It is really hard to get back in to the swing of things after living life on Belize time for a week. I am still trying to process the beauty of this country and its people. One of my goals this trip was to reduce waste as much as possible. From what we were told glass bottles are reused, but plastic is not recycled. We did find people which cleaned an reused the plastic bottles for juices, but we still tried to use our Klean Kanteens when possible. We began our adventure in San Jose Succotz, located in the Cayo district, in very sustainable and economical lodgings at Trek Stop 
(this is a picture of our cabin). From composting toilets, to rainwater that is heated by solar power for showers, to shared living space they have everything you need in a very green fashion! And at $26 a night this is an eco adventure not to miss. Of course you have to make your way to Succotz the flight to Belize City is a total of 5 hours and then about 3 hours by bus to San Ignacio which is minutes away from Succotz. However, if you have more time you can actually take buses all the way there. We met several travelers that started in Mexico City and were working their way through Central America via bus. Packing light will give you more freedom to explore and after all a backpack full is all you really need. Make sure to bring your Klean Kanteen which you can bring into the airport as long as it is empty. Along the way there are many opportunities to reduce waste by using your own water bottle as well as reducing the petrochemicals you take into your body.
This is a view on the bus from San Ignacio to Belize City, a bit crowded yes but it will get you where you need to go very inexpensively with a smaller carbon footprint, plus it offers a glimpse into local living. While you are in Succotz you are just 3 miles away from the Guatemala border and one of the largest pre-Colombian Mayan archaeological sites, Tikal . In Tikal not only will you find ruins that go on and on, but wildlife that is spectacular — watch out for monkeys and toucan’s over head! And the trees themselves are a site to see. 
I was a little nervous about going to Guatemala but the idea of Guatemala in my mind was nothing like the beautiful landscape and delightful people we found. Actually on the trip the only time I felt any trepidation was in the larger cities like Belize City and San Pedro. What you will find, for the most part, in Belize is friendly people who are eager to help and share. 
This is me and Taneke, a Belizean girl who shared a tamalito with me on the ride back to Trek Stop from the Guatemalan boarder. The people in western Belize were so incredibly resourceful I was thrilled to see how they re-purposed everything like this building which is comprised of reused lumber and school bus windows. While in the rain forest bug spray is a good thing to have, a great eco friendly bug spray is Herbal Armor Insect Repellent by All Terrain, but for babies and young children the ingredients in Biting Bug Be Gone by Rowdy Stickhorse are even less toxic and it is a LOCAL company! there is only one catch here — I have not yet put it to the test if you have any experience with this product let us know by leaving a comment. 
From the Cayo district we hopped the bus from San Ignacio to Belize City and took a water taxi to Caye (pronounced key) Caulker. Caye Caulker is a tiny island of the Eastern coast of Belize with beautiful water, scuba diving, kayaking, bicycling, kite surfing, and lots of relaxation. While you are there, make sure to find the Deals on Wheels Juice bar and enjoy fresh squeezed juices for the price of bottled water in the US. Other places to frequent are The Little Kitchen for Dinner and Glenda’s for breakfast. Lobster season ends the 15th of February and if you happen to be there on the 14th and 15th great deals on lobster are to be found. The whole fish at Bamboo, a restaurant on the beach, is fantastic and the conch ceviche at the Happy Lobster is delicious. For the island you are going to want a good, non-toxic sunscreen like UV Naturals. We love Solar RX for Oklahoma, but when in the strong equatorial sun UV Naturals held up much better. So, if you are looking for relaxation, fun, good food, and friendly people check out Belize, but don’t forget your Klean Kanteens, non-toxic bug repellent, and non-toxic sunscreen.
