Belize – Day 6: An Awesome Cave Kayaking Trip and a Fancy Dinner

Our cave kayaking day! We were quite excited for this trip as it had received great reviews on TripAdvisor – and it did not disappoint. I even made a little video for y’all, so be sure to check it out on my cave kayaking write-up.

8:00a

Breakfast

But first – breakfast! Once again provided by Maya Guide Adventures and Jungle Lodge, it was a simple meal and our chance to try a local breakfast favorite: fryjacks (deep fried dough). They are yummy and filling, but certainly not the healthiest option for everyday eating, which meant Alex was once again reaching for the protein bars.

8:00a

Breakfast

But first – breakfast! Once again provided by Maya Guide Adventures and Jungle Lodge, it was a simple meal and our chance to try a local breakfast favorite: fryjacks (deep fried dough). They are yummy and filling, but certainly not the healthiest option for everyday eating, which meant Alex was once again reaching for the protein bars.

A local breakfast favorite: fryjacks.

And while we ate breakfast, Francis and Jose piled on the kayaks and prepared for our upcoming adventure.

9:30a

Rural Belize

One of the great treats of touring with Maya Guides is getting a feel for the surrounding countryside and an occasional chance to interact with local residents. Outside of the expat communities, much of Belize is not wealthy, and the countryside reflects a more basic way of life that helps put things into sobering perspective.

9:30a

Rural Belize

One of the great treats of touring with Maya Guides is getting a feel for the surrounding countryside and an occasional chance to interact with local residents. Outside of the expat communities, much of Belize is not wealthy, and the countryside reflects a more basic way of life that helps put things into sobering perspective.

The rendezvous point for the tour was this “busy” corner with its colorful bus stop, signs pointing the way to local Mennonite communities, and a couple ramshackle buildings.

There was the local cemetery and next to it, the local trash dump, which was especially depressing when I caught sight of what looked to be a family with a small child picking through the trash.

Buildings ranged from small, sturdy brick and stucco houses to basic structures built from corrugated metal.

Local restaurant

It was also interesting to see all the different modes of transportation from just this one corner:

A private shuttle? dropping off passengers at the bus stop. (Official buses in Belize are generally old retired school buses.)
A Mennonite gentleman with his horse and buggy.
A construction worker on his tractor.
A roadie…? This one caught me by surprise. After witnessing some of the poverty-stricken conditions in the area, a fully geared up roadie on a Specialized Tarmac was, quite frankly, jarring to see. Not saying he doesn’t have the right to ride – I just wasn’t expecting it.

11:30a

Cave Kayaking - Finally!

The cave kayaking tour ended up being riddled with a bunch of little mishaps including car troubles (mechanical and mud), getting rained on, and yours truly having some strange motor skill issues while kayaking the first half of the day. Mini fails aside, this was one of our best Belize experiences. I think all the little fails actually added to the experience, making it extra memorable. Either way, you will have a great experience with this one. This is definitely a Gassy Squirrel recommended tour!

Check out the write-up here, which includes a video of the trip including my kayaking bloopers.

11:30a

Cave Kayaking - Finally!

The cave kayaking tour ended up being riddled with a bunch of little mishaps including car troubles (mechanical and mud), getting rained on, and yours truly having some strange motor skill issues while kayaking the first half of the day. Mini fails aside, this was one of our best Belize experiences. I think all the little fails actually added to the experience, making it extra memorable. Either way, you will have a great experience with this one. This is definitely a Gassy Squirrel recommended tour!

Check out the write-up here, which includes a video of the trip including my kayaking bloopers.

6:00p

Fancy Dinner

After several days of modest home-cooked meals, we decided to splurge on a fancy dinner. We made last minute reservations at Grove House, the restaurant inside the upscale Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge about 4 miles down the road. We expected a high-end restaurant at a luxurious hotel to provide something tasty  – and they certainly did not disappoint. See my write-up here.

6:00p

Fancy Dinner

After several days of modest home-cooked meals, we decided to splurge on a fancy dinner. We made last minute reservations at Grove House, the restaurant inside the upscale Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge about 4 miles down the road. We expected a high-end restaurant at a luxurious hotel to provide something tasty  – and they certainly did not disappoint. See my write-up here.

After a full day of fun and yummy food in our bellies, we turned in early in anticipation of more adventure on Day 7 with a trip to explore Crystal Cave.

Photo: Grove House

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