          | The New River was an important trading route for the Mayan people. It connected the inland communities such as Lamanai to the coast. It is still alive and flourishing with wildlife and lush vegetation. One of our last trips in Belize was a boat ride up the New River to see the Mayan site of Lamanai. Here are some shots of the boat ride.  I don't know how he got up there, but the iguana must have been up 40 feet in that tree, just swaying in the wind and watching the river flow. These two little guys were about a metre long each, and were just loving the chance to sit and soak the sun.  This was the really cool part of the boat ride. I think our guides know tourists pretty well. Two capuchin monkeys were in a tree by the bank in one place along the river, and as soon as our guide started to call them, they started chattering and nattering. The female seemed much more bold while the male held back a little. I think these monkeys are well-fed, however. They each got two bananas from us. They would even take the bananas right from your hand, as long as there was still some distance between you and the tree. At one point we thought they might even drop into the boat. They were right above us, as you can tell by some of the photos.
  That monkey just mooned me!  As well, the guide did point out on the trip a stork nest, but it was very far away and our camera wasn't up for the task. We went through several little communities along the way. Interestingly enough, we did pass by a Mennonite community by the New River. Our guide gave us a bit of a lesson on Belize history and agriculture. There are a number of Mennonite communities in Belize and they grow something like a third of the country's agricultural produce. There are some political issues here in that they grow a more European variety of food rather than native vegetables and things. But all the same, Belize would be quite a different country without the Mennonites. |
