from a friend in Cayo

Couple of tourists up here went zip lining and caves branch tubing. Long waits at both places. Over 700 tourists from 5 cruise ships in port were also there waiting.

Coldest night of the year up in these hills last night.

Hyrdoponic vegetables doing fine.

My Festival tent collapsed in wild night rain storm two nights ago. Got tore up a bit and most metal hollow pipe poles bent out of shape. Got a guy trying to patch it together today.

Refurbishing our sign for the highway entrance to Hillview and Falconview Tourist Backpackers Adventure Hostel. Behind schedule on that, but hopefully by the weekend it will be done.
http://folkmusicfl.tripod.com/adventuresinbelize/


Beds all sold out at Caye Caulker I hear? Long waiting list for Tina's Backpackers Beach front hostel. People waiting were they can until an opening and somebody leaves.

another note from Ray...

Well my only TWO tourists are having a fine time. They are off again this morning, to spend an overnight camping deep underground in XIBALBA, the Mayan underground cave system. See them again tomorrow night and then off to San Pedro for a day Sunday and then 3 days on Caye Caulker and back to Indianapolis and Missoula, Montana for them. They definitely were able to pack in a lot for a two week holiday. They did TIKAL, Xununtanich and Cahel Pech, the ZIP lining through the jungle tree tops and tubing through the caves of Caves Branch river. All day to CARACOL which included the Rio Frio Cave and Rio On rapids. Tonight they sleep deep underground in caves. Then off to the Cayes.

It is easy to keep someone busy out here in the WEST of Belize, for five days, probably for 8 or 9 days? There are so many all day trip adventures. Some are crowded with cruise ship crowd, but many are isolated for active under 45 year old types of adventurerer.

http://folkmusicfl.tripod.com/adventuresinbelize/

Stay at the Low Budget Falconview Tourist Backpackers Adventure Hostel in Western Belize, Santa Elena Town. EXIT 66 1/2 ( look for the signs ) We are your home away from home and adventure headquarters. All Tour Guides pickup and return guests to the Front Desk.

Tourist news out Western Belize, Ray Auxillou

Regarding tourism in the twin towns. Our guests took us out for supper at Hanna's restaurant last night, Saturday night. The towns were busy, the restaurants full. I counted the number of people in several restaurants, not all and estimate over a hundred gringo and gringa tourists must be in town. I doubt many of them are coming by bus though? Though a few are. We are trying to change that now. Just sent the tourists out to San Pedro and gave them some fliers and a laminated poster for the 40 bed hostel bulletin board there. Same for Tina's Hostel on the beach at Caye Caulker.
The tourists were estatic about their two day adventure at Actun Tunichil Mucknal. They spent two days and camped outside in the night. Did rapelling inside into inky pitch blackness with only a head lamp. Said there were about 14 skeletons sacrificed with blunt force trauma to the heads. One baby, a female, etc. Hundreds of pottery. Most broken but not all. Had to swim a lot, as the slow current river inside was high and they couldn't wade it on the tip toes feeling for rocks to stand on. This is in pitch black darkness. The Maya ceremonial area stretches back about a mile nearly, but the cave system goes back about 3 miles. They said archeologists had found nothing after the first mile. They had to navigate the many pottery in socks in order to not disturb the site. Definitely for the under 45 year olds. Water wasn't cold they said. Considering the Maya calendar is a 5000 year plus circular calendar and ends in Dec. 2012, it makes you wonder about the Egyptians compared to the Maya and for sure the previous Olmecs who actually they now know came from Africa and these ritual caves in the Xibalba underworld ceremonies are really old.