I arrived in Caye Caulker without a place to stay. This was not by choice, rather budget accommodation in Caye Caulker is only available on a walk in basis. The only hostel on the island was full when I arrived, as were the first 6 hotels I went to, another group of hotels reception desks were closed so I don't know if they had a room. Finally as it was getting dark and I was getting desperate I found, Bella's, a hostel like place owned by a family. The one room they had to offer me was really more of a shack in someone's backyard than a room, it was made out of a combination of tree branches, metal panels, cardboard and a tarp. It was also a mosquito breeding ground. Nonetheless, it was all I could find and for $5 I decided I could take the room and then keep looking for another option.
After the Tulum incident I had no intention of being the main course for mosquitoes once again, so I kept searching the island for another option. Finally after knocking on closed reception doors and asking questions, I found Merlen's a slightly better option, I thought, was mosquito free. So I paid another $10 and stayed there for the night.
When I turned off the lights to go to bed I noticed the boards in the walls had huge cracks to the outside alley. Then there it was, that noise...NNNNnnnnnnnNNNnnnnnn! Mosquitoes. I got back up, turned on the light and tried to kill as many as I could, covered myself in bug spray and then, covered the cracks with duct tape (good call Kate). I slept OK but still woke up with more mosquito bites. I got up very early and wait at the only hostel in Caye Caulker until something opened up. The only thing that did open up was a private room for $27 a night, but it was worth every penny. Glad I brought the duct tape.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
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!
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!
Monday, March 29, 2010
The New River boat ride to the Lamanai Ruins
Orange Walk, Belize was not in my original travel plan but after the trip to Tulum with Monique and Itamar, I decided to continue on the way with Monique and see what the little town was all about. The primary reason people go to Orange Walk, is not Carlos Pizzeria, it is to take the boat trip up the New River to the Lamanai Mayan Ruins. According to our knowledgeable boat driver/guide, Melvis, the New River is more of a lagoon than a river by Belizian standards. The 30+ mile boat ride was a slow nature ride, we saw many jungle birds, turtles, large fish and crocodiles. The boat 
cruised past the country's rum distillery and a massive Mennonite community. (Yes, Mennonites in Belize, 
they came fleeing war and religious persecution in Germany almost 100 years ago and today provide more than half the dairy consumed in Belize.) The boat was a great way to see Belize from another angle.
Hiking to the ruins was slow as we stopped to learn the history of Lamanai(submerged crocodile)
and Spanish presence in Belize. Apparently, when the Maya abandoned Lamanai they buried the buildings and many of the ruins at the site were still buried today. Leaving certain portions of the site under excavation. 
The temples were very impressive, the construction and artwork were intricate and as we learned, changed over time. The High Temple sits above the jungle line and if you climb the narrow and steep stairs to the top you can see for hundreds of miles.On the boat ride back from Lamanai our guide gave everyone rum punch and beer. Maybe I haven't traveled enough but I have never gotten to drink on a tour. The local rum was very tasty.
Shortly before our boat docked, we stopped at a tree where spider monkeys were playing. The monkeys were not afraid of the boat and one jumped on board to get a banana. He then sat right in front of me to eat it. The Jungle River tour to Lamanai was a wonderful spontaneous decision.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Where to Eat in Orange Walk on a Sunday Night
Getting to Orange Walk, Belize was surprisingly easy, the border crossing and bus rides were uneventful. The hotel had a beautiful room which, split between Monique and I was only $23 a night. I was happy to be away from the mosquitoes and in a nice small town.
But, where to eat in Orange Walk on a Sunday night? Orange Walk was like a ghost town on Sunday, everything was closed including the grocery store. As Monique and I wondered the streets looking for food we found only very sketchy-greasy Chinese fast food. In fact, we found several Chinese fast food places but nothing - I mean nothing else. At the hotel an American who was living in Belize attempted to tell me about a pizzeria about half a mile from the hotel. He was really obsessed with the idea of us going to the pizzeria. He drew a crude map and Monique and I went looking. We walked all over that town, the map made no sense, and could not find the pizzeria; just Chinese restaurant after Chinese restaurant. Then we walked up a hill and around a long curve in the the road. There in the middle of a residential area, in the dark was Ristorante-Carlos Pizzeria.
Hungry and knowing it was our only non-Chinese option we sat at a table. The menu was basic Italian food but very reasonably priced including a 10oz steak for $6. We ordered drinks and Carlos came to introduce himself, a classically trained french chef born in Africa to French/Italian parents. A funny old man with an ambiguous accent he claimed to speak "only seven languages". He served in the French foreign legion and trained as a chef in Paris before moving to Canada to become an International Lawyer.
He said he did that for about 25 years until he became bored and decided to go back to food. He began to regale us with tales of feeding the Queen of England and moving to Belize to open, "the best restaurant, in the whole country". Carlos was wonderful, joyful and after 15 minutes of stories finally took our order! The food was fantastic and truly earned its recommend.
The next day I found myself raving to fellow travelers about Carlos, insisting they eat at his place for dinner and try the steak; which Carlos farms himself, along with Lamb and more. Of course we went back for a second night and although the restaurant was very busy, Carlos came to welcome us back and thank us for sending more people. After another lovely and inexpensive meal we sad goodbye to our funny friend. But I promised to tell everyone, if they are ever in Orange Walk, eat at Carlos Pizzeria.
But, where to eat in Orange Walk on a Sunday night? Orange Walk was like a ghost town on Sunday, everything was closed including the grocery store. As Monique and I wondered the streets looking for food we found only very sketchy-greasy Chinese fast food. In fact, we found several Chinese fast food places but nothing - I mean nothing else. At the hotel an American who was living in Belize attempted to tell me about a pizzeria about half a mile from the hotel. He was really obsessed with the idea of us going to the pizzeria. He drew a crude map and Monique and I went looking. We walked all over that town, the map made no sense, and could not find the pizzeria; just Chinese restaurant after Chinese restaurant. Then we walked up a hill and around a long curve in the the road. There in the middle of a residential area, in the dark was Ristorante-Carlos Pizzeria.
Hungry and knowing it was our only non-Chinese option we sat at a table. The menu was basic Italian food but very reasonably priced including a 10oz steak for $6. We ordered drinks and Carlos came to introduce himself, a classically trained french chef born in Africa to French/Italian parents. A funny old man with an ambiguous accent he claimed to speak "only seven languages". He served in the French foreign legion and trained as a chef in Paris before moving to Canada to become an International Lawyer.
He said he did that for about 25 years until he became bored and decided to go back to food. He began to regale us with tales of feeding the Queen of England and moving to Belize to open, "the best restaurant, in the whole country". Carlos was wonderful, joyful and after 15 minutes of stories finally took our order! The food was fantastic and truly earned its recommend.The next day I found myself raving to fellow travelers about Carlos, insisting they eat at his place for dinner and try the steak; which Carlos farms himself, along with Lamb and more. Of course we went back for a second night and although the restaurant was very busy, Carlos came to welcome us back and thank us for sending more people. After another lovely and inexpensive meal we sad goodbye to our funny friend. But I promised to tell everyone, if they are ever in Orange Walk, eat at Carlos Pizzeria.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
why I itch everywhere
It is not a secret, I prefer to travel alone. Among other things, if you travel alone you do not need to worry about the needs/wants of others. So, when I decided to join to fellow back packers on a trip to Tulum I was hesitant of the experience. The day we went to leave Isla Mujeres came and the others were slow to get going, we didn't leave the island until 230pm and I was worried about finding a hotel/hostel before dark in Tulum. I tried to relax said to myself, "Hillary you are in the Caribbean you need to chill out and move at a Caribbean pace."
When we finally board the boat back to Cancun I went on the roof deck to get some sun and some perspective. My travel buddies, Monigue (from Australia) and Itamar(from Israel) went inside the boat; where they met a local man who offered to drive all 3 of us from the boat dock to the bus station. I am nervous about taking rides from strangers but since I was with two others decided to go for it. The guy turned out to be really cool and the owner/builder of several hotels and clubs in the Cancun area. Found the only bus leaving in the next 3 hours for Tulum and got on board. When the bus arrived in Tulum we took a collective taxi to a place Itamar had heard about, it was getting dark.
The Lobo Inn, was a low quality hostel with an even lower price tag. But since it was getting late and we thought, we were miles from other options we decided to stay there for the night. After we had checked in, we started to discover just how many problems this place had. First, the bathroom situation was a disaster! The bathroom for the 8 bed dorm we were staying in was broken, so we had to go upstairs to the 16 bed dorm or across a mosquito filled courtyard to the 6 bed dorm to use one of those. The bathroom in the 6 bed dorm was very dirty, filled with bugs and had a clogged toilet! The 16 bed dorm bathroom was very dirty and very strange, it had two toilets in 2ft x 2ft stalls, if you closed to door a reasonable size person would not fit inside with the toilet and be able to use it. The showers were more or less the same. When we attempted to sleep we noticed the room had several mosquitoes after attempting to kill a few, I gave up and went to sleep. In the morning we agreed to look for new accommodations.
On the way to the ruins, we passed a few other budget hotels and Monigue (who had already seen the ruins) offered to check them out, while Itamar and I went to see the site. Tulum was beautiful. Monique met up with us at the entrance and suggested El Crucero, a budget hotel with a clean and functioning bathroom, I thought it would be an improvement. After switching hotels we head to the beach. The sand was so fine it got everywhere, nonetheless I loved sitting on the sand and watching people kite-surf, I even had a Pina Colada. Finally, back at the hotel I showered and felt relatively clean for the first time in days.
That night, I fell asleep very early but woke up to a familiar and upsetting sound, mosquitoes! Everywhere! There must have been 30 in our room. I could hear them making high-pitched whining sounds as they passed by my head. They were all around me and as I would discover taking turns feasting on all of us. I wrapped my self in my blankets, to get some protection and attempted to sleep. In the morning, everyone in the room was covered in bites. I itch everywhere! I have at least 20 screaming red spots from that night in the hotel. I was ready to leave Tulum and the mosquitoes.
When we finally board the boat back to Cancun I went on the roof deck to get some sun and some perspective. My travel buddies, Monigue (from Australia) and Itamar(from Israel) went inside the boat; where they met a local man who offered to drive all 3 of us from the boat dock to the bus station. I am nervous about taking rides from strangers but since I was with two others decided to go for it. The guy turned out to be really cool and the owner/builder of several hotels and clubs in the Cancun area. Found the only bus leaving in the next 3 hours for Tulum and got on board. When the bus arrived in Tulum we took a collective taxi to a place Itamar had heard about, it was getting dark.
The Lobo Inn, was a low quality hostel with an even lower price tag. But since it was getting late and we thought, we were miles from other options we decided to stay there for the night. After we had checked in, we started to discover just how many problems this place had. First, the bathroom situation was a disaster! The bathroom for the 8 bed dorm we were staying in was broken, so we had to go upstairs to the 16 bed dorm or across a mosquito filled courtyard to the 6 bed dorm to use one of those. The bathroom in the 6 bed dorm was very dirty, filled with bugs and had a clogged toilet! The 16 bed dorm bathroom was very dirty and very strange, it had two toilets in 2ft x 2ft stalls, if you closed to door a reasonable size person would not fit inside with the toilet and be able to use it. The showers were more or less the same. When we attempted to sleep we noticed the room had several mosquitoes after attempting to kill a few, I gave up and went to sleep. In the morning we agreed to look for new accommodations.
On the way to the ruins, we passed a few other budget hotels and Monigue (who had already seen the ruins) offered to check them out, while Itamar and I went to see the site. Tulum was beautiful. Monique met up with us at the entrance and suggested El Crucero, a budget hotel with a clean and functioning bathroom, I thought it would be an improvement. After switching hotels we head to the beach. The sand was so fine it got everywhere, nonetheless I loved sitting on the sand and watching people kite-surf, I even had a Pina Colada. Finally, back at the hotel I showered and felt relatively clean for the first time in days.
That night, I fell asleep very early but woke up to a familiar and upsetting sound, mosquitoes! Everywhere! There must have been 30 in our room. I could hear them making high-pitched whining sounds as they passed by my head. They were all around me and as I would discover taking turns feasting on all of us. I wrapped my self in my blankets, to get some protection and attempted to sleep. In the morning, everyone in the room was covered in bites. I itch everywhere! I have at least 20 screaming red spots from that night in the hotel. I was ready to leave Tulum and the mosquitoes.
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