April 2 – April 9, 2007

 


Benque – Belmopan – Belize City –
Caye Caulker – Corozal – Santa Elena


You know you’re in Belize when distances are given in miles, no one understands Spanish and you don’t understand their English! Once sausages, and beans in tomato sauce were served for breakfast it was clear that the British had been there. Settled by English and Scottish pirates in the mid 17th century, the Spanish were officially driven away with a battle at St George’s Caye in 1798. It was only in 1981 that the British finally agreed to independence for this tiny state, sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala on the Caribbean Sea.
  

On the first 70km from Guatemala to the capital, Belmopan,
we passed through citrus plantations and neat villages with colourful
wooden houses on stilts.



Typical house

  


Paddy was here!

A few familiar names graced stores and businesses en
route.
  

A population of ¼ of a million in a country half the size
of Switzerland explains village names like… “More Tomorrow”.



What a name!

  


Camping in the banana plantation

The characterless capital Belmopan had little to impress
the visitor and hotel prices were astronomical to say the least. We
rolled out of town and camped in a banana plantation, along a creek,
behind an excellent restaurant.
  

From there, the western highway flattened out and 30km of
uncultivated land gave way to mangrove swamps. Fast traffic and no hard
shoulder meant unpleasant cycling.



Grim reminder

  


Right through the cemetary!

Just before Belize City the main road took a short cut
right through the centre of the city’s cemetery!
  

From Belize City, we had a good ferry connection to Caye
Caulker on Belize’s Barrier Reef, where we spent the next few days in
our rented apartment enjoying home-cooked meals.



M & N’s on Caye Caulker

  


Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker
is a great place
for a relaxing holiday. Bicycles and electric golf carts dodge
pedestrians on the sandy streets of this laid-back Caribbean isle.
  

Rasta is the look and Creole is da lingo. Clear turquoise water laps the shore and mangroves and coconut palms account for the vegetation.



Ya mon!

  


Figure that!

… and that!
  

 

Mangroves



On the Caribbean

  
  


Sunset at Caye Caulker
  

The Barrier reef here is definitely our
snorkelling/diving highlight of this trip. Swimming with huge sting rays
and nurse sharks was quite amazing, not to mention the numerous
varieties of reef dwellers and corals, all enjoyed with excellent
visibility.



Underwater delights

  



Chatty, friendly local girl

  


San Pedro

While in the area we checked out San Pedro, made famous
by Madonna’s song “Isla Bonita”, but we found it way too busy and
resort-orientated for our liking.
  

Another ferry whizzed us off to Corozal and we were
pretty much on the Mexican border.



Ready for the ferry on Caye Caulker

  


Belize flag

After 21 months on the road, it was weird to speak
English again! Although Belize was our most expensive country in Latin
America, the Barrier Reef was worth every cent. Belize was also a great
place to recharge our batteries.

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