Attack life, it's going to kill you anyway.
- Steven Coallier
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| Chillin' on my cabin deck, Tabacco Caye |
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
(And this is the pivotal principle that I learned was most important on my trip.)
I'm back!
Central America was quite the experience and you know what? I think I have to go back and visit again, possibly in November. Guatemala to be specific. Traveling like this has its own unique challenges. I was gone for a month but it seemed so much longer. Re-acclimating to being back stateside was another challenge in itself. Stepping back into your regular life and catching up on mail, missed phone calls, and ongoing life issues is not an easy task.
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| Volcán de Fuego, Antigua, Guatemala |
In the last blog post, I wrote from San Miguel in Guatemala. That was maybe the halfway point my trip. I had visited Semuc Champey and Tikal, but then the next stop was Finca Ixobel which was a couple days of not-so-much-fun. From our initial arrival it was bad. We were going to be there for 4 nights, but we were informed that the hotel had given away our rooms for the last two nights due to a larger group coming in. There was no sense of remorse. No discounts for the two nights they did give us... not even an apology. Nothing about the two nights we stayed there was satisfactory.
Things did improve at Casa Rosada in Livingston, Guatemala. Ismael was so helpful and accommodating that we stayed extra time there before heading to Belize. I had quite the experience there on more than one occasion. In fact, I was invited back for special accommodations. So yes, this is one of the reasons I need to return.
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| Pier, Islaverde Hotel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala |
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain
We took a boat from Livingston, Guatemala to Punta Gorda, Belize. From there we bused to Hopkins, a coastal city with surprising accomodations considering the appearance. Hopkins isn't a wealthy town by any means. The bus drops you off 4 miles outside of town and we literally had to hitchhike in. We were fortunate because it has just started to rain and a guy in a truck picked us up. Its actually a common thing. They pull over and we throw our bags in the back and hop in. They city looks like it could use a little fixing up, but you won't find a better pork chop on the planet that will compete with the ones you get at Frog's Point. A half mile on up the road we found the Lebeha Drumming Center & Cabanas where we met Dorthy who showed us our cabanas located on a private beach. The North end of the town is definitely the preferred stay as its less busy and less populated. I'd definitely recommend renting bikes to get to and fro the restaurants on the South end. After only 2 nights I was sorry to leave. But we were on our way to Tobacco Caye, a 5 acre island about an hour off the coast.Tabacco Caye was the most relaxing place I visited during the entire trip. We stayed there for 4 nights, but after the 2nd day, you're hunting for something to do because you began to feel guilty for sleeping so much. It simply can't be helped. You just want to lay down and doze off. Our huts were over the water, so you heard the constant crashing of waves on the shoreline under you. The hammock on the back deck overlooking the clear water was astonishing. All sorts of marine life would swim just below your feet.
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| Midnight shot off Main Pier, Tabacco Caye |
