Belize- Banana Bank Lodge
Today we rode out with John Carr to explore the jungle and his farm. Carr owns a lot of land, having purchased it years ago in the 1970’s. He grows corn, black eyed peas and teak trees, among other things. It was hot, as we slouched through the muddy woods on our horses. The bugs in Belize are definitely something that you want to be prepared for if you travel here. I had on bug repellant, but was still eaten alive in the jungle. Those bugs left big welts on my arms, but that was nothing compared to the jungle of ticks that I would encounter later on my trip. Yes, filming a travel series is not always so glamorous.
John pointed out a tree sacred to the Maya people, as we continued through the jungle. John sent one of the wranglers ahead of us to use his machete to cut away forest which was impending upon the trail. The machete seems to be the accessory of choice here, as the jungle grows fast.
We then rode through the beautiful and slow growing teak trees to a Maya site. These sites are scattered throughout Belize. There are so many that they can’t excavate them all, because it is too expensive. We rode over a site that John believes was a Maya plaza. We then headed back to the ranch for a really good meal. The food at Banana Bank is awesome and much needed after a day in the rainforest.
Darley Newman is the host of the Emmy Award-winning Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS stations and on international networks in over 30 countries.
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