Belize
Belize lies on the southern end of Mexico, south of the popular American destination of Cancun, and east of Guatemala. A small nation, and one of the least densely populated nations in the entire world, Belize is made up primarily of rain forests and tropical climates. Formerly known as British Honduras, Belize became their own independent nation in 1981. A short three hour flight from Atlanta, there are few cities in the nation, most of the people live in small villages, but all flights into the nation will fly into their capital of Belize City, a small colonial city of about 60,000. Belize is great for American travelers because English is their official language, even though many of the locals speak a Creole dialect, and they accept the American dollar at most stores.
What you do in Belize is really based on what you want to see. For us, we wanted to tour many of the ancient Mayan temples that are spread throughout the nation. Sitting right in the heart of where the Mayan people thrived for centuries, Belize is filled with ancient temples that are testaments to their love for their gods, and places of worship to keep them happy. After arriving in the country we were shuttled about an hour out of town into the small village of Maskall to the Maruba Resort and Spa. A very remote location, this resort is run by the son of two Americans who moved to Belize in the 1970's. The resort was nice, and even though it has been several years since we went, I would highly recommend. I will tell you though, unless things have changed, these rooms are not meant to hang out in them. There was one television in the whole resort, and we all had to sit around communally at night to watch the news. There are plenty of options there like a massage, a hike through the fruit fields on their land, or a swim in the beautiful pool to keep you occupied. We didn't come for sitting in the resort though, so we hit the road the first day to visit Lamanai. People began living in the region more than 2000 years ago, but the pyramids and temples surrounding the site are primarily from between the 7th-16th Centuries. Getting to Lamanai, which means submerged crocodile (obviously) is an adventure in itself. The only way to get to the site is a more than 20 mile river ride up the New River. Along the way you will pass wild animals drinking from the river, isolated Mennonite communities that fled to Belize in the 19th Century, and crocodiles ready to pounce at the first thing that hits the water. When you get to Lamanai and visit the high temple, take a climb to the top where you will have a bird's eye view of the surrounding New River valley. A short warning, when we went there was nothing to keep you safe other than an old rope to hold on to as you climbed the nearly vertical steps, so please don't go if heights scare you. As you wander around also look for some very cool ancient symbols carved into the stone temples. One neat carving was a circular symbol similar to a yin & yang symbol that carved into the front of the one of the lesser temples. Our guide believed it indicated early Asians had traveled across the Pacific centuries before Europeans, but it also could have been a coincidence, like the several cultures around the world that were building pyramids to be closer to God.
The next day we set out for the less remote site of Altun Ha. Along the way we passed through small villages like Lucky Strike, named after the cigarettes many American solders used to smoke when they would train in Belize for jungle warfare. Altun Ha, like Lamanai, had people living on the sites for thousands of years, but most of the temples and pyramids located there today are from between the 4th-9th Centuries. Much easier to get to than Lamanai, the crowd there was larger, but these crowds are still nothing compared to visiting the Mayan temples in Mexico around Cancun. When you arrive you will notice a high ridge that circles the site. Man made for defense, the ridge will give you a great view of the temples in the valley below. While not nearly as large a site as Lamanai, you could spend several hours there wandering through the hallways of the old homes that have collapsed over time. Also keep an eye out for the faces of their gods which are carved in many of the temples. Look closely at the picture below and you can make out one of the gods looking back at you.
After you have had your fill of the Mayan ruins, and you could spend weeks visiting all of them in Belize, there are plenty of other sites you can see. Visit the Belize Zoo located in La Democracia where you will find the ridiculously cute tapir, which looks like the giant mix between a rat and a pig. They are indigenous to the nation, and you can hear them running wild through the jungle at night. The zoo is also home to native jaguars, toucans, some almost science fiction sounding howler monkeys, and other exotic animals. If you are looking for something relaxing to try, go on one of the cave tubing rides. Each person is given an inter-tube, and you sit back as the river passes through pitch black caves that have been carved out by the river over millions of years. Don't worry, they give you a head lamp to wear for when it gets too dark. Finally, you can spend some time at the beach. The most popular attraction in Belize is the beach of Ambergris Caye. Located on the far northern tip of Belize, the white sands of these beaches have made it a popular attraction for tourists for decades. The rental properties and hotels in this region are much more lavish than other parts of the country, and with many people riding around on the streets in golf carts you could easily believe you are in Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head. One last warning I will give you is to not drift out into Belize City. Sadly, the capital itself is crime ridden and muggings are common. We were staying at the Marriott there and went out for a walk. After about an hour the hotel van pulled up beside us and asked if we wanted a ride. We told them no, we were fine, but the driver said, "you need to get in the van now." He explained criminals in the area look for tourists like ourselves out for a walk near night time. Other than that one experience, everyone in Belize was very nice, made us feel very welcomed, and we never felt uncomfortable walking around.
Belize is the perfect vacation for a family looking to spend some time at the beach, take in some history, and experience a culture that is unique. What makes Belize different from every other Central American nation though is you don't have to be fluent in Spanish because everyone will speak perfectly good English. Also, the travel in much of the nation is very good as many of the roads down there have been built by the American military, who still train there often. I hope everyone will give Belize a try, and enjoy the opportunity to take in one of the lesser known gems of on our side of the world.
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