Becki and I Fly to Dangriga

The day before Becki's departure back to the US, we planned a fun day that would eventually get us to Belize City before nightfall.  We arranged for Jonathan Urbina, an amazing birding guide, to meet us super early in the coastal town of Dangriga for some birding before heading north to Belize City with stops at St. Herman's Cave and Blue Hole National Park, Belize Bird Rescue, and the birder-friendly Captain Hook's Shrimp Farm.  To make our schedule, we left our place while it was still dark at 5:30AM, boating in light drizzle conditions to Placencia where we met up with Walter, my favorite taximan, who took us to the Placencia airstrip for our 7:00AM flight to Dangriga.

Still drizzling for departure.

Uh oh - we are not heading in the direction I thought we should be!  Did we get on the wrong flight?

I had a fleeting second of panic when it seemed we were heading south instead of north, but I quickly realized that we were going to make a stop at the Savannah airstrip just outside the village of Independence .

I haven't flown into the airstrip for quite a few years.

This airstrip is home to only one commercial airline - Maya- but is the base for a crop dusting enterprise.

Two of the crop dusting planes.

I'm not sure which crops they cover, but I can hear the planes zooming back forth on many mornings before it is well and truly light.

I bet the crop dusters have to be careful not to contaminate any of the numerous shrimp farms.

This is a huge banana farm near the village of Riversdale.

A couple of resorts at the north edge of the coastal village of Hopkins.

I believe this is the village of Silk Grass.  The Southern Highway cuts across the upper lefthand corner of the image.  

We arrived in Dangriga about 15 minutes late due to the weather.

Dangriga Airstrip just ahead.

A textbook perfect landing, smooth as silk.

Take heed!

Pretty landscaping at the Maya Island Air Terminal.

Jonathan arrived a few minutes after we did - he had an early start driving from the town of San Ignacio - and we were off for our day of sightseeing and birding.

Traveling Away From Home

I've kept a low profile for the last month or more because I have been busy with traveling (and other things).  First, by boat from our place to the airstrip, dodging the light sprinkles of rain.  From there I caught a flight on a small plane to the international airport.

The purple line marks the route of our boat from WilDen (our place) to the canal next to the Placencia Airstrip, 15 miles.

The Placencia Airstrip, serviced by 2 local commercial airlines - Maya Island Air and Tropic Air.

Placencia Airstrip to Dangriga Airstrip, 35 miles.

On the Tropic Air flight at the Placencia Airstrip.

Taxiing down the runway.  The canal to the left is where I got dropped off in our boat a little earlier.  I hopped out of the skiff and walked down the runway to the terminal - after looking both ways for planes.  ;-) 

In the air over the Placencia peninsula.

Looking toward the Cockscomb range with shrimp farms in the foreground.

Looking down on the north end of the Placencia peninsula.

Banana farm below, with jungle on either side.

Maya Mountains and jungle in the mist.

A development called "Sanctuary" near the village of Hopkins.

The Coastal Highway.  Travel at own risk during the rainy season.

Citrus farm next to the Hummingbird Highway.

Misty jungle with nearly hidden farm clearings.

Airstrip at the town of Dangriga.  This was a quick stop to take on additional passengers.

I flew on the the international airport just outside Belize City to catch my flight to the US.

Dangrigia to Philip Goldson International Airport, 45 miles.

 The photo below was taken in my destination city. 

Where was eye?

More coming soon.