First stop, Belize

LARIUM VS. MALARONE

One of the biggest decisions we made this week, prior to departure, was over malaria drugs. We’ll be spending 60 days in “malaria zones” throughout the next several months and our doctor suggested taking either Larium or Malarone. If you google Larium, you’ll read about the many lawsuits and horror stories involving patients who had experienced (and continue to experience) adverse side effects. Some have psychotic episodes and hallucinations for years following administration of the drug. So, we opted for Malarone, which was said to have fewer adverse side effects overall. We took our first dose the day before our departure and within the hour, Lee was feeling extreme nausea, pounding headache, and just plain loopy (his word, not mine). Luckily, we had filled both prescriptions and after consulting our doctor, my brother (also a physician), and our local pharmacist, we decided Lee should switch to Larium. We continue to cross our fingers and hope he doesn’t go psychotic! It was certainly a bumpy start but by our 3:30 a.m. wake up call, we were forced to get into gear. Lee awoke to a slightly minor headache but all in all, the side effects subsided long enough for us to board our flight to Belize City.

BELIZE

We landed in Belize City in the early evening, exhausted, and decided to get a quick bite at the hotel restaurant before retiring to bed. Belize City is less than glamorous. If not for the airport’s location and flight schedules, few tourists would stay in the city. Most stay for one night only and take a morning flight to one of the resort towns. We were set to fly to Placencia – a quiet peninsula that boasts one of the best snorkeling and diving spots in the country. On our drive to the airport, our taxi pointed out the homes that were literally sinking because Belize City is 6 feet below sea level. The swampy town did offer some local excursions – a tour of their flagship beer (Belican – which we enjoyed very much) and the citrus factory. Though the streets were unpaved and dirty, everyone was kind and generous. We found this a common thread in Belize.

Belize has two airlines: Tropic Air and Maya Air. Things are very easygoing at the airport. We barely showed our e-ticket confirmation – they just took down our names and compared them to their list of passengers. Soon, we were escorted to our very own Sessna. As it turns out, we were the only two passengers on that flight! Needless to say, we had plenty of legroom. Once aboard, our friendly pilot says, “Welcome aboard. We have a quick stop before heading to our final destination.” I didn't realize planes had unplanned stops... Lee was busy taking photos with our new camera and didn’t seem to mind the additional flights. We landed at the other airport in Belize City, boarded an even smaller Sessna (alone again) and were informed of yet ANOTHER stop! It was certainly beautiful flying over the country and the pilots managed smooth landings onto the slim airstrips.

We were greeted in Placencia by the nicest people you will ever meet. Our hotel, LaruBeya, was voted # 1 on TripAdvisor and we can see why. We are less than 25 yards away from the water’s edge in a roomy suite (kitchen included). The water is as warm as bathwater, shades of emerald and turquoise. It’s our first few days in paradise and we don’t have a telephone, cell phone, blackberry, television, or internet access (I'm typing this at the airport). You may not believe it, but even Lee has managed to forget about his technological toys for a while. Placencia is a remote peninsula, measuring roughly 21 miles long and one road- rocky and only paved near the airport and Francis Ford Copolla's gorgeous resort. It’s a little like Gilligan’s Island – but we are far more prepared for malaria! We are surrounded by bountiful beauty and peace.

We spent 7 days in Placencia and made some great new friends. It's a tiny village and the biggest controversy between various groups of locals is whether or not they should actually pave the main road. Those who argue against it claim that the town will lose its charm and become another touristy destination. We can certainly understand that arguement (compare Cabo San Lucas).

We met interesting people, including a sweet Italian woman who moved to Placencia after visiting before the hurricane hit several years ago (scars of the devastation still remain though most of the homes were rebuilt). She and her husband opened a genuine Italian gelato shop in the middle of town and feel they were destined to introduce the ice cream treat to the locals. They make their ice cream fresh daily and you'll never find a better tasting peanut butter.

Getting into travel mode was easy in Belize -- we relaxed and prepared for our next stop: Peru and hiking Machu Picchu.