Belize Expedition Blog

What is got up to whilst planning a jungle expedition. What happens in Belize, stays in Belize, unless it's written here first....

22-12-07

Feels like Xmas

I've had two nights on the couch and two mornings hanging out my arse this week. Tis the season... New homepage should be finished this weekend.

21-12-07

The Shortest Day

After piling up all our Belize City related tasks, we headed down today. Greg spoke to various members of BATSUB and BDF specifically requesting the type of help we would like to make the project risks manageable. Laura and I went around dealing with t-shirts, paying for the flight to Houston and getting the Land Rover stickers done!

It's been a year since i was first given the job to update the logos on the doors, and finally, the last remnants of Trekforce Expeditions in Belize have disappeared. It warranted a trip to Brodies to purchase some fine cheese and wine for later, before riding the bus and getting trollied in Cocopele's and Faya Wata.

20-12-07

Bleargh, midnight oil

Started on the plans and materials list for the Chiquibul South Ranger Station project. Not before being called into town by Greg mid morning and then dossing around with a long lunch in Hanna's and getting back to the office at 3:30.

Well the plans and materials have to be calculated to show people in meetings tomorrow, so endless plans, structures, drawings, counting different sizes of timber and working out why none of the 8 foot sections don't line up. Hint: Keep the beams static and just move where the leg uprights go... At 2am it was all done and nicely under our 5 grand budget from PACT.

The Land Rover came back from Graham's with an extra bill for a new Viscous unit, which regulates how fast the engine fan spins based on how hot it is. Very clever, but ours had completely bust so the engine could have melted at some point. Might have been that slight whirring sound i thought i could hear coming into San Ig on Sunday night. RULE 1: A new Land Rover noise means something is broken. RULE 2: Fix it sooner rather than later.

19-12-07

Work or Canoe?

Michael at Probelize offered to take us canoeing from Succotz to Bullet Tree Falls. Fair enough, lets do it. Only capsized 3 times in 3.5 hours. The girls didn't go in but one got dunking at the end....

We all "rode the bus", especially Greg, and went out. Lots of pool, Connect 4 and singing loudly in the new 24/7 eatery in San Ig, the only one in Belize. The Eagle's Landing is great for us Brits who love drinking late and needing to find somewhere to eat shit food like kebabs or burgers. It's been an annoying thing this year, stumbling out at 3am closing time and either only able to eat tamales or nothing. Town just got a whole lot more fun!

18-12-07

Publicity

All hands to the deck to sort out the press release for all the Belizean newspapers of the FCD partnership. All were very positive and willing to help out, because after all it's free content.

16-12-07

Trying to be tourists

Headed into Dangriga for brunch and met a boat guy called Charlie who used to help out Rob when he was first working in Belize at the end of the 90's.

Stopped off at the Blue Hole National Park for a swim. Pretty cool feature. Then headed into St Herman's cave part of the park, ended up walking a mile and a bit through mossie infested jungle wearing shorts and sandals (heaven forbid and no belt kit too). The cave is awesome and about a mile long and the lookout tower (a Trekforce 2001 project) gave good views of the Stann Creek valley.

15-12-07

Gale's Point

Laura and I hotfooted our way down the Gale's Point after much um-ing and ah-ing about Placencia, Monkey River Town or some other interesting place down south and far away from Cayo. Came across a group of 4 guys on the Coastal road with a puncture in their shite Nissan 4x4. Offered help but none of the Land Rover tools work on its fiddly bolts.

I was a little bit surprised at how poor Gale's Point is. I really had no idea what to expect, but you can see it's a completely forgotten part of Belize. Not really a tourist place either, so we just slung our hammocks at the "camp ground", swam in the lagoon and wandered around the village. Had an "interesting" necklace making session from a local guy. An absolutely brilliant sunset and then the sand flies got horrendous, but luckily the owner of Gentle's Cool Spot gave us some military repellent which was 100% effective (sounds like an ad).

The owner also gave in insight into the political situation at the moment in Belize. The current PUP government have increased the amount retired Belizeans get per month from $75 to $100. They then like the PUP, who know that the UDP will win. (Belize has never had a single party in consecutive terms of office). Basically, the PUP are using up all the money the country has, so that when the other lot get into power sometime next March or April, they've got no money to do anything. Belize is highly politically active and a very high percentage Belizean's use their right to vote, more than British people do! Belizeans will protest and hold rallies about virtually anything politically relevant. It doesn't help that a lot of the politicians have their own interests at heart. I'm not saying they're corrupt, just that if they're leaving office then they might sign a few hundred acres of protected area over to themselves as a 'retirement gift'....

Even in this tucked away part of Belize, Trekforce had still made its mark, having ended the Five Blue's Lake to Gale's Point trek there several years earlier. How can you not forget a bunch of sweaty gringos appearing out of nowhere and drinking the place dry!?

12-12-07

Parting ways

Greg and Jen headed into the deep Chiquibul jungle on a recce for the southern project for February's expeditions. Just a day's drive and two days walk to get there...

11-12-07

Out of office

At least for a bit i got to have a trip to Belmopan to get our visas extended. Such a simple process and a Trekforce 'perk'. Good to do some driving and not staring at a computer.

Finally diagnosed the noises on the Land Rover. Scraping noise = brake pad worn to the metal and has grooved the rotor, clunking is the rear prop rear UJ, and there's a slight steering shudder starting. Anyway, jacked up all the wheels and replaced all the brake pads for the first time ever for that vehicle.... Thank god for an excuse to get under a Landy again.

09-12-07

The Mayan cave

Antonio took us on a tour of the mayana offering cave, showing us all the pots and bones, but it was the obsidian that caught my attention. A crystalline shard that's razor sharp and a very useful tool. Spent an hour down there and a few squeeze through bits and head banging but it's great to explore.

Back to the waterfalls and the sun was out. It's such a cool waterfalls and i can't believe Ed had a whole project there for 6 weeks. It's certainly one of Belize's great secrets. It's in my top three waterfalls in Belize, after Davis Falls but maybe above Big Rock. The top five extends to Five Sisters (if a little touristy) and 1000 foot falls (a bit of a let down, but still impressive). 08-12-07

Elijio Panti

Headed into the national park for the weekend on foot, and the girls on horses with Antonio, the head warden there. In fact, the only warden of 14,000 acres. It was nice to see him again after the summer project and a good banter. Greg and I were considerably faster than the nags behind us. Stopped at the visitor's centre (Trekforce 2004) and then went on a jolly to the waterfalls (Trekforce 2003 and 2006). The girls missed our note so Antonio came back to pick us up with the horses. My first ride and not as painful as i was expecting.

The cave pallapa (Trekforce 2007) is still in good nick and looks like it's been there forever. Slung up a hammock and remembered the trekkers slaving away over it for 10 days. Introduced people to the game Mastermind, with coloured pins and you have to guess which the other person has by the clues they give. Some people get it, others don't....

06-12-07

New style

I changed all the 'header' images on the Trekforce website. Something i've been wanting to do for ages. Lots of cool stuff in there and basically - it's all true. It looks good, because it is good!

03-12-07

ISO arrives

The container for out surplus kit arrived, kindly loaned from BATSUB until May, on the back of a truck. The guy with the 'back hoe' eventually sets off from Benque at 10 mph in his JCB. A combination of dragging, pushing and levering eventually got it in place. Although, there's now no grass left on the lawn.

02-12-07

Hangover

It's one of those days. Couldn't drag myself out of bed to go take a look at Xunantunich. Besides, i've seen Caracol and they're all just piles of rocks anyway? Right?!?!

01-12-07

Sooooo drunk

Not to let the ex-Trekforce people in the UK have all the fun, we played Centurian, a shot of beer once a minute for 100 minutes. Sounds easy.... Then a bit of rum and karaoke and i don't remember much else.

02-12-07

Webday

More web stuff. Stuck in out of the sun a lot. Groan. But there's a good load of info on the Chiquibul partnership to write up.

29-11-07

Landmark monumental signing of gargantuan proportions

Trekforce and FCD are now partners. Lots of cool projects for the future, but finally the document is agreed on both sides and signatures committed to paper. Dropped in on Michael, project co-ordinator from Elijio Panti, and Jonny, Country Director for Pro-Belize. Good to catch up after 3 months. Elijio Panti have got a lot of plans for new projects and good ideas for the park. The road has funding! So the bit from the main road to the start of the park (the worst bit) will get done at some point.

What do you call a dog washed up on the beach half-dead and nursed back to life? Oliver. Oliver a sudden i'm alive again

28-11-07

Towing the line

Done my first tow of a Land Rover. Never had to do one so far in a year. It's been torrential rain so faffing around outside = saturation.

27-11-07

Office

Website stuff whilst the others arrived back drenched from a successful recce.

26-11-07

The Recce Explosion

Supposed to be leaving with the others to go into the Chiquibul for a 1 night recce, but encoding the video's taking ages so I would be meeting them there. After trawling San Ig for a fast internet connection and uploading the videos to the UK, it's 16:30. 15 mins out of San Ig, just past Cristo Rey. BOOM! Cloud of black smoke and a knocking from the bonnet. No power. A nice splatter of oil on the underside of the bonnet signifies trouble.

A three point turn, backing into the drainage ditch, saw me almost shred the engine to pull itself uphill. Second gear back, lo ratio up Devils Hunchback. Missing all the fun

25-11-07

Above and beyond

Up til 4:30am editing my video for the Trekforce Xmas Party. Has to be in tomorrow but will have to export and send tomorrow.

24-11-07

Shoots and leaves

More dressing-up. A very sunny day, good for filming. It's that Sunday feeling.

23-11-07

The shoot

Did the first Xmas party video. Land rover had a flat battery so that 2 hours to sort out and ate into filming time. Smashed my hip jumping in the river.

22-11-07

Because Communication Saves Lives

Greg and I had a meeting with Wilbur Sabido, Chief Forest Officer for Belize. A very influencial man, and a thankfully an avid supporter of Trekforce over the years. I've heard a lot of the Trekforce dealings with him this year but it was good to put a face to a name. The Forestry Department of Belize is fully of very educated, passionate and personable people. It gives working for the conservation of Belize a whole lot more determination.

And then a trip over to Belize Communication and Security Limited to figure out the VHF system, which we hadn't used for the first part of this year for cost and coverage reasons. It helps a lot when running jungle training over a few weeks, plus no mobile bills from Landys to Fieldbase. Gloria has a walkin knowledge of Trekforce, having known all the Country Directors over the years. Lots of fun stories. VHF is good fun, more than satphones, but it has to come down to cost. Lots of our batteries are on the age limit of usefulness. One of those areas that can't be scrimped on.

Also went back to Farmer's Trading Center in Spanish Lookout to meet up with Harold to talk about supplying rations and to see if we could make any savings on different products. Then darting into Caribbean Tire to fix those two punctured spares.

21-11-07

Shows that slide

Compiling all images/videos/music and forming the structure of my Trekforce Xmas Party video.

20-11-07

Rodded out

New steering rod bought, tools collected, another 2.5 hour drive almost to Las Cuevas to fit the rod to the stranded Land rover. "Screw the ends in, drop it in and tighten up", the army lads said. Lying in a jungle stream under a Land Rover with mossies buzzing in your ears, trying to tighten a nut with an adjustable spanner and some pliers is what it was.

Had to take the steering guard off, but after a few refits it went in okay. A fantastic sunset as we drove back over Mountain Pine Ridge, being met by and endless convoy of British Army vehicles. Not an everyday occurence.

19-11-07

Leading the Army astray

Well give the Army boys a chance to get out of camp to do some good and they'll jump at the chance. Got there for 8am and sat around drinking tea and chatting with the Welsh Guards. Eventually, there I am driving through the jungle, followed by a green 'Wolf' Land Rover, replete with half of REME's tools and 3 huge VHF aerials, charging through mud and negotiating ruts. Until i get twatted in the eye by a branch flicking through the open window and I can't stop crying down half my face.

Here comes the tricky bit of mud. Apparantly, they weren't trained for the type of terrain, so that's why they got their Wolf briefly stuck and my Defender sailed through. It makes me realise how when it comes to expeditions, people like us at Trekforce have such higher skills, because we do this sort of stuff all the time, whereas the army do it only in training.

The guys were a good laugh, and got the steering rod off in no time at all. I learnt a few mechanical tricks. 'Lefty loosy, righty tighty'. Time to leave and a nervousness about going back through the mud. There's soldiers sprawling all over the Mountain Pine Ridge and Vaca area. Feels kinda cool driving past a bunch of soldiers in a Land Rover. It's the little things.

Shock absorber trumpet is shearing off so there's a lot of clanging. Same old same old

18-11-07

The lost road

With a map of the Chiquibul, we tried to find two dotted lines on, that signified the only northern roads towards the northern boundary of the Chiquibul National Park, which is an intended project. Needing to find a source of water there and a possible casevac route, launched the Land Rovers up an overgrown track, but trees kept us back. Stopped off at the BATSUB REME guys at Augustine to see if they could help with our steering rod problem.

17-11-07

It's a jungle out there!

So we drove into the Chiquibul through Mountain Pine Ridge. I snapped the steering rod on the Land Rover in the horrendous bit of road just outside Las Cuevas. After rolling around in the mud trying to remove the damn thing, ditched the Landy and headed on to Las Cuevas and we'd missed Chapal (supposed to be meeting), so we hitched up hammocks under the buildings.

16-11-07

Landing

Landed in Belize. Smells like home. Only another 4 months and I can legally vote here as a Commonwealth citizen.