One thing I have come to realize is that power goes out intermittently here in Belize. Along with power, internet. Either way here is the update on my trip in Belize.
On Sunday we woke up at 5am for a fun filled day in the Vaca Plateau. We arrived at the bus station at 5:30am for a bus that was supposed to arrive at the bus station at 6am. The station was not as full as the previous day nonetheless we were excited. As 6 am approached and passed we began to worry about whether we would make it in time to go on our scheduled tour at 7am. So much for waking up early. At 6:45am the bus arrived and we boarded on our way south on the Western Highway, by then we were certain we would be very late because the bus we had boarded was not an express bus, which meant that we would have frequent stops along the way. As the bus rolled southward the mix of Spanish, Creole and the humming of the engine rocked me into a dazed light sleep but the air around was somewhat humid but cool. There was also a cloudy overcast that seemed to foreshadow or hint at possibly a ruined day. As we pulled into the bus stop in San Ignacio we could see the tour conductor waiting for us. I rushed off the bus and approached him apologizing for our tardiness but it seemed like he understood and “this is Belize”. We walked less than 5 minutes to the hotel and paid the remaining balances and headed to the back where we boarded a Mitsubishi 4WD. We pulled out of the still sleeping town of San Ignacio at about 8:30am heading south through the Mountain Pine Ridge. Our tour guide? One word-AWESOME. He gave us a history of the areas we were driving through; give us information of the small villages that we were driving through. One such village is named after Blackman Eddy who was a herbalist with a wide knowledge base of medicinal plants and herbs.
Our guide also had such amazing eyes and would stop occasionally to point out birds or monkeys and give us their specie names and their common Belizean names. As we headed further south it was evident that the landscape was changing instead of the humid, stuffy air that we experienced in San Ignacio or Belmopan the air was thinner and more moist and cool as we increased our altitude.
The environment was also very different and looking around it was noticeable that the flora and fauna were changing as the jungle was enveloping us. There were also intermittent light showers, which helped keep the dust clouds down as we sped down the brown earthy roads. About 30 minutes away from Caracol we passed a platoon of the British military performing military “war” training.
As we neared the entrance we could hear the distant noises of the jungle including Howler monkeys.
If you want to see Mayan architecture at its best and you are in Belize? Visit Caracol. Sponsored in part by the University of central Florida (pretty weird/interesting). The site is amazing and definitely supports the many theories circulating indicating that Africans may have traveled to North and South American before the Europeans (Pyramids).
Walking around the site is pretty cool and many of the pyramids are still covered under the jungle, which has reclaimed many of the sites but its still a really cool site to explore and also admire the jungle canopy. It is here that I also got to eat termites for the first time and also see a goliath like ant that can pick up objects triple its weight.
The next location on our trip was the Rio Frio cave, which looks like a big carving out of the side of the mountain. It’s truly amazing, dark, and awe-inspiring. You can walk within it; explore it while looking at ancient Mayan drawings. After visiting the cave we headed to the falls, which offer a great backdrop to the Mountain Pine Ridge.
The river has carved away at the granite surrounding the pine trees, which is an awesome indication of the power of nature.
After about a 20-minute picture session we headed to the Rio Frio pools and Rio Frio waterfall. The hike down is scary. Please wear shoes with great grips because one can easily slip and get injured. After inching our way down we finally arrived at the waterfall and the pools. The sight is breathtaking. The thundering waterfalls offer a great backdrop to the cool pools of clear water.
After multiple attempts I finally made it to the waterfall and climbed the moss covered rocks and enjoyed the cool water while attempting to mentally capture everything around me (I definitely have realized that I need a water resistant camera). After fooling around in the water for over an hour we hiked back up the steep mountainside, exhausted but thoroughly satisfied.
The ride back to Georgeville was quiet as I sat satisfied in the tour 4WD jeep and absorbed the sights and smells of rural Belize.
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