Blogs from Cayo District, Belize, Central America Caribbean

Sunday morning, 7 am, and we can hear African drumming drifting along the beach, Garifuna drumming to be precise. We are in Hopkins, a village set up by slaves who had escaped from the sugar plantations. Hopkins is now a centre for Garifuna drumming, a tradition that the slaves brought with them from Africa. Our little guest house is on the beach and in the heat of the day we are able to stay cool beneath the coconut palms. Small boats set out from the beach every day to fish on the reef, 20 miles out to sea. The fishermen stay away for two or three nights, camping on the reef's sandbar islands. The beach bars all sell fresh fish dishes – red snapper is the only fish we actually recognise! Also fishing here are brown ... read more

Mon 12-Tues 13 November - Day 17 to 18 - San Ignacio After a light breakfast at the hotel we left the hotel at 10.00am to catch a fast ferry back to the mainland. This only took 35 minutes. Taxis then took us to the bus station to catch the local bus – no air conditioning but plenty of breeze. The locals hopped on and off the bus as we stayed on for 3 hours. We continue on to San Ignacio referred to as "Cayo" by the locals, this agricultural centre is also known to be the 'adventure' and 'nature' capital of Belize. The surrounding jungle, wildlife, waterfalls, rivers and caves, have created the ideal location for the numerous optional excursions that are available, from canoeing downriver and tubing through caves, to visiting the famous caves ... read more

Cheryl, Chuck, and I drove to Mountain Pine Ridge in Belize from Tikal, Guatemala. The Mountain Pine ridge is an area of Belize that none of us had visited prior to this trip. This is the place that this trip I was looking most forward to visiting because it was unknown to me and also because it was an area that seemed unique to its surroundings with more of a rustic and natural feel. I like being immersed in nature as well as something new and foreign and so I was excited. The Mountain Pine Ridge is a protected reserve situated in west central Belize, covering over 250 square miles of the Maya Mountain Range. It is a forest reserve of Honduras Pines. The highest point is Baldy Beacon at 2300 ft. There are granite hillsides ... read more

During our trip to Belize in January of 2018 with our friend Cheryl we planned for a trip within a trip and travelled to Tikal National Park and Archaeological Zone. To travel from Belize into Guatemala in a rental car took a small amount of planning and required the following process. First, the only rental car company that will allow a vehicle to go from Belize into Guatemala is Crystal. The travel into Guatemala can only be as far as Tikal National Park and Crystal prepares the necessary papers for crossing the border with a vehicle. Next you must cross the border. First you exit Belize. This is when you are in limbo and could be denied access to either or both countries at this point being stuck in Limbo Land indefinitely. Although highly unlikely, Chuck ... read more

The first of my many Maya city visits was a smashing success! I got to meet a few people on my tour, and then in the evening I met even more new people! I hadn't expected really to make new friends, but then I hadn't exactly expected to go to Caracol today. First off, Caracol is truly in the middle of nowhere. When I purchased this tour Saturday afternoon (right when I got to San Ignacio), the tour people said it was quite an adventure and worth the trip. As I've said before, I planned this trip so I could see ruined Maya cities. So this fool and his money were soon parted. Most of my time in Belize has been full of surprises because I haven't really be fully prepared for any of it. When ... read more