What Happened to the Blog?

We have been so busy having fun that we have not even taken any pictures but a friend lent me her video back pack a few days ago and despite gusty winds and a pitiful kiting effort on my part, we managed to put together a video taken from the riders perspective. I combined it with some video Jude took on our little digital camera so you can see what is actually happening from the beach perspective. Unfortunately, we still have no video of Jude this season.

Before you watch the video, some folks have been giving us the gears about keeping up the blog so I decided to update it.

In November we got back into kiteboarding. Jude made huge progress in her first four sessions out. December, the kiteboarding was great. January the wind was iffy but we had great weather for kiteboarding. February winds have been extremely gusty but the kiteboarding has been fun.

Well that's about it excluding some fun with friends, fishing stories, Jude beating up the poor stingray, and drunken margarita trips to Mexican border towns--now you know why we have neglected the blog.

You can watch the video by clicking HERE but be sure to click on the "watch in HD" in the bottom right of the video when the window opens or you will not get the best resolution.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Where There Ain't No Rules

One of the things that we loved about Belize was the lack of rules, or if there were rules they could be easily changed to fit the occasion. We experienced this first hand when we went to the zoo.

Ron and I have never been thrilled with zoo's; we have always found large animals in small overcrowded cages a little depressing. Since our arrival in Belize everyone we met told us we shouldn't miss a trip to the zoo. We were told that the visitors were the ones that felt as if they were in cages. That along with the possibility of going on a night visit when they fed the big cats changed our minds.

We arrived at the ticket office and were a little worried when we saw no mention of camping . At the office they said, yes we could camp, no problem, just go across the road where the research station is located. Here we met John, the manager of the research area who was all smiles and told us to pick a spot anywhere. Can we camp under the palapa where the picnic tables are? Sure, let me help you move the tables. He later told us he was sponsored to bike race professionally. On our way to the Zoo we had pulled over to let a race go by and he told us this was an international competition he had skipped to give his body a rest from the grueling training he had to maintain. He told us that there was a group going into the zoo at 8:30 that night and we could tag along with them.

Great!! Dinner and happy hour over, bug uniforms on in case of mosquitos , camera in hand we were ready. Along comes John to tell us that the group had changed their minds but the guide was waiting to give us the tour. Just us and our guide Hilario. I felt a little like Donald Trump asking for the zoo to be closed down so I could have the place to myself. Ah yes the life of the rich and famous. Hilario had a bucket of chicken feet and a pail of fruit and veggies and explained that all of the animals in the zoo had either been injured, had been pets and then became unmanageable, or were confiscated from poachers. They did not buy animals or take them from the wild to increase the numbers and only animals native to Belize were kept in the zoo. The zoo exists totally on grants and donations.

As our eyes became accustomed to the darkness, we heard all sorts of scurrying about , growls, roars and high pitched squeals from the dark zoo. The cages were large, actually they were big sections of jungle with fences around them, palms towering above and creeks and pools running through them. As Hilario called their names, animals would suddenly appear at the fence out of to see what he had for them. Tapir's (cross between elephant and rino) munched carrots, Kinkajou's (think teddy bear and monkey) gobbled bananas, and the neotropical otters slid in and out of the water.

As we approached the Jaguar's cage Hilario told me I should feed him so Ron could get a nice picture. Two jaguar's waited , one as black as night sitting demurely with paws crossed and the other with beautiful spots pacing up and down and growling. ME FEED HIM?? Yikes, isn't there some sort of rule about tourists feeding the animals? What about all those signs you see in other zoo's warning you not to get to close, keep your fingers out of the cages, stand back ,stand back and DEFINITELY NO FEEDING THE ANIMALS. No rules here, so holding a chicken foot up to the fence (which reminded me of a chicken foot I found in my tamale once, but that's another story!!) I fed the big black cat who daintily but powerfully plucked it out of my hand, and with a crunch of those powerful jaws decimated the foot in seconds. Yep, still got all my fingers after I quickly count them in the dark!

Next we saw Carmel colored Puma with sleepy green eyes, and sleek slinky Ocelots weaving in and out of the jungle. The Margays we were told, climbed down trees head first, and as we watched the four of them climb and tumble on top of each other we were reminded of curious kittens (the size of small dogs) with beautiful black and tawny brown markings. When Hilario asked Ron if he was getting good pictures, Ron said the mesh was in the way but they might turn out. Follow me he said, and before we knew it we were INSIDE the cage. Oh boy, here we go again with the no rule thing...I am sure this is an absolute NO NO but what the hell, when in Rome. As Ron knelt down to photograph one of these beautiful cat's inches from his camera, Hilario used a short stick to keep the other 3 from a sneak attack at the rear. I was standing there thinking, hmmm I just fed a jaguar with a chicken foot, so I might have what you would call "chicken fingers"....literally !!!!!! Personally I would have chosen a bigger and thicker stick but I was too busy keeping my hands out of sight in case any of those cute buggers got any ideas. Actually, they just seemed curious but we also got a close look at their claws and teeth and kept that in mind as we backed out of the cage.

All too soon our tour was over, and with a grateful thank-you and final glance behind us we headed back to our campsite. We were afraid the gates might be closed as it was close to 11:00 pm but then realized there were no rules about closing time either.

Guatemala -- Unfinished Business

Invariably we have found that countries we enjoyed so much in the past no longer resembles our memories when we revisit decades later. Recently, we have tried to avoid returning to places from our past for that reason but when we were in Guatemala almost 30 years ago, we were unable to get to the ruins in Tikal because the road was terrible and the only reasonable way to get there was by plane. At the time we could not afford the trip so last week, we found ourselves crossing the boarder into Guatemala for a 3 day excursion to Tikal and Flores just over 100 km from the Belize boarder.

It is difficult to judge the changes in a country in such a short trip but the country has definitely changed immensely or at least the way of life has changed. When we were last time, with the exception of the large cities, the only form of transportation was by bus or on foot and most could not afford the bus. Junk food did not exist and the indigenous people wore traditional clothing; each area with their own intricate and brightly coloured embroidery. Now, cars are everywhere and the children are beginning to show the results of consuming the contents of the junk food containers that line the roadsides. We heard from travelers that had seen more of Guatemala than us that their was still some sign of traditional dress in other remote parts of Guatemala but not common. They also reported that Guatemala City has a huge drug and gang problem with an average of 14 murders per day since January. So it is true, you can never go back. Nonetheless, the people are still friendly and Tikal was a treat!

When we arrived in Tikal, we camped in front of the Jaguar Inn, one of three accommodations at the Tikal site. You can see from the picture that it was a great spot and right at the gate to Tikal. They allowed us to plug in our cooler in the restaurant and use a small covered area to cook and relax in the evening--very accommodating.

As soon as we arrived, we met a traveler whose parents live in Vernon. He was a recently divorced computer tech searching for the meaning of life. While we were talking with him about his morning in the ruins, another guy he was traveling with came along and said that they needed to catch the bus in 10 minutes or they would have to wait another day. Oddly enough the second traveler was one of the 8 people we had met on the ATM tour we had been on several days earlier. Small world! Anyway, they had no further need for their entrance tickets to Tikal so we bought them from them at 1/2 price.

Tikal was beautiful. We were prepared for the ruins from photos we had seen but the surrounding park was more beautiful than expected with spider monkeys, howler monkeys, parrots, toucans and hundreds of other birds. Because we entered the park in the afternoon, most of the large tour buses had left. We stayed in the park till dusk and on our way out saw a large snake cross our path. Fortunately, it was too dark to determine if it was one of the country's 9 poisonous varieties.
The next day we once again had breakfast with the frootloop birds and we met a couple from Hungary that had driven their landrover from Hungary to Singapore, around Australia, and then from Los Angeles to Tikal with plans to continue to the southern parts of South America. This is the third couple we have met that have shipped their vehicle from Europe. They made us feel like travel wimps and reminded me of a couple of lines in the Jimmy Buffet novel I am reading:
"...but I would point out that adventures don't come calling like unexpected cousins visiting from out of town. You have to go looking for them...."
but they got us thinking about possible future travel options for us.















The second day, we drove to Flores, a small city that completely covers an island of less than one square mile on a huge lake. As we approached the bridge to the island, we were stopped and searched by military with machine guns. We thought they were after money--our large one ton truck makes us a visible target-- but no, we found later that they were security for the island to ensure that the tourists were safe and if anything happened, they could stop exit from the island. Somewhat reassuring to know that Guatemala at least recognizes the value of tourism and the negative impact of poor press.


The following day, we headed back to Belize. Based on information we got from a couple of backpackers we met along the way, we made a detour to Yaxja, a more remote and less visited ruins. We took the turn off the main highway onto a narrow dusty dirt road and proceeded to drive off into the jungle. As the road became rougher and narrower we thought of all the stories we had heard of tourists getting into trouble because they did not stay on the well traveled roads. 11 km later we arrived safely in the park and found a party of about 20 tourism folks on a familiarization tour as they finished up their bag lunches in the parking lot. After they left, we sat in the empty parking lot and had our own lunch then headed into the deserted park. We saw 4 other Spanish speaking tourists during the next two hours that we strolled through the ruins. The highlight was when we heard two troops of howler monkeys doing their roaring thing. As Jude said, it sounds like a cross between lions, dinosaurs (think Jurassic Park) and aliens. As we drove out of the park, we passed right under the trees where they were hollering at each other so got a great look at them.
Later that day we passed back into Belize after the necessary sprays, fees, stamps and confusion that seems to come with each border crossing.

INDIANA JONES.....mohrorless

We are not the organized tour type, but we finally broke down after hearing so much about the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave tour or "ATM" for short. We were picked up by an old school bus and with 10 other tourists we bounced down a rough dirt road that I am sure was the same one that Indiana Jones traveled to get to his cave. The dust billowed up through holes in the floor of the bus as we bounced along for another hour.

At the end of the road, we were split into two groups-- we joined a couple of young Canadians that gave the term crazy Canuck new meaning. You know you have arrived in the the jungle when that ordinary house plant you recognize has a single leaf that could cover your body from head to toe. We started off crossing the first creek, got the shoes wet right off, crossed again-- this time water just below the knees and then the last crossing and finally arrived at the mouth of the cave 45 minutes later.

First off, lunch was served which consisted of 2 baloney sandwiches on white bread. While munching away I was trying to remember how old I was when I had my last baloney sandwhich. I didn't realize they still made the stuff! To finish off this taste delight we had cookies that I am sure were manufactured in the same era as my last baloney sandwich. Amazing how even a baloney sandwhich can taste good under the right conditions.

Helmets buckled on, head lamps switched to bright and in we plunged! Swimming into a black cave through crystal clear water with only the light of headlamps was probably one of our most memorable experiences. For the next couple of hours?? who knows, we lost track of time in the cave, we were in total darkness except for our headlamps. Within minutes we are up and out of the water and scrambling over huge rocks that at some point in the formation of the cave had fallen from the ceiling (hopefully none would fall today). On either side of us were stalactites almost to the ground and with the minerals within catching our headlamps it seemed as if someone had stuck a thousand diamonds on the walls. Stalagmites rose up from the cave floor and resembled huge iridescent candles. Into the water again, for a short swim and out to walk gingerly among Maya pots that dated back to 600 AD. It looked as if they had just left them there last week. I had visions of tripping over one of them and being the tourist that got left behind in the cave. We climbed between rocks and along ledges. Some of the tighter passages required a bit of yoga to get to the other side while other "rooms" could have held a semi truck and 500 people.

Our guide was so knowledgeable and had a real passion for the Mayan history. He informed us that the Mayans believed the caves to be the access to the underworld and they were the most sacred places. The signs of these ceremonies were everywhere and in addition to the many pots, included several skeletons of children, young women, and adults that had been sacrificed. They did not live in the caves and only entered them for ceremonial purposes.


The formations were absolutely breath taking and at times Ron and I along with the 2 guys from Calgary were literally speechless. At one portion of the cave we all turned off our lights and were plunged into total blackness. Eyes, open or closed, made no difference and as our ears took over for our eyes, the sound of the faint drops of water in the background as well as the odd bat flying began to dominate our senses. I felt as if I could have just laid down on the cave floor and stayed forever it was so peaceful. We climbed a 25 foot ladder tied to the wall of the cave (forget workers comp here!!) and arrived at the top chamber where we viewed the perfectly intact remains of a young girl who had been taken there for sacrifice. Every joint and bone were in perfect condition, even though she had been there for over a thousand years. Down we went back to the bottom of the cave and reversed the trek we had made into the cave. We had so much fun with our tour guide and the Calgarians on the way out, I think we were all a little over-cave stimulated. Apparently, we were in almost a kilometre before retracing our stepsto the cave entrance. The feeling of swimming from the black cave through the opening and into the sunlight filtered through the canopy of the jungle was an experience to remember forever.

Soggy, tired but happy we discovered that we had lucked out getting into the right group as we found out later the other tour had one of those constant complainers that can find something wrong with anything. I suggested maybe they should have sacrificed the dumb ass and left him behind in one of the caverns. With one of the baloney sandwiches of course!!! We've come a long ways since the sacrifices in that cave--or have we.

UNBELIZEABLE !!!!!!!!!

When the customs official welcomed us to Belize in ENGLISH, I almost threw myself around his neck. After struggling through Mexico with our limited Spanish we felt as if we had died and gone to heaven. We have been asked along the way, so you like Belize? We love Belize!!!!!. Cheap rum, ready made smiles,cheap rum, wildlife at every turn, oh did I mention the cheap rum? and a country with a ever changing geography and climate within easy reach, what's not to love?


Once across the border we still had that damn rain over our shoulder so after a brief stop in Belize City to say hi to new friends, Paula and Keith that we met in South Padre , we continued on until we reached a jungle lodge called Cave Branch. A fellow Canuck started this lodge 18 years ago and what was once a place to pitch a tent and use the outhouse has now transitioned into a full scale Eco lodge. For the paltry sum of $10.00 a night, we camped along the river and fell asleep to the sound of a thousand birds and god knows what else was out there. In the lobby of the lodge we had our first glimpse of the Fer De Lance, one of the most deady snakes in this region. It is very aggressive, and has been known to mirror your every foot step until it attacks. Thank god it was dead at the time we saw it.

We met people from all over the world that had come to tackle the adventure of their dreams. Climbing waterfalls in caves, tubing down rivers and into caves, swimming into caves, rappeling into caves, etc. We crossed the road and did a jungle hike of about 5 hours in one of Belize's national parks and ended it by plunging into a turquoise blue pool of water, The Blue Hole, to soothe our mosquito bitten bodies, tired feet and bones. We were the only 2 in the pool at the time.


On our way again, we missed a turn in the road and followed the road from hell (2 hours for 29 miles) and ended up in paradise-- Placencia. Who could argue with the setting of this campground? Right on the ocean, white sand beach, hot showers and bathrooms for 10.00 US a nite. Here was cheap One Barrel rum, blue water, ganja for those interested, an eclectic mix of food a deserted campsite, and an atmosphere so laid back I am sure it could drop the blood pressure of even the most hyper. A house fire happened while we were there and everyone in the volunteer fire department arrived by bicycle.

We finally got the dinghy out and headed off to the nearby cays where we speared lobster, red snapper, and Cravalle jack to cook on the "barbie". The coral gardens we saw while snorkeling were all shades of purple, yellow, red, and blue. Although we have had better snorkeling in the Bahamas we still managed to see a few fish we have never seen before. I am absolutely positive the same big barracuda that I out swam in the Bahamas was there to greet me. AJ, Barb and Suzie, who were from Portland, shared the beach with us and we all laughed as we picked up free internet access from from the $350.00 US a nite resort around the corner and really felt smug when we found out that rum drinks sold for 11.00 US and we had cocktails on the beach with a bottle of the same rum that cost us $9.00. To top it off, right off of the hotel bar is where we found most of our lobster. Ron would sneak it over the side of the dinghy while the tourists sat in the bar and we heard they were paying over $45.00 for a meal with a single dried out mini lobster tail. Sitting on the beach we could buy trinkets, a to die for dessert called sweet potato pone (think pecan pie filling with pineapple) and fresh made pizzas. The pizza was made and sold by "Alex". She was a 20 something transplant from Italy, educated in Jamaica, had a baby in Guatemala and moved to Belize. She could not understand how the Italians complained about having no parmesan on the island. "There is no Parmesan that is true,but when you can get the freshest, ripest, juiciest sweetest pineapple",why would you want Parmesan?" she said. Hmmm good point!!! After 2 weeks we decided that if we wanted to explore the rest of Belize we had better wrap up our dingy and head off.


In San Ignacio we camped in a place called "Caesars". Our first morning we had coffee with the birds off the fruit loop box or I should say we had coffee with 2 different kinds of Toucans. My spoon almost missed my mouth as I looked up and realized they were the real thing and parrots of all shapes and sizes added to the atmosphere of this place. Lingering over coffee suddenly had a new meaning.

We had a fresh water stream to cool down in and friendly staff with a great restaurant. Julian, who owned the place, was a story on his own. He was born in the states on a hippy commune and his parents moved to Belize when he was 6 months old. As the reality of being parents hit them, they gradually became entrepreneurs and with their son Julian and a daughter, carved two resorts out of the jungle. they had a thriving wood carving business at the back of Ceasars where we were camping and Ron was drooling at the sight of exotic hardwoods everywhere he looked.

After weeks on the beach, we decided it was time for some excitement.