I think that you last joined us in the Lonely Planet’s Honduran darling, the city of Tela. Despite the allure of the Tela’s monkey-less lagoons and anaemic nightlight, Jozza and I decided head back to Tikal in Guatemala (word on the street was that there was some kick-arse ruins there). The trip took about 13 hours and had it all, about six changes of buses, corrupt boarder officials and a very uncomfortable ride in the back of a pick-up with two fat Guatemalan women who stalked Joel for the whole day (I think they liked the look of the cankles that he has been vigorously developing since hanging up the boots).
From Tikal we visited the Mayan ruins that are about an hour drive away. Fucking awesome, is the best way to describe them. It was here that we finally saw a monkey, no thanks to the Lonely Planet. A couple of days later in an internet cafe over a few beers, we listened to Roy and HG call the Roys (or the three Fitzroy players that remain from the so called “merger”) home in the Grand Final. It was also here that Joel and I went our separate ways. I was headed for Belize and he was going to bible camp in Mexico.
The fellowship was broken and while Joel tried to be strong, as the bus drove away I looked back to see him crying like a kid who had knackered himself on the frame of his BMX for the first time. Although this gesture was moving I was glad to be rid of him as I had not had a decent nights sleep for two months because of his serial snoring.
I arrived in Belize City later that day and stayed the night. It is not the most pleasant of cities, the whole city stinks because the sewage runs straight into the canals. Also, the masses there seemed to make a much bigger effort to take advantage of me than in the other cities that I had visited.
The next morning I caught a boat out to Caye Caulker were I did a couple of days diving. It was awesome, the worlds second largest reef and some of the best diving that I have ever done. Thousands of fish, sharks, rays and crayfish. Once again I wish I had a spear gun but Joel’s little incident with the Utilia scuba hippies was still fresh in my mind.