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Home/2008 photos/Belize/Arrival & Jaguar Paw Lodge

arriving in Belize we head towards the jungle for a bit of adventure including Zip Lining and Cave Tubing Meghan and I arrived in Belize City around noon, picked up our rental car, and started our drive up to the jungle. We drove West from the airport away from Belize City through small towns (which had had obvious support from charitable groups, especially religious groups) and towards the mountains and jungles. We took our time, taking in the scenery along the way, eventually arriving at the Jaguar Paw lodge - a reasonably upscale lodge that provides not only a great spot in the jungle to spend a few days but also runs a few adventure activities. Our room was nicely appointed and the grounds were well tended and offered some nice pathways and trails through the surrounding jungle. The food was pretty good, though a little expensive. Luckily for us, we were there on days where there were no cruise ship visits because that can (apparently) drastically change the vibe of the area (imagine 400 cruise ship passengers pouring out of several large tour buses..). We spent a couple of days lounging around the grounds, swimming in the pool, and also taking in the adventures like Zip Lining and Cave Tubing. The Zip Lining was great fun, though the course was probably a little small (I don't really know, having no prior experience). We climbed up to a large platform and raced through the trees from platform to platform, eventually rappelling back to where we started. Cave Tubing, which I had never heard of before reading about Belize, consists of hiking through the jungle (we hiked about 1 hour) and then putting in to a river which flows through several caves. The experience was great. The two of us and our guide were the only ones on the water. We would enter caves and as the entrance disappeared behind us we could turn off our headlights and be in complete darkness and silence except for the lapping of the water. And then around the corner the exit to the cave would appear and we would slowly drift down river and back out into the open sky - only to see another cave up ahead. Not only was the cave tubing enjoyable but the hike through the jungle was great - our guide was knowledgeable and pointed out many trees, insects, and gave us some context of the Mayan culture and the history of Belize.