Belize Guatemala Honduras and Nicaragua

Belize
Caye Caulker - now we are talking. Excellent boat ride I am guessing at about 60mph on way over. Relaxed beachfront hotel, dirt streets, walk around at night safely. Good group of people to play beach cricket with. Even with bad weather that isn’t normal is great. Might just have to come back for the good weather! Am spoiled though living on the largest barrier reef, although second largest is ok. Was not expecting Belize to be English speaking and part of the commonwealth!

Belize City - only passed through but met Kumuka group who said police had to escort them to dinner. Had that feel about it!

Guatemala
Flores/Tikal Ruins - Flores is nice little place with enough pigs it seems someone opened the gate on the pig farm, boys playing soccer in the main square while the guard walks around with a shotty. Tikal is the best ruins in my book, wandering around through rainforest and pyramids popping out at you is a nice surprise. Nice outlook from 75m high pyramid too looking at tops of other tall buildings peeking through the rainforest. Big pyramids were only started in 700AD and civilization moved out (possibly from floods) in around 900AD although Lost World has been dated at 600BC.

Antigua City - well we are actually in old part of city which is protected and really quite nice. Cobbled alleyways, old churches decrepit from earthquakes, speaking of, just had a little tremor that for the first time was big enough to move curtains and wobbled tv.
Pacaya Volcano - I love interactive, especially with nature. Walking an hour and half up a steep volcano, at best I was expecting to see a few bits of hot lava. We did from a viewpoint a few hundred metres away, chatting to guide, it erupted in 2000 with a tour group up there but noone was hurt. In any case, headed closer, to the point of cooking a steak on the lava flow fringe and then a few marshmallows for desert. We were walking on lava that was cooled but you could still see little molten red bits through gaps under your feet. Absolutely awesome and would recommend to anyone - well when the lava is flowing anyway.
Lake Atitlan - very nice lake surrounded by volcanoes (sin lava), cool boat ride visiting little towns around lake. Went up to Chichi market town as well which was a long ride and probably not worth it but played with some little kids there that was awesome seeing them giggling and laughing.

Honduras
Copan Ruins - town is nice little and quaint with friendly locals saying ‘hola’ as you go by. Short walk to ruins which were a nice surprise. A good guide goes a long way too giving us interesting little titbits. Ballcourt with macaw heads, it is thought their beaks grew into the current day rings. The hieroglyphic stairway (biggest in Mayan lands), telling the story of 13th ruler 18 Rabbit yet to be deciphered. Oh, and did I mention the wild scarlet macaws everywhere at the entrance - very cool.
Roatan Island - nice relaxing break. Shares the second largest barrier reef with Belize but we have the biggest. I don’t dive and have already been spoiled snorkeling but relaxing in aircon room listening to Country Music Channel and reading The Secret is a good life.
Tegucigalpa - the capital of Honduras. Well we got in late after a early and big day on bus and left early for another big day on bus. What more can I say than the hotel was noisy 

Nicaragua
Granada - after coming through Managua, the capital, end up in nice little colonial town colonized by Spanish around 1500s. Has a great feel about it walking around, little cafes and friendly people (apart from the power outage and the deafening sound of generators). Had a short city tour walk which was cool as well and a horse cart ride to 1hr boat trip around lots of little islands with gorgeous houses each to an island on Lake Nicaragua.
Ometepe Island - well I am certainly not living up to my philosophy of ‘Better to regret what you did than what you didn’t!’ Had a relaxing lazy time again, the option of climbing 8 hours up the volcano to see clouds wasn’t too enticing and then a horse ride to a waterfall was, but not as enticing as air conditioned room with tv or catch up on the net.

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