Faye Design - Belize

Saturday, November 30, 2024

We arrived at the Belize City airport on Saturday evening about 6pm. Customs was quick, so we stopped at the duty free store for some tequila and triple-sec, then went outside to find our driver. We hopped in the car then drove the 2 hours to the Maya Mountain Lodge in San Ignacio. Our room is very sweet, and there’s a big veranda down the hall which is lovely! We were getting in late enough I knew we wouldn’t have time to go to the market. Luckily this place has a diner so I placed an order for breakfast in the morning. We got unpacked, I made some margaritas, and we sat out on the veranda for a bit to soak it in. Then off to bed.

The driving service we booked.

Sunday, December 1, 2024

After breakfast we headed into San Ignacio to find the market. It was way less busy for a Sunday than I expected, but it was a nice walk and good to check out the town. After we got back we ate a little lunch then went to the pool for a swim. The water was chilly, but it felt good.

There’s a trail around the property, so we went exploring. It was cool to see, even got a little view. Since we didn’t find much at the market, we got another great dinner at the cafe. After dinner it started to downpour, so we sat on the veranda drinking margaritas and watching it rain. It was lovely.

Christmas decorations at the town square

Painting on a neighborhood door.

Mannequins at rest.

(Above) View from the trail.
(Below) Rainstorm from the veranda.

Monday, December 2, 2024

Today we went on a tour of the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave which was delightful! Our guide’s name was Erick, and was really easy and fun to talk to. The hotel booked it for us, so he picked us up and drove to the cave entrance, which was about 30 minutes. We went through fields that he explained where owned and farmed by the Mennonites, who have established a big colony in the area. He explained there are still Mayan ruins underground all over, and if someone discovers some on their property, they have to stop digging it, tell the state, and then let it sit. That’s why there are patches and small mounds of not-farmed areas in the fields.

We don’t generally join tours but that’s the only way you can visit the caves, so we gave it a shot. We lucked out and it was just us and our guide on the trip. He explained a lot about what we were seeing, like stalagmites and stalagtites (tites hang, mites grow). The water was nice and warm for us, but he thought it was cold. When we got to the Mayan artifacts he explained what they meant and why there were there, or why if it wasn’t exactly clear why. We also saw the skeletons, which were really weird to see.
We got back from the caves about 2pm, took a shower, and a nap. We headed up the road to Tolacca Smoke House for dinner. There were two small stray cats circling the table trying to get us to pet them. They were cute, but they also looked like they had a flea problem, so we didn’t. We ordered 2 rum & cokes each, a salad each and Jamie got the Taco Tray and I ordered the Pit Platter which featured ribs, lamb chops, steak, sausage, and potato. The food was delicious and there was far too much! But, wow it was good.

Cameras aren’t allowed in the cave, so here are some images of it found online.
(Top) Michael Behrens from Unsplash. (Bottom) From Maya Walk Tours mayawalk.com.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

It’s 1pm and we’re sitting at the rooftop bar at RainForest Haven Inn. We just snacked on some crackers with Happy Cow spread topped with salted sliced tomatoes. It was good! We’ll start the cooking class at 3pm.

We’re here for the cooking class because it’s associated with one of our favorite hot sauces: Marie Sharp’s. Our friend Chad discovered it when he was in Belize years ago and turned us on to it, so this class seemed like the perfect fit.

The morning of the class we got checked into our hotel, then walked up to Cahal Peck to check out the ruins. It was neat to see, and we were still able to walk around it.

Road up to Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech

Jamie's at the top.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 continued

The class was fantastic; Will and Dillon, our chefs, were fun to talk to. We walked down to the market where they explained things to look for; seasons of fruits and veggies; and the importance of coconuts to the area. We headed back to the hotel and started preparing dinner. It was very hands-on, and he started with his family’s tortilla making process. He showed the way to roll and drag the dough, getting it to the right texture. Then we let those sit to develop the gluten.

We then used a coconut grinder to make our own coconut milk for the rice. They use the coconut milk to steam the rice which is supposed to give a different flavor to the beans and rice mix. Next, we started preparing the chicken. We washed the chicken with vinegar and made thin slices on the meat to absorb the seasoning. In a blender we combined onions, sweet pepper, Marie Sharp’s Belizean Season All, cilantro, cilantro, salt, pepper, and water. We poured the mix on the chicken and let it sit to marinate for 1 hour.

After that, we started the potato salad. There were two funny things we learned about Belizean potato salad; they use canned mixed vegetables of the green beans, corn, and carrots; and they use something called Salad Cream for the dressing. We all got laughing because Will said it's made in America, but Jamie and I had never heard of it. We guessed it was Southern thing.
After the potato salad was mixed, the tortillas were ready to fry. We pan fried a couple to have with dinner, then we took two and cut them in quarters. The quarters we tossed in some hot oil creating what they call Fry Jacks. These are deep-fried dough pockets that can be filled with anything. Once those were ready, Jamie and I got to use them to sample all the Marie Sharp's sauces and jams while Will and Dillon did some cleaning, then preparing the plates. We feasted on some delicious food and finished with a chocolate pudding in rum. So good!!

The class was supposed to go 3pm - 7pm, but we all just kept talking so it was 9pm before we got back to our room. What an experience.

We got to taste test most of these sauces. So delicious!!

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

This morning we’re heading back to Belize City, then to Caye Caulker. We were supposed to meet our driver at Horde’s restaurant in San Ignacio at 9am. We got there half hour early, and two other guys were dropped off. As we were waiting for the driver we got chatting. They were headed to the Blue Hole for a week of scuba diving. They were from Germany and lived in Berlin. We started talking about our countries, and it sounds like Germany is going through the same kind of political unrest the US is - populated city areas are more liberal while the outer areas are more conservative, and both sides seem to be getting more polarized. It's sad to hear about anger being so widespread, but also in a way comforting that it's not just our country dealing with it.

The tour bus back to Belize City finally showed up about 10:45am, and we squeezed in. We got to the ferry dock in time to get on the 1:30pm ride, and made our way to Caye Caulker. We arrived, waited for the bags to be unloaded, then made our way to the hotel arriving about 2:45pm. So cute! Great little apartment with a kitchen, a deck, and a view of the ocean. Let’s pour a drink!class was fantastic; Will and Dillon, our chefs, were fun to talk to. We walked down to the market where they explained things to look for; seasons of fruits and veggies; and the importance of coconuts to the area. We headed back to the hotel and started preparing dinner. It was very hands-on, and he started with his family’s tortilla making process. He showed the way to roll and drag the dough, getting it to the right texture. Then we let those sit to develop the gluten.

Sunset from our deck.

Jamie's new buddy.

Mango Squash?

Friday, December 6, 2024

We wanted to go snorkeling while in Caye Caulker, and found a 1/2 day option at Mario’s Snorkeling Tours. We signed up for the 10:30am-1:30pm tours, featuring Shark & Ray Alley, South Channel, and the Coral Gardens. More about snorkeling.

While in the office getting signed up, another guy came in to join the tour but wanted to make sure he could be dropped of at 1pm to catch the ferry back to make his flight. I watched in awe as the poor customer service rep tried to work with a customer who was asking to change a tour schedule to accommodate his personal needs. I wouldn’t even think to do that!

When we got on the boat for the tour later that morning, he was on the boat too! He turned out to be from Poland, and head been traveling to Guatemala, Belize, then was headed to Costa Rica. I asked him how long he’s going to be traveling, and he said two weeks. Maybe he misinterpreted my question, but it that was true, that is far too much travel for just two weeks. But if it was true, I understood the concern about reaching the dock by 1pm. That sounds like trying to fit too much into one trip.

Snorkeling was so fun! We got to see so many cool fish and coral, so many different colors! The nurse shark and sting ray spot was cool because you’d just be swimming, look around you and there’s a shark or ray within arm’s reach! What an experience. Then we went to feed Tarpon. This is where they give you fish to hold above the water and the tarpon jump out of the water to eat it. Wow! After that they took us to a dock that surrounded an area that housed sea horses. I didn’t see any, but it was fun to try.

For dinner that evening, we went to Reina’s because they had the barbecue going out front, and the food looked delicious. We got right in, and hit it at the right time because after about 10 minutes there was a line! The food was fantastic.

Since we couldn't take our phones underwater, these are from Mario's site.

Shiver of nurse sharks.

Dinner at Reina's

A view on the walk home.

There are no streets in Caye Caulker, just sand and golf carts.

Christmas decorations at the Split.

Saturday, December 7, 2024

We’re sitting in the evening sun out front our room at Bacalar My Love at Laguna Bacalar. We left Caye Caulker on the 7:30AM ferry this morning, heading back to Belize City. Our driver is going to meet us to take us across the border. During the drive he was explaining all the rules regarding border crossing between Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Again, really happy we went this route instead of renting a car trying to figure it out on our own. Just getting to immigration would have been confusing without help, trying to do it with a rental car would have been worse. Leaving Belize was easy and they were generally nice, but getting into Mexico was stupid. You get in line to get the form, then go stand in line again after you’ve filled it out. Why not just a stack of forms to grab?

Because of rules about drivers crossing borders, our driver introduced us to the Mexican driver who would be taking us to Bacalar. He didn’t speak English, we don’t speak Spanish, so it was a quiet ride. But at the hotel, which we found because he had Jamie search for directions and guides from his phone, he asked for a tip. Lame.

We arrived about 1:30PM this afternoon and our hotel room is adorable! Only thing it the TV is barely hanging on and Jamie keeps hitting his head on it. After we got unpacked we headed into town to find groceries, drinks and lunch. On our way there we passed a house and the three dogs in the yard started following us. They were each wearing a dirty sweater, but were obviously cared for. They followed in to town, probably about one mile! We tried loosing them at the park, but they wouldn’t leave. We had a whole issue at the ATM trying to withdraw money, which took sometime. I thought (hoped) they would give up, but where still there when we left the ATM room. We figured out the bank thing, then headed toward a grocery store. From there we finally made our break!

We headed back toward the hotel and stopped at an outdoor restaurant for some lunch. It was so good. Two beers, four tacos and one burrito later we were stuffed.

Our lovely suite!

The one screw holding the TV up.

Delicious and beautiful meals.

The dogs that followed us into town.

Streets around Laguna Bacalar.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Travel is great, but can also be frustrating. I’m sitting on the bus to Tulum (hooray!) but it’s next to the lady who waited in line UNTIL she got to the ticket checker to try to pull u her ticket on her phone. Everyone waited for her to get it out. She’s now listening to something without headphones so we can all share in the experience. Cool.

As mentioned previously, getting cash out has not been an easy experience. We started yesterday morning heading g down the hill to check out Cenote Azul. It’s about a mile walk, and it felt good to move. We made it, and went to pay the entry fee, but they only take cash. I had left the 500 pesos we had at home as I assumed a visitor center would take cards. I was wrong. So we turned around and headed back to the hotel. On the way, we found a little trail that lead to the other side of the cenote we just tried to go to. It didn’t look real clean or nice. Good thing we saved our money.

We got back to the room and then went to jump in the lake. It felt great! We laid around in the shade, did some reading, and lazed around for awhile. We started getting a little hungry and thought we’d head up to one of the little spots close to grab something and bring it back to eat by the lake. Turns out the little places that were open Sunday were not open today. So we kept walking and the closest open place that took cards was the spot we had eaten dinner then night before. It was good, but sigh. After lunch we did more lake swimming and relaxing. Then took showers, and thought maybe more places close would be open so we could find dinner. We were wrong. Not wanting to eat at the same place for a third time in a row, we ended up heading back to the SuperAki.

We decided to follow the highway back to the hotel. That didn’t turn out to be a great decision for a couple reasons. First, we didn’t think we’d be walking that far so we were both in Crocs; not the greatest walking shoes. Second, it started getting dark. We were already on the stretch of highway that didn’t have any options to turn off for quite a ways, so we stayed as far to the side of the road as possible, turned on the cell light, and hoped for the best. Luckily after about 20 minutes we made it to the turn and back to the room. I poured a drink while Jamie made dinner and we toasted to the fact that we walked down a dark Mexican highway and didn’t get killed. Cheers!

The plans this morning were based on us catching the 12:55pm bus to Tulum, which I had already purchased tickets for. Luckily we already had food from the surprise trip to the SuperAki, so enjoyed breakfast and coffee. We got packed up and started our journey to the bus station. We went through the neighborhood, which was much nicer than the highway! We got to the SuperAki to use the ATM. We tried various amounts, two different cards, and nothing. So we still only have 500 pesos in cash.
We gave up and headed to Il Gringo laundry to get a load washed. I had searched the night before, and according to Google reviews, they’d wash and dry a load within the hour. We found the spot, headed in, and the owner even spoke English! Sadly, their machines were down because Bacalar has a problem with electricity, so they couldn’t be done today. Alright, on we go to the bus station.

We make it the 1/2 mile up the highway, and cross to get to the station. As we’re crossing the street, a taxi driver tells us the bus station has moved. It’s now about 1/4 to 1/2 mile up the road. Again, cool.

After a couple more blocks of frustration, we find the new bus station. I’m even able to get us on an earlier bus. It’s 10:45am, and we find spots on the 11am. Hooray! Now we’ll get to Tulum about 2pm instead of just leaving Bacalar at 1pm. Thank goodness laundry didn’t happen and things sometimes just work out. Except for my bus neighbor.

This was the sign we found at the previous bus stop.

But we made it through with Karate power!

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

After I booked our flights, had figured out a travel plan, and then booked our hotels, Alaska changed our flight home from 9am to 5:30pm. Cool. But that meant we kind of had an extra day. So, I thought taking a break on our journey from Lake Bacalar to Cancun seemed fitting. We could stop in Tulum and see the ruins. I searched for a hotel close to the ruins and found Tulum Brew House. It looked great, and we like beer, especially when it’s free!

We got off the bus in downtown Tulum and found the laundry spot we used last time we were here. While the clothes were in the wash, we got a beer and a snack. When they were done, we found a café and got a little more food. Then we went to find a taxi to take us to the hotel. It looked closer in Google maps when I booked it, but walking what turned out to be about 3 miles up a highway wasn’t something we wanted to do. We found a taxi, tried to talk them down, then got into the cab feeling a bit jaded. We made it to the hotel and what a creative space! The receptionist greeted us with a beer-mosa, then showed us to our room. We got settled, then went to the pool for a dip. We have the space to ourselves, which is lovely! We headed to diner later and had a delicious meal. We spent the rest of the evening lounging on the deck, enjoying free beer, and listening to a podcast.

We woke up in the middle of the night to loud blasts! A thunderstorm had rolled in and drenched the area. We got up about 8am and headed down to our free breakfast. Again, delicious! The original plan was to make it to the ruins, but with the negotiated cost of a taxi and the downpour still happening, we decided to take our time and pack up and watch the rain. Maybe one last free beer.

When it was time to check-out, we headed down to reception and asked them to call us a taxi. They did, the taxi took us back to the bus stop, and we started the journey to Cancun, then to Isla Mueres.

This is the Moon door from the entry to the hotel area.

Here I am peeking through it.

This was the gym (not open yet). It looks like something...

Here is the pool.

This was our room. Look at all the wood work!

Bathroom

Wall art

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Last night we booked two spots on a snorkeling tour that should start at 12pm. It’ll go for 3 hours, features margaritas, and takes us to see the coral reefs around the island.

The weather looked a little windy this morning. WE had some coffee and breakfast, then headed out on a walk. I get this is a tourist spot, but just walking down the street we were constantly blocking sales pitches. And it was for trinket stuff I didn’t understand why anyone would buy. Giant colorful sombreros with ‘Mexico’ stamped on them; Mayan-looking fake carvings; woven blankets; and all kinds of stupid t-shirts that make various references to having a big dick. One said ‘I’m shy, but I have a big dick.’ Why? Jamie said I should make a shirt that says ‘I’m shy, but I have a giant vagina.’ It would make just as much sense, maybe more since we’re on the Island of Women.

By the way, there was a family in front of us at the check-in line at the airport all wearing the giant Mexico sombreros. So I guess people do buy that stuff.

We walked up to the North Shore and it was lovely. Nice white sand beaches and bright blue water. With the weather, the sea was a little rough, but it was beautiful to see. We made it back to the hotel to get ready for our snorkeling trip, I checked my phone and saw I missed a call from Mexico, I assume it was from the snorkel company. I checked email and they said the government had docked all the tours due to rough weather conditions. So we won’t get to snorkel in Isla Muerjes after all. That’s okay. We’d rather play it safe then have a rough ride in a boat.

Instead, we dawned the swim wear, grabbed our towels and books and headed to the beach we passed earlier. We spent the next couple hours laying in the sand reading and jumping in the water. It was lovely. After awhile we headed back to the room to grab some cash and go find some food. We walked past a place that looked appealing, and it turned out to be a great choice! I had the stuffed chili pepper topped with almonds and pomegranates in a cream sauce, and Jamie had steak with some delicious sides. It was so good.

Then we headed to the SuperAki to get food for later, something for breakfast, and a bottle tequila. We spent the rest of the evening watching the wind blow, enjoying the view, and playing cribbage.r last day is a day of travel. When I originally booked this trip we would have left Cancun at 9am this morning, but Alaska changed it to 5pm, so it’s been a day of waiting.

Watching the waves on the boardwalk outside our lunch restaurant.

Friday, December 13, 2024

Our last day is a day of travel. When I originally booked this trip we would have left Cancun at 9am this morning, but Alaska changed it to 5pm, so it’s been a day of waiting.

We had a lazy morning, drinking coffee and listening to music. We had some breakfast then started packing. We left the hotel around 10:30am and caught the 11am ferry back to Cancun. After spending what Jamie thought was too much for a taxi to get us from the bus stop to the ferry on Wednesday, he found us a taxi that would take 500 pesos to drive us to the airport. We arrived about 12:30pm, and the Alaska counter wasn’t even open yet so we hung out outside for awhile watching the world go by.
We got a notice that check-in was open, so we headed in the check the bag and get through security. We have about 1,000 pesos to get through so we found a lunch spot and shared a quesadilla, Cuban sandwich and each had a beer. The food was pretty good and we used up 800 pesos. We checked the souvenirs for the last zoom, but nothing really caught our eye.
We’re excited to be home and sleep in our own bed tonight. Travel is always fun, but we’ve talked about some things we may do differently on our next journey: 1. drivers, 2. kitchen, 3. book more, but also relax.

The time in Belize was the first time I had booked a driver, and that turned out to be quite a benefit. Renting a car and taking it over the border wasn’t an option, so that’s why we went this route. It was great! Not expensive, we didn’t have to worry about where we were going, or parking, and because the driver spoke English, we got information we wouldn’t have had on our own. I would definitely do this again, especially when we go tot Asia. Plus, we didn’t have to look for or bargain with taxi drivers.
We’ve been fortunate enough to raise the quality on the places we’ve stayed over the last couple trips compared to when we first started. But it maybe beneficial to take another step up; we’d now like an actual, functional kitchen. We’d also like more confidence in the pressure and temperature in the shower. Our last couple showers were weak and cold. My hair needs power to wash!

Lastly, what’s the balance between seeing stuff and relaxing on a vacation? Obviously if we’re taking the time and spending the money to fly somewhere, you want to see and experience the new environment you’re in. But it’s also vacation time, so you want some relaxation. Maybe future trips we’ll book a nicer spot close to a couple attractions that includes a kitchen. We’ll spend a week there, hiring a driver to take us to see stuff a couple days, then hangout and relax the other couple days. In 2026, I’ll turn 50 and we’ll be celebrating 30 years together. My guess is that will be the next time we’ll test our new ideas.