The American Dream Is a Reality in Belize

By Perrin

Table Rock co-founders Alan and Colleen Spring hold a breakfast meeting.

Colleen Spring hears a noise in the bushes and asks her husband Alan to add a log to the fire. Extra light never hurts when you’re warding off jaguars.

Muscled four-legged ambassadors formed part of the welcoming committee when the young Floridian couple first made camp on eight acres of Belizean property in 2002.  They had set out to create a new home for themselves, but they brought little more than a tent, a 4×4 jeep and a machete to clear their path.

“The first night was sleepless,” Colleen recalls. “There were many unknown noises, and at every one I thought, ‘Is that a jaguar? Is that a jaguar? Is that a jaguar?’”

On discovering Colleen and Alan nestled in the brush the following morning, the astonished locals laughed. “Crazy foreigners, why aren’t you at Saint Ignacio Resort?” one implored.

But the Springs persisted with their plan to build a jungle resort for eco-travelers. They are among a growing number of young entrepreneurs whose business goals are more to finance a lifestyle than to make large profits.

“We are trying to make money so we can live a certain way,” Colleen explains. “We get to live here.”

The Springs’ ability to face down jaguars and build from scratch has paid off.

Today, Colleen and Alan preside over 105 acres, 15 citrus crops, and six sturdy cabanas at a lush retreat they have named Table Rock Jungle Lodge. They have over $500,000 invested in their business, and their Belizean entourage has expanded beyond felines to include 19 employees, seven donkeys and a flock of hens – as well as three 4×4’s and two machetes.

All of this sprang from a marriage vow.

GUEST POST | How Australia Proved I’m No Indiana Jones

By Julius Wright

It’s not often that my wife and I manage to go on a vacation that does not center on our two children. I’ve spent the last five summers taking trips to Disney World, Six Flags, and various other “family friendly” destinations. It’s been…well, to be honest, it’s been miserable. Heat rolling off sun-baked asphalt, overpriced fried food, and lines so long I thought I’d be eligible for an AARP membership before I reached the end.

For my 39^th birthday, my wife surprised me with a trip meant just for the two of us: we would depart on an Australian tour and I would spend 3 days on a gritty, manly adventure like my hero, Indiana Jones. My wife even bought me a replica of his trademark hat.

GUEST POST | The Job That Ruined Your Travel Plans

Local adventure to feed your travel bug.

PR guru and recovering (?) travel addict

By Savannah Marie

What happens to your travel itinerary when “real life” calls you back to a routine of steady employment and regular paychecks? That’s the question I have been trying to answer for the last few months.

The travel bug bit hard the summer after high school graduation, so I wandered. As a college student, I dedicated every spare break and every saved dime to traveling. That is, until I was offered a position in PR that I wouldn’t dream of passing up.

I understand that full-time employment requires full-time work. And my job certainly makes funding my trips easier in the future. It’s just that traveling was about whim, and work is about consistency. There’s little room for error, little room for deviation and a lot of room for excel sheets.

Instead of being morose about my full-time employment lot in life, I got proactive. All I wanted was a little adventure, right? Well, I put my wanderlust to good use and set about experiencing all the cool things my new city has to offer. Adventure comes in all shapes and sizes, and for once in my life I don’t need a passport to chase it!

Firetruck Stands By As Ramon’s Resort Burns

Eastern shore of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye

By Perrin

San Pedro, Belize | Wednesday night, foot and boat traffic drew like moths to the flame to watch as one of the largest resorts on Ambergris Caye burned to the ground. The sole firetruck on Ambergris Caye arrived momentarily but couldn’t get close enough to battle the flames due to roadworks at the hotel’s entryway. (A likely issue: of the nearly 1,600 miles of roadway in Belize, only 303 are paved and easily accessible, according to NationsEncyclopedia.com.)

Awestruck tourists produced iPhones to document the fire (exhibit A above) and self-possessed locals produced sticks and marshmallows to make s’mores. I couldn’t make this up. Luckily, no one was injured and part of the hotel may be salvaged.

Photos of the Day: Ladies of Peru

Rarely is a Peruvian woman’s shawl without signs of life

Nino on board

Dancers in Cusco

Llama Mama

Couldn’t resist slipping this little alpaca in

Amigos

Weaving at the market

No fear of color here

 

 

Inca Trail Packing List: Tested and Refined

The 15-18 things you need to hike 

By Perrin

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Each morning on the trail I cast a sidelong glance at yesterday’s SmartWool socks, which were festooned with a frieze of sweat and blood. I inched them on with the alacrity of a new dad changing his first explosive diaper. Clever though hiking footwear may be – some brands even claiming to last 3 days without need for a wash – no sock is a match for the Trail.

As you fill your pack, consider carefully whether you want an extra candy bar or extra socks in addition to the following items.

Every ounce that counts:

1. Hiking boots

• Ubiquitous recommendation from REI, guides and Trail Know-It-All’s is to buy a half-size too big to avoid jamming your toes on the downhill segments. This is sound advice.
• Break the boots in well before you hit the trail.

2. Thick but breathable quick-dry socks (2-3 pairs) – There are socks meant to last days without needing a wash. Per my preamble, this seems more conversation starter than fact.

3. Breathable, waterproof, convertible hiking pants (1 pair)

4. Quick-dry short-sleeve shirts (1-2)

• Ladies, it’s good to have one with a built-in bra. I was well-served by Athleta’s aptly named and seemingly magical “Equator” Tank, which wicked moisture away even quicker than I could sweat and seemed impervious to odor.
• I did realize that short sleeves are better if you’re carrying a pack; the Yama Tee would probably do the trick.
• Athleta: If you would like to send a selection of workout clothes in appreciation for this unsolicited endorsement, let the record show that I accept.

Swinging Through Trees in the Amazon (While Wearing Deet of Course)

By SarahIt does exist!  Blackberries have no service bars in the Amazon!  Considering the work-connected crew of us occasionally caught a few bars on and between islands in the Galapagos, I think the Amazon is one of the rare connectionless places left on earth.  It feels special to visit such a place.

I joined a group of my fllow NYU Stern students for a Spring Break trip through Ecuador.  I was late due to work but caught them in Quito just before they left for the Amazon portion of the trip.  We departed for the “Oriente” early in the morning so we could finish the 6-hour journey through the Andes highlands while there was still daylight.  The roads were fairly well paved, though bumps and hairpin curves frequently threw us two inches off our seats and forced us to abandon a poker game when we couldn’t keep the cards from scattering.  We were perfectly content to gape out the window at the stunning bright green mountains, waterfalls and granite cliffs.  I imagined the Incans, nearly 500 years ago, trying to defend their lands from the Spanish while running up and down the steep hillsides. They must have been attractively manly.

It was almost sad when our ride came to an end, just outside the city of Teno.  There, a carriage of long canoes and a crew of quick-moving Ecuadorian men waited to take us down the Rio Napo to our resort.  We felt guilty loading our oversized American suitcases onboard until we realized there was a motor on the end and the Ecuadorian boaters would not actually have to row us themselves.

Photo of the Day: Sunday Morning in Quito

By Sarah

The eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains, stretched outside my window at the Amazonas Rios Hotel, a stunning show of nature in a city that had been bustling with dancers and street vendors the night before.  On Sunday mornings the streets in the city center close down to cars and runners, walkers and bikers have free reign.  Quitoians are mildly active — I passed a couple dozen people during my  half hour walk.  I did go at 7:30am, a time when the streets of New York are at their quietest.  

Wat, Did You Say? 5 Must-Do’s of Siem Reap

By Perrin

1. Wake with the paper boy.

The curtain rises on Angkor Wat.

When sunrise hits the shadows of Angkor Wat, it’s curtain rise on opening night.

An early start is your ticket to the light show, and also your first defense against an equatorial climate. If you start midday, you will sweat through two outfits in under two hours. Fact.

2. Get in with the out crowd.

The tourist-free entrance to Banteay Srei.

Cambodian government surveys estimate that 57% of all visitors to the country tour Anchor Wat during their stay. Its neighbor, Ta Prohm, has seen similar crowds ever since Angelina Jolie staged a showdown there in Tomb Raider in 2001.

Though those two sanctuaries are highlights, there are over thirty other temples that welcome visitors. These less-frequently others are more likely to provide adventure. Off the beaten track, we stumbled upon deserted temples that looked like they had not been touched for centuries:

Mossy, crumbling temples tower as high as the centuries-old trees that shroud them. Peaceful faces of Hindu and Buddhist deities, carved from stone panels the size of a Wal-Mart, watch overhead. Sculpted elephant tusks jab from walls. It’s easy to imagine how explorers must have felt when happening upon the temples for the first time. I pretended I was Indiana Jones all day.

3. Ditch your guide.

Climbing a Banyan tree that is swallowing a doorway.

Spend at least one day to explore sans guidance. Climb refrigerator-sized blocks that have fallen from temple walls. Sniff the fig trees. Lick up the sugary candy that the local children convince you to buy.

McDonald’s, the American Embassy

Sofia: It’s almost as if we speak Bulgarian!

By Perrin

Before Sarah and I left the US, we generally avoided McDonald’s.  Admittedly, we sampled its wares and enjoyed some of them. (Sarah can even plot from memory the price distribution of its frozen yogurt throughout Manhattan – cone cost ranges from $0.90 in Columbia Heights to $1.62 in Times Square. However, most other foods under the golden arches made our stomachs churn.

Kandersteg: McDonald’s adorable Swiss relation McDoris.

Perhaps this decidedly un-American abstention from Mickey D’s stemmed from our father, who has boycotted the restaurant since the age of 17, when he noticed that a golden arch had sprung up by a favorite beach.  Surveying the greasy red and yellow blemish on the smooth face of the sand, he vowed never to set foot in a McDonald’s as long as he lived.

Belgrade: McD’s changes things up with some Mediterranean flavor – looks like fish sticks.

Such a vow was easier kept in 1968.  Over the past year, Ronald McDonald beamed at Sarah and me throughout our treks in Europe, Northern Africa and Asia.  His was the consistent friendly face in 23 of the 25 countries we visited.  As for Laos and Cambodia, where the big M was MIA, we probably weren’t looking hard enough.

Prague: Stylish al fresco seating in which to enjoy a sloppy, juicy burger.

Our perception of the food chain began to transform five weeks into our travels. On one Italian afternoon, the Sisters Bailey and our buddy Bogdan sweltered for over an hour on the side of the highway to Pompeii.  The egg-frying July heat drew sweat as we stared collectively towards the horizon, aching to spot our bus in the distance. No bus arrived.  Taxis and public transportation were far beyond reach. The only thing in sight was a pair of golden arches.

“If the sun sets and the mafia comes out, we can stay at the American embassy,” Bogdan concluded.  He indicated the McDonald’s.

Berlin: Rock and roll art suits this young city. McDonald’s keeps a higher standard of decor in Europe.

Suddenly, the giant M shone as a welcome beacon of familiarity.  We embraced it. For the rest of our journey, the chain’s boldly colored huts provided us with WiFi, English speaking employees, and recognizable edibles.  On lucky days, we found outposts that kept soft American cookies baking on hot plates behind the counter.

We salute McDonald’s for its backpacker comforts, in addition to its sumptuous one dollar/euro/pound/lira frozen yogurt.

Istanbul: Kahvalti or Egg McMuffin – a rose by any other name…

Turkey’s take off on McDonald’s, Burger Turk, suggests that super-sizing is a transnational impulse.

London: 200 seats?! Almost spacious enough for a Royal Wedding after-party.

Vienna: You know a city is posh when McDonald’s is housed in a Park Avenue-ready townhouse.