lifeofabackpacker.com

Before the sun came up, I was awake. The roosters did a good job of that. But it didn’t matter on this day. I was heading to the Mayan city of Tikal. Our shuttle left from Hotel Mon Ami at 5:30 a.m. My French dorm-mate and I gathered our belongings and walked down a wooden […]

I’ve never contemplated murder until now. It’s not an act against a person, but an evil, sadistic rooster that enjoys tormenting me every night for hours. The rooster begins crowing at 2 a.m. It sounds nothing like the “cock-a-doodle-doo” in kids books. This is a piercing scream that I’m quite certain is on par with […]

I can now say that I have eaten rat. But before getting grossed out, realize that the gibnut (also known as a paca) is a local delicacy in Belize. In fact, Queen Elizabeth II was served gibnut during her 1985 visit. That’s why the oversized rodent is now known as royal rat in Belize. When […]

On a whim, I went to Dangriga, Belize. This is a sleepy town that isn’t much bigger than my hometown of Haysville, Kansas. But Dangriga is a major city in Belize. Haysville was a suburb. Dangriga was buzzing with excitement from the moment I arrived. Several Belizean tourists were in town for Settlement Day, a […]

Disclaimer: The following story contains some foul language and has had names changed. Fate can be a bitch sometimes. I believe we’re all meant to be at certain places and times in our lives. For me, that meant forgoing scuba diving to signal someone to help rescue my boat. The day began with a cold […]