Just off the coast lies the Belize Barrier Reef, a string of white sand & coral islands in the Caribbean Sea that make up the second largest reef in the world. A 1hr boat ride landed us on the wharf of Caye Caulker a fairly well established looking island, known for it’s laid back atmosphere. We packed all our equipment out there for an afternoon of snorkeling, but sadly the wind was too strong which meant the water was too rough and wouldn’t be any fun. So we took our time strolling around the island, sampled the street bbq’s, hunted for seahorses, swam in the clear waters and kicked back with a cocktail before heading back to the truck, that we had left parked on the side of the road outside the Raddison hotel in Belize city.
Hammock heaven 
bbq chicken liver sampling 
Seahorse habitat 
The 2 nights we spent in Belize city, free camping on the waterfront by the hotel was under the watchful eye of hotel 24hr security. It was a quiet street & we didn’t have any problems. A lovely local lady, Stephanie, who we’d met came and checked on us twice to make sure we were ok and asked if we needed anything. We didn’t find Belize city to be overly interesting or exciting, so we moved on down the coast finding ourselves in Hopkins. A small coastal community with a string of waterfront guest houses for the visiting tourist looking for a quiet getaway. A beautiful spot with coconut palms reaching out over the water, friendly people & reggae music. The Garifuna people here lead a very chilled life. The constant breeze kept the humidity and bugs down, sadly not strong enough for kiting. Charley & Jaxon made friends with a local girl & had fun playing while we did not very much at all.
Bocawina National Park was our next stop, and a chance to explore the jungle, with some great hikes, nature trails, ruins and hopefully catch sight of some wildlife. We hiked up to one of the waterfalls for a swim in the pool that had sweeping views all the way out to the coast. The one hour uphill climb in the hot humid jungle wasn’t so bad as there was so much to look at. The kids were fascinated with the armies of Leaf Cutter Ants marching back and forth with heavy loads. We heard a few birds, but I guess they felt the threat of rain and split. Taking in the view & swimming in the pool we were out and dressed just as it started to rain, by the time we descended it was torrential. Completely soaked, Tim gave the kids banana leaf umbrellas which helped take their mind off the river forming under their feet. That night the rains stopped and the wind picked up, like a big dryer, blowing all night, the trails the next morning were remarkably dry. Out early for a nature walk along the bird trail we spent time checking out the different plants and trees and how they grow. Still not a bird to be seen, they were either blown away or hiding in their nests.
hiking up to the waterfall 
calling ‘cooo-ee’ for fun 
views from the top 
raining on the pool 
leaf umbrellas 
Buttress tree roots 
Leaf Cutter Ants 
Twisty vines 
Fungi 
Thorn tree 
Fallen leaf
Making our way from the parklands towards the capital, Belmopan, we skirted around the city towards Spanish Lookout for our last night before crossing over into Guatemala. Spanish Lookout is a modern Mennonite farming community that lives a quiet, humble existence. The surrounding lands are totally cleared of jungle vegetation leaving you question if you were in a different country altogether. The next morning we headed for the border.
The Corona Virus is consuming the news, numbers are mounting in Italy, fingers crossed it doesn’t come to Central America….
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