Well it´s been another week and I spent the first part of it sailing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean on a 45ft yacht, making my way down the coast of Belize. We stopped on a whim at any reef worth snorkelling and camped on deserted sand cayes at night. The full moon made for some magical evenings as we licked the juice of freshly barbecued reef fish from our fingers, washed down with copious amounts of rum punch. After 3 days I dropped anchor again at Placencia, a little beachside town in southern Belize to get back my land-legs. This sleepy little place has resisted having a main street – instead there is only a footpath off which springs a lazy selection of colourful beach shacks and barefoot bars and cafes pumping out reggae and local punta music. It was easy to while away a few days in Placencia – my recent diet of lobster and Caribbean rum has left me somewhat lethargic, and I had difficulty dragging myself from my beachfront hammock once ensconced…
I have managed to kickstart my travels again though, and headed back into the south-eastern corner of Guatemala to a jungle wilderness reserve called Rio Dulce. If you need to picture it, this place was the backdrop for the original Tarzan movie! I spent a couple of days kayaking the jungle clad narrow waterways, although the density of the lush foliage and vines here thwarted wildlife viewing beyond the birds that chose to display themselves at the water’s edge. I did get a glimpse, however, of the elusive manatee (relative of the dugong) that swims the river depths. Back at the jungle lodge there was no shortage of wildlife companions – hairy spiders, scorpions and generally large bugs to choose from. I was delighted to hear that our mosquito nets in our bungalows served a double purpose – they not only kept out the mozzies at night but also the local vampire bats! I am also glad to be back in the mecca of budget travelling – great hotel rooms for $7 per night (imagine having to pay $20 a night in Belize – just ludicrous!)
But don´t blink because now I have arrived in Honduras where I will be travelling for the next 3 weeks – another intoxicating combination of jungle- jane adventures, Mayan ruins and Caribbean beaches awaits me yet.
