Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

AT ONE WITH THE SEA Snorkelling in the blue waters of Belize's Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a bucket list experience. I swim with nurse sharks, something my companions are scared to try, but we're told there's no harm. There's a common misconception they're blind (they're not) and vacuum up their food. I jump in to observe the dance of marine wildlife of majestic manta rays, Technicolor fish, and nurse sharks with smaller remora sharks suctioned onto them as their personal cleaners. But it's the sea turtle munching on sea grasses that has me wide-eyed as it surfaces. Gentle and methodical, it's as important as the corals below to this ecosystem and a good reminder that treading lightly is crucial to us all. DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2023 42 E X O T I C F A R E TRIP PLANNER For travel information about Belize visit BelizeTourismBoard.org i ROAD TRIP SNACKS A drive along the picturesque Hummingbird Highway is a route of culinary surprises. You'll pass jungles, villages, orchards and the northern edges of Maya Mountain enroute to San Ignacio, a popular town revered as an adventurer's play- ground. Be sure to stop at the aptly named Miss Bertha's Best Belizean Tamales. Her chicken and corn tamales are famous nationwide, and I, a Latin Amer- ican devotee of the banana-leaf- wrapped, corn masa parcels, agree. For dessert, stop at the Mennonite-owned The Country Barn Ice Cream Shop, where soursop, coconut, craboo (a sweet-tart tropical fruit) and passionfruit ice cream vie for your attention. If you imagine Belize is all beans and rice, it's time to reconsider. DS RIVER CRUISE — BELIZE STYLE "Look there!" exclaims Robert Melendez, owner of Jungle Splash Eco Tours in San Ignacio on board a roofed pontoon in the upper Macal River. Surrounded by shades of green, he points out a mature river croc and explains his childhood playground is best explored the old-fashioned way. "Let's go to the waterfalls!" Up a nearly dry riverbed, I hike through a slippery jungle path to a remote waterfall and pool for a much-needed refreshing dip. Later on, in a post-jungle drizzle, the sun peaks out and exotic tropical birdsongs are the only disruptor where clean mountain air meets river air. I feel lucky to disconnect from our busy lives, even if just for a few special hours.

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