Belize City, If You Can Even Call It That
One of the smallest cities I’ve ever seen. Not much to report from here, it’s simply a hub to get to some of the more interesting parts of the country.
Reflecting: 2011
Reflecting back on 2011 here are 99 of my top memories (in chronological order). Thanks to all that shared in the experiences!
- Shared life goals and dreams with great friends at the Sanctuary of Truth in Ancient Siam, Thailand
- Smobbed through traffic running from the police on some janky scooters in Bali, Indonesia
- Scuba diving in the Gili islands of Indonesia
- Whitewater rafting down the Telaga Waja River in Bali, Indonesia
- Got buzzed off Luwak coffee in the hills of Ubud, Indonesia
- Listened to the chanting and watched the traditional Kecak Dance at the Uluwatu Temple in Bali, Indonesia
- Bungee jumped a BMX bike off a platform into a pool below in Bali, Indonesia
- Witnessed traditional Thaipusam rituals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Smelled the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Made $100,000,000,000,000 (that’s one-hundred-trillion) Zimbabwe dollars in Malaca, Malaysia
- Kayaked through the waters of Halong Bay, Vietnam
- Saw Ho-Chi-Minh’s body in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Nearly got run over by hundreds of scooters in the street of Hanoi, Vietnam
- Saw dogs heads for sale (presumably to be eaten) in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Got fitted for a custom tailored suit made in Hoi An, Vietnam
- Hiked through the MySon Relics of Hoi An, Vietnam
- Celebrated Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) with a spectacular fireworks show in Nha Trang, Vietnam
- Rode a red-eye sleeper train from Nha Trang to Saigon, Vietnam
- Shared beers (with dirty ice from a burlap sack) with some old Vietnamese men that didn’t speak a lick of English in the streets of Saigon, Vietnam
- Crawled through the underground Cu-Chi tunnels and fired an AK47 used during the Tet Offensive in Saigon, Vietnam
- Witness the effects of Agent Orange at the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, Vietnam
- Hiked through Angkor Wat during sunrise in Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Watched the sun fall from atop a temple in Angkor Thom in Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Donated to the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Fund to help them remove more active landmines from the Cambodian/Thailand border
- Got tickled by fish that ate the dead skin off my feet while I sipped on a glass of wine in Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Road a horse through the old rice fields of Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Toured the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Drove my RV on the famous Daytona Beach in Daytona Beach, Florida
- Ate a feast at The Wilkes House in Savannah, Georgia
- Peered through others peoples prayers at the smallest church in America in South Newport, Georgia
- Took a bike ride around St. Simons Island, Georgia
- Boated out to the start of the Civil War at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina
- Went rock climbing in Charleston, South Carolina
- Relaxed in the shade of the giant 400-year old Angel Oak Tree outside of Charleston, South Carolina
- Sat on “A Bench By The Road” on Sullivan Island, South Carolina
- Hollered in Spivey’s Corner, the “Hollerin’ Capital of the Universe”
- Deciphered the original Rosetta Stone at the British Museum in London, England
- Straddled the international dateline in Greenwhich, England
- Walked through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France
- Climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
- Listened to hymns at Notre Dame in Paris, France
- Road bikes and dominated baguettes & babies in Versailles, France
- Picnicked on the grounds of Marie Antoinette’s old Palace of Versailles in France
- Saw Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at Musée du Louvre in Paris, France
- Avoided paying for an overpriced ticket to Moulin Rouge in Paris, France
- Ingested a “Mother of Pain” currywurstspezialitäten (1,000,000 on the Scoville scale) after signing a liability waiver in Leipzig, Germany
- Witnessed the atrocities of Hitler’s concentration camps in Auschwitz, Poland
- Participated in a scavenger hunt through downtown San Francisco, California
- Launched a new version of MFI new hobby of kiteboarding in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
- Retraced the path of the Wright Brothers first 4 flights in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
- Marveled at the Bodies exhibit in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Witnessed an amazing 4th of July fireworks display in Savanna, Georgia
- Tried smoked rattlesnake meat in St. Augustine, Florida
- Witnessed the final launch of the Space Shuttle program (STS-135) in person in Titusville, Florida
- Flew my first international flight as a pilot in a Cessna 172 from Florida, USA to Freeport, Bahamas
- Snorkeled in the crystal clear waters from a catamaran of Icacos, Puerto Rico
- Whitewater rafting down the Pacuare River in Squires, Costa Rica
- Slept in a hammock at Rockin J’s in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
- Scuba diving in Bocas del Toro, Panama
- Took a private water taxi to Star Beach in Bocas del Toro, Panama
- Zip-lining through the tree canopy in Red Frog Beach, Panama
- Watched ocean-liners pass through the Panama Canal
- Performed my first “elevator jump” bungee jump into the fog above a river near La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- Soaking in the hot springs during a violent thunderstorm while lightening illuminated the silhouette of a volcano in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- Went on a nature walk and saw sloths, monkeys, toucans, frogs, lizards, and more in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
- Spent the night on a converted oil rig in the waters of Semporna Malaysia
- Scuba diving in one of the Top 10 diving locations in the world in Spipidan, Malaysia
- Followed a Xmas parade down the cobblestone streets to a soccer game in Antigua, Guatemala
- Disconnected and relaxed along the shore of Late Atitlan, in Santa Cruz La Laguna, Guatemala
- Saw the ruins of Joya de Cerén in San Salvador, El Salvador
- Climbed the old Myan pyramids of Tazumal where the heads from human sacrifices used to roll down in Chalchuapa, El Salvador
- Roamed the colorful streets of Grenada, Nicaragua
- Hiked up and volcano-boarded down the black ash of Volcan Cerro Negro in Leon, Nicaragua
- Thumbed my nose at an antiquated embargo and traveled to Cuba
- Navigated precarious and unmarked roads in a rental car with a bent rim to Cienfuegos, Cuba
- Lived with Cuban families in “casa particulars” and learned about life in communist Cuba
- Listened to rumba music on the steps of Casa la Musica in Trinidad, Cuba
- Galloped on horseback across the Cuban countryside to a waterfall up in the mountains of Trinidad, Cuba
- Witness firsthand as Cubans lined up in a breadline (and milk-line) for their weekly rations in Trinidad, Cuba
- Sampled Cuba’s infamous $7.00 CUP ($0.40 USD) street pizzas in Santa Clara, Cuba
- Witnessed the final resting place and monument of Ernesto “Che” Guevara in Santa Clara, Cuba
- Stayed in a 5-star resort and relaxed on the white sand beaches of Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba
- Drank an overpriced, watered-down Mojito at La Bodeguia Del Medio in La Havana Vieja, Cuba
- Sipped daiquiris at Floradita Restaraunte Bar, Earnest Hemmingway’s old watering hole in Havana, Cuba
- Marveled at the communist propaganda throughout Havana, Cuba
- Photographed old school cars parked outside of the Capitolo in downtown Havana, Cuba
- Met the famous Cuban artist Leo D’Zázaro at his studio El Ojo Del Ciclón in Havana, Cuba
- Strolled down El Malecón while sipping on Havana Club rum in Havana, Cuba
- Watched kids playing stickball with a broom and bottlecap in the streets the Centro district of Havana, Cuba
- Shared a Xmas eve feast — Cuban style — with my hosts in Havana, Cuba
- Hitched a ride in a old “Yank Tank” with a Cuban, Mexican, and Lebanese to Playa de Este, Cuba
- Ate a Xmas day pig roast on the Santa MarÃa del Mar beach in Havana, Cuba
- Toured Partagas Cigar factory and bought some Cohiba cigars from shady factory workers in Havana, Cuba
- Walked through Necropolis Cristóbal Colón at sundown in the Vedado area of Havana, Cuba
- Swam from Playa de Cerado out to a reef and then scuba dove (because Cubans aren’t allowed on boats) in Ciamito, Cuba
- Ate a $1.00 CUP ($0.04 USD) scoop of ice cream at the state-run Coppelia in Havana, Cuba
- Photographed the murals and sculptures of Salvador González Escalona on Callejon De Hamel in Havanah, Cuba
- Celebrated the end of the year and the start of the next on Calle del Arco in Antigua, Guatemala
Feliz año nuevo
While the trip to Cuba was AMAZING, it left me with a feeling of emptiness. I felt as if I didn’t fully experience the culture. Sure I traveled to remote parts of a forbidden island, lived and ate with local families, and visited one of my top desired destinations, but my lack of conversational spanish left a lot of questions still unanswered in my mind. Frustrating. So I decided to return to Antigua and resume Spanish lessons. I happened to arrive just in time for the New Years festivities which was added an extra splash of color to this already colorful city.
Cuban Yank Tanks
I’ve already posted multiple photos featuring the classic cars of Cuba, but this post is specifically dedicated to a few of the special ones that caught my eye. Such a time warp!
Wrapping It Up
Sadly all good things must come to an end. And besides, I’m running out of cash and US credit/debit cards don’t work here. One last day of exploring some more back-roads of Havana revealed some interesting street art. And then it started raining. I guess that’s my queue. Adios!
