Belize City

Not being extremely fond of jungles and with visions of Voodoo dancing in my mind, my apprehension had been at a rather high level as I prepared to visit  Belize. As the plane approached the airport in Belize City , the fact that a rather large cow was standing near the runway did nothing to dispel my fears. Luckily for us and the cow, she was more interested in eating the grass growing alongside the runway than  becoming roadkill for a MD-80.
The plane came to an uneventful stop near the terminal and we immediately began leaving the plane and enter the airport. Not what I had expected!
A jet way was totally out of the question, it was down the steps and across the tarmac, just like in the old days!
The airport, being a small cement block building, had none of the creature comforts that are associated with airports in the United States. The only creatures were several cats that had made their temporary homes in the airport.
Customs and immigration  consisted of two plywood tables on  saw horses,thus  we opened our luggage and displayed our underwear to the world.
Smiling, well armed, friendly guards were manning both positions,and we were checked through with great efficiency.
Leaving the airport by way of the back door,a 15 year old taxi, a Ford Crown Victoria whisked us away as our great adventure in the jungles of Central America began!
 A native Belizian, almost 7 foot tall,  greeted us as we pulled up in front of our humble abode, a two story house with a picket fence in front.  Immediately he asked where we were from, after I had responded I was from Indiana I wasn't surprised when he asked me if I knew Bobby Knight. I had seen a flurry of basketball goals on the way from the airport, it seems as if the modern day Mayas are still obsessed with basketball, as their ancestors practiced a rudimentary form of the sport centuries  ago.
His second question set us back a little, "Do you want to buy any drugs?" He asked. Not being one that engages in that sort of activity,"No thanks." was the reply. One can only imagine the quality of the jails in this tiny country.
We were warned that the same people who would sell drugs, would also turn the buyer into the local authorities, thus earning a reward, getting the drugs back and re-selling them to the next victim.
The accommodations at our hotel were adequate, complete with a community bathroom. One soon learned to knock and holler before entering.
Settling in for the evening , dinner was the first thing on the agenda, Red Snapper wrapped in a banana leaf and a quart sized Margarita seemed to be a decent way to start our little adventure. Might as well enjoy the evening, tomorrow we venture out into the hinterland, hard to envision what adventure might await us in the land of the Maya.









Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.