Vineega wea Free, ie sweeta dan honee

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Thursday, October 8th, 2014, 6:50pm- Denver, CO.

There was an accident on the I-70. The bus I was hoping to take to downtown Denver is inching forward slower than I could walk. I sit in the front row making small talk with the driver prior to remembering my travel journal sits in my bag ignored and long abandoned. This was once my main travelling companion but since being replaced by my lovely wife and child has forgotten how well we once got along...

It's a strange but familiar feeling being on the road alone with time on my hands. In some ways, it is boring. There is no obvious person to share new experiences with and I suppose this reduces the possibility of making meaningful memories. At the same time I feel a little more oriented towards the world and as a result a little more open to new experiences. I often lament that I don't have the time to write in this book anymore as my current life leaves little room for creative pursuits like this. Certainly the trade off is worth it (a loving family and job I like) but this short solo trip to Belize is an opportunity to be alone and reflective and to relearn how to be comfortable moving through the world open to whatever life throws at me. I am going on a search of the fabled beer bar "Falling Rock" and hope to consume a pint of the legendary "Pliny the Elder" before my flight to Belize leaves in the morning... Sitting at the bar at Diego's on 16th and Champas having just consumed an unbelievable Chile Verde and half way through a schooner of Negro Modelo. Motown is playing, the Cross Fit games are on TV and the three dudes with backwards hats next to me just shot gunned Red Bulls. Must find "Falling Rock"...

Despite being the second smallest country in Central America, Belize has been blessed with an impressive amount of geographically and archeologically significant landmarks. As the epicenter of the Ancient Mayan world, this small stretch of land once housed over 2 million Mayas and is home to some of the most impressive ruins in the Americas. Off its coast, the world's second largest reef system hosts some of the best dive spots on earth. Add this to the rich dense jungle landscape, a multicultural population and the fact that it is the only Central American country with English as its official language, and you have a place with the capacity to provide a whole lot of accessible unique experiences in a very short amount of time.

My short time in Belize was characterized by many of the trappings of big group travel with a full time guide and a group of 28 other teachers from across the United States all sharing structured time together at meals, on the tour bus and at various karaoke bars across the country. Together we would tour the jungle eco system on a river boat down the New River enroute to the ancient Mayan ruin at Lamanai, we would explore the reef system from our base at Ambergris Caye snorkelling with sharks and rays at Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley as well as go together on a SNUBA sea trek on the ocean floor. Each night, we would eat fresh fish with rice and beans, and drink just enough to sing Frank Sinatra and to demonstrate dance moves at the tourist hot spots of San Pedro. This is the second free trip I have been able to go on sponsored by EF Tours and while I was at first reluctant to enjoy this kind of travel, I've written before about learning to love the tour group. I would repeat that as long as one abandons any preconceived cynicism and embraces the formulaic and sometimes tacky itineraries, it is an efficient way to learn a lot about a place and to see at least a highlight reel of a country's sites in a short amount of time. I had a blast, met a lot of great people from around North America and got a sun burn in October!

^{*One day on the tour bus our guide was giving a lesson on Belizean Creole which is spoken widely across the country. "Vineega wea Free, ie sweeta dan honee" loosely translates to "Vinegar that is free is sweeter than honey". I didn't mention this to my travel companions at the time but I certainly connected this saying to our experience in Belize. Of course an EF Teacher Appreciation Weekend falls short of any independent trip one might be able to organize, but not having to think about the cost of travel certainly adds a care free element to any} trip.

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Comments

[peter lim]

A.P.
Its beautiful in the place and it is fun..