Belize

Posted by Marci on Dec 2, 2010 in | 1 comment

Stars flickered above me as my paddle dipped into the warm Belizean waters. The soft breeze moved the palms creating the sound of rain as I moved along the shores of the beach in my kayak. My guide turned the boat and I ducked my head as we entered an area of Mangroves. I lay back against the kayak, tucking my paddled against my body, the branches creating a canopy. The stillness of the water caused me to take a deep inhalation as I relaxed into the darkness around me.

A loud snapping sound broke through the stillness. Another snap came from the opposite side and I realized saltwater crocodiles surrounded us. We’d snorkeled in this grove looking at sea horses and bright-colored fish that morning.

“Are you scared?” My guide asked.

“No,” I said, “but I didn’t know their jaws had enough power to make that sound. Of course I might be more afraid when we get to the jungle and there’s only a rubber raft between myself and a croc.”

“You wait,” he said as we moved into the lagoon, the moonlight reflected in the water, “when you see the crocodiles in the Macal River you won’t be afraid, you’ll be too impressed with their size and beauty.”

For one week I camped on Tobacco Keyes and Glover’s Reef. During the day I kayaked and snorkeled the second largest reef in the world. At night, I sat around the campfire eating delicious food, drinking Rum Po Po, and stargazing. I woke to magnificent sunrises over the ocean.

The second week in Belize I went into the jungle with my tent and personal belongings in a watertight bag. I kayaked through the rivers, floating through thick jungles. At night, I fell asleep to the sound of frogs, Scarlet Macaws, Howler monkeys, and at times the growl of a puma on the hunt. I learned about the deadly black Mambo and thanked God every day that I didn’t encounter one. Bugs ate my skin, the toilet was three sticks and a hole in the ground, but I didn’t care. I was surrounded by beauty: the lush greenery, the bright colors of the Macaw, the pristine river, the huge Mahogany trees, the waterfalls, and the Mayan ruins. So few people had seen this part of Belize and I was here.

On my last day, a massive crocodile, at least seven feet long, swam under my kayak. I watched his fluid grace as he moved towards his den without any interest in me.

The Macal river is now a lake. Damned for power, its pristine beauty lost to the world. It was one of the last habitats of the Scarlet Macaws and home to the Tapir. Many of the Mayan ruins are lost never to be explored. We believe that hydroelectric is the answer to our energy problems, but we forget that dams destroy habitats and nature’s balance.