Travelergeoff’s Blog

Last night I stopped by to see the production show that had been canceled the night before. First, congratulations to Carnival Ecstasy for using a live band, and for having the singers really singing, not backed up by a chorus of recorded voices.

The dancers, about twelve women and four men, were energetic, and performed athletic choreography. That being said, the show was a mishmash of melody, movement and chunks of story. I am not a devotee of musicals, except for Chorus Line, and the older musicals that had a story line. I walked out of Cats, and left last night’s show as well. So a lot of it is me, but the result of a passenger survey, came up with “It was OK.”

This morning, we arrived in Progreso, known for having the longest pier in the world.

Welcomed by dancers,

we boarded a van and headed to Dzibilchaltun. On the way we stopped in town to be welcomed by the Secretaria De Turismo Del Estado De Yucatan, Mayra Hernandez Perez-Casas. It felt strange to be with a group of travel writers being photographed by newspaper reporters.

From there to the Mayan ruins. Dzibilchaltun is small compare to Tumul, and tiny compared to Chichen Itza. There was not a lot to see; a carving in a grave,

the Mayan water source,

and an Iguana.

I asked if there was an area where the human sacrifices were performed. “Not here,” our guide said. “It was those Mayans who went from Mexico City to Chichen Itza that did that.” The city guys are always causing trouble.

Next a drive through Merida, and then on to lunch at Hacienda Teya,

about half way back to the ship. They served us big plates with appetizers, then more big plates of appetizers, then lime soup, then big plates of different foods. Finally desert, and we waddled back to the van, having eaten at the best Mexican restaurant I’ve come across.

Given the choice of what to do I’d pick Progresso. It’s an amiable beach town, with some nice hotels and a great beach.

Get a massage, and then walk across the street for some good local food.

Chichen Itza is about two hours away and worth your time. Merida is called the White City. Some say it’s because of the white buildings, but few of them are actually white. Others say it is how clean the city is kept. That’s closer to the truth. Merida is also one of the safest cities in Mexico. There are some remarkable murals in the Governor’s Palace. One shows the Mayan belief that man came from corn.

Do fat men come from popped corn? (I’m sorry.) But unless you are an architectural enthusiast,

Merida is not worth the drive.

X-Treme Country is the production tonight. I won’t attend. With all the Texans in the audience, I’m afraid if I walked out on that one, I’d be shot. So I’ll play it safe and get a taste of country in one of the bars.

The ship’s photographers do an outstanding job, and I have never seen so many people buying photos. There are formal poses, poses at a piano, and funky poses. Some take a little while to get comfortable.

Last day, tomorrow.

The Great Storm video is shown at Pier 21. It is a compilation of photos from the storm and its aftermath, along with the words of survivors. Although it was there to see, it was not easy to comprehend the massive destruction and death that storm left behind. The militia was brought in to help keep order, and found part of their job was to force men to load bodies onto carts to be hauled away. Remember there were 6000 dead. One man was quoted as saying, “Please don’t make me do this.”

Some homes were untouched as the debris of others being swept across the island formed a blockade to the rushing water.

Other homes closer to the shoreline, if built well enough, were damaged but many have been restored. The Moody Mansion built in 1895 was hit hard; two feet of water flooding the first floor.

It is now restored and operates as a museum with daily tours. As the horror fades, tourism develops around the site of disaster.

Colonel Moody was an astute entrepreneur; his drive and vision literally made Galveston happen. The Colonel gathered a large amount money over the years, possibly not all due to cotton.

Looking huge next to the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa, Ecstasy was waiting.

Boarding was smooth and luggage arrived quickly. I was exhausted and crashed. Since my luggage was delivered, I neglected to put the “privacy’ sign outside the cabin door. Later when I surfaced, I saw a large basket of fruit next to the bed. I never heard the knock, or the door open and close. Maybe it was the lady from Galvez’s 521.

We were invited to a before dinner cocktail party for the press and were all impressed by the Captain, officers, even the Chef, as they individually came to us for a brief chat.

This ship, although almost 17 years old, has some of the best ratings in the Carnival brand. The cabins are sparse

and don’t encourage lounging around the room which is great psychology on the part of Carnival. Everybody gets out and about; the bars are buzzing, the slots clicking away (well, most of them)

and smiles are everywhere. Texas is on vacation.

One pool functions a kid’s pool,

although courageous adults are welcome. The Jacuzzi’s seat six; after four days on board, five. Be ready to meet new knees while the muscles relax.

The Captain says that the crew likes the Texans, which is a good thing as the ship will be in Galveston for awhile. Many passengers are doing their first cruise, and haven’t yet figured out how it all works. In the Lido dining room, the buffet bar is “U” shaped with each leg of the “U” serving the same food. Both serve the same food, and the idea is to start at either end and finish in the center.

“Hey, it keeps on going” flashes in some minds and so they do too. They never seem to get that they are going the wrong way on a one way street.

This morning I had grits for breakfast. At the center point was a choice of wrapped butter, or butter in a small bowl. I immediately grabbed the fresh butter in the bowl and mixed it with the grits. Doing so, I discovered a new dish; cream cheese and grits.

Formal tonight, and the Captain’s table.