Stuck in the Mud

Crooked Tree

After four days of relaxing and talking about the kids, the grand kids, the economy, retirement, health, you-name-it, we dragged our rolling bags through the sand and boarded the 6 am Richie's bus to Belize City.  After so many horrendous taxi rides, I was relieved to be on the bus.

In Belmopan we had a short potty stop, and Verda and I went to find the bathrooms.  Yuck!  Why can't people in the Latino cultures ever keep anything clean?  How hard is that?  This place looked like it hadn't been cleaned in 5 years!  Plus you had to pay to use the toilets.  After that, Verda started saying she didn't want to take any more buses.

When we arrived in Belize City, we would have had to find a bus going to Crooked Tree, figure out how to buy tickets, fight the pushy crowds and endure another two hours on the bus.  Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Ron found a taxi driver who agreed to take us all the way to the Lodge at Crooked Tree for $50 US.  He must have known we were about to have a mutiny.  The car was the typical wreck with no suspension at all, and no a/c of course - at this point we had learned to be grateful if the damn car could make it to our destination.  So off we went.

The driver had indicated that he had been to the Crooked Tree lodge before but when he missed the turnoff, we thought that once again someone had simply told us what we wanted to hear.  Finally we arrived at the causeway out to the village.  In January of this year the floods were so bad they nearly wiped out the causeway.  In fact, we read on Trip Advisor that our hosts had picked up visitors in a boat to transport them to the Lodge during that time.  Creeping along the 2 miles at 0 mph, we finally drove into a small village with multiple trails going off in every direction.  Our driver asked every person, from a middle-aged woman to a 10-year-old boy where the Crooked Tree Lodge was.  Obviously, he had never been to this place before.  Finally we headed down the last set of ruts toward the buildings in the distance.  About 100 yards short of the main lodge, the road turned to mud and puddles.  The driver was reluctant to drive into it since the car was dragging bottom even on the dry parts.  We told him to stay put and we would walk ahead and see what's what.  Sure enough, we were welcomed by Mick who quickly went to help carry our luggage from the car up to the lodge.  Even the crocodile in the small pond by the bridge seemed to smile and say "welcome to Crooked Tree!"

More to follow.

The Flying Pig

Arrival in Placencia

WARNING:  Stay on the road!  This is our taxi after missing the turn to Cozy Corner and thinking he could take a shortcut.  Fortunately, there were 3 Belizeans who hang out near this spot waiting for idiots to get stuck and then charge about $20 to get you out.

But Placencia is a little bit of paradise.  There are no, and I mean NO, signs of the modern world here except for cell phones, signs saying Visa/MasterCard accepted, and a weak, sporadic WiFi signal.  But not a Macdonald's to be seen, nor a Hilton, Radisson, or Westin.  The homes are small and simple, the restaurants are open to the sea breezes, and all the natives either sell food or crafts or boat tours.

At home we seldom just sit and relax, but here the chairs on the beach under the little thatched umbrellas are so conducive to reading, conversation, or just closing your eyes and letting your mind go blank, that you can't help relaxing.  Younger and more fit visitors can go fishing, diving or snorkeling when the weather permits.  I would have done another snorkeling day, but yesterday there was a pretty stiff wind which brought rain last night and this morning.  No good for snorkeling.  But my experience in Caye Caulker has made me promise myself that I will go to Mexico for snorkeling (or someplace like that).

Last night we went to dinner at The Flying Pig, a restaurant owned by the cousin of a friend I went to high school with.  It was "all you can eat" spaghetti night.  Patrick was a charming, enthusiastic host and told us how he came to be in Placencia. He was teaching school in California until the recession! and at that time his school combined with another school and! rather than teaching algebra to 7th, 8th, and 9th grade kids, he was expected to teach 7-12th graders.  Unfortunately his certificate only allowed him to teach up to 9th grade.  So, he went back to school and got a Master's degree in administration.  Now, he found his lack of experience made it impossible to find a job in school administration.  So, he gave California a one-finger salute, sold everything and moved to Belize.  He's happy and making a contribution to the community.

We have one more night here, and then tomorrow we are off to Crooked Tree, supposedly a bird-watcher's dream come true.  Two nights there, then back to Belize City for the last night before we fly home.

Stay Away from Guatemala!

Our next destination after Tikal was Placencia, Belize. We had not made arrangements for transportation, and we will regret that for many years.  There was a woman at the Tikal Inn who told us, absolutely, that there was no way to get back to the border except by shuttle which would cost us $30 each person (or $120 US).  But Bill and Ron talked to a guy who had a van parked in the parking lot who agreed to take us from there to the border for $75 total instead of $120 total.

Once we arrived at the border and made it through immigration, we had to find someone to take us to Placencia.  Bill made the tactical mistake of talking to a guy on the Guatemalan side who agreed to drive us all from there to Placencia for $80 US.  Thinking that was too good to pass up, Bill gave him the money and said we would meet him on the other side, the Belize side.  Well, of course, the guy disappeared and we never saw him again. The Guatemalans will tell you whatever you want to hear to make a buck.

So another taxi driver on the Belize side promised to take us all the way for $150 US.  Jesus H . Christ!  So tired of getting ripped off by taxi drivers!  Now, today, we found out that we could have paid a taxi to take us just to San Ignacio, which was only 10 miles away, then we could have taken a bus to Placencia for about $20 US per person.  Ok, enough complaining.  My advice: stay out of Guatemala.

We arrived in Placencia and checked into Cozy Corner.  Nice rooms with a/c and TV for $70 per night.  And downstairs in the restaurant there is WiFi, where I was even able to download Wake Me Up by Avicii.  At this moment we four are sitting in our swim suits on the beach with our afternoon cocktails, with a cool breeze blowing and the gentle waves trying to put us to sleep.

We will be here til Saturday morning, then it's off to Crooked Tree.

Sunrise, Sunset?

Today is Sunday and we have arrived at the Tikal Inn in Guatemala.  Only a few days into this trip and I am ready to tell you that you need to budget about twice as much as you thought to travel around Belize, see the ruins, the beaches, etc.

There is literally no transportation system in Belize or Guatemala.  We are accustomed to a bus system that is easy to understand and use.  Here, the buses run only twice a week sometimes, or maybe only once a day, so your schedule is just completely shot.  So, you have to hire a driver and a car or take a taxi - and they are not cheap! We had to pay $115 "plus tip" which means $120 or more, depending on what Bill decided to give him, to get from Belize City to San Ignacio.  The taxi driver started out with a quote of 300 Belizean dollars for the trip, which would be $150 US, or $75 for each couple.  In Ecuador, we paid $25 each couple from Quito to Cotacachi which included a stop at the equator and a stop for lunch and was about twice as far.  Then, we paid $100 for the four of us to go from San Ignacio to the Tikal Inn, PLUS $18 to leave Belize going into Guatemala.  Anyway, transportation is killing us.  I guess it's because gas is $6 a gallon.  The young couple we met the first day said they rented a car and were complaining that it was so expensive - $500 a week plus gas.  Now I think it wouldn't make much difference.  Thank goodness for credit cards.

So, arrived at the Inn, which is very nice.  The cabanas are comfortable and spacious, and the pool is inviting.  However, everyone comes here to see the Mayan ruins which, in my opinion is a bit of a scam.  They really upsell tthe sunrise and sunset tours - one of those " you gotta" deals.  So, $20 entrance fee which is good from 6 am til 6 pm.  So, guess what? They charge extra for the tours because the sunrise is before 6 and the sunset after 6. Cute, huh?

Somebody please shoot me if I ever say I am going to see ruins again.  Whether it's in Greece, Italy, or Central America, they are always up high! Duh, of course they are - the better to see the enemy coming, don't you know. And my knees won't let me climb steps anymore.  So hiking up to the temples this afternoon was hot, humid, and painful.  Once there I could see immediately that there was no way I could negotiate the steps to go up to see the sunset, so Ron, Bill, and Verda climbed up and I stayed down on the grass below.

When they came down, Ron and Bill both said they were disappointed in the sunset.  I told Bill they should come to Arizona to our house.  We will give them a spectacular sunset from our back porch and we will even include a free beer for only $10 per person!

Now if they will let us out of here and not hold us hostage for more money, we will be headed back to the beach - this time in Placencia - for more snorkeling!

Swimming With the Sharks

SNORKELING AT CAYE CAULKER

I cannot believe that I waited this long in my life to go snorkeling!  Why, why, why?  If I had done this sooner, it might have changed my life.  I don't want to go home - I want to stay here and go out in the water with the fishes, rays, and sharks every day.  Is it too late at 72?

Yesterday we were served breakfast by Oty and Gaby at D'Nest and met a delightful young couple from England who were about to head out for the airport after a 10 day stay in Belize.  Since our trip was just beginning, we asked them what some of their favorite places were.  They told us about Crooked Tree reserve where they saw a myriad of birds including the largest bird in this hemisphere - one with a 12 foot wingspan.  Their description sounded idyllic, so we called and made reservations for two days at the same place they stayed.  I am glad I brought along my long lens.  Maybe I will get some great bird shots.

We are staying at De Real Macaw on Caye  (pronounced "key") Caulker, the more laid back of the two large islands.  And it is laid back.  Walk around bare footed in your swimsuit with a beer in your hand.  Rent a bike or a golf cart, there's not a car to be seen.  Boats of every kind for every purpose - except none of them are the huge yachts you see in every American marina.

We shopped last night for food for breakfast and Ron and I made fried potatoes, cheesy eggs and toast for everyone along with good Belizean coffee.  Then we took a walk to see if we could make reservations for a snorkeling trip.  Our host here at Macaw recommended Anwar tours just a bit down the beach. We strolled along til we came to it, and then discovered that he had just filled the boat.  Initially we were disappointed, but made reservations for the afternoon trip.

After a hot investigation of the rest of the island, we stopped at a bar for a bucket of beer to cool off.  Listened to Alan Jackson singing "It's 5 o'clock Somewhere" and some Jimmy Buffet, then made our way back to our apartment.  Ron stretched out in the hammock on the porch and I made an short-lived attempt at reading on the couch before dozing off.  After a much-needed nap we were ready to go snorkeling.

I was hesitant about doing this because I am not confident in deep water, but our guide, Omar, was so reassuring and he promised that he would be right there if we had any problems.  We had life jackets, so I knew I wouldn't drown, but I had never even had flippers on my feet before, nor had I used a mask and snorkel so I was a bit scared of simply making a fool of myself.

Omar gave me an extra life jacket to hold onto and he kept the end of the belt so he could pull me along if necessary, but I pretty quickly got the hang of it and soon we were both spotting fish and he was telling me what their names were.  The blue tangs were gorgeous and we saw lots of varieties.  I had left the underwater camera on board for the first stop because I didn't feel very confident about managing everything at once, and later I wished I had taken it because that's where we saw the most colorful fish.  The second stop was Shark Alley where we got to pet a sting ray and watch Omar plant little fish in empty conch shells for the nurse sharks.  Soon we were surrounded by sharks and rays - it was amazing!  Unfortunately, we didn't get a lot of good photos, but Ron did get some, like this one of a barracuda.

To cap off this fabulous day, we went to the open-air movie and saw "Philomena". Talk about paradise! Padded benches and adirondack chairs, sand under your feet, and good company - plus a terrific movie, uh, sorry, film, as they say in Belize.

We arrived on Wednesday, and today is only Friday.  How much better can this trip get?

Feathered Lizard is Delicious!

Arrival in Belize City, March 5, 2014

Flying to Belize is quite pleasant compared to some other flights we've taken - a short hop from Phoenix to Dallas/Fort Worth (a beautiful airport that offers so many choices you will think you're in your local mall), and then a movie-length flight to Belize City.  We flew on a two-month old Boeing 737 that offered more entertainment choices on a personal TV screen, but less leg room than other planes.  I watched "Nebraska" with Bruce Dern.  Very enjoyable.

We had made reservations at a Guest House called D'Nest, and the proprietor, Gaby, was there at the airport to meet us.  Made us feel very welcome and special.

The drive from the airport to the house showed us again that most people in the world are happy living much simpler, less extravagant lives than are Americans.  Most of the homes are small, with the ubiquitous bars across the windows and doors, and always a dog or two "ruffing" (as our 4-year old granddaughter says) in the front yard.

Once we arrived at D'Nest, we were most pleased with our choice of places to stay.  The rooms were beautifully decorated and the king-sized bed was as comfortable as ours at home.  We had cocktails at a table in the garden next to the lagoon where earlier Bill and Verda had seen manatees.

Following Gaby's directions we walked a few blocks to the Chinese restaurant nearby.  Verda ordered fried snapper with French fries, Bill chose shrimp fried rice, I had G enteral Tso's chicken, and Ron ordered Chinese style shrimp.  When the waitress brought our meals, she accidentally mixed up mine and Ron's, so he got chicken.  Now, any of you who know Ron are aware that he would never, never eat "feathered lizard," his pet name for chicken.  But, not knowing that these sort of shrimp shaped fried pieces were not shrimp, he took a bite.  "Wow, he said, this is really good! Here, Bill, try this." Bill tried it and pronounced it delicious.  Then the waitress came back and told us she had made a mistake and swapped our plates!  Oh, my goodness, he will never hear the end of that one.  Feathered lizard is delicious, eh, Ron?