A.D.D. Adventures
Belize City & the Baboon Sanctuary, Belize
Roatán, Honduras
A truly beautiful-but-heartbreaking place. The largest of Honduras' Bay Islands, Roatán was quite the experience. The country is so unbelievably gorgeous, but poverty is so strong there, it leaves much of the inhabitated parts feeling desolate and desperate. Sadly, I left saying that it was gorgeous, but I'd likely never return.
When we disembarked the cruise ship, we were, of course, greeted by the mini city the cruise lines had created at the dock. But my family and I have never really been much for passing our time in a cruise-constructed village whilst the real country lays just beyond. We made the right choice in paying a couple guys to take our group in a taxi-van around the island, and were able to explore and see a fair amount. And I'll never forget watching one of the guys flirt with the waitress of the semi-hidden restaurant we went to on the beach. After, my father asked him, "I thought you had a girlfriend!?" And he said, "Yeah! I do!" Hahah. People, they're the same everywhere!
All-in-all, it was a beautiful place to experience, and I'm sure I'll volunteer in Honduras at some point in my life. But it's one of the few places I've been that I'm not saying, "Absolutely I'd go back in a heartbeat."
The next stop on the Caribbean cruise: Belize City, Belize. But, I'd recommend you hire a taxi for the day to take you other places. The city itself was nothing special, quite hot and seemingly uninteresting, but what lies beyond all that, wow!
Cynthia, the amazing woman we fortunately ended up with, read our energy right off the bat. She took us for a little drive through the city so we could see it, but heard us completely when we said, "Look, we don't really want to see and do the same stuff all the other tourists do. Can you take us somewhere different?" "I know exactly where to take you," she said. And that is how we ended up at the Baboon Sanctuary (for howler monkeys, actually), with Shane and Royce. Two rasta bros whose family has been in possession of a massive amount of wild land in Belize for as long as either could remember, they've turned it into a wildlife sanctuary for the monkeys, and the only locally-owned tourist attraction in Belize (at the time, now I'm not sure). Their goal was to inspire the local people to "take back control" of their country from the cruise ship companies, and set an example of how well a locally-owned, no-kick-backs-taken organization could run. They also hoped to start schools to educate children about how to live in connection to nature, take care of the animals, and etc. Truly amazing people, with an amazing purpose.
We're still in contact today, and I still plan to return someday to volunteer and help them achieve all they'd like to with the land. Try to get to Bermudian Landing in Belize and go to the Baboon Sanctuary!
Technically part of North America, Central America is the southernmost section of the continent I most often have called home. It's the bridge between North and South, and boasts just seven countries. But these seven are some top travel destinations, and their draw is undeniable to anyone who loves nature. Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, could any section of Earth be richer in color and culture?
A part of the world I don't know so well, but daydream about plenty, and love so much! And, where I believe I'll be catching a one-way flight to come February 2016!
Central American countries I've visited:
Belize and Honduras
Costa Rica
All together, I spent roughly two months in Costa Rica. From a quick stint in Nosara, to a large amount of time in the Uvita area, to a few days down in the Oso, and then a month in the mountains of Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side where I did my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT). I'd been warned about my going to Costa Rica many times before, and by many people. But not because of any danger other than that I would likely fall in love, find my forever, and never want to return home. Well, they were right. I've had jungle fever since then!
​
It's one of the greenest places in the world, and one of the places where people live the longest. And with papaya, coconut, mango, and a variety of other incredible fruits growing around, it's no wonder. Plus, a country housing so much beauty is bound to have a good affect on a person's overall health and wellness. Because even though it's quite expensive as far as traveler's countries are concerned (and sadly, all the expats have driven prices way up for locals, making it hard for them to buy land, or peanut butter...), it's such an incredible place, with such a high frequency vibe.
​
I would have no problem spending a large portion of my years in this incredible country, and most likely will.
Panama City,
Panama
Honestly, I can't say too much about Panama, because I was there for maybe two or three days, and I spent almost all of that time laying in a hammock under the no-window, no-wall bunk bed hut in the jungle-esque backyard of the hostel I was staying at. Playing with the Coati that climbed over the fence every morning, walking to the nearest shop to get some fresh fruit, and embracing the ultimate chill mode. I mostly went there because I thought it would be more fun to get to the other side of Costa Rica (where I needed to go for my YTT) via Panama versus going back to San Jose (Costa Rica), then taking transport over to Puerto Viejo. It was a bit of a journey, and catching buses around Central America is absolutely nothing like catching them in Europe (no AC, packed full, sweaty, bumpy, stopping every five feet), but it was worth it. Because the bus I took from Panama City to the Caribbean border of Panama/Costa allowed me to some GORGEOUS views of Panama and the little, traditional villages and life there. Really, I am excited to go back.