Dream Western Review with Pics - Cove Balcony

[SoCalCruiserGal]

AWESOME review,looking forward to more.

 

I love the little people up by your name. They just made me smile. :)

[KrystalWaters]

yep...laundry can wait until another day:p

[jdcml]

In our pretrip planning with Carlos we made arrangements to stop by a school. We stopped at Arnold Auld Escuela with the intention of bringing school supplies. So many of the schools there need so much help. When we arrived Carlos went in and talked with the administrator and she welcomed us all in to see the school. We had a TON of stuff that we purchased to bring along and a few of us actually packed a separate rolling carryon size bag full of notebooks, backpacks and other supplies. It was a little heartbreaking to see so much need but have so little to be able to contribute.

 

This school has a current enrollment of 804 students and a physical space of 9 classrooms. They attend in shifts so in the morning 400 are in the 9 rooms and in the afternoon the other 400 attend. This is a “public” school but they have recently had to turn away a number of students because they just didn’t have the space. The don’t have it set up in school zones like we are familiar with here in the states.

 

 

 

The bars and razor wire are there to keep what few supplies and equipment they have safe at night.

 

 

 

This was the play area that the children occupied during recess. The green building up on the hill is the "computer lab" but it can't be used. They were able to acquire a few computers, but the room isn't air conditioned yet. They can't run the computers without air so at this point they aren't able to use them.

 

 

 

 

 

These are the restroom facilities for the 800 students. The septic system is no longer functioning but they are doing the best they can. The hope is to be able to replace this with 10 new units and a new septic system.

 

 

This was a typical classroom and these students were studying geometry.

 

 

This is the entrance to a classroom that appears to have been converted to provide as much space on the campus as possible:

 

 

And in the afternoon this same classroom houses nearly 40 students on a daily basis.

 

[jdcml]

And even though it may be oceanfront - the breeze is nonexistent most times

 

So why did we go? The intention was to see if we could set up some sort of a pen pal relationship between this school and the kids school. My hope was that maybe this would help to raise some awareness of the need. This likely will never come to fruition though for two reasons. First, there is no true mail delivery on the island so it would be very difficult to send anything between the two schools. Second, and a bigger issue, is that many people feel that our local schools have enough issues that we can't overcome that need to be fixed first. Our own school budgets are being slashed and teachers here don't have supplies...but most of us don't realize how much different it could potentially be. I'll keep chewing on this idea for awhile and see what might come of it.

 

I'm glad we went so that the kids could see things we take for granted would be a blessing to so many others. Our school recently added portables and there was such an uproar. I can imagine the uproar of appreciation for an air conditioned portable at this school!

[LMKakaThing2]

Wonderful review so far , looking forward to the rest. We will be on the Dream in January. We have a total of 9 kids and 8 adults in our group ( 3 of the kids are mine!)and I am the official travel planner...big responsibility!

 

Really nice photos , you have a great eye!

 

Kim

 

Brazilgirl- which saturday are you sailing in January? If it's the 7th, there's a roll call going for it.

 

JDCML- Awesome review!!! It's making me even more excited for my Jan 7th sailing :D

[jdcml]

I had seen this restaurant posted in another review and based on the photos thought it would be a great stop. The views were incredible and the food was pretty good. They were a little pricier than I would have expected but it is an island after all and getting supplies in probably isn't overly easy. I sent a picture to Carlos and he was able to tell where it was and added it to our list of stops. When we go back I think I'll let him choose the lunch spot though.

 

 

 

It was Half Moon Bay on the West End.

[CruiseTravel372]

I love that you toured the school and took supplies. Made me cry to realize just how little they have for so many students. I know our education system here is not the greatest, but like you said, it could always be worse.

[jdcml]

We then went to a very nice overlook that might be our Christmas picture.

 

Some in our group wanted to shop at the Cameo factory so he got that incorporated for us too. It was neat to see and some very nice work but nobody purchased anything.

 

This carved conch for example was $200.

 

We took this pic quick after we loaded up at the factory. The kids really enjoyed Carlos and this tour too!

 

This port was so clean and nice and a great place to visit!

 

We had a great day with Juan Carlos Rodriguez of Islander Tours and would highly recommend him for a group of any size. He did more than just drive us and drop us in predetermined places for an "island tour" but he worked directly with me to do whatever we wanted. We learned about the island, the mayor, the tax system and even how the post office works. Ok, as I type that I realize that those things might not be high on the list for most people, but it really gives you a true understanding of the port you are visiting!

 

Oh, we stopped at a local grocery store to pick up some coffee. I had read about a place on the island that roasts beans but they aren't open to the public and don't sell direct so Carlos took us to the store to get us some. It wasn't a typical tourist stop (see above :)). When we stopped a little boy asked my DW if she needed anything cleaned and was basically asking for a handout. She didn't have anything so away he went. I ended up getting some US change for the market and each our two kids each gave him a dollar and his face lit up. They enjoyed the chance to help out someone there own size and he appreciated the money. We loaded up in the van to back out and he came to the side of the van knocking on the window. In some places it would be conceivable he would be asking for more. What he was actually trying to do was give each us two of his bills to give to our kids as a souvenir. I think the exchange was about 20 to 1 so he still made out well. His desire to give back to someone his own size was so touching. We slid the window open and tried to refuse but he ended up dropping it in the window to make sure we got it. I wish I had the camera ready to capture the huge smile on his face as we drove away and he waved goodbye. It was another great opportunity for our kids to see how appreciative we should be about what we have on a daily basis.

[jdcml]

We had our port time extended by an hour because they Valor was in port with us this day. We had the first berth and then they came in after us. There as no possible way for us to get out until they did. We were able to eat dinner and I ran up quick to get some sail away pics.

 

 

 

Not sure where the Valor was headed but it was neat to be trailing it for awhile

 

 

So coming up tomorrow I'll wrap up with our stop in Costa Maya and our visit with Steve at Tropicante, fly fishing with my son, and our last sea day!

[smalltowngirl504]

I love your review and because of it will probably book the same guide/tour that you did!! Can't wait to read the rest, the only thing that is different is your stop in costa maya, mine stops in cayman... but your review is fantastic!!:cool:

[gelo7]

I really love your review and pictures.

[mitchpam]

Wonderful, enjoying this review very much... you have a great sense of appreciation for life. Thanks so much for sharing your vacation with us!

[Me76]

Yes, thank you so much! I love that you went to a school with the children. A group of people on our cruise is going to an orphanage in Belize and I am collecting many things for them to take with them. I also plan on having a rolling bag full, just for them. I want so badly to go with them, and so do my children, but I'm not sure it would work out with our shore excursion, plus, my biggest concern is that my daughter has a low-immune system. As much as I would love for her to go, I'm not sure it is worth the risk. My children do help out homeless here in town, but in a different country would be a much better lesson. Here, a lot of homeless people still have cell phones, which amazes me.

 

But, though it may not work out in Belize, you do have me rethinking the other ports. Maybe there is another place we can go, re-do our shore excursion to include something like this. Even if it's just running into someone like you did.

 

We did an excursion like yours in Nassau in Jan. A local took us around to the well-known places, and the not-so well known, and explained the economy to us. For the adults, it was one of the highlights of cruise.

 

Thank you for the ideas, keep up your great work!

[jdcml]

I don’t have the Fun Times with me here at work but I think Roatan was the night of the Lounge Hop. There didn’t have a production type show on that night and it was different entertainment in various venues. We did a slot pull with our roll call and it was a good time. Essentially we each put $10 into the pool and all the money then went into one machine. We took our allotted number of pulls with the hopes of hitting it big and splitting the winnings. After 32 people took their turns we ended up getting $6.50 back per person. A fun time and it only cost us $3.50 each, so no, we didn’t hit much of anything! I had initially thought I would miss not having something specific in the theater that night but all in all it wasn’t anything. There was just so much going on every night, and so many options on this itinerary.

[jdcml]

Our next stop was in Costa Maya very early at 7:00am! We didn’t rush right off the ship and I think we got to Tropicante at about 8 or so and were some of the first people on the beach. Steve did a wonderful job of communicating with us during the reservation process. He had our chairs all set out and George was waiting to put up umbrellas for anyone that needed them. Steve sent me an email with very detailed directions about how to get a $2 rather than $3 taxi ride and how to get them to drop us essentially at his door step. It was so simple and easy and definitely something to do again.

 

 

 

What really appealed to me about this choice was that it wasn’t an all-inclusive location. I know that a few of those exist in Costa Maya, but there is no way that we could have ever eaten or drank enough to make it worthwhile. Steve has a menu on his website to give you an idea of what to expect. I don’t think any family in our group paid more than $50 and that would include a banana boat trip or a snorkel tour too! We probably could have eaten more but the ship arrived so early, and then we were headed back about time for lunch.

 

 

 

The other thing that I liked about Steve's approach was that there was never a need to provide a deposit or a minimum required purchase. His take on it is that you have no way of knowing what the weather will be like, how you will feel, or what you budget will be at that point in your trip. He would much rather you come and enjoy what you decide to do that particular day instead of prearranging something you may not want to do once you arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the ship in the background between the palms in this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

In my next post I'll cover what my son and I did during our Costa Maya day, but this picture was certainly worth posting. Steve didn't have this on the menu (and I hope he doesn't mind me mentioning it!) but the kitchen whipped up a couple of breakfast burritos for us. 8:30 was too early for margarita's and fish taco's, so he did what he could to accommodate us. I'd love to see him incorporate something like this on a regular basis!

 

 

 

I didn't spend as much time with Steve or Tropicante as I had hoped because he had someone down the beach all set up to fly fish with my son and I! The rest of our group did and absolutely loved the service, food, beach and general location.

[jdcml]

Here are some other quick pics of the beach and set up at Tropicante. The water was so clean and clear and the beach was nice and sandy.

 

This picture shows some grass and stuff that had washed up overnight. It wasn't long before someone had come and raked it all up and carried it off in a wheelbarrow. Again, we were there as the shops and town were just waking up!

 

 

 

 

[jdcml]

So on the Tropicante website there are a number of different activities listed along with the cost for each. Some of our group went on a snorkel trip first thing. Again since it was so early they went on a private trip just the three of them. Others did a banana boat trip that was something they won't soon forget!

 

I had made arrangements through Steve to do some fly fishing with my son. I hadn't told him about it in case it rained, we missed the port, or something else came up. When we arrived at Tropicante Steve said that Nick had contacted him the day before and if we still wanted to go he would be ready and waiting for us whenever we got there. I asked my son and before I could get the whole question out he was ready! We ate our burrito as quickly as possible and headed off on a boys day.

 

Nick used to work directly with the various cruise ships as a local fishing guide but now just does it on his own. We were so busy talking about fishing and fly tying that I never had a chance to ask him why. If I had to guess though it probably just makes life a lot easier on his end! He mentioned taking a number of trips to Florida, but mainly just to cruise headquarters in Miami.

 

We walked down a few blocks with Michelle from Tropicante to show us the way. We got to a quiet part of the beach and Nick was ready and waiting for us. As luck would have it we were the only ones booked that day so it was a private session for just us! A typical day is 3 hours long with an hour of casting, an hour of fly tying, and an hour of fishing. I think we ended up running a lot longer because I didn't have time for a drink with Steve. All in all though it was a great day!

 

Nick starts with the basics of how to cast. Fly fishing is a lot different than what we are used to with a rod, reel and bobber. Today was my son's day so I stepped back and took pictures and let Nick do the work.

 

It wasn't long before he was getting the hang of it. There was a lot to remember and I had no idea how complicated it could be!

 

We then moved back to the beach and under the shade of the umbrella to start tying. Nick spent some time talking about the variations of lures and how different set ups achieve different results. We spent some time working on a transforming fly. If we fished slow it was a shrimp swimming backward, if we did it fast it was a small fish.

 

 

Maybe I'm just a proud and happy father, but I see the shrimp in this picture!

 

We headed back out to try our new creation. We were normally about knee deep or less but right on the edge of the channel. We saw a number of fish but they must not have been too hungry!

 

 

We ended up with four catches but nothing in a record breaker category. We caught a small barracuda, a couple of snapper, and this jack that I finally remembered to take a picture of!

 

The day started to get a little hot and after 5 days of go go go my son started to get a little punky. It may have been the sun or possibly standing in the waistish deep water with gentle waves that might have made him a little motion sick. Nick picked up on it pretty quickly and we started to wrap things up. I'm not sure how long it was from start to finish because I was on vacation, but I know it was all worthwhile! Nick was able to transform someone who had only watched fly fishing on Saturday mornings to a proven fisherman in just one day.

 

Nick put the two fly lures in his card and told my son about all the lures he has in his fishing hat. He has one he hooked an alligator with and others he has used in exotic locations. He told my son the one thing he wished he had but didn't was the first fly he ever caught a fish with...but now my son has his.

 

Another great adventure that I found with a little research, digging and time - but a memory that will hopefully last forever!

[Smithkids5521]

I ended up getting some US change for the market and each our two kids each gave him a dollar and his face lit up. They enjoyed the chance to help out someone there own size and he appreciated the money. We loaded up in the van to back out and he came to the side of the van knocking on the window. In some places it would be conceivable he would be asking for more. What he was actually trying to do was give each us two of his bills to give to our kids as a souvenir. I think the exchange was about 20 to 1 so he still made out well. His desire to give back to someone his own size was so touching. We slid the window open and tried to refuse but he ended up dropping it in the window to make sure we got it. I wish I had the camera ready to capture the huge smile on his face as we drove away and he waved goodbye. It was another great opportunity for our kids to see how appreciative we should be about what we have on a daily basis.

 

I am loving your review so far and your information about Roatan has made it jump up quite a few notches on my "must do" list! Just the little story above really says alot about this island- So, thank you very much!! I am going to add Carlos and Island Tours onto my list- I am considering a cruise on the Dream possibly in 2013 or 2014 with a few days added onto to the front or back for some Disney time- and I think you are making my wish become closer to reality. :D

 

Your photos are amazing- and the ones with your daughter holding the monkey- OMG! Priceless!!! Both your DD and that little monkey are just the cutest things ever!!!

 

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review- again, thanks so much for taking the time to post it!

Take care,

Diana

[jdcml]

After the banana boat trip and some food the remaining part of our gang did some shopping was everything was up and running. There were a number of shops up and down the road with similar items but all of them willing to make a deal.

 

 

Some have talked about the vendors in Costa Maya hassling you all over the beach but we didn't really experience that. I had one guy come buy with the woven name bracelets but told him I had purchased them in Cozumel already. He laughed and said that was a good thing because they are $3 in Cozumel and he charges $5. He was gracious and funny and away he went. We also had a man from one of the nearby shops bring some silver by for the ladies. They showed an interest and he came back with a lot more. The each ended up making a few purchases and it was a win on both sides. There haven't been many ships through Costa Maya lately and any sale is a good sale for some of them.

 

I asked the cab driver on the way back about the economy and industry. He said it is all essentially tourism as we drove past the "big" hotel in the area. It might have been about three stories with all outside corridors. He said they have had a very hard time recovering from the last hurricane a number of years ago. The government had plans to develop the area but with the lagging economy nothing has happened. I think he said that they have only had one ship a week recently. I asked him what he does the other 6 days and he replied "pray for more ships to come."!

 

Another great port that was very safe, fun and enjoyable. We hit the little pool right in the port area briefly for the kids to have a little last minute fun before we headed back for the final time to the ship.

 

I'll try to finish up with the final sea day tonight if I can. We did the Tea Time and had a blast playing mini golf in 30+knot winds!

[smalltowngirl504]

I've read a lot of reviews on here though I dont post much, I have to say of all the reviews I have ever read, Cruise, Or on the DIS boards, yours has been by far the most touching, at some points I had tears in my eyes!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! ;)

[theneals4]

Our next stop was in Costa Maya very early at 7:00am! We didn’t rush right off the ship and I think we got to Tropicante at about 8 or so and were some of the first people on the beach. Steve did a wonderful job of communicating with us during the reservation process. He had our chairs all set out and George was waiting to put up umbrellas for anyone that needed them. Steve sent me an email with very detailed directions about how to get a $2 rather than $3 taxi ride and how to get them to drop us essentially at his door step. It was so simple and easy and definitely something to do again.

 

 

 

What really appealed to me about this choice was that it wasn’t an all-inclusive location. I know that a few of those exist in Costa Maya, but there is no way that we could have ever eaten or drank enough to make it worthwhile. Steve has a menu on his website to give you an idea of what to expect. I don’t think any family in our group paid more than $50 and that would include a banana boat trip or a snorkel tour too! We probably could have eaten more but the ship arrived so early, and then we were headed back about time for lunch.

 

 

 

The other thing that I liked about Steve's approach was that there was never a need to provide a deposit or a minimum required purchase. His take on it is that you have no way of knowing what the weather will be like, how you will feel, or what you budget will be at that point in your trip. He would much rather you come and enjoy what you decide to do that particular day instead of prearranging something you may not want to do once you arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the ship in the background between the palms in this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

In my next post I'll cover what my son and I did during our Costa Maya day, but this picture was certainly worth posting. Steve didn't have this on the menu (and I hope he doesn't mind me mentioning it!) but the kitchen whipped up a couple of breakfast burritos for us. 8:30 was too early for margarita's and fish taco's, so he did what he could to accommodate us. I'd love to see him incorporate something like this on a regular basis!

 

 

 

I didn't spend as much time with Steve or Tropicante as I had hoped because he had someone down the beach all set up to fly fish with my son and I! The rest of our group did and absolutely loved the service, food, beach and general location.

 

 

Oh We LOVE Tropicante.....Steve is a wonderful guy! We got in early ourselves and he was just setting up and we talk to him for a good 30-45 minutes about everything. Jorge was the best server i have ever had. I cant say enough good things about this place. I think we liked it SO much, we decided to do the Western Route again in May on the Dream. We had a such a good time on the Dream and at all these ports, that we have to do it again.

 

And its very nice what you did for those kids. I might just have to drop some stuff off as well, while we are in port.

 

Im glad you and your family had a wonderful cruise ;)

[brazilgirl]

jdcml-

 

Thanks for your response. I certainly understand your trepidition what happpened to your mother-in-law´s co-worker....the zip-lining and cave tubing accidents do make you stop and think.

 

Your adventures in the other ports look fantastic-I love your fly fishing photos and your daughter with the monkey is a really special image.

 

I´ll be sure to check out Dancing in the Streets , sounds neat!

 

Thanks for the excellent review!

 

LMKakathing2- We are on the January 21st sailing...we´ll just miss you by a couple of weeks!

 

Kim

[jdcml]

I've read a lot of reviews on here though I dont post much, I have to say of all the reviews I have ever read, Cruise, Or on the DIS boards, yours has been by far the most touching, at some points I had tears in my eyes!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! ;)

 

Thank you so much! We had an incredible trip and if anything I've posted can help someone else it is even better.

 

As a kid we took some interesting trips each summer that always included some "learning" here and there. I guess that is just in my blood to always find ways to pick up new information. Of course we did fun stuff too, but so does everyone. We really tried to find some out of the way things on this trip to make a real connection with the places we visited. Looking back on this review so far I think we did better than we had expected :D

[Guest 2000]

If you are looking to go back to your lunch spot in West End... that is Half Moon Bay Cabins restaurant. I have spend many evenings watching the sun go down from that bit if deck. It was never about the food it was always about the view. :) Mind you I do pay for food so I can sit in the deck. :)

[my3boys4]

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful vacation. What a great review. I am going on the Dream in a couple of weeks, but Eastern tour. :)