Progreso, Mexico is an old world, traditional and welcoming destination. Upon entering the lively port you will see plenty of vendors seeking to sell their crafts and wares. Everyone is friendly and not overly pushy. We chose to take an excursion off the ship when we visited Progreso on the Carnival Triumph in December 2012. We were greeted pleasantly by a kind young lady from AutoProgreso and told about their tour of the Dzibilchaltun Mayan Ruins, which was one third of the price of Carnival's excursion-so we signed up! For $25 per person we hopped on an air conditioned tour bus with our wonderfully informative guide Diego. He told us massive amounts of information about the Mayans, his life as a Mayan, the area, people and traditions. The 40 minute bus ride flew by! When we got to the ruins he gave us a short guided tour and then we had about an hour to explore on our own. You can climb on these ruins and explore them as well.
The architecture is awe inspiring and the folks tending to the area were welcoming. There are clean restrooms and a small gift shop with water and other cold drinks to purchase at reasonable prices. Our ride back to the port consisted of a Q&A with Diego and this provided even more information and stories about their culture and lifestyle in Progreso. We were fortunate that this was the second week of December and Diego and his family were starting preparations for Los Posadas, the time honored celebration which takes place nine days before Christmas.
For those of you unfamiliar with this tradition, from the 16th to the 24th processions reenact Mary and Joseph's search for shelter in Bethlehem. These processions lead to a different house every night for the culmination of the “Posadas”, a big fiesta! The nine nights are significant because each night represents a month for which Jesus was in Mary's womb, leading up to his birth. Participants of the nightly “Posadas” often carry candles to represent the light from the Star of Bethlehem. Each night family, friends and neighbors in Mexico open their homes to others and offer fellowship, food and time for group prayer. Many people open their homes and have simple refreshments, like homemade tamales and hot punch, or Ponche. Other folks prefer to celebrate a bit more grandiose, serving full meals and having a pinata filled with candy for the children. Traditionally the last night, Christmas Eve, is the biggest fiesta for everyone. Posada is the Spanish word for Inn, or lodging.
Diego shared stories about his family's past Posadas and plans for their future ones. This tour was a great surprise excursion as we really did not expect it to be so impactful on our lives, but it was. We were even met at the port after the tour with strolling musicians playing Feliz Navidad!
If you have the opportunity to go to Progreso please check out AutoProgreso for a tour of the spectacular ruins! You do not need to book this tour ahead of time as there is almost always space available, especially if you head out early in the day when you get to port. Take care to wear plenty of sunscreen and bring water because it is hot! http://www.autoprogreso.com/Cruise.html
No comments:
Post a Comment