CanadianTraveller Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Johnnie Monster Anyone have any good ideas for how a recently married guy can convince his wife that a vacation in Cancun can only be possible by working in a short diversion to a footy match? Great idea, wrong fixture. Take her on a 7-day cruise. Nov. 19 arrive in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Either or both of you can take an afternoon flight to Kingston, watch the match, spend the night in a regular-size bed in a hotel on the ship, then take the morning flight over to Grand Cayman to continue your cruise. Not that I have anything against a vacation in Cancun, but it's not entirely convenient or romantic to travel from Cancun to Chiapas for 90 minutes. Depends on your travel interests - River City appears to be a pro at Central American travel so his/her trip might be perfect. I'm the type who believes camping is done from a 32' motorhome, so the cruise is a little more attractive for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianTraveller Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 quote:Originally posted by beachesl Tuxtla is hot. I went to a Jaguares match there in January a few years ago. If the match is in midday, like the local team schedules, it will be damn hot. It will almost certainly be an evening match on a Wednesday, which means it should have cooled to 34C from 36C. [xx(] There's a reason they're sending the Icemen from Canada south, and it's not because they expect thousands of Canadians at Azteca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trueviking Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 great news...it would have to be pretty solid **** to throw it that far: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superbrad Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I've checked and there are flights going directly into the city from Mexico City.... from C$770 Return 8:00 am Depart Calgary (YYC) Arrive Tuxtla Gutierrez (TGZ) 8:10 pm Fri 5 Sep Duration: 11hr 10mn Mexicana 871 / 7929 Connect in Mexico City (MEX) I'm from Calgary area so this is actually quite reasonable in my estimation. The only negative is that it's Mexicana Airways....don't they crash a lot? We'd need at least 20 of us to feel safe....or go incognito as River City suggests.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianTraveller Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Hey Brad, for another $400 you can watch _two_ games - Honduras in Montreal and Mexico in Chiapas. And no...Mexicana appears historically safe. 3 crashes, last one in 1986. Having done Mexico-Canada at Azteca, I would suggest 10-15 is a nice safe number; 20 wouldn't hurt. There's no need to go in cognito...but don't assume you can have a few beer, shout loudly, wave your flag in people's face, and not get assaulted. Be civil, smile, congratulate your opponent's fans, cheer quietly (or stay silent), and...the people around you will be comfortable with that. In a single-tier stadium, that should work out pretty well I'd think. That civil acceptance is more than I can say for some of the threats and suggestions I've seen posted on this forum recently, better than some behaviour I've witnessed from some Canadian supporters in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSoccerFan Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 http://www.concacaf.com/viewCompetition.aspx?id=233 According to the CONCACAF website, Mexico will be playing Jamaica at altitude in Puebla. The venue seems more intimidating than Chiapas. Could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how the group plays out http://stadiony.net/stadium.php?s=490 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAS Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Just an FYI: My sister is a Flight Attendent for Sunwing Airlines. It is fairly new (since 2005 - a charter company before that) with new aircraft and full service (free champagne/other drinks, real food, even hot-towel service!). They fly across Canada, but as their name implies, they specialize in going South. They fly to Jamaica (Montego Bay) and Mexico (nine different spots!). They don't fly to Honduras, but they do go to Costa Rica for anyone feeling adventurous. For cheap flights, there are three options: 1) They have a discount/clearance part on their website. 2) They have a "Wild Wednesday" promotion every week on their website. It actually starts at 3:30PM every Tuesday and runs to Thursday but you would want to be quick for the good sales. Most weeks, it is not that special (ex: a few hundred off all-inclusive one week packages to Cuba or Dominican Republic), but last winter they had some crazy s**t like $2 flights to Panama and $250 for a one week package to Cuba. No joke - my sister worked the $2 Panama flight. 3) Sunwing employees can get people discounts by using e-mail addresses to register them for a "friends-and-family" sunwing website. They say friends and family, but it can be complete strangers since they are just trying to sell tickets. Basically, you buy your tickets online from a seperate Sunwing website using a code sent to you by e-mail. I think the discount is probably 10-20%, but I don't really know. FULL DISCLOSURE: my sister would receive a small commission for every ticket bought by someone she registered ($5/head for domestic flights, $25/head for one week packages down south), since that is the motivation the company gives employees to talk-up the airline and generate sales. I can recommend the airline, but I am not sure which of the above three options would be best for planning a trip. They all have advantages and disadvantages. If you organize as a group, then you can probably get a good discount anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 quote:Originally posted by CanadianSoccerFan http://www.concacaf.com/viewCompetition.aspx?id=233 According to the CONCACAF website, Mexico will be playing Jamaica at altitude in Puebla. The venue seems more intimidating than Chiapas. Could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how the group plays out http://stadiony.net/stadium.php?s=490 That's a cool looking stadium. Looks kinda scary to sit in the upper decks, seems like they are not held up by anything though they are when you see them from behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcuse Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 quote:Originally posted by KAS Just an FYI: My sister is a Flight Attendent for Sunwing Airlines. It is fairly new (since 2005 - a charter company before that) with new aircraft and full service (free champagne/other drinks, real food, even hot-towel service!). They fly across Canada, but as their name implies, they specialize in going South. They fly to Jamaica (Montego Bay) and Mexico (nine different spots!). They don't fly to Honduras, but they do go to Costa Rica for anyone feeling adventurous. For cheap flights, there are three options: 1) They have a discount/clearance part on their website. 2) They have a "Wild Wednesday" promotion every week on their website. It actually starts at 3:30PM every Tuesday and runs to Thursday but you would want to be quick for the good sales. Most weeks, it is not that special (ex: a few hundred off all-inclusive one week packages to Cuba or Dominican Republic), but last winter they had some crazy s**t like $2 flights to Panama and $250 for a one week package to Cuba. No joke - my sister worked the $2 Panama flight. 3) Sunwing employees can get people discounts by using e-mail addresses to register them for a "friends-and-family" sunwing website. They say friends and family, but it can be complete strangers since they are just trying to sell tickets. Basically, you buy your tickets online from a seperate Sunwing website using a code sent to you by e-mail. I think the discount is probably 10-20%, but I don't really know. FULL DISCLOSURE: my sister would receive a small commission for every ticket bought by someone she registered ($5/head for domestic flights, $25/head for one week packages down south), since that is the motivation the company gives employees to talk-up the airline and generate sales. I can recommend the airline, but I am not sure which of the above three options would be best for planning a trip. They all have advantages and disadvantages. If you organize as a group, then you can probably get a good discount anyways. Wow Thanks for this!.. I just did a check for a return flight from Toronto to Edmonton in October for the Mexico game, and got a price quote for UNDER $400! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 None of the stadiums we are scheduled to play in look THAT intimidating. The office looks like Saputo Stadium (before it was built) LOL, HOW DO JAMAICANS RAVE ABOUT THAT PLACE? It is a dump!! The supporters aren't even on top of the players there is a track surrounding the pitch. The Chiapas stadium also has a track around it as does Honduras. So frankly I don't find any of these stadiums "intimidating" in England, Spain etc. the supporters are RIGHT on top of you and can throw stuff or be in your ear all game. Our boys will need binoculars to see the stands at away matches. Structurally stadiums like BMO and Saputo should be much more intimidating then any of these away stadiums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSoccerFan Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Keegan None of the stadiums we are scheduled to play in look THAT intimidating. The office looks like Saputo Stadium (before it was built) LOL, HOW DO JAMAICANS RAVE ABOUT THAT PLACE? It is a dump!! The supporters aren't even on top of the players there is a track surrounding the pitch. The Chiapas stadium also has a track around it as does Honduras. So frankly I don't find any of these stadiums "intimidating" in England, Spain etc. the supporters are RIGHT on top of you and can throw stuff or be in your ear all game. Our boys will need binoculars to see the stands at away matches. Structurally stadiums like BMO and Saputo should be much more intimidating then any of these away stadiums. I somewhat echo your sentiments. In that first pic of Chiapas the players on the pitch are nearly tiny specks off in the distance. Talk about horrible views for the fans. Same with the Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula. Hondurans like to claim the place is intimidating but games are really only played there for the revenue generated by its large capacity. Last qualification cycle when it came down to it and Honduras had to beat Costa Rica, they moved the game to the Francisco Morazan stadium which is basically a 3 sided dead ringer of Saputo stadium but more intimidating to the opposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Here are some pics of the Honduran and Jamacian stadiums. Despite the track, Olimpico Metropolitano is still fairly intimidating as the stands are steep so the fans aren't that far away (though I would agree that Francisco Morazan stadium is more intimidating, the fans are almost over the players). The Mexican and Jamaican stadiums have a more gentle rise and thus the fans are pretty far away. The Office really doesn't look all that intimidating. First Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras: A league game: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 And now to the Office in Jamaica: Maybe it is the Bob Marley statue that makes them feel invincible at The Office. (Personally I find the statue of Lenin before Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium a lot more intimidating than Bob ) Watch out for those pot-smoking hooligans! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7qRwFfsxyI Notice they win this game against Haiti but not by enough to avoid getting knocked out of the Caribean Cup by the Vinny Heat: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Seeing all these pictures and videos from the stadiums really makes me want to go to all of the away games. Might be hard to swing with the budget though. I guess I'll have to be nice to everyone who plays the Lotto 6/49! Maybe a Voyageur will win it and fund 3 massive trips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 What you have to consider is that these stadium will be filled with 30-50,000 rabid fans. For those who were in Montreal against Vincy Heat, think about the noise/reaction when they scored and multiply it by 30... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuscan Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Boy... by how the pics look, the only thing intimidating about The Office is whether or not it'll collapse in on itself if filled to capacity. Also, maybe it was before new sod was layed, but the one pic made the pitch look like ass. Someone post up good intimidating looks at BMO Field, Stade Saputo, and Commonwealth Stadium(if there are any intimidating ones for Commonwealth :S ). Who's saying we can't give the shakes to their boys like they supposedly can to ours?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSoccerFan Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 That video of metropolitano is actually from the stadium of the same name in Venezuela. http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/south_america/venezuela/merida_metropolitano.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razcle Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Yha..that stadium looks like a mess...and so far off the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king1010 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 does the jamaican stadium have a cycling track around the running track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Grizzly And some videos, I wonder if they will greet us with the dancing girls and orchestra ! (Actually this is from the inauguration of the stadium.) I also like the fact that the team in Red and White (Venezuela) wins this game. That video is from a match in Venezuela around the same time we went and played them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Looking at those stadiums, the question I was asking myself is: How can a bag of urine, thrown from the stands, travel that far to reach someone standing near the corner flag geting ready to take a corner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superbrad Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Maybe they have urine sling shots..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 quote:Originally posted by CanadianSoccerFan That video of metropolitano is actually from the stadium of the same name in Venezuela. http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/south_america/venezuela/merida_metropolitano.shtml Ooops. Kind of strange coincidence to have two stadiums in two countries with the same name and then those same two countries playing a friendly for the opening. The stadiums even look similar. I guess that means no dancing girls for our game . I will remove the link, the other one I think is the correct stadium though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 The Office is a tough place to play. I don't know if 'intimidating' is the proper word, but Jamaica is tough to beat there so they're something to it IMO. I think it's a little more difficult than San Pedro Sula. Neither of those grounds are fun places to play, but they're nowhere near Azteca or even Estadio Saprissa in Costa Rica, Estadio Cuscatlán (El Salvador)or Estadio Carlos Salazar Hijo (the one in Mazatenango in Guatemala). The Office and Metropolitano are tough, but no worse than Panama IMO. As far as Tuxtla Guiterrez, I'll take anything over Azteca and a field with low capacity and running track is pretty good. Sure it's going to be ridiculous hot (and don't think we'll play at night for certain just because it's a Wednesday - that game against Mexico in 2000 at Azteca was a noon kickoff on a Wednesday) but that's only one bad element out of many. cheers, matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Interesting to note that in the history of BMO field the Canadian men's team have never lost a game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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