Where Can You Draw Your Address?

The city of Merida in the Yucatan region of Mexico was founded in the sixteenth century on the site of an Indian town. The Mayan Indians have lived in this region for centuries, and even today many of them speak no Spanish.

Signs’ bearing the names of streets in Merida wouldn’t be very helpful, because many people in ‘Merida cannot read or write. So the street signs in Merida originally contained pictures instead of words!

A picture of a flamingo indicates the Street of the Flamingo, a picture of a bull marks the Street of the Bull. There’s even a picture of a head with a face on each side, marking the Street of the Two Faces.