Day Two... Swimming with Alligators

The day started at 6:00 AM, we had to get ready to eat breakfast at 7:00 AM, so we could start the tour at 8:00 AM. For whatever reason, the water wasn't working, so the shower and toilet had problems working for me. For breakfast, I had an omelet and toast and potatoes. Jason had waffles. We noticed that there were a large number of teens at our hotel. I asked a woman who was sitting at a large table with many teens where they were from. It turns out that they were Girl Scouts from Alaska on a trip. As we were leaving, I noticed another member of a different group walking by us, so I asked him where he was from. He was part of a High School Spanish group from Wisconsin. Jason was not interested in talking to either of the groups.

We met our tour guide and he told us to make sure we had water shoes on because we needed to do some hiking on the tour. We were the only ones in the tour group, so we got personalized attention. 

The tour started with us going getting in an SUV and the tour guide saying he needed to pick up his breakfast. We stopped at a restaurant, but his food wasn't ready, so we went to a grocery store to get snacks and drinks. We got some chocolate cookies and some cheese puffs. While waiting for the tour guide to finish doing whatever he was doing, we noticed a woman selling food from a table on the corner, so we went and asked her what she was selling. She said tacos, they were 3 for $1 Belize ($0.50 USD). We bought 3, Jason had 2 and I had 1, they were good with fresh tortilla shells, Jason liked them too.

Finally, the tour guide came back, we went back to the restaurant and he got his breakfast. He told us that it was 10 miles up a very bumpy road and that we would "have a massage from the road".

The road was an unfinished road made if numerous pot Giles and large rocks. It was super bumpy. We went up the mountain that people had been talking about being on fire. The guide mentioned that farmers often wait until the end of the dry season to burn parts of their property so they can clear it. Sometimes farmers loose control of the fire and that was what happened recently, he said the wind picked up and caused the fire to spread. The reason why they do it at the end of the dry season is because it is the start of the rainy season, and the rain put the fires out.

The guide said that he was taking us to his father's farm in the mountain to get to a river. We drove by a bunch of things including "Luca's Farm". He was shocked to learn that Luka's name is Luka because it is considered a boy name in Belize. 

We passed a bunch of abandoned buildings. The guide told us that Chinese engineers lived there while building the dam, the road we were in was a road built for the construction vehicles, which was why the road was so terrible. After the dam was completed, the engineers left. The site was claimed by someone and now belongs to them. Many years ago, you could simply work the land for a few years and then claim the land. That was how his father got his farm, but all the land has been claimed now.

We then passed a random Police Check Point in the middle of nowhere. We were very close to Guatemala, so it probably had something to do with that.

The guide took us to a bathroom in the middle of the jungle. We got out to go and he drove off. When we came out, there were a bunch of chickens all around scratching the ground and eating bugs. Finally, he came back, and we continued on.

We passed a small community started by a Canadian that has several people who just wanted to live in the jungle either full time or as "snow birds". You can buy a small plot and build your house.

After a very long time on the very bumpy road, we made it to the river and the pontoon boat. There were several pontoon boats and we got on the largest one. The boat was covered in small wings. He told us that since it rained a few days ago, termites hatched with wings and flew everywhere then lost their wings. He brushed some away and said they weren't a big deal. We then got on the boat and he took us to a small tributary and secured the boat. The water looked dirty, but he explained that the rain washed through some soil and made it acidic and that was why the water looked like it did. He got an inner tube and i got one as well. He had Jason go in the water first because he was the youngest. I jumped in after Jason and then the guide jumped in. The water was only about waist high. We then hiked through the water to some rocks where the water got fast and we walked on the rocks to get to the bank of the river. We hiked up the river bank over trees and rocks and came to a small pool with a waterfall. We then swam with the 2 inner tube's to the falls and climbed up the rocky cliff to be near the water. We jumped into the pool, hung out next to the falls and got under the falling water. We jumped into the falls and swam around. The inner tubs were to assist in swimming. I used one, Jason, a swim instructor, did not. We finished swimming and went back the way we came a d got back on the boat. 

We then went to another waterfall that the boat pulled up to. Jason and I washed our shoes and took goofy photos while the guide got a grill ready. He pulled the boat away from the waterfall and brought the boat up on a beach and cooked lunch. Lunch was grilled chicken, potatoes and onions and peppers, a sausage and some baked beans and a large flour tortilla.  He got the tortilla from around the corner from where we got tacos from the woman and said that she probably got her tortillas for her tacos from the same place. The food was food.

After lunch, the guide to a short nap in a hammock on the boat a d Jason and I talked. Afterwards the guide woke up and he pointed out there was a rope swing across the river. He and Jason swam to the swing and swung out on the rope and jumped into the water. I stayed on the boat and took some photos until Jason called for me to come out and swing as well. I was pretty full from lunch, so I only swung a couple of times. Jason swung many times and got a little rope burn in his arm and a small wound on his hand from the stick that was on the end of the rope. We swam back to the boat, and then continued on.

The next stop was the dam that the Chinese built. He anchored the boat and took another nap in the hammock and Jason jumped off the second story of the boat several times. It started to rain, so he then took us back to his vehicle. Before docking the boat, he pointed out a crocodile in the water...yes, we were swimming in crocodile infested waters. The guide said it was ok, the crocodiles are only 4.4 feet to 5 feet long and not normally aggressive. The guide said the one he pointed out was a female. Jason asked how he knew, he said it was obvious, the crocodile had long curled eyelashes...lol.

We started back. He needed four wheel drive to get out of the embankment and to go up the bumpy road. We passed a truck that had fallen off the road and we passed a man and woman on a motorcycle that had gotten water in their gas tank on the bumpy road. We could help either. We passed a school bus that was dropping off children. The children were getting home from over an hour long bus ride, it was after 4:00 PM. The guide said that the children were coming home early because they normally come home after 5:00 PM. They were early because High School was already out for summer, so they could get the bus sooner at the school. 

Jason had mentioned that he wanted a Belize flag, but no one had any because they only have them during their Independence Day in September. The guide through he knew where to get one, so we went to a store and they did. I went to pay, but my money was all wet. I put my money in a Ziploc bag, but it apparently leaked. I paid with wet money and we went back to the hotel. 

I mentioned that I wanted to take Jason to get papusas, and he gave me a recommendation for a restaurant near by but over a small river.

We came back to the room, I took a shower to get the river water residue off me and I sent a message to the taxi driver from yesterday. The driver was off and out of town, so I looked the restaurant up and found another one that had good reviews and was closer. It was 2.8 kilometers. I figured Jason and I could walk it if Jason's broken foot was ok. He said it was, so we walked. 

It was starting to get dark and we walked through some interesting areas and it started getting very hot. I was wearing a white tee shirt and was sweating a great deal. We crossed the small river a d eventually got to the restaurant. I ordered 4 papusas, 2 burritos and 2 waters to eat at the restaurant. I also asked that she order a taxi for us. It was very busy and as we sat at a table it progressively got busier and busier and hotter and hotter. Jason was fine, he wasn't sweating at all. He made fun of me for a bit about how much I was sweating. After a while the old woman asked if the food was to go, I said no, we would eat there, but please order us a taxi. After more time the woman again asked if we wanted the food to go, again I said no, we would eat there. The entire time the place was getting packed, standing room only and people waiting outside in the yard. I was very hot, sweating so much I looked like I had a bucket of water dumped on me, and I told the woman that yes, we would take it to go, and to please call a taxi. The food finally came out. It was $26 Belize ($13 USD). A woman who was sitting our table with her husband and small daughter (that I was trading making smiling faces at for some time) said to me, the woman said that the taxi compare not answering the phone, you need to flag a taxi from the side of the road. I asked how to identify a taxi, and the mother said look for a green license plate. The old woman came to the street with us to wait for a few minutes. Finally, she said she will try to call again and left. As soon as she left a green plated car drove by. I called out and it stopped. Jason and I walked up to it but it already had a couple in the back. I told the driver the name of the hotel and he said I can have one of you in the front and one in th3 back with the couple. The couple immediately got out of the car and walked away. Jason and I got in and the driver said they didn't want to share a ride. He took us to the hotel and dropped us off. The ride was $15 Belize ($7.50 USD).

We went to the room, and ate. The papusas were great, but neither Jason nor me like the burritos, so we threw them out.

Both Jason and I called our respective girlfriends, Jason got a shower and we went to bed. Before sleeping, Jason said that today's boat ride was his favorite, even better than Norway!