Five Days in Cayo, Part Two: The Lodge at Chaa Creek to San Ignacio Town to The Deep Jungle

My FINAL post from my trip to Cayo last week…I PROMISE.  But after gushing GUSHING about my two meals at the Guava Limb Cafe in San Ignacio, I was very pleased to see that they were named 2015 Restaurant of the Year by the Belize Tourism Board last night.

Congratulations beautiful restaurant.

Let me continue from Part One…which ended with a big piece of coconut cake at Sweet Ting in San Ignacio, I was headed back down the hill to search for Artemis Glass.

This tiny sign was all there was…

Paul, the owner and artist at Artemis, has a studio and a small display room for his work in the back of his house.  He and his family are absolutely LOVELY.  You must stop in…

And he’s doing everything from flattening bottles for decoration…

to gorgeous marbles.

And these stunning bowls/pieces of art.

And then into the workshop.  I had tried working with molten hot glass before in Placencia….and it is something that takes a great deal of practice.  And skill…this time it was just looking…

Paul and his family invited me to an art show at the NICH House of Culture in San Ignacio that evening.  Local artists displaying some of their work…

Painted wall on the way over…

A small event with everything from photography…I love this photo of Mennonite children by Andre Lopez…

…paintings…

to pottery and soaps.

I snuck out early…I needed to be up at dawn.  Heading into the Chiquibul forest and I needed all my food and drink for 24 hours.   I’d get up early…go to the San Ignacio outside market, eat breakfast and get into my gear.

This woman making pancakes…these things smell DELICIOUS and taste even better.

It was time to head into the Pine Ridge on the way to the Chiquibul.  Luis picked us up…

We drove about an hour and a half and stopped quickly at Rio on Pools.  A gorgeous stream trickling over rocks and perfect for stopping and swimming. But we had a ways to go…

So back in the car…and another hour to the boat…and we were off into the Chiquibul to watch Nest #18 of the scarlet macaws…

About 24 hours, on the way out of the jungle, we stopped at the HUGE Rio Frio Cave.

A GAPING entrance…

We continued back to San Ignacio…a town that is practically shut down on Sundays.  But I did find a burger.  And, though it was only one day in the jungle…I was craving one.

Cheeseburger and cassava fries at Fuego Restaurant in San Ignacio.