CRHS Student Trip--April, 2010

maestranba · 07-04-2010

Now that school is out for the summer I have some time to put together a trip report and reflect on the week I spent with my students in Mexico back in April. I've chaperoned several trips with students but was never the "group leader" until this trip. Having no idea how much work goes into organizing a student trip, but always wanting to share my favorite places with my students, I decided back in 2008 that I would take on this task. And what a task it turned into!

One thing I learned quickly was that being organized was a top priority. Luckily I have two good friends and fellow teachers who have done many trips with students so most of my questions were easily answered by them and I received some great tips from them as well. We always use ACIS out of Boston for our school trips. All was going great in the planning stages....the Board of Ed. approved the trip in Feb. of '09 and I was ready to recruit students. Then the Swine Flu hit. Many kids who had planned to sign up changed their minds. Then the whole border violence in the media hit. Another road block. By the end of the school year I only had 13 kids registered and my goal was 20. I was having my doubts that this trip would actually take place. Luckily, when school started up again a few more kids joined the group and we were at 17. By the time the final payments were due the violence in the media flared up again and one of my students dropped out. Crazy...a month before we're leaving and the parents pulled the plug. I tried and tried to convince the mother to let her kid go, to no avail. It's probably a blessing in disguise, as she would've been calling me non-stop most likely!

Anyway, the day finally came for us to depart Newark at 10 AM to fly directly to Cancun. It was an eventless flight, thankfully, and we had everyone in tow after clearing immigration and customs. Two of my good friends chaperoned as well. Kate, who teaches Spanish with me and Tony, a seasoned traveler who has led several trips before and has been to Akumal three times! He also speaks Spanish so he was a perfect choice for the third adult.

Our tour guide, Sergio, who we've used before on a former trip to Oaxaca, met us outside the airport. It was so nice to see him again after three years! We boarded our tour bus and headed straight for Chichen Itza, our first stop.

maestranba · 07-04-2010

We were all starving by this time so Sergio had our busdriver stop at a roadside restaurant where they had a snack shop and a section with home made hot food. Tacos, tamales, cochinita pibil, pollo, etc. And cheap!!! I got four tacos, two for me and two for my son and the total was like 36 pesos. After a quick snack and a baño stop, we were back on the bus and at Chichen Itza in no time. I was surprised, it only took us about two and a half hours from the airport.

Happy faces, full bellies!

Our hotel for the first night, Villas Arquelogicas

We checked into our rooms and some of the kids jumped in the pool to cool off. It was very hot and humid and we were really in the jungle! Dinner was at 7 PM and then we ventured over to the ruins for the night show.

My camera wasn't set correctly so this is the only pic that came out halfway decent at the night show.

daydreamer · 07-04-2010

Nice start, looking forward to more.

maestranba · 07-04-2010

Our rooms were very nice at the hotel, but on the way back from the nightshow, the power went out and we had no AC for much of the night. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep. The next morning we met for breakfast which was very good and at 8:30 we walked to the ruins for our tour. It was so quiet and peaceful there being that it had just opened and there was no one around. Very spiritual. Sergio led our tour and did a wonderful job sharing his knowledge of the culture and history with us. The kids were so engaged and attentive because of Sergio's wonderful way of making it all so interesting. We spent about three and a half hours there and by the time we left, the tour buses were rolling in and the vendors were setting up for a hot day of sales. Perfect way to see the ruins...in the cool morning air before the crowds and vendors descend upon the tranquility of this impressive site.

I didn't label any of these pics but if you want to know what anything is in particular, just ask!

maestranba · 07-04-2010

Upon our return to the hotel, Sergio informed us that we needed to pack up, and check out because he had a surprise for us before lunch. That lit a fire under the kids and they were all ready to go in record time. I liked his style of getting them going. He's very good at what he does and obviously knows how teenagers function! He told the kids to wear their bathing suits under their clothes and bring a towel. I knew where we were going and was just as excited as the kids when they saw it.

I believe the name is Ik kil Cenote. It is heaven on Earth!

mocha2 · 07-04-2010

What a great experience for them!! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see more!

maestranba · 07-04-2010

We had to drag them out of the cenote because they could've spent the whole afternoon there. But we had more places to go and things to do! That was my first cenote experience, I'm embarrassed to say after all of my trips to Mexico, but it won't be my last. Christian (my son) and I cannot wait to visit all of the cenotes on 307 this summer! My fear is that we won't see anything quite like our first experience, though.

Having boarded our tour bus once again, we are headed to Merida, but not without stopping for lunch at a festive all you can eat buffet. They might want to rethink that concept after our visit. Even with free entertainment, our kids weren't distracted from eating. After multiple visits to the food tables, we were finally served a delicious dessert and on our way to the BIG city of Mérida!

roni · 07-04-2010

I have really been hoping to hear about this trip!!!!

Thank you so much

maestranba · 07-04-2010

Finally we arrive at our hotel in Mérida, Hotel del Gobernador. A few blocks from the center of town, it's in a convenient location and has a pool, which is a lifesaver in the city heat. We check in and Sergio takes us on a quick walking tour. The afternoon heat is stifling, and all the kids want to do is swim in the pool. After a short visit to the main attractions around the zocalo, we visit the ATM and the casa de cambio and head back to the hotel to relax and swim before dinner. Tonight we're heading to a special restaurant for dinner...but will we all survive?????

maestranba · 07-04-2010

Dinner was served in the dining room at the hotel and was very good. I don't recall exactly what it was but I seem to remember some type of steak and vegetables. Plenty of food, along with dessert. No complaints from anyone. The kids were great about trying new things and not whining that there wasn't any American food to eat. That was a relief! After dinner they were allowed to stay up til about 11 PM and we went around and did room checks to make sure they were all in their own rooms. We had a big day coming up with a visit to Uxmal so they needed to rest. Again, they were very good about doing what we asked of them, which made the whole week that much more enjoyable for everyone.

The next morning we met early for breakfast. One of the boys, who happened to be rooming with Christian, was late coming down for breakfast. We had already warned them that if they showed up too late they woudln't be able to eat. Christian was so worried that this kid wouldn't be served breakfast he was freaking out. Finally the male chaperone went up to get him. He made it in the nick of time and had to inhale his cereal before we boarded the bus. Lesson learned? So we thought...

Uxmal wasn't a long ride from Merida, and it was my absolute favorite site of the whole trip. On the way, we stopped in Uman, a small town whose weekend market was in full swing. We drew plenty of stares from the locals. This is definitely not a tourist town, and it was great for our kids to see the "real" Mexico and how people buy things at the mercado. We didn't buy anything, but threatened to take a pig's head on the bus to cook up for lunch!

Taxi?

maestranba · 07-04-2010

Our visit to Uxmal lasted a few hours, and we were able to climb one of the temples. Sergio gave us a great tour of the site and shared several legends about the history of this mystical place. We took our time and again, it was a very spiritual place where you could feel the history.

more to come...

maestranba · 07-04-2010

more pics of Uxmal....

Climbing the temple

The climbers

I think the altitude was getting to the guys

The view

One of my favorites

This guy fell out of the tree and almost landed on my head!

TAPPY · 07-04-2010

Awesome pics - love your student trip reports

Dan in Ct · 07-05-2010

Thank you for sharing. Well done

btodd · 07-05-2010

Thanks so much Nancy, great report, great pics! The kids are so lucky to be able to experience the "real" Mexico!

07-04-2010	#1 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	CRHS Student Trip--April, 2010 Now that school is out for the summer I have some time to put together a trip report and reflect on the week I spent with my students in Mexico back in April. I've chaperoned several trips with students but was never the "group leader" until this trip. Having no idea how much work goes into organizing a student trip, but always wanting to share my favorite places with my students, I decided back in 2008 that I would take on this task. And what a task it turned into! One thing I learned quickly was that being organized was a top priority. Luckily I have two good friends and fellow teachers who have done many trips with students so most of my questions were easily answered by them and I received some great tips from them as well. We always use ACIS out of Boston for our school trips. All was going great in the planning stages....the Board of Ed. approved the trip in Feb. of '09 and I was ready to recruit students. Then the Swine Flu hit. Many kids who had planned to sign up changed their minds. Then the whole border violence in the media hit. Another road block. By the end of the school year I only had 13 kids registered and my goal was 20. I was having my doubts that this trip would actually take place. Luckily, when school started up again a few more kids joined the group and we were at 17. By the time the final payments were due the violence in the media flared up again and one of my students dropped out. Crazy...a month before we're leaving and the parents pulled the plug. I tried and tried to convince the mother to let her kid go, to no avail. It's probably a blessing in disguise, as she would've been calling me non-stop most likely! Anyway, the day finally came for us to depart Newark at 10 AM to fly directly to Cancun. It was an eventless flight, thankfully, and we had everyone in tow after clearing immigration and customs. Two of my good friends chaperoned as well. Kate, who teaches Spanish with me and Tony, a seasoned traveler who has led several trips before and has been to Akumal three times! He also speaks Spanish so he was a perfect choice for the third adult. Our tour guide, Sergio, who we've used before on a former trip to Oaxaca, met us outside the airport. It was so nice to see him again after three years! We boarded our tour bus and headed straight for Chichen Itza, our first stop. __________________ Peepfest '07 Slideshow Xaman Ha ~ 2007 Slideshow Natz Ti Ha ~ 2008 slideshow ¡VAMOS A LA PLAYA!

07-04-2010	#2 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	We were all starving by this time so Sergio had our busdriver stop at a roadside restaurant where they had a snack shop and a section with home made hot food. Tacos, tamales, cochinita pibil, pollo, etc. And cheap!!! I got four tacos, two for me and two for my son and the total was like 36 pesos. After a quick snack and a baño stop, we were back on the bus and at Chichen Itza in no time. I was surprised, it only took us about two and a half hours from the airport. Happy faces, full bellies! Our hotel for the first night, Villas Arquelogicas We checked into our rooms and some of the kids jumped in the pool to cool off. It was very hot and humid and we were really in the jungle! Dinner was at 7 PM and then we ventured over to the ruins for the night show. My camera wasn't set correctly so this is the only pic that came out halfway decent at the night show.

07-04-2010	#3 (permalink)
daydreamer reposado Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Fairless Hills, PA Posts: 1,105	Nice start, looking forward to more.

07-04-2010	#4 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	Our rooms were very nice at the hotel, but on the way back from the nightshow, the power went out and we had no AC for much of the night. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep. The next morning we met for breakfast which was very good and at 8:30 we walked to the ruins for our tour. It was so quiet and peaceful there being that it had just opened and there was no one around. Very spiritual. Sergio led our tour and did a wonderful job sharing his knowledge of the culture and history with us. The kids were so engaged and attentive because of Sergio's wonderful way of making it all so interesting. We spent about three and a half hours there and by the time we left, the tour buses were rolling in and the vendors were setting up for a hot day of sales. Perfect way to see the ruins...in the cool morning air before the crowds and vendors descend upon the tranquility of this impressive site. I didn't label any of these pics but if you want to know what anything is in particular, just ask!

07-04-2010	#5 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	Upon our return to the hotel, Sergio informed us that we needed to pack up, and check out because he had a surprise for us before lunch. That lit a fire under the kids and they were all ready to go in record time. I liked his style of getting them going. He's very good at what he does and obviously knows how teenagers function! He told the kids to wear their bathing suits under their clothes and bring a towel. I knew where we were going and was just as excited as the kids when they saw it. I believe the name is Ik kil Cenote. It is heaven on Earth!

07-04-2010	#6 (permalink)
mocha2 beachaholic Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 258	What a great experience for them!! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see more!

07-04-2010	#7 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	We had to drag them out of the cenote because they could've spent the whole afternoon there. But we had more places to go and things to do! That was my first cenote experience, I'm embarrassed to say after all of my trips to Mexico, but it won't be my last. Christian (my son) and I cannot wait to visit all of the cenotes on 307 this summer! My fear is that we won't see anything quite like our first experience, though. Having boarded our tour bus once again, we are headed to Merida, but not without stopping for lunch at a festive all you can eat buffet. They might want to rethink that concept after our visit. Even with free entertainment, our kids weren't distracted from eating. After multiple visits to the food tables, we were finally served a delicious dessert and on our way to the BIG city of Mérida!

07-04-2010	#8 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 59,699	I have really been hoping to hear about this trip!!!! Thank you so much

07-04-2010	#9 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	Finally we arrive at our hotel in Mérida, Hotel del Gobernador. A few blocks from the center of town, it's in a convenient location and has a pool, which is a lifesaver in the city heat. We check in and Sergio takes us on a quick walking tour. The afternoon heat is stifling, and all the kids want to do is swim in the pool. After a short visit to the main attractions around the zocalo, we visit the ATM and the casa de cambio and head back to the hotel to relax and swim before dinner. Tonight we're heading to a special restaurant for dinner...but will we all survive?????

07-04-2010	#10 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	Dinner was served in the dining room at the hotel and was very good. I don't recall exactly what it was but I seem to remember some type of steak and vegetables. Plenty of food, along with dessert. No complaints from anyone. The kids were great about trying new things and not whining that there wasn't any American food to eat. That was a relief! After dinner they were allowed to stay up til about 11 PM and we went around and did room checks to make sure they were all in their own rooms. We had a big day coming up with a visit to Uxmal so they needed to rest. Again, they were very good about doing what we asked of them, which made the whole week that much more enjoyable for everyone. The next morning we met early for breakfast. One of the boys, who happened to be rooming with Christian, was late coming down for breakfast. We had already warned them that if they showed up too late they woudln't be able to eat. Christian was so worried that this kid wouldn't be served breakfast he was freaking out. Finally the male chaperone went up to get him. He made it in the nick of time and had to inhale his cereal before we boarded the bus. Lesson learned? So we thought... Uxmal wasn't a long ride from Merida, and it was my absolute favorite site of the whole trip. On the way, we stopped in Uman, a small town whose weekend market was in full swing. We drew plenty of stares from the locals. This is definitely not a tourist town, and it was great for our kids to see the "real" Mexico and how people buy things at the mercado. We didn't buy anything, but threatened to take a pig's head on the bus to cook up for lunch! Taxi?

07-04-2010	#11 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	Our visit to Uxmal lasted a few hours, and we were able to climb one of the temples. Sergio gave us a great tour of the site and shared several legends about the history of this mystical place. We took our time and again, it was a very spiritual place where you could feel the history. more to come...

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07-04-2010	#12 (permalink)
maestranba añejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,102	more pics of Uxmal.... Climbing the temple The climbers I think the altitude was getting to the guys The view One of my favorites This guy fell out of the tree and almost landed on my head!

07-04-2010	#13 (permalink)
TAPPY añejo Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 21,148	Awesome pics - love your student trip reports

07-05-2010	#14 (permalink)
Dan in Ct life=playa Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Greenwich, Ct Posts: 515	Thank you for sharing. Well done

07-05-2010	#15 (permalink)
btodd añejo Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Posts: 2,359	Thanks so much Nancy, great report, great pics! The kids are so lucky to be able to experience the "real" Mexico!