Just Around the Yellow Corner...in Izamal, Mexico

Just Around the Yellow Corner..., a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Mexico has designated 83 towns and villages as Pueblos Magicos (Magical Towns) throughout the country. To achieve such a designation a town must demonstrate natural beauty, historical significance and cultural diversity.

70 km east of the beautiful colonial town of Merida in the Mexican state of Yucatan, is the enchanting “Magical Town” of Izamal, nicknamed La Ciudad Amarilla (the Yellow City) for the glowing yellow paint that covers the colonial buildings. Izamal is a beautiful place to experience the diversity of three cultures: Maya, Mexican and Spanish.

I spent an entire day walking around this colorful town with its mustard yellow colored walls, cobblestone streets and colonial lamp posts. Every corner I turned opened up to another street scene that felt more like a Hollywood movie set than an old colonial town.

You can also get around town by hiring a Victoria or Calesa (a horse-drawn carriage) which serves as taxis for both locals and tourists.

Or you can get around the old fashion way like this local woman with a bicycle.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Pope Francis: The Pontiff of Firsts

Pope Francis: The Pontiff of Firsts, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

At the Convent of San Antonio de Padua, Izamal, Mexico, a statue of Pope John Paul II, which was made in remembrance of his visit to Izamal in 1993, is situated in the courtyard of the convent. The convent sits on a hill formed from a Mayan pyramid.

I framed the statue of Pope John Paul II as if he was holding up the stain glass painting of the Virgin Mary.

Today was a big day for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected as Pope Francis. The pope of many firsts:

First non-European pope of the modern era.

First from Latin America.

First Jesuit.

First to assume the name Francis.

Even though my parents are from the Philippines (where over 85% of the population are Roman Catholic) I was raised as a Protestant.

Another first.

This Protestant offers many congratulations to my Catholic family members and friends on the election of their new pope.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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How do you say yellow in Spanish? Searching for color in Izamal, Mexico

How do you say yellow in Spanish?, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Mexico has designated 83 towns and villages as Pueblos Magicos (Magical Towns) throughout the country. To achieve such a designation a town must demonstrate natural beauty, historical significance and cultural diversity.

70 km east of the beautiful colonial town of Merida in the Mexican state of Yucatan, is the enchanting “Magical Town” of Izamal, nicknamed La Ciudad Amarilla (the Yellow City) for the glowing yellow paint that covers the colonial buildings. Izamal is a beautiful place to experience the diversity of three cultures: Maya, Mexican and Spanish.

In the middle of the town plaza is the brightly colored Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua which contrast well against the Yucatan’s blue skies. The convent was built in the 16th century on the remains of a Mayan pyramid and if you look closely you can see the Mayan stones integrated into the stonework of the monastery’s arcade walkways. I framed the monastery’s main church, the Santuario de la Virgen de Izamal, with the arcades of the enormous courtyard.

Buenas tardes mi amigos!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Facebook | Google + | Twitter | Pinterest | Photography Blog | Travel Photography Gallery