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Published: August 27th 2005
Storm brewing
A few hours before the storm at Caye CaulkerBelize - this is a country that anybody will find it hard not to fall in love with.
Sorry its been a while, since I last wrote 10 days ago,we about to cross the border from Chetumal, Mexico into Belize. We actually decided to stay one more night after I wrote the previous blog as we didnt really fancy a night bus ride, so after a final selection of tacos for dinner, we were on the road the following morning for a whole new set of adventures in Belize....
Our introduction in Belize was quite absurd. After a 30 minute bus ride to the border customs, we got out and amongst a host of impatient looking Mexicans, queued for our passport stamp. We watched as the others strolled through with all the ease in the world, as we approached the counter, i could tell the Customs guard was thinking of six words...."two white gringos, lets scam them".
"Hola senores"
"Hola amigo"
"100 pesos cada persona" (that is about 10 US dollars as he pointed at both of us)
"Why?" I replied in quickfire Spanish.
"NO" Dad added resolutely, we knew we didnt have to pay anything to leave
Sunset at Caye Caulker
The Wet Lizard bar where everyone unites for a beer at sunset on the island Mexico.
Then the customs officer said something like..."mdsfk ansdkofk oaidjf lka adogf asdlka dfgskjy" in very quick-i-can-get-away-with-it Spanish. About to persist in my protest in my handy A level return, remarkably he suddenly knew he was defeated. "OK" he says. STAMP STAMP. we were out of Mexico, and we werent conned out of paying the guard!
The whole process was just unreal. Unluckily, some other tourists we have met since were forced to pay up to 20 US dollars or risk being ditched by the other bribing partner, the bus driver. Just a bit of advice for Central America, border "taxes" in Mexico are just like drugs - just say NO!!
Anyway, from the frantic Spanish salsa music blaring in the journey from Mexico, our new Belizean bus driver tuned into a reggae beat, with easy-going Bob Marley classics pumping out of the stereo as our landscape changed to scrubby jungle and palm trees with sandier roads. With English-Creole speaking dreadlocks and haiwaain shirts surrounding us, we knew we had hit the Carribbean style now. YEAH MON!
We arrived in Belize City late afternoon. It was a relief from troubled Spanish conversations to now more understandable
Red Hot Chilli Pepper
My tongue after a bite of the hottest chilli in the world - the haberno. Not for the faint-hearted! English debates with the taxi driver to find out more about the country we have just arrived in. He warned us not to stay long in Belize City, the Caye islands are the place to be in Belize.
I know what he meant. Belize City, as a capital, well its not as bad as the doomsayers say it is. Yes it has grubby, paint-peeling residencies and a few dodgy 50 Cent looking gangsters on most street corners. But its has a certain frentic vibe to it that I enjoyed, lots of cheap CD and DVD stores (to which I nearly bought Star Wars 3 until I thought it will very likely be a cinema copy). Belize City's people are friendly, they say hello, they hassle for taxis but dont mind if you say no thanks. The crime is evident here, picking up the local newspaper had a pretty shockingly bold headline (see photo). But even though the nightime seems shady, we didnt feel particularly threatened and were adventurous in our cuisine, dining on the extremely impulse order of Cowfoot soup (yes that is "cowfoot"!), you just have to see the photo to imagine the texture of its taste! Beggars
Rastafarian mon!
Me and the acclaimed Caye Caulker music maestro, "The Lyrical King" walked after us but we walked faster,we played a game of pool in the locals bars, and it was alright. We did by the next day knew it was time to chill on the islands. So after our badly needed laundry run, we booked a water taxi for one the following afternoon.
And so the wind-swept backpackers jumped off the boat at Belize City's celebrated nearby island, Caye Caulker (pronounced "Key Corker"). It is an laid-back island with just one main sandy street that lines bars, restaurants, hotels and tour companies. Rastafarians greeted us with a handshake and an invite to the innovatively named "RASTA PASTA" restaurant. We had to get to our hotel though, and found a room with our balcony overlooking the sea and palm trees. Street vendors with shell necklaces and local carvings were dotted around us on the street, most of the islanders had their tops off, strangers on bicycles said hello, after all the hardcore travelling we had been up to, we knew straight away that this was a good place to reside for a couple of nights.
We strolled the island for the rest of the day, walking to both north and
Jaws
These sharks came right up to our boat. Er yes we did swim with them! south points, the south end of the spit lastly, where most travellers gathered for a local Belikin beer after a swim in the sunset. Dinner was entertaining in a highly recommended restaurant called "Haberneros" on the north side of the island. For those who dont know, a "haberno" is actually the hottest chilli in the entire world.
Lucky for us then, they put one on every dinner plate. Dad made the schoolboy error of trying it near the start of the meal and I did notice his persistent coughing and moaning of its heat. A little reluctant, but dogged on by my evil father, I took a chomp out of the little orange berry. Ahhh, mistake.
This IS the hottest thing in the world, no mistake! I actually felt as if my tongue had been doused in petrol and lighted for fun. Its quite an experience even for any British hardcore vindaloo go-getters Im sure. Dad just couldnt stop laughing as I lapped my tongue in water, only for the waiter to laugh and tell me thats worse and I downed some sugar water to eventually get rid of it. This was hot stuff indeed!
We felt
Snorkelling the Reef
Before the plunge at the coral garden near Caye Caulker like we had to get a cold beer to cool out tongues down (any excuse), so after a Belgium guy urged us to follow the path round to the popular bar "I to Is", we couldnt refuse. We ventured upstairs past the sleeping bouncer to be joined by a singing acoustic rastafarian circled by a large group of obvious backpackers.
This guy was brilliant. All he talked about was how good marijuana is (despite the nearby sign at the police station which condemns drugs in Belize!). In between his long puffs, he strummed a few Marley songs and spoke about how to take it easy. The other travellers didnt seem to be as impressed with him for some reason as much as Dad and I were. We chatted to him in his break, and found out his name as "Lyrical King", his career of ambitions to spread music in the world (well lets try Belize first!), and of course how he loved to smoke his gangja. He played a few request songs, and trying to tune his guitar we had to then move downstairs, so his "set" was to end. Not before I got a great picture of him
Taking the plunge...
Into the waters where the sharks are! though!!!
The next day we had arranged a snorkelling trip for 40 US dollars around 3 coral reef spots and a stop at neighbouring island San Pedro. Second only to Australia; Belize and the Cayes have the largest Barrier Reef in the world. We swam with two Germans and an entertaining Belizean tour guide, amongst stingrays, angelfish, parrotfish, massive grouper fish and beautiful coral gardens, and oh yeah..sharks!! Ok, ok admittedly they werent great whites, but they were massive nurse sharks (around 6-8 foot) and even though they were harmless they were still scary! Yet it was a fantastic day out in the boat, San Pedro (Ambergis Caye) which we stopped for lunch was dissapointing though. It has been famed by Madonna of all people for her song Isla Bonita. Sadly, no longer is it Isla Bonita but Isla Diver-and-touristy-American-tours. Best bet is to stay at Caye Caulker.
The last night at Caye Caulker, after a sunburnt siesta, we awoke to the sound of howling winds. After 20 minutes of torrential rain, swinging palm trees and mad dashes for cover, we knew we were experiencing our first tropical storm! We had dinner at Rasta Pasta (I had
Melon time
Dad and I after a very enjoyable boat trip a burrito actually, not pasta!), fighting a storm we settled in our room. Luckily we had a TV which although flickered got us through it. It was a little worrying though, we prayed not to have another Carribbean hurricane!!!!
And the next morning..calm. With the exception of a few large puddles and disgruntled clothes lines, you would have never known a storm had taken place! Thats the strange thing about tropical storms, one minute carnage then next minute its back to idyllic island life, sun is shining the rastafarians are back out and people are smiling again.
By Sunday we were on the road again, or should I say the sea, as we got a boat over back over to Belize City and then an interesting bus journey to say the least, towards a western town called San Ignacio.
Now bus journeys, belize it or not (sorry for the cheap pun!), I find quite enjoyable. Yes it was a sticky hot old American school bus, and yes we are bundled on and stop off at every single stop and street corner possible..but alas, the people - the passengers make the journey. Every single kind of culture was
Sunset Two
Another lovely sunset in the Carribbean crammed onto this bus, my Dad brilliantly described it in an email to his friends:
"They say that you can see the whole world in a grain of sand - well I'm not sure about that, but you can certainly experience a whole world in four hours on a Novelo bus travelling between Belize City and San Ignacio.
We managed to find seats, despite the scrum to get on board and the ensuing chaos as bags, boxes, packages and suitcases were passed along the bus and crammed in at the back. Settling down for the journey I cast my eyes around - so many interesting faces: black youths with wrap around shades, Guatemalan women with beautiful deep brown eyes and tiny kids clinging to them like limpids, a lone British backpacker in unfashionable safari gear (who looked like a geography teacher) anxiously fussing with and re-packing his 'equipment' bags, a middle aged Japanese traveller sitting in silence, some old Mayan women holding baskets of fruit on their laps, a schoolboy passing around a cage with two white rats inside (his friends poking their fingertips through the mesh to tease the rats) and a muscle-bound Belizean Gringo bus driver
Coconut juice
The coconut juice the rangers got for us at El Pilar, (right before they stole my camera!) in a very loud Hawaiian shirt. Kids selling tamales and popcorn pushed their way through the bus before jumping off at the next stop. A group of elderly Creole christians were jabbering and changing seats - with their leader being a tall woman in a Salvation Army uniform bossily asking people to move so that friends could sit together."
It was a strange, eye opening experience. Never before had I imagined how a bus journey can momentarily unite such a diverse stretch of faces, stories, lives when you just sit back and "voyeur" and everyone else.
It kind of brings people together. Its a shared experience. Yes its routine for some Belizeans Im sure, but especially with travellers there are new people every day. No more did we fill united when almost expectantly, the bus grumbled under the strain of overloaded passengers, and gave up and broke down.
So he we were, a motley crew of travellers, families, students, workers and a bus driver waiting on a dusty road in the middle of Belizean countryside for a new but old rackety bus to take us just 20km more to our final destination. The local rastas were friendly
Post bike fall
Not impressed on my third fall on the rainy, muddy and slushy deathtrap on the way down from El Pilar. to us, they cant have seen so many people stop here for a long time. They shook our hands, we bought some cheap water sachets and crisps to share around. We started chatting and complaining, but laughing at the same time at the blantant lie of the bus drivers promise "10 minutes till new bus comes along". Over an hour later, I had already struck up an interesting conversation with a local Belizean student, around the same age as me, who had just come back from a friends wedding and informed me about the Mayan ruin history as he was studying to be a tour guide. We talked about the inevitable conversation between two men, football, and how I thought England might have a chance of winning the World Cup and he said how Belize never had a chance of anything, except excelling in "street football" to which he plays regularly, and there "are no rules".
Of course by the evening after the episode, we had settled in San Ignacio, aka "Cayo", as Dad and I chuckled over a beer about the experience we had just gone through. We felt like we deserved a few more beers, and searching
The hike in the jungle
Our tour group hiking in the dense jungle at Tikal in Guatemala for a bar we came across a friendly Rastafarian guy who directed us to the most happening place on a Sunday night.
Introducing Glenn - a skinny, dreadlocked and bearded Rastafarian who's trade was car washing (hence his nickname was "Washer" and residence an abandoned warehouse. He told us about his genuine life hardships and movement around Belize, we felt sympathetic and generous and were more than happy to buy and share some beers with him. He told us some hilarious stories about sinking boats on the Cayes, his view of America and terrorists, and he even sung some renditions of his Reggae magic songs, inextricably ending in pledges to Jesus, despite claiming he wasnt religious. This guy was fascinating though because he was extremely honest and caring, he knew what kind of shit he was in, but he wasnt pleading for a handout, he wasnt depressed, he was the classic "live each day as it comes", even if it rains and he has no dirty cars to wash.
A local mobile phone trader called Mike and his out of tune karaoke wife joined our table, along with a funny German descendant of Rasta, the barman called Nazza.
Main Plaza at Tikal
The ancient Mayan ceremony spot at Tikal, Guatemala Somehow the conversation took a homophobic turn. I can't bring myself to repeat what was said - although there was a lot of Old Testament talk about 'transgressions'' 'abomonations' and the sanctity of the male's back passage, although all light-hearted banter thankfully!
Feeling a little tipsy I somehow got bribed to sing Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, a creditable rendition I hope more of less. Then the mic kept being pointed at me as I wailed in a very bad singing voice "Wild Thing" and "Born To Be Wild". By the reaction of the unfamiliar Belizean crowd to the latter song I knew my time was up despite the broken applause.
We realised the next morning we booked today for a mountain bike trip, sold to us as a "leisurely and relaxing day getting to know the area around Cayo" and a chance to see the archeological site, El Pilar. In fact, it turned out to be the most hardcore day of the whole holiday - 20 miles of cycling off road up and down steep hills and on jungle dirt tracks. Boiling sun on the way up, Dad and I trudged up the near vertical rocky
Mayan Jungle fever
The dense jungle in the background where Mayan ruins still poke through the canopy at Tikal, Guatemala hill (mostly off our bike) seeing only one car pass us. Then we followed it up by an hours hike in the dense jungle looking for Mayan ruins which were mostly buried under earth and bushes, as we were attacked continually by red ants and mozzies. We briefly caught a glimpse of Guatemala from the jungle look-out (only 500 metres from the border). After our jungle walk, the attendant pulled a few coconuts down for us and we gulped down the refreshing juice, then it was off again by bike back to Cayo. At this point the afternoon torrent of rainstorm fell upon us as we descended and turned the dirt track into a slushy death trap. I came off his bike three times and earned myself some minor cuts and bruises as a souvenir of the day. This was 'adventure travel' at its finest!!!!!
Bruised, scraped, dirty and hungry, we gave back our bikes with a smile, and ensured we had booked ourselves on a day trip to Tikal in Guatemala, for the chance to see some impressive looking Mayan ruins set deep in the dense jungle.
Max's Tour group the next day met at his house
Butterfly
A beautiful jungle butterfly captured on film at Tikal for banana cakes and a cup of tea. The hiking team consisted of four Californians, Dad and I, another English guy, Max the tour guide, and a Guatemalan minibus driver. Getting past the Guatamalan border with this tour was much more of a breeze than Mexico, before we knew it we were in Spanish lingo land again, bumping along bum-bruising roads and sweeping past marketstalls and Guatemalan rural folk with pigs and goats in the middle of the road.
Tikal is the second largest discovered Mayan ruin sites in Central America. Its handy to have a tour guide as he gives a whole new depth of meaning and history to at first glance what are simply plain looking ruins. As we hiked through deep jungle to the howls of spider monkeys and various birds, butterflys and insects, we came across various pyramids and plazas which were extremely fascinating to imagine how such a intriguing civillisation managed to settle here over well 1000 years ago.
We had a meaty lunch and stopped off at a canopy zip line that some people went on for extra later that afternoon. Tikal was a definite rewarding experience, the day trip is not
Templo II
Me outside one of the pyramids at Tikal cheap at 75 US dollars plus the Belizean departure tax, but it was good to add another stamp on the passport and dip into a new country, even if it was only a day.
And so, after an unfortunate discovery that night that my camera had been stolen by the rangers at El Pilar (I wondered why they were laughing as we left downhill on our bikes and they teased us about drinking the rainwater). Its really pissing annoying when you lose a camera, not so much for the cost but the photos. Luckily I didnt lose that many, and was so tempted to go and sort the rangers out to get it back - unfortunately they were one over me, cos I just didnt fancy another 10 mile exhausting bike ride up thank you very much. The gits.
Now another bus, made its way fully this time to Placencia via a 3 hour uninteresting stop at Dangriga, in Southern Belize. Plancencia is a beachy backpackers but sleepy town. Its highlights being an silent swim in a deserted pretty beach 10 metres from our room this morning, as well as allegedly a place in the Guinness Book of
Lizard at Tikal
An interesting lizard with a big throat that reminded me like the dinosaur out of Jurassic Park! Records, the its sidewalk being "the narrowest street in the world". Its narrow Ill give them that but its not the most interesting street in the world thats for sure!
A relaxing day we earnt ourselves today, topping up the sun tan, fruit smoothies at the beach bar, postcards, swims and siesta hammocking. We await the morning boat tomorrow to Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Yes we will leave Belize behind to take on a whole new country, where Dad will leave in a few days before Ill be all on my tod for the final 2 weeks as I venture to diving at the Bay Islands.
Belize is a great place to come if you want to experience Carribbean culture, cuisine and fun and friendly Rastafarian people. Many Belizeans told us that since their break for independence from Britain in 1981, the country has actually gone downhill as the government became corrupt and ministers pocketed funds for themselves. Almost all of the Belizean newspapers reported on murders every day, a problem in only a 250,000 populated country. Nevertheless, the majority of Belizean people never let themselves down and nearly everyone we encountered were kind and amicable to us. The
Tour group
Our tour group for the Tikal trip, pictured at the Guatemalan border (no scams this time!) tempo is suitably laid back, and the landscape widely varied. Its a small country great to explore and easy and adventurous to travel - especially the buses!
I would certainly recommend it to anyone anytime.
My experience of it has been lets say....Un-Belize-able!!!!!!!
Lucian
xxxx
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Laura
non-member comment
Hey you!
Just thought that i would let you know at least one person is reading your blogs!! Sounds like you are having an amazing time i am immensely jealous! Me and megan have been reminiscing over the last few weeks about where we would have been this time last year..and the boredom of this summer!! I've graduated from warwick now but still (why i have no clue!) spent the summer working for prestige which has been awesome..it's slave labour and yet oh so fun!! Am now working in gap and looking for a graduate job in management consulting / marketing to start in sept 2006....in march im going off on my travels for 6 months mainly to australia but new zealand, singapore, thailand and hong kong all make an appearance too! Keep up the blogging ur adventures as usual sound crazy, fabulous fun!! Laura xx