UNBELIZEABLE!

Belize, C.A.

02 - 11 October 1999

In early October, Denise and I returned to Belize for our fourth time for a much needed vacation. We were joined by our friends, Marty and Ann Guidry. We spent about a week in the jungle, first at Chan Chich Lodge in the Orange Walk District and then at Hidden Valley Inn in the Mountain Pine Ridge area of the Cayo District. We ended our trip on Ambergris Caye, where we fished, snorkeled and enjoyed the beautiful Caribbean waters and Belize's barrier reef, the longest in the Western Hemisphere.

We saw more than 175 species of birds, and numerous interesting mammals, including Jaguar, Spider Monkey, Black Howler Monkey, White-lipped Peccary, Silky Anteater, Kinkajou, Gray Fox, Coatimundi, River Otter, White-tailed Deer, Deppe's Squirrel, and several species of bats. Other notable sightings included Red-eyed Tree Frog, Tarantula, Wolf Spider, Tailless Scorpion Spider, Leaf-cutter Ants, Glow Worm, Green Iguana, Spiny-tailed Iguana, and Jesus Christ Lizard. On the reef, we saw Eagle Ray, Sting Ray, Nurse Shark, Barracuda, Green Moray Eel, Black Moray Eel, Spiny Lobster, about thirty species of reef inhabiting fishes, and numerous breath-taking corals.

Belize is truly a magnificent country, and we'll be back -- you better Belize it!

-- David J. L'Hoste

Chan Chich

Hidden Valley

Ambergris Caye

(1) = photograph by Denise F. L'Hoste; (2) = photograph by Ann Guidry; (3) = photograph by a Tropic Air baggage handler; others by David J. L'Hoste.

Birds and other critters:
Magnificent Frigatebird
 
Roadside Hawk
 
Ocellated Turkey
 
Spider Monkey
 
Leaf-cutter Ants
 
Montezuma Oropendola Nest Tree
 

Where we stayed:
Chan Chich
Hidden Valley
Holiday Hotel, Ambergris Caye

From an earlier trip to Ambergris Caye:
Ambergris Caye by D. J. L'Hoste
 
Selected Online Resources:
Belize Links

[Keel-billed Toucan by David J. L'Hoste.]

Scans and website by David J. L'Hoste

return: i n t e r a l i a

27 October 1999