|
///// home
– travels – belize /////
:: B E L I Z E ::
Ambergris Caye, Belize,
2007
Belize,
formerly known as the colony of British Honduras, is not only the smallest
country in Central America with a little more than 250.000 inhabitants, but
also a rather new nation, being that it got its independence from UK in
1978. Today, Guatemala still considers Belize a part of Guatemala and
deliberately refers to the land as Belice
with a “c” instead of
a “z”, thus they have
been claiming the land ever since the Spanish left and the British took
over.
Belize’s
land is mostly topical lowlands, largely covered in mangrove swamps on the
coastline. Offshore, the limestone bedrock extends eastwards into the
Caribbean Ocean, and at the eastern extent of the shelf the longest and
largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere emerges: The Belizean
Barrier Reef. This reef is the second largest in the world behind
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, thus it comes as no surprise that 40%
of the land in Belize is protected as forest, nature, wildlife or marine
reserves.
View from the Swin
Bridge at Haulover Creek in Belize City, Belize, 2007
Belize City
We
came by bus from the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and arrived in
Belize City. The capital is colorful, ramshackle and always alive with
Caribbean-style wooden and concrete house. A branch of the Belize River
– known as Haulover Creek – runs through the middle of the city.
We strolled through Central Belize City as we were waiting for the water
taxi to the keys. The crime-level in Belize City is not as bad as the
doomsayers will tell. People seemed friendly, curious and talkative. A
Rasta-guy spent one hour following us around and lead way to the marine
terminal area – just for fun and free of charge. Fast water taxis
zoom between Belize City and the Northern Cayes for only US$ 9, and it
takes between 30 and 45 minutes each way.
Ah, it’s hard not
to love the Caribbean waters! The Split at Caye Caulker, Belize, 2007
View from the hotel
roof, Caye Caulker, Belize, 2007
The Northern Cayes
The
Belizean Barrier Reef rises from the limestone shelf and harbors very
shallow waters west of the reef, therefore numerous islands – called
cayes or keys – emerges from the warm waters. Some of these coral
limestone islands are easily accessible while others are far-flung and
quite remote. The two most popular with travelers are Caye Caulker and
Ambergris Caye.
Caye Caulker
Basically, Caye Caulker is a small island with unpaved “streets”.
It is the most popular island in Belize among backpackers due to its
location close to Belize City and, as compared to other islands in Belize,
range of cheap activities, such as snorkeling trips and fishing trips. Fist of all, when
coming from Mexico – or Guatemala for that sake – Caye Caulker
strikes you as being a mix of different ethnic compositions. There are
churches and temples indicating and signing for Roman Catholicism,
Anglicanism, Methodism, Mennonites, Seventh Days Adventism, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Even traditional Mayan rites are
still extant. Nevertheless, independent from religious stances, the
Belizean national psyche is extremely relaxed. “Take it easy”
and “go’ slow” is the
way to live. This is Rastafari-country! A Bob Marley singing, happy-herb
land living life to the fullest. If slightly stressed or just somewhat
worried, it is hard, if not impossible, not to get highly relaxed and
unperturbed in Caye Caulker! Yah man…
In
addition, there are a range of good guesthouses, cafés, restaurants,
dive operators, internet places and reggae bars.
The key
philosophy in the Belizean islands; “Go Slow” and full-day
happy hours in the many bars
 
Our hotel, Caye Caulker, Belize, 2007
Local
fishers returning to the keys at sunset
Ambergris Caye
Ambergris
Caye is located north of Caye Caulker, close to the Mexican border. It also
has a laid-back atmosphere, but is more developed than Caye Caulker. It has
sandy streets, Caribbean-style buildings on stilts. Also, Ambergris Caye
has more beaches than Caye Caulker, especially Banana Beach is beautiful.
Snorkeling
is great on both Cayes, in particular two sites are good: Hol Chan
and Shark Alley. As regards to the latter the sharks have been trained to
swim with humans, and it’s great fun. It’s cool to snorkel with
15-20 sharks domestic sharks, all eager to “play”.
In front of the
Cemetery, Caye Caulker, Belize, 2007
Preferred mean of
on-land-transport on Ambergris Caye, Belize, 2007
Future places to go in Belize
If
you are not on a student budget there are quite some places to go. In
particular, we want to explore:
-
Placencia: Belize’s most inviting
beach
-
Toledo: Traditional Mayan village
-
Altun Ha: Belize’s most well-know Maya
Ruins
-
St. Georges Caye: Remote caye with a
six-cottage resort, perfect to get away from it all
-
Gallows Point Caye Another remote caye that
secures tranquility
-
Turneffe Islands: Small coral atoll offering
good diving
-
Lighthouse Reef: Small coral atoll close to
the Blue Hole
-
Half Moon Caye: Perhaps the prettiest caye
in Belize
-
Tobacco Caye: Good diving and hammocking
-
South Water Caye & Glovers Reef: Perfect
beaches
-
Hopkins: Belizean Garifuna village offering
an insight into the Garifuna lifestyle
-
The Sapodillas: The remote archipelago in
Belize, offering untouched diving
Fast facts and hints on Belize
Daily budget: On the cheap: 45 US$; more
activities: 70-100 US$; Blue hole: 200 US$
Pros: Quite un-touristy compared to Guatemala and
Mexico; Best diving in Central America
Cons: Expensive compared to
other Central American countries
In a nutshell: Second largest barrier
reef in the world; Central America’s Rasta-country...
///// home
– travels – belize /////
© Copyright 2007- Now
TravelTwins.dk – All rights reserved.
|
