So, I better get this post for Belize out of the way or it will overwhelm me and I will never do it.
In summary I’m really glad I went and it was an excellent holiday. However, it was super exhausting because I couldn’t get a good nights sleep for most of the week which lead me to feel very emotional and I really missed my family and friends a lot. Luckily I got to spend quality time with Bride1, even though I was also trying to give the happy couple some space.
What I liked best about Belize was that it reminded me of Thailand, the weather was so warm, but I felt it wasn’t as scenic. The food there was excellent, everyplace we went was delicious and had great service.
Now, no one goes to Belize city, we bypassed the place and had rented a car and drove to Placencia Village. I didn’t do any of the driving, but the roads were similar to NZ, more windy and thin than the guys were used to. Lots and lots of speed bumps. There are only 4 highways in Belize.
Our hotel was very relaxing, although not very private because you could hear the restaurant right outside the room and anyone walking past the cabana. It was aimed towards couples, so this meant it had an excellent pool (ie not a kiddies pool, but one that was deep enough to do flips and handstands). Because it was off season we had the place to ourselves often too.
We alternated having cocktails (rum based was cheapest!) and relaxing at the hotel swimming and reading (Maeve Binchey) with some excursions.
First was to Monkey River where we hoped to see jaguars and crocodiles, but actually saw howler monkeys, tree crabs, lizards, birds and large spiders. Luckily we didn’t see wild pigs either. Unluckily, the mosquitos had a field day. We also saw Manatees and bottle nose dolphins, but only fins, noses and tails because the water was very murky. They were too quick for me to get any photos.
Next excursion was snorkeling. I was disappointed because our hotel has lots of sea grass, so you couldn’t really go comfortably snorkeling there. But the excursion was very cool we travelled out to an island reserve and saw lots of fish. Also a barracuda and stingray. It was a bit choppy in the water, so not that comfy, but still quite relaxing. I was proud of myself for putting on enough sunscreen so that I didn’t get burnt the whole trip! Unlike some of my fellow travelers. Meeting other people who stayed at our hotel and nearby hotels was pretty cool. Seems like Belize attracts interesting people in it’s off season.
Our last excursion was driving out to some Maya ruins near the border with Guatamala. It was fascinating learning about the ruins and fun to climb up over them. But it was soooo hot that day, and when I climbed to the top I started feeling a bit nauseous. I’m not the best with heights and it was the middle of the day. Not a great combo.
We hired a guide when we got there and they had to hand crank the car over a bridge to get to the ruins. I think it was a 3 hr drive each way from the hotel too. I also saw some giant iguanas near the ruins. Pretty cool I think. Some people eat them and call it Bamboo Chicken.
Bride1, Groom1 and J also tried this rodent that Belizians once served to queen Elizabeth. It looked tough to chew. I wasn’t that hungry š Maybe I should have been more adventurous, but I’ve had chicken feet and frog before, so I didn’t feel a need to prove anything.
One night at the hotel me and J saw the local manatee eating some sea grass, and another time me and Bride1 are pretty sure we saw a stingray swimming away.
