2003-11-29 Belize Zoo 2003-11-30 Rafting the Caves Branch 2003-12-01 Jungle Biking and Cave Tubing 2003-12-02 Rafting the Macal 2003-12-03 Kayaking the Sibun 2003-12-04 Island Day 1 2003-12-05 Island Day 2 2003-12-06 Island Day 3 2003-12-07 Lamanai Ruins

Day 6 (Wednesday, 12/3/2003)

The winds had not died down on the island by morning, so we were forced to go with our backup plan.  We loaded up the van and a truck with kayaks and took a short drive down the Hummingbird Highway to a plantation along the Sibun River.  The Sibun flows out of the Maya Mountains and confluences with the Caves Branch before heading out to the coast, and the portion we kayaked was fairly tame Class I and II whitewater.  However, it proved to be a tricky run, because the river banks were lined with spiny bamboo, an extremely sharp and dense thorn bush that can do serious damage to both boats and people.  Several of the Class II sections formed around a bend in the river with spiny bamboo on the outside of the bend, so we were required to actually steer the boats rather than just let the current carry us around.  Fortunately, the water was never more than knee deep in most places, so getting out of the boat and walking was always an option if all else failed.

The particular section of the Sibun that we ran was less of a wild river than the Caves Branch or Macal, and it flowed predominantly through farm and plantation land.  We passed by what used to be a Hershey's chocolate plantation, as Neri beached his boat for a moment to pick a chocolate fruit and pass it around for us to sample.  The fruit itself is white, sweet, a bit slimy in texture, and has a slightly tart taste that turns to bitter as you bite into one of the cocoa seeds.  We also got a chance to sample some tree-ripened oranges.

The tractor picked us up at the take-out point, which was deep in the jungle at the back part of a plantation, and hauled us through the mud to where the van was parked.  The van was also deep in the jungle, but there was (sort of) a road leading back through the plantation to the highway.  The road was somewhat muddy, though, and we encountered a bit of a delay as the van got itself well and truly stuck.  Fortunately, since we had the tractor there as well, the van didn't stay stuck for long.

We arrived back at Ian's around 4 PM, and several of us decided to hike across the highway to the Blue Hole, a natural swimming hole that has eroded out of the rock and is completely enshrouded by jungle canopy.  Several of the group took a quick swim, but the bugs were atrocious, so I took a couple of blurry photos and headed back to camp.  That night, we heard word from the island that the weather was still not looking very good.  If we didn't make it to the island the following morning, we probably wouldn't get to go at all.