Welcome to LawsonsYucatan!

Welcome to the Lawsons Yucatan website!

Note – if you have stumbled onto this website and are looking for tourism/travel/tour information, you need to go to the Lawsons Driving website which is here.

This is the place for all things related to William Lawson and my (neurotic foreigners’) take on life in the Yucatan, which dates from the NotTheNews days to the elmaloso blog to the Casual Restaurant Critic blog. This is over 15 years of writing about life here. At the top of the page things, are divided into categories to help you find what it is you want to read:

For the ever popular Casual Restaurant Critic reviews, click on the Casual Restaurant Critic title above to see all the reviews of restaurants good and bad, near and far. Or just click here.

Life in Yucatan? That’s most everything else. The good, the bad, the ugly.

Nada que ver is a category for posts that have nothing to do with anything but that I felt like writing.

Politics is about both Mexican (local, state, national) and international politics.

Ti’Ho Tales is a category for writings of a fictional nature; short stories, chapters of a forthcoming book, that sort of thing.

Enjoy!

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31 thoughts on “Welcome to LawsonsYucatan!”

  1. I will miss the stand alone Casual Restaurant Critic blog, not to sure if i will tune to your other comments as was not a fan of NotTheNews days, but willing to give a chance , a new find for Italiano the best we have found in 10 snowbird years hear, Antica Roma Calle 23A #348 x 34 y 36 la Florida Pinos Near Plaza Altrabrisa Better call for directions in residential area would love to see your comments on this one real Italiiano the guy is from Rome

    Best regards

    Cancun joe

  2. I am pleased to add the first (?) comment. Maybe you are the guy who got so pissed off when I suggested his wife was an intemperate menopausal beeyatch?

    At any rate, I use YucatanToday and your restaurant pieces and thanks for them.

    Insofar as what all the expats are up to, I am anxious to see on a forthcoming trip if they have intruded themselves inordinately in to Merida society and culture or if they are just trying.

  3. Well, Poppa, if I was that guy and you had said that to my wife, I surely would not be answering this comment! So no, that wasn’t me. And that is not my wife. I agree that Yucatan Today is a wealth of info. As far as ex-pats go, so many live in their dreamy bubble and have little or only condescending (the children are so beautiful!) interactions. But there I go, all neurotic again.

    Joe Nelson, I will check into that restaurant once I have some free time for eating out! Have you heard of one near Progreso and Chicxulub? Supposed to be really good as well.

  4. Happy to find this blog through a link from the Yolisto site. I had come across your Casual Restaurant Critic blog previously, but will follow this one now. Please advise on the name/location of the restaurant near Progreso & Chicxulub you mention above. We will be in Chelem later this month and would like to check it out. Thanks and look forward to reading.

  5. About time you consolidated. It’s all the rage. Sorry to have missed you when I was down there. I actually missed everybody. Next time, I promise. I’ll try not to come during “birthday weekend.”

    Saludos!

  6. Thanks EJ; hope you have more time next time around as well!

    Dina; the Italian place I mention is called Elio al Mare or something to that effect. I am looking for directions as well, as I have only heard about it, not actually gone. It is supposed to be very good!

    Thanks for stopping by!

  9. Thanks for the compliments about Yucatan Today. I look forward to hearing about Antica Roma, as I love good Italian food. As for the place on the beach, it is Elio al Mare, Calle 21 No. 60 x 40 y 38, Progreso. Tel. 969 935 0804. Open Wed-Sun- 1 pm – 10 pm. Seafood and homemade pasta. Haven’t tried it yet.
    Juanita Stein, Editor, Yucatan Today
    yucatantoday.com

  10. Hi William,

    I always think of you and the Clan Lawson at Thanksgiving (which is tomorrow in the US, as I write this). Like the newest blog. We were down last XMas and wanted to say hello, but couldn’t get through on your (old?) email, so drop me a line if you’ve got a new address. Regards to Mrs. L (who definitely does not correspond to Poppa’s description) and the lassies.

  11. I’m happy to have stumbled across this, I was perusing a forum about cruises and saw your name on some informative posts, but was unable to register to comment so I looked you up. Is that you? My husband just surprised me with a cruise in January that stops in Progreso. I’ve never been on a cruise, or in Mexico, but “shore excursions” look repellent. I’d like to just get on a local bus and go to Merida when we get there and have a few questions. It would be great if you could email me. Meanwhile I’ll read your blog here. Thanks!

  13. Actually? No! I am so busy with other pre-Christmas stuff that I haven’t even had time to look at the paper to see who is offering what. I know Elio al Mare is offering a NYE dinner for $1200 p/p and I also know they have fantastic pasta made in house. And it’s on the ocean between Progreso and Chicxulub, so it could be potentially magical. Any of the Trotters restaurants would be a good bet as would Nectar. Just make your reservations yesterday!

  14. I can now safely vouch for the pancetta at Hennessy’s Irish pub, where the Critic and Better Half along with several fellow critics and I, spent a delightful NYE celebration.

  15. Can i get along in the Yucatan area without knowing any spanish? I will have to eat out most of the time, as i don’t cook. And is it safe to drive down from the states? I use to live in ajijic and it was geting bad there.

  16. Greetings Bill

    I was hoping to book a day trip with you during the week of Dec 26-Dec.30. Would any time be available with someone or yourself? My wife and I will be staying at the Casa Esperanza B&B.

    Best Regards

    Rod LeBlanc

  18. Looking for a cultural-historic-sightseeing day tour of Merida for Jan 14. I know this is short notice – looking for an alternative to the cruise ship shore excursions. Can you help? Many thanks.
    Carol

  19. Hello, Do you do tour of Uxmal? If so what are your rates and availability for Sept 18th? We are a party of 2 arriving on Carnival Elation.

  20. our family of 4 will be arriving in Pregreso on May 27, 2014 Carnival Triumph. We would like to see the ruins and cenots.

  24. Hi William!
    My name is Natalie Sullivan and I’m casting an international travel show about expats moving abroad. We’d love to film in Mexico and wanted to know if you could help us find expats who have moved there within the last 15 months or have been there for 3-4 years, but recently moved into a new home. The show documents their move to a new country and will place the country in fabulous light. The expats on the show would also receive monetary compensation if they are filmed. They must also speak English fluently and can be buyers or renters for their homes. If you’d like more information, please give me a call at 212-231-7717 or skype me at natalieesullivan. You can also email me at nataliesullivan@leopardusa.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.

  25. Hello, I,m a Canadian living in Chatham, Ontario. Am seriously considering moving to Mexico to retire. Can you help?

  26. I would suggest doing research online or contacting Yucatan Expatriate Services via their website. Not much I can help you with as I am not familiar with current laws and so on, on the Canadian side of things.

  27. Hello,
    We will be arriving in Progreso on Carnival Fantasy on November 6 at about 8 a.m. There will be 4 of us. We would be interested in a Merida on your own tour. Would you have a tour like that & if so, how much would it be?

  28. For anyone reading this, this is the Lawsons Yucatan blog; all about the Yucatan. For tourist related info, try lawsonsyucatanexcursions.com where there is an info request form you can fill out and get answers to your most pressing Yucatan tourism questions. Or write to lawson_william@hotmail.com

  29. I just found your page. One of the things I’ve noticed is your use of the phrase “civilized dining”. I doubt you intend to be insulting but the phrase tends to be pejorative. There are other, more graceful ways to evaluate dining experiences…for your purpose “white table cloth” may be one of them.

  30. Thanks Daria! I don’t mean to be insulting or pejorative and when I find that elusive white table cloth experience I’ll be sure to mention it. 🙂

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