Costa Maya and Hurricane Dean discussion (merged)

[glandry]

I'd prefer to remember Majahual like this, instead of the post-Dean pictures that are starting to show up. Hopefully, it will be back to this picturesque state soon.

[Cindy]

Here's one taken from the port area in 2005:

[Retired not Expired]

In order to tender, you have to have something to tender to. It's shallow water near the beach. There will have to be enough pier left out to deep enough water for the tenders to get to.

 

How long it will be will be determined by that pier without using LST's or DUCKS.

[annf]

"It wasn't minutes of terror. It was hours," said Catharine Morales, 30, a native of Montreal, Canada, who has lived in Majahual for a year. "The walls felt like they were going to explode."

Morales weathered the storm in her new brick-walled house with her husband and 7-month-old daughter, Luna. Dean blew out the windows and pulled pieces from their roof.

 

But they fared better than most: Hundreds of homes in the Caribbean town of Majahual collapsed as Dean crumpled steel girders, splintered wooden structures and washed away about half of the immense concrete dock that transformed the sleepy fishing village into Mexico's second-busiest cruise ship destination. The storm surge covered almost the entire town in waist-deep sea water, said fishermen Jorge Gonzalez, 29. He found refuge in the back room of a beachfront store whose steel security curtains were blown out, and had to help his dog Camilo keep his head above the rising tide.

[ERLEC]

Very sad to read these lines since yesterday! I was in Costa Maya 3 months ago while I sailed the Carnival Liberty in the Western Carribeans. This place was so beautiful! It's probably the most beautiful place we had in our cruise.... I'm very sad to see it's probably all gone now! This was a place we wished to return.

[jhsieh]

Anyone have an ideas as to what port they will now be subsituting for Costa Maya? (assuming all the other western stops are ok to visit)

 

I'm soooo glad to hear Dean seems to have damaged "stuff" instead of people. Seems amazing. I wish cruise critic would start some sort of collection for the people of Costa Maya.

 

We are supose to go on 9/22 and I'm really curious as to where we now may be headed. We tried to do a western once before, but were rerouted to the east due to hurricane Mitch. We still had a GREAT time and I'm sure anywhere they decide to send us will be fantastic. But I'm secretly hoping it's not Jamacia.:)

[cusyl]

This is so sad...not only has it destroyed the port, but also taken away the livelihood of all of these people. Hopefully there was no loss of life.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I just read this in my local paper, same as above, that hundreds of homes were destroyed, and "about half" of the port. And they are very worried about the poor Mayan villages in isolated inland locations.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

As for rerouting, I suspect that they will find another port to substitute for Costa Maya for a while. But damage sounds pretty light in places like Belize, and Cancun really didn't suffer much at all. So I'm confident that my December cruise won't be switched to an eastern route. But we'll see. I was looking forward to this port, since it's under-developed. Very sad.

[suzski]

Here is a picture of Catherine, owner of Cat's Meow, after the hurricane.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/sc/091905hurricanes/im:/070821/481/c4cbda313cbb41b68a512c12a4898f4d;_ylt=AmUXF71mfdX8_uVT.PWqh_blWMcF

 

Catherine? The owner of the Cat's Meow is Barbara.... We spent a wonderful (now bittersweet) day with her in July....

[Sea Island Lady]

Hundreds of homes in the Caribbean town of Majahual collapsed as Dean crumpled steel girders, splintered wooden structures and washed away about half of the immense concrete dock that transformed the sleepy fishing village into Mexico’s second-busiest cruise ship destination.

The storm surge covered almost the entire town in waist-deep sea water, said fishermen Jorge Gonzalez, 29. He found refuge in the back room of a beachfront store whose steel security curtains were blown out, and had to help his dog Camilo keep his head above the rising tide.

“There came a moment when I thought this was the end,” Gonzalez said.

Doesn't this sound like it was the cruise port village where this man took refuge? :(

[doctordi]

We were just there this past June and this was my 5yo's favorite port. He loved playing in the huge pool. Just a few days ago he asked me if we could go back sometime and I said "Sure we can." Doesn't seem like we will be going back anytime soon - but we will go back!

[bluecruisin]

If I remember correctly, Catharine is Barbara's DIL. We had a wonderful day with them at the Cat's Meow in May. So very sad for all.

[suzski]

Did a little "googling" and found these aerial photos of the port, pre-Dean.

 

http://www.cancuncd.com/m-costa-maya-pictures/costa-maya-aereal-view-13.jpg

 

http://www.cancuncd.com/m-costa-maya-pictures/costa-maya-aereal-view-12.jpg

[CatgirlNC]

Less fortunate however, I am sure, were the poor stray dogs that roam the streets of Majahual. I remember them being so friendly and polite. Now I am haunted by thinking about what terrible fate that they met. There was no shelter for them.:( :( :(

 

I know...I thought about them too, and the cats, especially the one I met at Tequila Beach. (I posted a picture of myself with the cat a few pages back). We fed him little bits of chicken from our quesadilla. Poor thing...

[mafig]

What really gets me is hearing something like this from the Weather Channel:

 

"Luckily Dean made landfall in sparsely populated Mahahual." :mad:

 

I guess it's newsworthy only if it happens to a big city. So sad.

[shipdad]

after seeing some of the pics out there i am praying for the people who live around Majahual. The lady who braided my two daughters hair in April had the cutest son and daughter. As she worked they played around our table and ate chips and salsa that we offered to them. I hope the next time we visit to see the same smiling faces as before!

[woodofpine]

Catherine? The owner of the Cat's Meow is Barbara.... We spent a wonderful (now bittersweet) day with her in July....

 

 

Thanks (I guess) for the very depressing current photos. Mahajual was pretty cool as "throw back" to older times. Sort of like Peurto Veijo CR. The press in Mahajual was by outside money to "develop". As they re-build I fear the outside money will have the resources to squeeze out the locals (who gave the place its character) as owners... It not like this ain't the modus operandi there (ie. the wall).

 

Unfortunately for all, it looks like the storm scoured the H out of the coast line there - like there may be no beach left for anyone's $$...

 

Big storms like this can push a whole lot of sand ashore and create new beaches, or conversely scour out and take the sand away t sea. Unfortunately, it looks like the later here. There appears to be little sand in the street scene picture whereas another sort of rotation might have left a lot of damage too but a 'buried in sand' image...

 

Bummer for all...

[suzski]

Mahajual was pretty cool as "throw back" to older times. As they re-build I fear the outside money will have the resources to squeeze out the locals (who gave the place its character) as owners... It not like this ain't the modus operandi there (ie. the wall).

 

That's my concern...the charm of the place was that it was NOT Cancun or Cozumel...which I fear it may become when it rebuilds.:(

[beachbum6264]

Wonder where we will go? I'm on the Glory this Sat. (8/25). I went to Majahual a couple of years ago, what a wonderful place that was. My prayers are with all there.

[gtalum]

What really gets me is hearing something like this from the Weather Channel:

 

"Luckily Dean made landfall in sparsely populated Mahahual." :mad:

 

I guess it's newsworthy only if it happens to a big city. So sad.

 

It's not that it's not newsworthy, but this storm destroyed hundreds of homes when it could instead have affected hundreds of thousands. It may not feel "lucky" to those whose homes and businesses were destroyed, but since relatively few are so affected, the recovery will be quick.

[babs125]

What really gets me is hearing something like this from the Weather Channel:

 

"Luckily Dean made landfall in sparsely populated Mahahual." :mad:

 

I guess it's newsworthy only if it happens to a big city. So sad.

 

I feel the same way. It was so irritating to watch all of the news channels and their reporters were all in Cancun--nothing about Majahual other than to say the eye passed 90 miles south. :mad:

[eLav8]

View of Chac-Chi from pier

 

Looking north & south from Cat's Meow in Majahual

 

 

 

View south of the main beach front road in Majahual.

 

View from seat at Cat's Meow looking south. (Note: Hotel Majahual viewable over buildings)

 

 

I spent my 26th birthday (May 14, 2007) there and had the best time of my life. It was my second time visiting Costa Maya...the first time in May of 06 I joined the Hole in the Fence club and ventured to Chac-Chi. Both visits were unforgettable!

 

I have been fighting back the tears the past 2 days thinking of what they must be going through down there. I have been in many hurricanes, living on the Florida Panhandle, but none could compare to this one. :(

[April22legend]

 

Is this the same lighthouse that we saw in the before picture???

[nieciez]

I too was unhappy with the way the media seemed to overlook Mahahual. I too loved this sleepy village when we visited on Victory last December. I was so looking forward to our return in 2 weeks on Glory. I just hope no one was killed...so far the reports are no loss of life but we know that can always change. When we did Glory in 03 we went to Progresso so I am wondering if we will call there again.