Greetings from Belize!

So much has happened since the last time I wrote here, I'm not even sure where to begin. Right now I'm in Caye Caulker, an island off the northern coast of Belize. It's funny because I wasn't originally intending on coming this far into Belize, but plans change like the wind, and here I am.

I spent a week on a 46 foot catamaran on the Rio Dulce in southern Guatemala, on Lago Izabel, and then on to the Caribbean Sea off the southern coast of Belize. The group on the boat turned out to be a fun and interesting collection of people. Of the 12 of us, eight countries were represented. (France, Argentina, Spain, Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany, Canada, and the US). It felt like such an adventure, sailing along with water in every direction for as far as you could see. Sometimes we'd stop close enough to a seemingly deserted island, and spend the day near the Barrier Reef swimming and snorkeling with manta rays and tiger sharks right under the boat. And barricudas... How could I forget the barricudas!

After getting off the boat, half of us in the group decided to spend a couple of nights at the Finca Tatin just off the Rio Dulce. It was a sweet little lodge set in the jungle where you could jump from a rope swing into the river or take a kayak and explore the surrounding areas. It was a nice way to relax after relaxing for a week on a sailboat.

One disappointment was that our sailboating trip was supposed to bring us diving, but that didn't end up working out for one reason or another. As much as I had a great time on the Las Sirenas sailboat, I think they weren't very honest with us about certain things (including their border crossing procedures, which nearly caused me a serious fine). While I would definitely recommend a sailing trip to anyone considering it, I would think twice about recommending the Las Sirenas (John Clarke's boat which is advertised in the Rough Guide, the Lonely Planet, and on flyers all over the country).

I decided to come back to Belize, so I could actually arrange some scuba diving. I just spent the last couple of days in Placencia, a beautiful little town in southern Belize. It was an interesting experience being there, even for such a short time. Last night there was a huge fire that burned many homes and businesses only maybe a block from my hotel. I sat on the porch at my hotel with some new friends and we watched the fire burn while we waited and hoped that the wind wouldn't change in our direction. As far as I know no one was hurt, but it was surely a tragedy.

This morning I left Placencia on a plane, it was great to travel so quickly and also to be able to see the reef from above. Hopefully I'll be going to dive in the amazing crystal clear water tomorrow morning, and then I intend on heading back to Guatemala to visit Tikal.