A young couple strolls arm-in-arm through the lush grounds of a Yucatecan hacienda, exchanging whispered confidences and stealing an occasional kiss.
Legend has it that the young woman is the beautiful daughter of the wealthy hacienda owner. The father is said to be protective and jealous of his daughter to the point of taking extreme measures to ward off suitors.
The young man is said to be a wandering troubadour who has captured the fancy of the wealthy young woman. Their budding romance has aroused the ire of the hacienda owner, who has forbidden that they be alone together and can only meet in a public place for an hour at a time.
In a fit of spite and jealousy, the father has ordered the design and fabrication of a unique type of concrete park chair that will allow his daughter and the troubadour to be together for a conversation but prevent physical contact.
This unique invention comes to be known as the “silla tú y yo,” or “you and I chair.” It achieves wide acceptance throughout Yucatán, where its use is promoted by General Salvador Alvarado, the military governor of Yucatán in the early years of the 20th century. To this day, these whimsical white “you and I chairs” can be found in parks and public places in Mérida and around Yucatán.
MID-POINT was provided access to the grounds of the Hacienda Santa Cruz in southern Mérida for the photo shoot that produced the images for the cover story of the March 1 edition. The models for the shoot are Estefanía Reséndiz and Mario Bojórquez, a Mérida couple who are a schoolteacher and bank employee in real life.
MID-POINT recently also produced a video on the “you and I chairs” featuring Estefanía and Mario. To view our video, or visit MID-POINT’s website (www.puntomedio.mx/category/midpoint) or MID-POINT’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/channel/UCqWRlFwy4gFA5EFv8PFas0A/videos?pbjreload=10).
We hope you enjoy these images and video and that you share MID-POINT’s appreciation for the rich and unique cultural heritage of Yucatán.
PHOTOS: Andy Manrique
TEXT: Robert Adams
