Blogs from Belize, Central America Caribbean - page 91

From Tulum we made our way to Caye caulker in Belize. We took an overnight bus from Tulum to Caulker for nice 12 hours. Belize city is pretty run down so we pretty much bolted for the ferry to caulker. Key caulker is SUPPPPPPPPER laid back. Some nights we would just walk up and down the main road (i.e. a sand passage way) extremmelly slow, saying hi toeveryone and then repeating. WE did dive the blue hole here. it was amazing! we got to dive at 140 feet below with reef sharks and other big fish. we also did some snorkelling with some awesome animals.... read more

Today in Belize, Brooks & I went on the Belize City Tour. Just stepping on the bus felt like home! Honestly, I’ve guided on buses with the EXACT upholstery pattern. I just wanted to grab that mic and start spieling. I couldn’t stop telling Brooks guiding stories that would pop into my head. But I did sit back and pay attention to our tour. Our guide was great - though not quite Keating, of course :) There is not a lot to see in Belize City in terms of big fancy buildings or historical sites. In terms of what we saw, it was more of a glimpse into where the people of the country live and work and study and play. That and our guide covered a lot of general history about the country itself, which ... read more

Friday morning we all woke up in pretty rough shape after Galen's bbq to kick off the semester the previous night. Gary picked a few of us up at school after class and we headed East towards Belmopan. From Belmopan melodie emily and I hopped on the bus bound for Belize City. Getting into the city was stimulation overload! I practically walked out into oncoming traffic after leaving the bus station, as the immense heat, noise and movement began swirling around me. Driving through the city to the water taxi station I saw about as much of the city as I needed to. Belize city still has the whole colonial legacy to deal with, and it's very apparent with the amount of poverty and drifters walking the streets. We left Belize city within an hour of ... read more

Visited the stately and impressive Mayan Temples of Xunantunich last weekend. Probably one of the more breathtaking views since weve been here, also afforded a look at nearby Guatemala, which I hope to visit at some point during my travels here. There are members of the Belizean Army with big ass guns on top of the temple. They weren't entirely friendly at first, but later warmed up to us, the more questions we asked. It was slightly disconcerting however, when they would sight something in the distance with their guns. If you ask me though, not a bad post if you're in the military. The rest of the weekend was spent in vacationers fashion, visiting a nearby resort with a local friend of ours. I'm truly enjoying the Belizeans affinity for rope swings on the rivers. ... read more

Xunantunich (The Stone Woman) houses what is said to be the second highest structure in Belize. The 2000 year old El Castillo, as the main structure is referred to, is 140 feet tall on top of a hill. El Castillo was a shrine built in honor of the mesoamerican christ figure Kukulkan. This ancient deity has roots in all indigenous mesoamerican cultures, and is commonly reffered to by his Toltec name "Quetzalcoatl". Getting there is a bit of an adventure in itself as you have to cross the river using a hand-cranked ferry, and then walk a mile uphill. The view from the top is totally worth it, with a sweeping panoramic view of the Belizean and Guatamalan hillsides. The two men on top of the temple holding m16's were actually quite approachable. Although it was ... read more