Central America: Part 1

Hi, this is Mindy, Taylor's wife, and I'm going to be posting some entries about our recent trip to Central America. We thought it would be appropriate for me to post, seeing as how I am the travel lover and planner in our marriage, so here it goes. Before I start I should just put a disclaimer out there- if you are currently on this site because you are looking for a wedding photographer, please disregard the quality of the photos being posted! Most of the pictures and videos were taken by me with our small, cheap digital camera, and I am by no means a professional. To get a more accurate picture of the quality of the work that my super talented and creative husband produces, just check out any of his recent wedding blog posts. So, without further ado, I give you a recap of our FABULOUS vacation!

So we ended up spending 15 days in Southern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, splitting our time between exploring ancient Mayan ruins in the jungle and enjoying some R & R on the beaches. We flew into Cancun and from there worked our way down the Mexican coast, stopping in Tulum to walk around the gorgeous Mayan ruins perched high on the cliffs above the turquoise Caribbean.

Tulum ended up being the first place that Taylor and I experienced swimming in an ocean the temperate of bath water, and walking on a beach with SUPER soft sand. I must say I would trade in the cold waters of the Pacific for this nice warm swimming treat any day!

It was also our first time seeing wild iguanas- they were EVERYWHERE!

From here we headed to Lamanai, Belize, to see a set of Mayan ruins dating back to 800 B.C. We saw our first crocodile, which Taylor promptly fed a chicken foot. Can you tell I'm a little paranoid behind the camera?

We took an hour and a half boat ride through the jungle to get to our glorious lodge set right on the edge of the lagoon. At the end of this video, you can see where a crocodile just ducked under the water.

We stayed in thatched roof cabanas, ate three gourmet meals a day, and enjoyed passing our time: reading in hammocks,

...taking a spotlight river tour at night and a canoe trip at dawn,

...following all the howler monkeys as they moved through the trees (in this video you can experience what it is like to be intentionally pooped on by a howler!),

swimming in the lagoon (yes, the crocodile lagoon!),

playing volleyball with the locals living the small village 1/2 mile away from the lodge, hiking through the jungle at night, and seeing all sorts of crazy jungle animals.

Our favorite part of our stay at the Outpost Lodge was seeing the ruins themselves. We went with a guide from the lodge, and were the ONLY guests at 8 am. We had the whole site to ourselves- just the ruins and the sounds of the jungle. It was truly amazing!

This locust landed on Taylor as he was standing on top of the highest ruin, about 100 feet off the ground. It was the length of his hand! And, if you listen closely during this video you can hear the howler monkeys spouting off. Yes, they do sound an awful lot like lions.