Belize and Guatemala: Playing with one’s peers
Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 11:00AM
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Lamani Mayan site
My friend Heidi and I spent 10 days in Belize and Guatemala on a Road Scholar tour. Rated “spirited”, the 13 participants hiked, swam, crawled, and snorkeled with not a lot of downtime. Unlike many of my past trips, I was in my own age group with others ranging (in my estimate) from 65 to 75 years old. I was proud that, other than the guides, I was the only male who still had hair on his legs.
Supper with our travel companions
Some highlights:
Climbing a temple
Exploring Mayan ruins. Besides the massive Guatemalan site of Tikal, we also spent time hiking through Lamani and Yaxha sites. While not as extensive as Tikal, the smaller sites were quieter and proved to be just as interesting. Our excellent guides led us on hikes and encouraged all of us to climb to the top of a pyramid or two to gain a commanding view of the region. One guide recommended the book Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston and I read while on the tour. Had I read it before the trip, I may have been more careful when strolling through the jungle.
Tackling the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave. The program describes the activity:
Jungle and river walk/hike about 45 minutes. At cave entrance swim a short distance through the mouth of the cave to enter site. Cave floor mostly wet/rocky. Some wading in ankle-to-shoulder-deep water required. In fragile sections, participants will need to remove shoes so as not to damage the cave floor and/or artifacts. … This arduous but rewarding activity will begin with 45 minutes of hiking that includes river crossings and wading in knee-high water. Once at the cave entrance, we will swim through the opening and start a 3.5-hour journey in the cave. This activity will require endurance, strength, agility and balance.
Yup - the description nailed it. Cameras were not allowed so to see photos of this amazing place, you’ll need to visit the web. What is not mentioned are the extremely narrow passages that less-limber tall people like me found challenging. It was quite the experience!
Not my photo but a good idea of the cave experience. Except it was much darker
Snorkeling the cayes. We spent two days in Placencia on the coast, taking short drives each day to the harbor where we boarded a small boat that took us to islands (Laughing Bird and Moho) from which we snorkeled. I was saddened by the amount of bleaching shown in the coral formations compared to my last snorkel in Costa Rica in 2019. The wind was strong both days, the boat rides rough, and the shores comprised of sharp rock and gravel. My dad would have questioned my judgment to do this.
Checking out the fins and masks
Enjoying the wildlife. Over the course of the trip, we saw monkeys, iguanas, bats, crocodiles, coatimundi, and lots and lots of birdlife. One of my biggest delights was hearing howler monkeys emit their ferocious roar at both Mayan ruins and at our lodging. You’d swear you were about to be attacked and eaten by a very, very large animal. At the small Belize Zoo - devoted to providing homes for rescue animals - we also saw tapirs, jaguars, and other endemic beasts.
Our cabana at Jaguar Creek
Staying in ecolodges. Two of the four resorts we stayed at billed themselves as eco-lodges. My favorite was Jaguar Creek. With a feeling of being deep in the Belizian jungle, our “bungalow” was reached by a wooden walkway, had fans but no AC, no TV or phone, and mosquito netting over the bed. Howler monkeys provided our lullaby each night.
Crossing the swinging bridge, Ixpanpajul Nature Park
The trip has other interesting aspects including a hike in a park with high swinging bridges, a visit to a botanical garden, and a foot crossing over the Belize/Guatemala border. Our meals were interesting (rice, beans, and chicken 80% of the time) and our van transportation comfortable, if rather long some days. Our fellow travelers were a congenial group with no stragglers or trouble-makers. I guess most of us read the program description before signing on.
Sign at Belize Zoo.
I’m not terribly sure I need to go back to this area, but I am glad I did go this time. (I am up to 62 countries visited now.) There will be more Road Scholar trips in my future.
Sunrise in Placencia
Tikal from the top
Reader Comments (2)
Looks like you had a wonderful experience. Love the shot of everyone trying to scramble up the temple. Probably harder than it looks. :)
I've done three trips with RoadScholar so far (Cuba, Iceland, Ireland) and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Of course, like any travel company, you need to read all the details carefully before booking. I'm traveling to Costa Rica with them in October for a photo trip, one I've had to postpone three times, and very excited to visit that part of the world for the first time.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the comment. I did an "adventure" trip to Costa Rica about 5 years ago with the grandsons. Zip lining, whitewater kayaking, rappelling, etc. Costa Rica is a lovely country with great wildlife. You will love it! Have fun.
This was my second trip with Road Scholars (third for Heidi) and both trip went as promised. I'll probably use them again as well.
Doug