Roll call for the 10/23/2004 Western Magic. Who's with us?

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Oh I see. I have watched Lilo and Stitch but a long time ago with my boyfriend's twin daughters. I must have missed that part to make popcorn!!

Carla - you don't think that we can get to the reef to snorkel at Belize? Isn't that the reef that is supose to be the second largest in the world?

Okay someone please inform/enlighten me on what is so spectacular about the ruins. I hear a lot of talk about the ruins but never have explored the options of taking an exursion to the ruins. I have the interest, just not so sure if it is a must see thing. I keep picturing the ruins to be like the ruins in Mesa Verde, but different culture. Thanks.

 

[jenmack]

Ok, I am so with you Carla on the part of going to Chinchurro.
I think it would be an awesome experience. I too, have tried finding a place that would go out to Chinchurro reef, and I heard from 1 place that it would take an hour to get there via boat & another place said 2 hours. Also, it was my understanding that Chinchurro was off of Costa Maya's coast. Does it go as far south to Belize? If anyone find's out a way to get there, please let me know.

Pamela, Cute T-shirt's!

 

[DudetteTwo]

WHERE ARE MY DOC'S? I'm not sure we're actually going on the cruise!

Disney Dudettes #2 & #3 are going to the Halloween Party on Friday but Disney Dudette #1 isn't arriving until Friday night so she isn't planning on going.

I NEED A CRUISE NOW!!!!!!!

We are experiencing the rain of Hurricane Jeanne in New Jersey but I'm not complaining because it's better then Florida's hit.

Hope you all are doing well. Worked Sunday & Monday so no postings. Toodles JEANNE (not the hurricane).

 

[pdarrah]

Hi Everyone!

Thank you for the kind words about the t-shirts and magnet!

I have added a "MNSSHP" note to the "Who's going" page for those who I have noticed are going to the party. If I missed you or made a mistake, just let me know....

Carla - Since you have contacted everyone within 65km of Costa Maya, I assume you have tried Blue Ha Diving and the Maya Palms resort people? I would think one of them would be your best bet for getting to Chinchurro.... Even if they don't have a regular excursion, for enough $$$ they would probably take you anywhere you want to go. (However, I do not know if it is worth $$$ or not!)

Pamela

 

[jenmack]

Pamela,
I e-mailed Blue Ha & received an e-mail back fron Tanya Hawthorne, blue Ha's director. Unfortunetly, they do not go to Chinchorro due to boat maintenace. I called Maya Palm's Resort (evidently the previous owners of Blue Ha went their, Maya Palms). They said that they do snorkel @ Chinchurro Banks, but it is 18mi off the coast & do to unreliable weather they only snorkle out there a couple times a week & they don't even know what day's that will be until it is actually that week. Also, it's $125.00 do to the longer boat ride. The # in case anyone is interested, though is 1-888-843-3483. They also have a website, but you get more info calling them.

 

[tchrmom]

Hi everyone!


We were lucky, and survived Jeanne! We were suppose to spend the night at Pop Century Sat. night.......but decided against it, since getting back to Tampa would be tricky on Sunday. Good call on our part! The parks were pretty empty on Sat. so we wlalked onto all our favorite rides at MGM and MK. Chef Mickey's was yummy. We heard that all parks would close at 7 and ALL transportation would stop at 8. All parks were closed on Sunday. So, it wasn't that hard of a call to make. Disney refunded us all of our $


We've had our Disney fix, and are ready to sail!!!!!!!

Let's hurry up and get going!
Fran

 

[abitjaded]

Pamela,

Club Med, what a hoot. We actually stayed at the CM in CanCun when it was fairly new, took a plane from there to Chichen Itza, same thing, totally deserted and cool in the early morning. Major protein spills coming back over the hot, slash and burning jungle. The club had two groups back then, the swinging singles and the divers. We divers never went to the disco and met each early morning at breakfast, one small table or two full, to eat and take off on the boats. All others must have been nursing hang-overs. Never went to the disco or even saw most of the other GMs. Did a plane to Cozumel, too, when it only had a few strip motels and one resort, cannot wait to see the changes. We have to compare stories.

And Leanne, LOL,
I'm tracing the steps of you all, too! Blue Ha, (new Tanya) old (Nitro on Cruise Critic) now based a bit down the coast, rather than right at the port-town. The operations are just too small in this area to do something fantastic. I suppose it will come, but by then the reefs will show the wear and tear. Them's the trade-offs. Maya Beach Gardens seem nice folks but want over 50 bucks per day-tripper, plus the snorkel would then be extra. (And maybe dry? Wondering about LDS connections on site, not that I want to drink when snorkeling or riding buses on winding jungle roads.) Douglas Cambell-Smith, Nitro, suggests:

"If you want to do ruins and snorkelling then I would suggest the 4 hour tour to Chachobben Ruins and then come back and do a one and a half hour snorkel trip. The tours may be booked locally in town through Taxi Tours and the snorkelling can be arranged with Mayawal Tours. They have a pontoon boat that takes you out for a ten minute ride to the reef. You snorkel 1 hour ten minutes and then return. You can then get a taxi back to the ship for 2 USD per head which takes about 4 minutes. Hope thia has helped."

I've emailed Tanya again to see what, exactly, they may have for snorkelers. Got the same from them about boat problems.

Anyone tried Tom Steddum via the Maya Gardens yet for snorkel?

I think the beginning of Chincorro (Chinchorro?) is the reef that blankets the shores to Belize, Quintana Roo borders the country.

Heidi, the ruins in the Yucatan are monstrous compared to Mesa Verde. And they have trees! Like, huge trees! Some are pretty elaborately carved. Look at Pamela's links, then type in the ruins names on a search. There are two that seem to be parts of excursions from Costa Maya. Half day to Chacchoban, which DCL or the pier seem to have, then full day to include Kohunlich.

Anybody got enough room to pack a large boat? Or a private jet?

Carla

 

[Soccermom-Cheri]

Beano:

How did you guys make out during the earthquake ? Still me!

 

[BeanoC]

Hi Cheri,

No problems here from that poor excuse for an earthquake! LOL

It shook my office pretty good alright, but no real damage and it didn't last long. I was in downtown San Jose in '89, watching things crumble, so if a quake is gonna scare me now, it better top 9.0 on the scale! LOL

Could you feel it as far south as San Diego??



'Beano'

 

[jenmack]

Thanks Carla for the info. Doing Mayan ruins & snorkling excursions sound's that it can be do-able & pretty fun, too.
I'll have to check into it & do some homework.

 

[Soccermom-Cheri]

Jen-

Let me know what you find out about the ruins. timmy has developed an interest in them and is begging to go. Is it worth it to spend the whole day?

 

[DudetteTwo]

My Dodger Dog (Husky) is back home so he always has me up & out early.

New Jersey had some really crazy weather when the remnants of the other Jeanne came through.. It spurred a tornado in Cherry Hill, N.J., PA. & Delaware. We had some REALLY heavy storm showers but it is still nothing compared to poor Florida.

I getting tired of begging for my DOC'S I think it is time to start CALLING for my DOC'S!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all have a great day. Toodles JEANNE (not the hurricane).

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Great info, thanks everyone. I looked up some of the ruins and wow, they look beautiful. The jungle sounds so cool!!

Geez hurricanes and earthquakes, whats next? Hope everyone is alright.

 

[jenmack]

Hi Cheri

I am so at the "can't make up my mind" stage. But that's a woman's prerogative. Don't ya think?
Anyway, I want to do the ruins & I think it would be a great experience for the kid's. Want to snorkel, horseback riding sounds like so much fun. My daughter reaaly want's to do that one. Even the beach would be nice & relaxing. One or 2 of these things are possible to do, and even w/ our 2 older kid's, but I'll feel so guilty as, well, you know what...if we leave our little guy (ds 3) behind on the ship the whole time. But, I'll let you know if I find anything. Pamela & Carla seem to know a whole lot more about the Ruins than me. I think Pamela is going w/ her Dh & I think they are taking their DS 5 w/ too.

Pamela, are you & your family just doing the ruins? Are you doing the school, too?

Carla, are you doing the ruins? Snorkeing, too? Maybe we will copycat & follow you. -Bye, -Jen

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Hey Heidi, YOU do all the research for Costa Maya and then Dad and I can review your work. Much easier on us that is for sure!

Well, we got the bad news that Frontier is now abiding by the 50 pound weight limit on luggage. Now what?

I want to do the beach at Mahahaul and maybe the school. Just don't know how to pack school supplies unless we run somewhere in FL to pick them up.

 

[pdarrah]

Howdy,

Our current plan is to do the "short" ruins tour to Chaccoban and go to the Kindergarten with supplies. Darrah will be going with us. His school is very excited about sending something to the Kindergarten in Majahual and are going to write a letter (in spanish) and donate colored pencils (not too heavy and I have agreed to carry 20 boxes down there.) I have picked up some regular pencils and Denise (Skylynx) mentioned seeing a package of sharpeners at a dollar store that she was going to pick up. I also saw some nice coloring books at Walmart and I was going to get a couple of those (not too many because of the weight).

There are 2 other schools there, so if others want to do this, I think we should either split up our efforts among them or if anyone else wants to bring stuff to the Kindergarten, we should coordinate and go at the same time so we don't interrupt them too much! Sandy - I am not going to be bringing much paper because of the weight limits on luggage. If you wanted to join us, you could stop at a Walmart or somewhere in Florida and get paper (plain lined paper or notebooks or colored construction paper)

They have been enforcing weight limits here in Chicago on every airline I have been on in the last 2 years. We used to travel with 1 LARGE suitcase and a carry-on. Now we had to get rid of the large suitcase and take 2 smaller ones. For the cruise, I am expecting to have to bring the 2 smaller suitcases, a garment bag and a couple of carryons for the 3 of us!

Pamela

 

[faithmagicmickey]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SANDY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!
AND MANY MANY MANY MORE!!!!



Sandy have a great birthday tomorrow.
Love, Faith

 

[RonnieJo66]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANDY!!!!!

from Beano and RonnieJo



Now where the h*ll are our docs?????


Smiles,

RonnieJo

 

[abitjaded]

Yeah, well, I dunno, I guess, Jen, looks like the options are morning 4 hour tour to one ruin, then taxi to town, or grab a Blue Ha tour. Tanya says they do have a good reef within a 15 min boat ride from shore. My Kingdom for a VW and a tank of gas, and a good map.

A few weeks ago a discount book seller near us had a bunch of cheap Scholastic Capitan Underpantalones, or some such, in Spanish, have to get over there. They would pack light and be good for the school.

Hey Faith.

Happy BD Sandy!

Hate those weight limits, had to retire a monster suitcase this year that used to hold all of our stuff. Duh, we have four travelers, one suitcase, but it weighs over 50 lbs. Try multiplying 50 times 4, still much less than what that puppy weighed, but the airline wasn't happy.

Carla

 

[pmcougar05]

Well hello one and all, this is patrick, steve and dana's friend....i will be joining everyone and partying with the best of them, should i bring my beer bong?? Can't wait, will be my first cruise ever and i am sure all of you will make it an exciting one. 23 days and counting!

patrick