We had an amazing experience our first full day in Guatemala. Up with the sun, at about 5:30,we got around and headed out for a mountain jungle hike. The humidity picked up, but the canopy of the jungle protected us from the sun. It was some of the best exercising we have done in a while. It was beautiful to capture the ray’s coming through the trees, see ornate, damp spider webs hanging in the trees, a spectacular view of the neighboring island of Flores, and breathing the fresh air! All said and done, we were back by 8:30, ready to start the day right after showers! It was so humid in the jungle! Gotta love living Life All Out!

There are 3.5 sq miles of dense jungle to explore with 6 suspension bridges over the jungle canopy! Although we did not see any animals on our hike we did see some bugs & spiders! During the night we did hear the infamous holler monkeys calling out high above our camp!

On the park grounds is also a finca (farm). Horses and donkey are allowed to roam the grounds & camp area. We were treated to the alpha donkey wrangling the horses! He was making all kinds of noise as he chased them thru our camp into the woods and back out then across the creek to where they finally came to a stop!

 

This is one of our favorite places to camp near Flores! Our 3rd time here and I’m sure we will be back!

The day finally came when we could re-enter Guatemala! After being turned away in March because it was to soon for us to enter again with our truck papers (having just been there in January) we waited out our 3 months in Belize, a U.S. visit and Mexico. We were told in Februay when we tried to leave Belize that we were only gone one month of the required 3 months on our importation. If we wouldnt have turned it in when leaving Guatemala, all would have been fine. Slight delay in travel!

We stopped in Belmopan to fuel up first and met this adorable Mayan man who loved our truck & story. He wished us the best on our travels and welcomed us back in the future!

Once we were in Guatemala it was time to make a quick stop at the Sareta for ice cream! We were in a little hurry because we could see black storm clouds coming in. We made it back to the trucks just as the storm began. It was the worst storm we have driven in to this point! Tons of downed trees and water washing across the roads!

There is a place so amazing, that you can swim in the Caribbean sea, along side turtles, colorful fish, sting rays, and even Sharks! This place is located about 20 miles off the shores of Belize, along the barrier reef. This reef is the 2nd largest reef in the world, and offers the most spectacular views, and experiences imaginable. This is not a staged secured area where caged animals swim. This is the real sea, with real live sea creatures, in their natural habitat. You can imagine the initial apprehension, diving from the boat, into the middle of the unknown, knowing there are sharks and sting rays below. But, I am so glad we took the plunge!

We started the day off leaving Placencia pier with smooth waters in the bay, but as we rounded the point the water started getting rough. We were hitting swells that would make you come off your seat as we went airborne for what felt like minutes!

We managed to slide into the wake of a much larger boat taking out a group to dive. It was smoother in the wake, but still eventful!

We were all glad to see the island come into view after an hour of riding! Once we arrived on the island we took off to snorkel around the island while the crew prepared our lunch of BBQ chicken, potatoes, and slaw!  The snorkeling was smooth and easy and we seen lots of small colorful fish and coral the water.

 

The lobster fisherman will go out to sea for as long as a week at a time and live on the boat or small islands. Two fisherman go in the water at a time. One will swim down to about 90 ft and grab up the lobsters. The second guy is there to pull him up in case he runs out of breathe. Once they have the catch for the day they sit and clean the lobsters on the boats discarding the remains into the ocean. Other sea life come in to feast! We were also told to be careful to leave our flippers on because the turtles will nip at your feet thinking they are conch!