This is a continuation of the Cotton Tree Chocolate Tour entry. The review ended with our chocolate in the conching machine. After three days it was ready to move onto the next steps. One of the best parts of today was the air…Read More

This is a continuation of the Cotton Tree Chocolate Tour entry. The review ended with our chocolate in the conching machine. After three days it was ready to move onto the next steps.

One of the best parts of today was the air conditioned room we worked in. AC was pretty rare in Belize!

The liquid chocolate from the concher was poured into tempering machines. Tempering is the process of heating and cooling the chocolate. This is what creates the glossy sheen. The machines look a bit like ice cream makers, spinning the liquid chocolate. When the temperature screen read 90 degrees, it was time to start making our bars.

We used measuring syringes to move the liquid chocolate between the tempering machine and the molds. The plastic bar shaped mold fits onto a vibrating mechanism that shakes out the air bubbles as the chocolate fills the frame. Then the molds are move to a shelf to cool. After a few hours they are ready to wrap.

Cotton Tree seals their chocolate in foil and then each bar is inserted into a small box. Our personal bars were sealed and then we stuck on a label with the Cotton Tree logo and our name.

This is a small factory that does a lot of the work by hand. It is very different than a big manufacturer. Still, the quality of the chocolate is impressive.

We each made three bars to take home which was pretty amazing. We started with cacao beans and ended with chocolate!

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The pictures and stories about visits to the cave really piqued my interest. You might remember from a previous journal that I'm not a great swimmer, so I was a little worried about whether I could handle this adventure. The guides and my friends…Read More

The pictures and stories about visits to the cave really piqued my interest. You might remember from a previous journal that I'm not a great swimmer, so I was a little worried about whether I could handle this adventure. The guides and my friends were great and in the end this was one of the highlights of my trip.

It is about an hour drive to Blue Creek from the Punta Gorda area. We parked at the river, picked out life jackets and started the 20 minute hike towards the cave mouth.

Parts of the rock path along the river's edge were quite slippery and we had to be ever vigilant of the fire ants walking in long trains. As we got closer to the cave, we climbed up using some tree roots as hand holds.

Once the huge cave mouth was in view, I had to wonder what is really in store. Vines dangled from the top and water rushed out. It felt a bit like being in an Indiana Jones movie.

There were some small waterfalls we had to climb over and then it was into the river. We put on our headlamps and begin swimming against the current into the cave. As we rounded the corner it started to get dark. There were a few cave bats and flying around high above us.

The current was definitely strong and I had trouble imagining trying this later in the rainy season. If one us was tired we'd find a ledge and grab onto the cave wall. Eventually the cave was completely dark except for our headlamps. It was pretty amazing to look around at the cave formations.

The further we swam, the stronger the current became. Our guides Antonio and Markus told us there was ledge up ahead beyond a small waterfall and that we would rest there before swimming out.

One by one we fought the rushing water to find a spot up on the dry edge of the cave. In the dark my friends looked a bit like bats perched on the rocks with just the illumination of the headlamps. I climbed up to join them and then we all turned out the lights. It was pitch black in the cave and the sound of the water rushing was amazing.

Then it was time for the relaxing part of this journey. We slid back into the water and floated with the current. It simply carried us back to where we started.

The most striking memory was when we neared the mouth of the cave and could see the sunlight outlined by stone. It was just spectacular!

As we stepped back onto dry land, I think we all felt an incredible sense of accomplishment. We hiked back down the trail and had lunch at the edge of the river.

While we enjoyed our food, some Mennonites drove up in a horse and buggy. It was surprising to see the typical striped shirts, overalls, pants, hats, and long beards I might see at home. They were there hoping to sell some watermelon to our guides for the lodge kitchen. Close

After a relaxing morning of tortilla making, it was time to step it up a notch and see some more of the country. I arranged for a jungle survival check with Armando the gardener at the lodge. He was such happy gentleman and so…Read More

After a relaxing morning of tortilla making, it was time to step it up a notch and see some more of the country. I arranged for a jungle survival check with Armando the gardener at the lodge.

He was such happy gentleman and so very proud of the survival skills he learned from generations of family and villagers.

We followed the boardwalk past all the cabanas and through the garden and then we were following a faint path in the jungle. Armando hacked vines out the way with the machete as we wandered through the forest.

As we came to a stop, he pointed up to a huge paper hornet nest hanging from vines above 15 feet above our heads. The hornets won't bother us if we don't bother them.

Next he showed me a twisty vine about 3 inches wide. To be honest it looked like a young tree. He chopped off a chunk of it and showed me that water pours out which you can drink. It was cool and refreshing and reminded me a bit of aloe. It is important to make the two cuts quickly when removing a piece of vine or the plant will actually absorb the valuable water back into the undamaged limbs.

A little further down the trail, Armando had built a beehive in a small log which was suspended by vines. He is able to collect honey to eat. Their bees actually don't sting. He proved this to me, by putting his hand right inside the log when I dubiously explained that beekeeper's need to use smoke at home to calm the bees while they harvest honey.

We finally reached a camp that he had built. There was a small thatched roof with a hammock tied from strong vine. If you are stuck in the woods overnight, the first thing to do is build a thatch roof to protect from the rains.

Behind the hammock was a termite nest on a stick. When I inquired about this, Armando explained that lighting the termite nest on fire will create smoke which keeps away the mosquitoes at night!

He showed me how to build a trap to catch birds, though I'd be harvesting fresh fruits and veggies if I was stuck in the tropical jungle.

Further down the trail was a camp kitchen with a handmade table. Armando chopped up some hearts of palm, palm nuts, and other jungle veggies for me to try. I asked Armando what he would do in the jungle without a machete. He chuckled and said you won't survive long without one.

In the more remote areas of Belize, a machete is as important as a Swiss Army knife. You'll notice that that the locals often keep them by the door of their house, the way we might have an umbrella rack.

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On day 4 we had a number of excursion options. Some travelers went snorkeling. Though I could have been convinced to go, the added cost of chartering a boat for that trip made me consider a more relaxing and economical day.My new friends…Read More

On day 4 we had a number of excursion options. Some travelers went snorkeling. Though I could have been convinced to go, the added cost of chartering a boat for that trip made me consider a more relaxing and economical day.

My new friends and I opted to learn how to make tortillas with the locals instead. Once again, we loaded into the van for drive down the bumpy dirt roads into Santa Anna village. Fortunately, the trip was only 2 miles!

A wonderful Belizean woman invited us into her home and taught how to make corn tortillas which are a staple there.

We started by getting some dried corn from the storage bags and scraping the kernels off into a bowls. This is hard work and I was not very good at it.

Next, the kernels need to be boiled for a few hours with lime to remove the clear outer layer. The whole process happens over a wood fire. Just like a cooking show, there was a quick swap out with corn they had already prepared.

Next we washed the lime off of the corn and began grinding it. Again this was tough work, though I was definitely better at cranking the grinder. The corn needs to go through twice, and then it is ready.

The next step is forming the tortillas. After taking a small chunk of dough, you form it into a ball. Then it is flattened into a circle on a thin flexible plastic mat by hand. The last step before cooking the tortilla is peeling it away from the mat.

We placed the raw tortillas on the iron cooking plate that rested directly on the coals. Our teacher would flip the tortillas by hand without any pot holder.

It took us a few minutes to make a tortilla. The local woman made about 10 in the same amount of time that I could prepare one. She makes 75 tortillas for her family three times each day!

After the tortillas were cooked we prepared some fresh tomato sauce and some boiled eggs to make a small meal.

This was a great experience which really made me appreciate how easy we have it at home. Close

In the afternoon on my second day of the trip we visited a local cacao farm.Eladio Pop and his gracious family served up a delicious lunch which included fresh juice, chicken, potatoes, homemade corn tortillas, rice and beans. It poured rain for an hour while…Read More

In the afternoon on my second day of the trip we visited a local cacao farm.

Eladio Pop and his gracious family served up a delicious lunch which included fresh juice, chicken, potatoes, homemade corn tortillas, rice and beans.

It poured rain for an hour while we ate and his thatched roof built by hand kept us dry as could be.

After our meal, we went outside where his family showed us how to make Mayan cacao drink. It is more reminiscent of coffee than the hot chocolate we enjoy.

First we roasted the cacoa beans and some allspice over the coals. Next we crunched the spice and beans with rocks. One of Eladio's daughters separated the shells from the beans. Then we used a corn grinder to turn the beans and spice into a cacao paste. The paste is mixed with hot water and that is Mayan cacoa. You can sweeten it or add milk if you wish, but Eladio and his family drink it plain.

After enjoying the cocao drink, it was off to Eladio's farm. I had pictured a cocao farm looking like an orchard with neatly lined up trees. My perception was corrected when we found that we were going on a jungle tour led by Eladio and his machete.

We saw many cacao trees, banana trees, palm and other local produce. Eladio showed us one of his camps where he was drying corn that he had grown on his land. Our host chopped down fruits and opened them with his machete for us to try.

The rain cooled the surroundings for a bit and that likely kept the mosquitoes at bay. As the day wore on, the temperature rose again and we were happy to head back to the lodge to freshen up. Close

The majority of day one was travel. Only two US cities have flights to Belize, Houston and Miami. I left Boston early in the morning and then landed in Miami. After a short layover, we took off for Belize City. The airport…Read More

The majority of day one was travel. Only two US cities have flights to Belize, Houston and Miami.

I left Boston early in the morning and then landed in Miami. After a short layover, we took off for Belize City. The airport in Belize is small and I was surprised to descend out of the plane directly onto the tarmac when we landed.

Once inside, you pick up your luggage and walk around the corner to customs. Since I had connecting flight on Mayan Air, I had to walk around another corner and head through security to the waiting area.

We boarded a small 12 seat plane with no co-pilot and took off towards Punta Gorda. On route, we stopped at 3-4 places to drop off people or a guitar in one instance.

Before each take off the plane would drive to the edge of land and then speed down a bumpy runway towards the ocean.

Honestly, I expected to be more scared than I was. Perhaps it helped that we were flying so low and that the views were spectacular.

The airport in Punta Gorda consists of small cottage on the edge of the land. Baggage checking means a gentleman manually matches your baggage ticket with the stack he was handed when the plane lands.

From the airport, we packed into an SUV and bounced down dirt roads through the jungle to get our boat. Occasionally big blue land crabs would scurry out of the way.

We switched from SUV to boat and sped down the river to the lodge. The wind whipping by helped cool us off. Huge iguanas basked in the palm trees along the river. We quickly arrived at dock on the backside of Cotton Tree. After checking in and a little down time, we had dinner with our fellow adventurers.Close

The CDC recommends a number of vaccinations before visiting Belize, in addition to a course of anti-malarial medication. Some people on my trip took their chances without either of the above and they were fine. I preferred the extra comfort and would recommend…Read More

The CDC recommends a number of vaccinations before visiting Belize, in addition to a course of anti-malarial medication. Some people on my trip took their chances without either of the above and they were fine. I preferred the extra comfort and would recommend seeing a travel doctor a few months before leaving.

English is the main languages spoken in Belize. You'll also find some Spanish and number of local Mayan dialects.

The US dollar is accepted everywhere, so there really isn't any need to convert your money. The conversion rate is 2 Belize dollars to 1 US. Credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are not plentiful.

Expect to pay about $40 US as a departure tax when leaving Belize.

Punta Gorda roads are paved, but you'll quickly find dirt roads as soon as you leave town. In the morning, this isn't a big deal. After a long hot day, bouncing around in a car or van for the last 20 minutes back to your hotel can be a bit grueling. (I'd also discourage renting a car for this reason. If you do rent, upgrade to a truck or something with more off-road capability.)

The climate in Belize is hot and humid. Bring extra shirts or polypro tshirts that can be washed in your room and will dry quickly. Make sure you have plenty of water when you leave for the day.

If you are staying outside of Belize City, pack any necessities that you may require. Even in Punta Gorda you may not find simple items you'd expect at home.

Bring a water camera! I did not pack one of these and would have loved to have one at the caves.

I'd recommend packing some Nu-Skin in case you get any scrapes or cuts. On the cave tour, I skinned my knees which would normally be a minor inconvenience. With the humidity, it just didn't heal well. Luckily, someone had packed some and was willing to share. Close