Mud and Motors

Tuesday was an excursion day, and it turned out to be a dandy. We had booked a dune buggy tour through the Air Transit rep the previous afternoon. To avoid missing any serious beach time, we took the morning run and were ready to go at 7:30 am. The girls were so excited to start the trip they were dancing while we waited at the lobby (see pic to the left). We were met by a "troop transport", stopping at another resort to pick up the other recruits. From there we headed 15 minutes down the road to the compound with the buggies. Had some fun on the way with the people from New York. Two good guys. I was putting on sun screen and they said, we already did that, our wives don't let us out of the house without sunscreen". I told them "We don't get any sun in Canada, so this is all new to us." We ended up running into them a few days later at a resort up the beach.

At the compound, we lined up on benches, heard the safety drill, appropriate warnings about what would get us kicked off the buggies, and signed a waver saying they were not responsible for any injury and that we would pay for any damage we caused. They also strongly recommended buying a scarf to put over our mouth and nose. This was a good purchase.

Each couple was given a two seater dune buggy and we proceeded to go through all kinds of back roads, woods roads and paths until we arrived at a beautiful secluded beach for stop one. The stop is sold as a key part of the trip, but essentially amounts to a full frontal assult by local vendors of various trinkets and art work. There was someone selling beer at three bucks a pop, and a bunch of young kids giving the girls flower pedals looking for a buck tip. The girls bartered with the braclet vendor and each made a purchase. I settled for a beer and a swim in the ocean, while Larry chose to take in the spectacular views.

We headed back out on the buggies again running through a series of woods roads. Our buggy kept stalling out, so they would get it started up, and as we were well behind the rest of the group I got to wind out at full speed . It felt a little like Mario Go Cart for a while, dodging rocks, running up embankments and moving in and out around other vehicles. Finally, they got tired of ours stalling, and we switched to one of the spotters buggy. WOW. Power steering and souped up engine bigtime.

The second stop was at a cave where you could dive into a pool of water completely sheltered from the outside. Karen and I gave it a go. The water was surprisingly warm, and the objective was to splash as many of the other swimmers and onlookers with a deluge of spray from my cannonball. As with every location in the DR, there were more shops and vendors to try and take your money.

But the big thing on the drive was the mud and water. The roads, if you can call them that, looked like they had been bombed, with large craters and potholes several feet deep. You hit these things at a high speed, and when they were filled with water, literally every inch of your body gets covered in mud. Knapsacks, shoes, scarves,hats, glasses, you name it, it got covered. This went on for about an hour as we gradually worked our way back to the compound. When we pulled into the lot at the end of the ride you could see the horrified looks on the faces of the women in the next group, who had worn nice clothes. Not only did they realize the ride was going to ruin their duds, they also had to climb into the buggies we just used, without them being rinsed off.

After washing off as best as possible in the outdoor showers, it was back to the resort for an afternoon of relaxation at the beach. Great excursion, well worth the $65 a person.

The Grand Bahaie Ambar

Well, here I am in my third evening at the Ambar. Fantastic hotel. This is a huge complex with three resorts in one. The Ambar is adults only, which makes it the quiet section. Not much happens here after dark, although those who want to party take the shuttle to the Casino and Disco.

The flight down on Saturday night was rather uncomfortable as Can Jet jams their seats in pretty tight, and there are only a few with extra leg room. These were already gone by the time I booked the trip. There was a pretty decent meal, and the movie was "Salt", a good one although I had already seen it. Quick move through security and for the first time in a few trips our bags were one of the first off the plane. We hopped onto the bus with Larry and Karen and were at the resort around 10:30 at night.

Because we were there on our anniversary :), the resort gave us one of the prime rooms in the building closest to the pool and the beach. The rooms were spectacular, huge and high quality decor. By the time we actually got into the room though (key trouble), it was after 11:00 and the lobby bar was closed. We did meet another couple that night, Peter and Sandra from Guelph, who hung out with the four of us for much of the week.

We were, well at least I was, up early ready and rearing to go Sunday. After a full day of beach/pool and lots of beer, Sunday night was a good one, or so I am told. Managed to start early, finish late, make many new friends, quite a few people laugh, offend only a few, only semi embarass Mary Lou, get cut off from the bar, have a quintuple scotch, take a tumble and come up on two feet , yet still be able to hit the beach at 6:00 am.

Larry and Karen are a fun couple, and quite tolerant as well based on Sunday night. I told Larry that what we like to do is make up some new identity, and tell people that when they asked. He came up with an idea that we were a band, he was the manager, the girls were the singers and we were called Mitch and the Kitchen Bitc..s. So far so good. Having the travel guitar helps sell the story.

Most of the activity so far has been, sleep and read on the beach, long walks in the surf, runs to the pool bar and generally yakking it up with the people we meet. Today I was sitting on the beach chair, listening to Jeff Buckley sing We All Fall in Love Sometime on the Ipod, while reading 101 Songwriting Wrongs and How to Correct Them, looking out at the turquoise water; and I realized I was in paradise, doing what I loved to do, what I was meant to do. There was very few other things that could have made the moment better. I have to find a way of getting myself to the Caribbean on an extended basis. Nice engineering assignment, buy my beach grill, who knows?

The travel guitar was a fantastic purchase. I used it to check out the five songs I had completed against the first few chapters in the book. Four out of five passed the muster test, one is going back to the drawing board.

Had a couple of amusing things happen today. The first was in the washrooms. The cleaners are all women, including in the mens washrooms, and they just wave you in when they are there. I was at one urinal and she was literally cleaning up the area beside me. Didn't phase her a bit, so, it didn't phase me. The second was at supper. We went out for dinner to the mediterranean restaraunt. After carefully scrutinizing all the entrees, I selected the only one that didn't have onions in the ingredients. When it came, sure enough there were no onions on the cod, but the three other items on the plate were pearl onions, carmalized onions AND...batered onions. To the buffet I went.

Back At It

Well, time to give this another try. Haven't done anything on the site since our trip to Mexico/Belize/Guatemala back at the end of April. The purpose of this was to have some fun and get something down on paper, well on line, that will remind me what we have been up to over the year. We do lot's of interesting things but half the time forget them. So, since we are getting ready to head to Punta Cana, time to get back in practice.

Normally, in the last month before vacation I can't sit still, can't keep my mind off the trip. However, this year it is different. My big project, the one that I have been working on for three years, is finally off and rolling. Construction has started,and the push is on to complete designs. So, work right now is keeping me both busy and pre occupied, and as I told Mary Lou, this will be the first time in years that my vacation will seem to go by slower than work. I get in to the office, look up and it's already six o'clock. Guess that's good.

Today, had an interesting experience. Mary Lou has read her way through her own library (I'll never get there, or at least not until I've been retired for a few years), and wanted to get a few things to read for the trip next week. I decided to take her to Seekers Bookstore, a second hand shop located at 509 Bloor Street West, Toronto. This is a really neat spot, where I knew she would find something of interest, and more importantly for her, save quite a bit of money. Been there previously a few times on my own, and have never left empty handed.

The store is arranged a bit like a library, with everything catagorized by subject or author. There books range from new to very old, all in good shape, with a large section of spiritual, new age, meditation, philosophy type books, you know "heart, head and soul" stuff. You will find books on any topic you are seeking, hence the store name I guess, and more than likely would find a specific book you could not find elsewhere.

While Mary Lou was browsing the stacks my eye was drawn to the Buddist section, full of all kinds of things from the Dali Lama and his followers. While standing there, a book fell from somewhere behind the shelf, landing right in front of me. I pulled a few things out of the way and picked up a large paper back book, that must have been there for a long while as it was covered with copius numbers of dust clumps. I spent a minute shaking and brushing them off, before turning the book over and seeing what it was.

The book was titled "Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom" by one Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. I am at that age where change is being forced upon me, getting older every day, and contemplating how I intend to retire. I recently decided to try meditation, figuring I could best learn how while facing the sun rising over the Caribbean each morning on the beach. Last week I went to see with Mary Lou what I thought would be a chick flick (owed her that for dragging her to see Get Low the week before) Eat, Pray, Love , and was actually deeply affected by the movie, as I am "in my own way" on a journey of self discovery. So, I thought, was this just a book falling, or did this book seek me out. Is it a coincidence, or did that book hang on until it sensed that someone who may have a need for it was there. I don't know for sure, but I bought it, and plan on carrying it with me to Punta Cana. Hey, even if it was just a book falling, can't hurt.

I'll Miss You Andy

Today, well is just an awful day. I arrived at work to an email telling me that my good friend Andy had passed away Tuesday night, losing his battle with cancer. I didn't even know he was sick.

Andy and I met back in 1982 in Toronto at Dillon Consulting. I can still recall how they built this little cubby hole of an office just outside my door, for a new structural engineer transferring over from Windsor. We hit it off immediately. Andy and I shared many common interests, and most specifically; beer, golf and good looking women. Over the years we had many discussions revolving around those three things.

In my life, as I am sure it is for most people, I have had the great fortune of having many close friends. But in each phase: grade school, high school, college, working years : there was always one friend with whom I shared a special bond. Andy was that person for most of the 80's and early 90's.

One of the things that brought us close was the golf course. Over the years we played upwards of a hundred rounds together, with , I'm guessing, 75% of them just the two of us. We would often head out at 6:00 am, first group out, finish the round in under three hours, and be showered and into work by 10 am. It got so if we were out of the office at the same time, it was assummed we were golfing, even if that wasn't the case (it generally was though). This was never a problem, as we always more than made up for the time, and in fact on more than one occasion we were asked by the President to invite one of the other guys in the office. The golfing thing continued even after I moved to Fredericton in 1993, when Andy and I would golf the Thursday before the spring and fall Dillon partners meetings, then head off to Avenue Bistro for a few dozen chicken wings. The other Dillon partners would always ask me how Andy was doing, what he was up to, even though many of them lived in the same city. That always made me feel good others recognized the bond we had.

Andy watched both of my kids grow up, and continued to ask about them after we moved. We felt as comfortable together not having seen each other for six months, as we did sitting across the hall from one another at work. We never lost that sense of ease. I can still hear his voice in my head " Hey Mitch, how ya doing".

In almost thirty years of friendship, I never once heard Andy get angry, not even on the golf course. He was universally loved by everyone who met him, and had a genuine interest in knowing how each and every one of them was doing. On top of all that, he was a highly respected engineer.

At lunch today I met with Perry, John, Don, Narayan and Neville, some of the other old Dillon guys from the 80's. We talked about Andy, told a few stories that had special meaning to each of us, had a few laughs and even hoisted a beer in his honor. Then I went back to the office, and sat there and stared. Had to go home as I couldn't work through the tears.

I last saw Andy just before Christmas when we went to the Chicken Deli for wings and beer on 'cougar' night. Whenever we met, I always left feeling pretty good about myself, he had that way about him. Maybe he knew then, maybe not, he likely wouldn't have told me if he did. But I didn't get to say good bye, just like my friend Kenny twenty odd years ago.

Andy, you made me a better person, and I will miss you.

Headed Home

30 April 2010

Well, it's over. One of the most interesting, and certainly the most unique, vacations we have taken. Something completely different mixed in with something very similar. Regardless, it was over, and it was time to go home.

The packing was complete and we made it out to the cab at the prearranged time of 7:00 am. Jorges, the cabbie from the night before, gave the fare to his son who was waiting patiently. The drive to the airport took around 45 minutes, which unfortunately meant arriving about three minutes behind two buses bringing people from the resorts. This left us almost at the end of the line, and with no reserved seats, little chance of sitting together. However, good luck found us a window seat together in the second from last row.

It was a fairly annoying flight all round. First off, after several years of buying upgraded seats , it was incredibly uncomfortable with the reduced leg room (my fault for not booking earlier, and the mistake will not be repeated). In addition, the young girl to the right had broke up with her boyfriend on the trip (not to be judgemental, but from the looks of him her parents would be happy). The girl was extremely rude to everyone, and sighed and moaned and belly ached all the way back. And on top of everything, with maybe 12 people under the age of 20 on a plane of 300, "Alvin and the Chipmunks" was the movie played. Come on Sunwing, use your head, serve the customers who paid the way. You do this almost every trip. Maybe I was just annoyed that vacation was over.

Notwithstanding comments above, Sunwing is a well run airline, and I would recommend flying with them to anyone. The meals are not bad, they are very friendly and accomodating, and work hard to stay on schedule.

Back at the airport in Toronto, the bags came through relatively quickly. I moved up to to get them, and said "excuse me ladies" to a couple of women chatting at the conveyors. One of them looked at me with a sour face and said "you could have said excuse me". My reply, well......" Ah yes, back in the big city.

Guess that ends the day by day description of the trip. One of the interesting things of this web site is you can, for a very low cost, have a book made of the blog. This will be a nice reminder of the journey. So, the first order of business is to do some editing (it is scary how many spelling and grammatical errors I made using the netbook) and add some pictures.

One Last Day in the Sun

Thursday 29 April

Our last day at the beach, was pretty much like the arrival day in Cancun a couple of weeks previous. It was hot, sunny at times, overcast at others, with some periods of hard rain. Even at 7:30 in the morning the temperature was in the 80's, with the humidity close to 90%.

Walking along the water you never notice just how uncomfortable it is once away from the beach. If I ever pick "a" retirement spot, it will be in the sunny south, and it will be on the beach.

The morning was spent picking up a few things for the kids. The older they get, the harder it is to find the right gift, although a good bottle is always a fall back. Again, the best price is obtained when you put the item back on the shelf and walk out. Most times the vendor will stop you and offer their real bottom line price. If not, someone else will.

After saying goodbye to the turquoise water (always a sad moment) we headed back to get dressed for dinner at our new vacation ownership spot. Jessica, if you recall the Sandos representative from yesterday, had invited us to the new French restaurant at the resort.

We arrived all dolled up at 5:45 and were the first ones to be seated for the evening. Great four course meal consisting of lobster bisque, shrimp salad, filet minon and baked alaska. For drinks we shared a bottle of Chilean cabernet savinon, and of course, a beer. It was a very pleasant evening, and we learned a little more about Jessica and how she ended up in Mexico. All in all, a great way to end the trip.

We cabbed it back and had a nice talk with Jorges, or George in English he said. I introduced myself as Mitch, or Miguel in Spanish. He got a kick out of that. We also arranged with Jorges a 7:00 am pick up for the airport.

Back into town, we decided to go for a late night walk on the beach. There were still lots of people out so it was safe.

After taking Mary Lou back to the hotel room, I headed out to get some cash for the taxi in the morning. Well, a man on his own is a target for every vice hustler in the area. No less than five times I was asked to purchase some "doobies" or "blow", and twice was offered to "get hooked up"with a senorita. I settled for some cash from the ATM and a couple of beers to take back to the room (you can wander the streets carrying drinks).

The Big Day

Wednesday 28 April

Wednesday morning started just like any other, up for a coffee at Starbucks. I’ll be glad to get back home, well not really but to make a point let’s pretend, so the next Starbuck’s we see will be on the way to the Tango Palace. This time we decided to walk along the beach with the coffees and headed south. Little did we know that our day would bring us back this way for an entirely different reason. It was a beautiful morning and the walk took us much further than normal.

They say that good luck is what results when "preparation meets opportunity". How true. Before heading out, I attached the super zoom lense to the camera to get closeups of the beach before heading home. About half way through the walk we came upon a group of people holding light reflectors, and a hip looking dude with high end camera on a tripod. But most importantly, standing there on the edge of the sand was a latin goddess, and I am not exagerating, unbelieveable, stretching out to the sky with her back arched all decked out in a tiny white bikini. Good luck!! ...Not!! Unfortunately, just before leaving the room, I had changed my mind and put the camera back in the safe. My tears could not console me.

The weather had turned towards the end of our walk, and it looked like we had to find a few indoor actvities to keep entertained, so, we did what all good Norte Americanos do, and headed to Walmart. It was a quick $3 cab ride, and when we walked in doors, I had the same thoughts as I do when hitting Walmart back home; "what the heck did I ever come here for". The walk back was only ten minutes, and with the weather getting worse by the minute, the rest of the day was planned.

Now all week, we had been hit up by hucksters on the street to go visit the new Sandos Resort for dinner, lunch, breakfast, drinks....whatever we wanted as long as we went over. They try all kinds of enticements, and we ignored them all. But, since this was a rain day, our plan was to wrangle a free adventure for our final day, and get a nice meal inside a large resort away from the rains. We would go, get our goodies and tell them no thanks. So after arranging to get a $150 ATV trip for tomorrow, we headed in a prepaid taxi to the Sandals Playcar Resort.

Have to say, the place was impressive. We were greeted by a number of people trying to get a read on whether we might actually be a prospect. We were given the grand tour by Jessica, an extremely pleasant transplanted American from Washington DC. I won't bother with the details, but in the end, we walked away with a two unit, three week vacation ownership that we hope will be the cornerstone of our retirement plans (with more to come if it works like planned). The flexibilty of the plan, the price tag, and the thousands of 5+ star locations available to us world wide, turned me from a skeptic to a believer. Of course, it helps to be prepared to walk away to get the maximum they have to offer. Incredible deal.

After walking away, and going through the usual second thought process, my only regret is that we did not pick up an extra couple of weeks. I will be looking at that in the future.

Radical Move

Up at the crack of dawn again, well not really, we didn't actually get out the door till 8am, heading immediately down to the beach for a walk on the way to coffee. The shore was a hub of activity with boat after boat loading up for snorkling, scuba and fishing trips. None of the hordes of gnats that swarmed the beach last night remained. Nice refreshing stroll, which led us directly to one of Trip Advisor's highest rated restauraunts for the area. It was the Choco Cafe, or something like it, and served high end coffee, croissants and chocolate chip muffins. The place didn't blow us away but it was a nice change from Starbucks.

Walking back to the hotel , we were acosted by the various vendors who recieved my usual response " no gracias", but there was one who said " amigo, amigo, come here, remember me from yesterday". I told him " I sure do, you tried to send me to a time share presentation when I asked for a good breakfast spot, so you're off my list." I doubt he will bother us again.

Back at the hotel getting ready for a day at the beach, all of a sudden a radical thought came over me, and I couldn't resist. Told Mary Lou I'd be right back, popped across the street to get the necessary tools. More on that later, but let's just say, the wife was shocked.

The same spot on the beach was waiting for us, with good food and cheap liquor why not. Today we were in the mood for walking, so headed south to see what lay beyond the ferry terminal. Wow. Great beach, almost rivals Varadero. There were a couple of guys with a GPS survey unit taking cross sections all along the shore. We found out later that that a year ago you couldn't even walk along this section as it was wiped out from the last few hurricanes. The Mexican government did a big sudy of the beaches between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which resulted in the new beach being constructed. Guess the surveyors were getting data for the computer modeling.

The water was so inviting a swim was in order. Now Mary Lou is by nature a cautious person, but that doesn't apply to swimming in the ocean. No sooner were we in the water than bang, she scoots 200 feet offshore, in a body of water with very strong and fast moving currents. Now both of us are very strong swimmers, but I had to be the voice of reason or we would have been half way to Cozumel. It was a tough (not dangerous) swim back, but little miss timid simply says " good workout".

We are still having difficulty getting motivated to do another excursion, it is so enjoyable sitting at the beach reading and relaxing. Week one was go go go, so we want slow, slow, slow for the last few days. Louie has finished her book "Eat Pray Love" (not far off my vacation mantra Eat, Drink, Think"). Finally started reading the book I brought along "Songwriting". Great book. Lots of information on how to use technology to write and record a song right at home. Having been inspired by my buddies Steve and Blake, think I'll give it a shot.

For dinner we headed out to an Italian restaurant that was the number 2 rated one for the area. Unfortunately, it is closed on Tuesdays. So we wandered down the street again. Decided to try the Manhatten Grill, great ambience and the menu looked good. We started off with an Argentinian merlot that started weak but finished well, salad and calamarie for appetiser, then crepes and caronie salad for main course. The meal was OK but was not worth the $100. No more fancy places in Mexico.

On the walk back there was some sort of street festival going on (code name for more ways to get money out of your pocket). There were artists, artisans, dancers, and so on. I made the mistake of taking a picture of the break dancers and they came running over with the tip jar. Should have known better.

Back to the hotel to watch Lost, then off to bed. Oh, and the radical thought, the pictures below tell the story.

Contentment

Where my head was all day today. Today was, thoroughly unspectacular, and totally enjoyable. No thoughts of what should we be doing, where should we be going, what should we be planning. This would be a do nothing day.

We actually woke up late today, 7:30 am in our pillow topped king size bed, and took longer than usual to get out the door. The only thing we really had to do was get the rental car back before 10:00 am. Not a problem as it was only a five minute drive, so a quick gas up and we were there. We had washed it and cleaned it out yesterday, and the agency said we returned it in perfect condition (reinforces the importance of good hygiene). If they only knew the beating that thing took on the roads we were on..hmmm. OK. I have to say something nice here. When we rented the Chevy Comfort I was regretting not getting the Jeep. But I have to say that cheap little vehicle did yeoman duty, had great pep, met the challenges of every different terrain and road condition, held steadfast in 100 degree weather over 10 hours, and could turn on a dime. Kudos to the car and American Rentals. Excellent service.

Like I said. Do nothing day. I didn't even take a picture today, which is something, because I even shoot the lamps at home I love using that camera so much. But the day was sunny, and hot and we were right on the beach. So, not much on the blog today but random thoughts from a hard days thinking, and a few things that amused me.

After taking the car back, we changed and headed for the beach. We met Raul a few steps in, and for 10 US we got two chairs, an umbrella and access to beach service, pool and banos. This is stuff you take for granted at all inclusives, but is a bargain on public beaches.

OK. Whats first. Oh yeah, when we got our chairs and immediately headed to the water we passed what I thought was a tiny slim Mayan girl sunbating topless. Well, I was wrong. On the way out we saw that he was actually a minature version of Fabio striking poses for all who would look. He was being heckled by a number of American bubbas (more about them later) sitting in the chairs beside us. Didn't seem to phase Fabio at all. Good for him.

In and out of the water all day. In between I listened to the ipod continously. Last year I was introduced to a song , that was actually written in the 80's, Hallelaujah. The song had a huge effect on me, even to the point of changing the way I see music. I listened to the different versions and reaffirmed my belief, with all due respect to my good buddy Wayne, that the Jeff Buckley rendition, is not only the best version, but is the song itself. His vocals, just like the lyrics, are both subdued and powerful at the same time. The rest of the artists, including KD Langs olympic version, are excellent covers, but covers they are. I also now feel that his lyrics are some of the greatest ever written. After all that I tried out Metallica for the first time. They are not exactly deep thinkers but sure can play.

The Americans. Good for a laugh. Felt like I was sitting with the boys. Quite different being in the midst of all those intoxicated people, and not being one of them. It is amazing that the things you find hilarious when in the bag, might just be a little stupid when observed from the outside. Also amusing was that female drunks can be just as dumb as their male counterparts. Many laughs for me over the afternoon, but I was laughing at them, not with them.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was getting a beer and a cigar and heading out to the water to enjoy both them and the scenery. But don't worry Shirl, I was wearing a bandanna and lots of sunscreen.

Had another great supper of steak and fish and chips, a walk on the beach and an early retirement.

The Long Road

Sunday was an uneventful day for the most part as 10 hours of it was spent in the car driving from Placentian to Playa del Carmen. The drive through the mountains of Belize was spectacular, kind of like the drive through the White Mountains in New Hampshire, only with palm trees and monkees instead of pines and white tailed deer. No problems at the border in Belieze, other than they fleeced us for another $75 BD. In Mexico, they didn't even look at anything, just waved us on through.

The 4 hour drive in Mexico was uneventful. The one thing of interest was a 40 km stretch where thousands of brightly colored butterflies fluttered all over the highway, dying by the thousands as well. Our car alone took out three dozen or so. We figured there must have been a mass hatching that day, and that was not lost on the birds either, mostly swallows, which were picking these things out of the air one after the other.

We pulled into our hotel, Villa del Mar about 4:00 PM and were shown to our room, a large suite with a huge private balcony, an upgrade from the one we were shown when booking last time through. The hotel itself is an older spanish style building that has been completely renovated. Out back through a series of secluded garden walkways it shares access to a pool and bar area with a connecting hotel. The area is just steps from the pedestrian arcade with all the shops and restaurants. Best of all, it is costing us $49 US per night.

Being hot from our travels we headed out for a quick swim before heading out to find a place for supper. We didn't have to walk far to find something appealing, and we wern't disappointed.
The meal was delicious, and the 2 for 1 Carona was a bonus. We spent a good hour sitting there people watching, looking at couples, some which seemed like a perfect fit, and others you wondered how they ever got together. The night was a bit of a gem as far as I was concerned, making up for the long day on the road. One of those little moments I am determined to enjoy to the fullest. To bed early as usual, and a full nights sleep.

Do Nothing Day

Eyes opened wide at 4:30 am just as the sun was starting to poke its nose through the horizon. Another day in Paradise, and my thoughts turned to, "everything working OK today". The news was good. We popped out of bed, and hit the beach for a walk having even beat the locals out.

Once the rest of the world started stirring we headed to a place called Helen's for some cafe and nourishment. The breakfasts in the Caribbean are quite different than what we are used to back home. Sure you can get your bacon and eggs, and they are quite tastey, but more of the menu is related to burritos, tacos, and stews. Though my stomach is still not 100% and my appetite is half of normal, the stewed curried chicken and refried beans was delicious and hit the spot. Mary Lou, or "Legumes" as I like to call her now, had her own plate of refried beans, a food she wouldn't have touched a couple of months ago.

There is a yoga studio above the restaurant, and they had a great mantra on the chalk board. It reminded me of the advice I gave kids when they were younger. " If you have to chose, follow your heart. Use your head to get you out of any trouble it might get you into". As you may have sensed by now, it was a slow news day, so there was lots of time to think about this and other things, and I still believe that is good advice. Life would be a boring if I listened to common sense. Think I will expand my advice slightly though " Anyone can get inside your head. But only someone who belongs there can get inside your heart."

Today, for the first time in my life, I uttered those three words " it's too hot". Had to be over 100, and it was sticky muggy. This combination zaps all energy and makes even the most basic activity strenuous. Beach, beach, beach today, with most of the time spent in the water or sleeping under the palm trees.

Mary Lou picked up a new buddy who seemed to follow her around wherever she walks. There are many dogs loose in the Town, not malnourished like Cuba and Dominican, but they do not appear to have homes. The owner of the hotel has a young pup that comes over, and I have to tell you, I really miss having a dog. Dogs, even a dog on the street, can wash away any negative thoughts in a single pat. Thank god for Ruby and Lucy.

Even though it was a slow day, it was great to recharge the batteries. One of the many activities I found to stay amused was to swim out into the waves, float on my stomach, and see how long I could hold my breath. Worked up to 84 seconds. Another fun one was walking back to the room, getting another beer, and heading into the water to drink it. That one never got old.

Supper was a real treat, and one of the better ones in a few days. The hummus was homemade, spicy and delicious. Drinks included rum punch and beer. Supper for ML was pasta and red sauce, and I ordered snapper napoleon. Both were excellent.

After supper, stuffed to the gills, we went for a walk down a path Mary Lou had discovered during the day. Voila, there was a part of Palencia that changed our opinion of the place. There were shops, residences, small cafes and cool little bars all the way along. The artisans that were missing lined the walk, and it gave the place an entirely different feeling. Notwithstanding, this will not be the place. All the requirements are here, a medical clinic right in town, an aiport 10 drive, warm warm water, a municipal water system....but...it just doesn't feel r ight. So, go with the gut. Will have to keep looking (just as well, my sister Deb, who has voluntered to be my barwench when I buy a place, would find it too hot here).

Tomorrow will be another driving day, then we are staying put for the rest of the vacation in Playa del Carmen. It has been a fantastic week.

The Road to Placencia (and Recovery)

The morning started with a fair amount of trepidation on our part. It wasn’t that we had a five and ½ drive back to Belize, or that we had to recross the borders from hell, rather it was we weren’t sure I could make it 15 minutes down the road without dropping my drawers. In the end it turned out to be a fairly uneventfull day although we: 1. Were heckelled by Guatamalean construction workers 2. flipped my first Belizean bird and 3. saw some interesting road-kill.

We got at the crack of dawn, packed, loaded, bought some sort of Mayan stone carving from the front desk and were on the road by 6:30. Because we left so early, we were able to avoid most of the construction work, however, at one location where they got at it early, we pulled out around a stopped vehicle . The flagman screamed: "Alto Alto Alto" and his ½ dozen workman buddies started to laugh and point. I stuck my head out the window and yelled “Lo Siento”. When they finally waved us through the men all stood up in unison, whistling and hooting and gave us a standing ovation. Stupid gringo. In fact I have heard the term "gringo" twice in conversations by others when I was the subject of discussion.

The surprise of the morning was that it took us 20 minutes less to get to the border than on the way in, and that we were through both borders in about 15 minutes. No one asked us for any money and there were no hassels. We even saw our old buddy Franklin who wished us happy trails. So far, the constitution was holding.

Once through the border we decided to have breakfast at the hotel we stayed the previous night. Good thing. Not only had we forgot one of the camera cases, but we hadn't paid our bill. After taking care of our previous transgression, we had a pleasant breakfast and headed out. On the way out you have to cross the river over a one way bridge. The cars from the other side didn't seem to have any sense of fairness in that they kept right on coming even though they could see someone was waiting their turn on the other side. Finally, when there was an opening, I started across, which didn't seem to impact a truck racing for the bridge on the other side. He kept on coming forcing me to back off the bridge. As he passed by he smiled and gave a thank you wave, I proceeded to give him the finger and yelled.... well, you know what I said. Hey, give me this one, I have been exceeding courteous for the entire week.

Mary Lou took the wheel and drove us all the way into Placentia. Along the route we encountered numerous road kill, including a dog and two monkeys. All along the roads of Belize and Guatemala you have to be on your toes for unmarked speed bumps, tethered animals, streams of school children and a variety of others sharing the asphalt. At one spot a tethered horse was standing right on the road jumping all around with his eyes peeled on one spot on the ditch. Snake.

As we got close to Placentia, we crossed by a new airport with a sign that said " cars, please give the right of way to planes taking off ". The Town itself reminded me of a run down US boardwalk town. That is about to change. There is a huge amount of construction going on: subdivisions of mansions coplete with a lock systems, condominium developments and hotels, and the aforementioned airport. Much of it is Canadian money according to two torontonians we met at supper in the Purple Monkey Cafe.

Still run down, we finished our meal and went right to bed. We decided to have a lazy day Saturday and catch up on our sleep, so it will likely be an uneventful one. Although, every time we think that, something always manages to stir things up.

The Border Crossing From Hell

Today was certainly an experience. Started out pretty much like every other day, and I guess ended up like every other day (with one notable exception), but oh those in betweens. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad that we went through it, and we certainly enjoyed our day on the other side, but if I had of known then what I know now, well, we would likely already be on the coast. Yet, here we are at the La Casa de Don David just outside of Tikal, Guatemala.

With a little bit of advance notice of what to expect, courtesy our friendly hotelier, we headed out for the border around 8:30. Everything went smoothly to start, we pulled up to the parking area and were approached by the “facilitators” who would guide us through the process (in effect they are money exchangers, they help you out and you get your Guatemalan “quesidias” from them (actually called quetzals). About 7:1 to the Belizean dollar, which is 2:1 to the US dollar. So, the exchange is 100 Q is $7.20 US.

Belize Border

Step 1 – exchange the money with the facilitators. Screw up one travelers cheque by signing in the wrong place. They won’t accept it so do another.

Step 2 – fill out a client satisfaction survey talking about the crossing experience when entering Belize. Now what kind of dim wit would you be to say anything that wasn’t wonderful as you still had three stages to go through?

Step 3 – pay the Belizean exit tax of $37.50 BD each to leave the country. “Yes sir, you will have to pay it again when you leave again in three days”.

Step 4 – Go to immigration and get your passport stamped. This was good, no questions, no money, and 30 seconds maybe.

Step 5 – Be told by immigration that I have to go to customs and get my rental car registration straight. Get to customs and have the sweet young thing reviewing your documents look up and say “you only have permission to go as far as Belize City sir, you are not allowed to be here! “ . WT… Calm on the outside but somewhat annoyed on the inside I told her “we told her exactly what we are doing, going to Belize City, then Guatemala, to Placentia then back up the coast to Mexico. I have no idea why she stamped it Belize City”. After staring me down for a minute she said, OK”. Mary Lou and I looked at each other and said in unison. “are we going to have problems getting back across the border.” Don't worry, “I’ll be here”. Somehow that doesn’t give me a warm and fuzzy.

Step 6 – back into the car and we head to the check point feeling pretty good, then the border guard says “they did not stamp you car pass as out of country, you must have that”. Yeah. Again, with my best puppy dog face, explained my last conversation. “ Hmmm, OK. If they say so. Have a nice trip”

So we were across the border. Oh. Crap. Not really. We were just out of Belize. Now we had to get into Guatemala.

Total cost for Belizian border was $37.50 US.

Guatemala Border

Step 1 - Arrive at border and get waved over by young fellow not wearing a uniform. We pay $20 QS for spray as we crossed.

Step 2 – got stopped, then waved through gate by latin version of Joe Bob after we paid fee.

Step 3 – young guy waves us over after moving a bus out of the way. This is when I knew we had a Guatemalan facilitator. Did not mind though as the customs were crowded and we had no clue what to do.

Spotted first guy with short stock shot gun wearing a belt of 12 gauge shells guarding the cashier for the border. On the other end of the terminal were several militia carrying AK 47’s. Gave me that good ole down home feeling.

Step 4 – young guy, lets call him Juan, leads me to the shortest line, guess that is because we were coming in and the rest of the 100 odd people in the other line were leaving. Moved through this and got our passports stamped in a few minutes, and it cost $20 QS each. Oh yeah, forgot to tell you, Juan speaks no English, and I mean NO ENGLISH. Great guy to have as a translator.

Step 4 – Juan leads us over to another line, which I knew was for the car. At this point, another facilitator named Franklin(he likes to say he was named after Franklin Rooselvelt), who was watching came over and said Juan did not know what he was doing (Heard Roosevelt calling me a gringo to Juan). We had to get photo copies of license, passport, registration, rental agreement before they will serve us. “ You can stand there for ten minutes to wait and hear from the border guard what I am telling you, or you can come with me now”. I asked him to tell Juan that.

Step 5 – around the corner we go to get photocopies. This takes five more minutes, and costs $3.50 QS.

Step 6 – we give my passport (as I am the driver) the rental agreement, and all the copies to the guard. They were required, thank you Franklin. After saying we don’t have this, or we don’t have that, and Franklin saying yes you do, he handed us the papers and said in Spanish, go to the cashier. AK 47 guy followed us to the bank line. Another $20 QS for the car.

It is at this point it dawns on me there is a battle going on between Juan and Franklin, and we would have to shell out two tips. Mary Lou and I decided we would give them one and they could duke it out for a split. Great plan.

Step 7 – pay the cashier the car fee and he says, "welcome to Guatemala". Ah, done. Wrong again.

Step 8 – back to the guard that gave us the car permit, who looked at the receipt, then gave us two pieces of paper and muttered a long set of instructions in Spanish. Thank god for Franklin. Summary...don’t lose the two papers or you will be here all day on the way back.

Step 9 – I give Juan $20 QS and said to Franklin that you guys work out the split. Juan bolted out of there and I turned to Franklin and said “ he’s not giving you any of that is he”. So I handed Franklin $10 QS , shook his hand and said thanks and so long.

Step 10 – Let out of the gate by AK 47 toting guard, and immediately was hit for $ 30 QSD toll.

Finally we were on our way. After being a bit ticked about being fleeced, I did the math and figured with all fees and tips in, the crossing in Guatemala only cost $ 8.57 USD and took about 45 minutes. The money I spent on Juan and Franklin was well worth it. So all in all, we drove on happy.


There are only two paved roads in Guatemala, according to the guide book a few years old. We were on one of them, well mostly. The first ten km were dirt road, and quite rutted in many places. Just about when we figured that little Chevy was going to fall apart, we hit the new pavement construction. They were doing a good job, however, let’s say that their onsite safety leaves a bit to be desired. At one point we had to get right over the shoulder and were within inches of dropping to the ditch when two graders in tandem took the entire road and would not budge. The rest of the way we weaved and bobbed between lanes and construction equipment, but made it safely.

Once we were on the paved sections things went quickly, with the exception of the two herds of cattle that stopped us dead in the water. The 80 km drive to Tikal took an hour and half.

We were very happy seeing the hotel and it turned out to be a funky little spot set on a large lake. The room was large, clean with two double beds and the standard two geckos which seem to come with every room, and cost only $53 including breakfast. We checked in, got the bags to the room and immediately headed to the lake as it was 100 degrees and humid. A quick dip off the end of the wharf then we were ready for the drive to Flores.

We had been told by several people that Guatemala was a much poorer country then Belize, however, we didn’t see that. On the drive to Flores, even in the shanty type towns the school children we passed on the road were all immaculately dressed and groomed, with no old or worn clothing like Belize. A very handsome people all in all. One noticeable difference was the cost of things. Guatemala is a fraction of the price, and seems to be the place to shop between the three countries so far.

OK. Thats it for now, more tonight. I am sitting eating dry toast for breakfast back in Belize recovering from a duel with Montezuma last night. Hit hard as I was writing this and could not finish. On the plus side, pretty sure I achieved my weight loss goals for the entire trip in a single sleepless night.

We got to our hotel in Tikal, quickly checked in and went for a dip in the lake, as it was stifling hot, then headed out to Flores. About half an hour we came into the City and were surprised that it looked like any other North American city: shopping mall development, Pizza Hut, Texaco, etc. The village of Flores was on an island accessible on a one lane bridge. It reminded me of a European city, cobble stone streets, concrete buildings, bright and colorful walls.

We stopped st a few small shops selling a variety of items run by a couple of Mayan women, one of whom had to be the tinyest person I had seen. Maybe 4' 6" and 70 lbs. She talked constantly in flawless, continuous and monotonistic voice " Pretty blouse for the lady...presents for your family...what is your name...I do a good deal just for you...you very handsome man (just kidding with that last one)." We ended up buying some trinkets for Mary Lou's staff, and a couple of pairs of beach pants for me (dirt cheap). After a meal on the waterfront we headed back to Tikal, and another swim.

When we got back to the hotel, Mary was approached by two young locals selling more trinkets. I watched with great amusement as she brow beat them down to about half what they originally wanted.


After another swim we had an average supper of rice, chicken and carrots then headed back to the room for what turned out to be a heated battle with Montezuma.

I was down for the count 15 minutes after this picture.

Awesome Day - Part Deux

A man could get used to this. Stretched out on a hammock on the porch of a cabana at 5:30 in the morning, laptop in lap, listening to the gecko chirp (yes, they chirp), a multitude of birds singing (some beautifully and some a little off key), nuts falling onto the tin roof next door, the air already warm; like I said, a man could get used to this.

Yesterday (cause I am writing this first thing in the morning) was another great day. Back to back awesomes. We started out having breakfast with our new friends Robin and Amy, and two women, one from Arkansas and the other North Carolina. Great omlette, coffee and conversation then off to our next big adventure. Saying good bye, and with no time to spare the car raced to meet the tour group. Fifty five miles to cover in fifty minutes (remember the speed bumps).

We drove west along the Western Highway for about an hour to the meeting point, parked our rental, and headed down what is best described as a cattle path (and not a well kept one at that) for about 15 minutes. The van passed a mahogany tree farm which looked like one of Irvings tree farms back home. There was a base camp where we were outfitted with a helment, box lunch and a few basic instructions. We then headed out on a 40 minute hike through the jungle that included three stream crossings. On the way there were ants, ants, ants. You know, the kind we seen on the nature shows where they walk in 1" wide colums, carrying the fruits of their labour one way, and returning another. Just like in the shows you could see the workers carrying the leaves and the sentries both providing protection and keeping things moving.

OK. Sideabar. Speaking of critters. When we checked in last night, for the third straight night Mary Lou screamed Oh..Oh..Oh..Mitch..Mitch...come here...quick. Must be time to kill some critter (so you know, I don't really like killing anything). There on the toilet paper was a large green striped tree frog. and there was no way I was killing that. In trying to herd it out the thing jumped over my head onto the wall. It took another few minutes of corralling, but it finally hopped out the door. I brought that up here as the ant discussion reminded me of all the different things that are found in rooms in Belize. For us it has been spiders, both large and small, geckos, june bugs, centipedes, and now a frog. One of the other people on the tour, a pharmaceutical researcher from Worchester Mass., found a scorpion in a dresser. So far, no snakes.

After our treck through the jungle, we arrived at the mouth of the cave. As we would be in there for over three hours our guide suggested to eat part of the lunch, and head to the woods for a system purge. Everwhere you could see was a washroom. Once business was taken care of we donned our helmets, put the cameras in the wet bag, and jumped into the stream at the entrance to the cave. The water was cool, but not cold.

Inside the cave was like nothing you could have expected. Unbelievable. As gifted as man (and I mean that in the species sense) is, as wonderful the works of art we create, as amazing the things we build, we don't come close to mother nature. The many varied formations of the stalagtites and stalagmites, the colors of the rocks, the natural bridges and walkways, expansive ceilings that seem a mile high: well you just forget where you are. At times there were ceilings so high it felt like being outside looking up at the sky, and other times there were crevices so small one wonders how anyone could fit through (moi in particular came to mind).

Now, I have to say it was extremely surprising how nimble, yes nimble, I was in the cave. My concern over size being a problem was unfounded, and was actually an advantage. Where some of the smaller people had to lower themselves carefully in many areas, my longer legs allowed me to reach the footholds. When many were clinging to the rocks, I simply swam around not being afraid of the water, and (yes, I am bragging here) my upperbody strength allowed me to maneuver through tight spaces and up and down drops without having to use my legs. Very manly.

Anyway, we moved in for about an hour and a half, in water all the way ranging from ankle deep to over our head, over a distance the guide says was just under a mile. The caves went on for a total of approximately 3 miles, and it takes a full day by cave explorers to traverse the length. At the end of our trek in, we started climbing. It is surprising that with all the moisture and polished rock, it was not slippery. When we reached the pinnacle, we were in the middle of a living museum (that is, if fourteen people who have been dead for over a thousand years count as living). While the caves had been mapped, a decision had been made to leave everything undisturbed. So the ceramic pots were perfectly preserved over a thousand years . There were also five skeletal remains for viewing, all well preserved, including one of a young women " The Crystal Maiden", whose position looked to me like she had been sexually assulted and left to die. There was a hole in the skull that clearly made by a sharp object.

Our guide provided an explaination of the brutality of the era, and the belief that those sacrificed were given a special place in the afterlife, but how could it be anything but terrifying to know you would die, and painfully at that. I would have taken a few with me on the way, that is for sure.




Oh right. Forgot about the coincidence. The guide told us about an archaeological professor from Trent University who had spent seven years mapping the cave system. He held the prof in high esteem, as apparently did the Belizian government. I'm guessing about 15 minutes after the discussion, on our hike in, who was making his way out, but the good professor, giving his own tour to two other colleagues, one from Australia, the other from France. The doc was a good looking guy in his fifties, a little Indiana Jonesish. Couldn't help thinking that if "chicks dig archaeologists", he does alright for himself.

A moment of self discovery. We forgot to pack deoderant for the trip. Since we are spending much of the time in water somewhere, didn't figure it mattered. Well, I figured wrong. You remember those commercials of the women in the subway, checking their armpits to see if they smelled. Well, when you are lowering yourself down a crevice, and your pits are at nose level, that is the point you realize deoderant does matter. Last nights activities included purchase of some Right Guard.

The trek out was about half the time of that in, and the dreaded climb down was no problem at all. I was a bit, not a lot, but a bit proud of myself for the two days in the caves. My two phobias(heights and claustrophia) were not a problem, and when they did show themselves, I stared them down, and laughed in their faces. I actually have a third phobia, fear of running out of beer, but not sure what the official name is.

The rain came as we got back to our car, which suited us fine, quite refreshing in fact after the return jungle walk. There is a big difference in the scenery in this area of the country, as the rains bring the green with it. Our drive to St Ignacio was enjoyable and the hotel that Robin booked for us, the Midas Lodge, was neat. Great setting, and we had our own Cabana, probably our favourite room of the trip so far.

For supper we drove into town (3 minutes) and ate at an open air cafe called Hannah's. The food was fantastic, and when Mary Lou got her two plates (finally the ellusive rice and beans) there was enough to feed a trucker. She had no trouble finishing. Mine was the largest beef burrito I have seen, which I gobbled up as well. Great food, great and quick service. All of the customers were Expats, mostly Americans from listening to the conversations (did I say snooping). The local beer Bellekin, was not bad, not the greatest, but they do have great billboard advertisements.

After dinner, back to the cabana, fired up the netbook, and immediately fell asleep with it on my chest. It was 7:30. Dreamed sweet dreams.

We just finished our breakfast, outdoors again. Today is the trip to Gutemala. We are supposed to go to the Mayan ruins of Tikal, but think I'd rather just go and get down with the locals in Flores. Haven't shaved in a week and am starting to look like Jeramiah Johnson.

Thats it.

An Awesome Day - Just Awesome

Today was the mother of all vacation days. It started out totaly unexpected, and finished as planned. What a day. Informative, fun, active and very interesting. We got up for our breakfast, expecting to dine alone, but were joined by a British expat couple, Robin and Amy, who not only told us the story of the Lodge we are staying in, but had an interesting one of their own.

Jason and Catherine, the owners of the eco lodge, are from Taiwan originally. They came here on vacation 14 or so years ago, and Jason decided they would stay. Apparently Catherine was not too impressed at the time, but ebentually came around and now loves her adopted home. They bought 40 odd acres of land 30 minutes from Belize City, built an eco friendly home for themselves, and started building homes from imported kits, selling them mostly to Taiwanese expats. To help make the transition easier for these families, they built a school for the children, and other Taiwanese expats in the area. Now that China is on somewhat more favorable terms with Taiwan, and there is a strong business relationship between the two countries, many of the Tiwanes expats moved back. So two years ago as the need for the school dwindled, they converted it into a lodge, with an eco theme to suit the land.

Also two years back, Robin and Amy, looking to retire somewhere in the Caribbean from London, came over on a 28 day Belize familiarization stay at the lodge shortly after it opened. While here, they developed a close relationship with Jason and Katherine. There was a need for someone to help the Lodge develop, particularly someone with good english skills and computer savy ( websites, ebilling, etc). They worked a deal to stay rent free at the lodge, in return they provided the much needed support. After a year, Robin and Amy had decided to stay in Belize, and purchased one of the homes in the development.

It was such an interesting breakfast, we decided to go for a tour of their home. What a great place to live. It is a two storey, three bedroom home, with a large sundeck (and there is lots of sun) and a small tower on top for Robin's new high powered telescope. He says the stars light up the sky because there is so little light polution.

They also have a fantastic movie collection, and a library that makes mine look like a side table. We have very similar tastes in literature (and movies for that matter Sopranos, Lost,etc). I told Robin he was a man after my own heart. Living in the tropics, retired with lots to do, great books, great entertainment system, and he even has two guitars with an amp. They both sing in a choir that travels around Belize, and love their new life in the colonies. They have as well adopted two stray dogs. Now any one that would do that, two thumbs up from me.

Finally, Robin was full of ideas for the rest of the stay in Belize. In fact, he booked our hotels in three different cities (including one in Guatemala), contacted the tour operator for our cave walk tomorrow, compiled directions, AND, typed it all out in an itinerary. All this for someone you met an hour before. Top shelf people. We will see them again for breakfast tomorrow.

After all this, we headed 20 minutes down the Western Highway to something called Jajuar Run. Two big activities. The first being zip lining.

Had to work to get Louie convinced to try it, but she was a trooper. The cost of $ 45 US per person is a little steep but worth every penny. Four of us climbed the stairs, Mary Lou and I, and a guide for the front and rear. High quality equipment, strict safety procedures and knowledgeable guides. I did not have even one doubt over the entire run, and I am not partial to heights (too manly to say afraid of heights). The course is circutious, consisting of eight runs, varying in length from 100-250 feet, with the highest I'm guessing 100 feet. The longer runs really built up speed. The brake is your hand via a glove that has a saddle in the palm. I took my camera into the trees, and told the guides, if they could only save one thing, save the camera. If you ever get a chance, do it.

Next up was cave tubing. This was also a hoot. The first part consisted of a half hour walk through the jungle "broad leaf forest" as our guide called it. This was an interesting and informative walk. The reason this was not officially a rain forest is that it was previously cut, and had not had enough time to regrow to full height. When was it cut last, and by whom... the Maya almost four hundred years ago. Yep. It takes almost a thousand years for a rain forest to reach maturity.

At the end of the walk we hopped into a "refreshing" (code name for cold) stream that entered directly into a cave system. We floated on the tubes, with our miners headlights attached, for about an hour and a half.

The picture to the right was shot about three hundred feet into the cave back towards the opening. It does not do justice to the awe inspiring view as the colours could not be captured from that far away, but you look through a dark cave into a brilliant green foilage in full sunlight.

This particular section of cave was used by the Mayan's for religious ceremonies, and possibly sacrifices. There are hundreds of stalagtites and stalagmites that took the shape of everything from a jaguars head, to the smoke monster in Lost. Whatever is in your imagination can be seen in the caves. It is not hard to understand how some of the older civilizations could see gods, and omens and even stages of afterlife in these caves. Heck, some of our current beliefs don't sound a whole lot different when you think about it.

The stream had a steady current through the full length, but did get a little shallow for those of us with tubes that might not be big enough for their frame. I had to get up and walk a few times. You could also see many bats and their nests for the full length of the caves. There was one section part way through where the cave had colapsed hundreds of years ago, and the outside world made it into the underground. This particular spot was used in one scene from Mosquito Coast, starring Harrison Ford.

At the cave exit, we continued floating for another 20 minutes in the bright sunlight ending back at our starting point. Another circuitous route, another thoroughly enjoyable activity.

One thing that has struck me, is the lack of mosquitos in the jungle. I had always thought you couldn't hide from the little buggers, but they were next to non existance. Our guide says that during the rainy season there are a few, but because the area is well drained, with no swamps or stagnent water, there really are't a problem. He said in Beize City where there are many swamps, they can get bad. He was surprised when I told him that it was next to impossible to sit outside on your deck some nights back where I came from because of the number of biting insects.

We had to laugh at their perception of Canada. They all thought that it was sub zero year round, and constant three foot snow falls. I assured them that while it felt like that at times, we have a varied climate and in fact it reached the 90's in summer. They were duly impressed.

Any way. As I said, great day. We took a quick trip into Belize City to get some money. I was not impressed. Don't think we will take any time to explore that.

We did finish off the night watching this weeks episode of Lost. Only four more episodes left of the best series in TV history.

Tomorrow is another big day. We are doing something called ATK, the meaning which we will learn tomorrow, which consists of walking for 3.5 hours through another cave system in water that ranges fron ankle to chest deep. This one is special because there are hundreds of pieces of intact ancient pottery, and even a dozen or so crystalized bodies. They believe the bodies were from sacrifices to the sun goddess during an extended period of drought.

Time for bed. Going to be a long day. Don't know if I'll get a blog in tomorrow or not. Stay tuned.