This is a short movie I made that summarizes my recent trip to Belize and Guatemala. Photo credits / shout-outs to everyone on the trip who took pictures and helped contribute to this video! This trip was short but sweet, and I already can’t wait to go back. I learned a wealth of information while down there (both about the biology of the tropics, and life itself) that has proven to be immensely valuable. And that’s what it’s all about. It’s the journey - not the destination - that makes all the difference in the world.
Day 1 - March 11th, 2011. Succotz, Belize.
We took off from Houston around 0900 and landed in Belize at 1125. After taking about 45 minutes to get through customs, we boarded a rickety and oddly-painted bus that took us around two hours inland to the village of Succotz. On the way to the village, we stopped at the Belize Zoo and explored around there for a couple hours. It was interesting because unlike most zoos, it was built into the environment, so the animals were not completely kept in “cages” in the conventional sense. In the zoos, we witnessed some very interesting wildlife, such as tapirs, coatis, pumas, jaguars, macaws, harpy eagles, fer-de-lances, ocelots, and pythons. While there, I was able to hold a 7 foot long boa constrictor - never had held a snake of that size before, so it was pretty cool. After our time in the zoo, we hopped back in the bus and proceeded down the highway to Succotz. We decided to stay at the Trek Stop for the night. A cross between a backpacker hostel and a campground, the Trek Stop consists of a small group of sturdy cabins that had electricity, running water, and solar-heated showers that are all run by a friendly Belizean family. For roughly $25 USD, one can stay here for a night and use all of the facilities - and this includes some of the best homemade food I have ever eaten (seriously). The first dinner consisted of a delicious mixture of loval rice, beef, and potatoes, with some rolls on the side and delicious freshly-squeezed fruit punch to wash it all down. Later, we had our first wrap-up session and discussed the day’s events before starting on recording our scientific observations in our field journals. As the night wore on, we began to notice increased signs of wildlife. Bird calls became more abundant, and kinkajous were heard scurrying about in the trees above. Around 2300, we headed to bed and prepared for our first full day in Central America.
