Photo Review - Ryndam New Years Cruise

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Thank you for sharing your pix with us. I've only cruised in Vista class ships with HAL. It was nice to see so many pix of Ryndam

 

Thanks. I will said on my first Vista next year and am looking forward to it! :)

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Okay...back on dry land and a new patch installed behind my ear and my world was starting to calm down. We boarded our minibus once more to go to the final destination which was a beach bar for a cool drink and a show:

 

 

We were to go to the second floor:

 

 

all I wanted was a cool space and that was provided. But again, no electricity so no wifi or internet of any kind....what am I talking about...no flushing toilets either.....

 

The view from the top of the stairs:

 

looking towards the beach

and looking towards the ocean

 

There was a nice mural over the bar:

 

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We were allowed a glass of lemonaid or fruit punch and then asked to sit on the outside deck for the show. Sitting in the sun was not on the menu for my head so I hung back a bit so my photos aren't so good...sorry

 

 

 

 

 

They asked DD to come up and dance with them but she wouldn't without either DH or I and my head was in no shape to dance....only for DD would DH do this. I think the last time he danced with me I was wearing a wedding dress. Just saying.....

 

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We had time for shopping or walking about but since there was no power anywhere it was a bit hopeless. I was really looking forward to sending some emails but that was not to be. I even asked the only shop that had a generator, but it was a dive shop and they said their free WiFi was for customers only. Well that wasn't going to happen so we poked about and got back on the minibus and were soon back at the port. We enjoyed the excursion very much.

 

DD and DS went to Club Hal and I broke my rule of never leaving the ship. But DS had lost his hat (he was wearing mine in the pictures) and we were only going to the port shopping and the ship wasn't leaving for hours so DH and I got off the Ryndam.

 

 

We found a hat in the last shop, the duty free of all places, so back aboard we went. I collected DS to go swimming and then we got ready for dinner. It was a spectacular sunset:

 

 

 

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Enough sunset photos yet? No, not quite....

 

 

Even from the dining room I continued taking a few pictures...as did others who were taking them over our heads. Too bad the window needed a bit of a clean, but salt spray will do that.

 

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Even DD was taking photos and sending them back home to friends in the frozen north. I was kinder and waited until I was freezing too

 

We felt disapproving stares from taking the pictures the other night in the dining room so this time we only took the mains...and did it quickly.

 

I ordered lamb brochettes and enjoyed it very much:

 

 

DS ordered the homestyle turkey dinner off the adult menu and ate it all except for the brussel sprouts that magically appear in the next photo...wonder how that happened?

 

DH had the spicy fish dish but you couldn't remember what it was called exactly:

 

DD ordered the lasagne and it was way too much for her, but what she ate she enjoyed

 

It was a wonderful day. But the next day with the BIG day, a day we had been planning for 8 months...our vow renewal.

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It has been a few days. We were literally "snowed under" and in a state of emergency in our small town. Roads and schools closed due to snow and blowing snow. We had another storm all day Saturday so today we were digging out...again. Thinking that we have only been home 3 weeks is a little difficult in these conditions:

 

I took this picture from our driveway looking across the street. You can see the top of a pick-up truck that is parked on the street (so they can clear their drive) and the neighbour across the street standing on top of his snow bank shovelling it further back into his yard - we literally have no place to put the snow:

 

 

The snow at the end of our street:

 

 

Snow banks along the highway I use to get into Toronto:

 

 

The snow in a parking lot....

 

The "dip" the where we have shovelled the snow from the sidewalk:

 

 

Okay, I will shop complaining and get back to the purpose of this thread...

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Cruising Day 6, January 3: Costa Maya Mexico and our Vow Renewal

 

One full day of activities:

 

 

 

 

 

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The Ryndam was the first ship to dock at Costa Maya. It was sunny at the time but the forcast was for chance of rain.

 

 

 

You can see the clouds gathering so we were a bit worried:

 

 

This is a cruiseline built port and you don't have to leave it to swim in a pool, go to the bar, shop or sit on the beach:

 

We had an excursion to the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins so we were off the ship pretty quickly. Mama Lou had told us on sail away about a vendour that made initial rings as you wait and we had two children anxious to have one. First we had to find out way...

 

 

As we walked down the dock another ship appeared on the horizon...as it got closer we saw that, it too, had a beautiful blue hull. It was the N.A:

 

 

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As we walked down the dock we took a few more photos of the Ryndam:

 

 

 

 

The port area from the dock:

 

I know it is a replica...but it was a nice way to enter the port...washrooms to the right (important to know with children):

 

 

There are many shops, some in a strip mall configuration and some like this:

 

[dhernan81]

The roosters roaming around are due to the ***** fights they had in the past and a law was past to free all the roosters. There is a little more to their history but that's the gist of it.

 

Sent from my K00F using Forums mobile app

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The roosters roaming around are due to the ***** fights they had in the past and a law was past to free all the roosters. There is a little more to their history but that's the gist of it.

 

Thanks for the information on Key West. We really had no idea why ever bush seems to have a rooster under it!:)

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The shops were just opening when we were walking around and there was nobody at the pool:

 

 

But Senior Frogs had some rather noisy patrions....

 

The pool bar:

 

 

This is as close as DD and DS wanted to get...they thought the beach bottom bar stools were gross and wouldn't hop up on one....

 

 

So off to find the "initial ring man" that mama Lou had told us about....not only did we find him, we found Mama Lou as well:

 

 

Mama Lou wasn't kidding, both DD and DS had a finised ring in less than 10 minutes. There is a variety of metals you can chose and so a variety of prices. Ranges from $5 and up. We chose stainless steel so each ring was $20 I think.

 

 

 

Now that we are back in the sub-zero temperatures the rings are both too big. But not to worry, both DD and DS are growing quickly and they will fit in no time!

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It was getting close to the time to head back to the big Mexican flag where we were to meet to go on our excursion. But first my family wanted to climb the tower that is in the middle of the shopping area:

 

 

Up they go....

 

 

DH was afraid the staircase with all its turns would set off my vertigo so I was designated picture taker...like always...but don't tell him, I think he was right!

 

 

A few minutes to take in the view and down again they came.

 

 

We headed back to our gathering area and were very pleased to find that nobody cringed to see children on the bus with them, in fact, some offered to "let us in" line because we were a family and should be together. We thanked them and went to the back of the line. We met up with a gentleman who had sat next to us at breakfast and another couple who were on our (very) small roll call. We all managed to get on the same bus and were on our way in no time. The drive was about an hour, or just under, and we had a very informative guide. It was a good trip. And the further we went from the coast, the clearer the clouds became.

 

This was taken from the bus window and had us all anticipating our first exposure to Mayan culture:

 

 

A few minutes later we were at the Chacchoben site and at the information centre where there were washrooms, a snack shop and a few vendors. If you had a video camera (dedicated to only taking videos) you were to pay a $5 US fee. Since I have a Nikon DSLR that can take video (but I had no intention of doing so) I did not have to pay. Even if I did take a video with my camera our guide said no, only video cameras have to pay the fee.

 

We walked about 500 meters and voila...a sight to behold:

 

 

You can tell I played with the contrast and saturation as the grass really wasn't neon green. I found I must have a DS finger print on my lense and had to compensate for the foggy spot right in the middle of the next few pictures. Note to self...always check my lense for not-so-little fingerprints!

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Our guide was good at getting us into the site before other busses. It was never really a problem but I saw private tours leaving as we arrived. I was just too chicken with the timing to take a chance that we would miss the ship as it was our vow renewal ceremony at 7:00 that same night. So a group tour it was...and we loved it. DH is a real history buff and this was his first exposure to the Mayan. He could have stayed all day at the first site I am sure, but our guide did a good job of relaying the history and answering questions and keeping us on schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry...many pictures...I find that when I am standing in front of something so old I get carried away. I just imagine that people long ago touched each rock.

 

 

[shrimp56]

Thank you so much for your illustrated report. Your children are darling and it looks as though you are all having a wonderful time:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

I love reviews with pictures.

Really Great!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Mama Lou looks great in this picture.

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Thank you so much for your illustrated report. Your children are darling and it looks as though you are all having a wonderful time:)

 

Thank you. We all had a wonderful time and dreams of the next one is what is getting us through this horrid winter.;)

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I love reviews with pictures.

 

Really Great!!

 

Thanks KK. It takes more time but glad to know you are enjoying it.

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To think, our tour had just started and we were already in awe of the abilities of people and cultures that went before us.

 

We walked around to view the site from a different angle. We were at #3 and were now walking to #4:

 

 

But before I joined the group I couldn't help but get a few more pictures:

 

 

 

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I had to run down the path to catch up but that is okay, I could use the exercise!

 

 

Wow...I wasn't expecting what I saw, but then again, I didn't know what to expect but on the other side of the temple was a plaza with water collection systems and evidence of Mayan life still visible, like stripping strips off trees to make gum...where Chicklets got its name....

 

 

 

 

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Before we go to the other end of the plaza lets see the other side of the temple:

 

 

 

 

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I was surprised, happily, when we were told we were allowed to climb up to where the ropes were, but no higher. Why is it that some always have to push the limits? DD and DS were up and back before I could say "stop" for a picture....DS was already gone but DD graciously climbed back up to appease her mother:

 

 

Those steps are not as small as they look. It was a climb!

 

All stairs from this side of the temple lead to the plaza:

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Your wonderful pictures bring back many memories of when we toured Chacchoben many years ago.