The small, tidy town of Izamal is about a 1½ hour long bus ride east from Mérida. It's home to some Maya ruins and a huge Franciscan convent and church. The pope visited here in 1993 and there are all sorts of commemorations of that occasion, he being the most holy of tourists. All the buildings in the historic center are painted a rich golden yellow color, lending the whole place a nice aesthetic cohesiveness. Horse-drawn carriages await you at the main square to pull you through town to the main sights, but I always feel bad for the enslaved horses and so choose to walk. We liked this place.
Izamal and its characteristic golden yellow color
Enslaved horses await to haul your lazy tourist ass around town
The convent and church
As in Spain, it is Mary, not Jesus, who takes center stage on the altar. She is not a painting or even a sculpture so much as a big dress up doll. She sits on rails and can be extended for view or retracted for a wardrobe change. 
John Paul II was here.
Seeing their city was just too flat, the Mayans proceded to build lots of unnecessary steps.
Again with the golden yellow color.
Another church.
Interesting little figurines in the folk art museum.
More from the folk art museum. Reminds me of Dame Edna.
A friar in his winter wardrobe. Actually, his spring, summer and fall wardrobes are pretty much the same.
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