LDS Shore excursion in Belize City, Belize

Hello again from the VP corner at Cruise Lady, Inc. In my continuing essay of Caribbean shore excursions today I will highlight the shore excursion in Belize. This has to be the most exotic and adventurous of all our excursions and my personal favorite. A large part of the success of this tour has to be credited to our awesome tour guides, Errol and Nate. In Belize we need to tender from the ship to the pier (like taking a ferry from the ship). The water is so shallow due to the coral reef which forms a barrier that prevents large ships from entering the port. Once this ordeal is past we meet our guides at the port of Belize City and begin what will be a bus ride of just over an hour. Along the way some of the highlights of the city will be pointed out and once we start out in the country the guides will share with you the history of Belize, its people and culture. At the end of the bus ride we find ourselves at the boat dock along side the New River. This river is slow moving and surrounded with tropical foliage, exotic birds and an occasional sighting of crocodiles. The boats we use will hold 30 passengers and have big outboard motors that propel us in fast fashion along the gleaming water.

The boat ride takes about an hour and then we arrive at the archaeological site of Lamanai. There are 3 distinct sites to visit in Lamanai, the Temple of the Jaguar, the High Temple and the Temple of the Mask. Make no mistake, these ruins are in the middle of the jungle and we walk on uneven paths through thick jungle growth. Howler Monkeys in the trees make a loud growling sound as you pass by causing some question as to if whether that is really a monkey or if it is a Jaguar lurking in the shadows? The Temple of the Jaguar is viewed first from a large grassy courtyard. The outline of a Jaguar face can be seen on both sides of the temple.

The High Temple comes next giving us the opportunity to climb, and climb we will, all the way to the top to see the inspiring view over the jungle canopy and off into distant lands.

The final stop at the sight is the Temple of the Mask, a 14' high engraving depicting a face of an ancient inhabitant of Lamanai.

After our visit at this final stop we hike back out of the jungle to board our boats and return via the same river to the boat dock. There won't be much stopping on the return trip so hang on to your hats! Once we reach the dock we are treated to a great buffet lunch consisting of chicken, rice and beans and other local fare. Note the interesting taste of the rice and beans. They are cooked in coconut milk giving them a local and unusual taste. After lunch we travel by bus for another hour to reach Belize City. Our guides take this opportunity to tell us more about Belize and answer questions. We usually reach Belize City just in time to line up for the last tenders back to our waiting ship. Occasionally we have 30 extra minutes for shopping but you have to move fast, you don't want to miss last call to return on the tender.