Chocolate in Belize: the Land of Melted Snickers

San Ignacio in Belize is a sweaty and hot town. It was also the town closest to the Stardust Sanctuary FarmBut only seldom we drove all the way there to enjoy the place itself. Usually, we were sitting in the local bus station, waiting for a bus that would take us somewhere more interesting, or back home. If we had time until our bus, we sipped freshly squeezed juices in a nearby restaurant. In San Ignacio, we were always waiting. Until all the waiting came to an end.

When our time in farm came to an end, we realised there were still a ton of things to do in San Ignacio. One afternoon, we decided to check out what the chocolate tour at AJAW was all about. Apparently, the Mayas made great chocolate.

I couldn’t find any evidence of that in the local shops. The best dessert in Belize was a dreamy yellow lemon pie that I could never get enough of. But chocolate? All I remembered was a lonely Snickers bar in the shop shelf which melted between my fingers even before I could lift it up. No, I didn’t consume any chocolate in Belize.

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Chicken buses in Guatemala: our most unforgettable rides so far

“At least a couple of times a month, a chicken bus plunges from a cliff.” A sentence from Lonely Planet drummed in my head louder than ever. Holding on to the seat in front of me, I stole a glance out of the window. The bus slowly ascended a dusty mountain road, its wheels no more than half a meter from the edge of the road. The view from the window resembled the ones from an aeroplane. Continue Reading →

Boat sitting on Lake Izabal: Notes from the Water

“The captain is out to lunch and the sailors have taken over the ship.” (Charles Bukowski)

Day 1 of boat sitting: Tom

It sounded too good to be true. In the mornings, we’d be scrubbing decks for two hours and in the afternoons, we’d sail and explore the area. Hiking trails, caves, waterfalls, the possibilities were limitless. Oo, the wonders of WorkAway, the website we’ve been using to find accommodation in exchange for a couple of hours of honest work. And so we embarked on not one, but two boats, both belonging to Daeli, a French adventurer with a beard so scruffy and long it was probably eagerly eyed by birds with nest-making ambitions far and wide. Continue Reading →