The Humble Brilliance of Italy’s Moka Coffee Pot – Gastro Obscura

TRUTH! Bialetti’s Moka Express is redeemed by coffee snobs!

Coffee people have softened their stance, and recognized the moka pot for what it is: an entirely different branch of the coffee machine tree, a very old, very clever, and very economical way to make coffee.

Source: The Humble Brilliance of Italy’s Moka Coffee Pot – Gastro Obscura

I travel with my brilliant espresso pot. Coffee culture has grown muchisimo in Mexico, but it’s still easier to find a stove than an espresso every morning!

Enjoying local coffee beans wherever I go
My coffee pairs well with living in a beach hut, reading pulp fiction.

Old School Cantina Crawl in Merida

Join us for a cantina crawl of the old-school cantinas of Merida! Find some new favorites!

Merida has a treasure trove of classic cantinas featuring local drinking culture & flavors. Residents & visitors find that seeking the shelter of a cantina during the heat of the day makes the heat tolerable. A typical cantina offers plentiful cold beer, basic mixed drinks, and on-alcoholic limeades & soft drinks- each round is accompanied by botanas, snacks & small plates. Botanas are a great way to sample local dishes!

MANY cantinas in Merida still cater exclusively to men. Some of these establishments are known as bares de ficheras, referring to the fiches (tokens) collected by the women in exchange for a dance. Women present are employed by the cantina to encourage men to keep drinking.


What our cantina crawl looks like:

Our customizable cantina tour can be combined with markets, street food, or shopping. We recommend visiting 3 or 4 cantinas in 3 or 4 hours to get a sense of the experience. Bring coins for the rockola!

MERIDA OLD-SCHOOL CANTINA CRAWL (4 hours)

We’ll pick you up at high noon & visit 3 cantinas in central Merida for 2 beers & accompanying botanas!