i did so much in one day!

While I was on the boat to Lamanai I meet a group of older travelers: a couple Rose and Pat and Rose's mother, Marilyn; they were staying in my hotel. They were from Washington state and very nice to talk with, they invite me to join them on their day tour around Belize, I was concerned about the price, so I said I would think about it that day. After walking through the ruins, I asked Rose some questions about the tour and the price. She said I could join them for $100. On a backpackers budget that is a big expense for one day of activities, so I sadly declined the offer. Then after a few beers and rum punch cocktails, Rose and Pat invited me along again, this time for $5o, saying I reminded them of Rose's children and they wanted to treat me!

Treat is a great word to describe the day! It was a treat! It began at 6am with a delicious breakfast (including homemade sopapias and horchata, cooked by our local guide/driver, Raul, as we sat beside the New River Lagoon. Then to a tour of the sugar factory where we saw dozens of trucks piled with sugar cane waiting to bring in their load. It was really cool to see all of the work going on at the sugar factory as well as the power plant the sugar factory built to not only power the factory but also most of northern Belize. The remnants from processing the cane are used to create energy, making the process sustainable and more eco-friendly. We also passed by the country's largest rum distillery(Belizians are very proud of their rum) on the way to the Crooked Tree Wild Life Sanctuary.

A fishing and farming village, Crooked Tree and the 5 square miles surrounding the village are a protected wildlife sanctuary. The area has a wealth of wild and migratory birds who feed in the waters around the village. Fortunately, the water level was below normal and it enabled us to see more birds standing in the water and feeding. We then went to a cashew "wine tasting" in the garage of a local villager. The cashew wine was very sweet and very strong.

From there to the Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary. However, the monkey's who call this area home are not what we know as baboons, they are black howler monkeys locally referred to as baboons. During the course of our hike through the sanctuary our guide showed us local plants that are used for natural medicines and of course the monkeys. We saw a large family unit including a few mother/baby combos. I loved seeing the babies holding onto the mothers as they swung through the trees and hung from their tails to great us. One mother came up to us and I had the chance to feed her a banana. It was so cool! She gently took my hand to eat the banana and then smiled at me.

After lunch at a restaurant filled with German tourists and Mennonites, we drove to the Cayo district to go cave tubing. Getting to the point in the river where you start the cave tour requires a forty-five minute hike carrying a very heavy rubber tube. Fortunately, the hike went fast because our guide was very funny and educational teaching us about the plant life in the area along the way. At one point we stopped to look at a termite nest and our guide ate a few termites before encouraging us to try one as well. I went for it, how many times in my life will I get the chance to do something like that! The termites were minty and sour tasting, not something I would seek out but, I can see how they have an appeal to other people and primates.

Once we were in the water it was very cold and dark. The caves were beautifully formed and had many intricate details. At one point we float our way into a cenote, an underground freshwater sink hole, with a large rock formation in the center, it was interesting to see how different portions of the cave were formed by different geological events. The trip down the river was very relaxing and really fun.

Back in the van we made it Belize City just in time to catch the boat last boat to Caye Caulker where I was headed to dive the Blue Hole. I am very thankful for to Rose, Pat and Marilyn for including me in their day tour of Belize and I did more and saw more than I ever could have on my own and had a great time!