Combo tour with Mark

[BonBon2]

Mark is the one who taught the guiding business to Nacho & Cynthia. He asked me to post my impressions for all to read. It was a jam-packed 12/06/05. Zip-line. Butterfly farm. Zoo. We'll see how many posts it takes to cover it all. In case you want to contact him, he's at:

 

markmcf@btl.net

[BonBon2]

Mark got us out of the crowd waiting for the cruise-line excursions & to his van in record time. As he drove us through Belize City, he described it as a tour of “the good, the bad, & the ugly”, explaining that while there were good things to see in the city, there were a lot more that weren’t so good, & that it wasn’t a place for tourists to wander alone. He proudly pointed out the various schools we passed, since education is the key to Belize’s future.

 

Once we left the city for a long straight single-lane highway, he started pointing out the various habitats: the black mangrove, the white mangrove, the savannah. Barbs asked him about everything, & he always seemed to know the answer. We asked him where he got his extensive knowledge. He explained that he had originally trained for archeology, but he kept being asked to show people around the site. It wasn’t long before he decided he liked showing the artifacts & telling all about them, better than digging them up. It made me wish we were also going to a Mayan site. Before we got to the bumpy road, he found a good place to stop for a rest break. It had a genuine thatched roof (fascinating technique) with screens to keep out the bugs, & flowers planted all around. He also passed out large cold bottles of water.

 

The bumps were prodigious. I was glad I wasn’t responsible for the vehicle, but I worried about the moms. Perhaps Jaguar Paw Lodge wasn’t the best place to take people with back problems? We passed some big machinery, spreading sand to fix the road. Soon perhaps, they’ll pave it? We passed farms & groves, including cashew farms. We caught glimpses of mountains through the fog in the distance, & suddenly, with 1 last steep hill, we were there. We were in the jungle, & there at the jungle’s edge, was the lodge. We were thrilled to get out of the van, & I was glad to see Cynthia there, because that was where our party would be split.

 

Barbs & I were almost too excited to speak, as Mark took us back over the hill to the zip-lining. He just got us in before the excursion from Princess cruise-lines. They took us through a jungle track to the end of the line, where you ‘rappel’ down from the last tree, to put on our equipment. Everything was checked twice, before we hiked up the hill to the 1st tree’s platform. I’ll admit— I was glad to let Barbs go first. Then, what a rush! Click, click, click; the guides always made sure the safety line was attached, before they transferred the 2 connectors to the 2 thick metal cables, & I was ready for the next leap. I took a quick look around, & go! At another platform, I took a couple pictures of Barbs before, go! Somewhere along the line the disposable camera got dropped, but 1 of the guides retrieved it for us. The last leap was a long one. “Don’t slow down until the guide signals you”, I was told. Then it was time to ‘rappel’ down the rope. There’s a special clip which controls the rate you slide down the rope. Barbs thought maybe they’d rushed us for the sake of the Princess excursion—they had to dash back before their ship left. But they let me stop whenever I asked them to. We were both a bit disappointed that we didn’t see any jungle canopy plants or animals. I don’t think we were deep enough in the jungle or high enough in the trees for that. But it was a blast!

 

Meanwhile, at the lodge, the moms were taken on a tour of their butterfly farm. I don’t know what it was like, but they thought it was cool. We had chicken and a beans-n-rice dish for lunch. Delicious. (Don’t forget to send us the recipe, Mark.) Then it was back over the bumpy road to the Belize Zoo. The fog had burned off & I think we got a good picture of the mountains. They looked so much closer on the map.

 

The paths at the zoo are pea-gravel, which makes it hard for rollators (rolling walkers) to go. My Mom was ready to call it a day, but Mark wouldn’t give up. He hooked a finger under the front to lift & help pull Mom’s walker, while she pushed. Good idea! I did the same for Peg. We only had time for the highlights of the zoo: jaguars—both spotted & black, toucans, monkeys, some rodents, & more wild cats. Every animal in that zoo was native to Belize. I was particularly impressed with the rhymes used to communicate facts about the animals & their habitats—so much easier for school children to remember. Belize’s focus on the environment is not much more than a generation old.

 

The trip back was a bit rushed. Mark was watching our time before the ship sailed. We saw the house where Mark grew up & got stuck behind a funeral procession. Sadly, poverty & aids are very much a part of Belize City. Mark got us in close to the pier in good time for the tender back. Here’s a tip: Belize tour guides have difficulty cashing traveler’s checks, so they prefer cash.

[BonBon2]

So, now all I have to do it post each port's experience to the appropriate board. Cool!

Bonnie.

[BonBon2]

Nacho sent me the following correction (sorry about any misunderstandings):

Mark did not teach us the tour guiding business. He was my teacher for the Maya part of the tour guide training. Only the Mayan part. Everything else was done by me and my wife.

[SDCruiser2]

Bonnie,

How did you hook up with Mark in the first place? We are on the Grand and are only in port from 6:30 to 1:30 and are a bit worried about the time frame and whether they would get us back in time if we booked an outside excursion. How much did they charge you for the trip? Thanks for the extensive review because there are not many reviews on the zip line itself- would you do it again- now that you know what it is like? We are only interested in the zip line.

 

Thanks,

Sue