Just a quick note before a new city. Leaving Belize was easy then fretful. Getting off the island went smoothly enough, but the planned relaxing decent coffee at The Radisson before a fixed price cab turned into an unlicensed ride in a 30 year old jalopy with a chancer. Why does this always happen to me? It must be the look on my face. The coffee was crap as well. Taca Airline managed to instill confidence and consternation at the same time, but were was st...

Steinbeck asks the question about his journey: "What was I doing wrong? Was it going as I wished?" It's the usual question for me about this far in. I'd gone to the usual sundowner bar a lot earlier than normal. I'd ordered a rum and had just happened on the above quote. A Belizian guy came up to me and said that the book 'better be about Belize'. I showed him the cover, saying it was universal. He replied that he'd read Steinbeck and that he was fine, but...

Hello - just a little update. Well, it's been a fine thing missing all the Thatcher nonsense. And what finer place to miss it than on an island in the Caribbean? Caye Caulker (not Corker as this stupid blog site insists on calling it) is simply a pleasant little place with minimum stress. It's very delineated in terms of roles though, with different communities running different types of businesses. It's the Rastas who run the tours and also little sidelines...

As ever, getting used to local conditions after a few days. Belize buses? Phht! A breeze. Don't know what all the fuss was about. Belize City - supposedly hardcore - was fine and included the usual sweaty walk, but this time to a boat that would deliver me to a tropical island. When I got here my accommodation had obviously closed down for... what? The summer? The hot bit of summer? An onshore wind? Who knows. Still, found somewhere else and the pictur...

Up nice and early for a trip to Lama'anayin. Initially with a couple from the Virgin Islands who were all about the twitching. I'm not. Still, an hour pootering around on the water looking at herons, bats and lizards was pleasant enough. Just missed a crocodile, though. Apparently. Turns out everyone else on the real boat was waiting for us while we were getting free sugar from the local factory (this is true). Then we all went quite fast to the Mayan site...