Thursday, September 1, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Ponderings and Decisions
So I am going to step back for a little bit here and explain the thought processes I have been going through for the last few days. Ever since Caye Caulker I have been suffering from feelings of futility about traveling. I am not really doing anything productive and I am just going from place to place not doing anything of any significance. I am just spending money doing things I could do in the states, although for a little bit less money (Belize is still kind of expensive, especially for Central America). I am not really meeting too many people, although I am mostly to blame for this due to my introversion and shyness.
I am finding it hard to motivate myself to really do anything. I enjoy doing things when I actually do them but would rather have a friend along to appreciate them with. It is hard for me to form close friendships with people and that on top of how difficult it is for me to talk to and meet new people isn't making this as fun of a travel experience as I thought it would be. I seem to be doing a lot of the things I normally do at home, so I am coming back to the states waaaaaaaaay early.
This is kind of difficult for me, since now I will have to find something new to try and be passionate about. I thought independent travel would hold more significance for me than it is and I am feeling like a quitter since I am coming back after only a week (I kept telling myself to go at least two weeks, but I am sure that I would regret it if I had to spend a few more days to just biding my time, waiting to go home).
I definitely want to travel some more, but it will be less open ended travel. I will go to places where there are natural wonders or historical landmarks that I would like to visit more, rather than going somewhere because it is cheap. I will also have a clearly defined return date and I will hopefully be able to find a friend or two who would like to accompany me on journeys. I would also sign up for working with an NGO or other organization for a week or two to start my trip so that I would actually feel as though I am accomplishing something (most NGO's have limited slots which are usually booked for a month or two in advance, so I can't just show up and expect them to have room for me to volunteer).
*Edit* I have come to regret my decision already to head back to the states (even though I haven't left Belize yet). Unfortunately I have already bought my ticket, but I plan on traveling again soon after working and saving up a bit more money. Thanks to all who have supported me and read this blog.
Okay, enough with my whining. On with describing my activities.
The day after the Barton Creek trip, I woke up and hung out in my room for a little bit before deciding to go get breakfast at a nearby restaurant (Flayva's Bar and Grill, same place where I booked the Barton Creek trip) and use their wifi to surf the internet and get ideas on return ticket prices. I ate the 'Belizean Special' breakfast, which consisted of Chicken Stew, some refried beans, salsa, tortillas, and fruit. I also had two cups of coffee while I read news, researched airline prices, and posted a blog.
After returning to my room and dropping off my computer, I decided to go buy a new book. Something lighthearted, since I couldn't get into War and Peace too much (not a big fan of reading about war) and the other book Ethics of Ambiguity is slow going and I have to take it in small doses. There was a used bookstore near my hostel and I searched through there meager selection until I found a thriller that looked interesting.
I went back to my room and planned the next few days of my trip, determining how much money I would need, where I would stay and what I should do. I planned to go to Xunantunich the next day, buy the cheapest ticket during happy hour at the one American food restaurant with the free wifi (while drinking of course), and take it easy for the rest of the day.
When three o'clock came around, I headed down to the restaurant with my laptop, ordered a beer and bought my ticket. I was there for two hours surfing the internet, drinking four beers over the course of my stay. Exciting, I know.
I went back to my room and wasted time there for a little bit until I began to feel hungry so I decided to try a restaurant that was highly praised in my guidebook, but I had just that day spotted the sign for, Ervas. It was a small little place and when I walked inside I was the only person in the whole establishment besides the three people working. I sat down, ordered some stewed chicken with rice and beans and a beer and watched some news on the tv while I waited.
The waiter brought me a beer and after two sips I wasn't getting anything. It was frozen solid! I asked for a new one and the waiter brought me a cold but unfrozen beer. Soon my food arrived and yes, it was delicious. The rice and beans were topped by a fried plantain banana and they had a house hotsauce which was onions in some liquid that had soaked in habanero peppers for an unspecified amount of time. I was very impressed and the food was not that expensive either. After paying, I walked up and down the main streets to see if there was anything going on. Disappointed, I returned to my room where I read a little and watched some episodes of Breaking Bad on my computer (which is a really addictive show).
I guess I could make more of my experience. I am not really doing much but I feel like an idiot going to places by myself. It is hard for me to talk to people, so I prefer to be by myself in my room, where there is nothing to do.
The next day I woke up and I was actually cold for the first time since coming down here. I looked outside and the sky was overcast and dreary. It rained all day which pretty much ruined my plans to go to Xunantunich.
Tomorrow I head back to Belize City, where I will stay for a night and then early the next morning catch a flight back to the states. This is probably my last entry for this trip.
I am finding it hard to motivate myself to really do anything. I enjoy doing things when I actually do them but would rather have a friend along to appreciate them with. It is hard for me to form close friendships with people and that on top of how difficult it is for me to talk to and meet new people isn't making this as fun of a travel experience as I thought it would be. I seem to be doing a lot of the things I normally do at home, so I am coming back to the states waaaaaaaaay early.
This is kind of difficult for me, since now I will have to find something new to try and be passionate about. I thought independent travel would hold more significance for me than it is and I am feeling like a quitter since I am coming back after only a week (I kept telling myself to go at least two weeks, but I am sure that I would regret it if I had to spend a few more days to just biding my time, waiting to go home).
I definitely want to travel some more, but it will be less open ended travel. I will go to places where there are natural wonders or historical landmarks that I would like to visit more, rather than going somewhere because it is cheap. I will also have a clearly defined return date and I will hopefully be able to find a friend or two who would like to accompany me on journeys. I would also sign up for working with an NGO or other organization for a week or two to start my trip so that I would actually feel as though I am accomplishing something (most NGO's have limited slots which are usually booked for a month or two in advance, so I can't just show up and expect them to have room for me to volunteer).
*Edit* I have come to regret my decision already to head back to the states (even though I haven't left Belize yet). Unfortunately I have already bought my ticket, but I plan on traveling again soon after working and saving up a bit more money. Thanks to all who have supported me and read this blog.
Okay, enough with my whining. On with describing my activities.
The day after the Barton Creek trip, I woke up and hung out in my room for a little bit before deciding to go get breakfast at a nearby restaurant (Flayva's Bar and Grill, same place where I booked the Barton Creek trip) and use their wifi to surf the internet and get ideas on return ticket prices. I ate the 'Belizean Special' breakfast, which consisted of Chicken Stew, some refried beans, salsa, tortillas, and fruit. I also had two cups of coffee while I read news, researched airline prices, and posted a blog.
After returning to my room and dropping off my computer, I decided to go buy a new book. Something lighthearted, since I couldn't get into War and Peace too much (not a big fan of reading about war) and the other book Ethics of Ambiguity is slow going and I have to take it in small doses. There was a used bookstore near my hostel and I searched through there meager selection until I found a thriller that looked interesting.
I went back to my room and planned the next few days of my trip, determining how much money I would need, where I would stay and what I should do. I planned to go to Xunantunich the next day, buy the cheapest ticket during happy hour at the one American food restaurant with the free wifi (while drinking of course), and take it easy for the rest of the day.
When three o'clock came around, I headed down to the restaurant with my laptop, ordered a beer and bought my ticket. I was there for two hours surfing the internet, drinking four beers over the course of my stay. Exciting, I know.
I went back to my room and wasted time there for a little bit until I began to feel hungry so I decided to try a restaurant that was highly praised in my guidebook, but I had just that day spotted the sign for, Ervas. It was a small little place and when I walked inside I was the only person in the whole establishment besides the three people working. I sat down, ordered some stewed chicken with rice and beans and a beer and watched some news on the tv while I waited.
The waiter brought me a beer and after two sips I wasn't getting anything. It was frozen solid! I asked for a new one and the waiter brought me a cold but unfrozen beer. Soon my food arrived and yes, it was delicious. The rice and beans were topped by a fried plantain banana and they had a house hotsauce which was onions in some liquid that had soaked in habanero peppers for an unspecified amount of time. I was very impressed and the food was not that expensive either. After paying, I walked up and down the main streets to see if there was anything going on. Disappointed, I returned to my room where I read a little and watched some episodes of Breaking Bad on my computer (which is a really addictive show).
I guess I could make more of my experience. I am not really doing much but I feel like an idiot going to places by myself. It is hard for me to talk to people, so I prefer to be by myself in my room, where there is nothing to do.
The next day I woke up and I was actually cold for the first time since coming down here. I looked outside and the sky was overcast and dreary. It rained all day which pretty much ruined my plans to go to Xunantunich.
Tomorrow I head back to Belize City, where I will stay for a night and then early the next morning catch a flight back to the states. This is probably my last entry for this trip.
Barton Creek Cave
I woke up bright and early the next morning. Mostly due to a bunch of dogs (lots of wild dogs roaming the streets all over Belize) barking and fighting outside of my window. I just layed in bed for a while, not really feeling like getting up or going on the Barton Creek trip. Most of the morning consisted in me internally debating whether I should just forget the deposit and skip the trip, or just get off my ass and do it. I felt that I really needed to do something rather than just staying in my room passing time somewhat bored, but not feeling like going out and dealing with people. Eventually I decided that I should just stop being such a bitch and just go on the trip.
I went to the store to buy some water, but all they had was a four-liter jug and I didn't really want to lug that around with me. After some thought, I decided to buy it anyway and pour the water into a smaller one liter water bottle I bought on my busride to San Ignacio. I gathered the few necessary items (I did however forget my camera, which I regret) and around noon headed towards the shop where I was to meet my guide.
When I arrived, there was an attractive woman sitting down in front of the shop and walking by I glanced around and didn't see the guide. I asked her if she was going on the Barton Creek Trip and she replied in accented English that she was. Right then, Sergio the guide appeared and greeted us both and told us to head towards the car. The German girl, Marie (or the german equivalent), and I introduced ourselves and we all talked a bit as we headed towards a run down four wheel drive SUV. We took off towards the Barton Creek area, a 45 minute drive, and talked with each other, Sergio telling us that they are pretty liberal in Belize and that if we wanted to stop and get a beer to drink on the ride to feel free to ask, and to go ahead and smoke in the car.
We drove east on the Western Highway for a few miles before turning off down a rough, rocky dirt road where Sergio alternated speeding up during the smoother patches or slowing down to a crawl on rough parts. We were going to pass through an Amish community of 200 on the road and this was foreshadowed by passing a few horse drawn carriages driven by Amish men.
Along the dirt road we began to pass massive orange tree groves and Sergio told us that the groves were owned by an American corporation which used them for making concentrated juices. I never learned which corporation but eventually we stopped and picked a bunch of oranges for the trip and later on (so I may owe Dole a few bucks… :D). We stopped at a random farmhouse on the way and picked up a Mestizo man named Selwyn who worked with Sergio and Selwyn would be the one to actually paddle us through the cave and tell us about what we were seeing.
We reached the Barton Creek cave area soon after and got out of the car. Sergio told us we could leave our things in the car and pointed out some bathrooms we could use as well as towards a small area where they had a spidermonkey on a leash. Selwyn told us we could go play with the monkey while he set up the canoe and torch (a large flashlight connected to a car battery) for our trip. I went to go look at the spidermonkey and noticed as I did so that Sergio had lit and was smoking a doobie.
Marie went up to the spidermonkey and began to pet him. His name was Mango and he was attracted to bright shiny things; something we found out when he wrapped himself around Marie and began to try and tug her earrings right out of her ears. He had his feet (which were similar to his hands) on the earring, his hands holding on to Maries head and arm, and his prehensile tail wrapped around her head. Marie started to freak out and I tried to get the monkey off of her, but really had no clue what to do, having never dealt with a monkey before. Eventually one of the workers there yelled at him and he let her go. Marie took off her earrings and continued to play with the monkey.
When Selwyn had the canoe ready, we went down to a little pool at the cave entrance and boarded the canoe, and then Selwyn began to paddle us into the cave, describing the history of the cave and it's formations.
The cave had been used my the Mayan Indians of the area to perform ritual sacrifices. It was supposed to be part of the underworld and sacred to the gods. While going through the cave, Selwyn pointed out a few pots that were visible from the canoe as well as an old Mayan skull which had been partially encased in limestone due to the natural processes of the cave. Selwyn told us about the Mayan culture and that many of the skeletons and artifacts which were in the cave (and many Mayan sites) had been stolen by looters and every now and then an archaeologist would come through to study the cave. We weren't allowed to get out of the canoe, so I couldn't really get a close look at anything.
The cave itself was massive, with the ceiling rising to heights of over 100 feet, although at the widest it was only 20 or so feet. Stalagtites and stalagmites (not sure which is which) were present throughout the cave and some of them were a bright sparkly white from calcium deposits. There were also some very low parts of the cave, where the ceiling was only three to four feet above the water. At these parts we had to bend almost in half in the canoe just so our heads did not bang against the rocks. Luckily it was the dry season, because during the wet season the water level is too high to get past these areas. Every now and then we would pass by groups of black rock which Selwyn told us was magnesium deposits, and sometimes there would be a black coating on the rocks which was bat guano.
After a little bit past a kilometer into the cave we turned around and began to head back. We stopped at an area with a lower ceiling and as Selwyn held onto the ceiling, we turned off the flashlight and were encompassed in complete and total blackness. Even though we were perfectly still, I felt as though we were rushing backwards at great speed, being dragged further and further into the depths of the cave. After a minute we turned the light back on and I immediately felt normal again. We continued on our way out of the cave, asking questions about Belize and talking with Selwyn until we reached near the entrance of the cave.
When a hint of light could be seen from the entrance, Selwyn turned off the light so we could adjust our eyes a little to the dark and appreciate the view better as we exited the cave. At first it looked like it was dusk, with only a hint of light making it down the cave, and I felt as though we were not moving at all. Looking around I could see the stalagmites or stalagtites (the ones hanging down from the ceiling) moving in the shadowy light that made it's way that far down the cave, so I mentally knew that we were moving towards the cave entrance but my body felt otherwise.
There was an immense feeling of relief and satisfaction upon coming around a bend and seeing out of the cave entrance. I don't really know how to even describe the feeling. The sight of the bright green jungle encompassed in bright sunlight as well as the shimmering of the light in the pool of water outside the cave entrance lightened the mood and made me very happy. Maybe the darkness of the cave was oppressive and I did not even notice until exiting the cave but it was a magnificent sight.
Once disembarking from the canoe, Marie and I went to go play with the monkey some more while Selwyn put up the canoe and equipment. Marie and I talked while the monkey sat on her lap until the monkey noticed her earrings which she had placed next to her. The monkey snatched up the earrings and ran around the cage with the earrings in his mouth. We had to grab the leash and pull him to us to get the earrings back and then the monkey became violent. He started to wrap himself around her arm and bite on her arm until I pulled him off, whereupon he wrapped himself around my leg and began gnawing on my leg. I was wearing pants so I did not really feel anything but I started to swing my leg around to get him off but he continued to cling on. Marie made some joke about how my swinging my leg around with a spidermonkey attached to it looked like some strange kind of yoga.
Around this time Selwyn asked if we were ready to go, so we headed back to the car and headed back to San Ignacio. The drive back was interrupted however by car difficulties. The SUV kept losing power as we drove forward, bucking as it got power and then lost power. Sergio and Selwyn got out and opened the hood to figure out what was wrong. Marie became nervous and wanted a cigarette and I was just thinking that we were going to have to walk back.
I guess the air intake had come loose and after re-attaching it, we took off again. Not a quarter of a mile down the road, the car started bucking again. They hopped out and the intake had come loose again. This time they reattached it and tightened it up. We had no more problems after that. We dropped Selwyn off at a random farm (different from the one we picked him up at) and continued to town.
When we reached San Ignacio, Sergio dropped us off at our hostel. Apparently Marie and I were staying at the same hostel, and after paying Sergio the remainder that I owed him for the trip, we made plans to go eat dinner together. I washed up a little and Marie got changed (she had dripped orange juice all over her shirt from eating one of the oranges we picked earlier in the day), and headed out to the same American place I had ate at the night before. I didn't care where we ate and Marie chose it. I ate a chicken sandwich and Marie got a vegetarian sub and we talked about our travels and native countries.
Marie was from Western Germany and spoke four languages (German, French, Spanish, and English). She was a therapist and had just spent seven months working in a small village in Mexico helping to train disabled children to cope with their disabilities. She had six weeks to travel by herself before her family was flying out to travel with her for two more weeks. She was going to Tikal the next day after leacing San Ignacio to visit the Mayan ruins site Tikal. After visiting Flores and Tikal, she was planning on going to Antigua to study spanish some more while doing a homestay with a Guatemalan family and then doing the same thing again near Lake Atitlan. Then she was going back to Mexico to meet her family.
After dinner, she decided to take a nap, so we returned to our rooms and I never saw Marie again. I read some more, watched a movie I had on my laptop and went to bed early, around 10 o'clock.
I was happy I had gone on the tour and not pussed out like I had wanted to in the morning. It is hard for me to get to know people but I generally enjoy it when I do take the time to talk to them. I just need to do it more often and try and learn to open up easier.
I went to the store to buy some water, but all they had was a four-liter jug and I didn't really want to lug that around with me. After some thought, I decided to buy it anyway and pour the water into a smaller one liter water bottle I bought on my busride to San Ignacio. I gathered the few necessary items (I did however forget my camera, which I regret) and around noon headed towards the shop where I was to meet my guide.
When I arrived, there was an attractive woman sitting down in front of the shop and walking by I glanced around and didn't see the guide. I asked her if she was going on the Barton Creek Trip and she replied in accented English that she was. Right then, Sergio the guide appeared and greeted us both and told us to head towards the car. The German girl, Marie (or the german equivalent), and I introduced ourselves and we all talked a bit as we headed towards a run down four wheel drive SUV. We took off towards the Barton Creek area, a 45 minute drive, and talked with each other, Sergio telling us that they are pretty liberal in Belize and that if we wanted to stop and get a beer to drink on the ride to feel free to ask, and to go ahead and smoke in the car.
We drove east on the Western Highway for a few miles before turning off down a rough, rocky dirt road where Sergio alternated speeding up during the smoother patches or slowing down to a crawl on rough parts. We were going to pass through an Amish community of 200 on the road and this was foreshadowed by passing a few horse drawn carriages driven by Amish men.
Along the dirt road we began to pass massive orange tree groves and Sergio told us that the groves were owned by an American corporation which used them for making concentrated juices. I never learned which corporation but eventually we stopped and picked a bunch of oranges for the trip and later on (so I may owe Dole a few bucks… :D). We stopped at a random farmhouse on the way and picked up a Mestizo man named Selwyn who worked with Sergio and Selwyn would be the one to actually paddle us through the cave and tell us about what we were seeing.
We reached the Barton Creek cave area soon after and got out of the car. Sergio told us we could leave our things in the car and pointed out some bathrooms we could use as well as towards a small area where they had a spidermonkey on a leash. Selwyn told us we could go play with the monkey while he set up the canoe and torch (a large flashlight connected to a car battery) for our trip. I went to go look at the spidermonkey and noticed as I did so that Sergio had lit and was smoking a doobie.
Marie went up to the spidermonkey and began to pet him. His name was Mango and he was attracted to bright shiny things; something we found out when he wrapped himself around Marie and began to try and tug her earrings right out of her ears. He had his feet (which were similar to his hands) on the earring, his hands holding on to Maries head and arm, and his prehensile tail wrapped around her head. Marie started to freak out and I tried to get the monkey off of her, but really had no clue what to do, having never dealt with a monkey before. Eventually one of the workers there yelled at him and he let her go. Marie took off her earrings and continued to play with the monkey.
When Selwyn had the canoe ready, we went down to a little pool at the cave entrance and boarded the canoe, and then Selwyn began to paddle us into the cave, describing the history of the cave and it's formations.
The cave had been used my the Mayan Indians of the area to perform ritual sacrifices. It was supposed to be part of the underworld and sacred to the gods. While going through the cave, Selwyn pointed out a few pots that were visible from the canoe as well as an old Mayan skull which had been partially encased in limestone due to the natural processes of the cave. Selwyn told us about the Mayan culture and that many of the skeletons and artifacts which were in the cave (and many Mayan sites) had been stolen by looters and every now and then an archaeologist would come through to study the cave. We weren't allowed to get out of the canoe, so I couldn't really get a close look at anything.
The cave itself was massive, with the ceiling rising to heights of over 100 feet, although at the widest it was only 20 or so feet. Stalagtites and stalagmites (not sure which is which) were present throughout the cave and some of them were a bright sparkly white from calcium deposits. There were also some very low parts of the cave, where the ceiling was only three to four feet above the water. At these parts we had to bend almost in half in the canoe just so our heads did not bang against the rocks. Luckily it was the dry season, because during the wet season the water level is too high to get past these areas. Every now and then we would pass by groups of black rock which Selwyn told us was magnesium deposits, and sometimes there would be a black coating on the rocks which was bat guano.
After a little bit past a kilometer into the cave we turned around and began to head back. We stopped at an area with a lower ceiling and as Selwyn held onto the ceiling, we turned off the flashlight and were encompassed in complete and total blackness. Even though we were perfectly still, I felt as though we were rushing backwards at great speed, being dragged further and further into the depths of the cave. After a minute we turned the light back on and I immediately felt normal again. We continued on our way out of the cave, asking questions about Belize and talking with Selwyn until we reached near the entrance of the cave.
When a hint of light could be seen from the entrance, Selwyn turned off the light so we could adjust our eyes a little to the dark and appreciate the view better as we exited the cave. At first it looked like it was dusk, with only a hint of light making it down the cave, and I felt as though we were not moving at all. Looking around I could see the stalagmites or stalagtites (the ones hanging down from the ceiling) moving in the shadowy light that made it's way that far down the cave, so I mentally knew that we were moving towards the cave entrance but my body felt otherwise.
There was an immense feeling of relief and satisfaction upon coming around a bend and seeing out of the cave entrance. I don't really know how to even describe the feeling. The sight of the bright green jungle encompassed in bright sunlight as well as the shimmering of the light in the pool of water outside the cave entrance lightened the mood and made me very happy. Maybe the darkness of the cave was oppressive and I did not even notice until exiting the cave but it was a magnificent sight.
Once disembarking from the canoe, Marie and I went to go play with the monkey some more while Selwyn put up the canoe and equipment. Marie and I talked while the monkey sat on her lap until the monkey noticed her earrings which she had placed next to her. The monkey snatched up the earrings and ran around the cage with the earrings in his mouth. We had to grab the leash and pull him to us to get the earrings back and then the monkey became violent. He started to wrap himself around her arm and bite on her arm until I pulled him off, whereupon he wrapped himself around my leg and began gnawing on my leg. I was wearing pants so I did not really feel anything but I started to swing my leg around to get him off but he continued to cling on. Marie made some joke about how my swinging my leg around with a spidermonkey attached to it looked like some strange kind of yoga.
Around this time Selwyn asked if we were ready to go, so we headed back to the car and headed back to San Ignacio. The drive back was interrupted however by car difficulties. The SUV kept losing power as we drove forward, bucking as it got power and then lost power. Sergio and Selwyn got out and opened the hood to figure out what was wrong. Marie became nervous and wanted a cigarette and I was just thinking that we were going to have to walk back.
I guess the air intake had come loose and after re-attaching it, we took off again. Not a quarter of a mile down the road, the car started bucking again. They hopped out and the intake had come loose again. This time they reattached it and tightened it up. We had no more problems after that. We dropped Selwyn off at a random farm (different from the one we picked him up at) and continued to town.
When we reached San Ignacio, Sergio dropped us off at our hostel. Apparently Marie and I were staying at the same hostel, and after paying Sergio the remainder that I owed him for the trip, we made plans to go eat dinner together. I washed up a little and Marie got changed (she had dripped orange juice all over her shirt from eating one of the oranges we picked earlier in the day), and headed out to the same American place I had ate at the night before. I didn't care where we ate and Marie chose it. I ate a chicken sandwich and Marie got a vegetarian sub and we talked about our travels and native countries.
Marie was from Western Germany and spoke four languages (German, French, Spanish, and English). She was a therapist and had just spent seven months working in a small village in Mexico helping to train disabled children to cope with their disabilities. She had six weeks to travel by herself before her family was flying out to travel with her for two more weeks. She was going to Tikal the next day after leacing San Ignacio to visit the Mayan ruins site Tikal. After visiting Flores and Tikal, she was planning on going to Antigua to study spanish some more while doing a homestay with a Guatemalan family and then doing the same thing again near Lake Atitlan. Then she was going back to Mexico to meet her family.
After dinner, she decided to take a nap, so we returned to our rooms and I never saw Marie again. I read some more, watched a movie I had on my laptop and went to bed early, around 10 o'clock.
I was happy I had gone on the tour and not pussed out like I had wanted to in the morning. It is hard for me to get to know people but I generally enjoy it when I do take the time to talk to them. I just need to do it more often and try and learn to open up easier.
Trans-Belizean Busride and San Ignacio, Day 1
While waiting for the water taxi on Caye Caulker, an Asian-American woman asked me if I was going to the airport. I told her no, and that was the extent of our conversation. I boarded the water taxi and alternated staring out of the window and reading War and Peace (brought it instead of Brothers Karamazov as stated in first post). I got off the water taxi in Belize City and began walking towards the bus station to board a bus towards San Ignacio, one of the bigger cities in Western Belize.
I stopped at the first clean looking food place I found in Belize City on my way towards the bus terminal. They mostly served American food though, and I got a cheeseburger and a coke. When I got the cheeseburger, it had the thinnest looking hamburger patty that I had ever seen and instead of a bun it was more of a dinner roll. It was pretty good however, with mayonnaise and lettuce with habanero hot sauce served as a side instead of ketchup. While eating I noticed the Asian girl who asked me if was heading towards the airport pass by with two other tourists. Once finished eating, I payed and went on my way towards the bus terminal.
While walking, I passed the Asian girl and the other two tourists (on the opposite side of the street) and continued walkng for a bit until I reached a split in the road. I did not remember this split at all and as I reached a Christian school, I asked some of the older students or teachers there (not sure which) where the bus station was. They pointed to the corner and I did not recognize it at all. I decided I made a wrong turn. Further back down the steet I saw the Asian girl and her two tourist friends buying some food from the street vendor so I decided to ask them. When I approached, I asked where the bus terminal was and the asian girl was kind enough to pull out her guidebook and show me a map.
Apparently, I had missed a turn. After she showed me the map in her guidebook and got me back on track (I had took two xannies before hopping on the flight to Belize, and they have a tendency to make me black out and forget hours at a time, so the walk from the bus terminal to the hostel after arriving was a bit of haze… I hope no hopeful tentative future employers read this :D). I thanked the asian girl and got on my way, hoofing it to the bus terminal. When I was just about there, tons of buses were parked all over so I got a little confused and started wandering down a few side streets until a generous taxi driver asked me if I needed a taxi and upon refusal, asked where I was trying to go and then gave me directions to the bus terminal. It was right next to where I was but slightly down a side road from where I remembered it being.
At the bus terminal, I found the bus to San Ignacio and hopped on. Then I hopped right back off because it was a two to three hour bus ride to San Ignacio from Belize City and I had no idea how hot it would be, so I decided to purchase some water. I bought the water and boarded the bus again, and it left after ten minutes of waiting. Driving across the country (the bus went all the way across the country, ending in Benque, a small village 10-15 miles further down the western highway from San Ignacio), I became quite depressed. Most of the countryside consisted of short shrubby trees and vegetation with dilapidated buildings and shabby villages randomly scattered along the highway. Every now and then I would get whiffs of marijauna plant smell.
After passing through the capital city of Belize, Belmopan, an older Mestizo lady sat next to me. I never caught her name, but we started talking and she told me about the education system of Belize, and described the villages and area. We talked about random things until we reached San Ignacio, where she helped me get off at the right stop (otherwise I would have continued on and totally missed the tourist area of San Ignacio). After a moment or two of deciphering the map in the guidebook I found the cheapest hostel in town (12.50 a night for a double bed room, and a bathroom shared between four rooms), and luckily enough snagged the last room.
After settling into my room, I walked around the area some more. There were a bunch of houses, buildings and businesses all two, three, or more stories high. One street was filled predominantly with restaurant-bars, gift shops, and tour guide businesses, many containing combinations of the three. I stopped and ate at a little place which served mostly American cuisine. Mostly I was drawn to it because I saw that they offered free wifi and it was happy hour there, so cheap drinks and wanted to check it out. They really didn't offer anything unique so I got a little single serving pizza (go Belize!) and drank a few beers.
After eating, I went back to the hostel and looked through my guidebook to find something to do the next day. I decided I wanted to check out some Mayan ruins called Xunantunich (pronounced Zoo-nan-too-neech). I left the hostel and started walking down that road with all the tour guides until I reached one that offered Xunantunich tours. The main guide saw me reading the sign and asked me if I was interested in taking a tour, and after telling him I would like to check out the tours, brought me inside to look at a notebook filled with descriptions and prices. He told me they only host trips for multiple people and since I was by myself, it wouldn't be profitable for him to take me. He was however taking a small group out to Barton Creek Caves, a creek that flows through some large-ish caves for 10 kilometers. I wanted to do that as well so I signed on for the trip. I didn't have enough money for the trip on me, so the guide, Sergio, took a deposit and told me to meet him in front of the shop (Flayva's Bar and Grill) the next day at noon, bringing a towel, swim shorts (in addition to regular clothes), bug spray, and water, as well as the remainder of the payment. He also told me how I could go to Xunantunich on my own and it didn't sound too difficult and would be a lot cheaper than hiring a guide.
After leaving the tour guide office, I walked around a little more and saw that another place offered the Barton Creek trip for 15 US bucks cheaper and was a little disappointed in myself that I did not look around more before putting down the deposit. I headed back to my room and read a little before going to sleep.
I stopped at the first clean looking food place I found in Belize City on my way towards the bus terminal. They mostly served American food though, and I got a cheeseburger and a coke. When I got the cheeseburger, it had the thinnest looking hamburger patty that I had ever seen and instead of a bun it was more of a dinner roll. It was pretty good however, with mayonnaise and lettuce with habanero hot sauce served as a side instead of ketchup. While eating I noticed the Asian girl who asked me if was heading towards the airport pass by with two other tourists. Once finished eating, I payed and went on my way towards the bus terminal.
While walking, I passed the Asian girl and the other two tourists (on the opposite side of the street) and continued walkng for a bit until I reached a split in the road. I did not remember this split at all and as I reached a Christian school, I asked some of the older students or teachers there (not sure which) where the bus station was. They pointed to the corner and I did not recognize it at all. I decided I made a wrong turn. Further back down the steet I saw the Asian girl and her two tourist friends buying some food from the street vendor so I decided to ask them. When I approached, I asked where the bus terminal was and the asian girl was kind enough to pull out her guidebook and show me a map.
Apparently, I had missed a turn. After she showed me the map in her guidebook and got me back on track (I had took two xannies before hopping on the flight to Belize, and they have a tendency to make me black out and forget hours at a time, so the walk from the bus terminal to the hostel after arriving was a bit of haze… I hope no hopeful tentative future employers read this :D). I thanked the asian girl and got on my way, hoofing it to the bus terminal. When I was just about there, tons of buses were parked all over so I got a little confused and started wandering down a few side streets until a generous taxi driver asked me if I needed a taxi and upon refusal, asked where I was trying to go and then gave me directions to the bus terminal. It was right next to where I was but slightly down a side road from where I remembered it being.
At the bus terminal, I found the bus to San Ignacio and hopped on. Then I hopped right back off because it was a two to three hour bus ride to San Ignacio from Belize City and I had no idea how hot it would be, so I decided to purchase some water. I bought the water and boarded the bus again, and it left after ten minutes of waiting. Driving across the country (the bus went all the way across the country, ending in Benque, a small village 10-15 miles further down the western highway from San Ignacio), I became quite depressed. Most of the countryside consisted of short shrubby trees and vegetation with dilapidated buildings and shabby villages randomly scattered along the highway. Every now and then I would get whiffs of marijauna plant smell.
After passing through the capital city of Belize, Belmopan, an older Mestizo lady sat next to me. I never caught her name, but we started talking and she told me about the education system of Belize, and described the villages and area. We talked about random things until we reached San Ignacio, where she helped me get off at the right stop (otherwise I would have continued on and totally missed the tourist area of San Ignacio). After a moment or two of deciphering the map in the guidebook I found the cheapest hostel in town (12.50 a night for a double bed room, and a bathroom shared between four rooms), and luckily enough snagged the last room.
After settling into my room, I walked around the area some more. There were a bunch of houses, buildings and businesses all two, three, or more stories high. One street was filled predominantly with restaurant-bars, gift shops, and tour guide businesses, many containing combinations of the three. I stopped and ate at a little place which served mostly American cuisine. Mostly I was drawn to it because I saw that they offered free wifi and it was happy hour there, so cheap drinks and wanted to check it out. They really didn't offer anything unique so I got a little single serving pizza (go Belize!) and drank a few beers.
After eating, I went back to the hostel and looked through my guidebook to find something to do the next day. I decided I wanted to check out some Mayan ruins called Xunantunich (pronounced Zoo-nan-too-neech). I left the hostel and started walking down that road with all the tour guides until I reached one that offered Xunantunich tours. The main guide saw me reading the sign and asked me if I was interested in taking a tour, and after telling him I would like to check out the tours, brought me inside to look at a notebook filled with descriptions and prices. He told me they only host trips for multiple people and since I was by myself, it wouldn't be profitable for him to take me. He was however taking a small group out to Barton Creek Caves, a creek that flows through some large-ish caves for 10 kilometers. I wanted to do that as well so I signed on for the trip. I didn't have enough money for the trip on me, so the guide, Sergio, took a deposit and told me to meet him in front of the shop (Flayva's Bar and Grill) the next day at noon, bringing a towel, swim shorts (in addition to regular clothes), bug spray, and water, as well as the remainder of the payment. He also told me how I could go to Xunantunich on my own and it didn't sound too difficult and would be a lot cheaper than hiring a guide.
After leaving the tour guide office, I walked around a little more and saw that another place offered the Barton Creek trip for 15 US bucks cheaper and was a little disappointed in myself that I did not look around more before putting down the deposit. I headed back to my room and read a little before going to sleep.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Just the tip of the Caulker
The water taxi to Caye Caulker was very crowded with maybe 30-40 people on board of a 25-30 foot long speedboat powered by two engines. Packed in like sardines, a variety of cultures were represented on the boat. A woman across from me was reading a German travel guidebook, a couple sitting next to me were speaking in french, the couple behind me were speaking in (to me) an unrecognizable language, and I had a Mestizo (mixed spanish / indigenous indian) sitting across from me and a Creole (African slave descendent) sitting next to me opposite the French couple. There were also a loud group of British dudes on the boat who were sitting a ways towards the front.
We passed many little islands as we motor boated (us motor-boating sons of bitches!) along the Belizean coast. These islands were covered with trees and oftentimes the tree roots were completely immersed in water, which is strange considering the water was salt water and you would think that they would not be able to survive on salt water. Many of the these islands had houses and other structures on them. Also there were houses / structures in the middle of the coastal waters on stilts holding them above the water.
Upon arrival to the island, I hopped off the water taxi and since I didn't have any luggage on the storage area of the boat I just headed off the dock to the island. Most everyone else had to wait for their luggage to be unloaded. Thinking that the dock was on the side of the island facing the Belizean coast, I began to walk across the island to got to the side of the island facing the Caribbean. I was wrong however, and the dock was on the Caribbean side but the island was only a kilometer of so wide and I did not go too far out of my way.
Being too lazy to pull out my guidebook, I just wandered the island for a little bit looking for one of the cheaper hostels I remembered reading about in the guidebook. Eventually I ran across the hostel called Da Real Macaw. I asked how much their least expensive room was and was told it was only 28 dollars Belizean (14 American). I immediately proclaimed that I would take it! but the lady working at the desk told me I should probably see it first. It was a tiny little shack behind most of the other rooms. While all the other rooms were larger with beds, showers, sinks, tvs, and front porches with hammocks, this little room had a futon, a tiny little shower, a cramped toilet, and tiny tv. I was impressed by it, considering it was a hell of a lot nicer than the hostel I stayed at in Belize City and cheaper besides.
Caye Caulker isn't that big and seems pretty poverty stricken, despite most everything being more expensive than on the mainland. The houses and building all rather ramshackle (which I guess should have been a sign of things to come), and their wasn't any real beach. Their were a few docks which had people sunbathing on them and swimming of the ends. The water was beautiful, being various shades of blue, depending on the depth, and very clear when seen from above but was really shallow for a ways out with many things to cut your feet dwelling or laying on the sea bottom.
I was planning on going snorkeling while I was there, but the prices were all very expensive and my anti-social tendencies kept me from really venturing out and trying to socialize. I walked throughout the village and the further towards the outskirts I explored, the more poor and depressing the village became. I eventually bought a few beers and food and went back to my room. I watched part of a playoff football game on my tv before taking a nap. I woke up right before sunset and decided to go watch the sunset on the western side of the island, but I just missed it, arriving as the sun was no longer visible and to people heading back to their hostels.
I walked through the main streets of the village searching for any bars or places with people but didn't really see many people at all (besides the locals) and headed back to my room to figure out what I would do the next day. On the way back to my room, a Rasta looking dude on a bicycle stopped me and asked if I was British (maybe I look British?) and I told him no, and that I was American. He then asked if I smoked ganja, which I just replied "no, thanks," and walked on to my hostel.
In my room, I checked the weather and the weather forecast was rain for the next four days. The rain for the following day was supposed to be mostly on mainland Belize and I decided to just head back to Belize city the next morning. I didn't want to take the two hour boat ride during the rainstorm. I just hung out in my room for the next few hours and eventually fell asleep.
The next morning I woke up, took a shower, checked out and went to the dock and waited for a water taxi back to Belize City.
We passed many little islands as we motor boated (us motor-boating sons of bitches!) along the Belizean coast. These islands were covered with trees and oftentimes the tree roots were completely immersed in water, which is strange considering the water was salt water and you would think that they would not be able to survive on salt water. Many of the these islands had houses and other structures on them. Also there were houses / structures in the middle of the coastal waters on stilts holding them above the water.
Upon arrival to the island, I hopped off the water taxi and since I didn't have any luggage on the storage area of the boat I just headed off the dock to the island. Most everyone else had to wait for their luggage to be unloaded. Thinking that the dock was on the side of the island facing the Belizean coast, I began to walk across the island to got to the side of the island facing the Caribbean. I was wrong however, and the dock was on the Caribbean side but the island was only a kilometer of so wide and I did not go too far out of my way.
Being too lazy to pull out my guidebook, I just wandered the island for a little bit looking for one of the cheaper hostels I remembered reading about in the guidebook. Eventually I ran across the hostel called Da Real Macaw. I asked how much their least expensive room was and was told it was only 28 dollars Belizean (14 American). I immediately proclaimed that I would take it! but the lady working at the desk told me I should probably see it first. It was a tiny little shack behind most of the other rooms. While all the other rooms were larger with beds, showers, sinks, tvs, and front porches with hammocks, this little room had a futon, a tiny little shower, a cramped toilet, and tiny tv. I was impressed by it, considering it was a hell of a lot nicer than the hostel I stayed at in Belize City and cheaper besides.
Caye Caulker isn't that big and seems pretty poverty stricken, despite most everything being more expensive than on the mainland. The houses and building all rather ramshackle (which I guess should have been a sign of things to come), and their wasn't any real beach. Their were a few docks which had people sunbathing on them and swimming of the ends. The water was beautiful, being various shades of blue, depending on the depth, and very clear when seen from above but was really shallow for a ways out with many things to cut your feet dwelling or laying on the sea bottom.
I was planning on going snorkeling while I was there, but the prices were all very expensive and my anti-social tendencies kept me from really venturing out and trying to socialize. I walked throughout the village and the further towards the outskirts I explored, the more poor and depressing the village became. I eventually bought a few beers and food and went back to my room. I watched part of a playoff football game on my tv before taking a nap. I woke up right before sunset and decided to go watch the sunset on the western side of the island, but I just missed it, arriving as the sun was no longer visible and to people heading back to their hostels.
I walked through the main streets of the village searching for any bars or places with people but didn't really see many people at all (besides the locals) and headed back to my room to figure out what I would do the next day. On the way back to my room, a Rasta looking dude on a bicycle stopped me and asked if I was British (maybe I look British?) and I told him no, and that I was American. He then asked if I smoked ganja, which I just replied "no, thanks," and walked on to my hostel.
In my room, I checked the weather and the weather forecast was rain for the next four days. The rain for the following day was supposed to be mostly on mainland Belize and I decided to just head back to Belize city the next morning. I didn't want to take the two hour boat ride during the rainstorm. I just hung out in my room for the next few hours and eventually fell asleep.
The next morning I woke up, took a shower, checked out and went to the dock and waited for a water taxi back to Belize City.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Belize it or Not
Getting to Belize was rather uneventful. I got to the airport by 7:15, and already had my boarding pass printed out from the UNCC computer lab, so just went straight through the security check. I didn't even have to go through the body scanners; I just went through the metal detector. I was sitting at my terminal before 8 am, and my plane boarded at 9.
My flight went smoothly and we landed at the International Airport in Belize a little earlier than estimated. I passed through customs with no problems and sat outside the airport waiting for another tourist to share the price of a taxi with to Belize City (the airport is 15 miles outside the city).
While waiting, I started talking to another arrival, an American who taught local kids in Benque, a small border town with Guatemala. He had already taught for a year and was returning to begin teaching for another year. He was being picked up by two other American teachers from the same school and offered to give me a ride to a nearby road to flag down a bus towards Belize City (Benque was the opposite direction on the same road). I accepted and got a ride to the road, where they dropped me off and invited me to come to Benque if I wanted to, and they told me there are volunteer opportunities in Benque helping to build and construct homes and buildings. I thanked them and got out of the van.
I saw a Belizean dude standing across the street (the side of the street where I would need to flag down a bus towards Belize City), and headed over to him. I asked him about the buses and we talked for a little bit until the bus to Belize City arrived, which I promptly waved down and boarded.
The bus was very crowded, mostly by locals, with most seats full and only three or four of the seats with only one person in them. I made my way back and sat down on the first available seat. The bus smelled like marijuana. Not the smoke but the plant itself, which I found amusing. Eventually one of the bus attendants made his way back to me for me to pay my bus fee (I was hoping I would escape unscathed, but alas, not). I handed him an America twenty and I received $37.50 belize dollars back (the set currency ratio is US$1 is equal to BZ$2). I sat back, relaxed, and watched the Belizean countryside roll by.
I rode the bus through Belize City until it arrived at the bus terminal, where everyone who hadn't trickled off earlier in the city began to exit the bus. Once I got off the bus I headed towards an old dude wearing a Columbia hat and tourist shirt while digging a travel guide out of my bag. I had no clue where in the city I was, so once I had flipped to the map page for the city in my guidebook, I approached the old guy and asked him if he could show me we were. He asked where I was going and it ended up that we were both going to the same hostel, so we started heading towards it.
The mans name was Al, and he was from Oregon and traveled for three weeks every year. He said he usually went to Mexico, but was getting bored and wanted to try something different. He also went on vacation to Europe with his wife every year as well, but was here by himself. We had to dodge all manner of people begging for spare money or trying to tell us where to go and found our way to the hostel, the Seaside Guest House. Al told me that we were walking through a bad section of town on our way to the hostel and he was glad that he had company.
The tourbooks and many different online sources all proclaimed that Belize City isn't a fun city for tourists. Crime is pretty bad and there are not many activities for tourists to do or any real night life. They have a museum but it mostly just demonstrates what you can find around the country and there is no point in visiting it if you plan on traveling throughout Belize.
Al rented a private room with bath for US 40 bucks, but I went with a dorm style room with three beds and a common bathroom (used by multiple rooms) for US 20. I had the dorm style room to myself and it had a nice view of the bay with a pleasant sea breeze blowing in through the open window. The bay was only 50 yards away and I heard the rustling of the water as it flowed against the dike (there are reefs and islands all along the shore of Belize, so no real waves make it this far). Once we were settled in, Al went to go look at a museum (which ended up being closed) and I went to find a general store where I could buy a few things.
I wanted to buy some soap, razors, and a pocket knife and went to a place called Brody's Pharmacy… after much searching, I ended up getting some soap, razors, and peanuts. After leaving the store, I walked over to the Water Taxi station to inquire about when the Water Taxis headed out to Caye Caulker.
While returning to the Hostel, a very persistent local started talking to me. I had trouble understanding most of what he was saying, but after several times asking him why he was walking with me to the hostel, it seemed he was convinced that I was going to give him some money which I had left in my room. I told him no, and that I would give him some Belizean coinage. He said he would take it so I gave him about 30 cents Belizean (although there was a US nickel in there too). Upon seeing how little it was, he cursed and tossed the change all over the street and walked off. I just left the change on the ground and walked back to my hostel (making sure the dude wasn't trying to follow me).
Upon return to the hostel, I went up to my room and began pouring through the hard copy guidebook and the guidebook which I downloaded to determine how I am going to continue my journeys. I decided that I will continue to Caye Caulker and spend a few days there until I am tired of it and then check out Ambergris Caye, at least for a night. Then return to Belize City and immediately catch a bus for San Ignacio. San Ignacio is the best city for tourists to explore the jungle and nature. They have hikes, caving, kayaking, white water rafting and Mayan ruins all over the area. Also Benque isn't too far from San Ignacio so if I decide to stop in and visit the teachers who game me a ride, it isn't too much of a hassle.
For dinner, I ate in the common room of my hostel. One of the women who work at the hostel cooked up some chicken wings stir fried in a Caribbean sauce, a tomato/cucumber salad, and some banana fritters (the house specialty). I also got a delicious fried crab cake, some ginger drink (not as weak or sweet as ginger ale and not as strong and acrid as ginger beer… it was delicious). I also drank a Belikin, the locally produced beer, which wasn't bad at all.
After eating I went up to my room, read for a little bit and took a shower, washing some of my clothes while taking the shower :D. I hung my clothes on some rungs in my room and watched part of a boring movie on my computer until I fell asleep.
The next morning I woke up and looked through my guidebooks for a little bit before I headed towards the water taxis and booked passage to Caye Caulker.
Alright... let me know how you feel about this post. I think it is rather boring in trying to describe every minute thing which I did. Should I just focus on the more exciting parts or is it fine as it is? Let me know what you think I can do to improve the blog. Thanks.
My flight went smoothly and we landed at the International Airport in Belize a little earlier than estimated. I passed through customs with no problems and sat outside the airport waiting for another tourist to share the price of a taxi with to Belize City (the airport is 15 miles outside the city).
While waiting, I started talking to another arrival, an American who taught local kids in Benque, a small border town with Guatemala. He had already taught for a year and was returning to begin teaching for another year. He was being picked up by two other American teachers from the same school and offered to give me a ride to a nearby road to flag down a bus towards Belize City (Benque was the opposite direction on the same road). I accepted and got a ride to the road, where they dropped me off and invited me to come to Benque if I wanted to, and they told me there are volunteer opportunities in Benque helping to build and construct homes and buildings. I thanked them and got out of the van.
I saw a Belizean dude standing across the street (the side of the street where I would need to flag down a bus towards Belize City), and headed over to him. I asked him about the buses and we talked for a little bit until the bus to Belize City arrived, which I promptly waved down and boarded.
The bus was very crowded, mostly by locals, with most seats full and only three or four of the seats with only one person in them. I made my way back and sat down on the first available seat. The bus smelled like marijuana. Not the smoke but the plant itself, which I found amusing. Eventually one of the bus attendants made his way back to me for me to pay my bus fee (I was hoping I would escape unscathed, but alas, not). I handed him an America twenty and I received $37.50 belize dollars back (the set currency ratio is US$1 is equal to BZ$2). I sat back, relaxed, and watched the Belizean countryside roll by.
I rode the bus through Belize City until it arrived at the bus terminal, where everyone who hadn't trickled off earlier in the city began to exit the bus. Once I got off the bus I headed towards an old dude wearing a Columbia hat and tourist shirt while digging a travel guide out of my bag. I had no clue where in the city I was, so once I had flipped to the map page for the city in my guidebook, I approached the old guy and asked him if he could show me we were. He asked where I was going and it ended up that we were both going to the same hostel, so we started heading towards it.
The mans name was Al, and he was from Oregon and traveled for three weeks every year. He said he usually went to Mexico, but was getting bored and wanted to try something different. He also went on vacation to Europe with his wife every year as well, but was here by himself. We had to dodge all manner of people begging for spare money or trying to tell us where to go and found our way to the hostel, the Seaside Guest House. Al told me that we were walking through a bad section of town on our way to the hostel and he was glad that he had company.
The tourbooks and many different online sources all proclaimed that Belize City isn't a fun city for tourists. Crime is pretty bad and there are not many activities for tourists to do or any real night life. They have a museum but it mostly just demonstrates what you can find around the country and there is no point in visiting it if you plan on traveling throughout Belize.
Al rented a private room with bath for US 40 bucks, but I went with a dorm style room with three beds and a common bathroom (used by multiple rooms) for US 20. I had the dorm style room to myself and it had a nice view of the bay with a pleasant sea breeze blowing in through the open window. The bay was only 50 yards away and I heard the rustling of the water as it flowed against the dike (there are reefs and islands all along the shore of Belize, so no real waves make it this far). Once we were settled in, Al went to go look at a museum (which ended up being closed) and I went to find a general store where I could buy a few things.
I wanted to buy some soap, razors, and a pocket knife and went to a place called Brody's Pharmacy… after much searching, I ended up getting some soap, razors, and peanuts. After leaving the store, I walked over to the Water Taxi station to inquire about when the Water Taxis headed out to Caye Caulker.
While returning to the Hostel, a very persistent local started talking to me. I had trouble understanding most of what he was saying, but after several times asking him why he was walking with me to the hostel, it seemed he was convinced that I was going to give him some money which I had left in my room. I told him no, and that I would give him some Belizean coinage. He said he would take it so I gave him about 30 cents Belizean (although there was a US nickel in there too). Upon seeing how little it was, he cursed and tossed the change all over the street and walked off. I just left the change on the ground and walked back to my hostel (making sure the dude wasn't trying to follow me).
Upon return to the hostel, I went up to my room and began pouring through the hard copy guidebook and the guidebook which I downloaded to determine how I am going to continue my journeys. I decided that I will continue to Caye Caulker and spend a few days there until I am tired of it and then check out Ambergris Caye, at least for a night. Then return to Belize City and immediately catch a bus for San Ignacio. San Ignacio is the best city for tourists to explore the jungle and nature. They have hikes, caving, kayaking, white water rafting and Mayan ruins all over the area. Also Benque isn't too far from San Ignacio so if I decide to stop in and visit the teachers who game me a ride, it isn't too much of a hassle.
For dinner, I ate in the common room of my hostel. One of the women who work at the hostel cooked up some chicken wings stir fried in a Caribbean sauce, a tomato/cucumber salad, and some banana fritters (the house specialty). I also got a delicious fried crab cake, some ginger drink (not as weak or sweet as ginger ale and not as strong and acrid as ginger beer… it was delicious). I also drank a Belikin, the locally produced beer, which wasn't bad at all.
After eating I went up to my room, read for a little bit and took a shower, washing some of my clothes while taking the shower :D. I hung my clothes on some rungs in my room and watched part of a boring movie on my computer until I fell asleep.
The next morning I woke up and looked through my guidebooks for a little bit before I headed towards the water taxis and booked passage to Caye Caulker.
Alright... let me know how you feel about this post. I think it is rather boring in trying to describe every minute thing which I did. Should I just focus on the more exciting parts or is it fine as it is? Let me know what you think I can do to improve the blog. Thanks.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
In Which Jimmy Gust Introduces his Blog
This is my second attempt at starting a blog. Hopefully this one will receive more effort and time than my first attempt.
I am a recent college graduate, graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in Anthropology. I served in the Marines for five years as a Russian Cryptologic Linguist, with fourteen months of those five years spent in Iraq. I still have no clue what I want to do with my life, and so I will just wander the earth for a while.
On January 8th, I am flying to Belize City in Central America to explore and experience how people live outside of the American cultural bubble. I plan on budget traveling for as long as I still have money, with the final destination being Panama. However, upon reaching Panama, if I still have funds remaining, I shall continue my journey down into South America. I would love to reach Peru and participate in an Ayahuasca ritual (which is what my Senior Thesis paper was about, the changes made to the ceremony due to tourism).
I have just over three thousand dollars for this trip, and I am hoping to remain traveling for at least three months. I have no real itinerary, except to visit Caye Caulker and the Ambergris Caye in Belize, and visiting every country in Central America. I want to volunteer with NGO's when possible, to make the journey more meaningful, as well as to break up the monotony of drinking, partying and revelry. I also want to get a basic grasp of Spanish, both through studying Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur, as well as taking lessons during city stays.
I am only taking what will fit in a single backpack, which will be carry-on sized. This is my gear list:
Hygiene
Tooth brush
Tooth paste
First aid (band-aids,advil, immodium)
Contacts and solution
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Nail clipper
Ear plugs
Deodorant
Brommers Soap
Glasses
Chapstick
Gadgets
Netbook
Ipod and headphones
Camera and charger
Cheap watch
headlamp
Clothes
Rain jacket w/ hood
2 t-shirts
2 long sleeve button shirts
2 pants
3 socks
3 underwear
Shoes
Flip flops
Swim shorts
Belt
Random
Small travel towel
Neck Pouch (for concealing passport and other important documents during travel)
Clothes line
Books (Ethics of Ambiguity by de Beauvoir, and Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky)
Notebook
Pen
Small lock
sunglasses
Documents
Passport
Photocopy passport
Atm card
Wad of cash
Once I arrive in Belize, I will buy a knife and a shaving razor.
Any recommendations on what else to bring or what I won't need would be appreciated.
I am a recent college graduate, graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in Anthropology. I served in the Marines for five years as a Russian Cryptologic Linguist, with fourteen months of those five years spent in Iraq. I still have no clue what I want to do with my life, and so I will just wander the earth for a while.
On January 8th, I am flying to Belize City in Central America to explore and experience how people live outside of the American cultural bubble. I plan on budget traveling for as long as I still have money, with the final destination being Panama. However, upon reaching Panama, if I still have funds remaining, I shall continue my journey down into South America. I would love to reach Peru and participate in an Ayahuasca ritual (which is what my Senior Thesis paper was about, the changes made to the ceremony due to tourism).
I have just over three thousand dollars for this trip, and I am hoping to remain traveling for at least three months. I have no real itinerary, except to visit Caye Caulker and the Ambergris Caye in Belize, and visiting every country in Central America. I want to volunteer with NGO's when possible, to make the journey more meaningful, as well as to break up the monotony of drinking, partying and revelry. I also want to get a basic grasp of Spanish, both through studying Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur, as well as taking lessons during city stays.
I am only taking what will fit in a single backpack, which will be carry-on sized. This is my gear list:
Hygiene
Tooth brush
Tooth paste
First aid (band-aids,advil, immodium)
Contacts and solution
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Nail clipper
Ear plugs
Deodorant
Brommers Soap
Glasses
Chapstick
Gadgets
Netbook
Ipod and headphones
Camera and charger
Cheap watch
headlamp
Clothes
Rain jacket w/ hood
2 t-shirts
2 long sleeve button shirts
2 pants
3 socks
3 underwear
Shoes
Flip flops
Swim shorts
Belt
Random
Small travel towel
Neck Pouch (for concealing passport and other important documents during travel)
Clothes line
Books (Ethics of Ambiguity by de Beauvoir, and Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky)
Notebook
Pen
Small lock
sunglasses
Documents
Passport
Photocopy passport
Atm card
Wad of cash
Once I arrive in Belize, I will buy a knife and a shaving razor.
Any recommendations on what else to bring or what I won't need would be appreciated.
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