This is where I lived. Merida, Mexico is one of the ten safest places in the World. I felt safer and more confident roaming las calles in Merida than I have ever felt in any U.S. City. Public Transportation was convenient and easy to learn. I didn't drive a car the entire time I spent in Mexico. On Sundays, all the streets in Merida are closed so that the residents can dance and the children can play. Merida has a population of over 1,000,000 people, it is extremely Catholic (it is also the 10th oldest City in Mexico, and the most Religious. It is still hard for a woman to obtain birth control in Merida because of the deeply rooted Catholic mindset there). However, Merida is tranquil and peaceful. Everybody sleeps in hammocks (naked and sweating), the City is smothered in artwork, rent is cheap, and the food is delicious. I highly recommend it, if you have never been.