I spoke to you briefly before about my experience quitting my first internship and then going to Costa Rica...best decision I ever made! Well not sure if it was the best but I have made many good decisions in my life :P
My second internship was much better, bigger company, better internship program, and they gave me progressive responsibilities. First, my duty started as any average internship at that company doing standard duties and I did them without compaint. I had a nice team and a supportive manager. After some time, I asked for more responsibility and they obliged. Eventually even sending me on a trip to the field where I had my own adventure driving the truck so fast on snow roads and causing a tiny accident...it was tiny only the bumper came loose and my coworkers up north came to the rescue. He told me "what happens in the field, stays in the field". Good coworker!
At the end of my internship, my team gave me a duffle bag full of wine bottles and chocolate and sent me off. I had planned a short trip to Belize in between my internship and going back to university to complete my final year of engineering school. My decision to go to Belize was based on economics. There was a blog I used to follow from a fellow Calgarian who used to post flight deals and I saw the the deal to go to Belize and jumped on it! I had never considered going to this country before but I thought...why not?
As usual, I meticulously and obsessively planned the trip. I read everything I could read online about Belize and planned the most perfect itinerary for my 9 day trip. I was again joined by my ex-boyfriend. Like most flights headed to Central America from Calgary, there was a stopover in Houston and I cannot resist indulging in some Tex-Mex food every time I am at that airport. Imagine a meaty steak with a side of guacamole and tacos. Drool.
.jpeg)
We arrived in Belize City which is actually known for being a bit dangerous and not highly recommended for tourists so we rented a car at the airport and got the hell out. We drove directly to San Ignacio. A charming town on the western side of Belize on the border with Guatemala. San Ignacio has a plethora of historical Mayan sites to visit, vast farmlands, and of course the very famous ATM cave which I have previously written about. We stayed at a fancy eco resort along the banks of the river secluded by a 7-mile dirt road...you drive and drive along this dirt road engulfed by trees like a canopy with only the sound of the river rushing alongside you. It was truly a serene hideaway.
Our first adventure was to the ATM cave which you cannot enter without a certified guide as it is a preserved part of Belize history and ecosystem. I had previously written a blog post about the ATM cave so I will not elaborate further. Our tour guide came to pick us up at our lodge and we went off to the cave. On the way we passed vast farmlands and what we noticed was a little strange...very white looking Amish people...completely dressed in their farmers attire and going about their day. Some driving these cool carriages and they were quite friendly, even giving us a wave as they drove past us. We were curious so we asked our tour guide about them.
So history goes that a group of Amish families relocated to Belize in the 1950's mainly from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois after noticing an increase in materialism and moral decay in the American society. Known for their traditional way of life and rejection of modern technology, the Amish were attracted to Belize due to the fertile soil and low population density. Their traditional way of life emphasizes hard work, family, and faith. They chose to settle in the Orange Walk District and began adapting to the Belizean society, which didn't come without its challenges. They had to learn to farm in a tropical climate and learn a new language. Although the official languages of Belize are English and Spanish, the locals communicate in a dialect mixed between the two.
They made important contributions to the Belizean society by establishing business and contributing to charitable work. They are admired by the locals for their hard work and commitment to their traditional values. They largely requested to stay out of local politics and in exchange, they receive a tax break from the government showing that they established strong ties with their neighbours. Despite the challenges, they succeeded in establishing a thriving community that preserves their values and traditional way of life while also making meaningful contributions to the society around them.
I guess, in some way, I always viewed the Amish with a judgemental lens. Well, I am not sure if it's judgemental or maybe because they are too different from me so I never felt comfortable enough to know more about them but after seeing them in Belize, I felt quite impressed. Although we zipped past them in the car, I am sure if I had approached them out of genuine curiosity to know more, they would have welcomed me. Their way of life is quite simple but it seems to work. They work, they have families, they have faith. They have meaning in their life and they are content with it. I come from a different cultural and religious background but perhaps I am not too different from them? I too am a simple person.
A good way to discover the culture of a new country is through food. A very interesting dish I tried while in Belize that is considered a delicacy especially in the San Ignacio region is Oxtail stew. Pieces of oxtail mixed with some sauce eaten with rice. The oxtail tasted like hard muscular lean meat and also tasty. I love the simple offerings in these types of places and more than anything, I love the affordable prices!
We spent a day enjoying the nature of San Ignacio in places like the Rio Frio Cave, Rio on Pools, and the Black Rock Falls. It was nice to spend the day swimming around and relaxing. While they were great, I had a itch to get to the Mayan sites. Belize is rich in Mayan history and the best sites are around the San Ignacio area. I haven't visited any Mayan structures before so I was quite excited. Architecture has always been an interesting subject for me and despite having never studied it officially, I am also curious to know how local cultures and ways of life influence the way we build. What made the Mayans build these giant structures? Why did they want their subjects to climb using hand and feet on the stairs of the pyramids to reach them? Did they enjoy the feeling of superiority or simply it was a way to show respect? What made the French build these giant elaborate castles and palaces? Were these grand palaces a show to project power or an actual means to provide shelter?
First and the closest Mayan site that we explored was called Xunantunich. Yes, very interesting names.
Xunantunich comes from the Yucatec Maya language and translates into "Maiden of the Rock". After a short drive from San Ignacio, you arrive at the Mopan River where a traditional hand-cranked ferry awaits you. Yes, you board with your car and it carries you across the river to the other side. While people began settling in the Xunantunich area between 600BC and 300BC, these structures weren't built until around 700AD.
Next, we visited Caracol, a significant Mayan city and played a major role in the power dynamics of the region. It mainly competed with Tikal (in Guatemala) for dominance but surpassed Tikal at around 600AD when it reached its peak. Nestled deep into the jungle, the drive to get there requires some patience but quite entertaining. You see plenty of wildlife from birds, coatis, and howler monkeys. If you're lucky, you might spot a jaguar. As it was on the border with Guatemala, it was also a bit dangerous since the two sides were having territorial disputes and when we arrived, we saw army soldiers with rifles walking around the sites. We arrived a bit late in the afternoon right before they closed the site but one of the guards was kind enough to let us take a quick 30 minute tour and stood around us as a guard to keep watch.
.jpeg)
By now, we wrapped up our San Ignacio part of the trip. We filled our heads with history, good food, rivers, and caves. Now, the real fun begins. The cayes of Belize! (pronounced: keys)
We bid farewell to San Ignacio and drove to the other side of the country to the sea side.
The cayes of Belize are tropical, sandy, low elevation islands scattered along the Belize Barrier Reef. There are approximately 450 islands and after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest coral reef system in the world. The most famous cayes are Caye Ambergis and Caye Caulker. I don't remember exactly where we stayed but I chose a small boutique resort off some random island only reachable by boat. There was nothing else there. No shops, no roads. Nothing. You can just arrive and leave by boat from the docking station at the resort.
We spent a few days relaxing, cooking, swimming, and getting massages. It was the sweetest set up. You really didn't need to leave but of course, I couldn't resist planning another adventure! The Shark Ray Alley is a shallow water zone located in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve where the fisherman used to deposit the leftovers in the sea and the sharks got accustomed to hearing the sound of the boat motors, associating it with food time!
Nurse sharks sound scary but in truth, they are very gentle and if anything, they are afraid of us. It's the sneaky shark rays you have to watch out for! Our boat pulled up and an army of sharks suddenly showed up all hungry for some food. Our tour guide said "If you're brave, jump!" So I did. Not right into the mouths of the sharks of course, I jumped on other side of the boat and swam to join the group of sharks. My boyfriend stared in disbelief and at the risk of looking like a pansy next to his girlfriend, followed suit.
I wish I still had the photo of me holding the shark but it's somewhere in my hard disk archives in Canada. I held the shark long enough just to take the photo but it was quite heavy and pulled me down into the water. I also don't think it was very comfortable being held by a human but it was a sweet. It caused no harm.
and just like that, my adventure to Belize came to an end.
#Belize #UnexpectedAdventure #BelizeAdventure #TravelStories #MayanRuins #JungleAdventure #BelizeCayes #SharkRayAlley #IslandLife #TravelMemories #AdventureTravel #TravelTales #SuraStories
