Belize to Mexico

We left Roatan with a good breeze and warm sunshine and had a full day of good sailing to Glover Reef. This is one of only 4 atolls in the western hemisphere, the other 3 are also in Belize and Mexico. We had some difficulty picking out the channel through the reef but made it safely through to drop anchor in a really beautiful spot with just a few other boats. We wanted to snorkel but the wind was blowing and the sea was too choppy so we left the next day and headed to Tobacco Range which is inside the main Belize reef. This was just a short sail and we entered through the main reef with calm seas so finding the passage through was easy. It was a shock to suddenly find that we were sailing in only 10 – 15 feet of water after so long in places with thousands of feet depth. The island itself was covered in mangroves but we did dinghy through the middle of it and went to the reef to snorkel but unfortunately there was nothing to see. The following day we headed to Colson Cay where we snorkeled a small reef which had an amazing variety of fish for such a small reef and more French Angel fish than we have ever seen. Then we snorkeled a few small blue holes which were amazing to see, the sea bed had literally collapsed and caved in to create these deep holes. There we saw a moray eel and many enormous star fish. Then it was into the marina in Belize city where we cleared in. Within 30 minutes the boat had 4 officials sitting in the cockpit with lots of papers to complete which they then demanded copies of and charged us $150 for the privilege! We had gone into the marina so that we could go sightseeing inland so after much organising, we left the boat and set off.

Our first stop was a bird reserve called Crooked Tree Lodge which we got to by the local bus. There was one bus a day which left at 11am and most of the people on it knew each other. Then we stopped at a nursery school and picked up all the children. We then proceeded to stop along the road dropping the children off. The conductor knew exactly which child got of where and made sure they were ready to be delivered to their parents. At one stop the mother was not there so the little girl was clinging to the conductors leg and refusing to walk to her house. We sat and waited for the mother to arrive after being hailed by the bus horn. It was all so lovely to see and it was very difficult to imagine anything like that happening in the UK. The lodge itself was a bit disappointing, the lake was very low so there were not many birds to see and the lodge was very expensive for what it was. We did however see Jabiru storks which have the largest wing span of any western bird.

The following day was a visit to the Lamani Mayan ruins. To get there we had a 20 mile boat trip in a speed boat. The fuel supply was a barrel with the hose stuck in a hole in the top so definitely no smoking! The driver pointed out lots of wildlife on the way including a snake which was almost invisible to us but which he had spotted despite going along at 20 knots. It was fun but a little scary as the river was so shallow in some places we couldn't slow down. Once we arrived at the ruins we had lunch followed by a guided tour. The ruins themselves were really interesting and in the main quite unrestored. We were allowed to climb up the Mayan temple which was very steep and high but with a great view from the top. Getting down was scarier than going up! The boat trip back was even faster than the one there!!

The trip arrived back so late we missed our bus back to Belize City and had to wait an hour for the next one. It was a slow bus and very busy but the buses are incredibly cheap. It cost B$1.50 for a ride which took over 1 ½ hours. Part way into the city the bus broke down so we all transferred to another one which got us there in the dark. It is not wise to walk around Belize city in the dark but fortunately a nice lady took us to our next burs and we got back to the boat safely but very very tired.

The following morning we left the boat again and got what was supposed to be a luxury air conditioned bus with reclining seats and video's, to Tikal in Guatemala. It actually turned out to be a mini bus which we shared with 2 S African guys living in America. They were good fun and very interesting to talk to as they had been to Tikal before. The trip took about 5 hours and we arrived in Tikal mid afternoon. We had booked a hotel right next to the ruins which was basic but OK and very good given the price. We headed into the park to watch sunset from the grand plaza in the ruins but unfortunately it started to rain and thunder so no sunset. We arranged a guide for the next morning to watch sunrise from the tallest temple but again no sunrise, just mist and gray. Our guide was really good and took us to lots of places we wouldn't have found by ourselves as the ruins are so extensive. We climbed lots of the temples but this time there were steps up the sides as you couldn't climb on the actual ruins themselves. Even so they were very steep and scary but great views from the top. The ruins are really amazing and it's strange to think that when the Mayans were living there, there was no jungle just lots of farmland. Even though many of the buildings are exposed and restored, there are still many mounds, hills and trenches that have not been excavated and probably will never be as there are so many ruins in Guatemala that the archaeologists are moving to other sites now. The ruins are in the jungle so there are lots of animals and ants. There were big groups of Coatimundi and very colourful turkeys. The first night we had a cricket in our room but it was too high to reach so we left it. Unfortunately in the night it decided to land on me (KB) which was quite a shock, I woke up with a fright (and a shriek!! MB) and then we had to throw it out. The following night we slept with a mosquito net over the bed so we were safe! We had a long bus ride back to Belize City and then a local bus back to the marina.

When we left the marina we headed north of Belize City where the water was pretty shallow averaging 7-9ft. At Caye Calker, which is a big holiday destination we did a couple of dives. They were outside the reef and there was quite a swell which made it difficult to get on and off the boat. The first dive was disappointing but the second was great. We saw a turtle, nurse shark, porcupine fish and lots of French Angels. We stayed a few days and then headed north to Ambergris Caye. Again, it was very shallow and we managed to run aground 3 times trying to get there! We checked out and then headed slightly south to anchor in sheltered waters behind another island so we had a good nights sleep and were close to the exit through the reef.

Our next destination was Isla Mujeres in Mexico. The first day we had a great sail with a good wind and lots of current assist. Just off Cinchurro bank, which is the last of the atolls and in Mexico, we caught a 20lb tuna, our biggest yet and very very tasty. The second day there was no wind and we had to motor. However, just after rounding Cozumel the wind increased to 25 knots on the nose so we had to motor into it and finally arrived in Isla Mujeres at 11pm. It was well lit but hard to make the channels out due to the amount of light from the land which obscured the navigation lights. After checking in the next day, we headed to a marina in Cancun ready to pick up Mum and Dad from the airport. Unfortunately the marina was designed for super yachts so getting on and off was difficult and it was also stressful ensuring the boat didn't get damaged. We collected Mum and Dad from the airport along with our Christmas cake and lots of goodies we had ordered!! After a quiet night we left to go back to Isla Mujeres which was a bit wet as the wind was blowing and the sea was fairly rough.

After a few days in the anchorage we went to Isla Contoy a bird sanctuary north of Cancun. We anchored at the north of the island only to be told to move by the park warden and pick up a buoy. He was very nice about it and didn't make us move far as it was getting dark. While doing this we managed to loose the boat hook! Being very disgruntled by this I decided to retrieve it the next morning and managed to free dive and get it at my first attempt!! It was a lovely spot and we saw thousands of birds and dozens of turtles. Then we headed south to where the research station is and where we were supposed to go. To do this we had to cross a big sand bar which supposedly had a deeper channel in it. After running aground a few times we decided not to find the channel but to go round the outside. After the stress of running aground the trip was amazing with lots of turtles and a big manta ray. At the observatory, we went ashore and saw nesting frigates and lots of birds. Unfortunately we were not allowed to swim or snorkel and could only stay one night so back to Isla Mujeres the next day.

Mum and Dad had a relaxing time sunbathing on the boat and doing a bit of swimming. We also hired a golf buggy for the day and did a trip around the island. They both got really good at getting in and out of the dinghy. They also enjoyed all the fish dinners we had from the tuna we had caught. They stayed 2 weeks and left on 14 May so the next day we cleared out and prepared to sail to the US!