Top Ten Things About Belize: #4, #3, #2

The holidays were great, but now we are back to the grind and it is once again time to remind myself that I was recently basking in the sun in Belize. We're moving quickly through the list and it shouldn't be long until you learn about the best thing about Belize.

#4 Animals in General...Leaf Cutter Ants in Particular

Two of my Belize highlights were courtesy of the local creatures. Tony and I took a fantastic trip to the Belize Zoo. I was so impressed, that I became a member, despite the fact that I will probably never get to go again. At the zoo, we had a howling competition with the monkeys before visiting the odd looking Tapir. Tapirs are endagered in Belize, which isn't particularly surprising given there size, shape and speed (or lack there of). As Tony said when he saw them: "Man, if I was hungry, that thing would look just right for roasting". Thankfully Tony was kept well-fed during his travels, and the Tapirs were never forced onto our dinner plate.

Even more exciting then the Tapirs OR even the zoo, were the leafcutter ants. Now, some of you may remember my slight obsession with ants from my days in Fiji . In fact, at the time I was definitely an antist and may even be rightfully accused of mercilessly murdering thousands of little antlets. However, my trip to Belize enlightened me to the wonder of formicidae. It probably helped that they were outside and NOT in my bedroom. These leafcutters, not only created an amazing mini-highway across the road, there route extended hundreds of meters into the forest. In fact, despite my best efforts, I was never able to locate their nest.

#3 Bikes

Bicycle...Bicycle...I want to ride my bicycle...I want to ride my bike!

One of the greatest things about the Belizean atolls, and Caye Caulker in particular, is the lack of motorized vehicles and the excess of bicycles. Most of the bicycles are fabulous beach-style cruisers with big baskets perfect for towels and swimsuits. Tony and I cruised on beaches, airport runways, mangrove paths and clay roads. While I can't imagine trying to bicycle down the busy (and far too hot!) highways of Belize, the islands are beautiful and breezy; and a cool dip in the ocean is never too far away!

#2 Scuba Diving

One of the big reasons I went to Belize was for the scuba diving. I have had the extreme pleasure of diving in some amazing locations - specifically the Similian Islands in Thailand and Gili Trawangan in Indonesia. For that reason, I am a bit spoiled when it comes to diving. When I first started diving in Belize, it was dissapointing at best. Unfortunately, it appears as though a significant amount of the coral reef surrounding Belize is dead. This reef, which I imagine was once magnificent and colorful, is now bleached out and covered with algae. The fish life was also a little dissapointing. There was neither the diversity nor the quanitiy of fish I had seen on other scuba and snorkel trips. That being said, I saw a lot of sharks, eagle rays and sea turtles. I was also treated to two fabulous dives at Glover's Reef and Turneffe's Atoll. In the end, my suggestion to scuba divers in Belize is...skip the local reef dives at Caye Caulker and Ambergris and spend the money to go to Lighthouse, Glover's or Turneffe. It's definitely worth the money.

Sierra posted this on Jan 05, 2007 from the outside | | permanent link