Belize You Me

Well, I'm not off across the ocean on a cargo ship just yet. I've barely even started selling my stuff. Don't worry, I'll alert the mass of internet bargain hunters and eBay patrons when it happens. You won't be left out.

The holiday season has been hectic as always. I was up in Portland visiting family and friends to share in some holiday cheer and rain. Now I'm back in Los Angeles, the land of a million smog infused palm trees and collagen infused lips, neither of which are native to their environments. Ah yes, joy to the world.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, my girlfriend, Brooke, and I have been planning a trip down to Belize for quite awhile now and we finally leave this coming Sunday, December 30th. We will be slurping and burping in the New Year at Mamanoot's Backabush in the middle of the Mayflower Bocawina National Forest. Celebrating alongside us will be a group of about thirty friends, friends of friends, and (probably) some complete unknowns. I had the pleasure of having my blood sucked dry by mosquitoes while visiting the same place two years back. It was a similar situation (lots of friends, New Years, &c.) and it was one of the best times I've had in my life. I hope to repeat the experience and avoid playing host to a beefworm once again (do NOT click that beefworm link if you are at all squeamish, click this one instead: the human botfly).

We'll be spending a few days there in the jungle, hiking and exploring the rain forest, then we're off to lovely Caye Caulker (Corker Cay on the old map of "British Honduras" above). I've been to the Belizean Cayes before, but never Caye Caulker, and look forward to the experience. According to some friends, the little coral island is home to one of the best bars in the world. I'll keep you posted. From there, who knows? We've been discussing making our way over to Guatemala and visiting the Mayan ruins of Tikal, we might just head back to Mamanoot's to relax for a few days - it all just depends on how we manage our meager funds or not.

In the meantime, I thought this trip would be as good an opportunity as any to work out my blog-clogs and flex my travel-writing skills (or lack thereof). So look forward to (or dread) the onslaught of posts that will ensue from Central America. I'll try to keep you updated as long as I have internet access and as long as my malaria medication keeps me from getting the ol' marsh fever.