Day 9

We got our bags packed and out for pickup, ate one last wonderful breakfast in the Calypso Restaurant overlooking the Caribbean. Then we loaded the bus and went downtown Belize City for an hour of shopping. It was a Saturday and there were lots of people there. We went into a "department" store - everything there imaginable. I even found my Book Club book on a rack and purchased it. We bought ice cream from a vendor outside and got to see what life is like in this part of the world. Finally, we headed to the small Belize City airport and waited for our flight to Miami.
Then another adventure began - trying to get home. It seems that everything that could go wrong, did. Our planes were late, had mechanical problems, the passport checking lines in Miami were huge. We finally got to the place where we were to board the plane (thinking that we might have missed it) to find that it was late. We were so glad to finally land in Chicago only to find that our baggage was not there. No food places were open (it was after 1:00 a.m.). We had some nuts but that was about all. But finally we were ready to leave only to have to wait for a cab. We were thankful to arrive home and find all was well and climb into our own beds! Our adventures of this journey to the Lands of the Book of Mormon will always be in our minds. We are glad that we are able to share a few of the pictures and experiences with you. Go if you ever get the chance!

Day 8

We left the hotel and began our day with a trip to Tower Hill where we boarded our riverboat to cruise up the New River. We saw blue heron, crocodiles, hawks, turtles along the way. The water lilies were everywhere. When we arrived at Lamanai, we could see the ruins come into view. We took a trek through the jungle to get to the ruins. There were huge masks depicting dead rulers and gods. Our guide pointed out many things to us but one of the most interesting was that there had been a period of total darkness of 72 hours at one point. He gave biblical references to the time when the earth stood still. We all thought of course, of the time in the Book of Mormon when there was total darkness on this continent for the space of 3 days when Christ was crucified in Jerusalem. It was more proof to me that the Book of Mormon is true.
Our trip back to Belize City was double the speed of the trip there. We raced a couple of other speedboats for a time. If there was a native fisherman in a small canoe, we had to slow almost to a stop so we wouldn't overturn him with our wake. A fascinating day ending with dinner at the Smoky Mermaid in downtown Belize City. We took the bus and went as a group for safety. It was a beautiful outdoor setting with the moon shining bright above us.
When we returned, we spent some time down by the beach in hammocks with our friends, the Worltons. We were in a peaceful setting with the Caribbean Sea stretching out before us as far as we could see. The sunset above was so beautiful and but it was kind of sad to know that we would be leaving this paradise and returning to our home the next day.

Day 7

This is the day we traveled through the Guatemalan counryside to the border and crossed into Belize, formerly known as British Honduras. (Rulon said the border trouble we encountered was here, not going into Honduras.) The mountains and farmlands on the way into Belize City were so dramatic. We checked into the Princess Hotel. Some of the group left by speedboat to snorkel off a small island on Belize's Great Barrier Reef. Rulon and I opted to rest at the hotel and explore a couple of surrounding blocks. We had been warned of the dangers of going too far away from the hotel, especially at night. There is a lot of crime and we didn't want to have any bad experiences. In Belize, we heard English (spoken) with a Creole accent) and saw lots of black faces. We felt very white here. Our more adventurous friends returned and we all went to eat together. I had a lot of fish on this trip!

Day 6

Today we visited the Tikal National Reserve deep in the Guatemalan jungle. This is a huge park with miles of concealed and uncovered Mayan ruins. These date from 600 B.C. to 900 A.D. and reveal the Mayan civilization in its golden splendor. We saw the Great Plaza's Temple (Temple of the Jaguars) and the Lost World Pyramid among many others. It is so vast that if you didn't stay right with the group, it is easy to become lost as a couple from our group discovered. We saw howler monkeys in the trees, heard the calls of exotic birds and knew that there were animals in hiding very close to us. It was an exhausting day but so enjoyable. We had a good group and it was fun to be with them through the many adventures we had - some planned and some not planned!

Day 5

Today we visited Quirigua. Copan and Quirigua have been given as a possible sites of the Land of Zarahemla or the Land Southward. We marveled at the 12 huge carved stellae. Each one was so intricate and told stories and contained information regarding the amazing Mayans and their civilization. There were also enormous carved stones of mythological animal forms, and unrestored temples.
In the afternoon, we journeyed to Tikal and were set up in the Camino Real Tikal Hotel - another fantastic place with wonderful food.

Day 4

Copan, Honduras today - getting to our bus from the hotel was an adventure. The bus had to be parked quite far away, so our guide stopped a pickup truck, gave the driver some money and loaded some of us in the back for a bumpy, dusty ride! Some took three wheeled "taxis" which were sort of like those little cars that toddlers ride in except they were motorized and bigger. Some walked - Dad included.
We visited the archaeological site of Copan where there are elaborate stone sculptures everywhere. There are carved stellae (carved stone pillars), majestic temples, a complete ball court (where players who "won" actually "lost" because they were sometimes sacrificed to the gods).
These ruins were a major Mayan ceremonial complex. Of course, what we saw was just the last set of buildings. There are layers of structures built on top of each other in the same spot. These magnificent buildings and carvings were statements of Mayan power and ancestry. Royal Copan served as the seat of power for at least 16 kings. We climbed up the steps of one pyramid and saw the vastness of the land below.
We stayed at the Marina Copan Hotel which was also amazing.

Day 3

It was a beautiful Sunday in Guatemala! We again had a breakfast (feast) at our hotel. Then we loaded the bus and went back to Guatemala City to attend church. We parked by the temple and were led through it to the back where there was a chapel. The people were so friendly and looked very prosperous. It was all done in Spanish, except they asked a sister missionary to give her talk in English for us! Our guide, Carlos and bus driver also attended with us. Carlos said there was a certain something that he felt there. Also, he told us what was said in the talks! After sacrament meeting, we changed and started on our journey to Honduras to Copan. At the border, we had to go through quite the ordeal. They took our passports, then we had to unload the luggage and each carry our own through. After paying some fees, we were allowed to proceed.
We arrived at our Marina Copan Hotel which was like being in Hawaii with the thatched roofs, beautiful gardens, more tropical birds, and warm sunshine. We settled into our room and then ate outdoors under a huge thatched roof. What luxury!