Once in Belize there was an immediate socioeconomic difference apparent in the houses and stores along the road. We drove to the town of San Ignacio along the green Belize River, seeing lots of big iguanas in the trees along the shore. We then turned down a very long and bumpy road to Five Sisters Lodge in the Mountain Pine Forest Reserve. Much of the forest has been destroyed by the Pine Bark Beetle, but there were a few signs of recovery (like newly reforested plots).

When we finally arrived, the lodge was in a beautiful setting perched on the edge of a steep river valley. The grounds were filled with tropical plants and the rooms were individual thatched roof cabanas. There was also a funicular (small tram) that could carry three people at a time down to the waterfalls and swimming hole below. We chose to walk the 282 steps down and to take the very slow (7 minute) ride back to the top after our swim. The tram shutsdown at 5pm because the whole lodge is run by a small hydroelectric dam and there is more demand for energy at night. Feeling refreshed, we had a group dinner in the lodge that night that consisted of a delicious "Mayan Lasagna". Back in our cabana we tried to sleep, but we could only open the shutters that were screened on the outside, limiting airflow (there wasn't AC here). Outside we could here some kind of giant bug beating against the screen trying to get in. Despite the screens on the open windows, we still woke up with lots of bug bites.

Day 13 began with an hour drive further down the bumpy logging road to a military checkpoint. Here we waited for other tour groups to arrive before being escorted to Caracol. In the past there have been armed robberies of tourists, so there are now more precautions. Along the next hour of this drive we saw British military guys who were here to train in the jungle. Once at Caracol our local guide, Elias,

showed us around some smaller dwellings thought to be those of ordinary people (such as the servants for the elites). We also saw and climbed Caana, also called the Sky Palace. This temple was cool because it had a grassy terrace near the top. In the jungle on the backside we saw hundreds of butterflies and a family of howler monkies. Back on the ground we saw a number of stelae, including one with a dwarf carved near the ruler's knees. The military escorts hovered near by with their automatic weapons and seemed to be poking something with a stick. When we walked closer we realized they had found a 10 foot boa constrictor which they were keeping around to show us. After a good picnic lunch at the site and a look at the small but nice visitors' center, we headed back to the lodge.

That night, our last with the whole group, a number of people started to feel the fatigue of the trip (and more would in the days to come). Still, we enjoyed our final meal together, especially once Victor the Cat (our driver) broke out his guitar and sang to us. We think that one song was written by Victor to tease Josué about his girlfriend who currently lives in the U.S. Our night ended with a short speech by Josué in which he thanked us all for coming, told us he hoped we had learned about his country and its people, and said that his relationships with us made him think of us as family. We said a sad goodbye to those people who weren't continuing on to the post-trip extension on Ambergris Caye.