ext212 > americas > belize 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 Cayo Disctrict: - Our guide shows us the ropes - You shouldn't touch a millipede because it leaves off red ink on your hands that may be poisonous - Rappelling down 500 feet after a two-hour hike - One of the many beautiful caves we visited during our grueling hike where honeymooners pay to sleep; the fertility goddess statue is the tiny dot on the right 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

We reached the top of a sheer limestone wall from which weŽd make our drop. Our guides attend to our harnesses and ropes. One of our guides has already gone down to then serve as a belayer for the rest of us. The boy volunteers to go first. None of us really realized how scary it would be until he said, Jesus, when he was finally able to look down. You rappel with your legs against the cliff for about twenty five feet and then you let yourself fall the rest of the way down. You control the give of your rope and it's entirely up to you if you want to slide down fast or stop a few times along the way to take photographs. The photo on the left shows my feet dangling and the rope going all the way down to the ground. After we made it to the bottom, the guides set down a picnic blanket for our lunch. We feasted on boiled eggs, cheese, ham, and vegetables wrapped in tortillas. After a few minutes of rest, we proceeded to the next round of our hike. We visited a couple of caves that honeymooners can opt to camp in for a night. Newlyweds sleep inside the cave on an inflatable mattress while the guides camp outside the mouth of the cave to give them the privacy they need. (Later, we will read a letter in the Caves Branch guestbook with an attached photo of a baby conceived in one of those overnight tours. Oy!) Throughout the entire hike, I drank only two liters of water. I wasn't feeling too thirsty and I didn't want to have to relieve myself off trail. What I did not know was that the effects of dehydration were slowly setting in. I ate well enough during dinner to think that the fatigue I was feeling was just because of my tired legs. But as I did not replenish my body with more water during the night I was soon overcome with bouts of nausea and diarrhea. I was suffering. The next morning, I was weak and withdrawn. Ian Anderson noticed that I was not my usual chatty self during breakfast. He gave me some dehydration salts and ordered me to sip water every few minutes during our trip to our next destination: Caye Caulker. I skipped breakfast because there was just no way I could keep anything down. We were scheduled to catch the Novelos bus back to Belmopan, and then catch another bus to Belize City to the water taxi terminal. But I simply did not have the strength to even stand up. We decided to wait it out until I felt better. We were fortunate that Pedro was headed to Belize City to run some errands. Ian Anderson was good enough to have him take us all the way to the water taxi terminal in their SUV for free. We rode comfortably as Pedro drove to his Spanish music. On our way out we passed the bus stop and were slightly embarrassed to see our hiking group from the other day waiting while we drove off in relative luxury. Eeep, but what can you do? Helping the sick is a priority! Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Mile 41 1/2 Hummingbird Hwy., P.O. Box 356, Belmopan Web: www.cavesbranch.com We signed up for a two tours: Jungle Hike After Dark, which was US$30 per person and the Black Hole Drop tour which cost us US$105 each. Check the Web site for the other tours they offer.