Ivan and David-Monday, May 9, 05 -Long

[Rhino2075]

My wife and I took the tour with David on our Sensation Cruise. He was AWSOME. If you can, take the tour with these guys. We did not get to meet Ivan but David was a treasure of information about not only the ruins but the history and reasoning of the Myans. You will not believe the detail he has about the history of these people and not only what they built and why, but their religious and social life as well. It was fantastic!

 

He is also very knowlegable in the local plant use for medicinal purposes and we were actually more enthralled with this knowledge than the ruins! He told us of plants used as marinades which (I promise) smelled exactly like garlic. Other plants were used for snake bites, healing, and anesthesia. It was the most awsome experience we had on the trip.

 

What to expect? Costa Moya is not a resort town. It is a pier with a great place to drink, swim and shop near the ship. If you go no further, you will have a great time.

 

If you book the ruins with the ship or a pier group, you will get to go in a large, air-conditioned bus along with 49 others. For our trip, we went in a taxi and got to experience not only the personal side of someone, but very real one-on-one conversation and a little bit of their personal lives. (Including a look at the Lake of Seven Colors). It was fantastic!

 

Even if you do not go to the ruins, however, go into Majahual. It is beautiful and very unique. Walk down the street and have a beer or something to eat. Talk to some people who live there and are trying to make a living on the tourist trade while not allowed into the port area. This experience will be far more memorable

 

BTW- What Ivan and David tell you is true about the way business is conducted. Our taxi driver took us down two side streets away from where Ivan and Davids new place to meet is located. It was no big deal, however, and we will never forget a great experience.

[D & M]

Thanks for the review. Our family will be traveling to Coasta Maya next week via the Explorer of the Sea - we have booked an excursion with them.

 

So what do we do if the taxi cab driver will not take us to them? Were they hard to find?

 

Thanks

The Evans Family

 

Explorer of the Sea May 22, 200'5

[cawhite]

Just tell the taxi driver you're going to the fishing village (Majahual) for some shopping. You'll see David and/or Ivan waiting with a sign that says "The Native Choice". I think they have a booth in the vendor's area of Majahual too, but they were in the street waiting for us when we went with them in April.

 

It was a great tour!

[kjunea]

Thanks for the review. We are booked with them on May 25th -- we are on the Miracle. There are three ships in port that day, so I hope it wil be easy to get a taxi to Majauhal.

 

June

[D & M]

Our family will be there on the 25th as well and we are booked with them also. How do they get everyone in a taxi? I thought they used a bus or van - but on some of the threads it sounds like you are in a taxi.......

Marty & Darlene Evans

Stephanie and Jessie

[Cajun Gal]

Can you book this tour through Carnival or is there another way to book? Sounds like something I would want to do. Thx.

[kjunea]

You book with Ivan through his website, not with Carnival. I think it depends on how big the group is. You have to take a taxi to Majahual and then find them there. I know we got the last 2 spots for the 12:00 tour on the 25th. There were no other spots on the 11:00 tour, which is where they put most of the Miracle people, so we are with a different ship's passengers, I guess!

 

June

[seabunkie]

It sounds like David & Ivan are going to be REALLY busy next week: DH and I are booked on the 12:00 tour (coming off HAL Zuiderdam), and there are at least four other couples on our Roll Call thread who are booked also!

 

They may need a really BIG taxi!

 

But I still can't wait to see the ruins and what sounds like a very charming village.

 

Seabunkie

[SharleneinTexas]

Can you book this tour through Carnival or is there another way to book? Sounds like something I would want to do. Thx.

 

here is their web site:

http://www.chacchobenruins.com/

[MikeDMess]

The ships 6 1/2 hour tour includes lunch but if we take Ivans 6 hour tour will there be a place to eat?

[paradisegal]

This is an AEWSOME tour! We did not tell our cab where we were going other than to Majahaul. They are right there when you first get into the village with a sign...very easy to find. We had Ivan on our tour and he is such a nice man...............you all will have a great time but take water & bug spray...Ivan did give us both but it is very hot there & going into bug season!

[D & M]

Our family took their tour and it was AWESOME! These 2 guys are wonderful and the love and respect that they have for their culture was so inspiring. If you are going to be in Costa Maya - Book the ruin tour with them - You will be glad that you did. It was the highlight of our trip. Here's a link to their website.

 

http://chacchobenruins.com/default.html

 

They offer other tours as well - we look forward to them on our next trip to Costa Maya.

 

The Evans Family

[idlewood4]

We are booked on David and Ivan's Mayan Experience tour in August. Can't wait. Would love to hear more details from those of you who have already been.

[paradisegal]

We are booked on David and Ivan's Mayan Experience tour in August. Can't wait. Would love to hear more details from those of you who have already been.

 

They were very easy to find......right there as you first come into the village actually and had a sign just as they said. One of the vans broke down from the earlier tour so our group was about 30 minutes delayed because Ivan arranged to transport us all by cab so away we went............14 of us in a line of cabs. We did miss out on knowing where we were on the way there because our cab driver spoke no english but we didnt mind. It is about 90 miles or so and we got there in 45 min! Ivan gave us alot of info and our tour was a bit longer than planned because he felt so bad about the whole van situation, it had a flat tire! He kept our group away from the crowds and explained everything to us in detail, also gave us plenty of time for pictures and answered any and all questions we had. He also gave us alot of background about him...very interesting I must say. He is a very educated man and very very sweet. We were the last people there at the end of our tour! It was the first time I had seen any ruins at all and it was very nice to get so much information about what we were seeing. He does explain the beliefs of the Myan people...we dont agree with thier beliefs but still found it intersting learning the culture and were open minded to what he was saying. He also has adopted some western beliefs as well now and has managed to combine the two very well. I know you will enjoy the tour! He also gave us a bottle of cold water and let us use his bug spray before we went into the ruins. Have fun!!!!!

paradisegal I would be happy to email you a few pics if you like!

[day-day]

It is about 90 miles or so and we got there in 45 min!

 

According to http://chacchobenruins.com/wst_page6.html it is 73 kilometers from the commercial complex of Costa Maya; nothing near 90 miles. It seems like it took us about 45 minutes and the taxi driver never exceeded 110 kmh.

[Smilingtwosome]

Yeah, it took us about 45 minutes as well. That includes slow downs through a couple of food stands and shops and a wave through at an army check point. The road was in very good shape until you were almost at the ruins. We had 16 in our group, so it was a tight fit in one van. But no problems since we were all family and friends anyhow. And if you fell asleep, you didn't fall over

[paradisegal]

According to http://chacchobenruins.com/wst_page6.html it is 73 kilometers from the commercial complex of Costa Maya; nothing near 90 miles. It seems like it took us about 45 minutes and the taxi driver never exceeded 110 kmh.

 

 

I was told 90 miles..............no wonder we got there so quickly!!!!! and here I thought our cabi was breaking the sound barrier!!!!!:D

[idlewood4]

Hi folks,

 

Thanks for the info. We are so looking forward to this! We've booked David and Ivan's Mayan Experience tour. It's Chaccoben and a visit to their village to see Maya life today. Saw it on their web site. I'll let you all know how we liked it. We're going in August, so I'm sure it'll be hot.

 

Steph/Idlewood

[48fan]

I would suggest wearing long pants and carrying a lightweight jacket to help defend against mosquitoes, they are pretty bad at the riuns. David and Roxana did our tour and they were the best. The best part of booking with them is the personal touch. The groups are much smaller that the cruise line excursions and you get to know them, it was almost like leaving family at the end. Hope you have a great time, I sure did. :D

[idlewood4]

I am so looking forward to it. I asked Ivan a few questions, and he got right back to me with some great information. One of my questions was about a book we could read before hand, and he said he liked Popal Vuh. I ordered it from amazon, and have just started reading it. It's fascinating, all about the Maya culture. Can't wait till we get there, and am keeping my fingers crossed our ship makes it to the port! Will post when we are back!

 

Steph