BELIZE: A day in the Jungle

The rainforest woke up slowly, as I jogged softly along the damp jungled lane, and up through the sleeping village of Bullet Tree Falls. An old man was tying up fish nets, a pile of rubbish puffed smoke into the already misty air, bands of dogs snarled, and a lone rooster crowed. I pressed on through the typical fog, which burnt off step by step, so that by the time I made my way back into Parrot's Nest, a blue sky welcomed me.

I packed my day sack with dry socks, my journal, sunglasses and bug dope, and a giant water bottle, and headed down out of my aerie to meet Kaite, whose Guatemalan coffee and homemade guava jam had become a daily ritual. I wrote in my journal as I waited for breakfast, filling whole pages with the botanical names surrounding me... bougainvillea and red ginger, heliconia (below left) and avocado, guanacaste and a dozen shapes of palm.

Jose, our PACZ guide, was soon announced by the Nest's resident dog pack, so we gobbled down the last bites of omelette and dragonfruit and took off. Wewere headed to the ATM cave!

The 45-minute route by van took us along highway with those axle-busting speed bumps, through small villages, and down a dirt road that wound through sugar cane and deep into the jungle... and that was before we struck out on foot!

Imagine Indian Jones-like trails, with full mudslides and river crossings, vipers and mosquitos. By the time our group reached Actun Tunichil Muknal entrance, we looked like authentic wilderness-worthy explorers (except for my pink Sony SureShot)

We got the rules: No food. No touching the cave formations. Headlamps on so you don't get lost from the group.

With that sober warning, we, one by one, took a stride jump into the river at the cave's mouth and swam after our guide, into the dark.

The spelunk took us meandering more than a kilometer into the mountain, stumbling along underwater boulders and squeezing through tight slits, then into cavernous spaces like The Cathedral, decorated with gargantuan, peach-hued stalagtites. We sometimes swam against the current and other times stooped, in the pitch black, to hear stories of early exploration or Mayan lore.

At one point, a fellow guest dropped his camera and almost slipped off a ledge to save it. An older woman struggled to get up a rock step as I marveled that the US would never allow this type of "recreation" without guardrails, electric spotlights, and a full legal release.

In the heart of the cave, we removed our water shoes and donned fresh socks to climbup (literally, up a 15' ladder) to the sites of the Mayan sacrifices from around 900 AD . There were crushed pots - the mayans used to cook pots of food and smash the vessels, to"feed" the Gods.

There were many sculls and leg bones (from victims as young as 1 year old), and, on a high shelf, free of the flooding that typically disturbed these remains, lay the perfect skeleton nicknamed the Crystal Maiden. This 18-20 year old girl...

actually sparkles, from the calcite that has collected on her still bones over the last 1000 or so years.

ATM is uniquely pristine in Belize where cultural sites have often not been well protected. So we were dismayed to hear the story of a recent tourist who, while trying to get the perfect shot, accidentally dropped their camera right onto the mouth of the scull, breaking 2 of the front teeth in an otherwise perfect 1000-year-old "smile".

The swim and hike out of ATM sapped the last of our energy and we all dozed as the van headed back to San Ignacio.

The countryside is full of Mayan ruins, though, so on the way home, we stopped at Xunantunich. Accessed only by a short ferry across the Belize River, this small site from the Classic period centers around a large tower, El Castillo.

The temple has stelae which are carved with date glyphs , and altars which illustrate important stories of the culture -- for example, long tail feather engravings represent a bird from distant lands, indicating that the culture was sophisticated enough to trade with faraway tribes.

The life of this ancient city came alive as we stomped up ruin staircases, but the heat and exertion of the day had depleted us and we were ready to go home.

We finally reached Parrot's Nest late in the afternoon. A group was just heading out with inner tubes, Marcus (our Nest host) ferrying them in his truck down to the put-in spot on the Mopan River. This afternoon ritual was enticing, but we chose instead to take a Belikin to our bunks up in Treehouse 2, for a siesta with our books and the singing jungle birds.

With dusk came cocktail hour on the wooden veranda, which overlooks the grass plain and the rushing river.

Our small band of quiet revelers settled into rustic tree branch chairs and, as if on queue, the fireflies started their show. First one blink... answered by a second... then a trio.. and suddenly, the grass was a tickertape of blinking golden lights.

Marcus pulled out a bottle of homemade wine (tonight it's banana) and poured a round. We told about our adventures in the ATM cave and a few recent Miami U grads told about their home-building project which they've come to Belize to help complete.

We ate farm raised talapia (a jungle staple) and rice-n-beans, and a soft cornbread.

For me, that made a full day.

I was the first to retire to my treehouse. I propped up with my novel, but the clip of the ceiling fan mingled with the chirp of the night bugs, and my story was a mere jungle dream.

Beauty of Belize: Slide show

Tomorrow, I fly to USC for Parent's Weekend with my 20-year-old. The last time I saw him, he was spearfishing lobsters off of Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Join me for our slideshow of Beautiful Belize:

We forded jungle rivers and spelunked in caves, exploring sacrificial sites of the ancient Mayan.

We stomped up temple ruins and heard tales of ancient civilizations.

We ate dragonfruit and grilled Talapia and a spinach specialty served alongside stewed meats. We ate rice and beans, at every meal, of course! We washed it all down with the island's own, Belikin, and a splash of homemade Banana Wine!

We slept in treehouses, perched 2 flights up, high in the fork of the trees. The Mopan River flowed under us, the fireflies put on a nightly show, and the jungle cats hunted prey through the tall grasses!

The next night, we slept on offshore cayes, where we biked along sandy roads (and even sandy beaches), drifted the reefs with local guides in search of barracuda, swam with sting rays in the marine sanctuary, and... yes... went free diving to spear fish for lobsters!

Come along for our photo tour, showcasing the Beauty of Belize!

Here's the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/toughlovetravel/BeautyOfBelize#

The USVI... spotlight Maho Bay!

Maho Bay, located on the northern shore of St John in the USVI, was our tented camp home this past July. The camp is scattered through rainforest cliffs, which overlook the turquoise sea and the outlying Whistling Cay. (this view is from the deck of our own cabin!)

The camp is a labyrinth of boardwalks, connecting the few dozen tents with bathhouses, excursion desks, dining pavilion, and even glass blowing studios.

The tents have screen sides to let in the ocean breezes, and taut canvas tops which create a wonderfully percussive stage for the tropical rains!

We loved to lay in bed at night and listen to the rainforest sounds (although one citydweller asked the owner, "how do you turn off that noise?")

The chorus of chirps comes in, but the creatures stay out...like this stunning 4' iguana who lived in the branches just outside our front door!

At the cliff top, the boardwalks converge on an open air dining pavilion... check out the view!

It's a popular gathering place at sunset, and a spectacular venue to watch thunderheads roll across the sea. But most often, it is the scene of creative meals, put out twice a day, featuring yummy, fresh, and nourishing items like yogurt parfaits, spaghetti and meatballs, vegetable omelettes, and even vegan specialties. There's even a bar, for beer and wine at dinner!

There's a lot of snorkeling...

and hiking, right at the Camp...

plus a yoga hut to practice your Downward Dog at 4am, 8am, and 4pm.

A full schedule of fun's at the Excursion hut

where the accommodating staff will set up all kinds of things, from cooking to art, night dives to kayaking.

TLT recommendation? Make time to go sailing on the Pepper!

For more information on Maho Bay Camps and the island of St John, email me at

Melanie@toughlovetravel.com!

Tough Love Travel on YouTube!

Back to Nature in the USVI

I didn't go to the USVI for a duty-free Rolex or a time-share. I went for the nature! (and some bonding time with my 17 year old son... more on that later)

Snorkeling on St Johns was the most pristine I've enjoyed in years. The coral is (mostly) untouched, and the visibility is terrific! We swam with Angels whose lovely dark gray or turquoise pancake-shaped bodies paddled gracefully between the rocks -- Damsels with their petite royal blue bodies dotted in florescent specs -- skinny Trumpet fish swimming on their noses - Parrot fish in their rainbow suits, munching on coral so loudly you hear them beneath the water (and thanks to our knowledgable guide, I finally learned what those red and gray ones are...the females!)

There were schools of tiny fish so numerous they made you actually dizzy to swim through them (you know, the ones that swim-as-one but scatter and swirl when you swim into them?) and giant 5' tarpon lurking nearby waiting to take them for a snack!

We even had the luck to see the perfect specimen of a spotted Eagle Ray just before we climbed back into the boat.

We were out on the Pepper, a lil 21' locally build sloop with a thick, wooden mast and a big empty cockpit sort of like the catboats back on the Jersey coast.

But you don't need a boat. Many snorkel spots are an easy drive and hike, and a favorite- where you'll find loads of starfish! - is Watermelon Cay at the end of Leinster Bay.

Another? Chocolate Hole Bay, where harmless nurse sharks are the big attraction.

And over on St Thomas, just a 15 minutes sail (on Heavenly Days catamaran)

takes you offshore to Buck Island's Turtle Cove for... yes... turtles! They thrive in the sea grass.

Here they are on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYj73-0i2zQ

Land-based nature lovers, check out this hiking trail!

It's called the Johnny Horn, and while it's only 1.8 miles long and only to elevation of 400', it makes for a challenging morning! Running from Leinster Bay on the northshore, over the forest ridge to Coral Bay, it goes past ruins of guardhouses, built in the 1840s to catch escaping slaves (the BVI, just across the short but treacherous channel, promised freedom to enslaved people), along beaches (like Watermelon Cay, above, and its starfish), through a forest thick with ferns and birds, and down to Coral Bay where you can refuel at either the Donkey Diner ("kickass food"... their slogan, not mine) or the famous Skinny Legs tiki bar.

There are also easier trails to explore the Annaberg Sugar Plantation or the enticingly remote Salt Pond beach.

You can even get lodging in nature on St Johns! We stayed at Maho Bay camps -a clutch of 20-or-so tent cabins, wedged onto this rainforest-y cliff, where a series of boardwalks connects your cabin to the bathhouse (yes, your tent cabin comes with a bed with fresh linens, some cooking facilities, and your own private deck! but you have to share a bathhouse),

to the activities desk (where you can sign up for sails or guided hikes),

and to the dining pavilion which is impressively perched up on the ridge-- so your hike to dinner is rewarded with a killer sunset view!

Maho Bay surprised me with a glass-blowing studio where you can watch the experts and even make a "flower" yourself! There's also a yoga studio (4am, 8am, 4pm) which my 17-year-old did not enjoy, and a camp store whose BenNJerry's he did enjoy.

It took me a couple of days to get into the pace of this outdoor island life- days filled with outdoor activities, quiet time around 5 to read, write and enjoy twilight as it settles in....
Dinner around 6:30 or 7, early enough to feel awake and conversational...
A walk back to your tent in that complete blackout, void of all sight but alive with chirpers (remember your flashlight)....
And still alert enough to sit and read for almost 2 hours in that complete
silence that only wilderness can bring to you.

It quieted my mind in the most beautiful way.

The pace of outdoor island life, I learned from this giant iguana who lived in the branches
outside my tent. He's about as big around as a large PVC drainpipe, not
counting those olive green spikes that run down his back (he's so puffy he
looks like he's been WAY overinflated!)
I don't have any idea where he hides from the tropical rainstorms, but at all other
times, he hangs out in the open, weighing down the jungle branches as he
surveys the boats and sea, hour after hour after hour.

I think he's got a good life!

If I lived like this all the time, i think I'd be so much more peaceful. And surely get a lot
more books inside me! I wonder, though, if my 17-year-old would like to share that with me? Maybe until the BnJ's ran out!

ROADTRIP! Livin' on Lobster in New England!

You've landed in the (unofficial) Lobster capital of the US: Acadia National Park on Mt Desert Island!

This coastline has a rich history of native residents, explorers, and vacationers, and believe it or not, Lobster was not always a treasured delicacy! But the land WAS treasured, first protected in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson, and later changed, in 1929, to Acadia.

To see what all the fuss is about, follow our route through this northernmost park, and sample Acadia's scenic playground alongside its crustacean concoctions! Go on a Lobster-Only Diet!

Start Day 1, catching the sunrise up on Cadillac Mountain, then head straight to Jeannie's Breakfast House -- in the park's main town, Bar Harbor -- for a Lobster Omelette (raved about on TripAdvisor's Bar Harbor breakfasts!) served alongside her legendary fresh berry pancakes.

Then, with bike and daypack, scoot to the bus stop in Mt Desert Street's main square. You can latch your wheels to the front rack of the Island Explorer (it's free!) and shuttle down to Seal Harbor, a perfect starting point for your ride home along Acadia's famous carriage roads.

The unique and treasured legacy of the Rockefeller family, these car-free roads are fun for a short leg or for a whole day. They feature 17 stone-faced bridges spanning streams, waterfalls, cliffs, and roads, and the design of each bridge, such as Cobblestone Bridge, is unique.

Check out the below map:

See Jordan's Pond House?

It's the perfect spot to take a bike break, for lobster stew, lobster salad, or lobster claws on a bed of lettuce!

After lobster lunch, it'll be a slow going, so take your time getting back to town, and plan a quiet afternoon at the Mt Desert Oceanarium, a Lobster Museum with Hatchery lab and Marsh tours:

http://www.theoceanarium.com/

On the way back into town, stop at 35 West street, Stewman's Lobster Pound. Choose a snack to go.... some crab and lobster cakes or one of the pound's famous lobster rolls.

Picnic in pack, head on over to the causeway to walk or bike over the only-at-low-tide land bridge to Bar Island which you'll find just north of the big pier on West Street.

Make sure you check the tides:

www.maineboats.com/tide-charts/downeast

Wonder how to read the tides? Next week, for example.... Friday June11th... low tide is is at 4:30 pm. High tide is at 10:42 so that means that you should be off Bar Island, and back in town, by around 7pm. Make sense?

On Bar Island, you can hike up to the little summit, or beach comb along the tidal beaches, but either way, you'll work up an appetite, so when the tide rises, head inland to the Cafe This Way for your evening's lobster!

Cafe This Way describes itself as "artfully prepared meals served in a setting as comfortable as your living room and as relaxed as your front porch".

In fact, you can savor your meal on THEIR front porch -- check it out:

Start the evening with lobster spring rolls, then dine on Lobster and spinach over penne (a nice twist on the ubiquitous Lobster Alfredo)

Day 2 should begin over on Cottage Street, on the front porch of Two Cats!

Enjoy your morning Lobster alongside Fair Trade coffee, fruit smoothies, legendary pumpkin-chip muffins, and seafood crepes seasoned with herbs from the cafe's garden. There's also a fine Lobster Benedict!

You'll want some exercise to work off this decadence, so choose from the park's more than 120 miles of trails with cool names like Precipice, Beehive, and Perpendicular-- names that have become vacation lore for scores of families who make Maine their annual summer retreat.

Or explore the lively waters, looking for porpoises and bald eagles, with Acadia Outfitters (also on Cottage St). Don't worry if you're a novice.... the guides are great, and offer you double kayaks and a range of itineraries to fit your skill and energy with your route.

Find a quick bowl of Lobster chowder or chili (no kidding!) and some Lobster fritters.

There are lots of lunch places in town -- one of the biggest tourist traditions is the Thirsty Whale, right off the main harbor. Order a cocktail there and get a red rubber lobster garnish!

In the afternoon:

Take a horse-n-buggy ride or a narrated boat tour to explore the woods and waterways.

or

Join a ranger program! A full listing is in the Beaver Log, the NP's newspaper. Here is a link to last summer's issue: http://www.nps.gov/acad/parknews/upload/JulAug09BLog.pdf

And tonight, head to Beal's Lobster Pier on Southwest Harbor.

You can watch the sun go down as the kitchen cooks you up some Lobster Thermidor.

On your last day in Acadia, take a daytour out to Little Cranbury Island. It's a sleepy island of rosebushes and grasses, historic wooden houses, and a dockside cafe with ice cold drinks and front row seats for all the harbor buzz!

And the Ultimate? Celebrate your 72-hour Lobster-Only Diet with an authentic Downeast Lobster Bake!

Most communities have some version or another of the Maine lobster bake. In the deep South it is the crab, crawfish or shrimp boil and in the Midwest the fish fry. The traditional lobster bake is the most involved of the three, because it requires building a fire pit. There are great outfits who cook up your crustacean (grilled or boiled) with seaweed fresh from the ocean... corn on the cob, boiled potatoes, and sometimes clams and mussels.

The options go on and on... Lobster stuffed Manicotti....... Lobster Ravioli...

You probably need more than 72 hours!