The Wandering Couple

10 Things I Learned on the Portland Bridge Pedal

2011-08-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

It is late summer 2011 and time again for the Providence Bridge Pedal in Portland, Oregon. This is an annual cycling event that takes you across 10 bridges in the heart of Portland. The ride draws over 18,000 riders from around the country.

This year I learned several things on the ride and wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!

Ocean Research Buoy Meets Whale

2010-05-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

In April, I was aboard the Research Vessel Wecoma documenting the deployment of scientific buoys. Oceanographers refer to them as "moorings" which are a collection of scientific devices that are connected to a cable and anchored on the sea floor.

The final day of the research cruise the scientific team and ships crew successfully deployed the mooring called Alder. It is equipped with sensors that read wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and barometric pressure above the water line. Below the water line is a downward looking Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and sensors that read temperature, conductivity, pressure, and dissolved oxygen at various depths.

On our way back to port, we spotted a whale splashing around another mooring. I was able to capture it on video.

You can see photos and more videos on my CMOP blog here.

Portland Bridge Pedal

2009-09-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

There is a summer morning when Portland closes it's downtown bridges and lets over 18,000 cyclist ride across them. It is a fun way to see the city from atop the Portland bridges. This event brings out the best, worse, and weirdest riders.

I have been on the ride over five times. To make things more interesting this year, me and my pal Crunchy, decided to document the flat tires we came across. And oh my, there were plenty of them. I filmed and edited our adventures with my flip video camera. This is the story we returned with:

Old Man and the Sea

2008-10-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

The waves crashed over the railing of the ship as I moved the large sensor out into the ocean. How did a person who gets motion sick in the back seat of a car, end up on a research ship in the ocean? It all started after losing the No Reservations travel contest.

Last April, I took on a new job at a research center that studies river-to-ocean science. The center hired me to be there web/marketing coordinator. One of the jobs included producing videos for the web. Well wouldn't you know, they wanted me to go on a research cruise and document life aboard. The idea was to capture the human factor about working and living at sea for two weeks. I thought it would be an interesting and fun adventure.

Except for the fact that I get seasick. Thank goodness one of the staff told me about the seasickness "patch" you can get from you doctor. It is suppose to help prevent seasickness. You put it on before you depart and change it every couple of days. I ordered enough to last a month. (Better safe then sorry.)

Below is a video of me attempting to put on the emergency suit in under 60 seconds:

View the entire video blog

No No Res

2008-04-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

The results are in from the No Reservations contest! And the winner is ... not me. (Sigh)

The winner was Danya Alhamrani, a Saudi-American originally from Bismarck, North Dakota. Her trip suggestion of traveling to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was terrific. She wanted to dispel the myths and unravel the mysteries of the magic Kingdom and it's culinary delights. Damn! I want to go with her.

So what went wrong with my little masterpiece-of-crap? Well, there were two main problems with it. The first and most glaring is that I wanted to travel to a place I had never been before. How could I show someone around if I was lost myself? The second problem is that I never really let my true personality shine through the video. I should have watched my own Belize videos . I was much more relaxed and funny in them. Looks like I will be spending the month of May at home in Oregon.

How did this all start. Click here to read how this mess all began.

No Reservations - No Clue

2008-03-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the Travel Channel's show No Reservations. It is one of the most creatively written and produced travel shows. There's a snarky host with a wicked sense of humor. Interesting locations, people, and food. A willingness to let the story play out no matter how bad it can get. Take for instance the time Tony and the crew all got stranded outside in a blizzard in Iceland or when a cameraman wasn't paying attention and wiped out an Asian restaurants food for the entire day. They just kept the cameras rolling. Perhaps that's why I entered their contest and suggested traveling through the Australian Outback. To travel to a distant land, experience the unexpected, and help make damn good TV.

So imagine my surprise the other night when I was watching Tony Bourdain's old TV show "A Cooks Tour" on the Food Channel. The show opens on a long, barren stretch of highway in the middle of nowhere. Then a muscle car comes racing down the road. Inside is Tony at the wheel. Then they go into this theme of Mad Tony in the Australian Outback. OH CRAP!! That is what I suggested to do in my video submission. He even has a jar of Vegemite sitting on the dashboard and goes to the towns of Broken Hill and Silverton. I tell you I have never seen that episode until last night. I swear, never!

So there I sat with my jaw hanging open. The TV flickering away. My dreams of traveling with No Reservations crew swirling down the toilet.

Click here to see the results.

No Reservations - Delusions of Grandeur

2008-03-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

What the hell was I thinking about!

Sometimes you get a wild hair up your butt and try something different. I was watching the television show No Reservations awhile back and noticed they were having a contest. All you had to do was make a three minute video and say where you would take the host Tony Bourdain. I decided to check out some of the videos submitted at their web site. All I can say is they were not all that interesting. I figured I could come up with something better. Hell, I make videos for a living. I know how to walk and talk on-camera. How tough could this be?

I wrote a short script about traveling through the Australian Outback. The video would show me walking around town explaining where and why we should go there. I woud eat some street food. Chat up some of the locals. All the typical stuff Tony does. I even included a cheesy scene in front of an Outback restaurant. The biggest sight gag was to be the ending with me sipping a beer in a pub and tossing darts at a photo of Rachel Ray. Then I would edit it all together in the same style as the show. Oh, the delusions of grandeur began to swell in my brain.

Then reality set in.

Typically, I am the one behind the camera. This time I was on the opposite end. I recruited Diane to operate the camera. She does still photography but rarely uses the video camera. Like a trooper, she took on the challenge. She learned quickly that holding a camera and following someone as they walk and talk is not as easy as it looks. Scratch any fancy camera moves.

Then we realized the logistics of all the locations was going to be a big challenge. Calling restaurants to get permissions to shoot. Trying to get a street vendor on-camera. Searching for a 1970s' muscle car. Heck, we were doing this for fun, not to air an hour show on the Travel Channel. So it was time to trim the fat off this beast.

No restaurant. No problem. We can shoot over at our friends Tiki Bar as a stand in.

No muscle car. OK. We will use my truck and reference the muscle car from Mad Max, the Interceptor.

Editing. Nothing fancy. I wasn't applying for an editing job. I wanted to show that I was able to walk and talk on-camera while explaining all the fun things we would do in the Outback.

The creative changes worked out fine. We shot, edited, and upload the video to the Travel Channel web site over the weekend. The video came out good.

I felt all I had to do was sit back and wait for the rave reviews and a high rating. Not so fast, video boy! After the first 24 hours of voting, things looked dismal. Two stars out five. Oh this doesn't bode well. The good thing is the winner is not based on viewer voting. The No Reservations team has to pick the winner. (At least I hope that's how it works.) I guess we will have to wait and see until the judging is completed in April.

In life, we all have grand plans that are never realized. There are times you say "I could do better then that!" Well this time, I stuck my neck out. I tried to do better. And I had fun doing it. While I am not sure what will happen or where this will lead. What I do know is that at least I made the effort and it was well worth the trip.

Next: No Res - No Clue

Back to Shark Ray Alley

2007-11-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

We went to town today in search of a strong cup of coffee. When we were in San Ignacio and Tikal, the coffee was terrific. Here in the Cayes, the coffee was less then stellar. We heard rumor of a place downtown called Island Delight that serves up the best coffee. We found the place and pulled up a seat at the outside coffee bar. We order two cups of the house blend. Full roasted. Bold. Oh yes, this is the best coffee on the Cayes. Sitting next to us is Jason, a transplant from Washington state. He tells us about a hole in the wall restaurant that serves up a monster lobster burrito. Diane and I decided to check it out.

Waruguma is so small that we walked by it twice. We ordered the lobster burrito not knowing really what to expect. But when it showed up at our table, that bad boy was humongous, stuffed full of lobster, and absolutely delicious. (Check out the Monster Burrito video) Great coffee. Best lunch on our trip. We are on a roll.

We decided to give Shark/Ray Alley & Hol Chan a second chance. We booked the snorkeling trip through Sea-Rious. I was happy to see Jeffrey was our guide. The second time snorkeling through Hol Chan was a superior experience. We snorkeled the south face of the trench wall and then back on the north side. Crossing the trench we encountered three large spotted rays. They swam directly toward us. There was so much more to see today including a lobster hiding in the coral, a puffer fish, and more spotted rays.

We then climbed back aboard and motored over to Shark/Ray Alley. When we stopped, the boat was swarmed by sharks. Lots of them! Jeffrey tossed in some food so we could take a few pictures of them. Then it was time to get in the water. I had never been so eager to get in sharked filled waters. From doing a little research, we learned that nurse sharks and manta rays in this area are very tolerable of humans. It is said they don't seem to mind humans touching them. So Diane and I jumped in.

There underwater we watched Jeffrey carefully grab hold of a large ray. I was the first to swim up to the ray and ran my hands across it. It's skin was slick and felt somewhat soft and mushy. I looked into it's large eyes and it into mine. When I smiled, the ray blinked it's eyes at me. Amazing! Everyone got a chance to see the ray closer. Jeffrey was good enough to bring it up to the boat for the two women who decided not to get in the water. After they got a chance to see it, he gently let the ray go and we watched it quietly swim off.

Then Jeffrey gently put his hands around a passing nurse shark. He knew exactly how to put the creature at ease. Diane was the first one to touch the shark. She even cradled it in her arms. Her eyes lit up when holding it. Then she waved me over and I swam over. The sharks skin was much tougher then the rays. Being so close to this beautiful creature was truly a special moment for both of us. On our ride back to the hotel, we all talked excitedly about swimming with sharks.

This was our last night in Belize. The next day we would fly back to the States. So, I thought we should end this perfect day at our favorite local restaurant, Antijito's. We had such an amazing time. If you ever get the opportunity, take a trip to Belize.

Caye Caulker

2007-10-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

They call it a water taxi. I'd say it is more like a water bus since the boat holds over 20 people and they strap the bikes to the front of it. Whatever you want to call it, this was our transportation to Caye Caulker, a 30 minute ride south of San Pedro.

Caye Caulker has a sleepy, laid back feeling. The are no paved roads through town, little traffic, a tiny amount of tourists, and a few iguanas sunning themselves. We walked through the town to the end of the road and a beach bar called the Lazy Lizard. It is located next to The Split that separates the two parts of the island. To cross it, you either need a boat or swim. There are no pesky bridges to walk across.

Back in town, we met the shop owner of Chocolates who is a supporter of the Manatee. She informed us how cruise ship lines want to develop other Cayes, which in turn will shrink the natural habitat for manatee. We talked for awhile and then wished her much success in her fight to save the manatee. Outside I spot a sign for the street cook that grills up the cheapest and best lobster in all Belize. (Or at least that's what I read.) He started serving at 5 PM. Drats! The last water taxi ride back to San Pedro was at 3:50 PM and we weren't in the mood to spend the night there. Oh well, we settled for a lobster burger at a place south of town. Desert was at Femi's, a restaurant underneath the stilts of someone's house. The ceiling was so low that I had to duck my head. What they lacked in ceiling height, they truly made up for with the best chocolate ice cream we have had so far.

The water taxi took us back to San Pedro. That evening we ventured into town for the infamous Chicken Drop at the Pier Lounge. This is a strange ritual of betting on where a chicken will poop on a numbered board. There are 100 number. Each cost $1BZ. The winner gets all the money. I bought a couple of numbers, 4 and 89. The numbered board is fenced in on the sand outside the lounge. Diane and I found a place close up to watch. Then the hostess brought out the chicken and sets it on the board. Wow! You never heard so much cheering and yelling for a chicken. Diane is screaming at the top of her lungs. Several minutes later, the chicken drops his load on number 29. We laughed about the Chicken Drop all the way back to our room.

Next: A Perfect Day

Hairbands & Husbands

2007-10-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

Diane shares a few tips for women when traveling to Belize. Next: Betting on Pooh

Paradise Lost

2007-10-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

The Corona del Mar Hotel is pleasant place to stay on Ambergris Caye. We had reserved a penthouse room with a fabulous ocean view. The staff makes you feel right at home. Adie, the head housekeeper, always made sure our room was spotless. When we first noticed some "funky stuff" discoloring the wall, she came in and scrubbed it spotless. Frank, the handyman, always greeted us with a big smile and said, "it's another beautiful day in paradise." He is a good guy and even shares with us pictures of his family and the home he built. I should mention that Frank's house does not have electricity or as he calls it "current." He has been waiting years for the government to run a power line down a side street to his home. Friendly locals like Frank and Adie make your visit so much more enjoyable. That's why we like to stay in smaller hotels.

Paradise does come with a price. The days might have been beautiful but there was a demon lurking in the night. On the first night we were woken to flood lights pouring into our room and the endless noise of generators running. We learned that two hotels down there is an unloading area for barges. They bring in all the supplies to the island. It was midnight when the first of several arrived over the week. Some nights they ran the generators and other nights they didn't. I was so glad we brought earplugs. I can get a little cranky after a bad nights sleep.

The afternoon brings the promise of swimming with sharks. We are going snorkeling at Shark/Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. We try a different tour group called Aqua Dives. They pick us up at our hotel dock and take us on a short ride. The boat drops anchor off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye in Shark/Ray Alley. A few dark shadows appeared in the water. Sharks! Now you may think it is crazy to plunge into shark filled waters. Let me assure you however the ones swimming in these waters are not man eaters. They are called nurse sharks and are about as dangerous as a Labrador puppy. (Even Samantha Brown of the Travel Channel swam with them and she can be a bit of a priss.) Sadly, by the time we dived in the water, the nurse sharks had all moved on.

We snorkeled there for awhile but never actually encountered any other sharks. It was a big let down. Our guide had to spend most of his time helping two older people who could not keep up with the rest of the group. Sigh. The boat moved on to Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Hol Chan is Mayan for little channel. There is a trench in the barrier reef that is about 25 yards wide and 35 feet deep. We made our way there through the sea grass beds. Along the way, we found an octopus hiding in a small coral formation. Then Diane caught a glimpse of a shark. It vanished almost immediately. We dropped into the Ho Chan trench and witnessed the most beautiful coral formations. The coral has large finger-like projections that stick out. Inside the formations thrives a diverse population of colorful fish.

The sun was setting as the boat took us back to the dock at the Corona del Mar Hotel. Too tired and hungry to walk to town, we order a pizza from PepperOni's and sipped on a cold Belikin beer.

Next: Hairbands & Husbands

Bug Bites

2007-10-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

The sun is starting to set over the palm trees and realize that I haven't shared with you the lessons learned back in the jungle. So using my best imitation of the Travel Channel and a little bit of filmmaking style from Dirty Jobs, here is my advice when going into the jungles of Belize.

Next: Paradise Lost

Fins to the Left

2007-10-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Grab your fins because we are going snorkeling today at the second largest barrier reef in the world. We pack our snorkeling gear and walk up the beach to the tour guide shop, Sea-Rious. Jeffrey, our captain and guide, introduces himself to us and the seven other people on the boat. We are heading North to the Mexican Rocks and Tres Cocos.

The both of us have snorkeled before in such places as St Criox, Cozumel, and Hawaii. So we were no rookies to snorkeling. OK maybe a little rusty from the lack of practice. Nevertheless, we slip on the fins, pull over our masks, and fall over the side of the boat.

The barrier reef is spectacular. There are massive coral formations. A colorful and diverse population of fish. Parrot fish. Angel fish. Grouper. Yellow Fin Tuna. Many more than I could identify. My favorite is a itty bitty black fish with glowing blue dots. At Tres Cocos, we come upon a huge manta ray. The ray is about five feet across. It swims towards us. Then starts working itself into the sand. Jeffrey warns that they are not friendly in this area. We look but don't touch.

I forgot how snorkeling can work up a powerful appetite. By the end of the tour, I was famished. We headed for the streets looking for chow. Diane stops into Celi's Deli for a sandwich. I wanted some street food but sadly learned that they only cook on weekends. Luckily, I find a side street restaurant called Dianita's Take Out. They serve up one delicious Belizean fried chicken. We take our lunches to the beach and eat under the shade of a palm tree.

Next: Bug Bites

Fat Tires & Beach Sand

2007-10-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

The palm trees and sea air can sure put you in a laid back mood. I don't feel much like writing today. So why not make a video! Before coming on the trip, I purchased a $160 Flip Ultra video camera. It's small, fits in your pocket, and takes videos that are fine for the web. Today is a bike riding day and here is the video.

Next: Fins to the Left

San Pedro

2007-10-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

San Pedro is located near the second largest barrier reef in the world. The reef is only half a mile off the shore and you can actually see it from beach. Pretty darn cool. The town has a completely different feel to it then San Ignacio. It is much more tourist like with street vendors, time-share salesman, and trinket shops. The downtown streets are filled with golf carts. Lots of them. Whites ones. Pink ones. (To tell you truth, I am not sure if there is even a golf course on the island.) This and bicycles are the main form of transportation for locals. We did a spot the most unique Coke delivery truck, a John Deer tractor.

Our hotel is a 15-minute walk south of downtown. We learned quickly that the best way to get to and from town is on the beach, not the road. Diane took a minute to review a street map to find a lunch spot. I moved into the shade to get a drink of water. While minding my own business, a man on a bike approached. He asked me if I wanted to buy some ganja. Ahhh, no thanks. Not sure why he thought I would of been interested. Maybe it was because I hadn't shaved in a couple of days. Maybe it was my faded ball cap and dark sunglasses. On things for sure, I was going to get cleaned up after lunch.

We ate lunch at Celi's, a small deli with good sandwiches and tasty tamales. Then we decided to check out Island Supermarket, the largest grocery store on the Caye. Holy cow! Their prices were the largest. All the goods were about twice as much as in the states. That explains why the there were hardly any people in the store. The night before we stopped in Marina's Grocery across from Antojitos. The prices seemed more reasonable there. We'll check it out later. But first, we went back to the hotel, took a swim, drank a few rum punches, and dozed under a palm tree. But most importantly, I shaved.

Marina's grocery is like a small country store. There are narrow isles packed tightly with goods and locals. We were the only tourists in the store. Picked up rum, cola, Belikin beer, limes and chocolate milk. These were all important essentials for our hotel room. On the way back, we bought a pizza at a tiny trailer called PepperOni's. We ordered a small cheese and took it back to our room. I have to say they make one darn good pizza.

Next: Fat Tires & Beach Sand

Cayes Bound

2007-10-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

I woke to the sounds of Diane bustling around the room. The clock says it is only 5 AM. Oh how I want to sleep longer. There would be no loafing around this morning. We had to be in the Grand Plaza for sunrise. Grab our 10 AM van ride back to San Ignacio. Eat some lunch. Take another van ride all the way to Belize City. (No chicken buses this time.) Catch a 4 PM flight to Ambergris Caye. Then a hail a cab for a ride to our hotel south of San Pedro.

The skies were blue as the sun rose over Temple 1. There were howler monkeys in the trees above. They paid no attention to us as we sat to enjoy the moment. We met a friendly woman in her forties traveling alone. She was happy to have someone to talk with. We hiked over to Temple 4. On top, we came across a critter called a Coati. (photo below) This is a fury, four-legged animal with a bushy, striped tail. He was busy investigating all the scaffolding and workers tools. It spotted something below and disappeared down the side of the temple. We took our time to enjoy the view. Then looked at our watches. It was time to go.

The trip from Tikal to the Belize City municipal airport went smoothly. The flight to San Pedro on Maya Island Air was supposed to take only 15 minutes. We even got bumped to an earlier flight. This was looking good until we took off and Diane spotted our bags still sitting on the runaway. Then we were told that the airplane was actually going over to the Belize International Airport and we would need to change planes. Aaak! We waited in the airport for almost an hour. When we finally arrived in San Pedro our bags were not there. So we hoped they would arrive on the next flight. Over a half hour later the plane landed with our bags. Our short 15 minute flight ended up taking 2.5 hours.

We hailed a cab. There didn't look like any room in the van due to his entire family was packed inside. The driver kicked his sons out to make room for us. I felt a bit guilty about the boys having to walk. We rode with the rest of the family to the Corna Del Mar hotel.

This had been a long day of traveling. I asked Ernesto, the desk clerk, where was a nearby restaurant that served good, inexpensive Belizean food. He recommended "Antojitos" across from Marina's grocery. The place was only a five minute walk south. We were greeted at the door by some friendly locals that invited us in. The food was fabulous! Diane had the Belizean stewed chicken and I ordered the fresh snapper. Good food. Friendly people. Extremely affordable. The whole meal cost about $10 US. Reminder to self: Always ask the locals where they like to eat.

Next: San Pedro

Night Falls on Tikal

2007-10-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a home cooked meal and a cold beer after a long days adventure. We ordered two beers, the local favorite Gallo. My lack of speaking Spanish really was felt when it came time to pay. The owner didn't speak any English and like a dork, I only had US and Belize money in my pocket. I went into the back of the restaurant to figure things out. It was a dark area with no electricity. The entire family was sitting around an open cooking pit. They looked at me like I had just landed from Mars. As the both of us bumbled along trying to communicate, a local driver came up to assist. Luckily he spoke both languages and got everything cleared up. Note to self: Learn more of the local language before traveling to a foreign country.

We were staying the night at the Jungle Lodge. The room was the best accommodations so far on the trip. Large room with nice furnishings. Quiet location. We even had netting that went around the bed. A generator runs the entire lodge with power from 6-9am and 6-9pm. After that, it's lights out. There is a restaurant on the premises and meals are included with the room. The cool thing is the lodge is located at the entrance to the ruins. This makes it easy to go in and out as you please.

We hiked back to the Grand Plaza for sunset photos. All the tour groups were gone. We almost had the place to ourselves. I think we encountered no more than 10 people. Three of them were Maya shamans performing a spiritual ritual in the plaza. They had a small fire burning and said prayers toward each of the structures. We stayed a little too long because it was getting dark. Thank goodness I had packed a flashlight. The dark jungle was alive with noises and the extra light sure helped as we hiked back to the lodge.

Next: Cayes Bound

Tikal

2007-10-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Tikal is a spectacular jungle site of a Mayan civilization. The Maya started to build the city around 500 B.C. Then around 900 A.D. the people left and the jungle took it back. For over 1000 year, the city was lost.

We read a great deal about Tikal. None of it captures the amazing feeling you get standing in the Grand Plaza. The plaza has four structures with the distinct ones being the Mascarones Temple (Temple 2) and the Temple of the Big Jaguar (Temple 1). In the later was buried the ruler, Al Cacao, around 700 AD. He was discovered wearing over 200 pounds of jade!

We were allowed to climb to the top of Temple 2. The park built a staircase to get to the top. Those Mayans love to build short, steep steps. We climbed up the almost 124 feet to the top. There you had a sweeping view of the Grand Plaza below. Our guide told us that the plaza alone took over a 1000 years to build.

I should mention that Tikal is surrounded by jungle. We needed to hike through dense foliage to see the different areas. On our hike, we spotted a red deer, spider monkeys, a black buzzard, and a long line of army ants. Oh and by the way, don't stop in the middle of the ants or they will bite the crap out your leg. I learned that the hard way.

There are too many temples and structures to write about in this blog. I do want to mention however Temple 4, the Temple of the Twin Headed Serpent. This is the tallest temple standing at over 200 feet. A couple of years ago it was struck by lighting. (Back in the day, I bet that would have freaked out the Mayan priests.) The temple is currently under emergency repair and engulfed with scaffolding. We still were allowed to climb to the top. So up we went.

The best photo opportunity was on the scaffolding hanging over the edge. There were a couple of boards loosely wired to it. So I inched myself out to the edge. The movement of my body caused the whole structure to sway. I looked down to see nothing under me except the ground way, way down below. But what a view of Temples 1 and 2 surrounded by jungle. Sometimes you have to work a little harder to get a good photo. (It is at the top of this page.) Now how do I get myself back safely?

Back at the bottom, we came across some workers who were digging under the temple. There we met an elderly man named Mr. Julius. We learned that he had worked at Tikal for 50 years. In his youth, he was a tunneler. He was the one who discovered the rulers burial chamber in Temple 1. Mr. Julius was called out retirement to supervise the tunneling on Temple 4.

Elias spent a lot time with us and was a terrific guide. At the end, he took us over to a family run restaurant and made sure we got our lunch. Then we said our goodbyes and he left to catch a ride back to San Ignacio. Now we were on our own and the language barrier became more evident.

Next: Night Falls on Tikal

Road to Tikal

2007-10-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today we are headed to Tikal, a Maya ruin in the jungles of Guatemala. The hotel arranged for transportation and our escort, Anna. She would make sure we got through customs and to Tikal safely. We decided to book a guided tour because I speak almost no useful Spanish. I can only say thing like "hola, buenno, and dos cervesa por favor." Diane had a year of Spanish in college. While she doesn't remember much, it would come in handy later in our trip. I realized booking the tour was a wise decision the moment we arrived at the border.

The border is extremely hectic with a cast of nefarious looking characters. Money vendors. Beggars. Cab drivers. Pick pockets. I watched as one little boy tried to reach out and grab Diane's purse. He looked at me and I simply wagged my finger at him. He turned and vanished into the crowd. We were greeted by our tour guide, Elias, a friendly man in his mid 40's. All of us piled in the van for the ride to Tikal.

The first part of highway to Tikal is unpaved and a bit hazardous. The rains the night before only made it worse. The road was muddy with standing water and one bad ass uphill drive. You get kind of nervous when an 18 wheeler is slipping and sliding directly toward you. Thank goodness Elias distracted us with conversation about his country.

This region of Guatemala is poor. Villages and homes are shacks with tin roofs. Horses, pigs, chickens and dogs roam freely along the roadside. And sometimes they are in the road. Elias informed us that until recently the government was giving out free land in this area. They wanted to get more people to settle in the eastern part of the country. The settlers were mostly farmers and ranchers.

The van made a stop at a roadside shop. We all stretched our legs and grabbed a cup of coffee. The open-air shop was filled with handmade textiles. Diane found a lovely placement that she purchased. I wandered into the back of the store. There I found a woodcarver and his sons working at a bench. He was carving a wood figurine. There were no power tools. All the work was being done with hand tools. The final results of his work were quite detailed.

We are back on the road and this time it is paved. It takes us less then hour and we are at the gates of Tikal. An armed guard walks to van. Anna takes care of the details and we are whisked off to the start of tour of Tikal.

Next: Tikal

Place of Ticks

2007-10-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Why would you nickname a Maya ruin The Place of Ticks? The reason is when the first archaeologists in the 1950's found the place, it was a cow pasture. The cows and everything else were infected with thousands of ticks. Now a days there are not so many ticks and today there were no other visitors. We had the ruins to ourselves. Cahal Pech dates back to 900 BC. While it is smaller, the place is still extremely interesting.

Climbing down the steps of a temple, I spotted a couple of large rat like creatures. A friendly, ex-park ranger walked up to us and explained that these were Gibnuts. They grow up to two feet and weigh around 20 pounds. This animal is a prized culinary dish in Belize. We were told that the Queen of England had Gibnut for dinner when she visited. Chalk this one up for bizarre foods.

The ex-park ranger now runs a small gift show on the premises. He proudly told us that he had planted some of the trees in the ruins. We walked with him over to his shop and met his sons. The skies were growing dark and it was time to leave. This would be our last night in San Ignacio. For tomorrow, we trek to into Guatemala and the lost city of Tikal.

Next: Road to Tikal

Xanantunich

2007-10-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's kind of tough to top yesterdays adventure. Yet today's travel would take us over a raging river on a hand-cranked ferry . An encounter with armed soldiers. And a climb to the top of the tallest Maya structure in all of Belize. There we would be no looking back for us on this trip.

A cold front moved in over night bringing rain. By cold front, I mean the temps dipped down into the high 60's. The staff at the open air restaurant were bundled up in sweaters and long pants. You could easily spot me as a tourist because I had on shorts and acted as if it were the middle of summer.

We hired a local cab driver, Melvin, for half the day to take us to Xanantunich. He drove us west for a few miles to a ferry crossing. This was a turn of the century device that was operated manually by a hand-crank. There were no fancy motors, just good old elbow grease. The rickety ferry looked like it could barely hold one car, let alone us. Now for the bad news. The rains turned the river into a raging, muddy torrent that might just be able to sweep the ferry away. The ferry operator said no cars would be crossing today. However passengers could walk on and cross at their own risk. Diane and I figured that since we survived the ATM, a little fast moving current wouldn't slow us down. We waved goodbye to the cab driver and climbed aboard. Joining us were several armed soldiers carrying loaded M-16's. We felt safe heading to the ruins with our armed escorts.

The reason there are soldiers at the ruins is that bandits from Guatemala would sneak across the border and rob tourists. One soldier told us that the bandits typically took all your valuables and then tied you in the woods. I would like to mention again that it was comforting to have the soldiers with us as we walked a mile to the ruins.

Xunantunich covers about one square mile of ground with 6 plazas and over 26 temples and palaces. Back in the day this was one huge Mayan city. The tallest temple was El Castilo at 120 feet. The cool thing is that you can climb to the top of it. The ancient Mayans seemed to like short, steep steps with no handrails. I carefully made my way to the top. The reward was a sweeping view over the top of the jungle.

A shower broke out and we headed for cover in a picnic table area. There we met a soldier and three ground maintenance men. The soldier was kind enough to move his M16 off the picnic table and offered us a seat. He spoke good english and we talked about the history of the ruins.

The rain passed by and the sun returned. We spent the rest of the day exploring the ruins. It was starting to get late and had to head back. As we rode the ferry back across the river, Melvin was waiting for us. And so were several vendors wanting to sell us their goods. They showed us some finely, hand carved stone souvenirs. One had a map of Belize. Another the different Maya symbols. We kindly declined. Then got in the cab and went off to the next ruins nicknamed the Place of Ticks.

Next: Cahal Pech

The Cave of Fear

2007-10-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Eating termites. Swinging from vines. Exploring a sacrificial cave. Sounds like a scene from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. And that is exactly what it felt like. This was our adventure into the ancient Mayan cave of fear called the Actun Tunichil Muknal.

The guide Juan Carlos and driver picked us up at our hotel in a beat up Chevy van. The rig looked like it had seen a lot of hard road. It wouldn't be long before we learned for ourselves why it looked that way. Juan stopped in town to pick up a young couple that would be joining us, Ryan and Susan. The van then rolled down the two-lane highway till it reached a dirt road turn off.

From there, we drove over a washboard dirt road through a valley surrounded by jungle. This part of the ride definitely would test the fillings in your teeth. Pot holes the sizes of craters. Creeks flowing over the road. Yet as I prayed my capped teeth wouldn't fall out, I noticed something unique outside the window. There were families washing their clothes in the stream. Children in little uniforms walking to school. Toucans with bright color beaks flying into the trees. There was a rural beauty to this area, a feel like you traveled back in time to a simpler lifestyle.

We reached the end of the road, shaken but intact. Juan handed us our helmets and lights that would be needed in the cave. We slathered on the bug spray to protect our fair skin. Then we began our hike that would take us deep into the jungle to reach the mouth of the cave. We encountered three streams to cross. There were no bridges. You just have to wade through the water and try not to slip on the rocks. Luckily, no one took a header into the water. Juan came upon a tree with a large termite's nest. He poked a stick into it and extracted some of the termites. He told us that they were eatable and then proceeded to pop one in his mouth. This would definitely count as a bizarre food. Then Juan offered all of us a taste. Diane was brave enough to eat one. She said it had a woody carrot taste with a touch of bug spray. Hope it won't be on our dinner menu anytime in the near future.

We passed a tarantula and coral snake as we trekked further into the jungle. We discovered a long vine hanging over the slope of a hill. Like little kids, we all took a swing on it while making Tarzan like sounds. Then we arrived at the mouth of the cave. It had a spooky face like opening with a river flowing out of it. Maybe that is why they call it the Cave of Fear. This definitely was going to get interesting.

We climbed down the side of the hill and into the river. Juan warned us the water would be chilly. After spending all summer in the cold rivers of Oregon, we thought it felt down right comfortable as we swam into the cave.

Inside there was a rock ledge to climb up out of the water. Juan asked on a scale of one to ten, what kind of experience we would like to have. Like fools, we all said ten. This would take us through some challenging paths. We found ourselves in a section where only one person could squeeze through with water over our heads and the current pushing against us. We moved deeper in through water, over rocks, under rocks, and need I say it, through rocks. After 500 meters, it was time to climb upwards.

The cave wall had no ropes or ladders. We just had to use careful placement of feet and strong fingers to pull ourselves up. Resting on top, Juan asked us to do something very peculiar. He asked us to remove our shoes. What? Uh, weren't we like climbing on rocks and shoes might protect our tender toes? He told us that sole of our shoes would contaminate the sacred Mayan area. Good thing he told us to wear socks before the trek.

We worked our way into a massive opening in the cave. It looked as long as a football field and at least three stories tall. As Juan shined his light, we witnessed ancient Maya pottery, ceremonial items, and human remains littered everywhere. The history of this cave is the priest came here to make offerings to the rain god, Chac. They would bring pots filled with food to be left for the Gods. They would also make human sacrifices. Some prisoners. Some virgins. Juan tells us the virgins were not sexual virgins but spiritual, people who were pure to their gods. The offerings were to help bring rain for the crops.

As we journeyed further, we saw a huge carving of a Mayan head. There were impressive geological wonders of stalactites and stalagmites. The photos we took did not really capture the wonder of this place.

Nearing the end of the cave, Juan had one last thing for us to see. This would require more climbing. Strangely enough, someone had put a metal ladder there for us. This was the only one in the entire cave. We climbed to the top. Slid through a tight opening in the rocks. There we came upon a completely intact skeleton of a teenage girl known as the "Crystal Maiden". She is the last known remains found in the ATM.

We climbed out of the cave and hiked back to the van. Thank goodness the driver was still there waiting for us. The only problem was that the van did not start. It made some awful grinding noises. We all stood there soaking wet with slightly worried looks on our faces. Juan stuck his head under the hood. Wiggled a few wires. Still it wouldn't start. He climbed under the rig and said something about the drive shaft. We heard some banging. A bit of profanity or maybe it was a Mayan prayer. I'm not sure which. But what I do know is the van sprung to life. We all piled in and head back to town

Looking back, I have to say this was one the most amazing experiences in my life.

Next: Xanantunich

Cahal Pech

2007-10-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Take a nice resort like Cahal Pech in Belize, add one cheesy video producer, edit together, and this is the kind of stuff that shows up on YouTube ...

Next: The Cave of Fear

Cave Tubing

2007-10-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

If it is Monday in Belize, it must time to go cave tubing. I should explain that cave tubing is a fun little outing where you ride inner tubes down a river through long, dark caves in the middle of the jungle. Our adventure would take place deep in the jungle of Jaguar Paw. Edgar, our guide, took us over to where the inner tubes were stored. They have tubes as far as the eye could see. Edgar said during the busy season, the guests from the cruise ships use every tube. The cool thing about traveling in the off season is that there are not many tourists. Diane and I were the only ones with the guide.

I grabbed the biggest tube, slung it over my shoulder, and proceeded to hike through the jungle. We made stops along the way to learn more about the plants and life in the jungle. Edgar's keen eye spotted a tarantula in its hole. He picked up a thin stick, put some saliva on the end, and poked it in the hole. The tarantula grabbed on to it. He slowly pulled the hairy creature out of its nest. We quickly stepped back, not really liking spiders. The female was actually quite beautiful with black and silver fur and red stripe on her back.

Leaving the spider behind, we reached the starting point. The slow moving water was warm as we lowered ourselves into the river. The first cave we floated into was over a mile long. The cave was wide but had a low ceiling. The further we floated in, the darker it got. At one point, we turned off our lights and floated in total darkness. The only sound was of the moving water. This was a tranquil and peaceful experience.

We came out of the cave and into some small rapids. This shot us into the next cave that was completely different from the first. This cave had high ceilings with fascinating rock formations. There were also bats in here. I learned that it might not be a good idea to flash your light at the bats. They tend to get excited and fly at you. Exiting the cave, we were back to the point we started our hike.

Next: Cahal Pech

San Ignacio

2007-10-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

The bus rumbled into San Ignacio with two weary travelers. The ride took us through the capital, Belmopan, where we stopped to drop off and pick up new riders. The interesting thing is that the moment the bus doors opened, several vendors stormed the bus selling food. They had sandwiches, plantins, chips, candy, and soda pop. The two-hour ride still did not produce any chickens on the bus.

San Ignacio is a small town in western Belize, only a few miles from the Guatemala border. The first thing I noticed is this must be the place where cabs go to die. Smashed. Beat up. Shattered windshields. Seats with no padding. Sticky doors. There were going to be no comfy rides in this town. We read to always ask the price before getting into a cab. That way there are no surprises. Good tip. The cabi and I settled on $5BZ to take us to our hotel, Cahal Pech Village Resort.

The resort is located on top of the hills overlooking the city. We were staying in a charming, thatched roof cabana with a screened in porch and hammock. That evening as the sun set over our cabana. I started to hear the faint noise of dogs barking in the distance. By dark, the sound had gown extremely loud, like every dog in town was barking. Thank goodness I packed earplugs. They helped muffle the noise and allowed us to fall asleep.

Next: Cave Tubing

Belize Zoo

2007-10-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

To tell you the truth, I am not a big fan of zoos. Never really like to see creatures caged up. This zoo was a little different. The animals are in their natural habitat and the humans are fenced off from them. The bus dropped us off in front of a dirt road with a sign to the zoo. We started our trek not knowing how far we had to go. It wasn't too long before we reached the entrance. Plunked down our $16BZ each and entered.

The wildlife includes tapirs, howler monkeys, black panthers, jaguar, and a harpy eagle to name a few. Watch out for the Tapir because they like to pee on visitors. We luckily didn't get sprayed. The zoo has entertaining signs that are hand painted and talk about the animals. We came across a nine-month-old jaguar named Junior that was playing with a large purple ball. He was like a giant kitten with really, really big claws.

As we walked through the zoo, I noticed a few little blood spots on Diane's leg. It dawned on us that we were being eaten by mosquitoes. We pulled the bug spray out of the backpack and lathered up our exposed areas. The skeeters didn't bite us after that. Too bad I wouldn't remember this later on during the trip.

The zoo trail led back to the gift shop. I purchased an ice cream bar and it tasted so good. A young local girl sat next to me in front of the shop. She told me all about what she had seen while we ate ice cream. Her folks smiled at me as we sat and chatted. But there would be no time to rest because we had to catch the next bus to San Ignacio.

Next: San Ignacio

The Chicken Bus

2007-10-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

Public transportation is an interesting way to get a feel for Belize, especially when your wife is the only blonde on the bus. But I have gotten ahead of myself. The country of Belize is slightly larger than Massachusetts. A melting pot of Creoles, Mestizos, Garifuna, Maya, East Indians, and very few Caucasians. The country gained independence from Britain in 1981. (Damn those Brits don't know when to let go.) We felt the ride would be a good introduction to the country and its people.

We woke early to the sounds of birds. Ate a little breakfast at the Smokey Mermaid. Then caught a quick cab ride over to the bus station. You cannot miss the building because it is painted entirely in yellow with red and green trim. Now picture two fair-skinned tourist with luggage getting out of a cab and they are the only tourist in the area. Trying to look confident, we strode into the terminal. A man directed us to the bus and we nabbed the last two seats. We started heading out of town. The bus has a person that rides with the driver and collects the fare while the bus is moving down the road. We were heading to the Belize Zoo, about an hour out of town. Cost was $7BZ for the both of us. The bus stopped several times to pick up more passengers. It got so crowded we had to put our suit cases on our laps. Sad to say, no chickens got on the bus.

We started to notice that all the little kids on the bus where staring at Diane. They seemed to move closer for a better look. I realized that she was the only blonde hair person on the bus. The kids couldn't help but stare. I jokingly started calling Diane, the "Blonde Goddess" of the Chicken Bus.

Hot. Stuffy. Cramped. That's what it is like to ride the local bus. There were however lots of friendly smiles on everyones face that we met. An hour later, they dumped us out on the side of the rode that looked like the middle of nowhere.

Next: The Belize Zoo

Belize City

2007-10-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Belize!

The airplane landed on a tiny airstrip in Belize City. We stepped out of the plane and were greeted with a heavy down pour of rain. We would have been soaked to the bones, if not for the umbrellas handed to us at the bottom of the stairs. I considered the rain a good sign due to the fact that every time we've traveled and it rained on the first day, the weather would be fabulous the rest of the trip. It took us no time at all to zip through customs. Then we hailed a cab and were whisked off to our hotel, The Great House.

Belize City is a rough town. There is a great deal of crime and poverty. We read there are certain areas you just don't go in. Our accommodation, The Great House, was in the Fort George section of town and considered a safe area. The reason we selected the hotel was due to a review on the Travel Channel. Plus we didn't feel like riding the Chicken Bus for three hours to San Ignacio after such a long airplane ride. The room was extremely nice with a King Size Bed, hardwood floors, high ceilings with a large fan, and a view of the ocean.

On the main floor is a restaurant called The Smokey Mermaid. Drank my first Belikin beer there and loved it. I was famished and ordered up one of the house smoked pork chops. A deliciously salty smoked piece of meat. Diane went for fresh fish and chips that were lightly battered, flaky. The fish was probably caught that morning. After a long day of traveling, we fell asleep to sounds of music drifting up from the restaurant.

Next: The Chicken Bus

Belize 2007

2007-10-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

We have created this blog for you to read about our adventures in Belize and Guatemala. It will take you on a Chicken Bus ride across Belize. Explore deep into an ancient Maya sacrificial cave of fear called the Actun Tunichil Muknal. Journey to the lost city of Tikal. Then plunge into sharked filled waters off the second largest barrier reef in the world. Not your average, run-of-the-mill vacation. Hope you enjoy it.

Join us as we start our adventure in the most dangerous city in Belize: Belize City