on the spot by the strongest man around, who was frequently the hacendado.
As lord of the manor, he had de facto jurisdiction over his peons.
The hacienda was taking its definitive form about 1630, when the first silver
boom was petering out. The failure of the mines plunged the country into a severe
depression. Bands of marauders preyed upon the countryside, driving the
independent peasant to seek protection either in the nearest town or the nearest
hacienda. Many sold their holdings to powerful hacendados and went to live within
the hacienda walls. The hacienda thus became the unit of survival for the rural
population during the seventeenth century. Every hacienda became self-sufficient,
with bakeries, founderies, carpentry and leather shops, stables, dairies and sheep runs.
In the pulque and cattle haciendas of the central plateau and the north it was said that
the only things that they did not produce were salt, sugar and coffee. In Veracruz,
with its giant haciendas extending from the coast to the mountains, the hacendados
theoretically could produce everything, especially salt, sugar and coffee.
When money from the second silver bonanza began flowing again in the course
of the eighteenth century, the hacienda reached the peak of its prosperity. Countless
impressive cascos - hacienda compounds - appeared in the Mexican countryside, with
churches ranging in style from the Plateresque simplicity of the Renaissance to the
splendid ornamentation of the Churrigueresque Baroque and eventually Neo-Gothic.
The mainly agrarian character of the 1910 Revolution virtually brought about
the end of the hacienda system, though miraculously a few haciendas have managed
to survive from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the present day. Others
have gained a new lease on life as hotels and paradors, like the splendid caseo of
Galindo, near Querétaro. And still others are now true quintas - the country houses
of the rich of today.
Jalapa (Náhuatl: xalli, sand, apan, river)
The famous hinterland cities of Veracruz developed like the hill stations of India
as a refuge from the "black vomit" (yellow fever), cholera, malaria, and dysentery of
87
Merida
http://mexico-travel.com/yucatan/mid/mid_excur.html#meridal
MEXICO
An Endless Journey.
MÉRIDA
and the
mundo
MAYA
Excursions
Visitors can easilty divide a Mérida visit into three areas of concentration.
First is the graceful and gregarious City of Mérida.
Second is the irresistible excursion to Chichén Itzá.
Third is a full-day excursion to the south to the great Mayan city of Uxmal, and its satellite
ceremonial centers of Sayil, Labná, and Kabah.
A recommended Mérida itinerary allows 2-3 days for city exploration and another 3-5 days to see the
ruins. Many visitors use Merida as their home base, though lodging is available at Chichén Itzá and
Uxmal. In all cases, excellent day trips are available upon arrival
Mayaland Tours: (99) 25-21-33
Ceiba Tours: (99) 24-44-77.
Mérida
Though the city's population is approaching 1 million, Mérida is compact and easily explored on foot.
There are over a dozen ground operators offering half-day city tours that take in museums, parks, and
monuments. Most exploration starts at the zócalo, described below. (Note that all east-west streets carry
even numbered names, while north-south streets carry odd numbered names.)
Downtown Mérida
The heart of the city is the imposing and well-tended Plaza Mayor. The plaza is surrounded by fine
example of colonial architecture. Its wheel and spokes layout, S-shaped wrought iron benches (known as
confidenciales) and carefully manicured hedges invite visitors to stroll and linger beneath the plaza's
ancient laurel trees. Surrounding the Plaza are four buildings of interest.
Catedral de San Idelfonso:
On the plaza's eastern side. Built between 1561-98, the imposing fortress-like, twin spired
structure was build from stones of a demolished Mayan temple. It is one of Mexico's oldest
churches. The city's most holy object, a statue known as Cristo de las Ampollas is housed here.
Palacio de Gobierno:
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04/30/97 18:12:42
Merida
http://mexico-travel.com/yucatan/mid/mid_excur.html#merida
On the north side. Not to be missed are the vibrant murals - over 25 years in the making - by
Fernando Pacheco depicting Yucatán history.
Palacio Municipal:
On the square's western flank. This building dates originally to 1542 (refurbished in 1733 and
1855) and is noted for its handsome clock tower.
Another of the zócalo's premier attractions is the Casa de Montejo, the former home of the Montejo
family, and now a bank branch. Note the interesting bas-relief on the facade depicting Montejo (the
founder of Merida) standing atop the heads of the conquered Mayans.
Other downtown points of interest are the University of Yucatán (founded in 1618), La Ermita de Santa
Isabel (a pretty 18th century church with lovely gardens) the Teatro Peón Contreras (a splendid theater
of neo-classic Italian design), the Museum of Popular Art (devoted to exquisite Yucatecan arts & crafts)
and the Parque Centenario (with its charming zoo and miniature train).
There are also several quaint parks within a few blocks of the zócalo, including Plaza Santa Lucia
(frequent cultural events), Parque Hidalgo, and Plaza de la Madre.
Paseo Montejo
Many of Mérida's colonial treasures stretch along stately Paseo Montejo, an eight-block tree-lined
boulevard modeled after the Champs Elysées. Its French, Italian and Spanish-Moorish mansions and
chalets (some of which are now restaurants and shops) are stately reminders of the city's opulent past. It
is one of Mexico's most bizarre attractions. Do not miss the massive Canton Palace, an Italian
Renaissance-style building and former residence to Yucatán governors. It now houses the fine Museum
of Anthropology and Natural History. The museum houses fascinating Mayan artifacts including
exquisite pottery and sculptures.
Chichén Itzá
Mighty Chichén Itzá is one of the largest and best maintained sites in Mexico, and is a joy to visit. It is
actually two cities, one that was ruled by the Mayans during the sixth to the tenth century, the other a
Toltec-Mayan city that emerged around the year 1000 a.d. Most of the prominent buildings were
developed during the city's "rebirth" under Toltec rule.
The towering Castillo displays a mixture of Toltec and Mayan influences, and is fraught with
cosmological symbolism. Its four sides contain 365 steps (depicting the solar year), 52 panels (for each
year in the Mayan century), and 18 terraces (for the eighteen months in the religious year). There is an
interesting temple inside the Castillo, accessible via a narrow stairway. The enormous ball court is the
largest ever discovered, and is lined with fascinating carvings.
The site also contains a cenote, or sacred well, an Observatory, the imposing Temple of Warriors, and
the Nunnery, along with dozens of other fascinating structures. Not to be missed! Count on spending at
least an entire day here.
During the Fall and Spring Equinox (March and September) the sun's shadow forms an enormous
serpents body on the face of the pyramid know as "El Castillo." Quite a sight!
There are several full-day excursions, costing around $40 per person.
Overnight lodging in Chichén Itzá
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Merida -A Pleasure
http://www.mexweb.com/merida2.htm
Merida -A Pleasure to Visit
This fascinating inland city of approximately 700,000 people is the capital of the state of Yucatan. The
city itself is full of charm with the colorful horse-drawn carriages or calandrias, which take you, for a
fee, through narrow streets (all with numbers instead of names!) for a leisurely view of many interesting
places that you will want to explore more fully.
You will be treated warmly by the friendly, handsome people of Merida who often bear the features
typical of their long Mayan ancestry (easily recognizable by their almond shaped eyes, high cheek bones
and very straight hair).
While you are in Merida you should be sure to spend time in the Zócalo (main square), called the Plaza
de la Independencia, where you will be treated to folk dancing, lively musical performances, vendors
selling a variety of beautiful native crafts, and of course, it is always a pleasure to "people-watch".
Merida has several museums worth seeing, namely, the Museum of Popular Art where examples of
Yucatecan art are exhibited, The Cantón Place (or Museum of Anthropology and History) is also of
interest, as well as the Home Museum of Instruments which displays original musical instruments of the
pre-Hispanic era along with popular present day instruments. Your sightseeing should include the
Cathedral, a stately twin-towered church located east of the plaza, and the Casa de Montejo and the
Government Palace, all of which have historical and architectural significance.
Tourists are encouraged to take a carriage ride through beautiful Paseo de Montejo, a boulevard lined
with trees where you will see a variety of architecture represented in the lovely mansions of French,
Italian and Spanish-Moorish design.
These beautiful homes were built by the 19th century settlers who became vastly wealthy by making use
of the hardy fibrous plants (henequen) which they harvested and used for making rope. Later these plants
were also used for many other items such as door mats and hammocks.
While riding through Paseo de Montejo you will come to the Monumento de la Patria, sometimes
referred to as the Monument to the Flag. This is a large semi-circle sculpture made of rose colored stone
depicting the history of Mexico. Take time to appreciate this interesting piece of art.
Many people are attracted to Merida because of its easy accessibility to the famous Mayan ruins such as
Chichen Itza, Dzibilchaltun and Uxmal, which are around 80 miles east of Merida. Also nearby are the
Balankanchin Caves where there is an altar containing carved stone offerings left by the Mayans 800
years ago.
As you will discover, Merida has much to offer and you will spend days exploring this interesting city,
another fascinating insight to the history of Mexico.
Return to Colonial Cities
Return to MRTA article page
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WOMEN IN MEXICO
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
In 1915, General Salvador Alvarado, then governor of Yucatan, summons the First
Feminist Conference. He gives strong support to women's rights. During his time in
office, he legislates family relations issues, makes divorce accessible to women and
gives them a forum to discuss their social and political condition.
75 years ago, in 1922 in the state of Yucatan, then governor Felipe Carillo Puerto,
sends an initiative to the State Legislature that grants the vote to women. Rosa Torres
takes the position of the first council in Merida City Hall. The Mexican division of
the Panamerican League of Women summons the First National Feminist Conference.
In 1928 President Plutarco Elias Calles makes women's equality the law of the land.
1991 Dulce Maria Sauri named interim governor of the state of Yucatan.
President Zedillo, in en effort to eliminate gender inequalities in Mexican society,
presents "Alianza para la Igualdad (Alliance for Equality) Programa Nacional de la
Mujer" [Pronam] National Commission of Women on March 8, 1996. The goals of this
project are to reach total and full equality of men and women.
President Zedillo appoints Dulce Maria Sauri, ex-governor of Yucatan, as head of the
Commission on Women. She reports significant progress in participation of women in
Mexico's development. One sign of progress is in the Congress and Senate, where 14.5%
of the legislators are women. But much work remains to be done for women's rights.
1
On January 17, 1997 in an opening ceremony of the "Centro de Atención al Maltrato
Intrafamiliar y Sexual" (Center of Attention to Family and Sexual Abuse) of Mexico
state, Sauri reports that between 1990 and 1996, 500,000 women have been victims of
abuse.
She reports that violence against women is a great obstacle to democratic progress. She
provides data from the Commission's research that estimates that 70% of women who
live with a male companion have been victims of some kind of domestic violence. She
points out that this has long-lasting ill effects on families.
On March 9, 1997 Dulce Maria Sauri Riancho, gives President Zedillo a report from the
Commission on Women in a ceremony commemorating International Women's Day. The
report concludes that women in Mexico are doing better than in the past but many
unacceptable conditions remain.
[In Mexico City or the state of Nuevo Leon (north part of the country), the level of
fertility is 2.11 and 2.2 children per woman respectively, while in Oaxaca, Chiapas,
Guerrero and Puebla the level is and average of 3.3 children. Similarly, in Baja
California, only 4.5% of women older than 15 yrs. are illiterate, while in Guerrero its
28% and in Chiapas is 32.7%. ]
Sauri and the Commision have been instrumental in beginning to establish women's
centers throughout Mexico -- especially in depressed city areas, the countryside and
indiginous communities-- where women can go to get help for problems including
domestic violence and illness.
They have recommended the following program of action.
Goals of the Commission on Women
2
Overcome the educational backlogs and improve educational opportunities of women.
Guarantee access for women to comprehensive health care services.
Strengthen the capabilities of women and promote their participation in all levels and
decision making environments.
Defend and protect women's rights.
Prevent and eliminate violence against women.
Combat poverty afflicting women.
Support working women: workers' rights and the development of micro and small
companies run by women.
Provide a more equal distribution of domestic and non-domestic tasks and
responsibilities between men and women.
Acknowledge and appreciate the contribution made by work not paid of women for
the economy and welfare of family.
Eliminate stereotypical images of women.
3
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
USAID
FACT SHEET
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.info.usaid.gov
(202) 647-4274
# 97 - 06
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Leah Levin or Ann Kittlaus
January 27, 1997
(202) 647-4274
USAID Supports Economic Empowerment for the World's Poor Through Microfinance
Microenterprise development, providing credit and economic opportunity to the disenfranchised poor,
helps ensure that the benefits of economic growth are available to all. The U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) has been the lead donor for microenterprise programs since the
early 1980s. Its funding currently provides support for more than 150 institutions in 40 countries.
USAID's Microenterprise Initiative launched in 1994 has recently been renewed. The Initiative,
affirmed by members of congress, has been effective in ensuring the growth of microenterprise
activities that bring poor disadvantaged and marginalized groups into the mainstream of an expanding
economy. USAID has targeted $120 million a year for 1996 and 1997 for microenterprise projects.
Microfinance is an integral element of microenterprise development because it allows poor individuals,
often without collateral or an avenue to commercial banks, access to financial services. These loans
will be used to finance entrepreneurial activities such as establishing a vending cart or buying
equipment for a small manufacturing operation.
USAID-supported microenterprise projects have had tremendous success throughout the world.
Technical assistance of $15 million from USAID to Bank Rakyat in Indonesia (BRI) in the early
1980's has lead to the development of a profitable state owned bank that serves the poor. Today BRI
attracts savings from 13 million Indonesians and lends to more than 2 million entrepreneurs.
USAID contributed $5.9 million for the start-up investment in BancoSol in Bolivia. Today the bank
reaches over 60,000 clients and has no need for further subsidy.
In cooperation with the government and private institutions, USAID's work in Uganda to increase
financial services to rural businesses will reach over 10,000 people.
In South Africa, Get Ahead, with early support from USAID, has reached 10,000 clients.
USAID microenterprise funding of $6 million in Ecuador supports programs that will be able to
reach 138,000 clients between 1996-99.
In Nicaragua, USAID support for ACCION, Catholic Relief Services, Opportunity International,
FINCA and Pro Mujer will result in the provision of financial services for 51,000 clients of whom 80
percent are women.
-- more
-- 2 --
Frequently less than $300, microloans are sometimes guarenteed by peer lending groups. Insured by
the borrower's community, the repayment rate is often better than 95 percent.
Overall, approximately two thirds of the clients of micro-enterprise institutions supported by USAID
are women. Beginning with a loan of as little as $50, poor women can begin the process of escaping
from poverty. With time and on-going access to financial services, clients may expand their economic
activities, educate their children or invest in housing.
Microenterprise is rapidly emerging as an important tool in our efforts to alleviate poverty for some
people in our own country. In the past few years the microenterprise movement has grown to include
over 400 institutions across the United States.
USAID plays a leadership role with other donors. It was key in establishing a multi-donor group of
microenterprise organizations, the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest, which uses proven
methods as standards for micro-finance programs.
###