Slide 1
EXPERIENCETHE WORLD
TravelersCorner.net
Situated in Central America, Belize shares it borders with
Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula to the north, Guatemala to the west,
Honduras to the south, and . . . the worlds second largest barrier
reef along its Caribbean coast.
Our trip to Belize . . .
Though it is a small country, 8900 square miles (a bit larger
than New Jersey), it is a land of diverse climates. The interior is
mountainous and filled with dense jungle - a rainforest
climate.Along the coast and the 450 plus islands or cayes, the
climate is similar to that of the Florida Keys.
English is the official language as Belize was a British colony
that gained its independence in 1981.However, it is a melting pot
of cultures from around the world.Primary languages spoken include
English, Spanish, Creole, and thenative languages: Garifuna,
Kekchi, Maya.
We were picked up at Goldson International Airport in Belize
City by Ruben from Caves Branch Jungle Lodge. He was standing at
the exit holding
a sign displaying our name.
He drove us via Belmopan, the capital, to Caves Branch along the
Butterfly Highway.
Our trip was 1 hours and we learned quite a bit about the
country along the way.
The rooms were everything one could
want . . .
Even outdoor facilities!
Fortunately they provided absolutely luxurious indoor facilities
as well.
The Cabanas were awesome!
Open to the great outdoors.
Fortunately there was a fine mosquito mesh covering the
windows.
A leisurely trip to the caves
Through acres and acres of orange trees
Preparing for a more rigorous trek through
the cave.
Explaining wed be crawling on our stomachs
Part of this adventure is climbing underground waterfalls.
Unfortunately I had to leave my camera behind to pick up on the
return trip... as seen on the following slide
Gearing up to climb the waterfalls
And without benefits of a flash . . .
The start of an over an hour upward journey
A 330 foot drop to the canopy below
Waiting patiently - No lunch till we all get down
After a few days at Caves Branch, we were driven to Dangriga and
dropped off at the Esso station.Travis, co-owner of the privately
owned caye, picked us up, drove on over to a lagoon surrounded by
mangroves, and took us off in his boat. The boat ride was about 30
minutes.
A hand carved Welcome sign at the docks
Balin, our caretaker extraordinaire.
Thatch Cayes central Palapa
Travis & companion on the internet......thats Travis taking
it easy on the shoulder
Thatch Caye: completely powered by the sun and the wind
...with a little help from gravity for the plumbing
With lighted stairs and paths
A baby Coati Mundi checks us out
Another caye resident an Agouti
... especially Pita bread
Off to snorkel the reef, Chico points the direction
Thatch Cayes resident Crocodile coming in for its nightly sleep
on the beach
A blue crab is startled as we walk along the path at night
A tasty lunch in one of the dining palapas
Our last destination was a resort with air-conditioning!!We were
again picked up at the Esso station in Dangriga to enjoy a
leisurely car ride to Hopkins, over pothole after pothole on a
mostly dirt highway!
The road from Dangriga to Hopkins
A little treacherous after the afternoon thunderstorms
Back to Dangriga for the flight to Belize City
Tropic Air took us back to Goldson International Airport.Took
about 15 minutes.
48$ at the airport. . . But a much needed book for the long
return flight home.
Many thanks to...
Adventures in Belize for creating a journey full of fun &
adventure!
Our hosts at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge:Ian & Larry
http://www.cavesbranch.comOur hosts at Thatch Caye Resort:Travis
& Balinhttp://www.thatchcaye.com
Contact Kelan at Travelers Corner
to make travel arrangements
202-590-0373 or 800-906-6907
Orfeel free to contact Larry or Evita at Caves
Branch866-357-2698Travis or Balin at Thatch Caye800-435-2414
Please just mention I sent you there. Thanks!
One last note...
I want to mention one incredible thing we learned on
this trip... Ian Andersen, the owner of Caves Branch,
and his wife started teaching chess
to the children of Belize a year ago.
The game has spread like wildfire!
The Belize National Foundation has been created and the game is
taught in every school in the country.
Students are going on to international tournaments.
