Downing
Contributor
Just got back from my annual trek to Belize. This time, I stopped off in Tampa, the armpit of Florida, to see my Mom and my sister and her family, before continuing on to Belize. It's nice leaving from Florida since I arrive at Goldson much earlier in the day than when I leave from the West coast.
Interesting thing happened on the flight from Miami to Goldson. I flew First Class and seated next to me was a woman, obviously Belizean, who was dressed to the nines. Everything about her was immaculate, and although she probably wasn't thrilled to be seated next to a guy wearing a baseball cap, jungle shorts and shirt and a pair of sandals, she didn't show it. When we arrived, she was met on the tarmac by a couple of big, burly dudes who looked and acted like body guards rather than family. As we were walking into the airport, they were met by another body guard looking guy. The four of them breezed through Customs without stopping, although she did smile and wave at the Customs official as they passed through.
It was obvious to me that she was someone important and probably in the government, so later I googled "Belize Prime Minister's family" and sure enough, I had been seated next to the First Lady of Belize, Kim Simplis Barrow.
From what I've read, she's had some health issues and flies back and forth to Miami for medical treatment.
As in years past, I spent the first week diving, the second week in the jungle, then returned to dive the final week. Overall, the weather was very good but we had two dive days that were cancelled due to strong winds/high waves and one dive trip that was changed due to rain.
I dove with Splash both weeks, and this is where I stick in the full disclosure that over the years I've become especially good friends with Ralph and Patty, the owners/operators, and many of the dive staff, some of whom I've watched grow up learning to dive through the Splash Kids Dive Club and have gone on to become dive masters, instructors, boat drivers and front office personnel.
I settled into my routine pretty quickly. I get to the shop early so I can watch the day unfold. People are coming and going all over the place. They have people who show up asking if they can dive that day. They have people who made reservations who don't show that they have to try track down. People who forgot their gear. People who were going to dive but now want to snorkel with their family. It's just crazy. Somehow Patty juggles it all and eventually the boats go out, usually around nine. Typically, we would have five or six divers on our boat, with two or three dive guides so the group didn't have to stay together. That's especially good for me because I like to go really slow and stop if I see anything interesting, so I'm almost always left behind with a guide who knows my proclivities and doesn't bug me to keep moving or with air checks. Instead, we just point out interesting stuff we see and go up at 50 - 55 minutes.
I saw the usual suspects big and small, hammerheads, reef sharks, turtles, rays, grouper, angelfish, spotted drum, etc. For some reason, more moray eels were out and about rather than backed into their holes. And sadly, lion fish, of course. I'm not sure why, but I never got around to going on a Lionfish hunt this year.
Water temperature was consistently in the low 80's, though my computer consistently insists it's four or five degrees warmer than it really is and thinks it's 87 or 88. Visibility was usually excellent to very good and never poor. Currents were mostly non-existent but a couple of dives did turn into slow drift dives.
This year, for my week in the jungle I decided to drive up to Corozal, which is almost at the northern boundary with Mexico. I had never been further north than Orange Walk. Having now done that trip once, I doubt I'll bother again. The land between OW and Corozal is almost all sugar cane so not much to look at. Corozal is right on the ocean, and the water is very pretty. Given the proximity to the border, it was not surprising that the place felt a lot like Mexico.
After spending the night there, I drove back to OW, then hung a right and headed west. I drove along the Mexico border for a couple of hours, through some Mayan villages and Mennonite settlements before finally reaching a dirt road that was privately owned. I had made arrangements to get the necessary permits so the guard let me through and into the jungle I went. I was in a 4WD but really didn't need it because the weather had been so dry. After a couple of hours of fairly rough road, I arrived at the Gallon Jug gate, where again I had to show my permits to be let in. The road instantly improved and widened out and I was able to make pretty good time until I came up on the Gallon Jug Farm. This area is owned by the family of Barry Bowen, who at the time of his untimely death a few years ago was the second richest man in Belize. The farm is located on the former site of a logging company. I then drove back into the jungle another six miles or so until reaching Chan Chich, a jungle resort, where I stayed for three nights before moving on.
After three days of running around in the jungle in search of the elusive jaguar (not surprisingly, no luck), I continued south, passing two more checkpoints before arriving in Ohio, oops, I mean Spanish Lookout, a Mennonite community that looks exactly like rural middle America. I spent the rest of the day hanging out in San Ignacio, and the night at the SI Resort Hotel, where I was finally able to sleep in air conditioning again having done without for a week. Man, it gets hot in the jungle.
Returned to Placencia, dived my brains out my final week before coming home. We were going to do the Blue Hole my last day, but weather forced us to divert to a closer site instead. I've done the BH a few times already, but I was especially sorry not to see Half Moon Caye again, one of my favorite places on earth. Ah well, always leave something for next time.
And this year I decided to drive back to Goldson rather than fly. As the price of the puddle jumpers has increased every year, it's now not that much more to drive and in a couple of years may actually be cheaper. And since I love driving the Hummingbird Highway I prefer to drive it anyway. Plus, I was able to do a favor for Ralph by dropping him off in Belmopan so he could pick up his truck. Ralph and Patty are such great hosts that anything I can do for them I always jump on it.
Having gone as far north and west as I can go, next year I'm going to drive south to the Barranco area and try to get as close to the Guatemalan border as possible while avoiding their navy on the Sarstoon Creek.
It was another great trip in a series of great trips to Belize. The diving can't be beat. The jungle always beckons. My only regret is I didn't spend as much time looking at dirt for sale as usual, so next year I'm going to make that a priority.
Interesting thing happened on the flight from Miami to Goldson. I flew First Class and seated next to me was a woman, obviously Belizean, who was dressed to the nines. Everything about her was immaculate, and although she probably wasn't thrilled to be seated next to a guy wearing a baseball cap, jungle shorts and shirt and a pair of sandals, she didn't show it. When we arrived, she was met on the tarmac by a couple of big, burly dudes who looked and acted like body guards rather than family. As we were walking into the airport, they were met by another body guard looking guy. The four of them breezed through Customs without stopping, although she did smile and wave at the Customs official as they passed through.
It was obvious to me that she was someone important and probably in the government, so later I googled "Belize Prime Minister's family" and sure enough, I had been seated next to the First Lady of Belize, Kim Simplis Barrow.
From what I've read, she's had some health issues and flies back and forth to Miami for medical treatment.
As in years past, I spent the first week diving, the second week in the jungle, then returned to dive the final week. Overall, the weather was very good but we had two dive days that were cancelled due to strong winds/high waves and one dive trip that was changed due to rain.
I dove with Splash both weeks, and this is where I stick in the full disclosure that over the years I've become especially good friends with Ralph and Patty, the owners/operators, and many of the dive staff, some of whom I've watched grow up learning to dive through the Splash Kids Dive Club and have gone on to become dive masters, instructors, boat drivers and front office personnel.
I settled into my routine pretty quickly. I get to the shop early so I can watch the day unfold. People are coming and going all over the place. They have people who show up asking if they can dive that day. They have people who made reservations who don't show that they have to try track down. People who forgot their gear. People who were going to dive but now want to snorkel with their family. It's just crazy. Somehow Patty juggles it all and eventually the boats go out, usually around nine. Typically, we would have five or six divers on our boat, with two or three dive guides so the group didn't have to stay together. That's especially good for me because I like to go really slow and stop if I see anything interesting, so I'm almost always left behind with a guide who knows my proclivities and doesn't bug me to keep moving or with air checks. Instead, we just point out interesting stuff we see and go up at 50 - 55 minutes.
I saw the usual suspects big and small, hammerheads, reef sharks, turtles, rays, grouper, angelfish, spotted drum, etc. For some reason, more moray eels were out and about rather than backed into their holes. And sadly, lion fish, of course. I'm not sure why, but I never got around to going on a Lionfish hunt this year.
Water temperature was consistently in the low 80's, though my computer consistently insists it's four or five degrees warmer than it really is and thinks it's 87 or 88. Visibility was usually excellent to very good and never poor. Currents were mostly non-existent but a couple of dives did turn into slow drift dives.
This year, for my week in the jungle I decided to drive up to Corozal, which is almost at the northern boundary with Mexico. I had never been further north than Orange Walk. Having now done that trip once, I doubt I'll bother again. The land between OW and Corozal is almost all sugar cane so not much to look at. Corozal is right on the ocean, and the water is very pretty. Given the proximity to the border, it was not surprising that the place felt a lot like Mexico.
After spending the night there, I drove back to OW, then hung a right and headed west. I drove along the Mexico border for a couple of hours, through some Mayan villages and Mennonite settlements before finally reaching a dirt road that was privately owned. I had made arrangements to get the necessary permits so the guard let me through and into the jungle I went. I was in a 4WD but really didn't need it because the weather had been so dry. After a couple of hours of fairly rough road, I arrived at the Gallon Jug gate, where again I had to show my permits to be let in. The road instantly improved and widened out and I was able to make pretty good time until I came up on the Gallon Jug Farm. This area is owned by the family of Barry Bowen, who at the time of his untimely death a few years ago was the second richest man in Belize. The farm is located on the former site of a logging company. I then drove back into the jungle another six miles or so until reaching Chan Chich, a jungle resort, where I stayed for three nights before moving on.
After three days of running around in the jungle in search of the elusive jaguar (not surprisingly, no luck), I continued south, passing two more checkpoints before arriving in Ohio, oops, I mean Spanish Lookout, a Mennonite community that looks exactly like rural middle America. I spent the rest of the day hanging out in San Ignacio, and the night at the SI Resort Hotel, where I was finally able to sleep in air conditioning again having done without for a week. Man, it gets hot in the jungle.
Returned to Placencia, dived my brains out my final week before coming home. We were going to do the Blue Hole my last day, but weather forced us to divert to a closer site instead. I've done the BH a few times already, but I was especially sorry not to see Half Moon Caye again, one of my favorite places on earth. Ah well, always leave something for next time.
And this year I decided to drive back to Goldson rather than fly. As the price of the puddle jumpers has increased every year, it's now not that much more to drive and in a couple of years may actually be cheaper. And since I love driving the Hummingbird Highway I prefer to drive it anyway. Plus, I was able to do a favor for Ralph by dropping him off in Belmopan so he could pick up his truck. Ralph and Patty are such great hosts that anything I can do for them I always jump on it.
Having gone as far north and west as I can go, next year I'm going to drive south to the Barranco area and try to get as close to the Guatemalan border as possible while avoiding their navy on the Sarstoon Creek.
It was another great trip in a series of great trips to Belize. The diving can't be beat. The jungle always beckons. My only regret is I didn't spend as much time looking at dirt for sale as usual, so next year I'm going to make that a priority.
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