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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

You came to the right blog for Belize Resources and Information.

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Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Cayo Belize

by tacogirl 29/02/2012
written by tacogirl 29/02/2012
san ignacio belize

Visiting Mountain Pine Ridge Forest by Henry (Zac) Zacharias

A long time friend from Canada came for several weeks and we plan to go to Mexico for a week together but first, a trip to the main land to explore the Pine Ridge Forest and learn a bit about how Belizeans live (or party) on the mainland.

We left San Pedro Saturday morning and made our way to San Ignacio. We took the boat that stopped in Caye Caulker before going to Belize City, shared a taxi to the bus station and packed ourselves into the chicken bus to San Ignacio. At first it was kind of fun to watch and engage with the locals getting on and off with their bags, boxes and 5 gallon pails. It was getting dark as we pulled into San Ignacio and our butts had long since had enough of sitting on the hard seats at the back of the bus. A taxi took us to the top of the hill to our hotel, Cahal Pech where we checked in and had our first meal since breakfast in San Pedro.

The twilight shifted to night as we dined and the lights of the town gave us a lovely backdrop to watch before bedtime.

Barton Creek half day trip.

After brunch we were booked for an afternoon tour to Barton Creek Caves. It was so nice to see the rolling hills after living on the relatively flat Island of Ambergris Caye for nearly five years.

It was a long drive with stunning vistas and even a river crossing over rounded rocks about 8 inches below the surface of the rushing stream.

We drove past some farms and noticed the symbiotic relationships between 5 & 6 cows and birds, it seemed each cow had its own egret (if I’m not mistaken, I thought Egrets were sea birds?).

We pulled into Mike’s place where the Barton Creek meanders along the valley floor after coming out of the Barton Creek cave.

After a short break and introductions we loaded into the canoes with Brad and Randy, fellow Canadians in the lead canoe with their guide, Isaiah, who we came to call. Actually, due to how often he said the word as he described what we were looking at.

The cave opening is a magnificent site that has to be seen with the naked eye to be fully appreciated, Barton Creek Entrance Pan.

As soon as we entered the cave, the rock formations captured our attention and we paddled very slowly as we shone the bright flashlight over every inch of the walls and ceilings. It was all so beautiful! The river moved so slowly through the cave that we didn’t even realize we were paddling against the current.

Stalactites hung in clusters and stalagmites were wet with new accumulations of mineral deposits as they slowly grew and changed shape over eons. Where Stalagmites and Stalactites met, columns were formed.

Our guides informed us that the bat guano was very acidic and it ate away at the rock where they made their homes and created tiny holes that they continued to live in when resting. If you look closely you can see three bats in the bat Caves picture.

So often the rock looked like art with faces looking back at us and creatures of mythic origin emerging or waiting to emerge as we passed by.

Both flashlights focused on the larger and more awe inspiring surfaces of the rock so we could all enjoy the sites and shapes of columns, mushrooms and candles.

Some hung from the wall like clusters of diamond studded icicles.

We canoed under a natural Rock Bridge that had footprints in it that the Mayas supposedly carved to make it easier to climb up to the ledges to perform rituals to appease the Gods of the Underworld. The river was much higher then.

A surreal sense of awe overtook us as we held onto the rock wall and turned off our flashlights to experience the absolute darkness of the interior before heading on the end of our canoe trip as the rock ceiling came down to low to pass under end of cave.

We turned our canoes around and headed back the same way we came in and were thrilled to realize the view from this perspective showed all kinds of things we had missed on our way in water and rock & flashlight highlights. We got so engrossed in the sights that we lost sight of the front canoe and had the sense of being all alone in there, until the cave entrance/exit came into view again. 

We chatted a bit with Mike and he told us his water wheel was waiting for a new gear but when it works he almost never needs his diesel generator for power. At Mike’s place we snacked on tree ripened star fruit and on the road home we tasted tree ripened grapefruits.

I had to get a shot of the finely crafted bridge over the creek and bridge crossing on our way out. Then I captured a shot of me in the mirror taking a pic of the water crossing.

Back at Cahal Pech the mist Panorama was rolling in to cover San Ignacio as we dined on Sambuca Shrimp and Curry Chicken, both excellent. After eating we embarked on a night of roaming the town of San Ignacio looking for the seemingly nonexistent night life.

If you are hungry for more Belize and Central America travel adventures check out Be Belize blog and their recent boat trip to Guatemala – Fantastic write up and pictures.

Guatemala cruise Day 1: San Pedro to Placencia, Belize
Guatemala cruise Day 2, Part 1: Placencia, Belize to Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Guatemala Cruise Day 3, Part 1: A long day in Rio Dulce

[Unfortunately loading slightly out of order- will try find find a fix but no guarantee]

karen brodie
A Little Hammock Fun by Karen Brodie Photography
dale wallace junior san pedro belize
Dale's mechanic shop in San Juan
belize food
Creole shrimp
dragonfly pottery made by belize artist ruby hand
Dragonfly pottery Artisan Ruby hand

Related

tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Meet the Belize Red Cross

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4 comments

Paul Morgan 02/03/2012 - 5:28 pm

Thanks for both of you. I’ll be in Ladyville for a week and is there anything there that I should notice? I have few days before San Pedro. It looks like I should head to where you were.
I hope I can run into you and tacoboy sometime in the week of-4/29-5/5
Carribean Villas
Paul

Reply
tacogirl 02/03/2012 - 6:19 pm

Hi Paul keep in touch. Will get back to you on Ladyville, heading out the door. If you can make contact closer to the date we can plan to meet up.

Reply
Henry Zacharias 01/03/2012 - 2:17 pm

Hey Laurie, thanks for letting me present a guest blog on your site. To your readers, I numbered the pics to correspond to numbered pictures but that doesn’t seem to have translated on the site, sorry. Zac

Reply
tacogirl 01/03/2012 - 3:54 pm

This photo gallery has always had that issue Zac and I was never able to resolve it. Hopefully though with my new site theme it will work better.

Reply

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Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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THE ORIGINAL BELIZE BLOG

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

If you have any questions or want Belize discounts, Contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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