Dangriga...hmmm..what can we say

Dangriga. Choosing accomodation here wasn't so easy, and anything decent seems to be on the pricy side. Anyway we found a room with bathroom for $40 US a night and decided just to stay the 1 night.

 


 



We had a nice Belizean  meal at the Riverside Cafe and while there were visited by a few interesting locals who came for a chat, and also of course to try to sell us some tours.

 Over dinner we considered the possibility of flying to Caye Caulker. Driving to Belize city and leaving the car at the airport there was unanimously considered crazy by the locals. The airport staff at Dangriga assured us the car would be safe in their car park for 4 or 5 days. Sold! Even for the 2 of us there was little difference in cost of flying compared to petrol and water taxis. And who needs an excuse to get to another favourite destination in the quickest possible way? Lets GO! Outta Here!

 

 Tip - Marie Sharp's Hot sauce factory does a great tasting session (free) and sells great hot sauce!

We have also been told by other travellers this is a good place to go to the smaller Cayes from. Tobacco Caye in particular is a tiny Caye with just a few cottages, where you can snorkell from the beach and see amazing marine life.

However, we think Dangriga is a great place to park the car and take a flight to the Caribbean Islands. Whohoo!!

Cockscomb National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Just a short detour to another amazing park in Belize



  

Boy am I glad we got those new tyres. And no we didn't see any jaguars on the way. The last time one was seen was 3 months ago -  a young jaguar on the entrance road. Sightings are very rare, although the rangers are very proud of the work they do in the sanctuary and have night time cameras that have spotted the jaguars on the move.

And so, off for another jungle jaunt and another early morning shower. Where is everybody?









And then a leisurely river tube float - in the middle of the jungle - down a jungle river - with nobody to be seen for miles - only the sound of jungle birds and wildlife - can you remember where we get out?, do you think we should get out soon? have you seen the rope that tells you not go past into the rapids? it has been raining a lot lately, maybe the rope is submerged, Do you think we should get out her? Yes - OK then.

The Deep South

Day 11

We woke in Placencia to the sound of havy rain and thunder. Driving out of Placencia, it subsided to soft, warm rain which followed us all the way to Punta Gorda. Excellent driving roads, we guessed due to the lack of traffic, the local Mayans walk everywhere with their families- not even any pushchairs - and there was only a few buses and the odd car.

The route from Placencia to Punta Gorda



Arriving at Punta Gorda



The restaurant where, in the evening,  you can see the lights of Honduras,  Puerto Barrios Guatemala, and Livingstone - the 3 ports that can be reached from the port of Punta Gorda



The following morning we stopped at Nim Li Punit, the ruins of  a Mayan site with some of the tallest stelae found in the Maya World - several of them engraved with panels of glyphs. A very interesting and worthwhile site to visit.

Stela 14

Ball Court

Tomb

Day 10

A short trip to Placencia, home of retreats for many US movie makers, We drove by the many pretentious resorts and homes, to arrive at the village at the end of the peninsula.

Here we found our best value accomodation of the trip. Caribbean beachfront, private room with bathroom, $24 US a night. Beach-chairs on the beach, in the shade and warm breeze for a relaxing afternoon.

And a choice of cafes, bars and quiet nightspots for the evenings entertainment.

Hopkins Fishing Village

Day 9 cont..
After leaving the Hummingbird highway, we drove to the little village of Hopkins to look for a bed for the night. Ahh!! the Caribbean!!

The local Garifuna people were friendly (spoke English) and welcoming. They congregated on the streets, talking in friendly groups, the teenagers and young children playing on the sandy streets and riding their bikes.

 

Took a room here for $16 US a night -maybe we should move the car, the owner said, it looks like those coconuts will fall down soon...yeeh mon, its true, uh huh...for sure, uh huh, uh huh..
Definitely a relaxed and friendly atmosphere - its OK to spend the day doing nothing at all, just chatting and waving to people.
Next morning we woke to see the owner feeding the free-range chickens

and then we were on our way again.

The Hummingbird Highway

Day 9

We left San Ignacio chatting about our adventures, amazed at the places we had seen over the past week, and how easily accessible and untouched they are. Belize in particular, is keen to preserve its ecosystems but also relies on the tourism that it brings.

As we drove the Hummingbird Highway towards the Caribbean Coast we were greeted by the wonderful smell of orange blossom. Valencia oranges are a big crop for Belize -the trees fruiting 2 or 3 times a year.

Two places we had in mind to stop on the way - the Blue Hole and St Hermans Cave.

Arriving at St Hermans Cave, we paid our entrance fee of $5 US and followed the path down into the cave.

Our torches weren't as good as the guide at ATM, so we went as far as we dared and then turned back. The cave carries on for quite a distance but a guide is required from a certain point.

Then on to the Blue Hole for our early morning swim.

Where are all the people?

And we did find some interesting wildlife on the way back to the car.



Day 2 in Belize and another incredible adventure

Day 8
After yesterdays amazing ATM adventure, we decided on a drive to '5 Sisters Lodge' for the day. We had been told this is a great place to stay, but looking at the cost per night, it was WAY out of our league. So lunch there sounded like a good compromise.

GPS doesn't cover anything off the main road in Belize so we were on our own with this one. The local petrol station was sold out of maps (but Brian noticed that it had ice for sale). I had seen a sign the day before pointing out of town to the lodge, we had to take a gamble and follow that. Our tourist map had a tourist spot "Rio Frio Pools" marked off an inland minor road and that seemed a likely place to head.

We turned off the main road and did find a couple of small

signs pointing us to the Lodge.

Next stop at the Garcia 5 Sisters shop. Here we met the mother of the 5 sisters, who is now 75 and partially blind. We had a lovely chat with her, in limited english, and who is still looking after the shop on her own. The 5 sisters are married with families and living around the district. They are selling flint carvings and have a small museum of local artifacts.

Off we go again, the road now unpaved and heading into less occupied territory. Brian was enjoying this off-roading.

Still lots of 'sleeping policemen' on these country roads.

    



Glad we got those new tyres.

 We were wondering, but yes, we were going in the right direstion



And finally after 2 hours, we arrive at another oasis. Incredible.

We were met at the reception by the manager and shown around the public facilities - the restaurant and gift shop, and then shown the way to the falls and river pools.

Down the 280 steps we could see the falls, pools and the river, and a shady pergola

Are those chairs just for us?
Where is everyone?





So after a 2hour swim, rest, bird-watching in the middle of the Belize jungle, we stopped at the restaurant for lunch which included a most delcious fresh mango liquado.

The only people we met at 5 Sisters,  were the receptionist, the manager and the restaurant waiter/cook. It was personal attention and all provided just for the 2 of us and the local wildlife!

And so....we left at the end of the afternoon, Brian enjoying the off-roading back to San Ignacio. Thank goodness we got new tyres!

 

Finally....Belize

Belize was our main destination for our holiday. Not only do they speak English, but the Caribbean beaches were beckoning.

Border Crossing

This is a bit different here. Leaving Guatemala was quite stright forward.

Entering Belize we had to import the car. not difficult to do, but car insurance was required - $24 US for 14 days.

Also had to go through a pest control procedure - declare all fresh fruit and veges, the car was sprayed from the outside only, a cost of $5 US.

So, on to our next chosen destination of San Ignacio to look for accomodation. Final decision, after a look at options, was the Midas Resort, a short walk from the town centre. $64 US a night plus tourist and govt tax = $80 US a night! Well, it did have a pool and free wifi.... and the other options were, well...

The next day we went on the ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) tour which is one of the highlights of our holiday.

We had heard this was  a must-do, talked to other travellers about it, but weren't prepared to be so amazed. I never thought I would be river crossing in the jungle, swimming through underground rivers and climbing into potholes and caverns of Mayan artifacts and skeletons, and crystal stalactites and stalecmites. Truly spectacular day.

Our guide, Abraham, was of Mayan descent and very proud of his heritage. At only 27 years old he had qualified just recently to take guides into this area but gave us an informative and knowledgable guide to the area.

 

Tips

Choose your tour guide to ATM carefully. We had a group of 4, but saw other minibuses turning up - one guide per 8 people. Our was called Hun Chi'ik Tours.

Accomodation is more expensive in Belize but some of the hotel/backpackers in San Ignacio looked fine, but not so easy parking the car overnight.

HOT tip

Buy bananas from the market - 10 for $1 Belize - thats 50c US, and they are fresh, fresh, fresh! not like the ripened bananas we get everywhere else in the world. Delicious!

Recommended restaurant - Cenaida's Belizean - opposite Martha's guesthouse, for cheap local  food.                  
Also Hannah's is supposed to be good food too.

On to Flores and Tikal

Day 4
Another easy drive through Guatemala to Flores. Passed a couple of Police checks and military posts along the way, got stopped 3 times in total but no problems.

Arrived at Los Amigos in Flores and managed to bags a double bed with shared bath for $25 US a night. A very popular place to stay, it was full by the end of the afternoon with mainly backpackers.

We were entertained by the resident cat, rabbit, parrot and sausage dog, who kept trying to escape every time the door was opened.

The next day we went to Tikal for a day trip. Enjoyed a 3 hour wander around the amazing Mayan structures and climbed to the heights of the tallest pyramid.

Returned to Flores for a quiet drink and meal on the waterfront.

By now, our front bumperguard was detaching itself so we had a quick stop at a local welder. He did a brilliant job and I'm sure no matter how many tumulos, it will survive.
The owner was impressed -  ' new tyres!! 4 of them!! American!!'