Belize!

After a really trying and difficult year, one where I'd had to postpone my vacation twice for various reasons, I was really looking forward to finally taking my vacation! And I'd opted to travel with a friend from the February Belize cruise trip to an ecolodge in Belize for a week-long yoga retreat. I couldn't wait to get out of town and get some enforced relaxation and eco-therapy.

I had a nightmare with tickets though, and had to overnight in Miami on the way down. This worked out well, since my friend was meeting me there. Flights were nice and uneventful--just the way I like them.

Until Belize City. Our flight from Miami was 30 minutes late, so by the time we cleared customs and immigration, we'd missed our connecting flight. Two hours to wait in the small airport, which also means that I missed lunch. And then, the plane.

Yup, single propeller puddle jumper. This is about the same size--perhaps just a bit bigger--than the one I had in Alaska. I was sure it would be beautiful, but I wasn't keen.

 They put us in the back-back seat. It was capacity leaving Belize City, so we were jammed. Fourteen people (the Alaska flight only held twelve). 

 As noted, very small. You're looking at both embarkation and baggage claim. On the plus side, unless you have monstrous luggage that doesn't fit in the plane, it's hard for them to lose your bags! On the amazing side, with a plane of fourteen people in a foreign country, what were the odds that I would know someone on the plane who wasn't my traveling companion? Indeed. One of our guides from February was returning to Placencia with his wife. I had tried writing him that we were coming, but didn't expect to see him on the flight. I'm constantly reminded of what a small world this really is.

And beautiful it was! The flights were really very good (three short hops--Belize City to Dangriga, to Placencia, then to Punta Gorda) and we had things like this to look at for the whole hour. And after all the resort tourists got off in Placencia, we had a little more space too.

On arrival in Punta Gorda, the lodge met us. It was about an hour's drive to the lodge, mostly because the last six miles are a rough dirt road, which takes about 40 minutes. If they ever get that road paved, the resort might make tours like Journeys.

 The main lodge. Yes, we were in the jungle! We dealt with check-in, had welcome drinks, then went off to get settled in. 

Breakfast and lunch were sit where you wanted. Breakfast was a buffet; lunch was served. At dinner they reconfigured the tables into one long communal seating, for a more formal four-course affair. I must say that that was too much food! Soups were perhaps my favorite every evening, followed by a salad, then entree (often fish, yum!), and dessert, usually cake. Truly decadent.

 One of the carved doors to the lodge. Punta Gorda is in Toledo District, which is Maya country in Belize.

 Cabanas! These wooden walkways led all across the lodge's property. There were some lights at night. It was tricky, but we gave up the flashlight after the first few nights.

 And very accommodating inside. Nets over the beds, to hopefully keep out unwanted companions. The sides where you see those y-shaped branches are all windows, covered with screens. There were some sections with some louvered panels, mostly in the front. These help with eyes, but given that they are open with the screens on all sides, you do hear everything around you: neighbors, work crews, etc. But it also means that every evening you go to sleep to the crickets (and sometimes the amazing howler monkeys (which, btw, the people who made the first dinosaur movies were definitely inspired to model their roars after howler monkeys, I am convinced)) and wake every morning to a multitude of birds. I miss that so very much.

Our first yoga class was the next morning, although we'd all made it in by dinner time, so we ten women had already met. This is the yoga studio -- stunning! You couldn't see this at the evening class (pitch-black jungle darkness at conclusion every evening) but morning classes were spectacular.

 These photos are from one of the instructors. I somehow never remembered to bring my camera to class!

I really looked forward to the week, with classes twice per day (if you wanted, and I mostly did), several excursions (birding, hiking, ruins, snorkeling), and disconnecting from the "normal" world. I was ready! And except for the biting insects and the spiders, I must say that it was a fabulous week.