We're My Travel Goals Met?

People that know me are aware that I never leave home without my trusty notebook to jot down thoughts at any given moment. Have been doing this now for about three years, and quite often go back and see where my head was, compared with where I am today. Some might call this a diary, but it is much more than that. So before I started the trip, in keeping with this approach, on the first post of this blog I wrote down the major objectives of the journey. Time to take stock.

In summary, the trip objectives were:

1) Rest and recharge
2) Finish off a number of songs I had already started
3) Engage people and demonstrate a genuine interest in who they are
4) Find a bar with my name on it, and buy it

Rest and recharge

Absolute success in this objective. The last few months before the journey, let's just say I was a little on the testy side, always tired, sick quite often and generally ornery. But after my trip I can honestly say I have not felt this relaxed in probably 10 years. But more important, I now have the peace of mind that comes with knowing, well, that my well being is under my control. We are all responsible for our own happiness.

Songwriting

Have to say nailed this one as well. Finished four songs started before leaving, two new ones from experiences on the road, and added another dozen or so ideas to the list. One of them, Another Middle Age Girl is likely my best to date. My little travel guitar performed yeoman duty and I won't leave on my next trip without it.

Socialization

Surprised myself on this one. Although I enjoy the company of others, quite often I am very content on my own with my thoughts or reading a book. But on the road was different. Wherever the opportunity presented itself, I sent off the vibe that I was open and interested in communication. In fact more often than not, I was the one that initiated things with perfect strangers. On the odd occasion you would run into somebody that looked at you like you had three eyes, but most of the time people are looking for someone to talk to. Someone to share their experiences with. And I also learned a lesson here. While seeing new places, new scenery, new landmarks, etc. is cool, it is the people you meet, the connections you form, that make your journey. I have many, many, many wonderful memories of the people I met, and the stories they told me. Think I will do a separate post on this topic as a follow up.

A Bar With My Name on It

Although the jury is still out on this one, it was another rousing success. My two months in Mexico and Belize showed me that the only area I would be interested in owning a bar in those countries was San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. This town has a large English-speaking ex-pat community with Americans and Canadians intent on helping newcomers be successful. People here are very laid back with a motto of "no shirts no shoes no problem". I spent two full weeks walking up and down the beach, talking to bar owners with properties for sale, those who had recently purchased their bars, and long term residents and business owners, and ended up with a pretty good handle on what is required to make something work here. The bar that I had initially come to see sold two days before arrival, however, there are some irons in the fire.

My secondary goal of learning to like onions, was an absolute failure. Had them in a number of meals and every time, I hated them. Ah well.

Whats The Best Way to Get to Belize

The answer is quite simple really. It depends. On what you say? Well, a number of things:

• where you are travelling from
• how long you are travelling for
• how much you are willing to spend
• how adventuresome you are

There are essentially three ways to get there; air, water and land, or any combination of the three. I am no travel agent, and am basing comments below on booking my own arrangements and discussions with fellow travellers along the way.

Direct From Your Home Town

Unless you live in, or are travelling through, one of the neighbouring countries, getting to Belize will involve plane travel of some kind. The Phillip Gordson International Airport has a number of international carriers operating from there, including:

• Atlantic Airlines
• American Airlines
• Continental
• Deltal
• US Airways

These airlines offer direct flights at decent rates from a number of US destinations including Houston, Dallas, Miami, Newwark, Atlanta and Charlotte. So my guess is that if you are from the southern US, or places with cheap connecting flights to any of these cities, the easiest way for you to get there is fly direct to Belize city. You can then make your way to the final destination as you see fit, by either regional airline, taxi, bus, watertaxi or rental car. But for Canadians like myself, a return flight to/from Belize City will likely cost $ 800 + from a major hub like Toronto. If you are going for a short stay, or don't get hung up over a few hundred dollars, go direct.

A reasonable alternative is to fly into Cancun and make you way from there.


Through Cancun by Bus

If you book at the right time, you can find a return ticket from Toronto to Cancun for not much over $300 . I know this for a fact as that was available to me when booking my flights.
So you get to Cancun, and make your way down. If you have lots of time like I did, you can work your way down making stops at any of the many great destinations along the coast.

The quickest and least expensive way is to take the bus from Cancun to Belize City. The cost is around $40 US, and if you are in the country for less than 48 hours you don't have to pay the exit fee. People I talked to had no issues clearing customs and were happy they chose that option. You do need to get from the airport to the bus terminal in Cancun, but that is no big deal. There are shuttles and taxis. You can also take a bus for $10 directly to Playa del Carmen, and pick up the Belize bus there. Playa is a great place to spend a night. The only caution is to make sure you catch the right bus. You will eventually get there but some make local stops, while others are direct.

Through Cancun by Bus/Watertaxi

Pretty much the same comments as above, except you only take the bus to Chetunmal, and then travel by water taxi to Ambregis Caye or Caye Caulker. This is actually quite a neat little trip, which you can get more details on from earlier posts on this blog. But it goes like this:

• bus from Cancun to Chetumal - five hours and $ 30
• taxi from bus station to water taxi - ten minutes and $ 4
• water taxi to San Pedro - two hours and $35 plus $10 port fee. Add five dollars and half hour for Caye Caulker.

If you take this route make sure you confirm the water taxi is running the day you chose, as in off season it operates only  on alternate days. leaving at 3:30 PM. There is a little canteen at the dock once you clear customs where you can get snacks, beer and some homemade food until she runs out. Also a couple of streets back there are a number of nice places to eat, assuming you have an hour to kill before boarding.

Belize customs are cleared in San Pedro where you will arrive at dusk.

Through Cancun by Car

If you will be travelling mainland Belize, a really nice way of getting around is by renting a car in Cancun and driving. Mary Lou and I did this two years ago and had a blast (refer to my other blog at the bottom of the page for details on that trip). Notwithstanding the issues Mexico has with crime, if you travel during the day it is unlikely you will have any trouble. The drive to Chetumal will take about five hours, and is on divided highway most of the way. There is one tricky little detour , but it is signed and if you have your map or GPS, not an issue.

You will need to confirm your car rental agency allows their vehicles into Belize, as special paperwork is required and will be checked at the border. The agency will do this for you, but need some time to do it, so make reserations in advance.

For the Adventuresome and Stout of Heart

You can pretty much get anywhere in/through Mexico by bus. They have an excellent system that varies from large air conditioned coaches, to smaller local ones. I myself would not consider getting through Mexico from the US by bus, but one of the young Brits travelling with me on the water taxi had entered Mexico in Tiajuana by foot, and winged his way across the country, including the areas where most countries have travel advisories. Good luck with that.

Ambregis Caye to Belize International Airport

On the morning of the 21st of December, once I was sure that the world was in fact not going to end, it was time to pack up and head back home to Toronto. With a 3:20 flight, there was plenty of time to make my way to The Philip Goldson International Airport in Belize City. The Conch Shell Inn, where much of my time in San Pedro was spent, is right at the end of the dock where you pick up the water taxi to Belize City. This is a convienent and inexpensive way to travel, and is a bit of an adventure the first time you do it. Having said that it is also takes the most time. The second option is a quick flight with either Tropic Air or Mayan Island Air. More expensive, quicker and convienent. Lets do a comparison.

Water Taxi

The Belize Water Taxi runs a regular schedule between San Pedro and Belize City, with a stop along the way at Caye Caulker. The cost is about $12 US and gets you to the Belize City Terminal in about an hour and a half. Depending on where you sit in the boat , you either get a spectacular view of turquoise water and mangroves, or stare at a fiberglass wall. In calm seas there is no issue, but when there are swells of  few feet, or generally bad weather, it can be wet and bang quite a bit, and those prone to sea sickness might want to bring a plastic bag. They can jam you in like sardines if there are a lot of people going at the same time, but I have found the ride to be generally comfortable. Once in Belize City you will need to take a taxi to the airport, which will cost you $30 US, although there is an option for a shuttle bus at $10. So the trip will cost you from $22-$42 US plus any tip, and take about two hours.

Flights

There are two airlines flying out of San Pedro, Mayan Island Air and Tropic Air. While the type of planes, fares and schedules are similar, there is quite a difference in the condition of the aircraft. The best way to describe it is this: Tropic Air has the new planes, and Mayan Island doesn't. This may or may not be indictive of the entire fleet, but the two times I have flown in Belize this was the case. The airlines do coexist peacefully, and when one is overbooked, then they will shunt you over to their competitor. Long and short is I would fly Tropic Air first, but have no concern in using Mayan Island.

The airport in San Pedro is in the south part of the town, you can easily walk to and from any hotel in the main part of Town. If you are lugging a big suitcase, $5 US gets you anywhere south of the bridge. Same goes for the water taxi.

The flight from San Pedro to Philip Goldson International Airport was approximately $ 72 US, taxes in, and took about 20 minutes. The terminal is small but modern and spotless, and has a large vertical fish tank that can mezmerize you while waiting. Boarding and take off are done in about five minutes, and you get a great view of the Caribbean, cayes and coast line. You are on the plane, and off at the airport ready for your connecting flight.

Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA)

Flying in from San Pedro you will either land in a direct flight, or make a stop at Belize Municipal Airport on the way. Don't worry if you land at the municipal airport, you won't get confused and will know it is not your jump off point. The plane is up and down in a couple of minutes. When you land at PGIA head to the door at the far left of the terminal where your bags will be delivered by hand. At that point you go directly to the airline counters and check in for your international flight. American Airlines has four self check in kiosks where you grab your boarding pass and continue on in line to check any baggage.

From this point you have two choices, clear customs and head to the gates to wait for your flight, or head upstairs to a restaurant/bar that is located upstairs. To get there you bypass customs and continue left along the hall to the stairways. While you can get snacks and a drink inside, if you want something decent to eat do so before going through customs. The menu isn't exactly stellar, but it does the trick, and is far better than the pre packaged stuff you get once through customs. From a shopping perspective, go through customs first as there are more options. The duty free liquor prices are excellent, with a Petron Gold Tequila costing $35 US. Compare that to $90 at home.

In summary PGIA is a small but efficient one, and I quite enjoyed my first experience there on way to Miami and eventually Toronto. I will offer some thoughts on the best way to get to and from Belize in another post.

The Oreo Was Right

As with every other Doomsday or end of the world scenario we have got to enjoy over the past 20 years, the end of the Mayan calendar presented us with another opportunity for overhype, scaremongering, testimonials and ridicule. I guess there are enough people around that believe this type of thing that there was a need for a number of scientific papers to dispute the pending shift in the earth axis and resulting calamities. One of the best representations circulating the Internet, hilarious in my opinion, of how different people feel in is the photo below.

While solidly in the Oreo cookie camp, I was spending the 21 Dec right in the heart of the Mayan empire, and couldn't help but be interested in the whole deal. Belize, as with most other Central American countries, has ancient Mayan ruins sites scattered across it's lands, including a small one right on Ambergris Caye just south of San Pedro. Surprisingly, for being right at Ground Zero, there was little interest in the history and so called prophecies of the Mayan calendar. Although there was a formal celebration at the ruins in Caracol, not much was happening in San Pedro other than bands in Times Square and " end of the world parties" at various bars around town.

I had been invited to the celebration in Caracol, and though it was for good reasons, there are some regrets that I did not end up going. Tickets to the celebration were $170, and included park enrance,  three nights in a tent, food and celebrations. Not a bad deal all round, but my flight arrangements back home would have required me to leave first thing in the morning of the 21st; missing the main ceremonies and having to take a $100 cab  back to Belize City ahead of the rest of the group. So a decision was made to stay, and attend the $2,100 chicken drop night at Wahoos bar. In the end, the end of the night not the world that is, it was a quiet evening all round and I ended up in bed early, to get up before dawn to pack and watch what could have been the worlds last sunrise.

But alas, the Oreo cookie was right. The sun rose at 6:14 without incident, and continued to do so past the 11:11 trigger time, and it was back to the real world in the frozen north. Hmmm....

 

 

Diving Cenote Dos Ojos - Tulum Mexico

While diving the Cenote Dos Ojos Mot Mot divers had a videographer following the group taking pictures and clips of each of us. Normally I wouldn't bother purchasing this type of thing, but it was the only opportunity to get a picture under water since I did not bring one with me. All of the pictures below were taken by Mot Mot.The post from 27 November provides a bit more infor on the dive so this one is just pictures and a video. The views were spectacular, and this site can really be done by anyone once they are certified, provided you don't panic in the odd cramped spot.                              

My Diving Adventures in San Pedro Belize ( Mesoamerican Barrier Reef)

When I started  my journey on Halloween, it never even occurred to get certified as a Scuba diver. But like most of the other greatest hits from the trip, it was done on a whim and ended up being one of the highlights, in fact THE HIGHLIGHT. In reality, it was actually a recertification. Back in fourth year engineering, hmmm......1978, I took a NAUI course, and was certified after two dives in the 38 degree waters of the Bay of Fundy. According to recent diving statistics, 60 % of newly certified divers drop out of the sport, for a variety of reasons. I did that after two follow up lake dives in 20 feet of murky water.

As mentioned in an earlier post, San Pedro is full of scuba operators that I would walk by everyday on my travels from Belize Hutz into downtown. I settled on Scuba Steve. Four days and five dives later there I was, a PADI certified Open Water Diver. Over the next month, I ended up logging a total of 19 dives with a bottom time of  twelve hours, all but four right off the shore in San Pedro.

The Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Scuba Diving magazine ranked Belize as the number two best overall dive designation in the Caribbean/Atlantic. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef as it is officially called, is the worlds third largest. As the article mentions, and I can personally vouch for, the reef is pristine with regular sightings of spotted eagle rays, nurse sharks, groupers, barracudas, moray eels, sea turtles and on and on. Depending on the time of the year you can also see the worlds largest living fish, the whale shark, and manatees. There is an incredible array of other fish types and all the corals you can imagine, within a five to ten minute boat drive. South of the Northern Cayes, the reef is quite a bit further from shore, but still accessible and a wonder to see. Surprisingly, with all it has too offer, there are few crowds and you can chose a dive as intimate as you like.

Thought it would be useful to give a bit of a description of some of the favourites, well at least my favourite sites, off San Pedro. Each is similar though different, and for15 dives here, there was no moment where it became repetitive, as slight variations in your route resulted in much different experiences. (Note: The first three pictures are not mine, pulled from the web)

Esmeralda

Esmeralda is a couple of km south of Town and was the site of my first checkout dive. It is considered a novice dive because of its shallow depths, 30-60 feet, and ease of navigation, and some might find it a bit boring except for the abundance of marine life. The shallower depths also allow for greater bottom time, and visibility here is usually excellent showing deep vibrant colours. On my last dive of the trip we stood at the bottom and fed sharks and groupers, carefully, as well as hundreds of smaller colourful species.

Tuffy Canyons

This area is my personal favourite, diving there four separate times. While I began to recognize certain areas, each dive felt like a new one, and though the guide books say this varies from 35-100 ft, I stood on the bottom at the lowest point and the gauge showed 110 ft, the deepest I have been to date. There are a few tunnels in this area, one of which is pitch black for a short section. These are not really considered caves, but one is long enough that you might think twice entering. Every dive in Tuffy had three or four nurse sharks following us around for the duration. You will also find here the much hated lion fish, which is hunted by spear guns with impunity. It was really cool watching the nurse sharks follow the speared fish around until they picked them off the end. Eagle Rays travelling in pairs were spotted on three of the four dives as well.

Mermaids Lair

Have to admit to being slightly disappointed that I never actually got to see a mermaid in her lair. Having said that there were lots of other things to entertain while diving this area. Not sure why, but in checking my dive logs for this area, the visibility was much less than adjacent dive sites. On the second dive here, there was a bunch of plastic and other garbage floating in the top 10 feet or so, as well as a fair amount of sediment. Notwithstanding, each of the dives showed a wide variety of sea life, including nurse sharks and groupers that seemed to follow us around the entire time we were underwater. Mermaids Lair is a drift dive and you can go down as deep as 100 feet. This is a nice dive.

Mexico Rocks

This place is advertised by just about every dive operation, but in my opinion, is more suited to snorkeling or check out dives. Although there are an incredible array of different fish species here, the depth is around 20+ feet, with little coral compared to most of the other dive sites. If you do take this dive make sure you bring bait to attract fish, which may make the dive worthwhile. While holding a fish head in my hand, there were literally hundreds of fish buzzing around, nipping at everything including my legs. All this commotion attracted a large green moray eel that swam within a few feet of my hand. A quick tip here, when approached by a moray move your fin in front of it as they have limited vision. Once they bump into your fin, they will move off.


Boca Del Rio

I did not actually get to dive this location, as the night before my group did the dive, let's just say I was out a little bit too late. I was told by the group that this was one of the better locations with fingers of coral and sandy bottoms in between, and depths up to to 130 feet. There is a big statue of Jesus in one location at a depth of about 60 feet. Might freak a few people out thinking they were being called home.