This is Not, a Travel Blog…
First and foremost, this is NOT a travel blog. The timing just so happened to align and I feel it would be a disservice to skip the journey that somehow ended with an event written for The Hangover Pt. 4… of which, only few are privy to.
Three good buddies, a rental car, a fresh cooler of ice cold Belikins, a seemingly endless pack of clique-cliques, and we were on our way. Heading inland through Belize from Ladyville to San Ignacio. Naturally, as is tradition for friendly and fearless Canadians, we quickly became friends with the Bartender, Paydro, and his troupe of fellow residents at our first Hostel - Bella’s Backpackers. A family owned business with two locations in Belize. They showed us a fantastic time in two short days showering us with hospitality; we each expressed great appreciation and shared a genuine connection that was carried forward into the end of our journey in Caye Caulker.
The first night, we bonded over music, beers, and a lil gambling. Paydro brought us to the local Barcade, housing two pool tables, one was beat to shit and the other pristine. A few friendly wagers over billiards - I watched Paydro sandbag and take all the money from Rich who is generally the shark - it was a hell of a showing. Then in a last ditch effort to reclaim some cash, they teamed up in a 2v2 winner take all against Rob and Ethan; ending in an upset loss in more ways than one. We returned back to the hostel, rolled some dice and called it - a night well spent!
Day two we headed into the mountains for an excursion to Big Rock Falls and the Xunantunich Ruins. Big Rock was awesome, featuring a tame swimming hole and cascading basins you could relax in as the current flowed over your shoulders. Topped off with a few launch pads and cliffs that put you right beside the falls. The locals rambled around the rocks showcasing their diving skills and led the way for where to leap. For a hot sunny day, the water was perfect temp for a cool down and the scene made for some great shots. Despite the tropical terrain, the mountain flora was akin to the creeks and watering holes I would frequent back home in Niagara which I found very interesting and caught me by surprise. Reminding me to always appreciate home and natures amenities - traveling or not.
Xunantunich was also a special little trip, hopping across a short river ferry we drove up to the site and wandered around its manicured grounds. With one major Temple standing 130ft well over the canopy, we were able to climb the front steps of the temple. I found reminiscent of ascending the large steep steps at Maple Leaf Gardens as a child. A few rooms housed small fruit bats and the carvings were in perfect condition. Xunantunich was a great primer in comparison for what awaited us in Tikal. Standing atop the temple overlooking the canopy it never ceases to amaze me what human ingenuity is capable of achieving; no matter how far in the past it was constructed.
San Ignacio is a quaint and colourful mountain town nestled on the border of Guatemala. Offering a very laid back style, local markets with diverse Maya, Creole, and Spanish culture. All along the way if there was a barbeque smoking with meat on the grill, we’d pull over for some stew chicken, rice and fry jacks. Shootin’ the breeze with the friendly locals serving up the grub, laughing over some ice cold Belikins. Our experience in San Ignacio definitely set the bar high and fueled the momentum as we headed into Guatemala.
We arrived in Flores. A small island town surrounded by the serene waters of Lake Peten Itza, south of the Jungle Mayan Ruins of Tikal. After finding our way through the tight winding cobbled streets we unpacked and quickly found some libations at the bar right at our hotel door step overlooking the lake. If you know, you know; there’s just something about a patio bar overlooking water - after the grueling and slightly hungover drive, the tequila flowed as watermelon flavoured cigarettes burned with delight. We took a quick dip off the dock - which would later become the obvious watering hole.
This place is absolutely gorgeous; an array of vibrant colours adorn the buildings lining the cobblestone streets leading to the Plaza atop the hill. The locals are incredibly friendly people, and tourists alike boasting a very jovial but laid back atmosphere. Flores was certainly one of the highlights of the trip. Our first night we stopped at Big Fish and treated ourselves to a few bottles of white & a grilled whole fish dinner all while looking out over the lake as the sun set on the seemingly slowly sinking island.
At the top of the hill is a beautifully dressed in white Plaza, with a few food stands serving up tasty tostadas - couldn’t be more authentic, I always paired with a bottle of fresca - the closest I could get to the elusive fanta limon… At the foot of the Plaza, is a quiet basketball court that is filled with exuberance when the sun goes down as local youths play some serious rec league ball. Boys and Girls facing off exchanging trash talk. We took a shot at playing in the scorching heat at high noon. It didn’t last long… the locals thought we were crazy - a lil heat stroke set in later that day. I guess that’s what happens when you try to start the engine on an empty tank and poor fuel choices; but hey, that’s life.
From here we departed late afternoon into the jungle to visit Tikal. Upon arrival we ventured into the park catching Golden Hour. Although we had to be up early to for the Sunrise Tour, it was great to see both perspectives of the Grandiose Ruins as the sun shone down it’s golden rays as the peaks of several Temples peaked through the Canopy. It sounds flowery, I know, but if you’ve ever been atop an Ancient Temple overlooking a vast forest you know the vibe. We retired to the pool and hit the beds at 9pm. *I ran out of film during this time, the photo below is shortly after sunrise, delivering a gorgeous green hue off the jungle.
All I can say is sleeping in the Jungle is no joke, this place runs on generators, so when it’s lights-out - it’s lights out. Three grown men sleeping in a brutally humid room with nothing to remedy as Howler Monkeys are having a jungle party at 1am and the birds sound like they’re in your room. I guess it sounds familiar… just not as pleasant when you’re on the other side of jam. 3am couldn’t come fast enough.
Tikal is hard to describe, it’s has an overwhelming sentiment. It is a massive ruined city. So much so they only recently discovered over a thousand new buildings yet to be uncovered from the Earth. As we walked throughout I would try to imagine the bustling society, a clear cut jungle, many buildings built of perishable resources now gone, was I standing in someone’s house? a small farm crop? was someone sacrificed here? a lover waited by a tree? someone chased down the path by a Jaguar or Puma? An effervescent society, knowledgeable and refined. Buildings were built in position with each equinox by denoting the time of year as the sun would rise behind each Temple. Stars would align with the corners of certain Temples; Orion’s Belt lines up with Temple of The Jaguar at certain times of the year. This Temple, seen below radiating its once Red exterior emulated by the sun in the early morning by a Kapok Tree.
With 5 days remaining and running on low-fuel, we hightailed it all the way back to the coast of Belize City - making a quick pit stop back at Bella’s to wish Paydro a Happy Birthday - then caught a ferry to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. a bustling island community with roadways built for Golf Carts. This isn’t your standard Americanized gated community, this place is alive, there is traffic (golf cart traffic), roundabouts, barbeques billowing smoke into the streets, pulling you in for more stew chicken, fast-talking comedic bartenders, and dock after dock after dock lining the coast. After a quick visit to the mercado for some ice cold Belikins we treated ourselves to a lovely AirBnB and some well deserved R’n’R for a little mid-trip recap; just the boys on a dock at night no trouble in-sight… then like moths to flame, and well past midnight, we somehow managed to find a Casino steps away from our stay.
The following day we headed out to Secret Beach. Which is actually the only place around that has hosted some beach property. We couldn’t believe this information either, but the jist is both Caye’s are scuba dive oriented, there actually aren’t large sandy beaches you can throw a towel down and catch some rays. But there were some very cool sandbars to wade in.
Again, we found a small joint called the Road Runner Deli - I believe we were cruising by on the Golf Cart and one of us smelt the smoke off the skillets. We ended up having Breakfast and returned for Dinner, post Secret Beach. The Owner and One Man show, Vermil, trained under Wolfgang Puck, returning to San Pedro to do his own thing. Originally, he was pumping out the quick dishes. But he expressed it lacked vision and passion so now he simply cooks small dishes for those who come by, there is no real menu and has no prices listed. You eat what is available in his fridge that day. The boys had steak and eggs and a breakfast burrito, and for dinner we had red snapper. You’ll have to take my word for it, but this man is the real deal. The Road Runner Deli is a place Anthony Bourdain might have stumbled on.
Just as you think the trip is starting to wind down, it completely comes flying back at ya… We found ourselves at the Palapa Bar and made some new friends, suddenly were all crammed into one golf cart and on our way to The Sunset Lounge, after crashing a Bachelorette party, I woke up in my bed to a gasp of air and some foggy memory. Phone, keys and wallet check? all secure… lets check on the boys… why do I have a large bar tab on the old bank statement.. oh we had bottle service? oh we pretended it was one of our birthdays and had the whole sparkler and sign shebang? Ok ok… let’s get the hell out here, we have a ferry to catch! It’s Sunday Funday at Caye Caulker. We rallied, found some more barbecued stew chicken - standard - and we were on our way to the final leg of the trip.
At this time I had one last shot left in the roll, so please ignore the San Pedro pics I’ll be using as filler… except for the one below, swimming at the Split in the kool-aid blue water. As mentioned, we had altered our plans and left San Pedro one day early to hit the Sunday Funday festivities at Bella’s in Caye Caulker. This was a great way to kick off the last leg of the trip and get us right back into the swing of things coming off a wild night at The Sunset Lounge.
We delivered the cheeky messages from the boys back at San Ignacio to their counterparts running the Caye Caulker hostel. After a few laughs and some rapid fire we got the greenlight and headed into the party. The standard gratuitous rum punch was served followed by tequila shots and house music under the Belizian Sun. As day turned to night we were corralled into the water for a lil boat party where we met the DJ’s and their photographer who just so happened to be locals from Flores; great guys, as well as a band of friends from South Africa traveling to and fro but happened to all connect in Caye Caulker. We then met a fellow Torontonian who unbeknownst to us at the time, we had been acquainted from afar on a golf cart back in San Pedro a few days prior. Oh! We also ran into Lou, who became a good buddy for the remainder of the trip. Louis was with us back in San Ignacio during the brouhahas - needless to say we were set. We hit the Split did some swimming, diving, and snorkeling; nurse sharks, manta rays, rum punch and Belikins.
Now, as I alluded to at the beginning… the final leg of the trip suddenly became The Hangover Pt.4. With 36hrs to go I was hastily awakened with some disconcerting news at 7am. Unfortunately, due to certain stipulations, the full story must be kept offline. Despite my desire for creative integrity here, my hands are tied. SO, lets just say it involved a missing friend, a charted speed boat, and some local law enforcement. But in the end, we walked away unscathed and still made it to the airport in time for one last ice cold Belikin.
Until next time… be sure to check out the Monthly 35mm for April. It was incredibly difficult to select photos for each section of the story. Many great shots of Flores and other street photography to see over there.
Por Siempre y Para Siempre,
Scott
