Posts Tagged ‘jungle’

Wolf’s Place in Cayo District

April 22nd, 2010

On my last trip to Belize I took some time away from island life on Caye Caulker and went to travel in the jungle for a few days. The area I visited is called Cayo district. While staying in Ontario village with my friend Patrick’s family we walked to the next village. In the village of Blackman Eddy I had visited a German couple who is running a Lodge on my first trip to Belize. Due to leaving Cayo the same day it was a brief visit with a couple of minutes of talking to Peter and the promise to drop by whenever I am back in the area.

In hopes of this time having more time to talk to my fellow Germans Patrick and I set out on foot to get to Wolf’s Place.

This is Peter Wolf's Burger Restaurant, the best there is in Belize!

Coming around the first bend in the road in Blackman Eddy we spotted McWolf’s on the lefthand side.

Situated on a green hillside lot is not only the cute lil Restaurant serving up the best burgers in all of Belize, there is also Peter and Petra Wolf’s Lodge and Cabanas, the original Wolf’s Place itself!

On the grounds you find Peter and Petra Wolf’s house and 3 (soon to be 4) Thatch Cabanas, a barbeque area, outdoor shower and a Palapa Hammock area to relax under.Peter and Petra not only host tourists on their property, they also offer tours that range from tubing and cave exploring, to snorkeling, to diving to jungle and river tours. They have been in Belize for almost 6 years now and Wolf’s Place has by now established a fabulous reputation among travelers and locals likewise.

When Patrick and I arrived at the main gate we were greeted by three large dogs who barked up a frenzy but otherwise seemed nice. I guess they were just guarding their territory.

Once the dogs started barking, Peter looked out of the window in the main house and hollered he’d be right down. He remembered me from my former brief visit and invited us in to have a look at Wolf’s Place. While walking around the property he told me of his plans for the future. There will be a new road built from Spanish Lookout to Orange Walk which would take away most of the traffic that is now still running by Wolf’s Place.

Peter and Petra Wolf's Main House at Wolf's Place

In spring 2010 Peter is planning to build the third cabana on his property and wants to equip it with a kitchenette and a bathroom.

In the long run, once the road from Spanish Lookout to Orange Walk is built he is planning to further expand Wolf’s Place as there is no shortage in bookings for him. “In all honesty”, Peter tells me, “I am booked well into the year of 2010 and coming to an end with my capacity to host visitors. It is the only logical thing to expand.”

Despite the ambitious plans I have no doubt that Wolf’s Place will not lose it’s charme and comfort, being a family owned and run business who does not cater to mass tourism but small individual travel groups seeking an experience off the beaten path.

This is one of the cabanas at Wolf's Place

I cannot find enough words of praise for the Wolfs as they have made me incredibly comfortable while I spent time with them. Peter had me taste his fantastic wine (secret receipe) and had me guessing what it is made of. It tastes like a semi sweet white wine. If you visit Peter, you HAVE to taste it!

Patrick and I spent the whole afternoon with Peter on the patio drinking his wine, eating sugar cane and talking about anything and everything. He showed me the new german guidebook on Belize he is publishing as well as let me play with his 3 dogs who are all very friendly despite all the barking at the gate.I promise you will feel instantly at home with Peter and Petra Wolf!  They are the best! :)

All of you who would like more information about Wolf’s Place, go to: www.belize24.de   This is Peter Wolf’s Website where you can learn more about the tours he offers, accommodations and the history of Wolf’s Place.

If you’re in the area stop by McWolf’s for a hearty burger or say Hello to the Wolf Family! The visit with them is one of my most cherished memories from my travels in Belize!

Life with a Belizean Family

September 4th, 2009

The last 4 days i decided to give beach life on the island Caye Caulker a break and went to Cayo district in Western Belize. The trip on the bus was easy as could be and buses travel frequently in either direction. You pay 5BZE (2.5USD) for the bus ride and it takes you about 2 hrs to get from Belize City to San Ignacio.

This time we (my friend Patrick and i)  stopped about halfway between Belmopan and San Ignacio in Ontario Village to visit his family and spend some time with them. I knew before that Belizeans in general are very friendly people but i had not anticipated what i experienced the next four days.

When we got off the bus in front of the house (yes, you can get off anywhere, just holler and tell the driver to stop) we were greeted by three of Patrick’s cousins, his aunt and uncle. Joe and Marjorie Middleton greeted me like an old friend with big hugs and hellos although i had never met them before.

My first tries at making fresh tortillas

My first tries at making fresh tortillas

We spent the rest of the day meeting many cousins, aunts and uncles and got the impression this family must consist of about 100 people and that is only the maternal side. In the evening aunt Marjorie taught me how to make tortillas on a comal and we enjoyed a tasty dinner of chicken, home made flour tortillas and avocado.

Afterwards i settled into a comfortable bed in the nice little house and was soon after in a deep deep sleep.

The next day Patrick and i set out to go to San Ignacio. On the way we stopped to visit his Mom and Stepfather. It was very nice but brief since we had a lot on our agenda still. We had our mind set to go to Five Sister Falls and spend the night at Five Sisters Lodge (this trip i will feature in a separate blog post).

We spend the third day in San Ignacio itself and went to see Patrick’s 97 yearold grandmother! This old lady was amazing! Although she said age is finally getting the best of her and she doesn’t hear and see

Patrick's 97 yo grandmother and i

Patrick's 97 yo grandmother and i

good anymore she was sitting on the porch pointing out birds in the trees to me and i had to smirk about that! It was a lovely time visiting with her and hearing her tell about how Cayo and San Ignacio have changed so much over the last few years.

At the end of the day we went back to Ontario Village and prepared dinner with aunt Marjorie, her 4 children, her husband and 2 grandchildren. I am still flabbergasted how such a small house can fit 10 people without feeling overly full. There was so much love and warmth in this home and i have NEVER in my life felt so welcome as a stranger ever before. It was instantly like i belonged to the family.

Of course the goodbyes in the morning were not easy. Especially the boys (age 8-10) had a lot of fun goofing around with Patrick, playing soccer with me and dancing funny dances to all kinds of music. I was impressed when 9yo Ivan showed me how to dance Punta!

But afterall our time in Cayo was coming to an end. We hugged everybody goodbye in the morning and stepped out to the roadside. We flagged down a bus going towards Belmopan/Belize City and started making our way back to Caye Caulker.

BELIZE! Get ready! Here i come again

August 21st, 2009

I have only been back from my last trip for about 6 weeks, yet i am going again in two days! Belize has made a major impact on me and became my most favorite destination! This time i will explore some more and hopefully see different sites. Also i have not given up on hoping to spot a jaguar in the wild. I guess it will always be a good reason to come back to Belize for more time.

This time around my plan is really sketchy. I fly into Cancun again (great deal via ATL with Delta) and make my way down to Belize by bus. My first destination is Caye Caulker yet again and i will spend some time with friends on the island, snorkel, swim, sail, fish and do all the things i love so much! I am sure the slow pace will come back to me instantly when setting foot on the sandy roads of CC again!

In my second of three weeks in total i am planning to do some more exploring around San Ignacio. 5-Sister-Falls or Bullet Tree Falls would be nice and i might be able able to string up a stay at 5-Sisters-Lodge.  A friend of mine spoke highly of it and i can’t wait to go and see for myself. One of my island friends from CC has family in this area and will be traveling with me. In addition to the falls we will be riding horses through the jungle,

This is the view from up the hill down towards San Ignicio downtown

something else i can’t wait to do!

Last but not least i will try to visit Cockscomb Basin although i’ve heard that there is not much to do or see other than being food for the local moskito population. Nevertheless i will check it out for myself and report back on it on my blog!

I will enjoy the local food again and try to go back to eat at Hannah’s in San Ignacio!  This time i will also try new things i hadn’t had a chance to try the first time, like coconut fudge.

For all of you backpackers… there ARE essential things you may wanna bring with you instead of having to buy it in Belize. Remember, most things are imported and more expensive than at home. And if you buy on an island, you are going to pay even more due to things having to be brought there via boat. The more remote the island, the higher the price of whatever you buy.

The essential things i would advise to buy at home are simple things such as sunblock (about 10USD on Caye Caulker), moskito repellent (15USD on Caye Caulker) and clothes (more and nicer selection at home). When it comes to personal hygene you can find pretty much anything anywhere and the Asian-owned supermarkets are stocked well on most US-products. Any of the ladies requiring special hair products will be best advised to bring them with them as well.

Remember not to pack  too much. You will have to carry what you pack and i don’t think a selection of 25 tops and 8 pairs of pants is necessary in a country as relaxed as Belize. Pack a pair of sturdy shoes (tennis shoes should do) for hiking/exploring the jungle and a pair of long pants to ward of bugs.

When it comes to personal items… cell phone chargers and electricity adapter plug for anyone NOT coming in from the US, a good book or two to read while relaxing in a hammock and of course the camera equipment to take oodles of gorgeous pictures!

If you have any questions or comments, let me know and i will blog on it or write back to you if you hand me a return email address!

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