Well, I've crossed my first border and am in beautiful Belize. If I could use one word to sum up Mexico it would be diversity. If I could use one word to sum up Belise so far it's 'people'. They are fantastic. Everywhere you go, they are open and friendly. They all say hi and ask about your story, and not like in the Mexican way where you feel they're either trying to sell you something or are trying to chat up a tourist. Here they really love to talk! I arrived into Corozal and spent the night in a family run guesthouse. You'd get the impression that you were the only guest from the amount of time and help the owner gives you. I wandered around a market here where you can buy fruit and Guinness!

Then I headed down to Orange Walk and had my first beans&rice meal (but certainly not my last). It was interesting to be in a place with so few tourists. There are a group of people called the Mennonites who are a christian group. The moved into Belise on condition that they could follow their own rules, not vote or pay taxes and supply Belise with crops. They are 3% of the population and supply 60% of all the food eaten. They dress very conservatively. They only marry within their communities, use basic farming equipment and don't use electricity.

From Orange Walk I took a trip along the very meandering New River to the ruins of Lamanai. The ruins had a fantastic 360 degree view of the jungle canopy.

We saw some crocs too, and my first Tucan.

I met some Americans there who were in Belise on a house building program. I got a lift in a CAR, not a bus!!! to Belise City, where they dropped my off at the door of a guest house. I've was very grateful as any Central American City isn't a place you wanna be walking around after dark (or at all). Here, I sat with an old Belisan man who proceed to tell me all about his long and varied life and that of the lives of his 27 children.

From there I took a water taxi to an island called Caye Caulker. That's where I'm at now. It's a beautiful Carribean island with a full coast line of coral reef. I went snorkling today and saw hundreds of Manta rays, some Conger eels, baracudas, and many beautiful other fish.

This photo was taken at a place called 'The Split' The last hurrican that blew here split the island in two. I'm staning on one part and you can see the trees on the other.

I'm heading towards the Guatamalian border tommorrow. I'd love to stay longer in Belise but it's too expensive for my tiny budget. More to come.