We read from a Canadian writer that the city of Campeche was like “San Miguel de Allende meets the Gulf coast”. Well…not exactly. Definitely a lovely well preserved colonial city with all the modern conveniences of Walmart, Office Depot, Sam’s Club, Burger King….etc. The old city is surrounded by a stone wall/fort preserved for more than 400 years…..this was to protect the city from assaults by pirates. The Spaniards lived in the walled city while the natives of the land lived on the outside.
The historical centro is typical for the colonial period and there is a beautifully maintained long malecon along the waters' edge. Outside the walls it appears the first world is moving in with its non-patronized chain stores…..yes, there is available parking up close at Walmart and no lines! On the south side of the walled city is a normal Mexican town we’ve come to know and love. We had delicious chicken tacos at Sam Bigotes for the same price of a small Burger King burger (5USDs). Yep, even imported junk food is expensive. Hotels in the centro were full (a first for us) so we found a nice cozy room on the Mexican side of town. Boondocking was an option but it was so hot.
At dusk we visited the 3-room city museum housed in one of the bastions and read briefly of pirates and guns and viewed the nicely displayed items from the time of Spanish rule. The highlight of our visit was an insect parade. We happened upon these large plastic mache insects 13 to 18 feet tall crawling through town. They had moving limbs that mimicked animation manned by men and women on bicycles and other leveraged moving parts. Loud heavy-metal music played as the ancillary staff lit smoker-candles and carried road flares. Everyone watched, cheered and followed the insects around the zocolo. Truly the coolest parade we’ve ever seen.
Photo below: Bruce happily finds an uncrowded Walmart, but they only have 1 of 5 items on his list.
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