Belize

Talk about a bus ride! We left Tikal at 5am heading for Belize. It has been raining a lot in Guatemala and the roads were covered in mud. Every truck and bus pulled over and decided not to go on...except ours. Our bus driver decided he wanted to "probarlo" (try it out). We fish-tailed in the mud a few times and he was literally just driving with the drift a few times. We only thought we were going to tip over once, but basically our bus driver must have been a rally driver in a past life and got us through it. (I'll post the picture of us with our muddy bus later).
Rural Belize is absolutely gorgeous. Most of the towns are poor and every school and church is of a different religion. Lush green grass and trees are everywhere and there are a number of different river crossings.
We're now here in Belize City waiting to get on a water taxi to Tobacco Caye...an island where you stay in huts and beach bum it all day. I can't wait! We've befriended a local taxi driver, Samuel, who is dressed in bright colors and is just like the guys from the Malibu rum commercials..."Ey mon!" Belize City is dirty and busy, but it's hoppin' and everyone knows each other and stops to talk on the street.

Below are my two favorite pictures from Antigua that I forgot to post. The little old lady was very shy and unsure...I paid her a quetzale to allow me to take the picture. The dog is the "house dog" at our hostel that I loved.