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Published: August 8th 2007
Today’s Port of Call is Costa Maya. I think I’ve mentioned before that there is very very little to see at the Port. We stop here mainly because it’s a good jumping off point to visit things farther onland like Mayan ruins. Apparently there’s decent diving and snorkelling somewhere nearby too. There is quite a big cruise terminal area built up filled with shops and bars and market vendors, but I’ve covered all of that already. I got off the ship with Marlize, Brian & Chris, the new social host and we headed to the one place nearby: Mahajaul.
Mahajaul is a tiny fishing village. There’s one main road lined with small shops and restaurants and one tiny grocery. The other side of the road is lined with a white sand beach. It’s like a tiny sleepy Mexican version of Turkey Point back home! Taxis drop you on one end of the village and we walked 10 minutes to the other end. The entire walk you’re bombarded with people offering you souvenirs, massages, hair braiding, snorkelling, beach chairs, food, beers. I should be used to this by now, every port you get asked for these things, but non-stop all the
way through the village gets tiresome.
Some people comment on how the village is sketchy. That kind of bothered me. There’s nothing sketchy about it. Perfectly safe, quite clean for being built on sand, really quiet. People give it the classification of “sketchy” because it’s undeveloped. Only in recent years has the village gotten electricity. I hear comments like that a lot. Especially in Belize. Passengers will get on the tender boats back to the ship and comment on how the terminals are really nice, but once you leave it’s “ghetto” or “sketchy” or “not much to see”. But I love seeing these places. Yes, picture perfect developed beaches are nice. Yes, I enjoy being spoiled in resorts like Park Royale. Yes, it’s nice to have fancy drinks and meals served in an air conditioned restaurant. But those things aren’t travelling. That’s not seeing the world as it actually exists. There seems to be a mentality among some people that everywhere they go should be pretty and developed and luxurious. It irritates me. If that’s what somebody wants and expects, stay in North America or go to a resort or a cruise ship and don’t leave.
At the
far end of the village strip is Swing Bar, a little tiki hut of a bar where all of the seats around it are swings. A lot of crew go there, mostly because few passengers will walk the entire way through the village. So we grabbed some beach chairs and crashed out for most of the day. The water was gorgeous. So warm! And really shallow a long ways out. We could just order our cervezas and walk out into the ocean. Lovely.
Only 3 more weeks to go. 3 more cruises. I can’t believe it. I must admit that I’m getting really nervous about going home. Excited. But nervous.
My replacement Club O2 Director arrives this Sunday. Longest Handover in history I think! Her name is Michelle and she’s switching over from the Holiday (another Carnival ship). She’s a fellow Ontarian. What’s really funny or bizarre or ridiculous, is next cruise there will be the two of us and . . . EIGHT teens. Ridiculous I conclude. One week later, my second replacement, Dan, arrives. Apparently it takes two people to replace me! Not really, they’re trying to get 2 directors on all of the ships, especially
for when the teen count is high, like during the summer. So for my final 2 cruises, there will be 3 Club O2 Directors onboard. Crazy. And hopefully nice and easy.
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swills82
Sarah Willett
This is why there are so many travellers who have the "Oh man, cruise shippers arrive today". I have seen it in my travels up to the Bay Islands. It's funny how different minds of different kinds of travellers work. Crazy but true. I agree that travelling is getting at the stuff that is untouched. I'm also nervous about heading home. I feel ya.