Jun 13, 2009 - Belize

To say that it had been a long trip “home” from Cuba to Mexico would be an understatement – we’d left Maria and Rafaele, our friendly hosts in Havana at 4 o’clock in the morning on 9 June, and eventually arrived in Caye Caulker, Belize the following lunch time. We’d travelled through 4 countries and apart from a brief couple of hours where we managed to collapse into a tired sleep in Chetemul, Mexico – we had been “in transit” for 32 hours in the sweltering Central American heat. “The Eater” as Holley has affectionately been named, didn’t...

Apr 14, 2009 - Belize City

We really just went back to Belize City as somewhere to stay after driving through from Tikal, before hopping over to the Cayes the next day. On the way there though, we did have a stop at the Belize zoo. They care there for injured animals or those born at the zoo. For some of the injured ones, it's a chance to get the rehabilitated back into the wild. So it was nice to have a quick stop there. Some of the group got up-close to Junior - a young jaguar. You can pay to go in a small cage inside the jaguar's cage and he wanders around outside...

Apr 5, 2009 - Belize City - 5th April

I've finally got to starting my blog! This trip has been so busy, this has been the first chance to write something. The photos will have to follow later. We started our trip a day ahead of the main group (we're starting with a two week Explore trip called Discover Belize). This gave us one day in Belize City, staying at the Chateau Caribbean. It's an old colonial house overlooking the see and was very nice. Belize City was different and you could see why the group did not come out on that day to spend Sunday there. Basically the whole city...

Apr 3, 2009 - Belize: Caye Caulker

From Tulum we headed to Belize, specifically to an island called Caye Caulker, 45 minutes by ferry from Belize City. We originally hadn't been planning on heading to Belize, but after seeing photos and hearing about the diving decided we had to head there! The trip to the island was a mission in itself, starting with an 8:30am bus from Tulum to the Mexican border town of Chetumal where we changed for another bus to Belize. At the Belize border everyone had to get off the bus with luggage and answer a range of interrogation questions from...

Mar 5, 2009 - Balmy Belize

(To see these photos up close, run your mouse over the bottom left corner of the slideshow and click on Belize. This will...

Jan 28, 2009 - Belize

We had to wake up pretty early this morning since we had to meet for our Belize excursion at 6:50. We ordered breakfast last night to be delivered to our room this morning so we could be out on time. Once we found the rest of our excursion group, we all began our journey. The harbor for Belize City is very small and too shallow for the ship to dock, so it anchored a few miles off the coast and we took a smaller boat into harbor. What an eye-opening experience Belize City was. We docked within what they call the "Tourist Village" which is...

Dec 11, 2008 - Belize City

When we woke up in Belize, it was cloudy, windy and cool. White caps stirred the water. Belize is famous for its reefs and scuba and snorkeling, so we and many of our fellow passengers had signed up to enjoy this watery paradise. We gathered in the lounge as we waited for our tour to be called. The tours that went to the Mayan ruins left promptly, but some of us have seen enough Mayan ruins after two winters in Mexico, to last us a lifetime. Soon all the snorkeling tours but ours were canceled, because the high seas stirred up the water and...

May 16, 2008 - Belize

Today has been an easy driving day. Left our lakeside hotel for 5 kilometres on dusty rough road to join the main highway towards Belize which itself became very dusty and full of pothols for the last 20 kms. Filled up with petrol at the border in Guatemala as difficult to get fuel in Belize. Easy crossing of the border - much more logical progression for a change. Exit Guatemala personel, exit Guatemala porivate car, across no man's land (cost $10 for no particular reason) enter Belize passports, then Belkize car import then Belize...

May 16, 2008 - El Remate to Belize City

After a dusty drive through Guatemala the border crossing was blessedly quick – under an hour including the purchase of insurance. Today it is our turn to write the Rally Report for the official website so an extra thing to think about. Just after the border we spotted the ferry that led across the river to the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich. It was almost a private ferry but at the last minute another vehicle arrived and we had to share. We got it to ourselves on the way back. The ruins were only a mile up the road and were well labelled so...

Apr 2, 2008 - Caye Caulker

2 timer efter vi soldt havde plantet foederne paa oeen Caye Calkers hvide sandstrand, var Martin ikke et oejeblik i tvivl om " at her kunne han godt bo"! Oeen var ikke laengere end at man kunne gaa fra den ene side til den anden paa smaa 20 minutter, med en bred sandstraekning som "hovedgade". Rastafarier med dreadlocks, Bob Marley accessories & "Respect Mannn!" udgjorde majoriteten af oenes 1000'de indbyggere og alting var heeelt nede paa jorden og livsfilosofien maa have lydt " En dag af gangen..". Paa anden dagen steg vi 12 mand ombord...

Feb 22, 2008 - Leaving Seatac Via Shuttle Bus.

Well we made it back to Seatle last night. We are now waiting for our Quick shuttle bus to Van and then the blue bus to the ferry and then phone for a ride home! It has been a great adventure in a way, started off in a snow storm , then the bus stalled 3 times in the middle of rush hour traffic on the way to the airport. Bus was late due to accedent on highway in frony of us. One point I had concidered jumping off the bus and catching a cab, but it was complete grid lock and the bus did keep starting after 3 or 4 times. When we got to the...

Oct 14, 2007 - Belize {where?}

After leaving Playa Del Carmen {reluctantly} we headed south by coach to Chetumal where we rested for the night. We did one of the two tourist sites in the town {a not very impressive place} which was a modern building housing a very intesting Maya history and archealogical display on three levels representing the three levels of Mayan mythology. We were then on our way to Belize ....and where the hell is Belize.... Well may you ask - sleepy old British Honduras south of Mexico - where Central America meets the Caribbean. It is an...