Valladolid...Meeting La Artista

Buses leave going to Valladolid almost every hour daily. It doesn't take a lot of planning to make this trip. We threw a few things in our backpacks and packed up a snack sack and were off for the 2 1/2 hour trip by midday. This was after we took care of the debit card issue with Bancomer.

Painted buses, tourists and the beautifully dressed Mayans seen from the corner bar

There is a Valladolid by day, and a different Valladolid by night. During the day there are bizarrely painted tourist buses that surround the main plaza and people walking around representing every country. Many are sunburned from their day trip to Chichen Itza. It makes for great people watching as we sit at the corner bar with a beer and a mojito in front of us. And, it has certainly brought pesos and life to Valladolid. By 5pm the buses are all gone and the town quietens down considerably. It's easy to enjoy the colonial structures and slow pace once the sun starts to set.

After finding a place to spend a night or two, we headed out to wander about with no particular place to go. I got excited when I saw a cute, pink painted colonial hotel named Zaci around the corner from the bus station. Then Terry reminded me we had stayed there before! He always comments that he could take me to the same place over and over and I would think I was in a new place. Well, I had really liked the Zaci hotel but we both wanted to stay someplace different. We ended up in a great little quaint hotel a few blocks from the plaza and around the corner from the Cenote Zaci. Our place allowed for getting woke up by neighboring roosters and the barking dog. We thought it was great but maybe not to everybody's liking. And, we had the most accommodating staff ever.

Valladolid by Night

Walking a side street, we smelled the strong scent of paint - I don't mean Comex house paint but oil paints...the paints of an artista. Then, we saw where the smell was coming from. The artista was painting in the open air front patio of his home. Cigarette dangling from his half closed lips and all...so beautifully artista-like. Big, earthy-colored canvasses lined the walls and he was touching up one of his paintings. I would presume he would work on it forever as I understand an artist is never completely satisfied with his/her own work. He invited us in to take a closer look and we met Jaime Fierro Duran of Chile and now living in Valladolid. We also met Ines, his partner or wife, possibly. Ines knew some English and spoke in a beautiful, animated voice.

We were in awe of his paintings in the front patio, then Jaime and Ines took us through a door leading into a more private area, and we saw more of his work. They showed us pictures on their computer from gallery exhibits in Playa del Carmen where the couple had lived. But there was as much or more pride in the start-up of a non-profit organization in the small Yucatan village of Ticuch where Jaime and Ines work with area children sharing and promoting the arts. 

The prominent hands/feet reoccur in his paintings along with the earthy, singular use of color. Jaime is muy guapo. (Picture taken from Google)

Speaking with them, although difficult at times as we were searching for the correct Spanish verb, it was also easy. They were so willing to share and welcome us into their home. Now, I want to buy a Jaime Fierrot original for the wall. We said our good-byes and ended with hugs and besitos. The rest of the evening Terry and I both could smell the scent of oil paints in our clothes...what a visit to remember! 

Jaime's website - www.jaimefierrod.com

We had a yummy, authentic Yucatecan dinner then stopped to buy a bottle of wine and some beer for the back garden at our hotel. Finding a corkscrew, as always, was a production. Eventually a bartender down the street and an amigo of the vendor helped us out. Once we got back to our hotel, we heard a soft knock on the door and we were presented with two nice, cold tequila sunrises on the house. What service!

Jorge, Our Happy Waiter

10 rooms facing a center open air corridor; shaded garden and pool behind the rooms

Jaltun Bar at the hotelito

Tomorrow - we are thinking Ek-Balam...notice I didn't say Chichen Itza. It reminds me of the scene in Captain Ron when he says "You've heard of St. Croix?"
Answer with excitement from Caroline because she wants to go to a place filled with human activity: "Yes!!!"
Captain Ron..."Well, we're going to the island just to the right of it...called Ted's."

We went to bed to dream of a Jaime Fierro original hanging on our wall.