(sorry, we had to, it was everywhere…)
Country #2 in the books!
Our trip to Belize started out with a 6-hour bus ride from Tulum, Mexico to Belize City, crossing the border just south of Chetumal. After paying a hefty “exit fee,” we were on the road to Belize. We miss the ADO air-conditioned buses already! Once there, we found our way to the ferry for the last leg of our trip — a 45-minute ferry ride to Caye Caulker. Of course, taxi drivers were waiting to pounce once we landed, but they were in golf carts — no cars on this island! Thankfully our beachfront cabin was only a 10-minute walk down the beach. Low season upgrade for the win! #beachfrontbargainhunt
We decided to do a snorkel tour the next day to Hol Chan Marine Reserve which was a great decision. We saw more sharks than we could count, stingrays, barracuda, a manatee, and a turtle mowing on a dead lobster. Our scuba trip the next day yielded even more sharks — not just nurse sharks, but finally reef sharks as well! *Cue Jaws theme song*
We made amigos with our group of nomads and decided to relax under a cabana in the water with a bucket of even more sharks (Landshark’s, to be exact) at the Lazy Lizard near the Split. A massive hurricane split the northern and southern parts of the island in 1961 leaving behind a passageway through the island (not to mention the perfect spot for a swimming race and a diving platform) so the Split is the happening place to be!
We capped the day off by watching Brady lead the Pats to yet another last-minute victory over the Chiefs at the sports bar in town.
The next morning, a little more dehydrated than normal, we grabbed water and breakfast before taking the 9am ferry back to Belize City, followed by a bus to Dangriga, and another bus to Hopkins. These “chicken buses” — once yellow school buses — are now colorful and souped up. We BE jammin’ on that bus ride!
In Hopkins, we had a lazy laundry day, the best coffee and granola fruit cup at Kat’s coffee, and a culinary preview of what awaits us — Rice & Beans! The next day we visited the Mayfair Bocawina National Park to hike two waterfalls. Our driver, Charlton, brought us four miles down a bumpy road, reminiscing of the way Hopkins used to be as we crept deeper into the jungle. After we bathed in bug spray (judging from our bodies while writing this, we used the bug’s favorite cologne), we left Charlton to bird watch and we hiked to the “new waterfall,” careful not to step on the millions of ants carrying leaves!
The second hike to the Antelope waterfall had more sun exposure and went straight UP with ropes to help summit the rocks and roots leading to the top of the falls. However, we were rewarded with a nice spot to swim and each lunch in a pool with a small waterfall.
We capped off our day with BBQ pizza at Driftwoods while listening to locals sing and drum a mix of Spanish and African music.
Leaving Hopkins, we headed to the border town of San Ignacio for a 2-night stint before jumping off to Guatemala. The sights, sounds, and tastes of this town hint at the Spanish culture we’re about to rejoin. Determined not to spend $160+ US on a river tube excursion, we found a local named Tony down by the waterfront who was happy to grab one of his canoes for us for less than $15. We spent the late morning paddling up the Macal River, spotting iguanas, turtles, and lots of birds.
After a swim by some rapids, we headed back to town for more, you guessed it, street tacos!
We loved Mexico & Belize, but we are beyond excited for some higher altitudes, colder weather, and volcanos. Guatemala, here we come!
Kent
The waterfalls and canoe trip sounded great. The food looks good too. What kind of birds did you see? It was 28* here the other morning and dusted some spots. Picked the rest of the tomatoes and acorn squash that day to. Thanks for sharing your adventures through words and pictures. I like tracing your trip on the map. Have fun, be safe. Love you.