Monday is our first adventure at the Caves Branch lodge (http://www.cavesbranch.com/), the Jungle Trek. Neko is our guide for this day hike. Because we’re the only two who have signed up, the hike is intimate. Neko is in his 30’s and is very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area. The day, in total, is all about a hike, a swim in the river, and lots of stories and spottings of plants, animals, and birds. We learn how trees are identified through their bark, about the different types of palms and how they are used by the locals, and chew on the inside of a Kahun nut, which has a coconut type milk inside. Most creatures are unable to get into the Kahun nut, with the exception of the squirrel, who most agilely drills a hole in the end to get at the good stuff.
We also spot a number of birds...most I can’t remember the names of, but the most spectacular was a pair of spectacled owls, which is rare for the day time as Neko explains. We also see a small lizard, hold a frog, and Steve spots a chameleon on a tree.
Neko tells us a number of stories; my favorite is about the Ceibo tree, which is the sacred tree of the Mayans. They believe that those who die make have to make their way through a series of levels and tests in order to get to “heaven”. The levels start at caves in the earth, go up through the Ceibo’s roots, and then through its branches. However, the way to bypass these levels and tests is to be sacrificed to the gods, so some Mayans volunteered to be sacrificed. I guess not all victims were unwillingly killed.
Nikko also told us the story of why the Jaguar is hard to spot...how the Jaguar meets and challenges a farmer. The farmer says that he wants to chop some wood for his family before the Jaguar eats him, and ends up trapping the Jaguars paws in the split in the wood of a log when he asks him to help remove a stuck axe. When the farmer has the Jaguar trapped and the roles reversed, he threatens to kill the Jaguar unless he promises never to bother human beings. This is why humans rarely see Jaguars in the jungle.
Part of the hike took us through an orange grove at the edge of the jungle. Citrus production is a major business for Belize. Most of their oranges are juiced and the juice sent to the U.S.
Other hike highlights include learning about leaf cutter ants (Neko held up one to my ear, and you could hear it make some chittering noise...kind of unerving). They can be used as stitches on injuries. I also got a chance to ingest some jungle protein in the form of termites. Termite mounds are all over the place. Neko broke a small hole in one, and we licked our fingers and stuck a few on them before eating them. Steve says they taste kind of like carrots. I couldn't decide, but I don't think they taste like mint, like some people say. I also, at Neko's encouragement, licked some termites directly off the mound.
Before our return hike to the lodge, Neko took us to a swimming spot in the river. We hadn’t brought our suits, so we just swam in our underwear. The water was cool and refreshing...but all the little fish swarming around us were funny! They kind of nibble at your skin. Sometimes it tickles, and sometimes it feels like you’ve been pinched.
We have a wonderful time in the evening, where we meet a 30-something couple, Julie and Bobby from California. The evening was spent on rum and coke, beer, and cigars, and some great conversation.
