We once again awoke to the sound of rain, but by the time we showered and were ready for breakfast, the rain had stopped and we dined on the patio before meeting up with our driver Golden, and heading out for a 2.5 hour drive to visit the Mayan Ruins.
The drive was simply amazing. We passed village after village of run down shacks beside colourful and spacious homes and inns. Children were on their way to school, older brothers giving their younger siblings a ride on the handle bars of their bikes. The road was dotted with fresh fruit stands, dogs, horses and cattle. The Maya Mountains were lush and green and as we drove higher and higher into them, the clouds were at eye level. It was hands down the most beautiful natural environment I’ve ever been in.
We passed through a town that I wish I could recall the name of. It looked like such a bustling place. Mike and I secretly wished for the van to break down so we could spend a few hours exploring this river-side community, but we just continued on driving by. We’ll have to look into renting a vehicle and getting back there!
Although we were driving on Belize’s main highway, it was still a narrow paved road. Vehicles passing in the opposite direction looked as though they were close enough to scrape us and I found myself clutching the seats more than a few times. The road was bumpy and sitting in the back of the van watching everything pass gave me a touch of motion sickness so I was happy when the ride came to an end.
We arrived at Xunantunich (pronounced Shu-nan-tu-nich) park entrance and met our guide, Junior. As we waited for the water taxi that would take us across the river to the grounds, an enormous iguana posed for pictures. He was so big I couldn’t believe it! We were all too scared to get close to him but would have loved to get a picture with him so people could see the scale of him. He was likely 5 feet long!
The hand-operated water taxi took us and the van across the river and as we got back in the van we had to take it really slow so that we wouldn’t run over the 5 or 6 iguanas that were leisurely crossing the road.
It turned out to be a beautiful day. We applied sunscreen and bug spray and started our walk to the ruins. Coming around the corner, the initial viewing of the site took my breath away. It was colossal. These buildings were created about 1000 BC and abandoned around 800 AD. The entire site includes 7 plazas, 2 ball courts, 6 plain Stella and 1 alter as well as temple pyramids. Luckily, we were the first group to arrive and we had it all to ourselves without our pictures needing to be marred with other tourists.
We climbed to the top of the main pyramid, El Castillo. We oooed and ahhhed over the arches and frieze carvings. Each stage of the climb offered outstanding views but as we reached the top and stared out over Guatemala and Belize, able to see for miles upon miles, it was a humbling experience and I could have stayed all day.
We toured the remaining grounds and structures as Junior pointed out vegetation and stated interesting facts. Mike and I were both captivated by a barkless tree with another plant growing off it. Junior pulled a leaf off the tree, bruised it and held it to our noses. The tree was allspice and though the berries are not in season, the leaves smelled amazing and made Mike and I hungry! The plant growing off the tree was a species of agave. Every plant seems to have a symbiotic relationship with another here, it’s really interesting to see.
We sat at a picnic area for some lunch. Belizean chicken with rice and beans and a potato salad and lots of hot sauce! I love this country! Then it was back in the van for a short drive to the next site.
The next site Cahal Pech (Land of Ticks) was smaller than the first site. There was actually some excavation going on which was cool to see. This site didn’t have the magnificent views of El Castillo, but it covered a large area and was made up of many different paths, mazes and buildings that we explored at will.
We learned that the national bird of Belize is the toucan, though we haven’t seen on yet. The national flower is the black orchid and the national tree is the Mahogany tree.
Exhausted and over-heated we piled back into the van for the 3 hour drive back to the resort. As we passed the countryside for the second time I kept imagining what it would be like to live here. How different it is from our lives in Canada. I pictured going out onto my land and picking avocados and figs for dinner. Drinking from a fresh coconut as I ride my horse to town. The day dream turned into a sleeping dream as I nodded off. Before we knew it we were back at the resort sipping the happy hour drink. A slushy coconut, pineapple and rum drink called “Pain Killer” that went down like water.
Have I mentioned how fabulous this place is for food? It is a foodie’s paradise. Every night the bread they serve is different. We’ve had cheese and bacon bread (called the manitee bread), spinach bread and tomato bread. Tonight’s bread was garlic bread and it was warm and delicious.
Mike started off with a Caesar salad with pita croutons. The dressing was honestly the best cesar dressing I have ever had, heavy on the salty sardines and rich in flavour. My appetizer was a carrot, ginger and coconut soup. I’ve done carrot ginger soups myself, but the addition of coconut put this version over the top! They make incredible soups here, you never have to flavor the food, it’s just right.
Mike’s main was a creole shrimp, a tomato, onion and pepper blend served with rice and cauliflower. My main was a basil, parmesan fettuccini with shrimp and it was unbelievable. I was served so many shrimp that I couldn’t finish them all. It is so hard to put them to waste for me. The shrimp here is so fresh that it posseses a layer of flavor that I am not used to, elevated shrimpy goodness.
There was drumming tonight at Hamanasi. There were some local kids playing several kinds of drums and shakers. One guy even played a set of three turtle shells. With a couple young dancers in front it was a nice little act. I was in bed pretty early, feeling not quite right. Dehydration? Heat stroke? Just plain old fatigue? I dunno but I enjoyed my 10 hours of sleep that’s for sure.
The drive was simply amazing. We passed village after village of run down shacks beside colourful and spacious homes and inns. Children were on their way to school, older brothers giving their younger siblings a ride on the handle bars of their bikes. The road was dotted with fresh fruit stands, dogs, horses and cattle. The Maya Mountains were lush and green and as we drove higher and higher into them, the clouds were at eye level. It was hands down the most beautiful natural environment I’ve ever been in.
We passed through a town that I wish I could recall the name of. It looked like such a bustling place. Mike and I secretly wished for the van to break down so we could spend a few hours exploring this river-side community, but we just continued on driving by. We’ll have to look into renting a vehicle and getting back there!
Although we were driving on Belize’s main highway, it was still a narrow paved road. Vehicles passing in the opposite direction looked as though they were close enough to scrape us and I found myself clutching the seats more than a few times. The road was bumpy and sitting in the back of the van watching everything pass gave me a touch of motion sickness so I was happy when the ride came to an end.
We arrived at Xunantunich (pronounced Shu-nan-tu-nich) park entrance and met our guide, Junior. As we waited for the water taxi that would take us across the river to the grounds, an enormous iguana posed for pictures. He was so big I couldn’t believe it! We were all too scared to get close to him but would have loved to get a picture with him so people could see the scale of him. He was likely 5 feet long!
The hand-operated water taxi took us and the van across the river and as we got back in the van we had to take it really slow so that we wouldn’t run over the 5 or 6 iguanas that were leisurely crossing the road.
It turned out to be a beautiful day. We applied sunscreen and bug spray and started our walk to the ruins. Coming around the corner, the initial viewing of the site took my breath away. It was colossal. These buildings were created about 1000 BC and abandoned around 800 AD. The entire site includes 7 plazas, 2 ball courts, 6 plain Stella and 1 alter as well as temple pyramids. Luckily, we were the first group to arrive and we had it all to ourselves without our pictures needing to be marred with other tourists.We climbed to the top of the main pyramid, El Castillo. We oooed and ahhhed over the arches and frieze carvings. Each stage of the climb offered outstanding views but as we reached the top and stared out over Guatemala and Belize, able to see for miles upon miles, it was a humbling experience and I could have stayed all day.
We toured the remaining grounds and structures as Junior pointed out vegetation and stated interesting facts. Mike and I were both captivated by a barkless tree with another plant growing off it. Junior pulled a leaf off the tree, bruised it and held it to our noses. The tree was allspice and though the berries are not in season, the leaves smelled amazing and made Mike and I hungry! The plant growing off the tree was a species of agave. Every plant seems to have a symbiotic relationship with another here, it’s really interesting to see.
We sat at a picnic area for some lunch. Belizean chicken with rice and beans and a potato salad and lots of hot sauce! I love this country! Then it was back in the van for a short drive to the next site.
The next site Cahal Pech (Land of Ticks) was smaller than the first site. There was actually some excavation going on which was cool to see. This site didn’t have the magnificent views of El Castillo, but it covered a large area and was made up of many different paths, mazes and buildings that we explored at will.
We learned that the national bird of Belize is the toucan, though we haven’t seen on yet. The national flower is the black orchid and the national tree is the Mahogany tree.
Exhausted and over-heated we piled back into the van for the 3 hour drive back to the resort. As we passed the countryside for the second time I kept imagining what it would be like to live here. How different it is from our lives in Canada. I pictured going out onto my land and picking avocados and figs for dinner. Drinking from a fresh coconut as I ride my horse to town. The day dream turned into a sleeping dream as I nodded off. Before we knew it we were back at the resort sipping the happy hour drink. A slushy coconut, pineapple and rum drink called “Pain Killer” that went down like water.
Have I mentioned how fabulous this place is for food? It is a foodie’s paradise. Every night the bread they serve is different. We’ve had cheese and bacon bread (called the manitee bread), spinach bread and tomato bread. Tonight’s bread was garlic bread and it was warm and delicious.
Mike started off with a Caesar salad with pita croutons. The dressing was honestly the best cesar dressing I have ever had, heavy on the salty sardines and rich in flavour. My appetizer was a carrot, ginger and coconut soup. I’ve done carrot ginger soups myself, but the addition of coconut put this version over the top! They make incredible soups here, you never have to flavor the food, it’s just right.
Mike’s main was a creole shrimp, a tomato, onion and pepper blend served with rice and cauliflower. My main was a basil, parmesan fettuccini with shrimp and it was unbelievable. I was served so many shrimp that I couldn’t finish them all. It is so hard to put them to waste for me. The shrimp here is so fresh that it posseses a layer of flavor that I am not used to, elevated shrimpy goodness.
There was drumming tonight at Hamanasi. There were some local kids playing several kinds of drums and shakers. One guy even played a set of three turtle shells. With a couple young dancers in front it was a nice little act. I was in bed pretty early, feeling not quite right. Dehydration? Heat stroke? Just plain old fatigue? I dunno but I enjoyed my 10 hours of sleep that’s for sure.
No comments:
Post a Comment