Mi hacienda es tu hacienda

As our first week in Mérida rolls forward under the Yucatán sun, our students took a big step backwards into history on their visit to Hacienda Yaxcopoil.

Yaxcopoil, which means “the place of the green alamo trees” in the Mayan language was long ago one of the Yucatán’s most prominent estates, covering more than 20,000 acres of land (but don't worry, we didn't stroll through all of them!).

Although the hacienda was built in the 17th century, the history of the land stretches far back to the pre-Columbian Maya civilization and features relics that were discovered during the initial construction. It's even believed that Mayan ruins lay under the hacienda's structure. As our students discovered, this is just one of countless examples of the overlap between pre-columbian and colonial history in and around Mérida.

After a bumpy bus ride just outside of Mérida to the surrounding countryside, our students had the opportunity to take a guided tour through the hacienda and hennequin factory, where they learned about daily life during the colonial era, both from the perspective of the land owners as well as those who worked the land!  In fact, the guides at Hacienda Yaxcopoil are decendents of those who once farmed this very land. Many haciendas, in fact, are still used as meeting points and cultural centers for the decendants of those who once worked to produce and process the crops that brought the Yucatán economic prosperity so many years ago.   

Afterwards, we were able to explore the grounds and rest under the shade of the alamo trees - a very necessary respite from the sunny hennequin fields! Day by day our group is growing closer as we learn more about the language and the fascinating history and culture of Yucatan. And as always, we were welcomed with open arms by the locals. After all, mi hacienda es tu hacienda!