Belize, some background and thoughts, p1

May 11, 2016

In the Beginning

I'm trying the travelogue thingy for the first time in ages. I enjoyed my trip so much that I want to share it, though many of you may be bored to death.

Belize is a tiny Central American country on the Caribbean, bordered by Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. It's considered part of the Yucatan peninsula, or so I'm told. Some more tedious facts per Wikipedia "Belize is the most sparsely populated nation in Central America. It is larger than El Salvador. Slightly more than half of the people live in rural areas. About one-fourth live in Belize City, the principal port, commercial centre, and former capital. About 80% of the population are Christian."

I visited two areas, one somewhat touristy and the other, over-the-top touristy. To my mind, Belize is like the Costa Rica I visited 15 years ago... still pristine with much of the country protected. Go there now before people learn that Belize is not in Africa and coke cans strew the land.

The first area I visited was the Cayo district, a.k.a., the jungle. It is inland and in the western part of the country. There are an incredible number of activities available for the active traveler. There's hiking, zip lining, repelling, tubing, rafting, canoeing, birding and last but very far from least, the Mayan ruins which there are plenty of. It's not surprising that much of the population of Cayo consists of Mestizos, people of Mayan (Indian) and Spanish descent. The southern part of the country consists of many Creoles (persons of Spanish and African descent). And there are the Spanish. 

The official language of Belize is English since it was an English colony until 1981, or something like that. Before that, it was British Honduras. It is the only Latin American country whose official language is English. However, it is generally not the primary language of many residents. Spanish prevails, but seemingly, most people speak English also and very well. There's also Creole and a zillion dialects of Indian.

Okay, enough of history. I thought it would be an interesting discussion since no one seems to know much about Belize.

Belize, some background and thoughts, p2

Katie
I used a travel agent and I am very happy I did so. I actually tried 2 others before I settled on Katie. They're both from the Virtuoso travel network and gave me the same packages which probably took all of 5 minutes to do. The first one was an agent I used when I went to Venezuela and booked a phenomenal trip. But again, it was probably pre-packaged.

Agencies have changed dramatically. The Internet all but replaced them. Who needs agencies now? And they all seem to charge $50 whereas before they were free. They made (and still do) make their money from booking commissions.

However, Katie Valk was a godsend. I got her info off the Trip Advisor Belize forum. Just ask... she's a regular contributor. She's an ex-pat living in Belize for a long time. I believe she mentioned 30 years. She seemingly knows every inch of the country, every hotel, restaurant, tour operator, blah blah. She is extremely responsive to emails, text and phone calls. She made the trip so much easier for a first-timer. Although you can get the same info from the Internet, she gives a more personalized touch and makes suggestions appropriate for each person.

The People
I have never come across more friendlier people in my travels. My neighbors could use a lesson from the Belizeans. Granted, they were mostly people in tourism (not all), but there was something special about them. They truly wanted for you to have a good time. Even though their economic situation was sometimes borderline poverty, they maintained a good attitude, eager to be helpful and were fiercely loyal and proud of their country. I made several friends and exchanged contact info.

In the Cayo district, they were mostly a mix of Mayan and Spanish. In Ambergis Caye (pronounced "key"), the largest island and where the most populous tourist lies, San Pedro, the population was mostly Spanish. Everyone in tourism spoke good English as did most of the residents. Spanish and English are required subjects in school as well as Creole (I think) in Cayo.

Misc.
I would also like to thank the active posters on Trip Advisor's Belize forum. They answer the same questions to newbies over and over and are selflessly helpful. And a special thanks to the pair in the golf cart that might have saved me from being crocodile bait, haha. More later

The Trip

May 11, 2016

My flight out of Newark Airport (EWR) was on a Wednesday at 6am. That's right, 6am! I connected through Miami so it was considered a domestic flight. That means one only has to get there two hours before flight time instead of three hours for international. So, I had to be there at 4am, yikes. 

I naturally awake at 5am and haven't had to use an alarm for centuries. But waking up at 2:30am was a tad unnatural for me. And I'm a heavy sleeper. So, I had to go find an alarm. It's fairly simple to do so nowadays. I set two alarms on my iPhone, one on my iPad, one each on the alarm clocks I owned and I arranged for three free phone wake up services to call. And I still wasn't comfortable, paranoid me. 

They all worked. Too well! I found myself running around for 10 minutes at 2:30am that morn trying to figure out how to turn off each alarm and answering the phone at the same time. One phone service kept calling every five minutes because I didn't wait until the end of the message to confirm I was awake. That took about five tries to figure out. 

Mission accomplished, albeit short of calling 911 for the heart attack I seemed to be having.

I made it to the airport at 4:15am - a 15 minute drive turned out to be 30 because of all the detours on the way and a cabbie who refused to use a navigator. Still, I figured I had plenty of time.

But whoa!! I got to security at about 4:30 and the line seemed to be eons long, like an hour wait, or more. Still, I figured I was safe because I am now, ahem, a Known Traveler. That's the program you join by getting invited to by an airlines or paying hard cash - and passing an interview by a federal agent. I failed the first time, but that's another story which I'll have to relate sometime. Anyway, I digress.

I went to the front of the line and asked the TSA guy where I go. He told me to go to the end of the line. WTF! He really wasn't paying attention and didn't really look at my boarding pass which clearly stated TSA Pre [checkmark symbol]. But what do I know? It was the first time traveling elite. I went to the end of the line, which took me about a half hour to get to.

There must be a God though. After 15 minutes of waiting on line and going about 2", another TSA agent came by and announced that all Known Travelers should go to the front of the line. I was at my gate 10 minutes later without even having to take off my smelly shoes. 

After a short stop in Miami, I made it to Belize City by shortly after 10am. Well, I did turn my watch back 2 hours. And then it was off to my jungle resort in Cayo (hmmmm... contradictory term?) I stayed at the Mystic River Resort, 30 minutes from town, San Ignaico, and a million miles from my reality.

Mystic River Resort - San Ignacio 5/11/16- 5/15/16

Typical cabin at Mystic River Resort

Mystic River Resort is in the district of Cayo and about a 30 minute car ride from the BIG (sic) town of San Ignacio. There are a number of what is referred to as jungle resorts in Cayo, most of them seemingly offering similar experiences. With Katie's help and flipping a coin, I ended up at Mystic. I don't regret the choice.

Much of the car ride from San Ignacio was on unpaved and BUMPY roads. This is the jungle. I was invading on snakes (9 poisonous I think), iguanas, exotic birds, cats, monkeys and all sorts of critters. The resort consists of a handful of cabins. My cabin was at the end with a porch that overlooked the Mystic River. Nice view - an understatement.  It was a little disconcerting though. At times there was dead silence. I mean pin drop dead. Other times, the insects and birds ranted on and on. No humans though, yay. I spent 4 nights here and loved every moment.

Unfortunately, due to excessive traveling, the first day was mostly a waste. By the time I got to the resort, it was early afternoon and I was beat. But the rest of my time there (4 days/nights) was action packed. This was the most physically enduring vacation I have taken. But I also managed to get in lots of peace, star-gazing and socializing with other guests at the Palapa bar near the dining room - there was never more than 5 guests there at any time. Jeez, and I am Mr. Anti-Social! I did most of my socializing with the staff - from tour guides to dining room employees to the owner. It proved to be not only very educational but fun. Much of the staff seemed to congregate there after work hours. I exchanged contact info with two employees. Oh, and then there was the chair at the bar reserved, or so it seemed, for one of the funniest guys I've met. He was overseeing construction at the resort and lived there while working. He was a permanent fixture at the bar with a can of Belikin beer constantly in front of him. He was grouchy and rarely said anything, but when he did, it was always hilarious. He lives in Ambergis Caye, my next stop after Cayo. I would pick his brain about the island (after I overcame my fear of talking to him, haha).

I took tour guide Abi out to dinner in San Ignacio.  Abi was my tour guide the first day for zip-lining and cave tubing and we quickly bonded. I was eager to learn about life in Belize and he provided an in-depth and honest account. He was eager to learn about the US.

Abi with thumbs up before cave tubing

I took Katie's suggestion and we dined at Guava Limb Cafe in town. That was the only time I ate out for dinner in Cayo. It was too much of a hassle and expense to get to town and besides, I found the night life to be non-existent. However, it was Sunday night and I hear things pick up on weekends. The food was incredibly good. I had fresh snapper.

Guava Limb Cafe

I have two minor complaints about Mystic. You're basically a prisoner for breakfast and dinner. Prices were inflated. Internet service was available throughout the country but very slow. At Mystic, wi-fi was only available at the dining room or office and it was often down or very slow. However, much to my surprise, I found the lack of Internet access to be a welcome relief. There was no cell phone service available at or close to the resort, though I suppose they would let you use their land line if asked.

Cayo Activities 5/11/16 - 5/15/16 p1

Zip-Lining and Cave Tubing

About a half-drive from the resort, Caves Branch had both zip-lining and cave tubing. Zip-lining was like going for a ride at an amusement park. I had first done it in Costa Rica about 15 years ago and things haven't changed all that much. There were about 7 separate legs and, once I got over my fear, looking at the views below was absolutely stunning.

Tour Guide and new friend, Abi

Next up was cave tubing. It was about a half hour hike to get to the cave and we had to cross the river three times. It wasn't quite what I expected, probably because it was still the dry season. At times, the water was only a few inches deep. It was also bad timing on our part. Passengers from a cruise ship arrived about the same time as us and it was crowded. I believe the cruise ships dock twice a week in Belize near the former capital, Belize City. The cave was huge (no Mayan ruins though) and a real trip. The photos below are from the entrance to the cave. I haven't mastered taking photos in a dark cave... hey, we needed flashlights to see in the cave! 

Cayo Activities 5/11/16 - 5/15/16 p2

My second excursion in Cayo encompassed an entire day - Tikal, Guatemala to see the Mayan ruins. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. For a history lesson, and it is fascinating, google Tikal. Once again, I had my own private guide. To digress a moment, the jungle resorts employ guides full time and they're meant to take groups on excursions. It seems I vacationed at an unusually slow time and there were less tourists than normal. High season (the dry season) ends in April, but May is still an excellent time to go. I experienced little rain and only for brief periods, prices were off-season rates and, while it was hot, I found it tolerable. Except in Tikal, haha.

The point of all this is to say I had my own private guide, a nice luxury. The resort didn't want to provide a guide just for me but they found a very reputable guide who I met at the border of Belize and Guatemala. I took a 45 minute taxi ride to Guatemala (cheap since the resort arranged it and I bitched about them canceling my tour from them) and from there, I met the guide and we drove an hour to Tikal. I had to pay a higher rate but hell, when was I going to get a chance to see Tikal again?

I've never seen a pyramid or temple or ancient ruins before. This is the only way I can describe the feeling of seeing a pyramid for the first time:

When I was a punk of about 10, my Dad took me to my first NY Yankees game. I had only seen Yankee Stadium on a grainy black and white TV. When Dad, my friend Paul and I entered into the stands at the stadiums, I was in complete jaw-dropping amazement. Hey, the grass really wasn't black! The feeling was similar when we encountered the first pyramid at Tikal.

It was amazingly hot as usual, but the expedition was almost entirely in the sun. I climbed every pyramid and temple allowable while my guide rested on a bench drinking coconut milk with the other guides. I drank seemingly gallons of water. It was thrilling and the highlight of the trip.

On the way back, I had a funny experience going through customs at the border. For the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the resort I was staying, Mystic River. The border guy thought it hilarious. But he couldn't let me through until I told him a name. So I told him the name of another resort and no problema.

My Guide

Cayo Activities 5/11/16 - 5/15/16 p3

Actun Tunichil Muknal

Better known as ATM, it is considered one of the top attractions in Belize. It is a cave located about 45 minutes from San Ignacio and is in the tropical jungle. It is not just any cave. It is a mysterious cave of the Mayan underworld, a hiking, archaeological and educational adventure. It was used for sacrifices and other ceremonies by the Mayans AD 300-600. The highlight is the "Crystal Maiden," who was thought to be a sacrifice victim. The skeleton has a crystalline magical fairy dust appearance as a result of years of weathering.

The excursion encompassed the better part of a day and is not for the weak of heart. It is a half hour hike to the hike, crossing streams 3 times. Much of the cave is immersed in water and one needs to swim at times. Good hiking clothes are needed, particularly shoes, which are going to get immersed in water.

It is really mind-blowing with all the formations including stalactites, ancient pottery, bones, bats, absolute darkness and altars. There is an extensive altar that one needs to remove his/her shoes and walk in socks so as not to due any harm. That was about 45 minutes. It is quite freaky and I cannot possibly imagine hiking the cave alone. Besides getting freaked out, I would probably get lost forever.

There are no cameras allowed, hence no photos. Except for the welcome sign, the two other photos are from the Internet from http://www.belize.com/actun-tunichil-muknal. The reason for no cameras is that several years ago, a hiker dropped their camera and broke an artifact.

Having said all this, I didn't entirely enjoy it. We were in the cave for about 3 hours. The hike in the cave is dangerous and I'm told there's at least one injury a day. The hike necessitates climbing up and down at times slippery rocks. At times you have to take a deep breath to fit through small openings. The portion of the hike in socks is torture. At times, it was hard to appreciate the surroundings and think, "okay, where's the exit?"