St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park

 Did a night hike, last night. We did not have great sightings. Luke did spot the eyes of two kinkajou in the trees.  We are getting our steps in on this trip!  

The morning started with some bird watching at 5:30 am. Saw some yellow bellied parrots, hummingbirds, toucans (from a distance) and others. We packed up to change locations and had a nice breakfast.  We took a group picture before leaving. Hit the road to St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park, which is supported by the Belize Audubon Society, and Protected Area Conservation and Trust (PACTS). First up was a guided hike to St. Herman’s Cave. Herbie, our Tour Director, shared some handy survivor tips when evaluating plants to eat, “The Rule of Eight”. We also learned about natural glue from Stemmadenia Donnell-Smithii tree fruit, “horse balls”.  The cave was remarkably beautiful in its own right. We hiked in, checked out some cool features and took some photos. It was then story time with Herbie!  He told us a Mayan origin story. Next was headlamps out to experience total darkness and silence. 

Now, to cool off in the clear spring waters of St. Herman’s Blue Hole. The water was refreshing and crystal clear. Noel Lehner added to our exploration by finding a tarantula. Katie Kleber really enjoyed checking it out! Herbie put it on his head! Everyone enjoyed the swim, which was followed by fresh ice cream from a Mennonite creamery, The Country Barn. A bit down the road, we were treated to a true Belizean lunch of tamales. These are favorites of Herbie and attending this roadside stand, Miss Bertha’s, dates back to his childhood. It adds a great deal to have a true local as a guide!  More to come, as we are on the road to Punta Gordo.