Been warned already about the crazy dangers Ill be facing. Of course, I also got warned first time I went to friggin' Cancun !!
Ive done my research though...I know what we are getting into, but at the end of the day its an adventure and you know what "Shit Happens" in all corners of the globe.
We are flying into Belize city and staying the first night there. Everyone on the travel sites showed more concern for that than Guatemala and as they have been and not just talking-I listen.....
Therefore, booked a nice hotel there in a "nice" ie tacky touristy area right by the ocean. its called the Great House so we shall see just how great it is !!
Hopefully we will get to see Belize city some as Im curious why everyone hates it so much
From here on to gasp shock horror Guatemala !!!
Not sure yet if we will fly or take the bus. We do have time limits but $120 versus $20 !!! hnnmmmmmm
Two nights will be in Guatemala...a really small village (Flores) about an hour or two out from the site we have our eyes on. TIKAL. For you Star wars geeks it was the area they filmed the rebel base (above the jungle canopy)
Hopefully we will get a full day at this Mayan site. They are filming the next Survivor whilst we are there in an adjacent Mayan site and that one will be closed to the public. To me thats much more exciting than any Star wars film.
If I run into Mark Burnett out there, I will give him apiece of my mind about not getting non-citizens on his show :)
After this it's back via bus to Belize and a border town called San Ignacio. a night here at "Martha guest house".
Another bus to Belize city again and the plan is to catch a ferry across to Caye Caulker for 2 nights R and R on that Island (at "de real Macraw" guesthouse)
Finally a ferry to Ambergris Caye for 2 more nights R and R with a little partying thrown in for good measure. Here we will stay at a bed and breakfast called "changes of Lattitudes"
Puddle jumper back to Belize city, and homeward bound
On paper looks great. Im sure there will be adventures on route.
Karl said Russell gets the Vette keys if anything happens....sorry crazy Tina.
BRITGIRL IN BELIZE
Arrived in Belize safe and sound. Gorgeous room in old hotel......We have really nice wood floors and the Ac is remote controlled. Its our little Oasis in this heat.....nice area too though the rest of the city is VERY third world. Went for a stoll saw rats the size of Roxy sat on top of cars just washing themselves. Cheeky Buggers!!!
The crabs in the street are harmless but make me jump as they scurry to their holes in the verge along the road. They are really big and especially in the dark kinda frightening to hear this "scurry scurry scurry" and then see a kitten sized crab run past your toes.
Its really dirty and bit smelly...the street folk just poo in the gutters. We were affraid of Belize city so any downtown exploring was done in the early hours. Morning is the best time to explore when all the crackheads are still sleeping...some in the trees!! Im not kidding, wereally did see this.
On our first walk we saw a man whose job is was to go around the road gutters with a trowel on a long pole scooping up all the poo and putting it down random drains!!! NICE. We didn't hang around and bought bottled water immediatly. Remind me never to complain about my job !!! The swing bridge is an interestingplace to people watch. Its right by a big church and few market stalls...but also near the water taxi terminal so you can watch the local folk as well as all the stunned looking vacationers with water connections to make...no one looked too comfortable.
The city has a well dodgy feel to it too but having said that everyone we met was really sweet and helpful...no one bothered us but yet at the same time it felt like there was an underlying danger at all times.
Not a good place for clubbin' even the Belize folk get off the streets by nine pm.
We did walk all round and had a a few moments when we felt bit iffy but alls well that ends well. Was strolling in early evening and had a "night of living dead" moment when some old haggy woman kinda appeared out of no where....full (old) evening gown, pearls, missing teeth, wild hair etc and started chatting to Karl.
BRITGIRL (PLUS KARL) HIT GUATEMALA
So here we are in Flores, Guatemala.
Flew in a 10 seat little bitty plane all the way across Belize to here. Wanted to kiss the ground when we landed but was trying to look cool........When we left Belize airport and had been flying about 5 minutes, the pilot banked a quick right and went back to the airport that we had just left from...nothing to worry about we had just forgotten two people. !!! Got them and then back on the way.
Only in Belize.
Was pretty awesome really but scary too. I was sat right behind the pilot and watched him dodging between the cloud banks for a smooth(er) ride.
Flores is great, full of Guatemalan locals on holiday or backpackers from all corners of the world.....hence the internet cafes all over ! Have already met and exchanged stories with all kinds of folk. The travellers all want to chat and pick up tips and recommendations on cheap eats etc.
Flores is a tiny "island" village joined to a bigger town Santa Elena by one road. Santa Elena is busy and dusty, kinda like a mexican border town but Flores is quaint and pretty. Only about 6 streets wide with a mix of cobbled and dusty streets. Tiny bars, and local shops. Surrounded by the lake and our hotel room has a view of it all. Our hotel looks really sweet and colonial from the second floor down...a pretty red colour with white colums flanking the front door. Look a lot more expensive than the $16 each we are paying but if you glance up higher than the second floor you see that construction is still on going and the roof is infact missing.
Our room is tiny, but a beautiful view out over the lake and this ($35 aftertax) room is one of the most expensive due to the extremly loud Air conditioner box shoved into the wall. Its sticky and hot though so we needed that...added for the keeping cool is a ceiling fan but we darn't turn it on because it rattles and groans and spazzies out each time we do, making us think its gonna fall on our heads in the night and kill us !!!
The Local buses are my new favourite photo op. Love them. They are all old yellow(american) school buses that have seen better days.
The people paint over the yellow...sometimes nice muted pastels, usually bright wild colours and strap luggage,bikes, furniture to the top and fill the inside with as many folk as they can squeeze in...kids, grandmas,gringo tourists,dogs, chickens....hence the name Chicken buses.
Tikal tomorrow for the history part...Karl will be SOOOOO happy. Thousands of Mayan ruins for him to climb and explore....none of those western restrictions. You wanna climb 62 meters and fall to your death go ahead !!
Going for a beer and food now...not into beer but starting to enjoy the cold Belikins and Gallos and its cheaper as the wine is imported.
Later.....
BRITGIRL V'S THE MOZZIES
In the jungle the mighty jungle....etc etc etc
So an early start today and we got a bus to Tikal. Well I say bus...it was a mini van with missing pieces and broken windows but, Hey, it got us there in one piece.
Drove though the hillside villages and towns.
Our bus would come round a bend them slam on the breaks to avoid the wandering cows, horses,dogs and kids.
The houses are just wooden huts with palm frond roofs and in the "richer" towns these are replaced by cement block homes with corrugated iron roofs.
The local women walk around still carrying produce on their heads, often in local Mayan costune which looks very ethnic...but them once in awhile you see them on a cell phone too.
Well, I saw that once but it shocked the hell out of me, is it possible that they live in such poverty yet have a cell phone or was that phone "aquired" by horse riding,machete bearing husband ?? Quite baffling !?
Anyway...I digress.......
Tikal was amazing and Im not even keen on the whole TEMPLE thing but this was once the biggest city in the world. 4000 ruins to explore which up until 100 years ago were still buried under the jungle folliage.
We didnt get to them all off course but still spent the whole day there. SOOOOO hot. We were only 10 miles from the Yaxha area where the survivors are right now. Im telling you I will watch that with great admiration this time.....the heat...the bugs.....UGH. I wouldn´t have lasted too long. I do wonder how many other cities like this have yet to be discovered as this jungle was immense.
Its soooo humid and with the sun out constantly it feels like 140 though I think its only just 100 degrees. I step out the door and am instantly drenched in sweat...theres no point showering though I do anyway
Some temples were so high that once we climbed the Really steep steps (200 feet high) we were above the jungle canopy making for some awesome views !!! It was a scary climb though and no railing once you are at the top. Im not scared of hights but felt my heart racing a wee bit....which just adds to the drama. I think that the numerous liability laws have taken all the fun out of America. People should have the right to plunge to their deaths without anyone getting sued.
Saw the whole Star wars (rebel base) scene much to Karls excitment.
Met a fella from Leicester who had been travelling all over the central American region...why is it all the travellers are always from the North UK !!??? He was really cool though and had some good tips for us for the rest of our trip as he had already been.
The mozzies have been my constant enemy here. I itch constant and have a nice variety of bites ranging from little red marks bit apple size whelts.
Even though I had 100 per cent deet and long cargos those vicious mozzies still did plenty of damage !!!!! OUCH...and the stupis afterbite I bought is useless too. Those bugs are MEAN.
The whole of the ruins are in the jungle (second biggest after Amazon) so its really quite an adventure just walking between the sites !!! Howler monkeys swinging through the branches...tons of them and though the little ones do have a cute howly sounds the big ones have this terrifying roar......GULP
We spent 6 hours there and much of that was hard core climbing and clambering.
Walked so much up and down ruins so hopefully it willbe working off all the fried Plantains and beans Ive been eating. I did get distracted occaisionally from the said ruin by the monkeys, leaf cutter ants (huge and fascinating) and these cute fox looking creatures. Didn't see any tarantulas, snakes or jaguars that also live there thank goodness.
Though Tikal is a popular site its big enough that its easy to wander the trails and be totally alone for ages. This is why just few years ago they had a band of theives/rapists praying on the tourists...they have since been caught (so I was told) and now equally scary police with shotguns and machetes wander around from time to time.
We were often alone on the jungle paths and didn't feel unsafe at all.
Last night, in Flores, we had a great meal....meat,veg, plantains,drinks, water. all for $10 for both of us !!!!
Also much to Karls fun we found this funny little bar/cafe playing a pirated STAR WARS....bit dodgy quality but here you can´t be too fussy.
No clubs for this clubber til the islands.............
Also.....kinda weird last night as we were woken at 2 am by a truck going by with a microphone shouting "Attension...Attension." Couldn´t make out anything else they were saying as it was all Spanish. Caused few moments of panic til we just fell back to sleep.
There are armed guards here all over the place...and sometimes in really odd places. They carry Rambo style rifles which are bigger then they are and often a machete for good measure. Its normal, now, to see them outside banks,liquor stores and supermarkets but have also seen them in odd random spots like outside a closed store...at gates in the countryside....or like today on a soda truck !!!????? WEIRD places. They look so intimidating til you walk past and get a wink !!!
It is a very friendly place...very little english spoken at all but we manage between a couple of word and alot of miming.
No one hassels you to buy anything or to come into their restaurant...its just do as you please and cheap cheap cheap
Wonder what excitement awaits us tonight......more beer ???
Tomorrow another early start as we will be leaving Guatemala and back into Belize to the mountain village of San Ignacio
bye.............
BACK INTO BELIZE
So, back into belize after a 3 hour bus ride over non paved roads through the hills and jungle villages.....pretty much the same scenery as yesterday. Lots of cattle wandering the streets, though also saw a dead horse laying there too :(
Women doing the laundry in the local river walking back to town with it all balanced on their heads. Was quite a ride...the bus would veer dramatically to one side of the street then the other to avoid the huge potholes so a bit nerve racking.
Still very hot . Some places have Air con but usually its just about opening the windows and as the mozzies have tasted by blood already theres really no stopping them !!!
We are here now in San Ignacio. Its in Belize but very close to the Guat. border just in the Belizian hills.
Had to come across the border by bus...get out walk though the "customs", get a stamp, avoid the money changers, and back on the bus.
Its a funny little town...again full of either locals or backpackers no one really here on a vacation as such. Reminds me off an old fashioned frontier town. I instantly liked it here, its rundown but feels like we belong.
Kinda nice to be speaking English again as we didn't do so well with the Spanish. Nobody in the areas we stayed in Guat. spoke english and their Spanish is not the same as the text book spanish so was quite an adventure just trying to communicate.
Its more lively here too...lots of bars along the river and loud music , reggea and dodgy chart tunes....though not techno. For some reason they must like George Micheal in these areas, because I keep hearing songs like 'Careless whisper' over and over.
Already had lunch....Karl had this chilimole soup. beany,chocolatey, with meat and a single boiled egg in the middle....sounds gross,looked gross but was sooo good. Dinner was at "Hannahs" and more of an Indian/Taiwan food......got my curry fix !!!
The power went out this morning before we arrived . Something about a power dispute with Mexico. Hoping that doesn't happen whilst we are here. There has also been a bad storm in Mexico which we had no idea about, but its messing with the power here.
Met lots of people on our travels...most out in this area for months on end...would be nice!!! Only heard good things about Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Actually Honduras sounds great so may have to go there someday, maybe next time ????
Did meet a girl today whose friend did get kidnapped in Guatemala city but she lived there and was from a wealthy family......the way we look (and smell ) right now, no one will be doing any kidnapping thats for sure. Also was on the news that a tour group of 16 Americans got their bus held up at the local caves. So these caves, (which we had wanted to see) were closed whilst the police searched the surrounding areas for men with axes and knifes !!!!??
Whats funny is; because we are on the "backpacking" trail so to speak we keep running into the same people in each town. its like " Hey...don't I know you" in almost every restaurant and bar ...because alot of europeans choose to travel alone they always want to stop a while and chat so it feels like having old friends in each town.
Our bed and breakfast is out of this world. We have the top floor in Marthas guest house....big double bed...two singles,sitting area, huge bathroom,and a balcony with a panoramic view of town,table and hammocks all to ourselves. Its lovely and only $45 a night. beautiful.
This afternoon walked about 40 minutes up the really steep back roads to another Mayan site. Was called Cahal Pech and was much smaller than Tikal but really pretty....also within the jungle.
Sat above the largest temple for ages in the shade of the jungle chatting to two girls on their trip around the area.. They had just started so we felt very wise and worldly telling them where to go and where to avoid ! ha ha
Think Im about templed out now. Thats ok its onto the the beaches tomorrow !!!!!!!! YEHHHHHHH
Hope the weather stays as sunny as its been here... we have had the brightest blue skies every day.....forgot to ask which direction that Mexican hurricane was going ???
Later.....
BRITGIRLS SAYS "LIFE IS A BEACH"
Now its time for some R and R on Caye Caulker. Was a little sad leaving San Ignacio and the mainland really....we loved it there and wasn't sure if it would be too touristy here after being used to the opposite for so long.
Was another three hour bus ride from San Ig. to Belize city (and that was express bus) and then another hour on the water taxi to Caye Caulker.
The water Taxi was quite an experience....lets see how many folk you can pile into a speed boat and then bump across the water at high speed like sardines.
Its gorgeous here and really not very touristy. Everyone here is VERY laid back...many backpackers again and the locals are friendly and still not pushy at all...many are Rastas so theres plenty of music and dancing of the Reggea kind !!
We walked the whole island as its just 3 streets wide and a mile long. From the beach on one side you can loook down the streets and see the beach on the other side.
There's no real distinction between the beach and the streets.....sand everywhere !!! Soft white sand for the beach, hard, white sand for the streets, sand as the floor in the bars and restaurants. Unless you eat at a place on stilts,which many have for the rains, then you are gonna be on sand. No one wears shoes hardly (Greg !!!!) and the people just love their island.
Everyone knows everyone else and so the feeling is very much like a family and feels safe. I think it said the population was just 700 !!! There are certainly more stray dogs and cats than locals. the place next to ours has 20 cats !!!!
The ocean is beautiful.....clear with greens and turquoise. The"official" beaches are not maintained or manicured at all so its all very wild with grass growing (in and out of the water), palm trees leaning into the water and washed up logs. Looks and feels more like a desert island than a vacation spot.
Our guesthouse is really cute...very basic rooms. Its a wooden thatch hut. The AC broke last night and the toilet doesn't flush without a lot of work.....but theres a hammock on our porch and its on the beach, so who cares eh !!!!
Eating is more expensive here than the mainland, and much more than Guatemala but still quite reasonable and the seafood is caught right there and cleaned in front of you, so gotta love that.
We found a pretty little house for breakfast and the man running it was well into the politics of the island so gave us a full run down of all the ins and outs...troubles and strifes that was going on. He was certainly an outspoken fellow, and very interesting.
Oddly enough the mosquitos are gone, and no sand flies that all the books warned me about. Its been very dry here seen as its wet season and is hot and sunny today though feels so good with the breeze off the ocean. Heaven.
Meant to be about 94 degrees but feels more like 80 when the breeze comes in the afternoon.
I can handle that.....in all the other places the heat was quite oppressive. I would be drenched in sweat in two minutes of being outside.
The internet cafes are about the only places with decent AC hence my little siestas on the BLOG !!!!!!!
The Mexican hurricane missed us and I guess hit Us as a tropical storm. Another lurking near jamaica but only clear blue skies and sun for now. still.
Been very lazy since arriving. There are "Go slow" signs everywhere even though there are no cars on the island...so we have been taking those signs quite literally.
...was gonna do a snorkle trip today but with the news of the bombs in London we stayed on the island to call friends and have the cell phone for the English backpackers if they needed to borrow it to check on their families.
Tomorrow its on to our second island, Ambergris Caye.
Meant to be much more touristy there, clubs, resorts etc etc.
We are planning a big snorkel trip there to Hon Chan a protected sight and to Shark ray alley, to swim with the sharks and Rays.
Im guessing it will be harder to email or Blog with it being a big resort town and off the backpackers trail....but Ill see.
I have many photos but the internet connection is slow that I can't include them on the Blogs but will add them after Im back....so check back once in a while ok.
TEMPATION ISLAND
" Last night I dreamt of San Pedro
it all seems like yesterday...not far away.
Tropical the island breeze...all of nature wild and free........................."
ahhhhhh...La isla Bonita.
So here we are on Ambergris Caye....San pedro !! Made famous by the Madonna song and of course Temptation island.
Its our last stop and indeed our last night that I am finishing off this blog.
Will be very sad to leave the island...the country....and more importantly, the people.
I think I can easily say the people here are some of the nicest and most friendly I have met on ANY of my travels. EVER.
All the locals in all the towns have been awesome and though they do look a little intimidating there is always a smile and greeting and never any ulterior motive...ever. They don't want to sell you anything or bother you.... just meet you and chat and tell you how they love their country and want you to feel the same.
So,San Pedro......
Its still very laid back but busy and loud compared to Caye Caulker. They do have some cars on this island but only little Toyota vans for Taxis. Its still very much a bike and golf cart kinda place. Some of the carts just crack me up. Gangsta looking boys driving them around.....one cart had Spinners (NO shittin') and saw a couple with neon underneith. UNBELIZABLE.
The nightlife is fun but at the same time its no Cancun...its all about beach bars and dance/punta music. Live bands or chart music is about all you will get here..Beyonce and 50 cent seem very popular on this island.
We arrived by ferry... a 20 minute ride from Caye C. and we are again staying in a bed and breakfast place, 10 minutes from the middle of town.
Again, its just three streets wide...all sand...but a much longer island with all the Resort places in the far north. Tucked far far away....
Unlike most vacation places though, this one doesn't mind if you don't stay in their resort...you can still use their pool, restaurant, beaches etc......so this afternoon we visited Captain Morgans (from temptation island fame) Poor Karl !!!!!!! .....but it had to be done !! I was dying to go there and see it. Poor mandy ...poor billy (ha ha ha...you won't understand that unless you were an avid watcher)
We rented bikes and went all over the island,,,.....They have a hand pull ferry that links San Pedro with the north end, where all the Resorts are. 
Past the ferry, that area is just one, single, potholed road. To the left is swampland, "beware crocodile" signs, tin shacks and LOTS and LOTS of trash all thrown along the roadside or strewn through the swamps. To be right is the backs of all the resorts and vacation homes. They have tried to hide this road from most of the resorts and infact you really wouldn't know it was there because almost everyone staying in the resorts comes and goes by watertaxi so they don't get to experience this section at all. As we biked over 10 miles we got to see it all.
On the ocean side, gorgeous white sand beaches. Captain Margans, Mata Chica, Journeys end....all with beautiful beachside acommodation, wonderful restaurants, infinity pools etc etc
Earlier that day, did a fabulous snorkel trip.....like nothing I have ever seen before. We went to Hol Chan (a protected marine reserve) right on the barrier reef. Beautiful. Followed by a trip to the channel known locally as "Shark Ray alley" The name speaks for itself. This channel was where the fishermen cleaned their fish before returning to town and so still attracts huge nurse sharks and Sting Rays. We got to swim and snorkel amongst them. Got some awesome pics and video of me in with them all. The Sharks are quite timid but the Rays would brush right by !!!!
The water in that area was crystal clear.... it was like swimming in a pool.
I am still covered in mossie bites though funnily enough not as bad here on the islands. The deet spray we have been using has managed to strip the hairs from my legs leaving no need for a razor !!!! nice one !!!!........however also must have gotten some on one eyebrow and the hairs came off there too. Not so good !!!!
I have to pencil them in now, else i look like that serial killer from the film Monster !
Tonight was our final meal so we splurged and took a water taxi over to the resorts and have a gorgeous seafood meal there. The "capricorn" was beautiful and we ate under the stars and watched a lightening storm somewhere in the distance.
The water taxi coming back went though the pitch black and was quite an experience in itself.
Now back in the regular town for beers and drinks. Don't care if we get trashed tonight....just flying back tomorrow :(
better to be done with a hangover I figure.
So guys...no kidnappings...muggings....attacks.....maleria...stomach bugs.......etc etc etc .....Well so far :)
Just many great memories of a wonderful country( 2 countries) that I will be heavily promoting on my return !!!!
*The beaches arn't as stunning as Mexico though the way they looked so natural would appeal to some folk more I think.
*The nightlife is of the shoes off, relaxed kind so again no big clubbin' nights but its safe that you can enjoy all the towns local nightlife with no fear.
* Some places are dirty but much of that is about the culture...the Garifunis through the ages have been used to just throwing their trash out their windows for the pigs and other cattle to eat and as the world has changed they haven't quite developed with it.
* You won't find nicer or friendlier people in Mexico or any other carribbean spot..this is the best.
* (.....with the exception of Belize city) these countries are very safe to travel.
BACK TO REALITY
Here we are back to the real world.
Safe and sound after our adventures.
I was crying leaving that last guesthouse. Cindy and Renita (the owners of "changes of lattitudes") were so cool.
The water was off for our last spell there and as the temperatures were back to hot and humid and the sweat was dripping within seconds I was worried about the people that would be sitting near me on the flight back....but...Ta daaaaa. Like Magic the water came back on in time for us to shower up before leaving.
Took another tiny plane from Ambergris Caye to belize city in time for the AA flight back. The small plane was sweeeet....flew over all the small islands and islets so was a stunning view.
AA flight was boring and uneventful compared to that...chatted a bit to the other passengers but other than us most of them had only been to the resorts on Ambergris and had loved that but not seen anythin
g else on Belize.
Will add some pics to these pages now Im back......
