Monkey River Tour: GU Winter Term – Belize

We woke up around 7:30 this morning and walked down the street over to the river. Once we were on the boat we headed off towards the sea. About half way to our destination, the engine started messing up. He said there must have been something that got sucked into the intake valve. There were 2 motors on the boat, so he used the second one to take us to Monkey River Island. I suppose the engine checked out fine because within a few minutes we were back on the boat and headed down the river. Our tour guide pointed out all of the different trees and plants and how some of them were used for herbal medicine. 

We got to the entrance of the jungle and we all put on several layers of bug spray. There were mosquitos. I swear it seemed like our tour guide was just aimlessly walking is through the jungle with s machete. He let me hold the machete though and cut things with it so it’s cool. The guide would start howling and hitting trees with the machetes to get the howler monkeys to howl back at him, and they did. It was so neat seeing all of the monkeys together just howling as loud as they could. It got a little annoying after a while though. He showed us other cool stuff like bamboo trees and crab holes, and even these weird shaped mushrooms that look like cups. They looked like the cups off of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that he picked off a plant and used as a cup and then ate it. I jokingly asked or guide if there were panthers around here. He told me there were and that they also liked to climb the trees and hangout up there. I then said jokingly, “So if we were to encounter one there would be no where to escape,” and he didn’t reply he just laughed. When we got on the boat to leave, our guide found a crab and put it on the boat and it scared all of us.

Shortly after we left the jungle and went back to the island to have lunch. Then, we got back on the boat and headed to Placencia. On the boat ride back, a few Dolphins were swimming next to and right in front of our boat and would jump in and out of the water. Overall it was a really cool trip. 

-Sylvia Finger, sophomore