Saved the best for last – cave swimming - 23 Nov 2007
Dear all,
I have tons to say today so I hope I won't bore you too much... To carry on from where I left off, I was driven to the airport by a hotel staff and we'd just arrived in the tiny car park when a plane landed. He said 'it's got to be yours'... I pointed out it was 20mns early, but never mind... this was Belize. Sure enough, they grabbed my luggage, opened the plane storage door, loaded it on and waved me off. I asked 'no boarding pass? ' - no - 'security check?' - no- 'do you at least want to check my name?' - 'no, you're the one we're expecting, only one seat left'... So, I got on and off we went, straight away. It was the same when I flew down.... the moment they have everybody, why wait? Off they go.... Which is great if you live around the corner but then I still had to wait for my other driver the other end, who had no idea I was going to be 30mns early... The scenery, though it was dusk, was fantastic, flying over Laughing Bird Caye, lots of green islets surrounded by shades of blue, you could even see the coral reef bits as we were flying pretty low. I can't wait to see it properly by day so I can try and take some pictures from the air.... Laughing Bird Caye is a real post-card type of scenery, with amazing water colour... the best beach shots I've seen so far in brochures here have all been taken around that particular area.
I got to the Cotton Tree Lodge by night, 45mns later, and I saw my first glimpse of it by moonlight and it looked promising. The sound of the insects was neat too. My room was spacious and there was no window around the room, just mesh and some wood panels that you could adjust whether you wanted privacy or not. There was a mosquitoe net over the bed, and the whole bungalow was made of local wood, so it looked aesthetically perfect to blend in. It reminded me of the beautiful lodges in the African savannah....same feel.
The food was also excellent. I was a bit wary at first but they had carrot soup with ginger (perfect !) and some plain pasta and a fab orange cake. I went to bed at 9:30pm (gradually getting over the jet-lag !), slept like a baby (all this fresh air) and had no stomach cramp whatsoever. Hooray. I woke up so refreshed, ready to face the day... Though I did make a point to lay 15mns in bed listening to the sounds of the many birds (they have many colourful ones on the grounds here as they have an orchard too). Some had such beautiful calls...
All the paths around the lodge are about 1m off the ground, on wooden planks, to prevent unfortunate encounters with snakes or scorpios. The Moho River is almost right by it and by day it looked a lovely blue. I therefore went mad on pictures. The weather was fabulous too which made a huge difference (the best day they'd had all week) and so we set off to Blue Creek's Hokeb Ha Caves. That was my best day in Belize. I totally enjoyed it. The scenery was as beautiful as the destination as we hiked by the Blue Creek River (very shallow, very blue) and then we climbed up some rocks (quite difficult at times, not for the unfit) and ended up at the entrance of this huge cave where we went into the water, with torches strapped to our forehead and entered the darkness to swim to a bigger chamber with a waterfall. We couldn't go much further because we were swimming vs the current and it was going to get worse, but it was quite a great experience. It had been so hot hiking to that spot and then the water was so cool, it was perfect. I know Roberto would have loved it, as he's such a water baby too, I felt really sorry he was missing out... :(
Then we went back (too soon by my books, I could have stayed there all day) and had lunch with our driver's family, delicious Mayan cuisine and we were back at the lodge for 3pm where I relaxed in my room for an hour (hand-washing, etc) and then one of the guests invited to join her on a canoe ride along the river, which I really enjoyed as it was very serene. We didn't see as many kingfishers or herons as I'd have hoped but it was still very peaceful.
The staff here have all been most obliging and exquisite. There was supposed to be NO tour today but when I explained I was only here for 2 full days they re-scheduled the whole week to accommodate me. The manager's family is over and his mother has macular degeneration and glaucoma, so I lent her my UV Shield all day (as it was SO bright) and spent an hour with her giving her lots of tips on how best to manage her sight loss. She felt a lot better for having talked about her problems and I felt happy being useful ! It kind of keeps me 'in the swing' of things a bit too... as it's SO easy to be disconnected from reality.
The staff have been great in all 3 places I must say. The guide books on Belize did say that people are super friendly and I have found this to be true. You couldn't ask for nicer people. They even address you by your first name (how can they remember everybody?). Lots of thoughtfulness goes in to ensure you have the best time.... very gracious hosts. They love their country and want to make sure you enjoy it too...
Many tourists I've met have already been to Belize Zoo and all said it's fantastic, small but you get to see a lot and can take great shots... so I'm really looking forward to it and I do hope the weather holds... as the animals won't be sitting still in the rain waiting for me to frame a nice close-up otherwise... The Belize Zoo is probably the best in Central & South America so it was one of the major reasons I wanted to come here as the animals are kept in natural surroundings so a lot of top photographers from around the world come here to do shots of jaguars if they fail to capture them in the wild.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to go and see a Mayan temple. I wasn't planning to do any cultural thing to start with, but I've read a bit on the Mayan culture whilst in bed the other night (they had a Tourist Guide in the lodge) and I was fascinated to read that the Mayan had celebrated chocolate so much (from day 1, it was the drink of the rulers) that they even used it as a unit of currency. I also didn't realise that it is the Mayans who invented the concept of 'zero' in maths which led to major advances in science and technology. Nor that there still are thousands of temples that are to be excavated in Belize and Guatemala, and that Belize was the centre of the Maya world. The controversial crystal skull was actually discovered in 1926 just around the corner from where I am staying, in Lubaantun. It is said to have no tool markings and is composed of pure crystallised quartz... 'fact or fiction? you decide'. If you google 'crystal skull', you will find LOTS of info on that... it's very very famous.
The Mayan civilisation was at its peak in 800 AD and had an average of 2,000 people per square mile (the same as LA county in present time), but by 950 AD their population had shrunk by 95% and to this day, archeologists cannot work out what happened to them all... whether it was famine, disease, war or drought that caused their near extinction. But you can see the descendants of the ones who survived here and they do look VERY Mayan, with almond eyes and long noses. The Mayan civilisation was actually one of the greatest of all times, very advanced and one of only 5 who had invented a complete writing system - so complex in fact that it took 100 years to break the code. They worshipped their cave system (they have hundreds in Belize alone, some go over 25 miles) and believed that it was the link between this world and the next and that the mist created at the entrance of these caves (simple condensation to us now we know better) was actually the birthplace of the clouds and the winds. Many rituals used to take place in the caves and human sacrifices too to please the Gods and ask for favours. Many caves still have Mayan artefacts and the government wants to leave some there... some skulls too... They are to be left as testimony of their heritage.
So, all of this whetted my appetite and I'll be keen to learn a lot more... I'll admit I know very little so far. But in current Belize some people's values are so high that if you steal from your neighbour, it is SO frowned upon by the culture (at least in some villages) that you will be made to leave and not spoken to again as it's too disgraceful. I wish it could be like that all over the world really, we wouldn't need to lock our rooms ! And they still have many children by European standards too (average of 12 kids per family, eeek)... I guess there isn't that much to do around here !
Anyway, so that's me... I'd better sign off as they want us to get ready for a little Thanksgiving talk (as most guests are Americans). I just hope the weather holds and my stomach too. I feel I'm back to my old self... all perked up again (about time ! I'm leaving in 48H) and if I can click away, it's enough to keep me happy too. I'm disappointed I haven't seen any toucans yet though... only ONE toucanet in the Cockscomb Reserve.
Lastly, I've been playing nurses with lots of people who have backache, neckache, or dizzy spells. I have my white flower oil with me at all times and if I rub it where it hurts, or have people smell it when they are feeling nauseous, it's like a miracle cure. So, I've got everybody addicted to it now. But I'm not kidding, if any of you guys live near a China Town, it's well worth asking for one of these little bottles. They hardly take any space at all and can replace a whole cabinet of pain killers. They've saved my bacon on SO many occasions.... Like tonight, after the canoe ride, my lower back was a bit stiff... rub a few drops, bingo, fresh as a daisy again! :) I cannot even remember who introduced me to white flower oil, about 18 years ago now, but it's been a tip worth its weight in gold....
Righteeo, I'd better try and be sociable now... also, the Chef has cooked a really nice buffet for the occasion and I want to make sure I eat the good stuff while it's still warm.
I wish I could send you some heat from here... it's been boiling all day... :)
Hugs, Sylvie xxx
Dear all,
I have tons to say today so I hope I won't bore you too much... To carry on from where I left off, I was driven to the airport by a hotel staff and we'd just arrived in the tiny car park when a plane landed. He said 'it's got to be yours'... I pointed out it was 20mns early, but never mind... this was Belize. Sure enough, they grabbed my luggage, opened the plane storage door, loaded it on and waved me off. I asked 'no boarding pass? ' - no - 'security check?' - no- 'do you at least want to check my name?' - 'no, you're the one we're expecting, only one seat left'... So, I got on and off we went, straight away. It was the same when I flew down.... the moment they have everybody, why wait? Off they go.... Which is great if you live around the corner but then I still had to wait for my other driver the other end, who had no idea I was going to be 30mns early... The scenery, though it was dusk, was fantastic, flying over Laughing Bird Caye, lots of green islets surrounded by shades of blue, you could even see the coral reef bits as we were flying pretty low. I can't wait to see it properly by day so I can try and take some pictures from the air.... Laughing Bird Caye is a real post-card type of scenery, with amazing water colour... the best beach shots I've seen so far in brochures here have all been taken around that particular area.
I got to the Cotton Tree Lodge by night, 45mns later, and I saw my first glimpse of it by moonlight and it looked promising. The sound of the insects was neat too. My room was spacious and there was no window around the room, just mesh and some wood panels that you could adjust whether you wanted privacy or not. There was a mosquitoe net over the bed, and the whole bungalow was made of local wood, so it looked aesthetically perfect to blend in. It reminded me of the beautiful lodges in the African savannah....same feel.
The food was also excellent. I was a bit wary at first but they had carrot soup with ginger (perfect !) and some plain pasta and a fab orange cake. I went to bed at 9:30pm (gradually getting over the jet-lag !), slept like a baby (all this fresh air) and had no stomach cramp whatsoever. Hooray. I woke up so refreshed, ready to face the day... Though I did make a point to lay 15mns in bed listening to the sounds of the many birds (they have many colourful ones on the grounds here as they have an orchard too). Some had such beautiful calls...
All the paths around the lodge are about 1m off the ground, on wooden planks, to prevent unfortunate encounters with snakes or scorpios. The Moho River is almost right by it and by day it looked a lovely blue. I therefore went mad on pictures. The weather was fabulous too which made a huge difference (the best day they'd had all week) and so we set off to Blue Creek's Hokeb Ha Caves. That was my best day in Belize. I totally enjoyed it. The scenery was as beautiful as the destination as we hiked by the Blue Creek River (very shallow, very blue) and then we climbed up some rocks (quite difficult at times, not for the unfit) and ended up at the entrance of this huge cave where we went into the water, with torches strapped to our forehead and entered the darkness to swim to a bigger chamber with a waterfall. We couldn't go much further because we were swimming vs the current and it was going to get worse, but it was quite a great experience. It had been so hot hiking to that spot and then the water was so cool, it was perfect. I know Roberto would have loved it, as he's such a water baby too, I felt really sorry he was missing out... :(
Then we went back (too soon by my books, I could have stayed there all day) and had lunch with our driver's family, delicious Mayan cuisine and we were back at the lodge for 3pm where I relaxed in my room for an hour (hand-washing, etc) and then one of the guests invited to join her on a canoe ride along the river, which I really enjoyed as it was very serene. We didn't see as many kingfishers or herons as I'd have hoped but it was still very peaceful.
The staff here have all been most obliging and exquisite. There was supposed to be NO tour today but when I explained I was only here for 2 full days they re-scheduled the whole week to accommodate me. The manager's family is over and his mother has macular degeneration and glaucoma, so I lent her my UV Shield all day (as it was SO bright) and spent an hour with her giving her lots of tips on how best to manage her sight loss. She felt a lot better for having talked about her problems and I felt happy being useful ! It kind of keeps me 'in the swing' of things a bit too... as it's SO easy to be disconnected from reality.
The staff have been great in all 3 places I must say. The guide books on Belize did say that people are super friendly and I have found this to be true. You couldn't ask for nicer people. They even address you by your first name (how can they remember everybody?). Lots of thoughtfulness goes in to ensure you have the best time.... very gracious hosts. They love their country and want to make sure you enjoy it too...
Many tourists I've met have already been to Belize Zoo and all said it's fantastic, small but you get to see a lot and can take great shots... so I'm really looking forward to it and I do hope the weather holds... as the animals won't be sitting still in the rain waiting for me to frame a nice close-up otherwise... The Belize Zoo is probably the best in Central & South America so it was one of the major reasons I wanted to come here as the animals are kept in natural surroundings so a lot of top photographers from around the world come here to do shots of jaguars if they fail to capture them in the wild.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to go and see a Mayan temple. I wasn't planning to do any cultural thing to start with, but I've read a bit on the Mayan culture whilst in bed the other night (they had a Tourist Guide in the lodge) and I was fascinated to read that the Mayan had celebrated chocolate so much (from day 1, it was the drink of the rulers) that they even used it as a unit of currency. I also didn't realise that it is the Mayans who invented the concept of 'zero' in maths which led to major advances in science and technology. Nor that there still are thousands of temples that are to be excavated in Belize and Guatemala, and that Belize was the centre of the Maya world. The controversial crystal skull was actually discovered in 1926 just around the corner from where I am staying, in Lubaantun. It is said to have no tool markings and is composed of pure crystallised quartz... 'fact or fiction? you decide'. If you google 'crystal skull', you will find LOTS of info on that... it's very very famous.
The Mayan civilisation was at its peak in 800 AD and had an average of 2,000 people per square mile (the same as LA county in present time), but by 950 AD their population had shrunk by 95% and to this day, archeologists cannot work out what happened to them all... whether it was famine, disease, war or drought that caused their near extinction. But you can see the descendants of the ones who survived here and they do look VERY Mayan, with almond eyes and long noses. The Mayan civilisation was actually one of the greatest of all times, very advanced and one of only 5 who had invented a complete writing system - so complex in fact that it took 100 years to break the code. They worshipped their cave system (they have hundreds in Belize alone, some go over 25 miles) and believed that it was the link between this world and the next and that the mist created at the entrance of these caves (simple condensation to us now we know better) was actually the birthplace of the clouds and the winds. Many rituals used to take place in the caves and human sacrifices too to please the Gods and ask for favours. Many caves still have Mayan artefacts and the government wants to leave some there... some skulls too... They are to be left as testimony of their heritage.
So, all of this whetted my appetite and I'll be keen to learn a lot more... I'll admit I know very little so far. But in current Belize some people's values are so high that if you steal from your neighbour, it is SO frowned upon by the culture (at least in some villages) that you will be made to leave and not spoken to again as it's too disgraceful. I wish it could be like that all over the world really, we wouldn't need to lock our rooms ! And they still have many children by European standards too (average of 12 kids per family, eeek)... I guess there isn't that much to do around here !
Anyway, so that's me... I'd better sign off as they want us to get ready for a little Thanksgiving talk (as most guests are Americans). I just hope the weather holds and my stomach too. I feel I'm back to my old self... all perked up again (about time ! I'm leaving in 48H) and if I can click away, it's enough to keep me happy too. I'm disappointed I haven't seen any toucans yet though... only ONE toucanet in the Cockscomb Reserve.
Lastly, I've been playing nurses with lots of people who have backache, neckache, or dizzy spells. I have my white flower oil with me at all times and if I rub it where it hurts, or have people smell it when they are feeling nauseous, it's like a miracle cure. So, I've got everybody addicted to it now. But I'm not kidding, if any of you guys live near a China Town, it's well worth asking for one of these little bottles. They hardly take any space at all and can replace a whole cabinet of pain killers. They've saved my bacon on SO many occasions.... Like tonight, after the canoe ride, my lower back was a bit stiff... rub a few drops, bingo, fresh as a daisy again! :) I cannot even remember who introduced me to white flower oil, about 18 years ago now, but it's been a tip worth its weight in gold....
Righteeo, I'd better try and be sociable now... also, the Chef has cooked a really nice buffet for the occasion and I want to make sure I eat the good stuff while it's still warm.
I wish I could send you some heat from here... it's been boiling all day... :)
Hugs, Sylvie xxx
posted by Sylvie at 6:23 PM
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