How Exotic Can A Western (Cruise) Get?

[keishashadow]

Goodness! I am surprised Carnival let you guys off the ship ... I have heard of cruiseships canceling ports due to violence. In fact, my folks were on a Carnival cruise where they canceled a stop at Columbia because of an upswing of crimes against Americans there. I am glad you came back safe and sound!

oh, i wouldn't be surprised to think that they were having a spot of fun with us...scare us just enough to keep us in line from bailing from the excursion...as if there was any other transportation to take back to the ship lol.

believe it's why the guides carried visible handguns and a shotgun in the bus, the drivers where very tuff looking dudes, reminded me of professional wrestlers.

most of the other residents were very thin and the mayan people (ferry driver, squat)

 

[RVGal]

toto, we're not in kansas anymore

You can say that again!

You get that false sense of security when you are on a "tour"... then they throw that stuff at you.

have i mentioned that it was hot, hot, hot & humid...believe they said 110...

ok, our turn to get on the bus, up to...

another gift shop area (#3 if you're counting)

110 plus humid =

And, hey, they don't want to miss an opportunity to let you spend some money on souvenirs. Or another opportunity. Or another.

 

[keishashadow]

yep, an interesting quote by guide coming up as to buying souvie's

looking @ all the snow here today, i'd rather be there right now -heat/humidity/vendors

 

[JawsCPA]

Janet - enjoying your trippie and your pics. Sounds like you had a wonderful adventure.

 

[keishashadow]

Janet - enjoying your trippie and your pics. Sounds like you had a wonderful adventure.

yep, feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to do it, despite all my drama it was excellent.

 

[keishashadow]

okay here we go
take note, it's not on a hill, they didn't excavate it all yet...ergo the grassy knoll to the left & right

as mentioned before very hot, urged to stay in shade as long as possible so we hung out under the trees while we got a very quick recap

where i am standing, this area is behind me...it's where the people lived...evidently, 4 other plazas & temples to explore (we ran out of time)

we were standing beside this temple

 

[keishashadow]

how hot was the sun...

art teacher picked this one of DSs for a show

do you see the rainbow above the peeps heads?

 

[keishashadow]

Getting ready to climb

DH led the way

yes, they were steep & narrow

2nd level

 

[keishashadow]

3rd level
view

unrestored frieze on next level

i made it past where the ladies were standing, up the steps past where DS is standing on...then you can see that they turn/get smaller...I bailed

 

[keishashadow]

the next level, the guys walked thru this door

then thru this area

i checked out the restored freize on other side of pyramid

not dirt, the unexcavated top of #3 area, evidently; certain areas are fragile & they've been imploding/effectively destroying what's underneath...it seems the pyramid is a series of improvements over centuries - one built ontop of the other.

 

[keishashadow]

view from the top

guatemala

no railings

 

[keishashadow]

my "chicken" footpath , it was very narrow-i was hugging the wall something fierce

more of unrestored frieze

ta-da!

back down (yea for the railing)

 

[keishashadow]

one more temple 1/2 excavated

shrine area

ballcourt is back around the corner to the right lol (that i was forbidden to waste any time viewing)

can't bring myself to whine much more about the shortened excursion, especially since i've been fully reimbursed by Chase

quick recap:

*3 more gift shop stops (one where i was told not to be "selfish...the locals depend on the tourists to survive..."

*turned down meal @ 5* resort...it was their local delicacy...

4 legged chicken...remember the iguanas?

 

[loribell]

o

ne more temple, 1/2 excavated
can't bring myself to whine much more about the shortened excursion, especially since i've been fully reimbursed by Chase

quick recap:

*3 more gift shop stops (one where i was told not to be "selfish...the locals depend on the tourists to survive..."

*turned down meal @ 5* resort...it was their local delicacy...

4 legged chicken...remember the iguanas?

Great pics Janet. I saw the rainbow! I would have bailed too and made my babies do the same. Glad you did it so I could see it cause I won't be doing it myself.

Amazing the guides had the nerve to say something like that. And iguana????????????????? YUCK!

 

[keishashadow]

Great pics Janet. I saw the rainbow! I would have bailed too and made my babies do the same. Glad you did it so I could see it cause I won't be doing it myself.

Amazing the guides had the nerve to say something like that. And iguana????????????????? YUCK!

thanks, we want to tour the big site in Progresso & Chaccoben (if Playa Mia ever gets their pier fixed)

guides kept saying, it tasted like chicken...the universal lie

those that tried it, didn't get thru more than a bite...then ordered (oop-natch ) on the regular menu...hamburgers (probably iguana burgers lol). We had mt. dew; i'm never hungry when it's so hot & humid anyway...add in the large breakfast aboard ship & certainly good to go for hours.

 

[bubba's mom]

those are really kewl pix Looks like a lot of 'exercising' disguised real well Looks like a place that's kewl to see once, but then you're good to go after that..... I would have been freaking out with the narrow path also Amazing view

I look at your pix and think of the pyramids in Egypt and it amazes me the hands on workmanship of these wonders..... Built without machines and tools...amazing

I'm enjoying your report.... oh..and loved the hat!

 

[keishashadow]

barb - that's my jungle hat i use it for fishing & amusement parks when it rains (waterproof); thought it would be a good idea in the sun-glad i had it with me...the boys heads were hot by the end of the excursion

only part i had trouble with was the really steep climb up the the plaza/actual site; couple mile hill combined with the humidity (DH took my hand & sorta drug me along the last 100 yards or so lol)...felt like i was breathing thru a sponge. Oddly, easier to breath once out of the jungle & on the open plain

we're big into history, especially ancient sites, etc....i'll be back

 

[RVGal]

i made it past where the ladies were standing, up the steps past where DS is standing on...then you can see that they turn/get smaller...I bailed

I'm guessing there were no building codes or inspections a few thousand years ago, so I can understand bailing.

i checked out the restored freize on other side of pyramid

not dirt, the unexcavated top of #3 area, evidently; certain areas are fragile & they've been imploding/effectively destroying what's underneath...it seems the pyramid is a series of improvements over centuries - one built ontop of the other.

I think the freize is lovely. You made a good choice.

And how sad that some of the areas were destroyed. Of course, you couldn't see any of it if they left it buried.

no railings

Makes my head spin just to look at that!

shrine area

Is he making an offering?

quick recap:

*3 more gift shop stops (one where i was told not to be "selfish...the locals depend on the tourists to survive..."

*turned down meal @ 5* resort...it was their local delicacy...

4 legged chicken...remember the iguanas?

I can understand mentioning, politely, that the local economy depends on tourism for support. Being told I was "selfish" if I didn't buy something at every shop they dragged me to? Uh-uh. I wouldn't have even gotten off the bus and I'd have told them why.

And Iguana? Ewwwww. I believe I would have passed on all meat-related meals. Bring me a sealed bag of mass-produced and inspected potato chips or I'll just skip it, thanks.

 

[keishashadow]

glad i wasn't up on the very top, would've grabbed jrs hand to make sure he didn't fall off or the base crumble, etc...wonder how many touristas they lose every year?

they have such a low standard of living i guess they think all the tourists are loaded...little do they know we scrimped & saved to be able to visit.

funny thing, i felt positively svelte compared to the other peeps onboard/on excursion ; while all the people we saw looked like they could use a good meal. I got something along the line of i was loco refusing the grub since the locals are lucky if they get to eat meat (including the iguana delicacy) once a week.

if i wasn't sure the guide could've whupped my butt (and the fact that she had a weapon) i would've bonked her over the head around the twentieth time she referred to the excursion group as "gringos"

def. treated in a disrespectful manner, another person did challenge & was told it was just their "way of kidding around"...think the key to getting in the right frame of mind was to keep drinking the belkin beer; which i skipped-afraid to fall off the pyramids. I did indulge in a few drinks that evening though.

 

[keishashadow]

i shall return didn't want to get lost before i finished