Mérida

• I went with my parents. A week, the colonial old town as our base. July — the kind of heat and humidity where you stop fighting it and just move slow.
• Mérida felt more like a town than a city. Pastel buildings, colonial squares, streets that ran flat and wide. It felt safe — the kind of place where you walk anywhere, day or night, without thinking twice. That alone changes how you experience a place.
• The first thing that stuck was the habanero salsa. I don't know exactly what they were doing differently, but it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. I still think about it. Anywhere else I've had it since hasn't come close.
• The other thing I still think about is chilaquiles negros. I'd only ever had the red and green versions before — this one was dark, smoky, almost charred. I haven't seen it on a menu anywhere since.
• We used Mérida as a base and did day trips out — Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Campeche, Progreso. Uxmal hit harder than Chichén Itzá for me. Less crowded, easier to feel what the place actually was. Campeche was the surprise — the seafood there was excellent, the kind of meal that makes you remember a city.
• Progreso was the slow day. Gulf coast, hot wind, beach town pace. Worth a half day, not more.
• I'd go back. Same city, different trip — alone next time. Mérida has the kind of texture that rewards slowness, and there's still a list of things I didn't get to. And I'm still chasing that salsa.

The first bite of habanero salsa at a small spot in the old town. Honestly one of the best things I've ever tasted. I've been chasing it since.