Belize & Honduras 2023
Sadly this time of year you can not get to Belize from Montana in one day…which meant a 2:30 AM wakeup call in Denver…quick stop in Houston…the Belize airport, which is tiny…is total chaos….speakers blaring…people going very which way…luggage piled randomly throughout….took a small plane for the quick flight to Ambergris Caye…flying over a watercolor ombre of blues and greens ….now happily digging my toes in the sand….spending a few nights here before getting on the ship…..everyone seems to be cruising the main drag in a golf cart……hotel is a stones throw from local airport and right on the beach…fellow picks me up…we drive a minute and a half..then pop into a jungle …..the entrance looks like something out of a Jurassic Park movie…thatched buildings made of some kind of furry poles…palm trees rustling outside…a Robinson Crusoe treehouse vibe since I am upstairs…not bad at all….went to bed very early
Saturday …..Sunday….Monday
Up early…went for nice walk on the beach…decided to go inland ….streets were surprisingly busy with bicycles and of coarse golf carts….stumbled upon a lovely French bakery…great way to start any day…..coming back to the hotel……I see a woman sitting on the beach…bathing suit full of sparkles and best of all…she is wearing a tiara….gotta love it…exploring town…reading…a really tough few days
One morning I happened to be in the office……a 12 yr old boy was sitting waiting for his parents …he was practically vibrating with excitement…sporting a huge smile…the family was off to mainland Belize to explore Mayan ruins…turns out both parents were archeologists …it was like seeing a young Indiana Jones….one can only imagine what adventures were going on in his head.
Observations of San Pedro……BBQ’s made from numerous materials (including 50 gallon drums and what looked like old water heaters) are everywhere…in the Central square….a construction site…a wide place in the road….EVERYONE and I mean everyone will greet you with a big “Good morning!”
Tuesday
It was a holiday yesterday so everyone was bustling early this am….traffic jam of golf carts and bicycles……children in uniforms hurrying to school…policeman were directing traffic at the busy intersections ….about to board ferry to go back to Belize City….stifling inside the ferry…..children cranky and crying…windows open but everyone sits stupefied by the heat….water taxi/ferry terminal is an absolute mad house….bag arrives and I stumble out the door…thankfully a policeman is right there ….I inquire as to the whereabouts of the cruise terminal…just go down here to the right…hummmm…pulling large rolling bag…it has just rained…dodging giant puddles…huge grates in the sidewalk that had collected any manner of flotsam during the rain …..feeling a bit sticky…entrance is terribly nondescript…push through the doors…security checks everything….then they say just go in…no one around…after the bustling ferry terminal it is quite eerie….my footsteps echoing as I head towards to dock…finally I spy a young lady holding the name of cruise ship…most grateful to jettison large suitcase….grab a bite then catch the tender to the ship that is moored about a mile offshore
After the interminable safety lecture and lifeboat drill…finally get a shower and dinner…set sail for Honduras
Wednesday
Arriving in Punta Sal…mountains shimmer in the early morning humidity…we head to the national park for a hike and a dreaded 1 1/2 hr zodiac ride around the peninsula…dropped off on a beach..2 or 3 people materialize out of the trees to guide us through the jungle…2 minutes into the walk everyone is dripping sweat and swatting bugs…when the guide stops to talk about a 200 yr old avocado tree…it felt like we had been in the jungle for hours…some people looking very unhappy at getting attacked by mosquitoes…saw a couple of snakes and a few monkeys…and iguanas clinging to sheer rock walls…at the end of the peninsula was a group of small rocky islands….apparently during a war….. Honduras decided to practice bombing on the larger island but little remains now except for the rocky bird covered outcroppings….after lunch we head to Guanaja Honduras …following the coast line the mountains are now shrouded in late afternoon clouds…tucked away on the top shaded deck..the temperature is perfect…
Thursday
A little before 1 AM last night the abandon ship alert sounded…trust me when I say it is VERY LOUD….I was sound asleep…sat bolt upright in bed…wondering where I was and what that God awful sound was… open door to hallway…no sign of people or activity…call the reception desk…thankfully someone answered…..they are claiming it was a technical malfunction but wondering if the new guy just bumped into the wrong switch….the captain was very apologetic in his announcement this morning
After breakfast…. zodiac took us to Guanaja…small seemingly floating city….packed with colorful houses and little canals meandering throughout …everyone very friendly and welcoming…quick hop over to a peninsula to Hotel Guanaja Beach….sherbet colored cottages perched above a beach….absolutely delightful..…tried some local chocolate….I am quite taken with coastal Honduras ….later an excursion to a 7 mile long beach….I am happily picking up shells and rocks….chatted with the caretaker …he tells me to wait….he went up to his house and brought back an entire tray of shells…he insisted I take all of them…which I was happy to do…..jump into the zodiac to head to the ship and the driver comes up to me and tells me I have to get out of the zodiac…we are 10 feet from shore …I can’t decide if he is kidding or serious…when suddenly we head back to shore and he says “ Get out!”…the staff on the beach grabs my hand… I go……not quite sure what is happening…it turns out that we are not supposed to bring ANYTHING back from the island…..I try to explain that the caretaker gave them to me to no avail….I reluctantly hand over the shells
Friday
Skipping the trip to looking for Pink Boas in the jungle…can’t imagine wandering through the trees gazing up looking for snakes!!! Quiet morning sitting on the top deck…mainland is a mass of large mountains (some over 8000 ft) as far as you can see…ship is sitting surrounding by numerous small little cays….Coxen Hole and Bay island are the home to Garifunas tribe….not sure how many live on this tiny island…but they were welcoming and play music and dance for us…sharing some local food…and amazing coconut cookies…stroll through the village…hard to imagine life with so little …after lunch we are allowed to visit a private island…ambling along the beach…lots of great shells…which I admire but leave …after dark when we are at anchor..the ships lights are illuminated at water level…schools of little silver fish dart …it’s like watching moonbeams as they flash and turn
Saturday
5 AM departure for Cuero y Salado national park …we toured through the mangroves…Snowy egrets…several types of herons..quick stop in the village to pickup a local guide….white faced Capuchin monkeys…..several groups of Howler monkeys…calling to each other through the trees…large flocks of Parakeets…they were difficult to see but easy to identify by the sound…a Nightjar…Cormorants….Boat billed Heron….the zodiac driver would turn off the motor and we would drift along listening to the birds and monkeys…unfortunately a woman in our group felt compelled to bombard the guide with questions instead of enjoying the quiet…..back at the village we were treated to several local dances and various types of local dishes …sweltering walk around the village…the BEST part was getting on a 100 yr old small gauge railroad flat car…with 2 poles running parallel down the center…8 - 10 people sit down…this young man starts pushing us down the track…when we are going fast enough a motorcycle eases into position….off we go…. The motorcycle driver uses his foot to propel us down the track….clackety clack….passing houses…coconut farms….the track is still in use to transport goods from village to main track…passing on the beach excursion this afternoon…2+ hours in a Zodiac this is am is more than my daily quota
Sunday
Arrive in Placencia Belize this am…..pop on the zodiac for a quick tour of town…shops mostly closed as it was Sunday…..but several enterprising souls were open…it reminded me of Key West….very touristy...but with a little more charm…a water taxi named the Hokey Pokey (basically a hard fiberglass boat…no frills…we slam across the water..grateful to finally reach the dock) picked up about 20 of us for a trip to a spice farm…scenery changing from mangroves and palm trees to tall pines and poinsettias….nice botanical gardens…then on to Nim Li Punit Mayan ruins built in 700AD…surprisingly well preserved…..stela (large stone monoliths) stones in a circle to tell time and seasons….lots of wonderful artifacts in the small museum…however we were wilting in the heat…finally escape to the ruins….stone foundations remain intact but wooden structures on top of coarse long gone…tombs in underground vaults….massive Gumbolimbo trees with beautiful red bark towering over the ball court…vines dangling down…Leaf Cutter ants have cleared a bare track though the leaves and grass…marching along with their burdens…spied the Belize national flower…the Black Orchid…about the size of a ping pong ball….humidity is astounding…..feeling quite moist as clothes are plastered to my skin…shower will be heavenly
Monday
Half Moon Caye National Monument …island is surrounded by a large reef…the end closest to the reef seems to be where shells and coral go to die…crunching as I struggled to find footing on what was basically a large rubble pile.... a group of frigate birds are currently nesting here…..a large platform was erected in the interior of the island….perhaps a little less than two stories tall…when you reach the summit….you are at tree top level…hundreds of birds …the males all displaying for females…it was such a surprise to see so much activity….paths meander around the island…trying not to step on hermit crabs or iguanas….…I made my way to Sunset point….suddenly two large animals…looking like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater darted into the underbrush…I later found out they were Coati…glad I took the early zodiac as the wind has picked up and small white caps are now prevalent …VERY happy to have no more zodiacs in my immediate future….some people from the ship took a trip over to the Blue Hole to snorkel and dive…the Blue Hole is a significant feature in this part of the Mesoamerican reef….arrive back in Belize City late tonight
The ship population was about 60% French…the rest a mixture of European and American….I met a delightful group of interesting and fun people…...things I will miss….wonderful cheeses…butter and croissants…..I will happily leave behind…zodiacs..life jackets…oppressive humidity
