Belize

---

Belize: Land of the manatee, ancient caves and reggae vibes.

03/09 - San Ignacio

We took a backpacker bus from Guatemala and realised most people were heading straight to the laid-back Caribbean island of Caye Caulker. But we decided to stop just after the Guate border so that we could visit the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves. It meant stopping for a couple of nights in the nearest town, San Ignacio.

San Ignacio is a small, relaxed town with a very community feel. It seemed everyone knew everyone. The town had packed its tourism into one small street that is lined with tour operators, apart from this it felt very untouristy. It had a weird vibe about it that I couldn't put my finger on, it felt safe but at the same time a little tense, like you wouldn't want to let your guard down. Max was also targeted for drugs a lot by dealers which was funny, he must look like a stoner. They'd either be blatant and shout what they had on offer across the road to you, or you'd be walking past and they'd whisper it sneakily so you only just caught what they said!

Language

The first thing that grabbed our attention was the language, most people in Belize speak English. The older people tend to speak Spanish and a lot of people spoke Creole which is a mix of English, Spanish and African Xxxxxxxxxxx. It was actually really nice to be able to have a proper conversation and be understood! Even with the creole we could work out a lot.

The novelty of a TV!

We door hopped around until we decided on Martha's guesthouse, it was cheap as chips and had all the basic amenities, plus a TV! We hadn't watched TV in forever so it felt like a real treat - and we of course made the most of it! (There was nothing going on in the evenings anyway). There were 90-odd channels that Max patiently sifted through, he spent a good 15mins sitting bang in front of the screen like a zombie. That night we watched the latest Indiana Jones, followed by half of another one before falling asleep. After visiting Tikal it felt very apt, having seen such amazing jungle with all the Tarzan-Esque vines, temples and noisy wildlife.



05/09 ATM cave tour - complete with skeletons!

The ATM cave is incredibly unique as it contains Mayan artefacts and skeletons that remain in exactly the same place as they were left, amazingly preserved by the buildup of calcium XXxx


Patrick, our guide, proudly told us how only 14 people are allowed to work as guides at the cave, and to get this privilege they had to undertake a lot of training and assessments. Patrick was among the few that actually discovered the cave itself, and he is incredibly passionate and committed to its preservation. He's a funny guy, always cracking sarcastic jokes and laughing hysterically at himself. He looks a bit like he's off on a safari, very prepared and ready to tackle the jungle. He's also clearly a man about town, stoping every few minutes to chat to someone on the street, thank the road sweeper for keeping the town 'polished' or to smack a friend on the back and take the piss.

The journey through jungle to the cave

The journey to the cave was about an hours ride. We arrived at a clearing in the jungle where there is a 40min walk to the cave entrance. There were 8 of us, all kitted up with helmet and torch (way more organised than the tour in Semuc Champey). The walk through the jungle was interesting, with Patrick stopping to show us certain plants or teach us something about the jungle. We had to wade across a few streams, which involved a bit of swimming (I can't wait to throw out these trainers). One girl who was a bit precious took off her hiking boots to swim over, we looked back to see her boyfriend carrying them above his head! Patrick of course pisses himself and told her to put them on as she was going to get wet no matter what! No idea what kind of tour she thought she was on...

Entering the cave

The entrance to the cave was really pretty, with the sunlight reflecting off clear turquoise water and lots of greenery hanging down over the opening. It quickly got dark as we made our way deeper inside. The route wasn't as adventurous as semuc champey but fun none the less. At one point we all turned our torches off and experienced the complete darkness and Patrick explained how the Mayans would have had to negotiate their way through this darkness (when their fire light source failed) just by listening to the sound of the water and working out where it was leading out to.

Bat fact!

He also pointed out loads of cool bat holes above us. They were all exactly the same size and shape. The bats were all huddled in a mass within one perfectly symmetrical tubular hole. He explained that bats huddle to sustain their body temperature, but don't like pooing on their friends, so when they need a number 2 they move to the edge of the group to poo (which erodes and creates the tubular hole). Eventually the hole gets so deep that it becomes too hot, so the bats pack up and move to another spot where the process starts again. Interesting!

We reached a point where we needed to climb up some rocks to reach a platform of rock above us. Here we were told to take off our shoes and leave them behind, as we were entering the area where all the artifacts were. I was intrigued after reading up on it, but it blew my mind to see the sheer amount of artefacts and the incredible condition they were still in.

1,500 artefacts

There's approx 1,500 artefacts, from a small dagger to a huge cooking pot. Wherever there were artefacts, there would be plastic tape on the ground around it to ensure no one stepped on it. They were everywhere, littered within groups, high up on rock ledges, some half sunken into rock. I saw that all the pots were cracked or broken into pieces which I thought was a shame, but actually this was done on purpose by the Mayans. Once an item had been used then they would crack or break it, which allowed the spirit of the item to escape (since everything has a spirit). Back in the day when they were discovered, archeologists that became aware of the cave had no interest in them as they saw everything was broken, they concentrated on the temples and pyramids instead. Luckily for the locals it meant they could take control over the access and build a tour around it.

Mayan cooking pots

I couldn't get over how well preserved they were. At every point where there was a cooking pot there would be 3 rocks
next to it. Patrick explained how the pot sat on the tripod of rocks and a fire was lit below it. On one particular pot was a small etching of a monkey, this is an indicator of what the pot contained - alcohol, or moonshine. Where other cultures are blessed with water, or food, the Mayans used booze!

Skeletons

We then came across a skeleton partly buried in the rock which was creepy. Patrick pointed out which part of the body each bone was. He told us all about the sacrifices the Mayans used to make. It would begin with animal sacrifices and if things were tough and they needed more help from the gods then they would sacrifice people. To sacrifice yourself was a way of ensuring you would go to a better world/their kind of heaven. The more brutal the death the better your chances. Whether it's drowning, burning alive, having your inner organs removed one by one (Indiana jones temple of doom - when the guy had his heart taken out, yuk).

The Princess and the dwarf

Further along in the cave was a skeleton of a young girl, a princess. They knew she was a princess as nearby was a skeleton of a dwarf. Apparently whenever a person of significance was sacrificed then a dwarf would be sacrificed at the same time. Bit harsh. Patrick said that evidence shows that she was beaten, as her jaw was out of place, and her organs removed. He said that at the time of her death the Mayans were going through a really bad patch of drought and times were hard, meaning extreme measures had to be taken. Horrific.

An amazing cave, so unique to any other I've seen and probably something I'll never see again! It was fairly hexy, $80US (haggled down from $95), but it was well worth it.


06/09 Caye Caulker - get yer dreads out!

We got the local bus from San Ignacio to Belize city, then had a 1km walk in the sweltering heat to the ferry. We got in the Caribbean mood by having some tasty jerk chicken while we waited. I'm going to turn into a chicken with the amount of chicken on this trip.

The San Pedro express boat was small and incredibly uncomfortable. Loads of tourists were jammed on shoulder to shoulder, the hard seats making me wish I had a load of back fat to cushion me.

Caye Caulker, the backpackers haunt

Caye Caulker is on every backpackers hitlist, full of cheap eating and sleeping options, while its neighbouring island San Pedro is more for the American holidaymaker. We arrived on Caye Caulker, not a big island, but with enough going on.

We hadn't booked any accommodation so I left Max with the bags and went off door knocking. There was a guesthouse that worked out to be cheaper than the hostels I'd looked at, with a far better room. It was on the top floor facing the ocean meaning it got a breeze, unless you fork out for AC this was essential. So we booked in for 3 nights (and ended up staying 5).

Exploring the island

We explored some of the island and stopped at the Lazy Lizard bar for a swim. It has a great setup, with waterfront seating, tables in the water and a high platform to jump off into the water. It's located at 'the split', a narrow channel of water separating the main island with a small northern tip. The hurricane of 2005 had begun to carve out the channel, and the locals had taken advantage and dredged out a wider channel so boats could pass through. The northern tip is narrow enough to swim across when the current isn't too strong. There's hardly any development over on the north tip, but there's signs of it building up quickly. Already someone has set up a tourist bar and ferries people across every day for overpriced drinks and food.

While we were here we read news of Hurricane Irma and the Mexican earthquake - with plans to go to both next, we began to keep a very close eye on it!


07/09 - Manatees!!

Swimming with manatees was high on my agenda and I did loads of research into the tour operator that would give us the best chance of seeing one. We'd been recommended 'Caveman tours' by the Ozzie couple we met in Galapagos, and they were rated number one on lots of reviews. We were tempted by 'Tsunami tours' as they included free use of an underwater camera, but the owner, Heather, turned out to be a rude piece of work so we stuck with the original plan and went with caveman (and hired a camera elsewhere). We were told by everyone that Belize is very expensive, but so far its only the tours that seem a bit over the top, we'd found accommodation and food the same as elsewhere. If not a bit on the cheaper end. This tour was $60, this was the low season price.

Snorkelling with caveman

The caveman gave a funny speech to welcome everyone, I don't think he meant to be that funny but he was. He was really over the top justifying how they protect the environment (not needed as you could tell straight away how passionate they were about the reef). There were a couple of girls in the group concerned about using sunscreen and caveman made a big song and dance about how he would definitely write a letter to the authorities asking if they could put laws in place to make sunscreen reef-safe!

The manatee stop

Alex and Ronny were our guides. They were really eager to please and did a great job. The first stop was to look for manatees, although never guaranteed one was spotted straight away. We all grabbed our snorkel gear and Max and I made sure we got to the front, everyone else was faffing too much! The manatee was beautiful, so big and cute! I've seen the snout of a dugong from the confines of a boat before and got excited, so being so close was incredible! I couldn't believe how much it's face looks like a dogs.

Manatee facts:
• Their closest relative is the elephant.
• The manatee is considered ‘vulnerable’ therefore at risk of extinction.
• They eat plants equivalent to 10% of their body mass everyday.
• Christopher Columbus thought he saw mermaids while out exploring, but they were manatees.
• They can hold their breath for up to 20mins. When they breathe 90% of their air is replaced, compared to 10% for humans.
• A big difference between the manatee and dugong - the manatee has a rounded paddle like tail compared to the dugong that has a more whale like fluke. (And I think manatee faces look a bit like puppies).


Pretty soon after we were called to the boat,the manatee had begun to move off which was a sign for us to stop as they don't allow people to 'chase' or follow them, which is good, but also disappointing that it was over so quick. Back on the boat they said they'd seen another one and this time one of the guys on the boat would go on his own as he hadn't seen the last one (this guy had never snorkelled before so I think he was struggling- how someone in their 30's hadn't snorkelled before is beyond me!). I joked that I didn't think I'd seen the manatee either, and my face must have looked disappointed as the guides then said that if it made us happy we could go in again!

Second time round was even better, the manatee stayed where it was for way longer and we got a really good gawk at it like proper manatee pervs. This time I was very satisfied and could have called it a day, money well spent.

Loggerhead and green turtles

Next stop was to see turtles, I felt very spoilt at this point having seen a lot on the trip so far, and nothing could beat the huge hawksbill turtles we swam with In Galapagos, we swam through huge gangs of them! The little green turtles were nice to watch though, they looked so peaceful chowing away on the ocean floor.

Shark and ray alley

I was excited about the next stop, 'shark and ray alley'. we stopped the boat and anchored up with the engine still running, straight away a load of nurse sharks, sting rays and big jack fish swarmed the boat. They're used to being fed, and the guides chucked in some sardines. The sharks went crazy, it was jut a mass of fins and tails, and we got to snorkel amongst it. It was an incredible sight. At one point I thought I'd kicked one as I felt a thud against my left fin, I felt immensely guilty. But back on the boat one of the snorkellers told me that he'd seen what happened, and a nurse shark had gone for my fin on purpose, he basically nutted me (probably because I was between him and the fish). So then I didn't feel so bad.

Massive stingray

Before long the fish dispersed and they all swam off, but stayed close enough that we could swim around them. One of the rays was massive, maybe the biggest I've seen, it looked so meaty. It gave me a fright when I first saw it, until I saw that he'd lost his barb which made me feel safer.

We didn't have to swim far to hang out with all the nurse sharks either, they all stuck together in a group of about 10 or more. It was shallow water only a few metres deep and they were just chilling on the bottom.

Next stop was to a spot where an old local fisherman makes his living. He has been fishing here all his life, even before the reef became protected and the park became official. For this reason He is the only person allowed to fish here. At this spot there are hundreds and hundreds of conch shells covering the ocean floor (only shallow) from al the years he'd been working here, it had attracted a load of fish and made it a top spot for snorkellers.

The last two stops of the day were not for snorkelling. One was to see a little seahorse nursery that the locals had built. The sea horses were tiny. Then we went to a place where there are loads of tarpon fish. Tarpon are huge, and look like catfish. They look intimidating but do not bite (unless provoked maybe). We were told we could feed them, but to keep our fingers out of the way, they don't have teeth but have a very rough mouth which can hurt if coming into contact. We were told to dangle the fish just above the water and wait. When I dangled my fish the anticipation was too much for me, a tarpon launched to grab it and I dropped it before it had reached it. Annoying! It was the shock of the speed that got to me! Then we were asked if we wanted to see fish fly and held a sardine above our heads, within seconds one of the huge frigate birds swooped down and grabbed the fish! They must love that joke.


07/09 Rum and chill

We'd wanted to dive the Blue hole today but had signed up too late and there wasn't enough people to go, so it gave us the excuse to have a chill day, with no morning alarms set and nowhere to be. It seemed like a good place to do nothing.

The day was spent snorkelling off the shore, swimming over the spit, drinking 2 for 1 rum and spending time in a bar with water swings, hammocks and tubes.
It felt a bit strange having no plans and it was actually hard to relax, but I can see how a few of these days would get you into holiday mode and you'd end up losing time here.

Food

I think the best thing I had here was the local fryjacks. There was a little wooden shack off the main strip that specialised in them, ie it's all they made. It looks like a fried pitta bread pocket, but it tastes a bit like doughnuts! Inside it's stuffed with a variety of fillings. We came here every morning for breakkie and is have eggs, refried beans and cheese. They were only $3US and very filling, cheapest breakfast in town!

Nothing else really stands out, we had the typical Caribbean jerk chicken, had some fresh seafood and tried lionfish for the first time. I can see why it's not that popular, there's so many frickin bones! Not worth it.
I did have some great snapper too, but I think it's only memorable as it came with a jacket potato, an English favourite! It also felt like a novelty after months of rice. While eating my potato there was an incredible full moon, bright orange like a sunset. Even the locals were getting excited as it only happens once a month.


08/09 Blue Hole day!

Diving the blue hole had been on my bucket list since I learned to dive (over 15 years ago!). We had spoken to a lot of people who had done it and read plenty of reviews. The general consensus was that most found it disappointing, and that it's really just a novelty bucket list dive to tick off. It's also extremely expensive, $250US for the day including 3 dives. Still, there's no way I'd not do it, I just had realistic expectations.

There were a good group of 6 divers and 2 snorkellers. Everyone rocked up for a 5.30am start at the dive shop where breakfast was waiting. I got chatting to 2 American guys who said they'd felt the earthquake in Mexico that night, it was about 11pm - we were fast asleep. 58+ were killed including one person in Guatemala. There was an older guy from Florida and he was asked if his family were safe from Irma, he was surprisingly upbeat, saying his family had evacuated to Orlando, and whatever mess Irma made they could fix (he's obviously wealthy!). I asked one of the divemasters about hurricanes in Belize and he said the last big one was in 2005 and it wiped out the dive shop and was very matter of fact. Hurricanes seem to be no worry here, I saw a sign up in a bar saying 'Hurricane evacuation plan: 1. Grab beer 2. Run!

The Blue Hole

Mooring up at the blue hole we could have been anywhere - it's onlubfrom the sky you can appreciate the scenery. The water here is crystal clear and an awesome blue/turquoise colour. You can make out the rim of the hole from above.

To dive to 40m you needed advanced cert so we were split into 2 groups, I don't think it made much difference really, I looked up when we got to 40m and the water was so clear the guys above would have seen the same. We stuck to the rim, swimming in between cool stalactites. Looking out into the centre of the hole were loads of sharks! Visibility was distorted half way down but deeper it was very clear. I was surprised how manybthwre were.

On the way up the guide at the back pointed to a swim through cavern which I definitely would have missed. The guide shone the light for us as it was quite dark. it was a great added bonus to the dive.

The dive felt very eery, very different to your standard dive. Because we went with no expectations I actually really enjoyed it. Unfortunately as it was a deep dive it was only short, so it was over before we knew it.

The second 2 dives were to be a lot shallower, and most reviews say they're actually better sites than the blue hole. They were a good contrast to the deeper dive, being full of life and colour. I was disappointed with the guide though as he didn't really point anything out. We'd had some fantastic dives in other places where we'd learned loads from the guides but this guy just seemed bored. This was confirmed when he started messing around blowing bubbles half way through the dive...

A highlight of the day was going to Moon Caye island, a little tropical paradise where we stopped for lunch. Bright white sandy beach, lush palm trees hanging over the waters edge and clear shallow water. We filled up on DIY sarnies and explored the island. There is a red footed booby colony that we really wanted to see, we'd seen the blue-footed and narc boobies in Galapagos but hadn't yet seen the red foot. There's heaps of them here, and a handy viewing platform in the tree canopy gave us a great vantage point.

All in all a great day, made even better by the dolphin show on the ride back and rum mix that got poured out at the end of the day!


10/09 border crossing day

Yesterday was another chill day while we worked out a plan for Mexico/Cuba. It's hard to work out what to do with the activities of Irma and her hurricane mates causing havoc over at the Caribbean islands.

Our last border crossing of the trip! We got the ferry from Caye Caulker to Belize city then caught the public bus across the border. This is the first time we've seen a bus that goes across. Even stranger, there were only 7 people on the bus, hardly seems worth their while. They must get some benefit from it, maybe stocking up on cheap fuel. Normally you have to get off, walk over no mans land then find a bus on the other side.

Both sides of immigration were surprisingly quiet. The Mexico side looks very clinical and military. First thing I noticed-no chicken buses in sight! Next stop - Tulum where we'll be diving in caverns and cenotes!

---