Documenting the dream western caribbean 01/21-28/2012; the money monkey goes cruising

[crewsweeper]

I thought I was clear that the NCL ships docked at San Miguel, 2 miles north of Puerta Maya. I mentioned the Google Earth map in an earlier post and that the other set of docks were obscured by clouds in that satellite photo.

 

I managed to capure a shot of both sets of piers, two miles apart, from about 2 miles out. I never implied that both piers are at Puerta Maya.

There are 3 piers in Cozumel Punta Langosta (downtown), TMM International about 4 kilometers south of downtown, and Puerta Maya, about 1/3 mile south of TMM I.

 

Note your comment for the 3rd pic in post #396. Some but not all NCL ships dock downtown., the rest dock at TMMI; just as most but not all Carnival ships dock at P.M., some dock downtown. Most RCL ships dock at TMM I. Most Disney ships dock downtown. Schedules will vary depending on #ships in port, and arrival/departure times.

[radrayjax]

There are 3 piers in Cozumel Punta Langosta (downtown), TMM International about 4 kilometers south of downtown, and Puerta Maya, about 1/3 mile south of TMM I.

 

Note your comment for the 3rd pic in post #396. Some but not all NCL ships dock downtown., the rest dock at TMMI; just as most but not all Carnival ships dock at P.M., some dock downtown. Most RCL ships dock at TMM I. Most Disney ships dock downtown. Schedules will vary depending on #ships in port, and arrival/departure times.

 

CORRECTION:

 

Fellow Floridian and CC reader Crewsweeper corrected me for indicating that the NCL ships were at Puerta Maya, when I had clearly indicated in posts 391 (2nd photo) and 392 (1st and 2nd photos) that the NCL ship was docked downtown at San Miguel and the two RCCL ships were at Puerta Maya.

 

Well, my sleep-deprived brain picked up on it today after reviewing my Word document that I had captions WRONG in four photos.

 

In post 394 the 4th photo notes the huge NCL ship seen outside the dining room windows, when I KNEW I meant RCCL. I carried on with the same captioning error in post 395 when I used NCL for photos 3, 4, and 5 and my mind meant RCCL.

 

Sorry for the error and thanks to Crewsweeper for picking up on it.

[crewsweeper]

CORRECTION:

 

Fellow Floridian and CC reader Crewsweeper corrected me for indicating that the NCL ships were at Puerta Maya, when I had clearly indicated in posts 391 (2nd photo) and 392 (1st and 2nd photos) that the NCL ship was docked downtown at San Miguel and the two RCCL ships were at Puerta Maya.

 

Well, my sleep-deprived brain picked up on it today after reviewing my Word document that I had captions WRONG in four photos.

 

In post 394 the 4th photo notes the huge NCL ship seen outside the dining room windows, when I KNEW I meant RCCL. I carried on with the same captioning error in post 395 when I used NCL for photos 3, 4, and 5 and my mind meant RCCL.

 

Sorry for the error and thanks to Crewsweeper for picking up on it.

 

Not meaning to nitpick Ray, just that you're doing some fantastic and detailed work, would hate to see mis-information slip through. Now continue on with your day in Cozumel, but maybe after a siesta?:D

[smplyblessed619]

THANKS! How long is your cruise going be be?

 

 

YW!! 5 Days :) Nassau, HMC & Grand Turk out of Miami...I'm pretty excited (who wouldn't be!?). I'm looking into closer ports to home (almost anywhere is closer to KY than Miami) for future cruises though.

[Ltcsquad]

I saw the error but I figured you were tired. working to jobs, 1 that pays you and 2 CC . It is ok we know what you meant. Keep up the good work. I won't fire you.

[radrayjax]

DOCUMENTING THE TRIP DAY THREE CONTINUED:

THROUGH THE DEEPEST, DARKEST DECK ZERO

 

At about 10:40 we arrive at Deck 0 and make our way forward to the gangplank.

 

Forward view of Deck 0 by the forward elevators 10:41AM:

 

Forward view of Deck 0: The door to the Medical Center is on the port side (left); Crew quarters are through the striped curtain ahead. 10:42AM:

 

Port view into the Medical Center. 10:42AM

 

Forward view Past the Medical Center. Crew areas are forward of the striped curtain ahead. 10:42AM

 

Starboard view, Bottled water and drinks are available (for a fee). 10:42AM

We make our final turn to port and the gangway is just ahead to MEXICO.

 

Port view of security scanners and gangway. 10:43AM

[radrayjax]

FIRST STEPS IN A NEW (OLD) LAND

 

A quick trip through the security area, we pop our sail and sign cards through the reader and we’re OUT! Off the gang plank and onto the dock. So, does this count as Mexico, or do you count it when you reach the end of the pier onto solid land?

 

Looking back at the Dream gangway, the ship appears to go on forever to the rear. 10:44AM

 

Forward view of the Dream bow. 10:44AM

 

Fran has clinched her first steps in Mexico. 10:44AM

 

I’m fully accoutered and caught with the clinch. 10:45AM

 

The bow spit of the Dream. 10:46AM

 

Rear view of the gangway and lifeboats overhanging the dock. 10:46AM

[jerray07]

YW!! 5 Days :) Nassau, HMC & Grand Turk out of Miami...I'm pretty excited (who wouldn't be!?). I'm looking into closer ports to home (almost anywhere is closer to KY than Miami) for future cruises though.

 

I'm feeling your pain! I'm from Lexington, KY and we are cruising from Port Canaveral this year. Not looking forward to the drive! It's 17 hours from here to Miami.

[radrayjax]

Ground level shot of the Voyager of the Seas. 10:46AM

 

Turning away from the ship and heading to the port shops. 10:47AM

 

Fran in front of the Dream; the not-quite-money shot. 10:48AM

 

It almost speaks for itself: The MONEY SHOT, used to introduce the actual TRIP, now seen in context. Cozumel 10:49AM

 

And, at almost the same time, I get a back shot of the Voyager of the Seas and her companion. 10:49AM

[radrayjax]

ARRIVAL AT THE PORT SHOPS – 10:50AM

 

I wasn’t expecting to get much at the port shops but my mother is a big fan of Kahlua and this is the home of the big K. So, I hoped to get her some. I would have also liked to find a pin for my floppy “Sun” hat and a t-shirt. Fran was looking for casual dresses and gifts for our mothers and my sister. It could be here or any of the stops.

 

Arriving at the entrance to the duty-free shops on the pier. 10:50AM

 

Well, what should I spy in mass quantities upon entering the shops? Kahlua! 10:50AM

Kahlua was two for $19.00 right here, and, to cut to the chase, I did not find a better deal in Puerta Maya or San Miguel. I would pick up some on the way back to the ship.

 

A mariachi poses with Fran. 10:52AM

 

The first of the human mannequins. This one totally caught Fran by surprise. 10:54AM

 

Fran with the “bandito” mannequin. 10:55AM

 

Fine jewelry area. 10:55AM

[radrayjax]

The second human mannequin, la pirata (the pirate). There is no prize for being second. 10:56AM

 

Almost to the exit of the pier, Three Amigos Mercado is on the right. 10:57AM

 

Through these portals…is Puerta Maya and Mexico. 10:57AM

[radrayjax]

GOING THROUGH PUERTA MAYA

 

Somehow, going through the portal, I felt the difference. To paraphrase Dumbledore, just because it’s in my head, doesn’t mean it’s not real!

 

Since my goal was in San Miguel, I didn’t want to dawdle too much in Puerta Maya, and, we could always catch more of these shops on the way back. However, you can’t NOT look while going through the shopping area. I’ll present various views of the Puerta Maya shops without much comment as we head toward the exit to hire a taxi.

 

10:58AM

 

10:58AM

 

Pyramid Water Fountain 10:59AM

 

“My son went to Mexico and all he got me was a fan!” 10:59AM

 

Fran at another water fountain. 11:00AM

 

11:00AM

[radrayjax]

11:00AM

 

Gringo siesta time already? My feet were beginning to sympathize. 11:01AM

 

11:01AM

 

11:02AM

 

11:02AM

 

11:05AM

[radrayjax]

I looked but nothing thrilled me. 11:06AM

 

Harmonious singers. 11:07AM

 

Within a few minutes we made our way to the taxi and bus area. Though I didn’t fully document it photographically, what struck me as I went through the shops at the port and in San Miguel, how distinct the Maya people were. They tended to be shorter than average and had very wide-set eyes. I hadn’t done enough research to realize that not only did they survive the 90% die-off from European diseases between the 16th and 17th centuries, but they remain genetically distinct to this day. It was fascinating.

 

Just before the taxi area was an information booth manned by a very nice Maya. Fran told him what we were looking for. He even had a 50 peso(!) note of the new series, but it was used of course. The photo below was taken on the way back into the port but I wanted to present the gentleman now:

Fran with the Maya information guide “Yo soy un MAYA!” 11:07AM

Fran at the PUERTA MAYA port sign 11:13AM

Close-up of same 11:13AM

 

The taxi/van/bus area 11:13AM

[radrayjax]

TAXI! GOING INTO SAN MIGUEL…

 

The information guide told us that a taxi to San Miguel would be $8.00US. The area was very busy but we only had to wait a few minutes. We got in a cab and Fran explained, in Spanish, of course what we (or I) was looking for. This would become the mantra of the trip: “Mi esposo quiere billetes que son nuevos, que no son doblado.” Translation: “My husband wants new [currency] bills, that have no folds.”

 

He understood and took us to the closest (most southern by a few block) bank, Banco Santander.

 

In San Miguel, on the way to the first bank stop. 11:18AM

 

Another shot, from the cab, In San Miguel. 11:20AM

At 11:26, he stopped across the street from the bank and we got out.

 

About to stop, that’s the sign up ahead on the left. 11:26AM

 

Just getting out of the cab, that’s the bank on the left. 11:28AM

 

 

Map of our expeditionary pedestrian path through downtown San Miguel. Banco Santander is Circled:

I don't know why the map is looking so huge. I've resized it three times!

 

This is a shot looking back down the street where we came from. 11:28AM

[radrayjax]

ON TO THEN NEXT BANK...

 

I didn’t hold up much hope for Santander because it was a Spanish bank. As if that mattered. I got in a line but Fran had the initiative to just ask a teller: “Mi esposo quiere billetes que son nuevos, que no son doblado.” “No, no tenemos.” We don’t have any. That was quick.

 

We headed out and turned left (east) on Calle 4 Norte. (North 4th Street). The other banks were in sort of a cluster a couple of blocks east and north.

 

This is a shot looking up Calle 4 Norte after leaving B. Santander. 11:32AM

 

B. Santander as it faces Calle 4N. 11:32AM

 

It only took a couple of minutes to walk the block to 10 Av Sur (10th Avenue South), which soon becomes a pedestrian-only outdoor shopping area. The other banks are all located on 10AvS.

 

Looking up 10AvS. Note how clean everything looks. 11:34AM

 

Passing a Tequila Boutique. 11:36AM

 

Looking down a side street. 11:36AM

One of the more interesting shops we saw was an artist’s store where almost all of the works were painted on bird’s feathers. Some were eagles’. Unfortunately, the few I really liked I probably couldn’t afford and I couldn’t see any of them on my (crowded) walls.

 

Further North on 10AvS. 11:37AM

[radrayjax]

At the intersection of 10AvS and Benito Juarez (st) is a large plaza.

 

Intersection of 10AvS and Juarez. 11:43AM

 

At the intersection of 10AvS and Benito Juarez (st) is a large plaza. I take a photo of it but I keep heading north.

 

Benito Juarez Plaza. 11:47AM

 

Further North on 10AvS. 11:48AM

 

After the photo above we quickly came to a succession of four banks within two blocks of each other. The last two were in fact across the street from each other. At every bank except the last it was the same: “Mi esposo quiere billetes que son nuevos, que no son doblado.” “No, no tenemos.”

 

The last bank was Banco Norte. The final teller had a few nice 50P but here we got the runaround. It seems she needed to see my passport and sent me to a desk clerk. Keep in mind that she had maybe four notes worth an astounding $27.00 total. So we go to the desk clerk (or manager), Fran explains one more time (see above) and the manager makes a copy of my passport card. She said that for such a small transaction this was not necessary!

 

Back the front counter and the teller is nowhere to be found. We went back to the next to the last bank, where the teller was much nicer and let us have look again, but it was no go.

 

In the US, the Treasury Department recycles currency every 18 to 30 months. The currency is shredded and pulped before being recycled. Replacement notes the re-use a serial number have a star in front of the number and are called “Star Notes.” Next time you see a bill with a star you’ll know that it is a re-used serial number.

 

What I didn’t realize is that other counties do not bother to recycle so often (if at all). Much of the currency I saw was extremely used, way beyond what we see in the states. In fact I saw completely different series of the same denomination floating about. I’ll get back to that in a bit.

 

The first Money Expedition was coming up empty handed, but we kept plugging away. We turned back south down 10AvS and headed back to Juarez Plaza. I have no idea if that was the real name but it fit.

 

Bust/monument to Benito Juarez. 12:29PM

 

 

Note that 40 minutes have passed between the last two photos. Seems astounding doesn’t it. There were no photos taken between those two.

 

Close-up of the Bust of Juarez. 12:30PM

[radrayjax]

This huge bandstand was set up for a Cozumel Carnival, but there were no dates shown and we didn’t ask.

 

Cozumel Carnival Bandstand. 12:30PM

 

Fran by the bandstand backdrop; too much pink. 12:30PM

 

Someone told us that there was a money exchange booth on the other side of the plaza, near the main road, Rafael E. Melgar. Wwe inquired at the shop below and they pointed it out a few dozen feet to the right.

 

Shops facing the plaza from the east. 12:31PM

We found the booth but it was no better. I was surprised to see that he had a 100P note from the 1980’s. If you call all the way back to post 3 or 4 you will see a note just like it. The US has the most boring, least changing currency on earth. There have been many subtle design changes since 1928, but to the untrained eye at first it all looks the same.

 

Mexico has been subjected to extremes of changes, some because of inflation, some because, well, it was time for a change. To see a note there from the 1980’s would be like seeing a note from the 1880’s in circulation in the US. Most of you wouldn’t recognize it as money!

We still had some time to kill and decided to walk south along Melgar and do some window shopping (Fran still wanted to find a couple of dresses and I still wanted hat pins).

 

Within a couple of minutes we came near the downtown docks and saw the NCL ship. It was the SUN, and we had followed it all the way from Port Canaveral.

 

 

The Norwegian Sun, seen behind a couple of large eagle sculptures. 12:33PM

 

 

Close-up of the eagle sculptures, from across the street. 12:33PM

We did some window shopping then I crossed the street to get a better photo of the birds and the boat. BTW, the traffic here was not wild at all. And there were very few traffic lights.

 

Another view of the eagle sculptures, I’m nuts for eagles. 12:44PM

[radrayjax]

An unimpeded “Money” shot of the Norwegian Sun. 12:44PM

I took a look over the retaining wall at the water and the shore line.

 

The water. 12:45PM

 

Southward view of the Cozumel shoreline and stores along Melgar Blvd. 12:46PM

 

We proceeded south along the main road for a few blocks still trying to find the dresses, etc. Fran WAS finding some, but not the right design at the right price. I was a total wipe out for pins. I couldn’t believe that there were none to be had.

 

Assortment of dolls in one shop. 12:50PM

 

We came to a jewelry store with an armed guard outside. I had to get this photo below. This was la guardia de la tienda (the store guard), not to be confused with La Guardia Civil, the Civil Guard, Francisco Franco’s notorious police force.

 

Fran with la guardia de la tienda. 12:57 PM

Assortment of onyx items elsewhere. 12:51PM

[radrayjax]

Man on stilts! Beware! Man on stilts! 1:05PM

 

More items in a store 1:09PM

 

We went down some side streets, though more shops and arrived at the other port plaza: Punta Langosta Plaza. By this point my feet were killing me. I can walk miles non-stop, but stop and go walking through shops blows my feet out. I call them “Museum Feet.” Much as I love museums, after about an hour or two my tooties have had. I try to walk faster, but Fran doesn’t like that.

 

Somewhere along the line we came across a street vendor with what could best be described as a pie tin with a number of Mexican silver coins, mostly from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Imagine a time when a five peso coin (now about $0.38) was a sliver coin about the size of an old US silver dollar. That was only about 60 years ago.

 

I don’t to too much with coins these days, but I knew most of the coins he had were only worth melt value. Since I didn’t know their melt value off hand or the price of silver that day I wasn’t really interested. Another issue to a collector was that all of the coins were loose in the tray and rubbing against each other, not a good practice.

 

We had lost sight of each other in one of the Langosta shops. Luckily, we had the two-way radios. Remember those? Well, they worked and she was on a bench not 30 feet from me! Imagine the disaster to walk around a corner in a strange place and lose site of someone (without a cell phone – those are great in Wal*Mart!).

 

Time to head back, it was getting close to 2:00PM.

 

We picked up a cab at Punta Langosta, right outside the terminal to the NCL ship. The fair south was $7.00 because the distance was shorter.

 

On the way south to Puerta Maya 1:45PM

 

Another view on the way back. 1:46PM

 

Nearing Puerta Maya, we can see the other RCCL ship but I can’t make out the name. 1:50PM

 

I gave the cabbie a $1.00 tip so the total fare was $8.00 -- $18.00 round trip.

[radrayjax]

We got back to Puerta Maya and thanked the Information Guide and took the photograph of him and Fran seen earlier.

 

We then went through a number of the shops again. I ended up walking through a place called Pancho’s Backyard and they actually did have a nice back yard.

 

Shoreline behind Pancho’s Backyard. 2:00 PM

 

Looking north along the shoreline and at the two RCCL ships. 2:01 PM

 

Another unobscured shot of the Dream from Pancho’s Backyard. 2:01 PM

 

Fran was trying to buy some hanging ceramic fruit for her mother in the souvenir area of Pancho’s. They wouldn’t come down on the price.

 

Pancho’s Backyard. 2:02 PM

 

This one’s for YOU: White sand and a palm tree. 2:02 PM

Hammocks at Panchos’. 2:02 PM

 

OKAY, I’m done in for today. I was hoping to get us back on board; a couple of posts shy but I'm blitzed!

 

Tomorrow I’ll finish Cozumel and Monday the 23rd.

[crewsweeper]

Nice review of Coz, Ray! You'll need another cruise to recover from all the work you're doing on this review Hope you had a margarita and some of the chili rellenos at Pancho's Backyard.

[radrayjax]

Nice review of Coz, Ray! You'll need another cruise to recover from all the work you're doing on this review Hope you had a margarita and some of the chili rellenos at Pancho's Backyard.

 

Thanks, but if you recall Post #7 (415 posts ago) and Rule 1, I don't drink and I wasn't going to spend money for food on shore when I had already paid for AYCE on the ship.

The Expeditions could last as long as the thermoses held out....

[EpcotBill]

The other Royal ship in port that day was Jewel of the Seas.

[radrayjax]

The other Royal ship in port that day was Jewel of the Seas.

 

Thanks. I never got a good view of the stern.