January 28, 2011 (Exploring El Pilar: "The Watering Basin")

On the morning of Friday, January 28 I awoke at the stroke of six o'clock AM to loud sounds coming from the street (our hotel room was just feet from Burns Avenue-- the "main drag" of San Ignacio Town). I had been having a bad dream about my old job-- and happily rolled over for a couple more hours of sleep. Today my Canadian roommate had decided to spend the three-day weekend visiting Flores in Guatemala-- which is only about an hour by bus and taxi from San Ignacio-- with his friend Susan from England. I wanted to see the nearby Maya site called "El Pilar" so I "held down the fort" at the Tropicool Hotel. We talked about possibly meeting at "Tikal" in Guatemala on Saturday. As Kirby left I told him I would try to be at the main entrance to Tikal about 10:00 AM on Saturday. My mission today was to try to arrange for a good deal on transportation to El Pilar for today and Tikal for Saturday.

My good friend Manny ("the mayor of San Ignacio") had lined me up with a private driver named “Leon” for my trip to El Pilar. Leon had agreed drive me to the site and back -- and even wait for me for a couple hours while I explored -- for the extremely reasonable fee of US$45.00. This was a particularly good deal because the seven + miles of gravel road from the nearby town of Bullet Tree Falls was brutally rough and had to be terrible for Leon’s tires and taxi cab. Leon picked me up at the Tropicool about 9:30 AM and we headed out to the site (approximately 12 miles northwest of San Ignacio Town).

Leon and His Taxi Cab after Arriving at El Pilar

Just getting to El Pilar is part of the adventure, traversing through the range of environments present in the Maya forest along the El Pilar road. Starting from the valley farmland of Bullet Tree Falls, the gravel road rises uphill through a patchwork of dense jungle, limestone cliffs, and freshly cleared farmland before finally encountering the site. The caretaker house and its cheerful flower garden welcome visitors. El Pilar recreates the experience of the first archaeologists who explored and mapped the site. For the most part, the monuments have been left shrouded under the protective carpet of nature. Trees have been allowed to shade the main plazas, providing a cool refuge in the otherwise hot and sunny tropics. This emphasis on the ecosystem creates a magical atmosphere of a lost city in the jungle, full of exotic flora and fauna that are fast becoming scarce.

Many of the Structures at El Pilar Have Either Not Been Excavated or Have Been Covered Back Up

A big part of the reason archaeologists have left the El Pilar in virtually un-touched condition is that the deterioration of the limestone structures accelerates rapidly when the structures are excavated and exposed to the elements. These sites and artefacts are seldom discovered in well-preserved state, and they are among the most vulnerable of human cultural heritage that have suffered extensive damage. Archaeological excavation is destructive, and the removal of artefacts from sites has often caused abrupt changes to their ambient preserving conditions. As most archaeological sites and artefacts are already in the advanced state of deterioration, exposure to high temperature and high relative humidity, especially in Central American and Asian countries-- causes further damage to our cultural heritage. Other factors such as air pollution, chemical action of light and bio-degradation caused by fungus and insect attack have also brought about the deterioration of these materials. When we arrived at the park-- approximately 12 miles northwest of San Ignacio Town - I was amazed to see that I was El Pilar's only visitor! I did not see any other visitors for the 2 1/2 hours I was at the site! The entry fee to the park was only US$5.00! In contrast to the other Maya sites I had visited -- and Tikal that I would be visiting tomorrow - El Pilar was totally unique. There were no vendors or any commercial offerings anywhere to be seen, and the vast majority of the site appeared to be totally unexcavated. Throughout the day I felt like I had just "discovered" the site and was the first person from the "New World" to see the remnants of a civilization that had thrived on this site over 1000 years ago! I felt like "Indiana Jones"!!

One of the Numerous Beautiful Plazas at El Pilar

If you were flying overhead in an airplane, and the plane dipped its wings toward the jungle canopies of Belize, there would not be much to tell the lay person about what lies beneath the towering trees. There is little sign of what archaeologists have been surveying for almost 30 years. Neither is there any sign of political boundaries from the air. But it is under this canopy that the Maya monuments of El Pilar lie, stretching over an area of 100 acres. This site is very different from the sites that most tour groups visit. It is not uncovered to the extent of Xunantunich or Caracol, for example. Actually, almost nothing at El Pilar is uncovered, except a few places where archaeologists are currently working. When work is complete, they cover the area back up again. The cost of excavation is high, but the cost to maintain uncovered sites is way beyond the budget for the El Pilar project. This place is fascinating for those with knowledge or familiarity with other sites and the ability to imagine this site based off that experience and knowledge. The El Pilar model has focused on aspects at the site rarely displayed within the realm of the Mundo Maya and in so doing has created a new niche for those looking for a genuine Maya forest experience off the beaten track. Tours of the Maya monuments have drawn increasingly more visitors and have always focused on aspects that provide the best examples of a facet of the ancient Maya life. Tikal is popular for its massive size, Palenque for its abundance of inscriptions, Copan for its elegance. When it comes to sites that offer a view of monuments in the natural surroundings of the Maya forest, El Pilar is in a class by itself.

In order to recover and in some cases to save these sites and artefacts, conservation treatment may be required in the field as well as in the laboratory. Given that an archaeological site is often discovered in an advanced state of deterioration, its protection and preservation becomes a challenging task. In many countries, archaeological sites have been subjected to the constant threat of destruction due to the rapid pace of development in the country. Sites have been uncovered and damaged during and as a result of excavation as well as such projects as the construction of highways, roads, opening of farmlands, building of dams, and housing projects. Cave sites that often contained important archaeological evidence have been destroyed in many countries.

Some of the Ruins at El Pilar Have Been Excavated as Shown here

Today, the ruins of El Pilar show that it was once the primary administrative center for the Belize River area, filled with Maya plazas, temples, and palaces that were built over a course of 15 centuries (from 500 BC to 1000 AD). In 1972, Dr. Joseph Palacio and Harriet Topsey first recorded the ancient Maya site for the Belize Department of Archaeology. But El Pilar’s full size and extent would not be fully realized for another decade. In 1983, Anabel Ford of the University of California at Santa Barbara made a trip to El Pilar. The trip led to the establishment of an initial survey and mapping project named the Belize River Archaeological Settlement Survey (BRASS)/El Pilar Program.

My Favorite Memory of El Pilar Was the View of Guatamala from the Top of "the Lookout"

The primary objective of the BRASS program is to explore the ways this ancient society developed its relationship to the resources and environment of the Maya forest around it. “It is the past that will illuminate the present and prepare a path for the future”. The original plan for preserving El Pilar in Belize has grown into an unprecedented multi-national program. Encompassing the remains of the ancient Maya community of El Pilar, this program is complete with plans to develop further research, preserve and cultivate the native resources of the jungle surrounding the center, and participate in improving living standards for Belizeans in the vicinity. The program has already attracted professionals from a wide variety of fields, from archaeology to zoology. Plans for the future development of the El Pilar Archaeological Reserve call for the park to encompass Pilar Poniente, the western sector of greater El Pilar located across the border in Guatemala and connected via an ancient Maya causeway. Just as political boundaries are invisible from the air, the BRASS Program believes that the needs and desires of people transcend politics. There has already been a great deal of interest shown from both Belize and Guatemala, and from neighboring Mexico as well.

The name for the site comes from the Spanish word for a watering basin - "pilar". The site lies in the middle of the Belize River area and was famous among the Maya as the place which provided precious water to the surrounding area. The strategic keys to the prominence of El Pilar included three factors: First, the soil in the area was very fertile. Second, El Pilar is located on the river that links Tikal with the Caribbean Sea. Finally, the plentiful water supplied by the nearby Macal and Mopan Rivers (which merge just two miles from the site to form the Belize River) insured the success of El Pilar's agricultural-based economy. Hidden beneath a gorgeous jungle canopy, the ruins of El Pilar straddle the Belize/Guatemalan border and spread across an area of over 100 acres. El Pilar is over four times the size of any of the other nearby Maya sites, and it is the largest site in the entire Belize River area. El Pilar encompasses more than 25 "plazas" and includes a network of five marked trails. Several of the trails provide long and beautiful hikes through an incredible jungle canopy with monkeys overhead and a remarkable sense of peace and serenity. The site has three primary sectors: The north (called "Xaman"); the south (called "Nohol"); and the west (called "Poniente"). At present, virtually all of the excavation and development-- and there has not very much excavation at this point-- is focused on the north and south sectors. The west sector (located in Guatemala) is virtually untouched. It is also "off limits" to visitors. El Pilar is one of the most recently "discovered" Maya sites. In the 1970s, El Pilar was first recorded with the Belize Department of Archaeology, but full scale investigation of El Pilar did not begin until 1993. The BRASS/El Pilar Program was started by Dr. Anabele Ford of the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1992. In 1997, El Pilar became Belize’s newest national park.

Historians believe that construction at El Pilar took place from 500 BC to 1000 AD. At its height, El Pilar included over a dozen large pyramids. Excavation has uncovered a broad variety of residential structures in addition to civic and ceremonial structures as well as housing compounds for the elite residents. Rooms with beautiful masonry, corbel vaults and monumental stairways have been uncovered. High quality, locally-quarried limestone was used for the structures.

January 27, 2011 (Exploring Maya Sites at Xunantunich and Cahal Pech)

One of the many splendid things about San Ignacio Town is that there are five ancient Maya sites to explore within a ten mile radius of the town. By Thursday (January 27) Kirby and I had met the incomparable "Manny"- who we called "the mayor of San Ignacio". Manny had worked for Firestone in Los Angeles for over 25 years but had moved back to Belize to serve as the country's self-proclaimed "good will ambassador". Manny quickly befriended Kirby and me and told us he would be happy to help out with any activities we were considering. For the next week Manny served as our personal activities director, and he really took care of us. The first thing we told him we wanted to do was explore the nearby archaeological sites at nearby Xunantunich and Cahal Pech.

Manny: The "Mayor of San Ignacio Town"

Early Thursday Thursday morning Manny set us up with a local taxi driver and we traveled the eight miles (about a 20 minute drive) to the site of the famous Maya site known as "Xunantunich". Its name means "Stone Woman" in the Maya language (it is a Mopan and Yucatec combination name). Like many names given to Maya archaeological sites, "Xunantunich" is a modern name. Unfortunately, the ancient name is currently unknown. The "Stone Woman" refers to the ghost of a woman claimed by several people to inhabit the site, beginning in 1892. The ghost was supposedly dressed completely in white, and has fire-red glowing eyes. She generally appears in front of El Castillo; ascends the stone stairs and disappears into a stone wall.
The entry fee for admission to the site was only 10 BZ (US$5.00) each. Although the site was reportedly explored in the late 1800s, it was not officially "discovered" until 1938. Xunantunich is located atop a ridge above the Mopan River. The nearby Guatemala border is within sight from the tops of the tallest structures in the park. Most of the structures date from the Maya Classic Era, about 200 to 900 BC. There is evidence that some of the structures were damaged by an earthquake while they were occupied. Some historians believe that this earthquake may have been a reason for the site's abandonment.

Xunantunich was a major ceremonial site, built on a natural limestone ridge during the Classic Period.The site is composed of six major plazas with more than twenty-five temples and palaces. "El Castillo" (the Castle), the largest pyramid at 130 feet above the plaza, has such carved friezes on the east and west sides. The frieze on the east has been preserved and covered with a fiberglass replica of the central mask representing the sun god flanked the moon, Venus, and different days. On a clear day you can also see across into nearby Guatemala, and over towards Caracol in the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve.

Xunantunich lies eight miles west of San Ignacio Town, directly across from the village of San Jose Succotz. It is easily accessible by public transportation, up to the hand-cranked ferry over the river. Vehicles are ferried over one at a time for the one mile drive/hike to the parking lot. An impressive visitor center with refreshments and souvenirs for sale are located at the site. The core of Xunantunich occupies about one square mile (2.6 km²), consisting of a series of six plazas surrounded by more than 26 temples and palaces. One of its structures, the pyramid known as "El Castillo", is -- at 130 feet or thirteen stories in height -- the second tallest structure in Belize (second only to the colossal temple at Caracol).

El Castillo Rises Above Everything Else in Xunantunich 

Archeological excavations have revealed a number of fine stucco facades on some of the ancient temples of this site. Evidence of construction suggests the temple was built in three stages in the 7th, 8th, and 9th centuries. The fine stucco or "frieze" are located on the final stage. The first modern explorations of the site were conducted by Thomas Gann in 1894 and 1895. Several projects of archeological excavations have been conducted at the site from the 1930s through the 1990s. The site at Xunantunich also exhibits a number of valuable "stelae" (large stone slabs created by the Maya for religious and commemorative purposes, usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased and/or the living, inscribed, carved in relief or painted onto the slabs). One of the best preserved ancient stelae is housed in a small weatherproofed building for conservation purposes. This artefact is a large stela dated within the period 200 BC to 150 AD which depicts a Maya figure facing left. The figure is striding and clothed only in armbands.

 It is estimated that - at its height of its activity-- as many as 10,000 people were believed to have lived within about a 2 mile radius of Xunantunich . Other nearby Maya archaeological sites include Chaa Creek and Cahal Pech-- which was next on our agenda that day. After once again using the hand-cranked ferry to cross back over the Mopan River after leaving Xunantunich, Kirby and I hailed a taxi and asked the driver to bring us to Cahal Pech on the way back to San Ignacio Town. The site is literally within walking distance of the town, but it is up a long, steep hill so we decided to conserve some energy for walking all around the site and taking everything in.

Although work at Cahal Pech is still preliminary, you can experience the full range of the archaeological investigations of an ancient Mayan city. The site lies within a beautiful jungle environment which supports a variety of tropical plants and birds. It is possible in only a few minutes to walk from the center of a major town in Belize to a world of ancient monuments and natural beauty. Over one thousand years ago, Cahal Pech was a major Mayan ceremonial center. The name derives from a combination of Yucatec and Mopan Maya and means "Place of Ticks". Before it was dedicated a national archaeological site the area was used as a cattle pasture, and cattle pastures in Belize are notorious as breeding grounds for ticks. The site center consists of 34 structures compacted into an area of only about two acres. The majority of these structures surround seven courtyards and include several temples, two widely separated ball courts, and what is thought to be a sweathouse. The largest structure is 77 feet high with steep steps running up its side.

Structures Found at Cahal Pech

The site is believed to have first been occupied as early as 1200 BC, but the structures visible today are believed to have been built much later-- probably between 600 AD and 800 AD (significantly later than the structures at nearby Xunantunich). At its height, the city was believed to be home to between 10,000 and 20,000 residents-- most of them farmers. Archaeologists have found a total of 10 mounds within six of the seven courtyard groups. Cahal Pech was abandoned by 800 A.D. Directly beneath several Middle Classic (500-700 A.D.) structures lie Late Preclassic (300 B.C. - 250 A.D.) temples, suggesting that these were the periods of greatest development.

The exact date of the discovery of the site is not known, but reports of the site go back as far as the early 1950's. The University Museum of Pennsylvania did some preliminary mapping in 1951, but never published the work. It wasn't until 1969 that the Archaeology Department of the Belizean government performed a salvage operation on the site after reports of looting.Their work concentrated on a royal tomb within the Central Plaza (Plaza B). The most significant finds included a number of ornate jade objects, obsidian blades, shell and bone ornaments and several pottery vessels. Of special importance was a jade and shell mosaic mask which probably formed the centerpeice of a ceremonial belt worn by the noble buried in the grave. These artifacts can be seen in the National Collection at the national capital in Belmopan. Between the years 1970 and 1985, Cahal Pech was looted on several occasions. The destruction of the site became a serious concern to the people of San Ignacio who recognized the site's cultural value. Eventually, in 1988, a formal large scale excavation took place and continues today.

January 26, 2011 (Leaving Ambergris Caye: The Trip to San Ignacio)

Kirby and I had decided that on Wednesday (January 26) morning we would leave the hustle and bustle of San Pedro and travel to the Cayo District -- a very different part of Belize. I hoped I would be able to wake up very early (5:30 AM) on my own, but I had asked Kirby to act as my surrogate alarm clock in the event that I was still asleep at 6:00. The water taxi to Belize City (via nearby Caye Caulker) was scheduled to depart at 7:00 AM so we wanted to be sure we were on time. Fortunately, we made it over to the dock on time and loaded (with our luggage) onto the boat promptly at 7:00 AM. By the time everyone had boarded the boat was pretty full. We were hoping a few people got off at Caye Caulker -- because, if not, and anyone else got on at Caulker the boat was going to be packed like a sardine can! After a short ride to Caye Caulker, the boat stopped to pick up additional passengers and we were wondering where they were going to sit. A few passengers climbed on board, and just as the door was closing, a young lady squeezed in right at the last minute and scrambled for a place to sit down. Kirby and I looked at each other in astonishment-- the last passenger was none other than our old friend Danielle from Pedro's Inn! And here we thought she would have practically been in Nicaragua by this time! We found out that she had enjoyed Caye Caulker so much she stayed a couple extra days, and now she would be riding the same bus we were taking up to the Cayo District. Whereas Kirby and I would be getting off the bus in San Ignacio, Danielle would continue all the way to the Guatemala border.



Danielle Has Returned to the Blog!

After the water taxi delivered us to Belize City (at about 8:30 AM), we took a taxi to the bus station and waited for the next bus to Cayo. As we had heard from a number of fellow travelers, the primary reason for visiting Belize City is to make a connection to someplace else in Belize. The bus to the Cayo District came shortly after we arrived, so we climbed on and watched the bus driver's assistant load our luggage into the back of the bus. The bus headed into the center of the mainland. After about an hour we stopped briefly in Belmopan-- the capital of Belize - and continued on to San Ignacio Town. We arrived in San Ignacio at about 11:30 AM, and we said our good-byes (again) to Danielle (who was traveling on to Benque at the Guatemalan border). The "twin cities" of San Ignacio and St. Elena have a combined population of about 15,000 (2005 statistics), which makes it the largest town in Belize. Here, the Mopan and Macal Rivers merge to form the Belize River (this whole situation reminded me of Minneapolis/St. Paul-  where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers merge - without the winter part). San Ignacio Town was built on seven hills, one of the most famous of which is also a famous Maya ruins site called Cahal Pech ("place of the ticks")-- which Kirby and I will be exploring very soon. The bus delivers visitors to the center of town, so I guarded our luggage while Kirby shopped around town for a clean and reasonable place to stay. We decided on a nearby place called the TROPICOOL HOTEL on San Ignacio's famous Burns Avenue. The hotel was clean and very "no frills"-- but it was very affordable (35 BZ or $17.50 each - per night - for a shared room with a shared bathroom). In addition, the Tropicool had WIFI in the rooms - a big bonus I had discovered along the way. The hotel is operated by a former British soldier named Andrew Wallacott and his wife Doris. Their son Kieran helped me out a lot during my visit keeping my Internet connection working, and their staff kept our room clean and neat as well. Andrew and Kieran are also avid runners and they helped me find some decent areas for running in the vicinity as well. 
The first night we stayed in San Ignacio - and before I had spoken with Andrew and Kieran about good routes for running in town, I just ran out and tried jogging through the streets just as it was starting to get dark. I had a horrible experience due to numerous cars, exhaust fumes, bad roads, dogs, rubbish fires, and you name it. My runs in the area were much more enjoyable after I found a couple good routes. Because I went out running I apparently missed Kirby's dinner plans so I went across the street to check out a restaurant called "Serendib" Doris had recommended. According to Doris, the restaurant was under new management but had retained the Sri Lankan recipes brought in by the former owners. I enjoyed a chicken-rice- curry dish, and I found out later that Kirby had run into the English lady named "Susan" who he had met previously in Corozol Town and they ate dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant.

The next morning I also ate breakfast at Serendib and met one of the owner's -- a very nice lady named "Nettie". During the next week, Nettie and I became good friends and she gave me a lot of information about the town and Belize in general. She mentioned that she had run a restaurant in the neighborhood for the past 25 years, but had been on "sabbatical" for the past four years.

This Is "Nettie"

Now Nettie and her husband had purchased the Serendib Restaurant, so she said she would be utilizing their Sri Lankan recipes in addition to the traditional recipes she had developed over the past 25 years. I asked her about a place called "Eva's" -- which was touted in my "Living in Belize" as THE spot in San Ignacio and a fellow named Bob Jones (a former British soldier who ran Eva's). Nettie thought my question was pretty funny, because Bob Jones is her HUSBAND, and Eva's was the place they operated for over twenty years! I'm sure they had a good laugh over this one.

January 25, 2011: San Pedro Town (Day 5)-- "Snorkeling Day at the Reef"!

Today (Tuesday) I woke up promptly at 6:45 AM because I wanted to be sure Kirby and I didn't miss hitching a ride on Mike and Amy's golf cart. They were heading over to Chuck and Robbie's Dive Shop for their daily dose of scuba diving. Kirby and I thought we would tag along and see if Chuck and Robbie's boat captain might have space on the boat for a couple of snorkelers. We found that the scuba boat was full for the morning dive, but the young man behind the front desk got on his cell phone and called his father-in-law. Within minutes, the father-in-law was standing next to us, ready and willing to take us out on our snorkeling adventure on the western hemisphere's longest and most amazing barrier reef! Our guide's name was "Hill" and he was a real sweetheart. Kirby and I had our own private boat and our own private tour guide to boot! Hill had been on the Caye almost his entire life (I believe he said 62 years) and he was a highly experienced fisherman, scuba instructor and reef master. He said he had been a dive guide for about thirty years before he "semi-retired" to taking tourists fishing and snorkeling. At any rate, Kirby and I knew we were in good hands! We rented our mask, fins and snorkel from the dive shop, and we were off! On top of everything else, it was (as usual) a perfect, sunny day. The water was calm and that special tint of aquamarine blue reminiscent of the old James Bond movies filmed in the Caribbean. The visibility in the Cayes - especially in the water along the reef-- is sick!

Hill asked us if we wanted him to take us anywhere special and we told him that we were totally new to the area and that he should just bring us to the best place he knew of for snorkeling. The first place he headed out to was the famous Hol Chan Marine Reserve. "Hol Chan" means "little channel" in Maya, and it has the destinction of being the first marine reserve established in all of Central America. On the way to Hol Chan, Hill stopped to do a little net fishing for some bait to attract some nurse sharks and jacks. When we got several hundred feet from the dive shop, Hill pulled his boat in closer to shore and threw out his net a couple of times, pulling in a nice mess of small fish that would make excellent shark bait for sure. When we pulled up at one of the many buoys marking the entrance to the marine reserve, we were visited by a couple of park rangers who made sure Hill had a valid guide license and we paid our US$10.00 (each) park fee. Then we strapped on our gear and followed Hill out into the reef. Everything under the surface of the water was beyond amazing! It is as if you hare suddenly entered an entirely different world! Crystal clear blue water (with 200 feet visibility), amazing colorful and multi-shaped coral formations, hundreds of different fish (small ones, medium sized and large ones), water turtles, sting rays, and more was ours for the taking.

Snapper

Grouper

Our first excursion lasted about two hours, at which point I was getting just a little chilled so I was ready for a break. We basked in the warm sun for a little while, and then Hill started the boat again to get ready for our trip to the nearby- and equallly famous-  "Shark-Ray Alley".

Shark-Ray Alley proved to be just what its name implies. With the help of a nice trail of fish chum supplied courtesy of Hill, we had a following of nurse sharks and hard-hitting jacks encircling our boat for quite some time. It is a little spooky to jump in the water after watching these sharks and jacks attacking from all directions, but they apparently leave divers and snorkelers alone. Or at least I hoped they did! Hilll, Kirby and I slipped in the water again and followed Hill's lead along the best path through the reef to see the optimal viewing of fish and coral. During the dive we saw grouper, snapper, barracuda, tarpon, jacks, angel fish and a lot more. In Shark Ray Alley we saw some additional rays swimming effortlessly across the bottom as well. Some of the rays look EXACTLY like the stealth bomber! I saw black ones and spotted ones. And the coral reef continued to amaze me.

Blue Spotted Sting Ray

A Swarm of Nurse Sharks Attacking

Sting Ray

More Nurse Sharks

After another couple dives it was time to head back in time for lunch. It had been an absolutely perfect morning. Mr. Hill charged Kirby and I US$50.00 each for his services, which even included the US$10.00 park fee and all the gasoline he used to drive us around all morning. It was a hell of a deal for sure!
Kirby and I were famished after snorkeling all morning. We finally had some chicken tostadas at about 2:00 PM, and after that I had an afternoon siesta at a nearby Internet cafe where I had a chance to check my e-mails. Later that evening Kirby and I found Marco-- the "male supermodel" from Germany -- and he went along with us to a place I had been wanting to visit in "downtown" San Pedro called (appropriately) "The Reef". I had grilled snapper -- perhaps one of the brothers of some of the snapper I had seen out at the reef that morning. After dinner Marco went off by himself (probably to a late night photo shoot) and Kirby and I headed back to the old reliable -- Pedro's Inn. We got back just in time to join in a little low-key pool party with Mike, Amy, Tyrone and a couple other guests. The pool party only lasted until about 10:30 PM, but after another busy day I was ready to hit the rack. Since Kirby and I would be shoving for the mainland (San Ignacio Town) early tomorrow morning, tonight was our farewell to Mike and Amy. At least for now. I have a feeling I will be seeing those two crazy cats again!

January 24, 2011 (San Pedro Town: Day 4)

Monday morning. Wow! As of today I have been out of the U.S. for a full week! I was sure that at any point now I was sure to turn into a pumpkin! I "slept in" this morning - until about 8:00 AM - and decided to go for another run right away before it got too hot. This time I decided to try heading SOUTH and see what I would find. I knew it was a long way to the southern tip of Ambergris Caye - which is 24 miles long - and right near the bottom of the island there is an ancient Maya ruins site. I figured I would just start running south on the beach and see how far I could get in a half hour before I thought I had better turn around and head back. I was able to stay on the beach for the entire run -- and I found a lot of nice (and relatively flat) sand to run on. I ran until my watch told me I had reached the half hour point and turned around to head back to the starting point. There was still quite a bit of island left to the south that I didn't get to see  (maybe I will try bicycling down the next time to see if I can find the Maya ruins).

During my "cool down" walk back to Pedro's Inn I stopped briefly at Cindy's Spa and chatted with Cindy (the Canadian and friend of Kirby). Cindy does a great job of giving you a more "realisic" view of actually living in Belize- which is a nice balance to all the books and articles on the Internet which I believe over-romanticize all these places. I am including a photo of Cindy with Kirby and her daughter at the bottom of this post. I got back to Pedro's Inn about 9:45 AM, and I apparently missed both Kirby and Danielle. I had thought Danielle was finally heading off to Nicaragua today, and I had no idea where Kirby had gone. Since I was "flying solo", I headed back to Estel's for my fourth breakfast (actually it was "brunch" this time since it was about noon before I ate) in a row at that place. For the afternoon I just chilled by the Pedro's pool again and spent a couple mid-afternoon hours reading and writing on my laptop and iPAD. When evening rolled around I ran into Mike and Amy who had been (once again) diving all day. We were all starving, and I suggested trying a nearby place for lobster someone had recommended called Micky's. We headed over to the restaurant on Mike and Amy's golf cart and we all had a fabulous lobster dinner for about $ 40 BZ (US$20.00). Another crazy thing that happened that night was that - out of the blue - Kirby found us at Micky's -- and nobody had previously said anything about eating dinner there. Kirby's ESP must have been operating at full strength that night!

Since Mike and Amy were diving (again) early in the morning and Kirby and I had decided to try to get out on a boat in the morning for some reef snorkeling, we decided to make it an early night and refrain from getting bombed for what would have been our FOURTH night in a row! I have to remember I am not a college kid anymore.... We all have our limits. As a prelude to tomorrow's big snorkeling adventure, you need to know that Belize is the mecca of diving, snorkeling and many other water sports. Two world class venues- Shark Ray Alley and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve - are both within four miles of San Pedro Town, and can be reached by boat in about a half hour. UNESCO has awarded World Heritage status to the entire 185-mile barrier reef running alongside pretty much the entire length of Belize, which features over 100 kinds of coral, vibrant sponges, over five hundred species of fish, and an abundant variety of marine life including sea turtles, rays and "gentle" (supposedly) nurse sharks. With crystal clear turquoise blue water everywhere, snorkelers and divers routinely experience visibility extending to 200 feet. I had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a GREAT day!

Kirby, Cindy's Daughter, and Cindy (on the Beach in front of Crazy Canuck's)

Mike and Amy Recovering from Another Tough Day of Diving

What We Were Hoping to See Tomorrow!

More of What We Were Hoping to See Tomorrow!

January 23, 2011 (San Pedro Town (cont.): Day 3)

Today (Sunday) I "slept in" - by Belize standards- until about 8:00 AM, and headed off to breakfast (for the third day in a row) at Estel's. Kirby and Danielle (the Canucks) accompanied me. Since I was "feeling my oats" as the big "Poker Run" winner the previous evening, I treated the Canucks to breakfast. After breakfast, Danielle and I stopped on the way back at a local spa owned by a very attractive Canadian lady named "Cindy". Kirby actually knew from back home in Whistler (it really IS a small world after all). A young local kid named "Matthew" waxed Danielle's eyebrows, trimmed the "bush" on my chest (and tinted some of my gray chest hair to make me look a little less ancient), and chatted with us about some Belizian matters of interest to me including his purchase of a lot (on terms) in a nearby development on Ambergris Caye and the ins and outs of shipping things into Belize from the U.S. I guess it can be a real pain.


After our "spa morning" we returned to Pedro's Inn. I decided to take a swim in the Pedro Inn's "micropool" and do a little work on my laptop. For some reason, with the WIFI set up at Pedro's my iPAD was able to access the Internet but my laptop could not. Crazy! At least I was able to check my YAHOO e-mails and send out a few. At about 2:30 PM everybody at Pedro's Inn started talking about a horseshoe tournament at a nearby bar called Crazy Canuck's. With all the Canadians in our delegation we decided we had to check it out. Of course, this meant that people would be DRINKING again-- and starting early this time. For the third day in a row! I just don't normally DO this!

The horseshoe tournament was interesting, but the really big event of the day was the NFL playoffs playing on the bar television sets. There was a group of oldster rockers playing some music as well (see photo below). It was like the Belizian version of theTriple Crown (football, music and beer)! We (sorta) watched the Packers beat Chicago, and eventually moved to a different nearby bar to continue the party. During this time I met three young men from Minnesota (the small world continues): Matthew from Plymouth, Minnesota (my former "next door neighbor from my Wayzata days who was an accountant considering going to law school and a former hockey player to boot); and two upstanding young men from -- of all places - Little Falls, Minnesota. Now -- what is wrong with this picture? As Black Bart asked in Blazing Saddles, "where DO they keep the (white or whatever color) women at" anyway? Unfortunately, the single men outnumbered the single women in San Pedro by about a ten to one margin (it reminded me of my days as a ski bum in Colorado-- except that I was 21 years old then). Meanwhile, my young Canuck friend Danielle was absolutely reveling in non-stop male attention. She was truly the proverbial "kid in a candy store" (as in "constantly swarmed by men"). Meanwhile, I made the BIG mistake of getting so loaded and having so much fun talking to all these crazy people and watching football that I FORGOT TO EAT. I just kept quaffing the Belikins, and you know that can lead to nothing but trouble! I eventually hitched a ride back to Pedro's Inn with my friends Mike and Amy (who had rented a sweet golf cart for the week). By this time, I realized I was SMASHED (but at least I recognized that I was starting to stumble around) so asked Danielle if she was hungry and she said "yes" so I decided to order a pizza. Another mistake-- the pizza was US$25.00 + it was too late to eat anyway + by the time it had arrived Danielle had disappeared with one of her paramours and I was stuck with trying to eat the entire pizza myself. Fortunately, there were a couple other drunks in the vicinity who helped me polish it off. For the THIRD night in a row-- I went to bed drunk AND by myself! The whole experience reminded me of Dean Wermer's classic admonition to "Flounder" in Animal House: "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life..."

Ronaldo Talking Some Serious Shit with Tyrone

You Can See the Band Way in the Back in This Photo

You Can See that "Tex" Has His Eye on Danielle Here

January 22, 2011 (Part Two): The Big Saturday Night Poker Run!!

Tonight Peter, Cindy and the rest the Pedro's Inn people-- with the help of four other nearby establishments-- had organized a special event they called "The Poker Run". Cindy at Pedro's explained to me that anyone who wants to play simply has to pay the entry fee of 25 BZ (US$12.50) and just show up for a chance to "win the pot" (the amount remaining after a small donation to charity). The most important factor for me was that absolutely zero poker talent or knowledge was required - since I rarely play poker and usually can't even remember the rules! The way the game is played is that everyone who signs up and pays the "ante" takes golf carts and vans to the starting point, at which place eveyone has a couple of beers or cocktails while getting to know a whole different crowd of people. After about a half hour, the name of each player is announced and the player is given a playing card to hold onto. The player's name and card (i.e., Ace of Spades) is also written down by the event coordinator. After visiting all five bars and receiving five cards, the player who is still standing and holding the best poker hand wins all! Sounds like a blast! I am in! I quickly handed my 25 BZ to Cindy.

About forty people had signed up for the event, so my quick calculation told me that the pot might be close to US$500! We got started at about 7:00 PM. The first place we visited was a bar by the name of Roadkill. Everyone had a few drinks and chatted away, and received a card as his or her name was called and the card was recorded. Then it was off to the second venue-- El Divino. The same thing happened here, and at the next place (Wahoo's) -- and by this time most of the players were proceeding to get pretty hammered (including your's truly)! By this time I was starting to feel the slight rush of possibility, as I had just been handed my third spade in a row! I certainly know how difficult it is to end up with a flush, but at this point I realized that I definitely had a shot! The fourth place was called Playa Chel. More drinks (or beers) and more chit chat. Unbelievable! I got my fourth spade! Wow!  This NEVER happens to me. Seriously. Now I was starting to get a little nervous. Only one more card to go! The party had been planned to end up at Pedro's Inn-- my home base! I thought that perhaps that was a good omen. A few more beers at Pedro's and the magic moment arrived. Voila! The dealer handed me a wild card! I had ended up with an ace high flush! I couldn't believe that- even with forty other players -- anyone could beat an ace-high flush! Sure enough, one guy had a flush -- but his top card was lower than an ace. So I was the big winner! And the funniest thing about the whole night -- and my kids and my friends can attest to this -- is the fact that I usually never win anything! But this was also an amazing good omen for my trip -- my "big adventure". I was starting out with good luck and a little "insurance policy" in case I over spent my budget (or perhaps had something ripped off or damaged along the way).
When they announced my name ("Ronaldo") as the big winner and everyone was cheering and screaming and they were taking my photo with my winning poker hand and big wad of NINE HUNDRED BELIZE (US$450.00!) I was in kind of a drunken state of shock (see some of the photos below)! So when Peter - the proprietor of the Pedro Inn - announced that "it's optional, but oftentimes the winner 'rings the bell' and buys a round for the house" I simply could not say "no". So I went ahead and rang that old bell like crazy! And the crowd went wild screaming for the great and generous Ronaldo! Of course, I found out a few days later that the 30 shots of Yagermeister I bought that night (@ US$5.00 each) set me back US$150.00! What the hell- even after all that I still cleared 600 BZ! Not bad for a night of carousing in Belize! But even though I was the big winner of the night I STILL couldn't get to first base with young Danielle. There was a point at a later point in the evening that I thought I might have a remote shot, and then into the bar at Pedro's Inn walked (in no particular order) Marco (the male supermodel- and I'm not kidding), handsome young "Tex" from Harlingen, Texas AND the soldier from Liverpool that Danielle had also seemed to take a fancy to (even though he wasn't handsome by any means-- but he had that KILLER accent). At this point, I knew I was fucked. And I was...

Some of the Fun Party Action at One of the Stops Along the Way on the Poker Run!

More Poker Run Party Fun!

"Ronaldo" the Big Winner Showing His Winning Poker Hand (an Ace-High Flush!)

January 22, 2011 (San Pedro Town: Day 2: Part 1)

My second day on Ambergris Caye (where the golf cart is THE means of transport) started at about 7:00 AM. Thankfully, the Indian curry night had ended at about 11:00 PM so I was able to get a decet night's sleep. I decided to slip into my (almost) new running shoes and head out for an early morning "explore the Caye" run while it was still relatively cool. The island (or technically, the peninsula) is quite long. I headed out in the direction of the main business district and kept going in a generally northern direction for about a half hour, at which point I turned around and headed back. When I got to the north end of the main town I crossed a pay bridge (they only ask cars and golf carts for money-- joggers are free!) and started running in an area that was obviously in transition. Shortly after crossing the bridge I saw what one of my books said is the only movie theatre in Belize (the Paradise Theatre). At this point I saw some of the new subdivisions that have been platted but on which very few or no homes have yet been built. I wasn't too worried about getting lost because Pedro's Inn is virtually across the street from the tiny airport runway serving the town. During my run I saw a great deal of the town and got a good general idea of everything. Quite frankly, I was surprised at the considerable amount of ramshackle buildings surrounding the bustling town center. I guess I was expecting to see a lot more upscale housing and developments, as San Pedro is touted as the most prestigious and "Americanized" part of Belize. There was also a lot less accessible sandy beach than I had expected to see. The beautiful beaches I saw (and walked and ran on) in Hopkins (on the mainland) a few weeks later were far superior to what I saw on Ambergris.

During the last portion of my run I slowed to a walk to "cool down" as I was approaching the airport and Pedro's Inn when I ran smack dab into Kirby, Danielle (the Canadian) and Stefano (the Italian). They were heading to Estel's for breakfast again, so I decided to join them (Belize is one place you can eat at a restaurant wearing only a swimsuit or running shorts and not even be noticed!). This time I had the pancakes, and their special coffee. plus fresh-squeezed orange juice. Estel's has a gorgeous view of the Caribbean, and you can eat outside. The food and the ambience were fabulous, and my company was entertaining as well. A little about the young and cute Danielle (a couple photos below). She was born in Toronto in 1984, and she lived there until she was in the fourth grade. In fouth grade, her family moved to Beaumont, a suburb of Edmonton. Danielle's dad was in the masonry business, to which he later introduced his daughter. She was a basketball player. She was a five foot six inch point guard, and when she was a junior in high school her team won the city and provincial titles. She received a scholarship to play for the University of Alberta at Edmonton. In her third year her team won the Canadian national championship, which she told me is roughly the equivalent of Division 2 in the U.S. Still, a pretty impressive story. In school, Danielle majored in sociology and minored in psychology (but-- truth be told-- I think she has a PhD in drinking and partying). She had intended to be a social worker, but the experiences she had during her practicum caused her to change her mind about her future vocation. When she finally graduated from the University (in 2008) she went back to the job she had been doing every summer during her college years-- masonry. She found out she actually liked working with stone. However, after doing it for a couple years she decided it was too hard on her body so she decided to switch to an entirely different career-- retail. But first, she is going to visit Nicaragua by way of Belize and Guatemala.  She's planning to return to Canada in June and start a job with Banana Republic.

Danielle Is in the White Shirt (with the blue "necklace")

Danielle Is Way Drunk and Is Smooching the Wrong Guy

January 21, 2011 (San Pedro and Ambergris Caye: Day 1)

Friday morning, January 21 was my first "wake up" in Belize and it was once again a lovely sunny day. Our very "basic" hotel in Corozol Town apparently did not provide bath towels, so I skipped my shower and quickly packed my bag (again). After paying the innkeeper I was told that my new "girlfriend" (Karin) had "ditched" me and was already on her way to the nearby boat dock. I grabbed my bag, strapped on my small backback and headed out the pier. When I arrived a few minutes later I realized I had forgotten to leave my room key with the innkeeper. I asked a fellow working at a small snack shop near the pier if I had time to run back with my key, but he offered to return it for me. I decided to hand him the key, and wondered later whether or not that was a prudent decision. Who knows? While standing on the pier waiting for the water taxi to get loaded with luggage and people I met a Canadian named Kirby Cornwall, who unbenownst to either of us was destined to become my "Belize travel buddy" for the better part of the next three weeks. It is great to have a travel buddy on these types of trips for a number of reasons. First, you can save a lot of money by splitting the cost of taxi rides and hotel rooms. Second, it is wonderful to have someone you know (and trust) to help explore all the amazing adventures that are available who also "has your back" and helps make the trip a bit safer. Although I would have preferred a more curvaceous and "attractive" travel buddy than Kirby the Canuck, he was very compatible in many ways and shared my enthusiam for exploring Maya ruins and water sports such as snorkeling. Kirby was also staying in Belize for almost a month and he was interested in the possibilities of starting a business or buying property in Belize and maybe even moving to Belize in the future.



Kirby the Canuck

Kirby had seen a 25 acre orange farm in central Belize listed on the Internet for sale for US$45,000.00, and he was planning to visit the farm and perhaps meet up with the owner (who was an Englishman). I told him I might want to check it out with him as it sounded interesting.

 During the boat ride to San Pedro Town I asked Kirby if he had reserved a room and he said he had found a very reasonable room in San Pedro at a place called "Pedro's Inn" on a web site he had used extensively to plan his trip. (http://www.toucantrailbelize.com/). I told him I would follow him there and check the place out -- since I had made absolutely no plan at all for accommodations (a pattern I followed religiously for the duration of my voyage). Although it is really a peninsula (a short man-made canal being the only thing separating it from the mainland), Ambergris Caye is widely known as Belize's largest and most developed island and the birthplace of the country's tourism industry. It is located 36 miles from Belize City and only a short distance (about a one hour boat ride) from Corazol Town.
When Kirby, Karin and I arrived at the pier in San Pedro, Karin told us she was going to wait for another water taxi to nearby Caye Caulker, so we bid farewell and I headed off by (regular) taxi with Kirby to find the nearby "Pedro's Inn". After checking things out I decided to pay extra for a private room with its own bathroom at Pedro's, so my room was US$50.00 per night (a bit pricey for Belize considering that the room was kind of a "pit") whereas Kirby was only paying about US$20.00 for his "hostel-type" room with a shared bathroom. But I also had A/C-- an I am a bit of a germaphobe. Pedro's had a small swimming pool and its own built-in bar, and - for some reason- it had attracted a flock of pretty cool people who made our stay there very fun and memorable. The Town of San Pedro -- which had cobblestone streets and a wide variety of shops, bars, restaurants, and tour operators-- was also pretty interesting. Many Americans - including a couple of my good friends - would undoubtedly prefer San Pedro because it features a lot of ACTION-- including a pretty lively night life! The tradeoff is that it is a little too much like Florida -- while still being just minutes from one of the world's premier sites for snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and swimming.

Our first morning in San Pedro, Kirby and I had breakfast at a fabulous place known as Estel's Dine by the Sea owned by Charles and Estelle Worthington. Estel's has a great location and a great menu (written on a blackboard which you read and tell the staff what you want). I had an excellent omelette with toast, coffee and juice, and enjoyed a spectacular view of the sea. After breakfast, we explored the town for a bit and ended up just hanging out at the Pedro's Inn swimming pool all afternoon and drinking bottle after bottle of Belikin. There was a group of people doing the same thing that afternoon --and we quickly became good friends. First, there were Amy (a librarian) and her husband Mike (a forest service firefighter) from Wyoming. They were both scuba diving fanatics, and it was fun to watch them enjoy their vacation together as a couple over the next few days. It was neat to see a couple who obviously loved each other and who were both passionate about the same thing-- in their case scuba diving. They were doing double dives day in and day out and still had the energy to party and have fun the rest of the day (and evening) as well.

Mike and Amy: Scuba Fanatics and the Cutest Couple EVER!

Next, there was a cool and fun young lady from Canada named "Danielle" who was on her way to Nicaragua. More about her later. There was Kirby of course, and yet another Canadian named "John" (unfortunately drunk 24/7 -- more about him later as well) and a couple other guys including Tyrone, another John, Stafano (from Italy), another Mike, Stacy (a long-time UPS employee from the US), "Texas" (from Harlingen) and Marco (the German who looked like a male model).

Friday night, Peter, the innkeeper at Pedro's Inn, and his first mate Cindy organized a very nice Indian curry dinner event where about twenty hotel guests drank more Belikin, feasted on a ton of delicious food, and got to hear a lot of great stories and get to know one another a bit. One of the guests even regaled us with his interesing stories about serving a number of years in prison for armed robbery! It was quite a night.

January 20, 2011 ("Leaving Tulum")

Today - Thursday, January 20 - was another perfect day in Tulum. It was also "moving day" for me. I woke up about 7:00 AM to the crowing of a nearby rooster! I had found out the day before that I had a number of different time options (8:10 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:45 PM or 10:30 PM) for the 4 hour bus ride to Chetumal - the Mexican city just north of the Belize border. I decided on the 10:30 AM departure so I could grab one last breakfast at my new favorite breakfast place. After showering and packing up I headed out to Azafran -- which was actually open for business this time! After breakfast I stopped at the bank to cash a couple of small travelers's checks to take care of my hotel bill (because the hotel would not take them). I was taken aback a little by all the requirements banks seem to have for cashing a traveler's check- it reminded me of applying for a mortgage loan! The bank needed to see my Passport to write the number, date and place of issuance on the back of each check, and I had to sign each check in several places. They also made photocopies of my Passport, and the clerk had to get a sign off from "the big boss". The whole process took about 15 minutes! Because I had a heavy suitcase I had to flag down a taxi to take me the couple of blocks to the bus station. I was surprised that a four block ride cost me 30 Pesos when my four MILE ride to the ruins on Tuesday had cost me only 50!
I was even more surprised when I stepped up to the bus ticket window to purchase my one way ticket to Chetumal to find that the 10:30 AM bus was sold out! It hadn't even dawned on me that I could have (and should have) purchased my ticket the day before (MISTAKE NO. ONE) Now I had two options: 1.) I could wait until 1:00 PM to take the "first class" bus (for US$18.00); OR 2.) I could take the "second class" bus at 11:30 AM (for only US$13.00!). Having no idea what the difference was with a "first" versus a "second" class bus (I found out later the difference is that a "first class" bus has a video monitor constantly playng movies, assigned seats, and a bathroom in the back) I decided to go "second class" to avoid having to wait in the bus terminal for a couple hours. At the bus station I met a young lady named "Karin" -- a student from Austria studying in Merida, Mexico -- who was going to Belize to get her Passport renewed (apparently, visitors and students can only stay in Mexico for a certain number of months before having to renew their Passports. Karin was a smart gal-- and she even had a nose ring! She became my first "traveling buddy" -- but for only a short hop.

The bus ride to Chetumal was pretty much a "piece of cake". The scenery was great, and the bus only made three short stops along the way. We pulled into Chetumal about 3:45 PM. I was surprised to find that Chetumal is a pretty huge city (apparently over a million), with large stores and shopping malls reminiscent of the United States. Since it is right at the Belize border it is common for Belizeans to cross over to do their shopping in Chetumal from time to time. At the bus terminal I was told that I had to take a taxi to a local market to catch the bus to Belize. When I got to the market I was surprised to see the old U.S. school buses - painted Army green - being used for hauling people the short distance -- just a few miles actually-across the border and beyond. The Belize bus wasn't fancy-- but it was cheap! It only cost US$2.50 for the bus ride from Chetumal to Corozol Town-- including getting through all the border crossing business.


The Green "Army Issue" Bus Brought Me into Belize!

This Is the "Market" in Chetumal Where You Catch the Green Bus to Belize! 

This Is the Driver of the Belize Bus!

The bus ride to Chetumal was pretty much a "piece of cake". The scenery was great, and the bus only made three short stops along the way. We pulled into Chetumal about 3:45 PM. I was surprised to find that Chetumal is a pretty huge city (apparently over a million), with large stores and shopping malls reminiscent of the United States. Since it is right at the Belize border it is common for Belizeans to cross over to do their shopping in Chetumal from time to time. At the bus terminal I was told that I had to take a taxi to a local market to catch the bus to Belize. When I got to the market I was surprised to see the old U.S. school buses - painted Army green - being used for hauling people the short distance -- just a few miles actually-across the border and beyond. The Belize bus wasn't fancy-- but it was cheap! It only cost US$2.50 for the crossing.

The Immigration and Customs processing at Chetumal was as quick and simple as I have ever encountered. After a short bus ride, they hustled us off the bus (our luggage was still on the bus-- which is a little disconcerting). We were shepherded into a building reminiscent of a large car wash bay, where we were first told to present our Passports and Mexican paperwork. A man stood just outside the "Passport stamping booth" and instructed each of us to "give the girl US$20.00" Assuming that this gentleman was an official of either the Mexocan or Belizean government, all of us did what we were told and watched the young lady (appear to) stamp our Passports. Nobody asked any of us how many days we were planning to stay in Belize -- and I think most of us assumed that - as Americans- we were automatically allowed 30 days in the country. Shortly after this, I was hustled back on the bus. The bus moved hundred feet, and we were given our luggage this time and directed to the "customs" building. Here I was asked by a man if I was bringing in any alcohol or tobacco products, and I told him that I was not. I didn't see them opening up or inspecting anyone luggage, and the process moved quickly. I found out later that three things had happened during this process that were either illegal OR potentially disasterous:

First, the gentleman telling each of us to "give the lady twenty dollars" was apparently NOT a government official. We heard from a number of people that this was an illegal "shakedown" -- a commonly practiced scam at a number of these border operations to raise some revenue for the locals or maybe some crooked officials. If you are ever asked for money like this-- and there is no posted signage explaining what the fees you are being asked to pay are for, you should always tell them you have no money but will be happy to give them a credit card or a traveler's check. Apparently in this case the will just let you go through without paying--- to avoid creating a "paper trail".
Second -- and even more bizarre-- was the fact that the "Passport stamping lady" apparently did NOT actually stamp my Passport (for some reason)- and she never asked me how long I planned to stay in the country. MISTAKE NO. TWO: I had neglected to carefully inspect my Passport after having it handed back to make sure I could read the "BELIZE" entry stamp-- and check how many days I had been permitted to stay in the country.
Third, a fellow from Canada who became my "traveling buddy" shortly after we met in Belize (you will hear a lot about him in upcoming blog entries) had his Passport stamped at the Chetumal crossing but he was also not asked how long he planned to stay and did not pay any attention to the fact that HIS lady had arbitrarily given him only seven days in Belize. BOTH my Canadian friend and I were told nine days later -- when we tried to cross into Guatemala to visit the amazing Maya ruins at Tekal-- that we were both in Belize illegally! Some really nice guys at the Belize/Guatemala crossing at Banque Viejo del Carmen fixed everything up for us and gave us the full 30 days we should have asked for in the first place!

After we FINALLY completed all the border crossing business we once again climbed back onto our old Army bus and headed off to my first stop in Belize-- Corozol Town. After a very short drive (about ten miles) we arrived in the town and -- at first blush anyway-- it did not look like much. Corozol Town is the northernmost urban center in Belize and is located about 85 miles northwest of Belize City. The name of the town is derived from the cohune palms that were abundant when the first inhabitants arrived. The local economy is primarily based on the sugar industry. I was chatting on the bus with Karin (the gal from Austria) and asked her where she was headed. She agreed that it probably made sense to spend the night in Corozol Town and then catch a "water taxi" early the next morning for one of the nearby "cayes" (islands---and pronounced "keys"). Karin and I grabbed a taxi at the bus station and asked the driver to bring us to the nearest hotel that was clean and reasonably priced. He brought us to a nearby place called the "Mayan World Hotel" and we found rooms for US$22.50 per night. The very nice lady who checked us in at the hotel told us that the water taxi to San Pedro leaving at 7:00 AM was going to cost the exact same price as our hotel rooms. Karin and I found a nearby hole-in-the-wall where we could get a meal - nothing special - and we also found a Chinese store on the way back to the hotel where we picked up a six pack of beer (Belikin of course- the ubiquitous brand in Belize I learned quickly). We sat on a small deck at our hotel talking about Karin's various and assorted boyfriends (why is EVERYONE's life so complicated?) and her studies in Mexico for a couple of hours-- but then the beer ran out and it was time to get rested up for tomorrow's visit to nearby Ambergris Caye and the Town of San Pedro.

January 19, 2011 (Tulum, Mexico)

The third day of my adventure I awoke in my small hotel room in Tulum after another great night's sleep. Remembering that my hotel was in the neighborhood of three miles from the Caribbean shore, I though it might be great to start the day with a run to the beach. I slipped on a pair of runnning shorts and my new Nikes and headed out. From "el centro" the beach is a straight shot for several miles to a place where the road splits and you can either head over to the Maya ruins or the beachfront hotels. Tulum's three mile "hotel zone" is on a beach road that runs parallel to the coast.  According to my map of the area there are over fifty hotels and other accommodations in the hotel zone. The options range from the inexpensive and "rustic" (i.e., dirt floors) to the post and very expensive for the "high roller" gringos. The general public can swim just below the Maya ruins or at a place someone told me was an open "free beach".

It is very beautiful at the beach just below "El Castillo" and looks like the photo I will insert below:

The hotels that line the hotel zone did not seem to welcome the general public, so I continued to run south looking for the "public beach" someone had mentioned. I jogged into several bizarre places along the way just to check them out. One of the places very close to the "front" of the zone looked absolutely frightening... I ran a long way and I saw a sign for a public beach but it certainly didn't look like much. I looked at my watch and realized that I had been running for about 45 minutes in the hot mid-morning sun so I turned around and headed back. I wanted to make sure I didn't kill myself on only the third day of my trip!
I finally got back to my hotel, grabbed a quick shower, and headed off for another fabulous breakfast at Azafran. Surprise! The restaurant was closed (I found out later that Millie generally takes Wednesdays off!). I ended up eating at a place near my hotel on downtown Tulum's main drag called "Don Karonte"(a/k/a El Paraiso del Caribe), where I had an "OK" omelette and coffee for the equivant of about US$9.00 (not really a bargain for Mexico). I pretty much took a "working siesta" in my air conditioned room, followed by a very nice - local - Mexican dinner at a place nearby called "Rincon Chiapaneco" (which had also been recommended by Liz). I had an excellent meal of tacos, frijoles and a large quesadilla and coke for a grand total of only a little more than US$4.00. I spent an equivalent amount on a fancy dessert (Italian gelato- "doble") at a nearby franchise business called "Panna e Cioccolato"! A classic gringo move for sure! While I was at the Mexican restaurant I couldn't help but notice a very attractive lady who had also been at the same (seafood) restaurant -- with the same two friends - I had dined at the previous evening. I stopped her as she was walking by my table and asked her if she was "stalking" me (and explained that we had also dined at the same place the previous night). She told me she was Finnish, and she introduced her traveling companions who were also from Finland. I told her that my home state - Minnesota - is home to a fairly significant Finnish population and that somehow her fellow countrymen (and women) were taking over the hockey world lately- particularly in the goaltending position. And that's about how far that play went...
But a guy has to take a shot anyway!