On The Road At Christmas

Christmas Eve in the mountains/hill country of Belize, and we were on the lookout for art, any art or crafts. We got a tip that the local Mennonites had quilts for sale, so we went to take a look. To get there we crossed the Belize River on an old hand-cranked ferry from the 1940s. It was a beauty. When we got to our destination we found a reformed group, and they ran what apeared to be a "Mennonite Wal-Mart," groceries, hardware, everything. We left quickly.

The Mennonite group near our hotel lives a sparer lifestyle. No machines or electric, all horse and buggy. In this hilly landscape it's a hard life, but I'm a little envious of the simplicity of their lifestyle. We spent four nights here in the mountain rain forest. There's lots to see, wildlife (me), horseback riding, Mayan sites, and local markets with citrus and bananas. We've had fresh citrus and bananas for breakfast daily. Did I mention the little bugs that love to bite my legs?

Tomorrow we travel by van to Lake Peten Itza in Guatemala and Tikal, at one time the capital of the Mayan empire.