Belize: Final Thoughts

Final adventure: getting to the San Pedro flight -- another two passenger charter flight.

Can you see the twinkle of "scared we will die but yay isn't this exciting" in my eyes? Okay, maybe this is also me STILL not knowing where the camera is on the pixel phones. I am always staring off the side like an unhinged person.

Luckily, the plane trip was smooth and uneventful. We were at the airport, through check-in, customs/immigration, and to the gate within 15 minutes. 

Concluding thoughts/tips from this trip:

A/C in Belize is CRITICAL.  And Mosquitos are SERIOUS.

The jungle portion, while nice and unique and I'm glad we did it, is not something I would return to I think. Matachica, or San Pedro island generally I suppose, would be a place I'd consider returning to...though...I feel like there must be other places in Central America or the Caribbean that has better beaches and water/reefs that are just as clear for snorkeling.  Though I did like how Belize was not as "American-ized" as some of the Caribbean places we've visited on cruises. 

Thoughts on Matachica itself: I hear it's the only adults only resort in the island, which was a nice vibe for quiet pool time.  Things I would call out: the water from the sink and showers smells really really bad. Ian was convinced brushing his teeth gave him an upset stomach. I definitely had a little nauseated when brushing once or twice because of the awful stench. The shower also couldn't be anything but hot or very hot. Which is better than only being cold or very cold, but sometimes a refreshing not so hot shower would have been nice. On the plus side, Wi-Fi was decent, beds were comfortable, AC was powerful, pastries were really good, snorkeling and kayaks were very good. Guides and bartending staff were very good. I specify them because...the front desk gals and housekeeping service was a bit more mixed. Sheets and pillowcases were noticeably stained (to begin with, and because of that, I also noticed they were never changed in our 4 night stay), and the front desk gals didn't offer me Belizean chocolate bars when we departed, even though I saw they gave them to the other guests when they left. Did we not book enough excursions? Asked for the complimentary shuttles too much? Unclear, but I didn't like the disparate treatment! 

San Pedro: it is still a fairly poor/undeveloped country at large. The entire island is tourism driven -- even if you aren't in tourism yourself, you are indirectly supporting tourism. I can see why covid hit the island so hard.  It reminded me, with the litter, dusty-ness, construction everywhere, of China from when I was younger, so there was a slight feeling of nostalgia for me personally.  Belize is clearly working on modernizing as well -- bringing electricity and paved roads to more of the undeveloped rural regions, for example. If we came back, I'd probably check out the southern areas or maybe even Caye Caulker. Time it with the whale sharks and the manatees. 

I way overpacked for the jungle because of the fact that I ended up wearing the most light and yet still ankle-wrist-neck covered outfit I had every single day. I did make good use of almost all of my resort wear in Matachica though, as well as all four of the swimsuits. 

The July/August time frame was a good time to visit I thought, not that much rain really, but still in the "rainy" season so not very many people. Prices were also lower as a result. 

It was noticeable to me that in Costa Rica, we ran into a lot of families who came back year after year

..whereas almost everyone we ran into here said it was also their first time in Belize. Which I think is insightful -- again, it was a great trip and very enjoyable, but while I'm already planning our return to Costa Rica, I don't think I have the same urge for Belize. I guess more of a "once in a lifetime" place! 😉 

And with that, Ming and Ian out -- until our next travel adventure!

Belize - Day 8: "Secret" Beach & Kayaking

Last full day in Belize, so we figured we had to go check out the Secret Beach. Which truly, is probably the best known attraction on the island -- so clearly not much of a secret. 

Again, Matachica was kind enough to offer a free car shuttle over to the beach, which was amazing because the potholes truly were gigantic. 

Our driver said some people have even died in accidents with their golf carts (though excessive alcohol may have been involved in most of those instances).

After only 15 min or so (another pro of the shuttle: you go faster in a car than by golf cart!), we arrived at the beach. Somehow, our driver managed to cut off the sign in every shot. Gemini apparently can't help us recreate the last letter yet. 

Secret Beach, lest this last photo mislead you, is NOT actually miles and miles of white sand beaches and crystal waters. It is more like a ton of calm, shallow blue green water occupied by a string of bars and restaurants. Not exactly the "stroll along for sunset walks" type place. More the "sit at the tables in the water and listen to music while drinking a beer" type place.  

When in Rome...

But a few hours of that was enough for us. Plus, we had to get back to the resort to finally check out a couple kayaks for the Mexico Rocks reef. I was very worried about my kayaking abilities (the last time Ian and I went together, I tipped it while getting in), but the resort assured me the water depth was only about 4 feet, so I bravely ventured in.

Good thing I did, because it was actually really fun! The water was much more clear, the coral reef was much more colorful and the fish were much more varied. Our driver later explained this is probably what most of Hol Chan was like back in the day as well...before tourists overran it and the coral started getting damaged. I could see what he meant because of you weren't an experienced snorkeler, it would have been very easy to damage the reef environment given how shallow it was. Luckily, from all the scuba dives we've done, I'm very good at the, wait for a wave, hold your breath, float higher, get pushed over the coral safely routine. 

This being our final night, we decided to eat at the resort restaurant, which can't be beat for convenience and ambiance. Wrong side of the island for sunset, but still a nice rainbow sky.

The food was good, though I think I'd probably go back to the place down the beach given the choice, BUT, I realized they would let me order the double chocolate cookies from the snorkel trip! They remained as amazing as I remembered. 

And with that, last day in Belize was over! Tomorrow we fly home. 😢 

Belize - Day 7: Eating & Shopping San Pedro

Thanks to my meticulous reading of the resort website, I realized that instead of paying for a taxi or piloting our own golf cart through what we've heard is truly dangerous-sized potholes (true story, another couple at the resort today told us they got into an accident where they actually flipped into a lagoon and the wife went flying into the water! Yeah definitely not for me!), we can catch the same water boats transfers with other resort guests who are headed to or back from the airport for free! Faster, more enjoyable, less work, and free? Um, yes please!

Btw, we were sharing the boat transfer with another couple from NY, the husband was also a long term Googler who recently left to start his own company -- and small world time -- they had run into the couple celebrating their anniversary from our plane ride at their previous resort!! Ah serendipity. 

So, onto our self created food tour! First stop in San Pedro: famous Elvi's kitchen (pronounced Elvis, by everyone it seems). We only had the street corn. Tasty, but I've had better -- but the fact that it was a restaurant where the floors were beach sand? That was worth experiencing. 

Next stop: papusas at Waruguma. It was HOT in San Pedro today. Like Texas in summer, sweat everywhere even after just 3 minutes in the street hot. So the 5 minute walk to our second stop had Ian pooped already. 

He liked the lobster papusa -- said it tasted like a lobster quesadilla -- I thought it was okay...but needed more seasoning. 

Next stop: El Fogon, recommended by both our server at Chan Chich and the host of the Captain's table last night -- didn't get a photo of the food, but we tried the chicken salbutes. Very nice! Sort of like a tostada. The server warned me the jalapeno dip was very spicy. My takeaway is that my spice tolerance must be improving. 

But then we went to what was hands down our favorite of the food tour: Sun Up fast food. For fried chicken and chow mien -- the Belizien Chinese food! I quickly talked up the owner in Mandarin as our Chan Chich waiters had recommended and it totally worked. He not only gave us a free drink but also had us sample these Hong Kong style cakes that his wife had made that morning -- Ian's favorite food item of the day. This is their very very low key, counter takeout only fried chicken shop. They do not kid around on the fried chicken. It is fried as a whole bird and then chopped up. Very very tasty. And only $7 for the whole box with chow mien!

We stopped at the Belize Chocolate Company for a chocolate milkshake after this but forgot to take a photo. It wasn't our favorite. Too ice-y. 

Ian dipping his toes into the water while we wait for the new guests to arrive on our return boat shuttle back to the resort. 

Animal pic of the day: clear translucent like crabs! So cute, no?

I forgot to mention that in between all the food, we may have done some souvenir shopping as well. I actually wanted to buy a pair of mahogany folding chairs but Ian rightly pointed out that they were expensive and not that comfortable and most importantly, we really didn't have a good porch for them to live on. Fine. I still managed to end the day with several parcels though. 😊 

After such an action packed day, it was pool time again, capped off that night with a sit at the resort dock on some very comfy padded chairs, staring off into the dark ocean with a drink and some fantastic star gazing. Matachica really knows how to get you into an island relaxation state of mind!

Belize - Day 6: Sharks!

Today is our only excursion day for the island portion of our vacation -- we booked a 1pm snorkeling tour to see the Belizean reef and then a 6:30 Captain's Table dinner at our resort. But since everything was an afternoon event, the morning was spent lounging around. 

The snorkeling tour was with one other family -- foursome traveling from Switzerland, the two daughters were 23 and 26 though, but they seem to have an annual summer 3 week vacation tradition -- I could get behind that! We spent a good bit of the boat ride discussing their favorite travel locations, particularly for the "kids" -- top answers: Africa for the animals, Egypt nile cruise, and Iceland. 

The water in Belize is mostly notable for how ridiculously warm it is. Like it's almost TOO hot when you're wearing rashguards. The marine life at Hol Chan was as impressive as expected -- we saw turtles, sting rays, lots of barracuda, several sharks, and a high number of bigger fish schools. We had a guide with us which was nice because he would point out things that we might otherwise miss. He was an amazing free diver -- he could hold his breath and dive 10+ feet down going through caves and such. At one point he even went into a cave that was long enough that I actually had a couple moments of panic on what we would do if he didn't make it back up before he ran out of breath! The water visibility was pretty good -- I would say farther than Hawaii actually, which is notable because there was actually a good bit of sand swirling around. 

After the first Hol Chan stop, we headed to "Shark Alley" which seems entirely human-created. The number of boats parked in that area chumming for the sharks was considerable. Yet, even with the undeniably tourist-showiness, I have to admit it was still pretty cool to swim in such close quarters with some LARGE sharks. I could really see them up close -- to me, biggest realization was that Disney's Nemo sharks are actually a pretty accurate depiction of how they look! 😆 

I realized only after we pulled away that we should have taken some photos, even if from the boat so you could see the size of the sharks, but alas. Here's a photo of me thoroughly enjoying the post snorkel double chocolate cookies though!

We got back around 4, which gave us some time before dinner -- perfect for pool lounging. I used to like the Chan Chich pool better but today realized that by afternoon, our pool actually gets pretty good shade and it has these cool in water loungers! Reminded me of the lounge beds at the hot springs in Costa Rica, but the water/air here is nicer and interesting birds fly overhead more. 

Dinner tonight was a 6 course tasting carefully constructed to take us through the history of Belize, highlighting dishes from different ethnic groups/cultures. I won't do a good job remembering all of the descriptions given, but because we took a very small number of photos today, you're getting shots of all the food!

This was the second dish -- it's a chicken tamale again! Obviously no bones in this one, but actually pretty similar in taste and texture to the one we got at the roadside stand when we first landed in Belize.

This was my favorite dish of the evening -- stone crab and shrimp and fried plantains in a really tasty chive and cream soup. Maybe it's the fact that it has crab? Or that it was the first dish? But it was the one I enjoyed the most.

This was actually the last main dish: BBQ pork ribs. Very tender, easily fell off the bones, kind of an asian-influenced sweet/sour sauce. 

I think the fourth dish? A freshly caught ceviche dish with yucca chips and a sweet potato mash. Having now tried shrimp, beef, and fish ceviche here in Belize, I have decided I don't dislike ceviche, but also hard for me to get super excited about any ceviche dish. I liked the yucca chips more here.

I think this was the third dish -- a piece of battered fried fish on top and a rice croquette on the bottom. It was tasty, but not the most memorable for me. 

And to top it all off at the end -- a fruit (I think pineapple and key lime?) paleta (traditional Belizean popsicle dessert) coated in white chocolate. Because of the tartness of the lime, not my favorite dessert -- but glad I can now say I've tried a paleta.

Yes, those are leftover bug bites from the jungle on Ian's hand! 

And this ends our first full island day. I'm looking forward to exploring the city of San Pedro tomorrow! Shopping! (Ian is SO excited...). 

Belize - Day 5: Farewell Jungle, Hello Beach!

Last morning waking up to the Chan Chich birdcalls! I can see why birding appeals to people as their mobility decreases -- I swear I see more of the birds (and get better looks at them) just sitting still and waiting for the birds to come to the trees outside my window. 

One last breakfast as well -- review of the food here: it had some ups (burger was so juicy, shrimp curry was delish, shrimp tostado was better than Sanchos, fries were really well done) and some more mehs (fish was a bit dry, flauta was under seasoned), but one note remained true always -- there was SO much of it. And the avocados were so flavorful. I liked them so much I had them bring me a whole one...and then they told me we had a tree outside our villa -- picked one for the road!

Parting thought: upgrade to the villa really made for a much more pleasant stay. Note to self for future travel: if area has mosquitos, only book rooms with A/C.

One last safari drive...to the airport! 

Smallest airport we've ever traveled to.

Also the smallest plane we've ever boarded! 

I'm not sure I love the small plane feel...there's a lot more of a direct realization that there's very little between you and...the world. 

Crazy looking at the dark patches on the ground and realizing they are the shadows from the clouds above!

But then skies parted and we saw the blue green waters of the islands. We were quickly picked up by a nice man in a golf cart from Matachica (the number of golf carts running up and down the streets in San Pedro was pretty amazing -- don't think I've been anywhere else with that many golf carts as main transportation vehicle, tourists and locals alike!) and transported to a speed boat to get to our resort. Much fewer mosquitos when traveling by speed boat!

We soon arrived at Matachica, where we would be staying for the next 4 nights. 

Quickly snapped a shot of our cabana before Ian could explode his things all over the place. 

Initiating beach relaxation mode!

The pool is considerably more crowded, so I get too embarrassed to do my very bad swim form laps. (Ian says I don't look bad per se, I just look like I'm intentionally trying to swim very slowly 😆).  Luckily, the beach by the resort seems to connect to other beaches all along the shore, so aerobic exercise can change back to nighttime walks. 

Check out the little creatures we caught keeping us company!

Okay, maybe you need a closer look:

We had to keep our flashlights on to avoid stepping on them. They're not exactly the fastest moving...

Ian reports that Ambergris Caye is much more of a "you're in vacation" vibe place. I have to agree, the jungle is peaceful...but almost TOO peaceful. You have more of a "I'm here for introspection and mindfulness and self-learning" feel. 

Tomorrow: we go snorkeling at Shark Alley, part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. The departure time is 1pm...when the UV index is estimated to be 10. I am heavily considering wearing yoga pants to save my legs from sunburn. Wish us luck!

Belize - Day 4: Monkeying Around

Today is our last full day in the Belize jungle. We opted for the morning excursion to the Escarpment today (learning of the day: escarpment -- a long, steep slope, especially one at the edge of a plateau or separating areas of land at different heights) to see if we could catch some raptors / birds of prey (sidenote, shouldn't they be called birds of predators?). We also got some more history as we passed Sylvester town where most of the farm workers live -- apparently it started as a chicle farm -- where the people living here actually tapped these big trees for gum to make chiclets for exportation! 

But now the farm produces coffee, hot sauces, and the various product/livestock for all the residents/guests.  Here's the machine where they process the coffee beans.

Belize is apparently filled with butterflies year round -- they were EVERYWHERE. Many would just fly right into our jeep. And they'd congregate on the roads because they like the minerals in the water puddles. Check out the whirlwind of butterflies!

Beyond the farm, things quickly got more jungle-y. This area was pretty heavily impacted by the hurricanes about 3 years ago -- here is all that is left of what once a majestic mahogany tree (national tree of Belize).

Our new guide, Luis, showed off his amazing birding skills honed from 30 years of working at Chan Chich. There were way too many varietals for me to mention here but my favorite was the red bodied toucan (yes, I know the official name is something else). The beak is so unique it looks fake to me. Yes, this is a photo I took of his phone, because I didn't have a cool enough camera to get anything nearly this good.

It was a not insignificant drive up there -- probably an hour each way, made slower by the fact that we had to stop and clear the road of fallen trees and creeping sharp vines every now and then. And of course every time we tried to help, it turned out the vine had poisonous caterpillars or sharp barbs on it...jungle after all!

We weren't even sure we'd be able to make it because there is a bridge that is often covered by water -- we managed to eke by today with only about a foot of clearance!

We made it! 

Such a cute little lookout hut for guests to sit and sip a beer while enjoying the view. 

The only thing marring the experience was the ABUNDANCE of bugs. Sadly no mosquito netted room here! (This is sadly not the full extent -- the other side of Ian's arms were just as bad -- I managed to escape with much fewer bites -- 10 points for long sleeves and copious amounts of bug lotion!)

We followed a couple hawks through the spotting scope which was a first for me -- [note to big sky, we should do more of that from the living room! The birds are so much cooler looking up close!]

As we neared the lodge, we ran into a family of howler monkeys so our came the spotting telescope again! So cool looking at the animals up close like this. 

After lunch (delicious shrimp tostada, and fresh avocados because they're in season and literally dropping off the trees), I went back to the pool for some aerobic exercise while Ian took an afternoon nap. Remembered to take photos of the pool this time!

Tonight would be our last safari ride -- we decided to aim for the more animal-active dusk hour. Besides the standard birds again, we also caught up with a whole clan of howler AND spider monkeys. 

Check out these jumps!

These are my favorite Belize trees -- "Rain trees" -- this one is hiding a woodpecker, two brown jays, and more! (No, this isn't a Where's Waldo, you'll just have to trust me that they're there).

During this time of year, it generally gets a little rainy or at least very cloudy by the end of the day, so this was the best "sunset" shot I could get. 

Pretty nice view nonetheless at Lake Seca though.

Perhaps appropriate to close the day (and our Jungle safaris) with a "see you later alligator" (okay, fine it was a crocodile).