Category ArchiveEverywhere Once |

No Reservations

by Brian on April 18, 2012 in Belize, Central America, How To, Travel, Travel Tips

Over the course of our three hour commute from Punta Gorda to Placencia in Belize we got to talking with a couple from the U.K. When the boat docked we said our goodbyes. They turned to their guidebook to look for accommodations and we consulted a map to chart the best course to the guest house we had booked a couple days earlier.

As we waited for our room to be ready we pulled up a seat at a “road”-side restaurant and watched the throngs of tourists from what looked like a cruise ship convention amble by. Apparently it was the last day of some kind of festival and the place was mobbed.

Before we finished our lunch we saw the U.K. friends we had traveled with earlier in the day, only this time they looked dejected. They couldn’t find a room and were leaving. From Placencia they’d have a four hour bus ride to Belize City, on top of a likely hour or more wait for the next bus. By the time they arrived in Belize City the last water taxi to their next destination, Caye Caulker, would have long since sailed. “All part of the experience,” they said.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

by Brian on April 12, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Guatemala, Travel

A small boat bounced us over the Gulf of Honduras as we made our way from Livingston, Guatemala to Punta Gorda, Belize. Its speed adding force to the otherwise gentle rain that sprayed in our faces. Fortunately, the craft came equipped with all of the amenities you expect in this part of the world. The First Mate unfurled a plastic tarp for us to hold over our heads to try and keep dry.

Soon, the clouds parted, the tarp was discarded and dramatic skies welcomed us back to Belize.

Despite the rain, or perhaps because of it, I found the trip exhilarating. It’s not everyday we get to sail across the Gulf of Honduras. Sometimes, simply appreciating the uniqueness of the moment is enough to put a smile on my face.

Video of the Day: Leafcutter Ants

by Brian on March 19, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Guatemala, Travel

This column of leafcutter ants stretched through the jungle as far as the eye could see. What are they doing? Cutting leaves, of course. The better question is for what purpose? If you guessed feathering their nest, you’re thinking too simplistic. Incredibly these ants harvest leaves and shred them into a kind of mulch that they use to grow an edible fungus. They’re farmers and sophisticated ones too.

In addition to growing fungus, the ants also produce bacteria to fight a virulent disease that would otherwise devastate their crops. So it can be said that leafcutter ants developed organic agriculture 50 million years before people realized it was cool.

How We Roll

by Brian on March 7, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Guatemala, Travel

Sometimes referred to as “chicken buses” because of their occasional use to transport poultry as well as people, these colorfully painted former school buses form the backbone of the public transportation system throughout much of Central America. There are other ways to get around, but traveling the way locals do has many virtues; not least of which is cost.

One thing we’ve come to realize is that people’s sense of “value” is deeply rooted in their ordinary experiences. If a two-hour, one-way, Greyhound bus ride typically costs us $30 U.S. in the states, then we come to think of that as a reasonable price for a two hour bus ride. What should a similar ticket cost in Belize, or Guatemala? It’s hard for foreigners to know. We’ve encountered a small army of people trying to take advantage of that ignorance.

When Mayan Gods are Smiling

by Brian on March 5, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Travel

We awoke to such dark skies and rain that we considered abandoning our planned trek to the Mayan temple of Xunantunich (Shoo-nahn-too-neech) in the Cayo District of Belize. After procuring some plastic rain ponchos we decided to brave the weather and undertake the bus trip and mile long walk needed to reach the ruins.

The Mayan Gods smiled on our fortitude.