Merida and Campeche (1945)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Another entry in James A. FitzPatrick's "TravelTalks" series takes us to the Mexican Yucatin peninsula where we visit the two cities that make up our title. We start off in Merida and are told that it was founded by the Spanish in 1542 after being a town where the Mayans lived. From here we see the famous windmills, which pump water to the city and we're told there are more windmills here than anywhere else in the world. We see a local theater, the floral displays and hear about a carnival that is held each February and lasts two weeks. From here we go to Campeche where we hear about the first Catholic mass, the 8-ft. thick walls that surround the city and about the various costumes that are handed down from one family member to the next. If you're familiar with the series then you already know that the Technicolor is always the main draw and it certainly works wonders here. This is especially true during the visit to Campeche where we get to see the wonderful stone wall that surrounds the city and that was originally built to keep pirates out. As usual FitzPatrick's narration perfectly tells the stories and overall this is another pleasant entry for fans of the series.