We are at the Cahal Pech Resort in the Cayo region of Belize. The night is humid and there are quite a few insects flying about. I am utilizing the hotel's computer and while my internet connection seems strong, I feel kind of obligated to type quickly and go to bed.
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| The sleeping man of Belize |
On our ride from Belize City to Cayo, we had the good fortune to see the sleeping man of Belize. I am not talking about Nick. If you look at the shape of the mountains, you can see the silhouette of what looks like a sleeping giant. It is formed by the strange limestone mountains in the western part of Belize. Those were the very same mountains we were headed towards.
The drive lasted about an hour. We were headed to some caves in the mountain where it is popular to ride tubes down the river. This is a very busy place in Belize because of the cruise ships and Albert told us there were two boats in that day. We arrived at the location and changed into our swimming gear. After meeting our guides, getting our head lamps, and putting on our life jackets, we took off for the river. At this point, I did not have my cell phone and so the only pictures I took came from my GoPro. I am trying now to upload those pictures and videos and only time will tell if you will see them while reading this...it is going a little slower than expected.
The cave tour was really cool. We walked down a path and came across a river. There was a rope tied across the quickly moving water and we used it to keep our balance. The guides explained that we'd be using that rope to help us out of the water when the tour was finished. We then walked through the water and into the jungle. The cleared path for us was filled with exciting flora and fauna. Along the way, Albert would stop and chat with us. He explained the importance of one tree that can be used to slow down a snake's venom. He also showed us the Cashew and Pineapple trees. The most exciting part of the walk, however, was when Albert offered us some snacks. The were termites!!! As one who tries to get kids to try new things, I was required to try the bugs. I was impressed because nearly all of us tried them. These termites were very small and I took about a dozen into my mouth. I chewed quickly and sensed a faint trace on mint. One by one, the kids grabbed some from Albert and tried them. The reviews were mixed.
We continued down the path and walked into a small cave. We turned on the head lights for the brief walk, but found ourselves back in the open air. The rain forest is unbelizable. It is hard to explain if you've never been. It really did feel like Jurassic Park. Strange animal noises chirping in the distance. The quick rustles of leaves as you walk past. You certainly get the sense that you are not in Saugus anymore. Eventually, we found the river. There were lots of people there...cruise ship people. It took a while to organize our raft teams, but we stepped into the refreshing Siban River and boarded our inner tubes. The cave entrance was enormous. The river was flowing quickly, but not quite rapidly. Our headlights went back on and we began our tour. My guide was Roni. He pointed out a variety of rock formations and asked us what they looked like. We saw an eagle and a shark. We also saw Bob Marley hanging out with the Virgin Mary. You have to see it to belize it.
The river did speed up once, and Roni accidentally let go of our group. We floated freely down the river right towards a giant rock. Roni saved us at the last second and directed us down the river. We came across the end of the cave, where the river opened up into the rain forest once again, and saw the docks to disembark. We were all a little disappointed. This was a short ride and while beautiful, we wanted more. It was then that Roni explained that is where the cruise ship tour ends...ours extends down the river and we'd get to swim. Along the banks of the river, we could see even more vegetation. There are over 700 species of plants growing in this rain forest. The world's rain forests, we learned, provide over 40% of the earth's oxygen. [Author's note: These facts are my attempt at stalling while photos upload, but they are accurate] We meandered slowly down the river and eventually saw our finish line...the rope. At this time, we received permission to jump in the river and swim. As we did, we heard a strange crackling noise. It was almost like a giant branch had snapped and was falling. As we looked around, we realized it was a giant branch that had snapped and it was falling. All of us narrowly avoided the branch (it never really fell all the way, I'm embellishing) and we continued swimming downstream. I swam a little too close to shore and banged my chin against a submerged log. It left a huge bump on my leg, but I am okay. We then climbed out of the river and on top of a big rock. It was about 10 feet above the river. Our guides explained that the river was very deep and we could jump. I think we all did it. Emerly needed a little coaxing, but she took the plunge like a good lemming should. The jump was really just preparing us for the next part of our adventure...zip lining.
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| Kim, Lindesay, and I before our tubing adventure. |
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| My tube. |
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| Crossing the river!!! |
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| Crossing the river from a different angle |
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| Battling with the cruise people to get into the river. Notice the cave in the background. |
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| About to begin. Albert joined us and is taking photos. |
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| Are you afraid of the dark. |
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| Floating down the river. |
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| Getting closer to where we can swim. |
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| Jumping from a rock...not sure if it uploaded correctly, but it would be Bianca, myself, and Olivia. |
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| The bump on my chin. |
After completing our rafting adventure, we took off for a quick bite to eat. We were hoping for something a little more tasty than our termites, and we were pleased with bbq chicken, rice, and beans. It was really good and they offered seconds to anyone that wanted them. Jeleana and I ordered seconds of everything, but we had earned it on the river. This restaurant also gave away a free soft drink with lunch. I chose Red Fanta. A couple of kids near me did too. None of us were impressed as we thought it tasted like Cherry Tylenol.
After lunch, it was off to Zip Lining. The same company ran both our cave tour and Zip Lining and it was nice to see some familiar faces. The guides helped us put on our gear and we received a thorough safety lesson. We took to the stairs and climbed high into the mountain. The views were breathtaking. The first one down the line was Ms. Usseglio. Her calm demeanor and quiet confidence served as an exemplar for all. I'm afraid of these things and if I had gone first, we might still be on the platform. As it was, I was at the very end...it would be less likely for the kids to hear me screaming from there.
There were about 6 different lines for us to zip down. The first was the chicken line. It was short and sweet. The others were higher, faster, and longer. By the end of them, we were all having a great time. The company liked us so much they offered a bonus. We got to rappel. I was definitely afraid and I apologize to the parents, because I think I might have sworn as I feel about 70 feet to the ground. We all accomplished this feat as well. The best part of zip lining, for me, wasn't even the experience. While that was cool, it was way cooler to hear words of encouragement from all the kids to each other. None of us were probably 100% comfortable with this, but we all helped each other along. The sense of teammwork, or perhaps family, reminded me that We Are All Sachems.
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| AJ, myself, and Mr. Bemis. I'm pretending to be tough and not scared. We are about to get our gear on. |
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| After I had finished...It was exciting. |
Well...that's it for the night. Tomorrow's adventure brings us to the footsteps of Guatamala and more Mayan Ruins. There is also a rumor of swimming near a waterfall...These days keep getting better!!!
Mr. Lavoie, currently avoiding the 1,000 different species of bugs flying around the hotel lobby.
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