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entry 14: belize 01/28/06

Photo note - Thanks to the rain and flooding in Belize, I've been working on getting larger images for the photos on the journal pages. You can now click on the photos below to make them larger. Enjoy!

It's obvious from the house stilts that the rainy seasons in Belize are fairly serious.

The ride from the border to Belize City takes only a few hours - even though riding speeds rarely exceed 45 mph. The biggest difference from riding in Mexico is that the road signs and billboards are now all in English. After trying to translate everything posted on the roadsides for two months it was like having put on magic glasses that do all the brain work for you. This magical power also carries over to conversation - as the official language here is English. Unless of course the person you are speaking to chooses to speak in Creole or Spanish or a mixture of all three languages!

Belize City is on the coast with an elevation that is several feet below sea level and an average temperature of 82 degrees this time of year – both of which make for some pretty high humidity. When we road into the city it reminded me of New Orleans with its wood homes on stilts and cemeteries that have crypts above ground. Also a large portion of the population is of Creole ancestry and are very dark skinned.

We tried to stay in central Belize City, but the cost of hotels in the nicer part of town was $150 a night and the ones that were affordable ($35) were a little too spongy. We were feeling a little run down as it had been raining for an hour and it was getting late in the afternoon. So we rode back out of town to check out some hotels near the airport which we had spotted on the way in. Our first stop was not much better - we pulled down their driveway and almost got our bikes stuck in a swampy yard! We slopped our way back out and moved on to what was to become our home for awhile - the Global Village Hotel.

A "vroom with a view". Our bikes are warm & dry in the hotel lobby.

We were quite pleased when three people met us at the door and welcomed us in. We found the rooms clean and quite large for the price of $50. We were then surprised when they insisted we ride our muddy bikes into their lobby…right onto their gleaming tile floors! It turned out to be a hotel that is run by several families from Taiwan and they were the most gracious hosts we have encountered so far on this trip.

We had made plans to meet Jack, my father-in-law and now international traveler, at the Belize airport where we would then take a short flight to the island of Ambergris Caye. Having made arrangements with Amy to keep our bikes in their hotel lobby while on the island, our hosts drove us to the airport and we waited for Jack’s plane to arrive. I have to admit we were looking forward to seeing Jack, not only because he is family and a hell of a gin player, but also because it was good to see a familiar face and to hear of news back home.

We boarded the single engine Cessna and being as the plane was full and I was the last person on, I was seated in the co-pilot seat. This gave Lynne some concern because I have a bit of a reputation as a “button pusher” - so much so that I am not allowed alone in hospital rooms and have been banned from several electronics stores. What a view it was from the cockpit! The 30 miles of water we passed over to reach the island was 10 to 15 feet deep and it was truly crystal clear. We landed at an airstrip that was within walking distance of our hotel.

Jack kicking back and enjoying the beach on Ambergris Caye.

“The Palms” are really condo units that were very nice and most importantly had kitchens. After four months of questionable breakfasts it was a treat to cook bacon and eggs for breakfast. The town we were staying in on the island is called San Pedro. It has three unpaved main streets, two U.S. style supermarkets and 42 bars. The beaches are of white sand but the ocean bottom consisted of patches of sea grass and was described by one six year-old as “comfy”, which was a kind word for slippery. Jack and I chartered a boat for a morning of fishing and because of high winds we went to the sheltered side of the island and did some reef fishing. Now we both agreed that it was a good outing because it gave us an opportunity to see more of the island and the clear blue water was beautiful to see. And it was interesting to watch our guides catch our bait of minnows by casting a net, but soon after catching our first dozen or so snapper fish, which are very good eating but do not put up much of a fight, we were pretty bored. Things became a little more interesting when one of the guides jumped into the water to look for some lobsters while we continued to cast our lines. Fortunately we didn’t snag the young man with our lines (something else I have been known to do) but unfortunately he didn’t find any lobsters. The guides cleaned our catch and along with the snapper we had lobster tails, purchased at a fish market, for dinner. The lobster turned out to be cheaper than meat so we had lobster for lunch the next day…quite the treat.

One evening we went out on the beach to enjoy some local action. Now keep in mind this is a pretty laid back community. Once a week one of the bars has a “Chicken Drop” contest, consisting of people placing bets on which square a rooster will “make a deposit”. It seemed to be quite popular as several rounds of the game were played. Lynne and I also went ocean kayaking and once again it was amazing to see coral and other and plant life so clearly yet the water was more than 10 feet deep. Kayaking is a lot of fun, especially when you can get your paddling rhythm going - but after an hour our shoulders had had enough fun. The rest of the week flew by, filled with good meals, card games and walks on the beach, then we saw Jack off at the airport and returned to our bikes at the Global Village.

Flooding along the Manatee Highway forced "Plan B" into action.

Several rainy days delayed our departure from Belize City but this gave us an opportunity to get to know our hosts at the hotel. Li and Amy taught us a new card game called “Pick Two” and we had a good time spending the evenings with them. We also went downtown via bus a few times, which costs 75 cents per person and can get crowded on weekends but is a good way to observe local life and see the town. The pirate museum was a little hokey but had free admission and it did have some good reading material on ships of the era and a good collection of glassware from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Finally the rains stopped enough for us to hit the road and our plan was to go south on the Manatee Highway toward Gales Point to watch the Manatee. This plan lasted until we turned onto the “Highway” and saw nothing but a dirt road that was under water. Not just a few yards but as far as the eye could see. So plan “B” was put in place and we headed inland to San Ignacio where we would spend a few days before crossing the border into Guatemala. San Ignacio was a very friendly town, very laid back and green. We picked the Hotel Pacz out of the Lonely Planet and almost didn’t stop because there was only street parking but when we asked the owners about parking our bikes, they let us come through their garage (had to remove panniers to fit through the side door) and park in their back yard! These folks where very gracious and it just got better when we went for dinner at the restaurant located below the hotel. It is called “Erva’s” and she cooked the best meals for us, breakfast and dinner that we have had since leaving home. She is helped out by her husband Landy, who turned out to be more knowledgeable about current U.S. politics than we are. He was very helpful at filling us in on Central American history and answered many of our questions about current affairs in the region.

Meet Buddy - he is the star of Martin's iguana re-introduction program.

While in San Ignacio we took a tour of the local jungle and our guide, Martin, pointed out various plants that are used for remedies. Novocain, birth control and even glue (made from a type of seed called “horse balls”) can be found in the flora of the country side. I thought the best part of the tour was watching an amazing trail of “cutter ants”. An endless line of them created a bright green line across the forest floor as they carried the pieces of leaves (probably 10 times their body size) they had harvested back to their nest. Martin also introduced us to their Green Iguana re-introduction program – which attempts to combat the incredibly high infant-mortality rate of iguanas. They breed these bright green reptiles and then release them in ecologically safe areas after a few years. In addition to the high death rate of juveniles, these iguanas are in danger because they are considered a culinary delicacy by some locals. Deforestation, herbicides from farming, and cattle in the river systems also endanger the species.

Well, it’s off to Guatemala and good-bye to some good food, people and the English language. Belize is definitely a place we would return to!

Thoughts on Belize from Lynne:

Our own personal Santa. It was great to share a bit of our trip with Dad.

My father flew into Belize like Santa on his sleigh – bringing goodies like books, snacks, lotions and most importantly – two bottles of Mountain Dew! The nectar of the gods - I hoarded them and made them last almost a week. Thanks for the taste of home, Dad.

It almost seemed as though we were “cheating” in some way during our stay in Belize. Things were a bit too easy. We spoke the language, recognized almost everything on menus, and shopped at grocery stores comparable to small stores in the states. Not complaining, mind you – only observing.

I’ve never seen rainstorms like those we experienced in Belize – and this is the dry season! For days it steadily poured – so much so that Belize City flooded while we were there. Nonetheless, one day following the storms, most of the flood waters had receded from the city roads and life was back to normal. Country roads however were a different story – those were still under water when we left Belize over a week later.

Comparative to its neighbors, Belize is very expensive – especially Belize City and the cayes (islands). Be prepared to spend some money here. San Ignacio, on the western side and away from the coast, is much more affordable and is home to some of the friendliest people we’ve encountered. Not to mention the best French Toast I have ever had in my life – Erva (the restaurateur below our room) makes her own Creole bread with coconut milk from her coconut trees and then fries it up. Unbelievable. Her lobster in garlic butter is not too shabby either.

While in Belize, we frequently saw Chinese writing – on billboards, businesses, etc., and we wondered what the deal was. One night we finally got the issue cleared up over a bottle wine. As I understand it, Belize, at one time, had an “economic citizenship” program with the Taiwanese government – a program meant to bring much needed capital and commerce to Belize. This program allowed Taiwanese citizens to, in essence, buy a Belizean citizenship through a one-time payment to the Belizean government and proof of the financial ability and desire to start a business in Belize. Huge numbers of Taiwanese took advantage of this program – which according to some is the reason that the program has since been terminated. As with any governmental program, this one had it supporters and detractors - but the large Taiwanese presence in the country is still very apparent.