A Christmas Tale Retold After 10 Years of Belize

 

It is Christmas Eve and I lay in my tent camped on the edge of a whitewater river in the jungle of Belize with my clients. It is now ten years on since I first came to work  here in Belize, and I find it just as alluring  now as I did then ( though perhaps a dab more normal than I thought of it back then). Sleeping in the jungle with the sounds of the multitude of life around me, the stars twinkling above me and the roar of the rapids on the river next to me; I am brought back to a group email ( no blog back then) I first wrote of this experience back in 2005. My words then echo now in my mind as I sit being present to what's around me. I have included my old email below along with some photos I have taken over the years in Belize to accompany .
I hope you all have a great New Years and... Keep exploring.

Jaime

 

Written in 2005

Dark, wet and moody Jungle, where the rain falls so hard and for so long the ground pools even when it’s flat. The air itself becomes wet and the jungle rings with the noise of drumming everywhere. It stops suddenly, just as it started, though what is left now are the heavy drips that build from the upper canopy, drumming all the way down till large droplets strike the sodden earth. Now the sound of the river returns, a constant buzz from the nearby rapids, the frogs start calling and singing, the jungle is now alive with a new kind of music, and overture of tones and harmony that clutter, yet give symphony. A toucan flies across the gap made by the river winding through the jungle.

We are camped out on the side of the Moho River, in southern Belize's Toledo district. This trip is a four day journey through the jungle via the Moho, which runs a path

 

That leads to 5meter pool drops and an assortment of shoots, just to add excitement to the otherwise tranquil setting. We travel on inflatable two person rafts or kayaks, sometimes known as duckie's, they are stable and durable, and thus we can let our clients captain them without a guide, after a little lesson of course. All around us is life, howler monkeys in Ceiber trees, four eyed grey opossums who come to see who is in their territory at night, multitudes of birds, from eagles to Grackles (a type of black bird), to Oropendulas with their TUI like calls (for those in NZ), to the tiger Heron, who has a call a little like the gentle rumbling snarl of a tiger.

Boy I am humbled by the beauty and magnificence of this world. The two Mayan guides I work with, Pedro and Camellio, live in such a simple way and are so in tune with and knowledgeable of, the jungle we travel in, that I feel like an alien on an in hospitable planet, though boy I am super happy to be here.

Pedro is teaching me how to catch Green Iguana from the kayak. The iguanas hang out on trees along the river and when you surprise them on low branch they leap into the water. The trick is to paddle up slowly with your PFD of and as the jump you jump in after them, grabbing them by the tail until they stop spinning then they just relax until you let them go, quite amazing. I have not yet caught one, they are dam fast.

I found an amazing snake (in fact I found a number of them over the week), called the blunt headed tree snake, delicately long and super thin, it is a striking creamy white with large terracotta orange bands on it, its cat like eyes give away that it is poisonous, though it is extremely docile and even if it did bit it mouth is small and its fangs at the rear of the mouth (the specialises in eating frogs and their eggs, as well as insects). This particular Snake curled around one of my fingers and made itself at home staying there for 20 min's until I encouraged it to move to a tree.

 

Previously the trip starts on the ocean out on the Caye's (the name for the islands here) on the barrier reef of Belize (the second largest in the world). Here the sand is white and he water is warm and clear, the snorkelling great, eagle rays, morays, sea turtles and sharks, not to mention the multitudes of fish species found amongst the coral. Out here on the Caye's( pronounced Keys), brown pelicans dive for fish along with yellow and blue footed booby's, who in turn get harassed by frigate birds for their food. The frigate cannot dive for its own fish, due to the huge wings and little body, though it must resort to piracy.

On some of the Caye's live spinney tailed iguanas, a lot more ferocious than the green, however I did catch one (see attached photos). Out here we kayak from key to key or patch reef to patch reef, snorkelling and eating and drinking, catching seafood when we can. The kayaks are also set up with a sail so we can sail when the trade winds are blowing. Out on the Caye's I think of myself as more of a snorkelling guide, as that's what we do mostly, so it is very cool to spend so much time in the water and getting to know the foreign fish here.

  

However this place is amazing and has so much potential, the people are very friendly, though can be quite in your face sometimes. The Mayans further south, are simple and quite, living of their farms as they have done for centuries. It is interesting to live in a country with so much ethnic diversity, Creole, Garifuna, Mayan, and Mennonites, all different languages, and culture, though one nationality.

Any hew; I am great, merry Christmas and happy new years to you all.

J

 

The TRAK Files Episode 6.

Better Late than never I just Realised I had not shared this episode of "The TRAK Files" on my Blog yet. so here is Episode 6 which came out in May this Year.
Episode 7 has been put on the back burner for now due to New projects I have been doing and the needs of TRAK kayaks, though it will be out in the next year.

TRAK Files Episode 5, International TRAK Packing

OK so it has been a few Months since the last TRAK Files Episode! Finally I have worked my bum off at the computer and finished Episode 5, all about traveling the world in the TRAK Kayak. I hope you enjoy, it has been almost three years of filming to make it happen! ~ J ~

TRAK Files Episode 3 is Out!

Episode 3 is out, this episode has been a bit of a cursed episode, finally released almost a month and a half behind schedule, due to unforeseen technical issues of filming editing and producing the series while in the road traveling in Central America. In February my computer unexpectedly stopped working after a slight incident with a bag man in Panama dropping my bag (containing my laptop) I had tried hard to protect. I was unable to do repairs on the computer in Panama as in 5 days I was to fly out to Belize, I decided to fix it in Belize and lost a week of good editing time. on arrival in Belize the computer worked again, and I began editing again in-between guiding client groups out on the islands, then the computer stopped working again, this time we found the issue was the video card that had been shaken lose in travels. It finally seemed I could get the Episode finished however I then had issues with the final render, and after pulling out every graphic and change in the area where the render froze, I found the image that caused the issue and the episode got done.

Also in the past month and a bit, I had my SLR camera stolen along with all my memory cards containing all the footage from Panama (only to find again, along with bags, passports another computer and more stuff stolen from our tent; scattered along the beach in the night with the high tide threatening to engulf it). I then lost my Main GoPro Camera with LCD back pack and flat lens in the surf while filming. It has been a challenging project to release episode 3 of the TRAK files amongst the ongoing adventures, filming and guiding. I hope you enjoy!

Bone Fishing Belize

I stand in crystal clear knee deep water, the bleach white sand below me also stretches into oblivion. Through the gentle ripples of the Azure framed Sand Flat, I watch from afar as slight dark shapes move about. My carefully casted fly is waiting just in front of the moving submarine ghosts. I begin to strip in the line with a twitching motion as the movement approaches closer to the fly. I unwittingly hold my breath as three shapes move out of the now more obvious group of bone fish and follow my fly. A tug on my line, I strip in, another tug I strip again and this time the line rapidly pulls back. The line feeds out as quickly as my heart now races, the slack line engages the reel and there comes a “whizz!” as the line is taken and taken (bone fish are famous for their fight, despite their small size they can put up one hell of a fight). this is the joy of bone fishing, or any fishing to that matter, the play of wits, beautiful surroundings and occasionally the joy of sneering your pray.

Miles of shallow water stretches the coast of Belize, which boasts the second largest barrier reef in the world (after Australia's Great Barrier Reef). this relatively protected water, behind the barrier reef and inside Belize three Atoll reefs, not only provides wonderful and stunning waters to kayak in and hundreds of Cayes (islands) to stay on; it also provides for some world class salt water fly fishing.

Tabbaco caye

South water Caye at sunset

fly fishing and kayaking can work wonderfully together, kitted with a kayak and a four or six piece collapsible rod with reel, you have the ability to access some prime reef flats, choc a bloc with Permit, Tarpon and the sought after Bone fish. Also it allows you personal freedom to explore at will deep mangrove channels, wide clear reef flats and with the help of mask and snorkel, the beautiful coral reef and the many reef fish not attached to the end of your fly rod.

I have spent a week now at Glover’s reef atoll, enjoying some great kayaking, snorkelling and fly fishing between the 5 islands. I have had years of experience in Belize leading tours and thoroughly recommend the experience here.

I encourage any keen fly fisherman or kayaker to pack a Trak kayak and/or a collapsible fly rod and explore the coast of Belize. You can choose to camp out or you can stay at any number of great lodges on the many Cayes. If you need to rent a kayak (haven’t got your Trak kayak yet?) you can contact Island expeditions www.islandexpeditions.com for kayak rentals, camping equipment and local advice.

Tonight I sit at bar at the end of a dock over the water and drink a wonderful Local beer called Belikin and gaze at the stars as the warm NE trade winds blow through the palm leaves. I have a week left in Belize before the next adventure starts, so I will make the most of it and enjoy every moment and experience as though I may never experience it again.

J.

Truck fixin day

The part for the truck came into Belize City the other night, but did not clear customs, so we headed to Belizecustoms and then get to fixing the truck.
City to sort out the

The part cost about $900.00 US to buy and get sent here, at customs they wanted to charge us a further $250.00US to get it out, we explained that the part wouldn’t be staying in the country and the truck was leaving as soon as we could fix it. We where then sent to the senior officer, Mr Tillet to resolve the issue, without a second glance Mr Tillet signed it off and at a administration fee of $30.00 Belize ($15.00 US) we were out the door.

We had a nice drive back to Dangriga along the Coastal RD; however we damaged a part on the Suspension when we hit a large rut a bit too fast. On arriving back in Dangriga we headed to the great mechanic around the corner from the house where we were staying, this guy let us use his property and his tools (just the ones we didn't have) so Ian could Replace the throttle body and fix the Airbag in the suspension. We worked well into the dark; though there wasn't much I could do Ian new his truck and the parts. At about 7.30pm we were done and the truck was running great.

Well all things well we will be deep into Guatemala by the end of tomorrow

J

Garifuna Settlement Day Nov 19

this day or should i say the day before it, is an excuse for an entire town and alot of the rest of the country to party. though with dangriga being the main settlement of the Garunagu people it is a big thing here.

Back to Belize with a boat.

So I am back to Belize again for another northern winter in the tropics.
This time around, I have finally decided to bring a white water kayak with me, and old Riot Disco that I picked up in Arizona. The boat will probably end up living down in Belize for people passing through down here to use.

There is only one good river to boat on down in Belize in the dry season (the Moho River) but there may be many more in the wet season (good reason to come back in Sept, October). I get to boat on the Moho allot over the last 5 years and have always wanted to take a hard shell instead off the inflatable’s we usually use. Finally I have got motivated to do it.

I checked my baggage restrictions for my flight and I was allowed to bring a pack kayak at 50 lbs with no set restrictions, and luckily due to my booking date I was allowed one piece of check in at 70lbs and my usual carry on.
I might just get away with this.
I had my Lendal paddles (one ocean and one river) that dismantle into four pieces each, all my guiding equipment, my helmet, guitar and camera gear. I was carrying too much stuff but was going to try it.

I got to check in station with help from Nina Lewis, the attendant looked at me in a strange way. “Is that a kayak?” I was asked in a surprisingly calm voice. I put the boat up on the scales and tried to think of possible solutions to problems that may be about to occur. The boat in its boat bag came in at 49lbs, and when they looked for size restrictions and found none the boat was good to go (big sigh of relief from me). my next check in was overweight at 75lbs, and my carryon bag was too big, due to the line behind me I had to take everything, boat and all, out of the way and re pack. It was a great chance to shove new stuff in with the boat and hope they didn't re-weigh it. Paddles, helmet, throw bag some books went inside the kayak, and Guitar stayed behind in the USA with Nina.

back at check in they took my bag it weighed 71lbs now and they let it through, the boat, now much heavier, went through without a second glimpse, but my carry on looked to big still, though I was allowed to continue at my own risk. I hugged Nina goodbye and off I went. Once I removed my laptop from my carry on the bag it was more than small enough and on a plane to Belize I successfully was.

Arriving in Belize I had missed the last plane to Dangriga, though they told me at the office the kayak wouldn’t have fit anyway, so now I was off to the bus station.
The taxi drivers tried to tell me that there were no more buses to Dangriga that night and I should check into a hotel. I don’t think so “I have been here before many times, There IS a Bus!!" I stated. So we loaded the kayak in the trunk of the car and off we went to the station, with the driver asking “was I sure I didn’t want a hotel?” the whole way. On arrival there was a bus due to leave in 30 minutes, I paid the taxi driver after he helped me move my big bag and boat into the terminal and there I waited for my lovely bus ride of two hours to the town of Dangriga where I will live for the next 5 months off and on.



It was a simple process of waiting on the bus as it wound through the dark jungle roads heading south until I arrived in the little sleepy town of Dangriga. Not much quaint about this place though it is a great central and affordable location for accessing the rest of the country and outlying countries from. I was met by Andrew who took me to the Staff house that was to be home for the season, I was the first to arrive of all of us who work for Island Expeditions.

Sibun Gorge Solo

Here is a story and some images and a little video I got from my four day solo up the Sibun Gorge into the heart of the Belize Jungle.
I took an inflatable Aire Canoe which enabled me to pack it small then pump it up and have a very stable boat to line up river and run the white water back down.
This trip was an amazing. Challenging, rewarding, astonishingly beautiful and it left me wanting more
 
Day 1
I caught a ride from the office to the Sibun River put in, with the PACZ tours bus on their way back to Teakettle (a small town in Belize). I had been hearing stories of Xateros and how they steal things from people camping in the bush. Xater os are men who illegally collect the Xate palm for florist industry. They can be mischievous and are known to be occasionally Violent. This had me a touch nervous, as well as the stories of man eating Jaguars (though I Know there a very rarely attacks on humans from wild Jaguars) I was mostly nervous as I wanted to see one.
The trip started in agricultural land though by the third rapid and the end of the fourth big pool, I was entering the George and the jungle slipped closer and the signs of humans vanished. The pools where crystal clear and full of fish, and reflected warped impersonations of the large green trees that towered up and over the river. The rapids, slick with green algae and smooth granite boulders, where very frustrating and exhausting to line the boat up. However the pools got larger and longer, so more paddling was possible as I progressed.
I wonderful sandy spit on river left gave me a great first camp for the night. I witnessed Neo tropical Otters feeding right in front of me until they noticed my curious gazes and disappeared with a  splash.

That night I paddled further up stream and searched for what I could see In the Flashlight beam. I found a coffee snake swimming across the river, large water spiders on the banks, and a really big frog about the size of my foot.I ran back down the rapids, lit only by my head lamp, and paddled back towards my tent. Out of the night there came a gentle rumbling on the air. It sounded almost like someone snoring and sent shivers up my spine. I shone the light across the river towards the noise, though nothing was there to announce itself further. Was it the elusive Jaguar?
I slept sound that night; however I did dream of Jaguars drinking hot chocolate outside my tent.

Day 2

I awoke to the cool tranquil peace of the jungle, as the sun started to sneak over the mountains and flood the gorge with a golden light. I was on the water early and wanting to push as high as I could in the day. As I progressed the river started to resemble a New Zealand west coast river, big granite slabs that create deep pools that the beautiful rapids fill with an ongoing song like noisy gurgle and splash.The Rapids got increasingly larger and harder to portage, requiring me to carry the gear and then the canoe around the rapid, they would be fun to run back down however.

Large fish swam in the waters and I wished I had brought a spear gun, so I could roast one over a fire for dinner. I found a great camp site that evening on a granite slab that stuck out into the river. The wonderful thing about the site was the hot tub in front of the tent. The river diverted into a channel towards my tent slab then ran into a large pot hole, swirled around and flowed back into the main stream. The best thing about the pool was that you could stand in it and the depth was right at neck height for me, a perfect tub. The view up and down the gorge and the jungle covered mountains made this a spectacular camp.

That night I watched the stars while drinking coco nut rum, and then feel asleep, exhausted.The days are hot, and I am struggling to drink enough water, minor dehydration and sun burn are leaving me shattered after such a physical day.


Day 3
i sleep in a bit the next morning, and decided to keep my camp and head up river for the day then boat back down before night. It gave me a great opportunity to travel lighter and push later. I calculated that what I would take me all day to get up would take me about an hour to get back down.

The day was spectacular, some large portages due to tricky and slippery rapids, though I sighted many more otters as well as Toucans, Parrots and signs of Tapir. The side streams where spectacular to explore up as well. Some held deep pools to swim in that had a garden of Eden landscape around them ,as the sun glistened through the emerald backlit leaves and across the water I wanted to live here or at least make my bath tub like this.
My last pool for the day was a beautiful long shallow one, and as I crested up over the rapid and stepped into the boat to paddle forward, I sighted a large black shape swimming away into the shade. “Wow now that is a big fish”! I exclaimed to no one else but me. I followed it into the shade below the tree. Looking into the water I saw the debris at the bottom of the pool get kicked up and a line of bubbles lead of to the bank. As I paddled over looking for the big fish in the water, I happened to scan up across the bank. There on the edge was a big Croc about 8 feet long, I stopped paddling and watched it with wonder, as I glided past the croc exploded into the water and left a stream of bubbles as I swam away. It wasn’t a fish I saw but a big Morlets crocodile. Cool. However after that I couldn’t talk myself into swimming in the deep pools anymore.
An hour from sunset I turned the canoe and headed down stream. It was great to finally be able to run some of the rapids I had worked hard to get up. The feeling was exhilarating, even though the rapids were not huge, the feeling of being alone in the jungle, makes many simple things feel allot more risky. I arrived back at camp in good time and my camp and gear was still there, the Xateros where not in the mood for mischief today it seems. It took me two hours to come down a relaxed day of upstream travel.


Day 4
On the water by 8 am I enjoyed the ease of the trip out, Running shoots and drops, though I hadn’t brought my helmet so I backed out of a couple of bigger rapids. However the funny thing was that the smaller rapids caused the most issues, catching the boat and flooding it, where it just bounced down the big ones.What a spectacular river. It took me four hours to reverse two days of upstream travel though it was worth it. I wanted more time there was so much more river to see and on the map it splits and then there are two rivers to explore. I promised to return with two weeks’ worth of time and perhaps a Helicopter lift into the fork of the river?
I rolled up the boat and loaded my gear into my pack and sat on the side of the road and tried to wave down he buses travelling along. Eventually the PACZ bus turned up on its way back to Dangriga and I got a ride back with them, telling of course the stories of Xateros and Jaguars.

J.