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El Vergel
Nomad
Posts: 197
Registered: 8-27-2003
Location: San Felipe - Puertecitos Rd., Km. 35 and Santa Mon
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Belize
Greetings to All!
First, a special thanks and kudos to Doug for putting up this board, as you can see we all very much so enjoy its existence. Also, thank you DavidK
for your tutelage in the preparation of Trip Reports and the experiences you offer and share. Most of all, thank YOU! You Nomads, lurkers, et al, you
are all an awesome and beautiful bunch!
I got to go to Belize in May of last year. Apologies for not managing this Trip Report earlier but I wanted to share with you the beauty of this
place. Get to Belize, It’s wonderful! Two hours from L.A. to Dallas, then another three hours to Belize City via the planes will get you close to
this paradise. From there I took a puddle jumper to Ambergris Caye for a few days of hangin’ around the beach with the second largest barrier reef in
the world. Afterwards I went into the jungle for the adventure it has to offer, and then back home. Particulars: 10 days. Around $3500USD for two
living large with luxury, high end (because I can and I deserve it!!!). Experiences: PRICELESS!!!
Stayed at Xanadu Resort outside of San Pedro Town on the incredible Ambergris Caye where I had breakfast on the pier every morning
Their boat awaits your request. Diving, snorkeling, fishing...it's all the best in the world!
San Pedro town is loaded with anything and everything
Here, you can feed giant Tarpon while sipping a libation
These puppies are about four feet BIG!
big boy Cruising (:cool
North of town is beautiful with development potential ripe for retiree's
Fresh veggies at the roadside vendor
Waterways in da'hood!
South of San Pedro town are miles of this paradise, resorts, private homes...bars where they will lower your drinks to you in a bucket as you float in
the beautiful Sea
A remote store will have anything you may need
Out of the Cayes, I jumped into the jungle
Ian Anderson's Cave's Branch Jungle lodge and Adventure Company is the best in hosts
Took a Tree House accomodation for a few days. The Howler Monkey's and jungle sounds made for awesome "long nights"!!
The Lodge serves up meals Family Style! The food is perfectly prepared and tastes delicious. After dinner, the guides arrange for your next day
adventures. I took in the Cave tubing to a choice ceremonial Mayan cave (sorry, no images as I forgot the camera but definitely a must do), and then
visited some local ancient Architecture, Planning and Design.
Xunantunich is a short hop across a river on a ferry powered by manpower via a cable
Then off to Cahal Pech which was intimately absent of tourists...very cool!
A real jewel!
Xunantunich and Cahal Pech together were one day of foolin' around and goofin' off. Back to the Lodge for some R+R
Next day we took an all-dayer to visit Tikal in Guatemala. They wake you up at 5am and you get back around 5pm...but the tour of one of the biggest
Mayan Cities was worth it!
Almost stepped on a Coral Snake on the way out in darkness! The drive through the countryside is beautiful before stopping for a local breakfast
Border crossing into Guatemala and entrance into the park
Tikal ROCKS!!!!
Out of there is the drive home with another local stop for dinner and curios shopping
The area around the border crossing into Belize from Guatemala has lots goin' on!
...and it was nice to get back to the Lodge and enjoy their gardens along the River
The following day was the last. We packed up and took in the Belize Zoo on the way to the Belize City Airport
Hut accomodations available
A Tapir
Recent Hurricanes wreaked havoc
What a trip! I'm goin' back there soon! Unforgettable!!! Viva Belize!
[Edited on 6-21-2011 by El Vergel]
[Edited on 6-21-2011 by El Vergel]
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BigWooo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 579
Registered: 1-2-2007
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Great photos! As pretty as Baja is, I think I'm going to need to see green once in a while. Looks like a good place to try someday.
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karenintx
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 3-16-2008
Location: CSL
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Mood: Living The Dream
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Great pics and thanks for a wonderful walk down memory lane. I went on a scuba diving trip to Ambergris Caye in May 1989. I still remember the
flight on Tropic Air, riding bicycles around the island and the few golf carts used as transportation. Our dive group stayed at Ramons Reef. The day
after I arrived on the island I went for a walk on the beach where I met a handsome and delightful gentleman. We spent the next few days on dive
boats, talking over dinners, watching sunsets and learned that we lived in the same city, Houston. Oh it gets better, our apartments were across the
street from each other. We have been happily married for 21 years.
At Ramons Reef there was a great poem carved on wooden tablet, it was titled "I Belize" and from what I can remember it said "I Belize in sunsets, I
Belize in walks on the beach...I guess you could say..."We Belize!"
Thanks again for your post.
Edit = Ooops, just remembered it was Ramon's Village.
[Edited on 6-21-2011 by karenintx]
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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El Vergel, Thanks for the pictures. A friend lived down in Belize for several years. He moved back to the states.
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13197
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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that was an excellent A+ trip report .... I have always wondered what Belize looked like and now I can see that it is as beautiful as I imagined !!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Great report. Excellent photos. Similar to Karen, we hit the area many years ago. I figured that its popularity has caused at least some intrusion
into paradise. From your text and photos, it really seems that it's not nearly as primitive as I remember.
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Been there, done that
Unless I could somehow bypass Belize City I would never never go.
It is a chitHole!
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
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Mood: mellow
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
Unless I could somehow bypass Belize City I would never never go.
It is a chitHole! |
And here I was surfing the net looking to make reservations and finding a way to get down there.
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El Vergel
Nomad
Posts: 197
Registered: 8-27-2003
Location: San Felipe - Puertecitos Rd., Km. 35 and Santa Mon
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[Edited on 6-22-2011 by El Vergel]
[Edited on 6-22-2011 by El Vergel]
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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Outstanding trip report EV... loved every single image. My wife and I visited a lot of Mayan ruins all over Southern Mexico a couple of years ago.
Flew in to Cancun, rented a car, got got the heck out of there. We had planned to explore for three weeks, but after two weeks a hurricane chased us
out a week early. Those ruins are amazing, as are the beaches south of Cancun! We didn't stay in Cancun at all as we don't go for that kind of
entertainment. Like to explore historical stuff and more remote places!
[Edited on 6-22-2011 by Bob H]
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Excellent Vern, thanks for sharing!
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KASHEYDOG
Senior Nomad
Posts: 649
Registered: 2-21-2007
Location: CARLSBAD,CA 619-990-0270
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Mood: SO MANY TACOS, SO LITTLE TIME... Gotta Go, See ya there.... 
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Great report and pictures, thanks.... I've been thinking of going there and this
sure has helped me make a decision.
Don\'t mess with the old dog...... Age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! Brilliance only comes with age and
experience.....  ....  ....
Are you getting the most out of life OR is life getting the most out of you ?? 
Twenty years from now you\'ll be more disappointed by the things you didn\'t do then the things you did.
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willyAirstream
Super Nomad
Posts: 1786
Registered: 1-1-2010
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Great Report, thanks!
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Eli
Super Nomad
Posts: 1471
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: L.B. Baja Sur
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Mood: Some times Observing, sometimes Oblivious.
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Excellent trip report, I love the pictures. Belize and crossing into Guatamala and maybe doing a summer in Antigua are still on my bucket list, one
day.......maybe next year? Who knows.
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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SOLD!! I'm on my way!
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
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Mood: Sling time!
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best thing is i saw where English is the national language.?
and what is the currency?
BPI strongly advises against taking GA planes there and pilot's trip reports back that up. blatant fees gouging.
guess i can go to guatamala and rent a car or bus over the border.
ambergris cay and san pedro have to be nice.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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Von
Senior Nomad
Posts: 961
Registered: 10-1-2006
Location: Poway-Rosarito
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Mood: getting ready!
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BAYATAFALLLL~~~~~Wow! i need to go there!
READY SET.....................
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
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Mood: wait and see
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Haven't been back since early 60's. Pity I didn't get out to the cays, I'm sure that's the prettiest part. Spent most of my time in Belize City in a
neighborhood called The Yarborough. Interesting experiences but no crystal clear water in the bay. Interesting sanitation systems; only a couple of
feet above sea level so no septic tanks or sewers. The gov't provided outhouses on piers over the bay. No lights. One quickly learned to always
carry paper and matches to inspect the seat for creepy crawlies. Using one for the first time was a shock. As soon as one did one's business the
water below would erupt in a frantic boil. Catfish. It was illegal to catch the saltwater cats in the bay, although why anyone would want to beats
me. Also most people got their household water from tanks in the backyard. The gov't would periodically stock them with small fish to control the
mosquito larvae. After a month or so I shipped out on an old freighter that barely made it past the Chinchorro reefs before running aground a little
South of Punta Herrera on the Quintana Roo coast. But that's another story for another day.
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Oso
Haven't been back since early 60's. Pity I didn't get out to the cays, I'm sure that's the prettiest part. Spent most of my time in Belize City in a
neighborhood called The Yarborough. Interesting experiences but no crystal clear water in the bay. Interesting sanitation systems; only a couple of
feet above sea level so no septic tanks or sewers. The gov't provided outhouses on piers over the bay. No lights. One quickly learned to always
carry paper and matches to inspect the seat for creepy crawlies. Using one for the first time was a shock. As soon as one did one's business the
water below would erupt in a frantic boil. Catfish. It was illegal to catch the saltwater cats in the bay, although why anyone would want to beats
me. Also most people got their household water from tanks in the backyard. The gov't would periodically stock them with small fish to control the
mosquito larvae. After a month or so I shipped out on an old freighter that barely made it past the Chinchorro reefs before running aground a little
South of Punta Herrera on the Quintana Roo coast. But that's another story for another day. |
Life in the tropics is far different than most of us are aware of! Thanks Oso... I have slightly better memories of the tropics when I lived in Darwin
(Northern Territory, Australia) back in 1970.
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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I got there a couple of times in the early 90's. The first time I had a guy drop me off for eight days on an uninhabited caye 18 miles off the coast
of Placencia. It is now a remote resort, part of a huge complex that bought up all the good stuff.
It was 825 feet long and 200 feet wide. About 6 1/2 feet above sea level. Covered with coco palms. A very groovy week. Not a single person asked me
if I wanted to buy something!
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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