8. If you stop and scan the horizon from within
this pre-Columbian walled city it’s easy to see
why the Mayans picked this particular site for
their regional trade hub. On one side, steep
cliffs fall dramatically to a protected beach on
the Caribbean Sea. On all others, the terrain
slopes gently away for many kilometres
making Tulum the highest point in the area
and the perfect lookout post for Mayan
sentries.
While they weren’t taking in the view or
defending the city from invaders, the Mayans
did a brisk business in the valuable, volcanic
glass – Obsidian.
Today Tulum has some of the most well-
preserved archaeological buildings in Mexico,
among them the impressive Temple of the
Descending God. The entire site is walkable,
the beach is open and the natural setting is
spectacular. So, bring your swimming gear
and your camera.
A n c i e n t T u l u m .
17. I t z i m n á r e m a i n s
o n e o f t h e m o s t
b e a u t i f u l c o l o n i a l -
e r a n e i g h b o r h o o d s
i n M é r i d a , Y u c a t á n .
Prior to the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán
this historic neighborhood was the
ceremonial center for the worship of Itzamná
the Mayan god of creation.
The Catholic church located in the plaza was
completed in 1719 and is accompanied by a
lush parish garden "Los Recreos de Itzimná".
Like many areas of Mérida, Itzimná is home to
a large number of 19th century mansions
echoing their past greatness.
Many buildings have been restored as private
residences or businesses making Itzimná a
fine choice for an afternoon of shopping,
cafe-hopping and sightseeing.
28. Andrew Xenios grew up in Long Beach,
California and first came to the Yucatán in
1972, initially settling in Progreso with other
writers, photographers, painters and artists
lured by the sun and contemplative spaces of
the Mexican gulf.
Since then he has travelled extensively, most
notably in Afghanistan, Greece, Germany,
France and Cuba. The fruits of his travels are
in permanent exhibition at the Museum of
Fine Art in Boston, The Fogg Museum at
Harvard University and Bibliothèque
nationale de France.
Occasionally you can find Xenios at his home
on Cozumel but more often at his studio in
Mérida, basecamp for exploring the
fascinating confluence of ancient Mayan and
Spanish Imperial cultures that have shaped
Mexico's Yucatán peninsula for centuries.
M e d i t a t i v e ,
A d v e n t u r e
P h o t o g r a p h y .
29.
30. He bills himself as a fine art/adventure
photographer. But as he talks about the
Yucatán and the methodology of his
photography workshops and exhibits it's clear
he is engaged in something somewhat more
elusive. A kind of meditative photography.
Xenios makes the analogy to the act of
drawing as a child, sometimes revealing
innocence but always capturing a moment of
raw essence. He sees photography as a
means to simultaneously reveal and
empower the subject... and the artist.
Sit with his prints in person or in the pages
that follow and you begin to understand that
Xenios is guiding you into a deeper
understanding of Mexico with the purpose
of understanding yourself.
47. L o s C u a d r o s
d e M é r i d a .
While exploring Mérida's historic Centro you
will surely discover some of the more than
one-hundred plaster corner plaques with
names like ‘El Elefante’, ‘El Loro’ and ‘La
Tortola’.
Some are literal, centuries-old land-markers
as with ‘El Arco de Santa Ana’ while others
like ‘El Motor Electrico’ are clearly from more
recent times.
But what do they mean?
48.
49.
50.
51. Through its 400+ year existence, Mérida grew
into an often confusing grid of streets and
lanes that made finding places difficult. In
response, businesses and residents marked
their important corners with murals,
paintings and sculptures.
While most of the originals have faded away,
the City has restored the corners with iconic
plaques in their characteristic earthy-red,
hand-drawn style.
59. N u M é x i c a n a .
Upon entering this custom t-shirt & gift shop
you might think you have teleported to New
York’s Soho or Toronto’s Queen St. West… but
this eclectic bit of urban coolness is
confidently at home in Santa Lucia, Centro,
Mérida.
Tejon Rojo founders Annie Farias and Erika
Canto conceived their quirky méxicana
boutique theme in 2012 after stints in design
and business college respectively. The two
collaborate on screen and sublimation-
printed original t-shirts, re-cycled dresses and
hand-stitched streetwear.
Add in some hand-picked accessories from
local artists and a muralled patio with design
furniture from Retrorica Interiorismo and you
have a wonderfully weird boutique
experience in the heart of colonial México.
74. These are some of the affectionate names the
world has created for a car the German
government commissioned from Porsche in
the 1930′s. The Volkswagen Type 1 was
designed to be the people’s car. It needed to
be an easily mass-produced, utilitarian
vehicle for the newly-built German roads.
As spectacularly as the WWII Germans failed,
the VWI succeeded. Only a few years later it
was rolling off the line and into Japan, UK,
Africa, South America and México.
B u g , B e e t l e ,
E l H u e v i t o ,
C o c c i n e l l e ,
E l V o c h o . . .
75.
76. The developing world loved this car for its
inexpensive initial cost, good gas mileage and
ease of maintenance. It proved itself
unquestionably as a trustworthy road
companion in México where ‘El Vocho’ has
come to represent the practical, do-it-yourself
spirit of the people.
Of course, the VW Beetle had many design
upgrades but its signature, dome design
prevailed. Accompanied by slick marketing in
the early 2000's it even became a hit with the
North American urban-hipster crowd.
Although the last Vocho was produced in
2003 in Puebla, over 20 million were
manufactured in México – and millions are
still rolling!
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86. R E S O U R C E S
A N D R E W X E N I O S / A N D R E W X E N I O S . C O M
T E J O N R O J O / T E J O N R O J O . C O M
S P E C I A L T H A N K S
R O S A S & X O C O L A T E / R O S A S A N D X O C O L A T E . C O M
V I A J E M A G A Z I N E I S P U B L I S H E D B Y A D I L O M E D I A
V I A J E M A G A Z I N E . C O M
A D I L O . C O M
