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?"

San Pedro 5/15/16 - 5/19/16 p1

Goodbye Cayo. I had a fantastic time. But it's time for part two of the adventure vacation, San Pedro on Ambergis Caye (pronounced key). We drove to the airport outside San Ignacio which consisted of one plane, my plane, a single engine 3-passenger plane. And I was the only passenger! I sat in the co-pilot seat next to a very military-like pilot, though friendly. This is actually my favorite photo.

We made two stops, one in Belmopan, the capital and then Belize City, the former capital. I took a slightly larger plane from Belize City to San Pedro. One hour total time on planes.

Given my not so great experience from Newark to Belize, you would think the trip would be a necessary evil. On the contrary, it was incredible. We flew low and slow with an incredible aerial view of the country.

We arrived in San Pedro mid-afternoon and a golf cart from Ramon's, the hotel was waiting for me. Hey, that's the most popular means of transportation, particularly for the hordes of tourists. It was only a 5 minute walk to the hotel from the airport, but Ramon's insisted on picking me up.

Ramon's Resort is a neat place. I found the description on their website to be accurate:

"Styled after the Tahitian cottages on the Polynesian island of Bora Bora, our cabanas are built from native materials by craftsmen utilizing the same skill and techniques the islanders used in the days of the great sailing ships."

Ramon's has the nicest stretch of beach in the area. Most of the beach in San Pedro is not conducive to swimming. Because of the caye's unique ecology, there's lots of weeds which is caused by the reefs protecting the island. That's as technical as I can get, haha. However, one can simply go to the end of the pier at Ramon's and hop into the Caribbean and go swimming and snorkeling. Ramon's has their own dive shop and provides excursions for competitive prices. Very convenient.

Mr. Ramon, or at least that's how he introduced himself, came to chat with me my first morning at breakfast, my only breakfast at the hotel. [Breakfast was good and offered Belizean dishes, however, there were better options on the beach and in town.] I thought it was a nice touch. The guy is probably a jazillionaire having opened Ramon's before San Pedro became touristy. I subsequently saw him on the premises now and then and we always exchanged some words.

I had a private porch with an ocean view, OUTSTANDING.

It's also strategically located at the edge of town. The town is entirely walkable. Those not so close to town or for whatever reason, rent golf carts. Some rent bicycles. There are golf cart jams throughout town driven by maniacs, at least some of them. They compete with bicycle riders and pedestrians. Guess who wins? Pedestrians fall a distant third in the pecking order. There are only a few sidewalks.

I rented a bike on my first day while I was waiting for my room to be ready. I rented it for my stay. I didn't know better at the time. There's lots of bike rental places (but more golf cart rental stores) and the bikes are all cruisers. Cruisers are fine as the island is flat and they're okay to ride on the beach. However, I was accustomed to hand brakes and that got me in trouble sometimes, particularly on the crowded roads. I only used the bike one more time as will be discussed later. I walked everywhere and found no need for any other transportation.

I'm probably one of the few people who wasn't crazy about San Pedro, although I still enjoyed myself. The town was extremely touristy and the stores were mostly alike. As mentioned, just walking was dangerous. It's a small town consisting of 3 major streets, one by the ocean, one by the leeward side and one in the middle. And cross streets of course. I kept thinking that I wished I stayed in Cayo. But then again, the snorkeling was absolutely unbelievable. I read somewhere it's considered the number 2 diving location in the world next to Australia. I believe it. The corals are incredible and the variety of fish make it amazing. [I retired from diving some years ago after my regulator malfunctioned in Venezuela.]

I doubt I would visit San Pedro again. It's just not my thing except for the snorkeling.

San Pedro Activities 5/15/16 - 5/19/16 p2

Snorkeling

I went snorkeling every day. I went on guided snorkeling/diving tours two days and the rest of the time, snorkeled outside Ramon's.

The snorkeling tours were both excellent and I used Ramon's dive shop for snorkeling excursions. The excursions were with small groups and took  fifteen ti twenty minute boat rides out to the snorkeling spots. I went on the two most popular tours, Hol Chan and Mexico Rocks. I regret not going to Shark Alley. I mistakenly thought it was part of Hol Chan. I did see one nurse shark however, but supposedly there are dozens of them in shark alley. I could not believe how all the fish seemed to get along so well, haha. There was a huge diversity of fish though all I can remember the names of are barracudas and stingrays. And then there was the big dang turtle who wouldn't stop following us and bumping into me. The guide kept feeding him fish and he knew a good thing when he saw it.

Coupled with the reefs, I couldn't have asked for better diving excursions, though I wish I could have done more. The currents were strong and a number of excursions were canceled. I particularly wanted to try the sunset snorkel --- imagine snorkeling with flashlights and bumping into a shark!

Restaurants
Fry Jacks and Johnny Cakes are about the most disgusting native breakfast foods Belize has to offer and should be illegal. Fry Jacks weigh about 10 pounds and you gain about 20 pounds after eating one. I tried one my first breakfast and dang, they were incredibly good. However, I couldn't move for hours.

I'll preface the rest of this by saying that food is not a major priority for me since I mended my eating habits. At this point in my life, I only eat small portions and can rarely finish an entree. Probably a good thing since there were so many sinfully food offerings in San Pedro and throughout Belize. Most of the restaurants were fine, though I generally ordered only an appetizer and/or salad for dinner.

I probably should have written down where I ate, but I remember most of the places. I ate mostly at the beach or in town and breakfast at the hotel once. By far, the standout for breakfast was Estel's. I also had dinner there but it left something to be desired.

Estel's

My favorite restaurant was hands down El Fogon. I ate there twice for lunch. Kudos to the incredibly friendly staff and owner.

Chicken at El Fogon

Amazing Salbutes at El Fogon

Ceiling sign at Blue Water Grill

Blue Water Grill is an upscale restaurant on the beach a few minutes from Ramon's. Highly recommended.

Wild Mango's

I could have lived without Wild Mango's despite it's good reviews.The service was the worst of any place I ate in Belize or, for that matter, anywhere I can recall. I thought the food was okay, nothing more.  It is an extremely rare occasion that I don't tip. Chalk this one up to a rarity. The service was that bad.

Lunch at acclaimed Elvi's was superb

San Pedro Activities 5/15/16 - 5/19/16 p3

I went on a bike ride on my last full day in Belize before returning home. I traveled up north out of San Pedro until the paved road ended, about 5 miles. The ride was breathtaking and exhilarating. Starting about a mile out of San Pedro proper, the houses and people grew less and less. The last couple of miles, I was seeming alone with the ocean on one side and ponds on the other. The scenery was magnificent. An idyllic ride. That is, until the crocodile non-adventure! There was a resting spot in front of the beautiful pond and decided to stop.

Idyllic rest stop?

I lied down on the bench enjoying the hot breezy day. I guess after about 5 minutes, I opened my eyes and noticed my expensive sunglasses were missing. Dang, the wind must have blown them in the water. The water looked safe enough and was only about 2' deep. So I waddled in and walked. I kept walking because the glasses were probably far away due to the current. I was probably 100 yards out when a golf cart pulled up. The two guys started screaming something or other frantically and waving their arms for me to come in. At the time, I thought I was trespassing and took my time returning. I'll never forget what one of the guys said. "Are you out of your mind? There are crocodiles in there!"

I didn't find my glasses.