It seems my dad’s friend Jess had dropped off the face of the earth. But it turns out he was actually living blissfully on in island in Belize. When my dad got in contact with him, he invited us to come down and discover the paradise he’d found.
We flew into Belize city, then boarded a small prop plane to Jess’s island of Ambergris Key.
Residents of the island get around by driving golf carts. No need to lock your vehicle, there’s nowhere for thieves to take off to!
Some islanders eat iguana, but I didn’t take them up on the offer.
Ambergris Key is an island paradise off the Caribbean side of Belize in Central America.
I was able to get in some scuba diving on the trip and catch some manta rays in shallow water.
Crossing from the strait between the northern and southern halves of the island requires taking a barge connected to a rope that is tugged to bring passengers to the other side.
Despite its size, the island had plenty of Caribbean inspired food options.
This unassuming burrito was filled with lobster, and was one of the best meals on the trip.
After relaxing on the island for a bit, we decided to take a boat journey through the mangroves of the mainland.
We were taken to an ancient pyramid.
After having a taste of the treasures of Belize, we crammed into a couple seats on a repurposed school bus and headed over to Guatemala.
We paused at a restaurant sporting this colorful mascot.
Our first adventure in Guatemala was an innertube float through a cave system.
It was pretty amazing, while relaxing at the same time. Each floater was equipped with a headlamp for the long dark passages through the caves.
But the ultimate highlight of our trip was visiting the ancient Mayan city of Tikal, a ruin in the rainforests of Guatemala. Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In such a hot and humid climate, the hike to the top of any of these pyramids was rewarding!
Coatimundis roamed the ancient grounds looking for hand-outs. They come from the raccoon family.
The incredible Temple of the Jaguar rising out of the rainforest is definitely the crown of the complex.
