Belize 2 Skeleton of a Mayan Girl

 Moving the adventure inland, San Ignacio, aka Cayo (or The Cayo District) serves as an adventure lover’s base for the area’s cave and jungle tours, kayaking or canoeing on the Macal river, zip lines, cave tubing, horse back riding and the ultimate – the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM ) tour. The ATM cave holds Mayan artifacts including several skulls and bones and even an entire skeleton of a young Mayan girl, the Crystal Maiden.

The Cayo District also holds most of Belize’s Maya ruins, such as Caracol, which is the best known site, and smaller ones like Cahal Pech and Xuchantunich.

The small size of the country means you could do both the land and water-based tours from one location, and there are tour operators on the Cayes who work together with the operators in San Ignacio, so that you can organize inland adventure tours from Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye.

What does it cost?

(to be continued)

Belize - The Cayes – Snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea

The best known Cayes are Ambergris Caye and neighboring Caye Caulker. 

Ambergris Caye is the bigger and more developed island; Caye Caulker is known as Belize’s backpacker hangout with lower prices, cheaper accommodation and a more laid-back feel to it. However, prices are on the rise and more expensive hotels have been built.

The Cayes are great for snorkeling and diving, as they are just a boat ride away from the Mesoamerican Reef, the world’s second largest reef, and close to the famous Blue Hole – a stop on almost every diver’s bucket list. Even first time snorklers can swim with sharks, turtles, sting rays and schools of hundreds of fish. Neither Caye has a truly decent beach, a shame considering the spectacularly blue waters surrounding them, and except for diving, snorkeling and soaking up rays on a pier, there is not much to do other than sip Belizean rum punch in one of the many bars and nibble on some oven fresh banana bread.

Globetrottergirls (to be continued) 

Belize Ultimate Adventure Vacation

Despite bordering major countries on the backpacking trail (Mexico in the north, Guatemala to the west and Honduras to the south) many travelers skip Belize all together because of the much higher costs involved in a trip here. With some clever planning, however, Belize is a perfect spot for water sports enthusiasts and adventure junkies alike, and can be enjoyed without going too much over a tight budget.

Belize is a must visit for anyone interested in Latin America, or snorkeling, diving, adventure or pure relaxation. Not many countries combine such a diversity of landscapes: mountains, jungle, white-sand beaches, coastal wetlands and islands surrounded by crystal clear water. Belize has it all, and because it only measures 174 miles north to south and 60 miles east to west, it is easy to experience all different aspects in one relatively quick visit, whether that means including the small English-speaking country on your backpacker trail, or making it your vacation location of choice for a week escape.

The easiest way to get ‘the best of both worlds’ and combine the Caribbean sea and the green jungle, is to visit the Cayes, or islands, in the crystal clear Caribbean waters off the coast of Belize, and San Ignacio, on the border to Guatemala. Although located on the exact opposite ends of the country, they are only 60 miles or a 2.5 hours bus ride apart.

Globetrottergirls (to be continued)

Weird Things in Latin America 5. Security Guards Carrying Shotguns

7. Paying To Use Bathrooms
Public bathrooms are never free. We usually have to pay a US quarter to use them and sometimes you have to pay extra for toilet paper. The worst part is that they are far from clean or hygienic.
8. Security Guards Carrying Shotguns
Security Guards stand outside banks, museums, clothing stores, gas stations and sometimes even restaurants and they carry big menacing shotguns. This can be a bit intimidating at first, but it’s a safety precaution and quite normal.
9. Dish Soap is a Paste
To some this may not seem so different, but when all you’re life you’ve only seen liquid dish soap from a Palmolive bottle, seeing a tub of paste with a sponge lying in it catches your attention.
10. Tuk-Tuk and Motorbikes
Many taxis in the small towns and villages drive tuk-tuks or motorbikes with carts. It was quite exciting for us to catch our first ride in Guatemala. Tuk-tuks are cheap and quick, moving in and out of traffic. Negotiate you price ahead of time, as would with any taxi.
Jason Castellani 

Weird Things in Latin America 4. American School Buses Have a Second Life

You have probably seen our crazy custom Chicken Bus video. Old American school buses, usually tricked out with creative custom add-ons, are the main mode of transportation in many Central American countries. It gets very crowded and you won’t be buying any tickets to get on these buses. Hop on when it passes by and you will most likely have a two hour experience that you will remember for a lifetime. Don’t worry about not having any snacks or drinks with you, street vendors will jump on selling the strangest things.

Chicken Buses from Guatemala

Weird Things in Latin America 3 Money Change

4. Unfinished Buildings
Iron rods stick out of the flat roofs of many buildings. To a foreigner it looks like they just never finished the next floor up, however they are planning for the future. We are more concerned with the appearance of buildings. They are more concerned with the cost of the building. It may look ugly, but if they decide to build another story, the cement floor is already complete and the vertical iron rods are ready for cement.
Is Guatemala safe?

Unfinished Buildings in Quito, Ecuador
5. Money Change is Rare & Precious
When using a cash machine, it usually dispenses large bills, however it is nearly impossible to pay with large bills. This has been a common theme throughout all of Central and South America. You will find yourself making purchases in order to obtain smaller bills and exact change, but be aware, the retailer usually has a secret stash of change.
Jason Castellani (to be continued)

Camino de la Muerte/ Death Road, Bolivia - Part 1

JaninTravel: Camino de la Muerte Death Road, Bolivia - Part 1
A group of Slovenian travellers takes CAMINO DE LA MUERTE - Road of death - the famous Yungas Road, Rightfully named the "World's Most Dangerous Road".
Through steep hillsides and soaring cliffs.
From cool Altiplano terrain to tropical rainforest .
We rent a van with a driver and mountain bikes.
On leaving La Paz, the road ascends to 4650 metres, La Cumbre Pass, Then descends to 1200 metres.
It was estimated that 200–300 travellers were killed along it each year