When you first booked your cruise and saw “Costa Maya” as a port of call, did the little voice in your head – the same one that’s constantly opining about the benefits of chocolate and steering you away from green vegetables – wonder if this port would offer an opportunity to see ruins from those most famous of ancient peoples known for their calendar and Logosyllabic scripts? What were they called again? Oh yeah, the Mayans. Costa Maya – I get why you made that connection brain. Good job. Sure, I’ll reward you with some chocolate.
While your brain may be a world-class chocoholic, the Mayans were processing cocoa over 2,600 years before you experienced your first chocolate induced release of endorphins: “those people were smart, I need to learn more about them!”
Well you’re in luck because Costa Maya does allow for excursions to see Mayan ruins. While the three sites feasible to visit during your one day at port in Costa Maya – Chacchoben, Dzibanche, and Kohunlich – are less well known than ruins discovered earlier and more fully excavated such as Tulum and Chichen Itza, they offer a rich and fascinating experience.
“So tell me, Prof. Cruise, which of these sites is the best? Chacchoben, Dzibanche, or Kohunlich?” I’ve only visited one out of the three; but I can illuminate why we selected Chacchoben and provide some basic information about the other two. (That was a classic professor’s dodge – answer the question without really answering the question.)
It’s much closer. That was the only reason we chose Chacchoben over Dzibanche and Kohunlich. In our group we had “H,” my 5 year-old travel/teaching assistant, and my father-in-law (Poppi) who was recovering from a liver transplant. So unless it was the difference between the Grand Canyon and a pothole (although “The Grand Canyon” is how I described a particularly perilous pothole on Spring Street to the Seattle Department of Transportation just last week, so the difference between them isn’t always significant), we were going with the one requiring the least number of minutes in a van. Which would mean less time worrying about Poppi’s new liver falling out of his incision every time we went over a Grand Canyon sized pothole and “H” announcing the status of his bowels, “I need to poop!” to total strangers.
Travel times from port to the three sites closest to Costa Maya are as follows:
So for us, the choice of site was an easy one. But then we had to decide whether to book an excursion through the ship or go with a private company.
It’s always tempting to go with a ship excursion because they’re convenient, easy to book, and don’t require much research. The night before you arrive in Costa Maya: “oh, that sounds good. Let’s just do that.” And five minutes later you’re booked with tickets in hand for Chocchoben.
Most lines that cruise to Costa Maya (including NCL, which is what we were on) offer a 4 hour tour of Chocchoben for $99 ($79 for children).
In our case, we were on a 21 day sailing and cost was a major factor in choosing excursions considering how many ports we were visiting. We decided to research some private companies to see if we could find something less expensive. And that’s how we came upon The Native Choice.
With mostly 5 star reviews and a cost of $55 ($45 for children 6-12; under 6 are free) for a 4 hour tour, ding ding ding, we had a winner! They also offer tours to Dzibanche and Kohunlich for $75 ($65 for children 6-12; under 6 are free) each or a combined tour of both Dzibanche and Kohunlich available for ships in port for at least 10 hours for $100 ($85 for children 6-12; under 6 are free).
The online booking process was easy and I was immediately e-mailed a confirmation of my reservation with a receipt of my deposit paid and detailed instructions for the day of the tour. Upon learning that my husband would be able to join us for the cruise, I contacted them to see if I could add another person to our reservation and they were able to kindly accommodate us.
The confirmation e-mail included the following map with instructions on how to find their office located outside of the port area.
People call me “Dr. Cruise” for a reason. Sarcasm. That’s the reason. Because this doctor couldn’t follow these simple directions and we nearly missed our tour! We were the last group to arrive to vans loaded and ready to depart. Plan on giving yourself a bit of extra time to find The Native Choice office location and don’t forget to bring along the handy map!
We were in a group of ten and transported in a small, comfortable, air conditioned van like the one pictured above. We were treated to commentary about the area and the Mayan people as well as to some personal information about our tour guide, who was of Mayan descent himself, en route to our destination.
Before we arrived at the ruins, we made a stop at a pineapple stand where we were able to purchase a bag of fresh local pineapple with chili powder for $1.
While I like fruit just fine, I still consider it a health food and not a treat. Well this pineapple was like showing up for karaoke at your local bar only to find Chris Martin – lead singer of the band Coldplay for those of you unfamiliar with my rock star crush – at the mic. I passed up a 20 dollar bill to our guide and when he said he didn’t have enough change, I was like, “good because I want 20 more bags!” That pineapple was delicious. Plus, “H” hadn’t yet declared “I need to poop!” to the whole bus, so I figured he was probably backed up from three meals a day of cheese and instructed him to, “eat some fruit!” Which he was agreeable to do for the first time in his life. It was that sweet!
We arrived at the ruins, 60 minutes after setting off on our journey (factoring in 10 minutes or so for the pineapple), with happy bellies, with Poppi’s liver still safely on the inside of him, and after a miraculous zero bathroom stops for the kid who refused to go before we left our ship. So far, so good!
As we departed the bus in a parking lot seemingly plopped in the middle of the jungle, we were given a bottle of cold water and directed to some stands where additional drinks, snacks, and local trinkets were available for purchase. We bought some Mexican cookies and chips to try and used the restrooms before we reconvened and started the tour.
During our hour and a half long tour we learned all about each area of the ruins and about the history and culture of the Mayans. In 1972 an American archeologist named Peter Harrison accidentally discovered the ruins while flying over them in a helicopter on assignment for The Royal Ontario Museum. Our “H” approached the Chacchoben temples and other structures with the same awe and wonder that I imagine the original archeologists did as he explored and climbed Gran Basamento, perhaps not appreciating the historical significance to the same degree, but certainly taking delight in the construction and playground-like quality of the place.
The tour proceeded at a nice pace, with commentary followed by some time to explore each area on our own and take photos. I had to cover “H’s” ears a few times during explanations of some of the more gruesome aspects of Mayan culture – I can only assume the creator of Game of Thrones was taken to this place as a child with ears left exposed to talk of human sacrifice and the like. We also learned about the flora and fauna of the area which delighted Poppi and I as the two gardeners in our group.
While the main circular path, covering the equivalent of about six blocks, would be manageable for most, there were some uneven patches of ground that would make pushing a stroller or wheelchair somewhat difficult and may present a tripping hazard for those unsteady on their feet. Consider a walking stick or cane or offering an arm if that’s the case for anyone in your party. There was also an optional steep stair climb up to another section of the ruins. It was pretty fun for those of us able to make it, but you’ll want to skip that part if you have balance issues or limited endurance.
As I mentioned, my father-in-law was recovering from a liver transplant. He needed to stop to rest at times, but was able to do so without any problems and avoided the more strenuous areas.
My strong suggestion would be to consider visiting the Chacchoben ruins via a private company versus a cruise ship excursion. Our group was small and we were able to arrive at the site before the crowds which made the experience more intimate and meaningful. We weren’t competing with 40-50 other people to hear our guide or get our questions answered and he was tuned into our particular needs (like for places to sit and shade).
But however you get there, go there. Or to one of the other two sites which I’m sure are equally impressive. They offer a fascinating look at a culture of people who came long before us. People who had to figure out how to live in the world during their unique time and place in history. To feed and shelter themselves. To communicate. To give structure to the passage of time. To govern. To trade with their neighbors. To answer lofty questions like, “why are we here.” To create art and entertain themselves. At times they were brutal and cruel. It wasn’t always rosy back then either.
There are many ways in which the specifics of their lives were so different than the lives of modern American tourists. But in the fundamental ways, they were exactly the same. And because of that, it’s important we learn the lessons they have to teach us. Like how to make the perfect cup of hot chocolate: mix cacao with water, honey, chili peppers, and cornmeal.
And with that, class dismissed.
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