The first thing to understand about this tour to Lamanai is that it is not just about the ancient tombs and temples of Orange Walk, in the heart of Belize.  The journey that you will take on this trip, and the guides who accompany you along the way, give an incredible insight into the ‘real’ Belize, away from the golf carts and resorts of San Pedro.

The excellent Seaduced By Belize guides Ricky and Leon took us out for the day, starting at 7am with a boat ride across the sea to the mangrove swamps of the mainland.  The small craft was expertly steered through narrow channels of Red Mangrove, with the occasional stop to for points of interest, such as the smallest bat in the world (see below).  Ricky explained the importance of the mangrove to the area, particularly its roll in breaking up the force of tropical storms.

Longnose Insect Bat

After winding through the dense mangrove, the boat arrived at the remote village of Bomba (population: <70).  Supposedly, its only connection to the world outside Belize were the tour groups who came through as a result of the trips to Lamanai, and had taken advantage of this by selling local crafts to us tourists.  However, Bomba is largely self sufficient, and locals still hunt for their food in the surrounding forest.  The nearest shop is 3 miles away down a dirt road, in the village of Mascal, as is the local school.  There is no police, and a village chairman presides over dialogue to resolve any issues.  We were also told about Bushdoctors who still practiced their ancient craft, prescribing herbs, barks and ganja for various maladies.  Our guides pointed out that while an inhaler costs around $100, local remedies can be gained for next to nothing.

Bomba

After breakfast (locally sourced from Ruby’s) at Bomba, we hopped on an ancient school bus  and headed down the dirt track towards the “Pan American Highway”, which was also a dirt track.

As we passed through the various villages and farmland, the vast knowledge of our guides became apparent.  They knew the land, its animals, its plants and its people.  We were told about everything from local agriculture techniques (“slash and burn . . . no chemicals”) to a falcon which dwells in the forest and has the call of a crying baby leading to hunters to loose their way in search of the phantom child.  In distinct contrast to many tours, the guides encouraged interaction with the locals, and were keen to inform us of the various ways of life of the many different peoples that inhabit this part of the world.  Mestizo, Mennonite and Creole, among others, have all made contributions to create a unique nation in Belize.

We arrived at Tower Hill, and hopped on another boat, up the winding New River.  Within minutes of being on the boat, our Lamanai guide Eddie pointed out a young freshwater crocodile,  a Spider Monkey, an Iguana and a Nighthawk, as we wove our way upriver towards the lagoon by the ruins of Lamanai.

Freshwater Crocodile ~ 3yrs

After lunch on the edge of the jungle, we moved onto the museum, which displayed the basics of Mayan history.  From there we were whisked to the awesome Jaguar Temple, built around 625 AD and thought to have been used primarily for worship (although no evidence of human sacrifice).  Eddie showed us a picture of himself wrestling a giant Boa Constrictor.

Jaguar Temple
Jaguar Face

From there, after a brief stop for Eddie to play with a tarantula, it is into the jungle to see the Ball Court, where human sacrifices did take place.  It is thought that the players of this ancient team game were conditioned from a young age to take part, and it may even have been the winner who was killed.

Ball Court (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_ball_game)
Jungle

From the Ball Court it is only a short stroll the the main attraction: the High Temple, 33 metres tall and the highest structure at Lamanai.  Construction was thought to have begun around 100 BC.

“The way up is physical, the way down is psychological” – Eddy
View from the top

It is a slight anticlimax to go from the High Temple to the Mask Tomb, but it is very cool all the same, and made more interesting by the guest appearance of a pair of (deceptively loud) Howler Monkeys.

 

Mask Tomb
Howler Monkeys

The action wasn’t quite over however, and as we made our way to the gift shops we spot a luminescent green Grass Snake, slithering up towards the open window of the shop.  “Yes, they are aggressive” says Eddie, while prodding it with his folder.

 

Then it was back to the boat for Belikins and Rum Punch.  Cheers!

*It is worth mentioning here that part of what made this trip was the guides that showed us the way. Both Ricky and Leon from Seaduced and Eddie from Eco Tours played a vital role in what making this tour what it was.  Taking people leisurely through the country via a couple of different modes of transport meant that we were able to see much more of the ‘real’ Belize than I had expected.  Adding to this all the guides seemingly endless informative commentary about every aspect of the land we were passing through, Mayan culture and history, along with their frank individual views on progressing Belize, gave the tour a  distinct personal touch.*

 

 

For many, snorkelling trips to Hol Chan (‘Little Channel’ in Mayan) and Shark Ray Alley are THE reasons to visit Ambergris Caye.  Minutes from San Pedro by boat, these marine sites are popular with snorkellers from all over the world.

Hol Chan surrounds one of the few channels through the great Meso-American reef, which runs parallel along the length of Belize and beyond.  Searious Adventures took us out for a lengthly snorkel, exploring the reef and the channel formations.

Hol Chan has an abundance of everything, and within minutes of being immersed into the water it is obvious why it is considered one of the best snorkelling sites in the world.  It is ideal for those who want to get well acquainted with the marine life without the rigours of Scuba.

While there are many of the smaller, more elegant fish, darting in and out of pristine coral formations, larger beasts, such as sharks and stingrays, also prowl the vicinity.  This makes the site incredibly unique in the diversity of life to be found here.

And those are just the things you are practically guaranteed to see.  Perhaps, you see an enormous sea turtle ebbing along the sea bed, then gracefully drift to the surface, just a few feet away from you to catch some air.  Other species to be found at Hol Chan include Spotted Eagle Rays, Lobsters, Eels,  Snappers, Groupers, Barracuda, Angel Fish, Sergeant Majors, Parrotfish and many more.

Black Grouper ~ 1 metre long
Sea Turtle

From Hol Chan it is only a stones throw to Shark Ray Alley, a spot where fishermen used to clean their catch, attracting sharks and rays.  The fishermen have since moved on but the carnivorous marine life hung around.  There is much less reef to be seen in this area, but that is made up for by extremely close proximity of the snorkeller to Nurse Sharks (very small teeth!).  Seeing a shark close up for the first time is a pretty unforgettable experience.

Nurse Shark
Nurse Shark feeding frenzy!
Nurse Shark and Snorkel Guide

Southern Stingrays are also in abundance at Shark Ray Alley, tussling with the Nurse Sharks for scraps of food thrown out.

As well as this, hefty Caribbean Stingrays and the awesome Spotted Eagle Rays sometimes venture through Shark Ray Alley.

Caribbean Stingray
Caribbean Stingray (left, underneath) with the smaller Southern Stingray for comparison

At either site, if you are unlucky (or lucky, depending on how crazy you are) you might run into a Bull Shark or Hammerhead . . . maybe best viewed from the boat . . . ?

Didn’t fancy getting any closer

 

Getting to know San Pedro is an adventure in itself.  Although small, this town is very much alive and kicking and it makes no secret of this.  As soon as you step of the water taxi or out of the ‘airport’ (more of a well serviced landing strip), you are greeted by a buzzing yet laid back town.

One of the first things that struck me when I arrived was the good vibe the place had, helped by the sun, sea and the people living here.  San Pedro is home to home to a  variety of people of different ethnicity and cultures and on your journey to your hotel you will likely hear English, Creole and Spanish, among others, spoken.  This blend of people is reflected in the food, art,

architecture, music and in countless other places.  Best of all, they tend to be united in their good nature to visitors to their town.

If you are on a tight budget during your time in San Pedro, you can do far worse that renting a couple of bikes from Pedro’s and hitting the streets.  Every time you head into town you are likely to encounter something new, and although San Pedro is small, there is still a lot to explore. 

The stroll to town…
Grab a bite to eat at Estelle’s

Belikin Delivery!

Pedro’s Hotel
Office

The view from the beach out into the ocean can be admired all day, and is best accompanied with a couple of Belikins under the shade of a palm tree.