Days 369 July 28 Grand Rapids, MI

We have decided to put our ride on hold for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is that we have become rather tired of living out of a suitcase in a motel room. Additionally my good friend and professional partner has had some health challenges. I have returned to see patients full time in our office until she recovers.

All in all, we have had a wonderful time over the last year. In many ways the preceding twelve months seems like a surreal dream. We have seen things and experienced things that have permanently changed us. We could probably boor you at length with story after experience after picture. We won't. Despite that, I hope you will re-join us when we continue our ride, tentatively in March of 2018 or 2019.

Some pictures we haven't shared before.

The aircraft that took us to Ambergris Cay.


Margaret about to begin a dive.


Margaret and I under water.


Sting ray


Sergeant Major. These fish were all over the place, curious and fearless.


Two different sea urchins.


Margaret and her brother Jerry solving the world's problems.


Transportation in San Pedro. The eight of us rented two of these during our stay on Ambergris Cay.


Two of our number, Andy and Barb.


Scorpion found in the top floor bedroom of the house we rented on Ambergris Cay.


Our rented home on Ambergris Cay was five miles south of the main town of San Pedro. This was the road to town.


This has been a trip of a life time. My plan is that it is not the last trip.

Days 329-231 June 22-25 Belize City, BZ

After a short flight we landed in Belize City and headed to our rental. It was said to be in the posh part of town and was definitely upscale. Its interior was mahogany - the tree of Belize, granite and lovely furnishings. The owner built it for his wife, who wanted a home on the mainland.                                                                   Because we had a bit of a drive to get into town, we rented cars, a nice change from the golf carts. After getting groceries we went down town for food and to the see the sights. Belize city is large and urban in a 3rd world kind of way. This was not tourist season, but 2 or 3 cruise ships still stop in the city each week. 

We all wanted to go see the Mayan ruins at Lamanai so we arranged for a guide to pick us up and show us around. We were picked up at 8AM to meet a boat for the trip to the ruins. The boat ride was fun. We sped down the New River, through a rain forest toward Lamanai. Along the way, we stopped to see a friendly spider monkey, iguana and fruit bats. 

Most of the site's excavation was done during the mid 1970s. Archeologists focused on the larger  structures and the central meeting place. It was occupied from 1200 BC to 1600 AD, much longer than other known sites. It is thought that being able to use the river for water and transportation may well have been a factor. 

 I think this is a "must see" when visiting Belize. The guide made the information interesting and easy to remember. All the temples can be climbed allowing you to get a great view of the surrounding area which includes hundreds of buildings that have not been excavated but can be seen as mounds of earth scattered throughout the 5 mile area.

We spent our last day in Belize, lounging, playing cards and sharing photos. The next day, John and I left at 5:30AM for a long day of travel that would end in Tucson, AZ.

Days 320-329 June 14-22 San Jose, BZ diving

Our friend, Jeanne, invited us on a diving trip to Belize, specifically Ambergris Caye, and we jumped on it. Belize is in Cental America, south of Mexico and east of Guatemala on the Caribbean Sea. Ambergris Caye, pronounces key, is a famous diving destination because of its large barrier reef. Only the Great Barrier Reef is longer.

The house we stayed in had 3 stories with the main living area on the second floor. The house was roomy and, importantly air conditioned. It was right on the beach with a fabulous view.
Out back the long dock ended with a palapa, a grass covered hut. It was blissful to say the least.

Barb and I went snorkeling there and were amazed at all the life. Earlier we had watched as 6 to 8 inch fish leapt out of the water as if fleeing for their lives. We believe we found the cause: a large barracuda.

Since the house was 30 minutes outside of town, we rented a couple golf carts to use as transportation. The roads in San Jose are rough, potholed and water logged. Oh and then there were hordes of mosquitoes. The challenge for the driver was to balance missing potholes while keeping ahead of the bugs. Riders balanced warding off bug bites while doing your best to not fall off.

The whole gang ready to head out. 

We dove in quite a few spots along the caye. We were able to dive through holes in the coral, see deep canyons, many forms of coral and a wide variety of critters, including sharks. One of the more interesting was the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. It is strictly policed and protected. The wildlife was incredible. We saw sharks, rays, Sargent Majors along with many I cannot name. 

My time in San Jose helped to grow my diving skills and understand what appealed to me I the sport. our dive masters were fabulous, extremely supportive and informative. After a week of diving multiple daily dives, we were all ready to get a change of scene, so we headed to the mainland.