“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” ― Anita Desai

Chance the Wild was created mostly to tie in my adventures in the backcountry with the world around me, both figuratively and literally. It is a way for me to share my journey through this chaos we call life. One truly can find themselves when they step out into the great wide open with a map and trekking pole. You can also get lost for that matter - I highly suggest using a topo map to prevent that. Remember, you must know how to read it to use it.

A door of opportunity opened a little less than a year ago for an adventure in Belize. My friend's brother had a resort package from an HRC silent auction that he wouldn't be using. As chance would play out, Pam and I just spent a week in paradise. I leave the definition of paradise up to you as the reader - some people don't enjoy gun laden customs, and 24/7 sauna conditions. Yes Mom, I just used the phrase "gun laden," mostly just to get a shock factor out of you though.

Belize borders Mexico and Guatemala, and was initially under British rule. The national language is English, and they accept US Dollars pretty much everywhere, with exceptions of course. I would consider Belize to be a 2nd world country. Some places we visited were 1st world, and others 3rd world. This country is truly a mix of culture, history, and adventure. The first part of our week was spent in San Ignacio - mainland, close to the Guatemalan border. There are a few decisions you need to make as a tourist from the first world traveling in international destinations.

1. Can I live without A/C? I sweat like the dickens all week, and couldn't have cared less about A/C. You'll be spending all day on adventures. Chances are, you'll be too tired to realize your hotel room doesn't have A/C - as long as you can open the windows of course. Besides, if you have a place like this just outside your hotel room to relax, A/C really isn't on your mind. Maya Mountain did have A/C, but we opted not to use it.

The view from the Parrots Porch at Maya Mountain Lodge

The shared patio on the Parrots Porch

2. Food & Water. Is it accessible, and can I afford it? The first half of our week was spend in San Ignacio, where I would not recommend drinking the city water. Salads and fresh fruits/vegetables are rinsed in city water, and in general should also be avoided. I did pack my MSR 3L filter for the trip. Some people choose to carry SteriPens. Lucky for us, Maya Mountain Lodge has a separate filtering system. This allowed us to use potable water from the lodge all week, and not have to worry about any lodge food being contaminated.

The food was amazing. I didn't eat a thing all week that I didn't wish I could have again and again and again. Our meals at Maya Mountain came out to about $10US (including tax and tip). They were full plated breakfast with unlimited deliciously, scrumptious coffee. Dinners were 3-4 course plated meals. Our last night's menu consisted of plantain-jalapeno soup, shrimp croquette with mixed slaw, and bbq short ribs with mashed potatoes and local vegetables. Yep, it was a whopping $10US. Oh boy! I'm hungry just thinking about it.

Traditional Mayan meal of wrapped fish and sides

3. Should I turn down this road? Well, it depends. If you drove too far, as in the Guatemalan border, the sun is setting, and your only option is to follow the GPS down a sketchy alley looking dirt road, you really have nothing to lose at this point. If you are going to opt for a rental car in a foreign country, I do recommend at least one person in the travel party pay for an international plan on their phone.

Now, this particular road took Pam and me for an interesting ride. We were on it for a couple of hundred yards before connecting with a main road, all the while both of us are beginning to think Maya Mountain Lodge isn't a real place. For all we knew, the GPS was taking us to a plywood shack in the middle of nowhere. What a relief to pull into the lodge, meet some friendly people, and finally have our first meal. Always do a thorough background check of the place you are staying - sometimes they aren't real.

The Parrots Porch - Free Wifi

Beautiful view of the Belizean jungle from the Maya Mountain property

No, you should not always turn down that road. While traveling in other countries, you should do your research beforehand. Pam and I knew Belize was pretty safe, but we also knew there were a number of political and drug issues in Guatemala. Our first stopover on this trip was about 30 minutes from the border, so turning down random roads is not suggested.

4. $125US to hike a cave/see some old stuff! Is it worth it? Yes, in most cases it is worth it. Pam and I chose to go on two excursions while we were in San Ignacio - Actun Tunichil Muknal (the ATM Cave), and Tikal. The ATM cave has only 33 trained/certified guides. Not all are active at this time, but most are. Each guide is limited to parties of 8. Cayo Adventures picked us up at Maya Mountain around 8am. They made one stop for a bathroom and drinks before exiting the main road. The entire drive was filled with details about the ATM trip plan, the jungle, and Belize. One driver stays with every vehicle - this is important when you take into consideration that you don't go into the cave with anything other than the clothes on your back, and a helmet on your head.

The hike is about two miles in, and crosses three streams (rivers depending on the wet season). It's not difficult, and there are ropes at every crossing. The large group stops about 50 yards before entering the cave to stash gear, and split up with guides. After the last 50 yards you plunge into a topaz blue pool, and swim about 20 feet to the cave entrance. The next couple of hours are spent in a single file line weaving around the river cave. Yes river cave. You will still be up to your waist or shoulders in several sections. If you're lucky, the guide will take you through the Jaguar's mouth.

The guides really have the tours down to a science. Every guide is different in presentation, but every group gets to see rock formations, stone monuments brought in by the Mayans, burial sites (mostly sacrificial), and pottery that has lasted the years of time. Around the end, you're finally out of water. You scramble around, climbing a little, and even spend about half a mile with only socks on your feet. At times, you laugh a little to yourself when you realized you're playing a game of follow-me. To say the least, this is a one of a kind experience. Yes, it's worth $125US.

Take your water friendly shoes.

ATM Parking lot. Part with your belongings, and go for a stroll.

Tikal wasn't quite $125 up front, but after customs transfers that's what it comes out to. Belizean guides aren't allowed to take groups into Guatemala, so on this day you also make a stop to pick up your local guide. The first stop is at customs, where you get 4 new stamps by the day's end. Who doesn't like passport stamps? Our Belizean guide walked us through both sides of customs, and spent most of the drive talking about the history between both countries.

Guatemalan Customs side (photo by Kent Roberts)

Yay! Stamps.

Once we crossed into Guatemala, the presence of military and weapons became fairly noticeable. We made a stop at a gas station where even the shop employee had his shotgun strapped over his shoulder. Short story, Guatemala has some drug cartel issues. The road to Tikal had numerous police/military stops fully armed. Our guides were a guarantee of safety for the day. Having them there, kept us from going where we shouldn't be. Also, don't forget to tip your guides.

5. Don't be that person! Some things don't change just because you're not still in a first world country. Respect the culture around you. Don't just run around taking pictures of locals - ask first (in most cases you may need to consider paying them a little too). Don't contribute to things that should change (i.e. littering. yes, there is a lot of trash on the roads in some countries). And for heaven's sake, don't feel the need to write your name on things.

The signs say "No Rayar - Don't Scratch". Don't be that person.

6. Explore. Explore. Explore. I cannot emphasize this enough. When you are given the opportunity don't pass it up. Walk around. See things. Try out their beds if you want to...as long as it's not behind a closed section, of course. Don't just look at it - really take it in. Put yourself back in time, and try to understand their way of life. Tikal is only 20% excavated to date. The city lasted for 1,000 from BC to AD. It is the oldest and largest Mayan city.

Residential palace in Tikal (photo by Kent Roberts)

From the top of Tower IV in Tikal

A look back at Tower IV

7. When an opportunity presents itself, capitalize on it. Remember the vacation package from Pam's brother? Well, I didn't even get to that part of the trip. The resort package from her brother's included three nights at a luxury resort in Placencia, Belize. Pam and I decided that if we were going to travel to Belize, we would make the most out of the trip.

Placencia Post Coming Soon...