ext212 > americas > belize 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 Cayo Disctrict: - The orange orchard right outside Caves Branch - Our ride beats any SUV in New York City - The tree of life the Mayans worshipped next to the Give and Take tree 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

After breakfast the next morning, we join five other people atop a tractor-drawn trailer for a ride to our next tour: the Black Hole Drop. We were to hike in another part of the jungle and rappel down 500 feet into a sinkhole, then hike back. It wasn't even 10am and the sun was already blazing. We drove through an orange orchard and realized that the owner of Caves Branch is not just some guy with a few guest houses in the jungle. We confirm his land ownership later that night which he informs us is leased to orange growers for revenue. I was still a little tired from our hike the night before but I did not expect this hike to be as grueling -- I was completely wrong. The hike to the top of the cliff was about two hours with a lot of steep climbing. I could only imagine how much more difficult it would have been if the boy did not carry all our water. We were sweating buckets! Four guides join us to assist with the actual drop. They turn our attention away from the heat, sweat, and exhaustion by pointing out the different kinds of plants and trees in the jungle. There was the big tree the Mayans consider the tree of life. There were trees with poisonous roots we were warned not to grab onto while we were hiking. There was the thorny tree called Give and Take, aptly named because the thorns will give you pain but only its sap can take the pain away. Our guides use their machetes to hack through the occassional overhanging vine. Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Mile 41 1/2 Hummingbird Hwy., P.O. Box 356, Belmopan Web: www.cavesbranch.com We rented a Jungle Cabana for two nights for $68 per night. Buffet-style meals are included. Caves Branch sits on a privately-owned 58,000-acre estate and you will be in the middle of the jungle. Showers and toilets are a few yards from your cabana but hot water and clean drinking water are ample. There is maid service and you can pay to have your laundry done. Check the Web site for the tours they offer.