A Day Ziping ad Floating in Balize

Thursday January 28, 2010
Today we’re in Belize, located between Mexico and Guatemala; it has been an independent contrary since 1981. Its largest industry is tourism and today there are five ships in its harbor thus bringing over 12,000 tourists to a city of 100,000 people. The countries population of 300,000 is made up of 40% Myna and 40% Creole, the government is of parliamentary style reflecting its early British influence.

Ron, Nita and I choose to partake in the cave tubing and zip line adventure. We were met by Marcel and Tom at the pier and matched with a group of young Mormon couples from Utah, we got lucky. They were the kindest fun loving people that we could have spent the day with, when Nita needed help getting out of her inner-tube on the river they were there with a helping hand, when Ron challenged them with their past years ability to field a competitive football team, they shot right back in fun. They were a delight to spend the day with. Unlike the proceeding day in Guatemala our guides were professional, knowledgeable and organized. I now know Belize, it culture, and it’s people.

The one mile float through the caves was an impressive display of the power of time and nature. Locked in a chain of bodies in tubes connected by feet in armpits we floated through the caves and down the river and through the rain forest. As if on cue it even rained on us for the finish of our journey through the rain forest.

Wet and wrinkled we carried our tubes back to base camp and headed for the “Zip Lines”. Believe it or not this is something that Nita has wanted to do for years and her expectations were exceeded. I have not seen my wife this stoked in years, although the climbs to the eight platforms were taxing the exhilaration of flying through the treetops at over 25mph, 60 to 80 feet above the ground was a memory that will be banked for the future. I’m sure that with time the speed will grow and the height will approach the limits of believability; could sky-diving be next?

Avie, although not willing to participate in our high risk adventure, did board a ship tether and fond a Belize City tour to fill her day in Belize. Our day ended again over a delicious dinner sharing our days adventures, retirement and travel make for a good live.