Visiting an old friend

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Arriving in Belize City it was just as we remembered it from 3 years earlier. Slightly run down, bit dodgy but chilled. We tried one hotel which proved expensive for a small room. Then we went to Isabels guest house which was above a chemist next to the swing bridge. We paid US$33 for a huge room containing 5 double beds. Above downtown it was quite noisy but still very cool.

Merge met us at the hotel. She looked the same. Her Grandson Glen was with her and he looked older. Not sure what to do we decided to go to Altun Ha, a Mayan ruin 50 km away from Belize City. We went down to the taxi stand and negotiated a taxi for US$60 (he had started at US$75). The driver was lovely and we cruised along in his big old Ford Limited V8. It took one and a half hours to get to the site. It was off the main road, on the old Northern Highway. There wasn't much left of the road, the tar seal was chipped away left and right. We stopped for a chicken lunch just before the site. It was good. The lady owner tried to enrol us for a tour of the butterfly house she had recently set up but we said no. She still showed us her collection of caterpillars. She had Morphos and Monarchs. Glen liked to see them and he got really excited to see the crocodile they kept in a pond next to the restaurant.

At Altun Ha there were few other people .. no cruise ships were in. It was US$5 for foreigners and US$2.50 for locals. Glen was young enough to get in for free. Pieter and Glen scaled the various structures while Marge and I seeked out the shade. It was a lovely site and beautiful day.

We were dropped back at Marge's house and went to visit Lincoln and his family who we had met on our previous visit. They were just on their way out but it was great just to say hi.

That evening, on our own again, we went for BBQ at a place next to the swing bridge. I had BBQ lobster for US$4 and it was great! But sitting outdoors we were accompanied by half a dozen huge rats popping out from under the bridge.

It was fantastic to see Marge again and reacquaint ourselves briefly with Belize City and its beautiful old wooden architecture.

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Photos

Altun Ha
Pieter, Marge and Glen