Our Honeymoon - Part 8

We don't get ocean sunrises on the West Coast. So Hal and I set our alarms to rise with the sun before meeting our van transfer to Belize. And we actually woke up. That's a first and probably a last. To be honest, I think it was my first sunrise ever!

One 5-hour car ride, two tortas, a relatively painless border crossing, roadside dried plantains, a van switch, and 2-hours of bumpy off-roading later, we reached our first destination in Belize: Blancaneaux Lodge, a 20-room luxury eco-resort near San Ignacio, deep in the Maya Mountains. Francis Ford Coppola bought it while abandoned in the early 80's, fixed it up, turned it into a personal family retreat, then opened it for public in 1993.

Fun fact: Only wealthy Belizians have thatched roofs, when you'd think otherwise. That's because it takes a very skilled and knowledgable craftsman to build them. The palm fronds must be picked during the right cycle of the moon!

To ring the front desk, we used the conch shell-phone.

We were greeted by friendly faces and received a complimentary upgrade to the riverfront honeymoon suite! Complete with a heart-shaped lawn. The cabana itself was relatively small, but it felt very cozy. We could pick coconuts from our deck.

Exhausted from our early morning drive, we watched a fascinating educational presentation on the elusive jaguar (nerds!), devoured a homegrown meal at their Guatemalan restaurant, and hit the sack.

The next morning, we sipped our coffee and tea from our deck. For breakfast, they served fruit, fresh squeezed juice and a basket of fry jacks. What are fry jack, you ask? They taste like a donut. Deep fried doughy goodness.

Hal wanted to make sure we got some pool time. Here he is beach whaling again. He's the cutest.

We were dying to explore the grounds by horseback before our scheduled tour later that afternoon, but we were short on time. So we set off on foot, discovering acres upon acres of pine jungle, rivers and streams, fruit and nut orchards, organic gardens, and pristine natural beauty. Blancaneaux is truly a magical place.

To be continued...

Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13