Blue Creek is one of the things that everyone says you must do when staying at Cotton Tree. We didn't really mean to save it for the last day, but it worked out that way. The other folks at the resort had been telling us how much fun it was. Some of those people were "less than in top physical condition" so we didn't have that great of expectations. We thought it would be pretty.

We got up with pretty weather. It figured that the day we would be in a cave it would be nice. We did our normal morning routine and got ready for our ride to Blue Creek Village. It was in the same direction that we had gone for the waterfalls so we knew it would be a long bumpy ride.

The ride wasn't that bad. Antonio was our tourguide for the day so I think we officially had every guide at the resort during our trip. Josh sat up front and as normal cracked jokes. Today Becky and Randy got to join in his cheesiness when he laughed at his own jokes. The Canadian couple from the beginning of the week was back and joined us for the day. They had been diving for 5 days and were back at Cotton Tree for 5 days or so. We joked with them that they were the first people to join us on a daytrip. They must be brave.

I had looked at pictures and read some reviews of this trip. I had a bathing suit on with some hiking shorts and tank top over top. I had my trusty Keen's on too. I understood we would be walking through some water. And headlamps. Apparently caves are dark.

We got to the "park" at 11:30. Antonio said we would do the caves first then eat. He obviously didn't understand that at 11:30 I was ready for lunch. This hike really must not be much if he thought we could wait until after to eat. He handed us each an XL life vest and we started hiking towards the creek. We were in the center of the little village with locals washing their clothes and bathing in the water next to us. Along the walk (about 20 minutes) we passed a small place to stay along the creek. They were kind of like duplexes. Very minimal and in an extremely remote place. Along the walk Antonio told me a story about how when it floods it is very dangerous here. One time he was leading guests on the hike during rainy season and they got out of the cave with about 30 minutes to spare. Don't worry, you can tell when that will happen by the change in temperature. That made me feel very safe.

As we got closer to the cave the hiking turned into rock jumping. Slick rock jumping. This must be the hard part that they had warned us about. I wondered how the older couple from earlier in the week could have done this.

We got to the cave and it was pretty impressive. All of a sudden it was in front of you. We took some pictures and started gearing up. Antonio dropped pants to change and Becky thought it was hilarious to get me to turn around right at that moment. Wonderful. It was pretty warm out so I went down to my suit except for my shorts.

I was surprised by the Canadian couple. They had all this gear with them. Snorkels, underwater cameras, expensive regular Canon camera. I figured they knew what they were doing. They asked if they could use their snorkels in the cave. Antonio said sure, but it is dark. It's a cave. You can't see anything. They put all their stuff in a dry bag and we started into the cave. I was a little shocked when the first part was to basically jump into the water and start swimming.

We continued to swim for a long time. I didn't remember this part in the description. We got to a part where I saw Antonio up ahead (he completely took off and left us - I followed Josh in front of me) and he was standing on a rock. Oh good the swimming is over. Nope just a rock to go over. I pretty soon realized there was no walking in this hike. Just a one mile swim/climb each way

I must say this is one of the most amazing things I've ever done. There were parts where we literally had to climb small waterfalls. You had to help each other up and find footholds without letting the water knock you back down. Josh is petrified of caves and water he can't see into. He kept telling me how amazing this was.

After the first waterfall I asked Antonio where we were going. He said hopefully to the end. I later found out that many people can only make it to the first waterfall (about halfway) and that during rainy season it gets pretty impossible to pass certain spots. Right before the end where the huge waterfall is there was one last climb. I tried to get up and couldn't. Becky tried and with Randy pulling and her figuring out to climb it backwards we made it. I really didn't think I would have the strength and I was so proud of our group Antonio was off somewhere. He didn't seem to concerned about us. We got to the top of that last climb and it was straight out of a movie.

Remember that scene in The Goonies. That's where we were. We asked if we could climb the big waterfall that was coming out of this hole about 15 feet up and Antonio just laughed. He told us all to turn our lamps off and it was pitch dark. Then you could see some daylight up at the top of the cave. I about freaked out with the darkness and we quickly turned our lamps back on. Okay, now back out. It was a tad easier getting back out but still a tough climb/swim.

Halfway in the other couple put their wetbag on rock to store. I have no idea how they thought they could swim in swift currents with a bag over their heads. They had a really hard time getting back out with it. We found out that night that water had gotten into the camera bag and ruined his camera body. Again, why you would risk it, I don't know.

We got out and we were all pretty hyped up. We had some lunch down by the river which was one of the most miserable points of the trip. I had gone all week with maybe 3 bites total. The problem was that the water had washed all my bugspray off and I got devoured by these little flies. I was covered in bites. I finally took my lunch and ate in the van. I don't know how everyone else managed.

The day quickly got away from us and as we were eating it started to rain. Very fitting. We got back to the resort and I realized how nasty my bag was going to be the next day with all these river wet clothes. I also realized that I only had 2 pairs of pants and both had now been worn in a river. I was pretty sure that would not smell good on the plane ride. Uh-oh.

After cleaning up we headed back to the lodge. Becky's favorite drink "Mojo River Splash" was the special for the night. The bartender said it was special since it was our last night. I think he wanted a big tip when we checked out. I think Josh ordered some more fruity frozen drinks. Becky and I took advantage of the special and we started meeting the new faces who had arrived that day. One couple was actually from Charlotte. They tried to convince me to go to Cat Island in the Caribbean for a while and then asked us a gazillion questions about the daytrips we had done. I thought we had been high maintenance!

Dinner was fun with such a big crowd. We talked with everyone about our week. After dinner the four of us vowed to stay up a little later for our last night. We had found the rules for the cardgame we had been trying to find all week. We had a great cap to our trip and then headed back to the room to pack for the next day. This was probably one of the best days of the trip. I'm so glad Becky and Randy had their waterproof camera.

We started the day with Becky declaring that if it was storming again today we would have to pull her onto the boat. She couldn't take another day like yesterday. Luckily, the sky was beautiful and birds were chirping when we woke up. We were supposed to leave at 8am but at dinner the night before they said it was pushed back to 9:30. I was a little skeptical but we appreciated the extra morning time.

As I was up and hanging out in the lodge I started putting 2 and 2 together. We were supposed to take the boat at 8 to go down the river and get to PG that way. Probably because more wildlife was out then and it was a good time. Chris must have decided to take the boat somewhere instead. (Seeing a pattern) so we were put back into the van to get to PG. We got there and sure enough there was Chris with the boat. We were trading vehicles. We jumped in the boat and looked off into the horizon. The sun had disappeared and clouds were rolling in. Dark ones. I thougt Becky might cry. Just then Chris said "I think you guys are going to have a great day!" and I was very scared Becky or I might shove him into the ocean. (Chris hasn't really impressed us as a hospitable owner - unlike Jeff and Holly who helped set up everything from the US). He smiled and off we went.

Today Alex was our guide. He works for CTL and took us out himself. I think he is a pretty avid fisherman. Why he didn't take us for the fishing trip.... He explained that he thought the weather would break once we got out to where we were snorkeling. About a 45 minute boat ride up where we fished the other day. We got to our first spot and he started giving us instructions. I'm not sure why he changed his mind. We were a bit slow to move and he said. Okay, I'm going to give you a special treat. I think we have enough gas. That's comforting. I was very skeptical now thinking this is some sort of trick they do with all guests to make them feel good. In actuallity he was telling the truth. By this time it was raining on us and I could care less where he was taking us. He started the boat up again and off we went. He said we were going to Lighthouse... I was so confused. I hadn't seen a lighthouse before and the well known Lighthouse Reef was quite a bit further north. Like a LOT further north. Two islands later he came to a stop and told us we would be jumping off the boat and would need to stay along side the boat. He would guide us where to go. Is this normal? The only two snorkeling trips Josh and I have done were that chaotic one in Costa Rica with zero instruction and the one in Jamaica with about zero fish. Whatever I would do what he said.

Flashbacks to the sea lice incident in CR came flooding into my head. I was the last to get in. I think Alex had to almost push me in. As soon as we went under we were amazed at the reef. So much coral. It was very shallow and there were fish everywhere. Becky said it was the best snorkeling she has ever done and that's saying a lot. They just spent their honeymoon in Fiji. She even told Alex it was better than the diving they had done the day before. We saw a huge school of parrot fish, sunfish, sea urchins and tons of other stuff I have no clue what it is. Luckily, Randy and Becky have an underwater camera and got some pics.

About 10 minutes into our snorkel I popped up my head to check on the boat. There was Alex turned looking away from us at the sea. Then he turned to me and started motioning me to the boat. You don't have to ask twice. I started booking it. The others came up and started making their way in too. He kept looking over his shoulder and the motioning got quicker. No one taught me how to get up the ladder in flippers. When Alex reached down and lifted me out of the water swiftly, I knew something was wrong. Josh was in the back and almost pushed Randy up the ladder. Once we were all in the boat someone joked, "what are there sharks or something?". Alex turned his head, pointed and said yes right there. What! Not too far away we saw two black points splashing around in the water. He said he had never seen this before. It must be two sharks mating. We all got situated and then Alex decided to go check this out. As we got closer and closer the sharks started looking a bit weird. We were all wrong. It was one gigantic manta ray that was swimming. He was so big his fins were coming out of the water. We followed him around for a while and tried to get some pictures. He was super fast. After that we went back to our coral and started exploring more.

I must say that Josh and I are not the most adventurous people in the ocean. It actually scares the crap out of us. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip though. I think having Randy and Becky along gave us a lot more confidence. Becky even impressed Alex wither snorkel diving ability. She was chasing fish all over underwater. I would have drowned if I had tried that.

After about an hour we got back on the boat and got some towels. It was still overcast and chilly. Alex told us that the reason they don't usually take people to that spot is that it is dangerous with the waves. The coral is close in and it doesn't take much to get swept towards the island. The sea was so calm that day that he felt it was safe to take us there. We left East Snake Caye and headed over to the West Snake Caye island for lunch. The island was a deserted beach. Apparently the rangers had planned to post some guys there at some time but never did. There is an empty building and a lookout tower. The island was pretty but covered in bugs. It took away from the appeal for me.

Josh was obsessed with learning how to crack coconuts so Alex taught us all about them. We tried a gazillion different types. The water. The apple (the center). The gel. The milk. You name we tried it. Josh tried to kill himself learning to break the them open but he finally got the hang of it. Alex offered him a spot in the coconut breaking competition that they hold each year. We hung out on the beach a bit and then loaded the boat back up. Alex said we could go snorkeling at this Caye but we said we had had enough. He told us it wouldn't come close to what we had explored that morning.

On the way back we took the long route via boat. The Moho River, that the lodge is located on, feeds into the ocean south of Punta Gorda. We took the boat up the river and stopped occasionally to look at stuff. We saw one howler monkey and followed him along the banks for a while. A lot of birds. An iguana here and there. The coolest part was Boom Creek, a nearby village. He had driven through it on the road but didn't realize that a bulk of the village was on the actual river. We saw tons of folks fishing in canoes or wading in the river to do their wash. Josh got us in trouble when he took a picture at one point. Apparently that is frowned upon. It was very neat to see that side of the village life. The ride back was almost 2 hours and I was exhausted and freezing by then.

After another shower and getting into somewhat clean clothes (everything was starting to smell by now) we hung out at the lodge. I had my new favorite Chocolate Martini and Randy, Josh and I got into some heated games of Bananagrams. I think I found a new birthday present for Randy. He was quite the fan.

In the middle of dinner the tarantula fire spinning couple asked if we wanted to do the night hike with them at 8. (She is a fire breather and walked down the aisle spinning fire. They also found a big spider in their bed and after killing it decided that they should take it home to an artist friend who makes pieces out of insect legs!) Becky and I were ready to go to bed and said no. We felt bad because they had been asking all week and the lodge wouldn't take only 2 people out. A while later at 8, the tour guide came in and we felt very guilt. Somehow Becky and I were back 5 minutes later with headlamps and long pants to go trample through the jungle in the dark. I'm not sure what we were thinking.

It wasn't until we were in the jungle with rubber boots on that tarantula girl (who was hiking in a leather jacket) told me this was a 2 hour hike. Uh, no way. The hike wasn't what we thought. I'm sure the lights, 7 people and the dog with us scared all animals away. We didn't see anything other than the forts the guides had built beforehand to demonstrate survival skills in the jungle. Becky decided to test out one of the beds and said it worked well. I will take her word for it. We were almost back to the lodge when we somehow ended up by the horse pasture. All at once a million tiny gnats attacked our faces. It was like a horrible horror movie. The guide told us to turn our lamps off and that helped. We had already snorted in the insects and had them stuck in our noses though. About then we heard a squeal from one of the horses in the pasture. We shone our lights and saw all the horses together. I joked and said, "I wonder where Penelope and that baby are." We couldn't figure out what was going on. We found out the next morning that Penelope was giving birth. Yes, four days after I was cantering with her she was giving birth. Crazy.

The hike came to an end. I was still alive and after another shower I was fast asleep too.

Becky and Randy were scheduled to dive today. Josh and I contemplated riding along with them but changed are minds. Partly because of the whether. Partly because there is just so much we want to do and not enough time. The other guests were headed to Blue Creek but we are scheduled to do that Saturday. Josh and I asked if we could go to some waterfalls so they got us a guide to take us to some ruins and then on to the Rio Blanco waterfalls.


We really had no idea what was in store for this. This seems to be a common thread throughout our trip. They told us we didn't need to be ready until 9:30. Since I wake up by 6 at the latest every morning I had a lot of time to send emails, skype with my parents and Holden and just take my time getting ready. Randy and Becky were gone early at like 7:30 am.


We first headed to some Mayan ruins about 45 minutes away. The roads started getting really bad. We gave an older man a ride on the back of the pickup. This was apparently the first of many rides we would give this day.


The ruins were much more interesting than we expected. We learned that you should never agree to a ballgame with a Mayan. If you lose you have to kill one of your family members. Not our kind of game. Only about half of the site we visited had been excavated. I'm not sure what the hold up is. We saw two of the tombs and a bunch of building remnants. Our guide, Marcus, showed us a bunch of plants we could eat. I'm wondering when Josh will learn that just because you can, doesn't mean you should...


He warned us that the drive would be an hour and a half to the waterfalls but it was brutal. I'm not sure if it was the roads, our truck, our driver or a combination of them all. Many hitchhikers later we ended up at the Rio Blanco National forest. It was marked by a ranger station on stilts. We grabbed our cooler and had some lunch underneath it at the picnic tables.


A few minutes after we arrived a group of about 10 arrived. I knew they were searching for a bathroom but I didn't know what would follow. Josh blurted out "don't look over there". I was confused and of course looked over "there". Not a good idea. There was an older woman crouched down, pants down, peeing in the middle of the open. Apparently there were two outhouse options. One was an enclosure with a hole in the ground but no toilet. The other option was a toilet with no enclosure. Strange and disturbing. Josh kept trying to convince me to use the toilet in the open. I told him he lost his mind.


After lunch we started to hike a bit. It wasn't a huge hike. Marcus made some excuse about needing to hike off our lunch. I think they believe a lot of wives' tales here. After a while I started thinking he was just a bit of a chicken. Maybe not the best combination for a tour guide in the jungles of Belize? Just saying. As usual we had no idea where we were going. We heard the waterfall. We saw where the waterfall was as he pointed to all the people. We went the opposite direction. Okay. We head towards the water and Marcus points at a swinging bridge up in the air and says we are going to go on that. It looks normal to me. We head back up to the path and get to a tree with a ladder built onto it that takes you up to the bridge. He kept telling me not to be scared. Josh and I thought he was trying to work me up or something. It really wasn't scary. We got to the top and I realized this bridge was a little stranger. The bottom was comprised of single board planks that often didn't touch. The cable railings were made for a 5 year old - or a Mayan I guess.

Marcus went first and went VERY slow. Again, Josh and I thought that he was trying to scare us or make us think it was a bigger deal than it was just to mess with our heads. Looking back, I'm pretty sure Marcus was terrified. I started when he was halfway across and finished directly behind him. It made for some good pictures and we went back down so that we could get to the good part. Waterfalls!

We hiked back and found the group of 10 that likes to pee in public. One of the ladies was standing on top of the rocks wanting to jump but too afraid. We got our clothes off (suits were underneath) and were poised with the camera while she was still hovering over the top. Finally she went or Josh pushed her out of the way. I don't remember which. Marcus kept saying to go straight in like a pencil so you don't break your arms. That's comforting. Josh set the camera up so I could quickly take multiple shots. Josh completely ignored Marcus and went flailing into the water. Luckily, no arms were broken.

I was next but tried to talk Marcus into going first. He told me he had to wait 5 more minutes to let his knee cool off. What? I asked him if he was the bionic man or something and he said his knee had been next to the transmission in the truck so it needed to cool off more. This was getting strange. Whatever. I went to the edge and Marcus went right up next to me. I'm pretty sure he thought I wouldn't go. Twenty feet is much higher when you are up there. My legs started shaking so I just jumped. My form was perfect. My bathing suit hold not so much. I went under and realized I felt a lot of water straight on my skin. Probably beause the latch on my top had completely come undone when I hit. I stayed under for a sec to grab my suit. Now this took some skill. I came up but the water is crystal clear and I have 10 random strangers staring at me. My arms were covering my top half while my legs were keeping me afloat. I think they thought I was drowning. After I explained that yes I could swim and was breathing I had to quickly figure out how to put a bathing suit top on while swimming and keeping myself covered before I floated to the rock I was to get out on. Skill I say. Everything turned out fine and Josh was very impressed with my fearlessness.

Now it was Marcus' turn. Josh said he wanted to see tricks. I told Josh if he himself did any tricks I would kill him first. Marcus said he didn't do tricks. Apparently, Marcus doesn't jump off the big rock either. He came over to the other side with me and decided to jump off the little jump. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have jumped but he felt like he had to impress Josh. Josh had just jumped again and was downstream getting out. Marcus really wanted Josh to watch and was screaming for him. I'm not sure why but all the Belizean men here love Josh. Josh said he thinks he should get a shirt made that says "I'm funny in Belize". I'll be doing something and a guide will say "are you Josh's wife?" How in the world do they all know Josh?

So Marcus jumped off the wimpy jump. He tried to make up for it (or hide his fear) by jumping from the small waterfall itself. Josh wanted to try but I convinced him walking through a waterfall edge was not a safe thing to do. A few jumps later and we were tuckered out.

The ride back was an hour instead of an hour and a half so I was relieved a bit. We were glad they set up these two activities for us. We wouldn't have picked them on our own but we had fun and had our own personal guide. Becky and Randy had a bit of a rough day. They went out diving and it poured rain on them. Their towels got wet on the way out and they had no dry clothes. They were using blue tarps to keep warm on the way back. Just the luck of the draw in terms of days I guess. Becky said the island and spot they went to was really pretty and would have been perfect on a clear day.

We got back to the lodge and low and behold Chris the owner and his crew showed up at dinner time. They brought what looked like all the supplies in Honduras back to the lodge with them. How they fit all those people and stuff in the boat I have no clue. I'm not sure what we had for dinner. All the food is started to blur now. I do know that I taught the bartender how to make a chocolate martini. They have what I call a cheat sheet for their drinks. Their drink menu gives no indication of what the drink is. Just some fluffy description. The bartenders (who I don't think have a clue how to make drinks) read this cheat sheet and go. I saw them using it and now everynight that is how we pick our drinks. I had to smell the Vermouth for them and explain which one was a Sweet Vermouth. They didn't think they had any so weren't making a number of the drinks. Becky's favorite drink was the Moho River Splash.