Now in Placencia

We have now arrived in Placencia, staying at the Tradewinds for four nights before heading up to Singing Sands.

Caves Branch was just awesome and we totally enjoyed the jungle and all the tours.

So our tours ended up being:
* Tikal
* Cave Tubing / Zip Line
* Xunantunich
* ATM
* early morning birding

Tikal was a long car ride into Guatemala, with a stop for an authentic Guatemalan breakfast. Tikal is a huge Mayan ruin site, and if we didn't have such a good guide, I don't think we would have been able to see nearly as much as we did. Amazing.

Cave Tubing was fun, except for when Harold fell and bruised his bum on the rock. I was worried about him - and you should see the size of his bruise! Almost half his bum is purple. We had to paddle a lot because the water level was pretty low, and paddle fast too so we could make it out intime to do the zip line afterwards. The other group that didn't do the zipline got to go through leisurely, and as much as I enjoyed the Zipline, I think I would have preferred a more leisurely tube ride. We had lunch at some restaurant that was part of a resort that had tons of Kenny Rogers stuff, and playing Kenny Rogers music (Jaguar Paw) maybe it's owned by him?

Harold did good on the zipline, despite being scared of heights - he thinks it helped him. When we repelled down from the last platform, the rope ate his shirt a bit though :O

Xunantunich was a much smaller Mayan ruins site than Tikal, but also really amazing. It has the second tallest temple in Belize (by only 1 foot), and the view from the top was absolutely stunning! Plus it has these really neat friezes on the side. I think our next tattoo will be a Mayan one.

ATM was definately our favourite. You hike for 45 mintues to get to the cave entrance and have to cross the river 3 times (like wade through the river). Then to get into the cave you have to swim, and are then wading through ankle deep to chest deep water the whole time in the cave until you go up, where you have to take off your shoes and just wear socks, so that you are protecting the cave crystals from the oil on your skin.

The cave is so beautiful, with tons of stalagtites and stalagmites and lots with calcite crystals. The formations in the caves were just amazing, and we got some good pics with the underwater camera.

After you go upwards into the cave you see where the Mayans had done their rituals and there is lots of pottery, some calcified and some not, and some skeletons of human sacrifices.

Our last day at Caves Branch started with an early morning Birding tour with Abel, and two others - they were just great. We got some good pics of some interesting birds. Then in the afternoon we hiked out to the end of the driveway to the (inland) Blue Hole, and I had a swim. We went back to the lodge for lunch and hiked back out to go to St.Herman's Cave (also part of the Blue Hole Park) since it is so close and something we can do on our own, but we got caught in a huge downpour and decided to turn back. Good thing too, because it rained until the evening, so we just relaxed in our room and packed to leave.

Our drive from Caves Branch to Placencia was pretty neat going through all the mountains, and then a boat taxi from Mango Creek right to where our first hotel is. Well really it's a little cabana just feet away from the ocean.

Our first night was really windy though - felt like we would blow away. And it's still pretty dark out and rained a bit today too. Hopefully the weather will improve soon as we are hoping to do a snorkel or go to Red Bank to see the Scarlet Macaws in the next couple days.

@ Caves Branch

At Caves Branch now out in the Jungle/Mountains in Belize.

Not much internet here (1 computer shared with everyone), and no cell phone service (don't bother trying to call).

Did Tikal yesterday, Cave Tubing today and probably Xunantunich (sp?) tomorrow, and ATM one of the other days.

Will try to update again before leaving Caves Branch, but maybe not until Placencia.

Save the Manatees!!!

Today was another hot and sunny day out at sea. This was our last boat/snorkel tour here in Caye Caulker that almost didn't happen for me (Harold). I had a bit of an upset stomach and didn't think traveling in a boat with no toilet would be too smart. Thank goodness for Pepto Bismol! I was fine by the time the boat was leaving and at the last minute said I'd go. I couldn't leave Sara alone with noisy, non-stop talking Canadians! That's another story.

The first part of our boat trip today was out to the Caye Chapel reef site one which was very close to the barrier reef. This reef was definitely not as diverse as Turneffe or even Hol Chan. It was nice and I did get to see a small school of squid. Next was to another spot on Caye Chapel but with a bit more diversity. After snokeling we headed off to St. George's Caye for a lunch stop. I thought lunch would be included but we had to buy lunch at this remote restaurant on an island that for all intents and purposes is deserted! Didn't get to see any of the island as we were waiting for our food order that took well over an hour! Just in time to leave.

Last stop (second last) was Swallow Caye to see the Manatees. The most we got to see were the snouts and heads as they came up for air but it was still pretty cool! We made a short stop at shark ray alley just off Caye Caulker.

Tonight's our last night in Caye Caulker. We leave at 8:30 am by Maya Air for Belize City. Then we visit the Zoo and then to Caves Branch Lodge. we may or may not have internet access at Caves Branch so this may be our last post until Placencia in about a week!!

Almost done our stay at Caye Caulker

Yesterday we did The Turneffe Atoll Tour with Red Mangrove Eco Tours. Harold wore a t shirt to prevent more burn (he's still pretty bad, especially left shoulder), and I wore my long sleeve shirt snorkeling the whole time (both shirts UV protective). It was a looooong and very bumpy boat ride out there over huge waves since we went outside the barrier reef. We snorkeled in two places then stopped on a little tiny caye that was owned by the tour guide Carlos' grandfather until 2000 when he died, and now it is his! His own personal tiny little island. There is a shack on the island and we stopped there for over an hour while he cooked us lunch on a fire inside the hut, and then told us the story of the mangroves and how they create cayes, before setting off for one more snorkle and then the long journey home. He went a different way on the ride home, that is longer, but not so high of waves, so a bit more comfortable, plus we got to see St.George's Caye and some other cayes along the way. There was actually a home on a tiny tiny tiny little caye even smaller than the one that Carlos owns, and one home that was just on stilts way out in the middle, no land at all!

This morning we had the most excellent breakfast ever at CocoPlum, the same place we went for dinner on Saturday night for dinner and Garifuna drumming. We both had the CocoPlum omlette with fruit tray. mmmmmmm... delish. And the best coffee Harold's had here yet. They also sell some sunburn remedy that they make, so we bought some to use on Harold's back, and he thinks it's working!

Tomorrow is our last full day in Caye Caulker so we are hoping to do a Manatee Tour before we leave, but Chocolate is not running his until Friday :( We are now hoping for Red Mangrove, but not sure they will get enough people to run it. If not maybe we'll go to another place, not sure yet. Maybe we'll have to manatee watch from Placencia, but that will not be at Swallow Caye where we were hoping to see them. Cross your fingers for us!

Then Friday morning we are leaving early for our treck into the Jungle Lodge with a stop at the zoo.

Caye Caulker Pics

Caye Caulker

Chocolate is not running the Manatee tour today because he thinks it's a bit too choppy for them to surface much. He says hopefully Thursday, which will be our last full day here so we are crossing our fingers. If not, we can always try a different tour company.

Now we will have to check and see about the Turneffe snorkel tour and the sunset tour and see when if we can confirm that those will go. They need a minimum number of people, so you have to keep checking back to see if it will be going.

Cross your fingers that we will get to do both Turneffe and Manatee tour before leaving Caye Caulker on Friday morning.

We decided to take a low key day today because the Manatee tour is not going and well.... we are pretty sunburnt from the snorkel tour, despite using tons of sunscreen and reapplying often. Harold especially - he is very sore. :( So we came to the Cyber Cafe (where it is nice and air conditioned, and out of the sun) to upload some pictures (link at the top). Hope you guys enjoy them!

Ocean Fun!

Today was our first trip out to the reefs for snorkeling. We signed up with Raggamuffin tours for the trip out to the Coral Garden and Hol Chan. Despite the high winds and choppy ocean the trip was great. We went out in a sailboat with 17 other people. They served us food and one of the guides made fresh Salsa on the boat, it was amazing!!

I have one minute left to post so all I'll say is we are both a bit sunburnt but very happy with todays tour!

Caye Caulker later same day ;)

Our Sunset Cruise with Raggamuffin Tours didn't happen tonight due to not enough people signing up for it, but we have signed up for their Full Day Snorkel Tour to Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Shark and Ray Alley & Coral tomorrow. They are even givng me beans and rice instead of burger (no gluten!), how nice.

We still would like to do the sunset cruise a different night.

The other tours we are planning are:
Chocolate's Manatee Tour at Swallow Caye
Eco-Tour's snorkel trip to Turneffe
and if we have time, we'll go to Ambergris Caye for a day (which is the large key just north of Caye Caulker)

The woman who runs CocoPlum Gardens was on our dock today while we were snorkeling around, and told us to come over tonight as they have the Garifuna Drummers, and dinner. We'll go there instead of the sunset cruise.

It's almost like a week here is not long enough! But Friday we will be transferring to Caves Branch Jungle Lodge with a stop at the Belize Zoo along the way.

Oh! And I almost forgot! There is a colony of cats here on Caye Caulker that all live in one yard, and are all ear tipped! The guy who feeds them seems to give them bread though :S We've bought Temptations that I will keep in my pocket and give them when we go by. They are not feral as they come right up to be pet by anyone - looooove attention. I'm impressed that they all seem to be TNR'd though - it's not so with the dogs here. There are so many, and so many nursing bitches... there is a sign posted that they will be catching and euthanizing (actually they didn't phrase it that way, but it was clear that was what they meant) the dogs who are not collared and running free forming packs.

Ok... way to end on a down note :(

How about this - Our first day in the ocean today was great and we saw all kinds of fish and a star fish, and yesterday there was an eagle ray right at our dock! And Harold got bit on the toe by a crab - hahahahaha. :)

Hopefully we'll have opportunity to share some photos later this week.

Caye Caulker

We are in Caye Caulker now, but just checking emails and such quickly. We'll try to post again before we leave, hopefully with some pics!

We're in Belize!!

Our flight left with just a delay to de-ice the plane, and we made up the time in the air. Not that it mattered since we had almost 3 hours to kill in Houston. Arrived in Belize City on schedule, and caught our transfer to Crooked Tree, which is just over an hours drive, half of which is on a road that is in worse shape than our cottage road.





We arrived just as the sun was setting and it was gorgeous, though we didn't get a picture as we were checking in etc. Then it was time for dinner - YUM! They are good cooks here at Bird's Eye View! Then even though exhuasted from very little sleep Tuesday evening, and travelling all day, we decided to go on the night hike (with guide and flashlights) to see some of the cretures in the savannah forest.





This morning we were up at 5:45, breakfast at 6:15 (fruit, tea, coffee) and off on a boat ride in the lagoon for a 2 hour bird watching trip. We saw tons of new and interesting birds including TWO of the Jabiru Stork, which can grow to 5 feet tall and have a wing span of up to 12 feet - the largest bird in the Americas.

Then in the afternoon we took a guided tour through the Mayan ruins Altun Ha, and home just before dinner (which was excellent again!), a rest and then internet.



Here are some pictures (hope they work out ok):















See them in our album here.

Off to Caye Caulker in the morning for approx a week. Hope to update again from there.

Delays and Cancellations expected

Travel Updates

Winter Weather Expected

Date of Release: Feb 12, 2008

Winter weather conditions are forecast for February 12 and 13, 2008. Delays and cancellations can be expected as the airlines work to balance their schedules with weather conditions at all airports affected by the weather. Passengers are strongly advised to check flight status directly with their airline before travelling to the airport.

The GTAA has full staff and equipment prepared for snow clearing and deicing. Information regarding delays and cancellations is available using the Live Flight Information tool.

Weather

Weather in Belize

Weather in Toronto (TWN)

Weather in Toronto (EC)

I am a little worried about the snow tonight... hopefully we get less than expected, and it ends early enough. We'll be heading out around 4am.

What we're leaving behind

Last day at work

Tomorrow is our last day of work!

So nervous, yet excited at the same time :D

Belize pics (by someone else)

This guy has taken some awesome pics in Belize.

Caye Caulker

North

South

West

Shoe Shopping

Treked out in the snow (& slush & puddles) on the TTC ALL day Saturday as we found out we would need hiking boots or shoes for our jungle excursions. Harold got these: Columbia Beartooth™ GTX




And I got these: Merrell Siren Sport GTX XCR



We also got these cool headlamps for the caves:
Headlamps


Now all we need to get is Snorkel's and Masks!

5 more work days to go :D