Taking it Easy

(By now, you have probably all figured out that I can only post my blogs when the Internet is working properly…here is my post for my second weekend in Belize, July 14 & July 15.)

This was my weekend off from all responsibilities, so I felt like kicking back and taking it easy. All day on Saturday all I felt like doing was hanging out by the pool, exploring town and looking for souvenirs. At about 5pm my TA came up to us and told us about a fiesta they were having in Benque, a border-town about twenty minutes away. Granted it didn’t take long to convince me to go, and what a blast we had! We only really stayed for the daylight portion of the fiesta, which was set up like a carnival: there were rides, carnival games, free beer (because we knew the locals), and dozens of food stands that all smelled really good. It was fun to party with the locals, and we all must have felt really adventurous that day since we tried some of the sketchiest rides I’ve ever come across (Ferris wheels made from tractors that change speed when switching gear, metal contraptions that spin in all directions especially those that are upside-down, etc.). The fiesta was also a great opportunity to try a new Belizean meal, although I must admit I am not a fan of whatever it was we ate … but the beer sure was tasty :P.

Graffiti we saw on the way to the Fiesta... It says "Creativity costs less than Alcohol."

La Fiesta.

Local Beer!

Sunday morning we all got up real early to go horseback riding! The Mountain Equestrian Trail (or MET for short) was about a six-hour trail ride, with a break at Big Rock Falls to go swimming. The view was spectacular – we cantered passed the mountainside, through the woods, across streams, and even galloped alongside a dirt road. I was really excited to go galloping, especially since I never went that fast before… and trust me it’s pretty fast! Stopping at the waterfall was the perfect way to cool down after such a long ride. Swimming against the rapids may have been challenging, but the reward was so worth it (how many people can say they have jumped into a falling waterfall??) There were a bunch of rocks to climb too, some of which were eighty feet above the water and were perfect places to jump from! The guides even provided a hearty lunch filled with chicken, beans, and tortillas for us to enjoy while watching the falls. All in all, the trip was amazing and we had a lot of fun doing it. Anybody that travels to San Ignacio and decides to skip out on this tour is really missing out.