PLEASE HELP! What to do with 16 and 12 year old

[Wodge]

I am wanting to do one of the ruins while in Mexico with our family. We have a 16 year old boy and a 12 year old girl. Which tour do you all suggest? Has anyone else taken their children of around this age and them get totally bored with the ruin tours or even the long travel time some of them take? Any suggestions here would be greatly appreciated, as this is our first cruise and want to make this fun for all!

[hdawson]

My first choice would be the AutoProgreso Uxmal tour. It's an hour and a half ride but the tour person gives a Mayan history talk most of the way. It truly is an awesome ruins site.

 

Second choice would be to hire a taxi to take you to the more modest Dz ruins, wait while tour and then take you to the historical center of Merida. Others have posted this experience and cost about 40-45 dollars. Then you can take the inexpensive reliable bus back to Progreso.

[Starfish_Lisa]

I there, I agree HDawson, you can book an excursion through Autoprogreso and you´ll be saving a lot of money instead of taking a tour through Carnival. I´m sharing with you the email address autoprogresotours@hotmail.com Good Luck!!

Lisa:p

[clackey]

If you think that your kids will get bored on a long trip, you might want to check out AutoProgreso's Reef Yucatan Resort and Xcambo Tour. They take you to a plush resort with one of the most beautiful pools that I have seen. There is plenty of beach to stroll on, volley ball, open bar, food and they have a short tour of the Xcambo Ruins near the resort. The tour runs about 4 hours and leaves time for shopping in town.

[crazy about critters]

If you are looking for something totally awesome to do in Progreso then you have to get in touch with Sharon Helgason. She is a retired nurse from Canada and lives in Progreso now. She has started a program with 2 local schools, and also runs a food bank there. Well this is what we did...

We took the free bus off the ship to where we where let out at the open air market. (that's where everyone gets out) that is where we met up with Sharon, we then took a public bus to one of the schools. We had gathered school supplies and donations to take to the school, which we stuffed in to backpacks that we all wore off the ship. the ride was really interesting also, this gave us time to talk and get to know the village and some cool stuff about the people that live there. The bus ride was only about 10-15 minutes. Once we got to the school we were able to look around and meet the students. They were sooo happy to have visitors they were all smiles. They did a song for us that was super sweet. The kids there are trying to learn English and it was fun to work with them a bit. My Daughter (13) was with us. For her to see how lucky she is to have all the things we have in America is priceless!! After we spent some time there we then got a walking tour of the village. We got to see how they live first hand. Then off to the "REAL" Mexican market. We bought a few things (very good deals) and got a cold Horchata and Jamaica drink. My Daughter just loves it. Horchata reminds me of a sweet rice milk... I know it doesn't sound good but it really is.. After we rested for a few minutes she then took us back to the market where we had plenty of time to shop and hang out. Sharon has her website up and running so here it is if you would like to check it out. www.chixfoodbank.com Also you can ask me any questions... here are some pictures.....

Attached Thumbnails

[giggleykim]

Once reading your post on the food bank, I would very much like to make this part of our trip. We will be traveling with a wheel chair, and service dog. Do you think that this would work out for us.

[crazy about critters]

I'm sure that Sharon could work out something for you.. She is amazing!

You will love her. Shoot her an e-mail and she will get back with quick.. Sharon Helgason [shelgason@hotmail.com]

[crazy about critters]

1

February 2010

Chicxulub Food Bank Program

February dispensa was different this month in that I was not there! For

the first time ever in 5 years I had substitutes doing the deed. I was

double-booked; I had to meet 14 people arriving on the Carnival cruise ship

to tour the village and accept donations for the school kids. It was a

different experience.

The dispensa was very capably managed by Dave, Shirley, Hollie and Lorraine

who also handed out vitamins to the various families with children.

This month all 77 families arrived for their dispensa. Vitamins for 85

children were also dispensed.

The Mark Polson group represented 3 different states Illinois, Georgia and

Kentucky. The touring of the village and donation of school supplies and

gifts for the children also went well.

2

English classes at both schools are proceeding well. There is one activity

group (conversation) that is very well attended by both children and

volunteers where they play games that solidifies the vocabulary they have

learned in the classroom setting.

3

The Psychopedagogy Program at the schools continues to chug along. The

discipline is a combination of Pedagogy (teaching) and Psychology.

Computer Class has begun at AQR school and the group is quite pleased with

the work to date.

There was a wonderful experience this past Saturday when Erica Nordquist

from Spruce Grove Alta on behalf of the Forzani Group donated a multitude

of sports equipment to a representative group of boys from a local school.

What was even more fun was to watch the entire group take to the beach

and have some experience throwing around an American type football and I

am not sure who had more fun.

As you can

see from the clouds we continue to have cold windy days that are so unusual

for all of us. Long sleeves are certainly being seen all over.

4

Thanks to Karen Evans and Hollie Last, the Chix Food Bank had two

successful bingo game fundraisers at Bamboo Beach. The fund raisers for

the Food Bank raised a total of 12,840 pesos which is enough to buy

groceries for more than 2 months.

Satisfied supporters Group from Cocomar

Organizing Team Louise Hintz

Volunteer Requests

As the season winds down for another winter the request for volunteers is

coming to a standstill. There are local folks living here year round who will

continue with their work but anyone interested in getting involved or

wanting to continue their involvement for next winter please let me know.

• English and Computer Classes

• Computer Maintenance

• Handymen to help at AQR

• Exercise group at the local nursing home.

Tax Donation Process

5

I want to let you know that the process of making donations to the Canadian

Food For Children organization that will send you a tax receipt has been

working very well. Comments to me indicate they are efficient and prompt.

I receive notification from their office when funds are transferred to the

Food Bank account.

Here is how you do it.

All you need to do is write the cheque to:

Canadian Food for Children

40 King George’s Road

TO Ontario

M8X 1L3

Attention Mary Reid.

Include my name and Chix Food Bank project and they will issue the receipt

and deposit the money into the Food Bank account here in Mexico.

Please advise me if you are making your donation in this manner so I can keep

the records straight for the Adopt A Family program.

The families of Chicxulub thank you for your caring and warm support.

Check out the website for the Chix Food Bank

http://www.chixfoodbank.com

Sharon Helgason