Our arrival in Belize came hot on the heels of our departure from Mexico. Once again we found ourselves anchoring quite a ways off shore and and tendering in to dry land. Our destination in Belize was Jaguar Paw Eco-tourism adventure park about an hour drive outside the city.
We scooted through town pretty quickly on the bus, but you can see a few shots I got out the window. It fell pretty firmly into developing nation territory, with access to some modern improvements, but in general need of infrastructure investment.
After leaving the city we drove most of the way across a flat coastal plain which is apparently called a tropical savanna. We could see mountains looming in the distance, and while we would not reach them we did enter a hilly terrain that transformed into a dense tropical rainforest. We arrived at Jaguar Paw and got fitted out for our zipline adventure.
Climbing up to the platforms in the forest canopy was mildly concerning at first, but we became accustomed to the procedures of clipping onto the ziplines and swinging across each span. It was hot and muggy, but a ton of fun and a great way to experience the natural area from a different perspective.
After a rest and some lunch back in the visitor center we made the hike down to the Caves Branch River (a tributary of the Sibun River) to experience a relaxing and cool afternoon of cave tubing. We were kitted out with inner tubes, life jackets, and headlamps and set a drift in the slow moving water. Pardon the blur, I put my camera into a plastic bag to get images of the caves.
We drifted along with a guide reassuring us as the river continued along downstream to be swallowed by the gaping maw of a cave. The river plunges straight through the soft limestone hills at these points creating dramatic formations. I think at one point we all turned out lights off and stared out at the absolute inky blackness surrounding us. But never fear, the river eventually carried us free of the underworld and we enjoyed the rest of our time frolicking in this natural grotto. After the long bus ride back to Belize City it was just about dock time and we were pretty well exhausted.
The next port of call for Enrichment Voyage is