Belize

17°15°N 88°46°W

Bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the south and west, and the Caribbean sea to the east.Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language.

When the Pan-American Highway -- the linked system of thoroughfares joining North and South America -- was designed, Belize was required to switch from left-side to right-side driving so the orientation would be consistent from country to country throughout the length of the highway. As it turned out, Belize was bypassed by the Pan-American Highway, but the right-side protocol remained.

Belize has the largest cave system in Central America , and also brags the longest Barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere (second in the world only to the Australian great barrier reef) From fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling, numerous rivers for rafting, and kayaking, various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, for hiking, bird watching, and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya ruins, if you find yourself bored in Belize… maybe you should consider bobsledding.

Of the dozen of temples and pyramids in Belize, each one is spectacular and has a fascinating history. Altun-Ha Pyramid (above left) and, the temple of the jaguar Lamanai (above right)Three Maya groups now inhabit the country: The Yucatec (who came from Yucatán, Mexico to escape the Caste War of the 1840s), the Mopan (indigenous to Belize but were forced out by the British; they returned from Guatemala to evade slavery in the 19th century), and Kekchi (also fled from slavery in Guatemala in the 19th century). Also fun fact, some of the earliest settlers from Europe were English and Scottish pirates.

The Keel Billed Toucan is the National Bird of Belize. It is noted for its great, canoe-shaped bill, brightly colored green, blue, red and orange feathers. Toucans are found in open areas of the country with large trees. Belize's national animal is the Baird's Tapir, the largest land mammal of the American tropics. It is also known as the mountain cow, although it is actually related to the horse and the rhinoceros. It is protected under the law.

The Great Blue Hole — the world’s largest blue hole — is a massive underwater sinkhole off of the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 60 miles off the Belize mainland. The hole is near perfectly circular in shape, more than 1,000 feet across and 480 feet deep. As you can see here, it’s quite visible from space. Boats traveling to and from the Great Blue Hole attest to its popularity as a diving site. Besides modern-day marine life, this vertical cave contains remnants from its days above water. When much of Earth’s water was sequestered in glaciers, global sea level was lower. During this time, stalactites or “dripstones” formed inside this cave, and those rocks are preserved underwater today.

Over the river and through the... jungle?

Well I’ve tried to be elusive about the famous stuff before but it’s always guessed right away. So I’ll just say… there are some here. In fact there are so many well known things here, part of me just wants to say… it’s a cool place. Now guess.

But you know me by now; I can’t just keep my mouth closed when I’ve discovered a new place. There is no getting around it, most my clues will give away its general location. The trick .. .I hope… will be for you to guess which country in this area I’m referring to.

This place is breathtakingly beautiful (I know I say that about everywhere, but no one can call me a liar either) There are rainforests, pristine sandy beaches, miles of reefs to snorkel and dive, rivers, caves, ancient temples, and hundreds of historical and cultural sites. The cruise ships are constantly passing through here, but that is so not my thing. I need to be out and about just immersing.

This is a former British Colony, as are most of the countries in this area, but interesting side note, this country goes against the grain and drives on the right side of the road, instead of the British left.

This area housed one of the great Mesoamerican civilizations of ancient times. These people created vibrant commercial centers, monumental religious temples and exquisite art works, they survived from 2000 BC to nearly AD 1500. For you not so good at math.. That’s a long time. This country has some of the oldest archaeological findings of these civilizations settlements. Historians believe that there are three distinct tribes still in existence here. I am fascinated by all the ancient ruins, and the good news is here you can climb all over them, where as Giza… not so much.

Between national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and marine reserves, more than 40% of this country’s area is protected in one form or another, creating a haven for countless creatures of land, sea and sky. I’m not much of a bird watcher but I’ve always wanted to see Toucan Sam, so I’ve got my eyes peeled.

Oh and don’t forget the monkey sanctuary and jaguar reserve.

Now for a random fact. There is a Mennonite community here. I was not expecting that. They and other locals provide Iguana Catch and Release Hunts as ways to give the locals income. They also have wet cave swimming; Swim up an underground river to a waterfall - One word… COOL.

I think they only thing they don’t have here is bobsledding, how neglectful of them.

Ok one last thing, a place to make any diver drool – PS: it has stalactites… underwater.

ROMANIA

44°25′N 26°06′E

Located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea

Thank you to my friend Kim W. for sharing such fun and interesting facts about Romania. It’s fun to hear it from someone who has been immersed in the culture. Another thing she shared was that while under communist rule the Republic of Romania had a communist symbol on the flag, during the revolution they burned it out, and now we have the flag above.

How can you talk about Romania w/o talking about Transylvania and Dracula. It’s amazing, one man – Bram Stoker (on the left), writes a book, and over 100 years later, thousands of books, movies, TV shows, cults, followings, etc still exist, and recently has seen a boom in the media. You can’t turn around without bumping into something vampire these days. If you haven’t read the original classic , do. it was quite enjoyable. Interesting note, Bram is from Ireland. Most people don’t realize that Dracula was based off of a real person. Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler (in Romanian Vlad Ţepeş) or simply Dracula (on the right). If you want to learn more about him, read The Historian. He was not a pleasant man.Along with the Pied Piper and Dracula you can find reference to Romania or Transylvania in The Historian, Harry Potter (a Quidditch team, and where Charlie works with his dragons), My Fair Lady (at the embassy ball, the Royal family of Transylvania appears), Young Frankenstein, Van Helsing, of course Twilight and oh so many more.



The painted monasteries of Romania are seven Romanian Orthodox churches in Moldavia. Since 1993 they have been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Other world heritage sights include Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains, Historic Centre of Sighişoara, Monastery of Horezu, Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania, Wooden Churches of Maramures.


The Danube, King of Rivers in Europe. Originating in the Black Forrest in Germany then emptying in the Black sea via the Danube Delta (above). The Danube Delta its self is a sight to behold, the second largest delta in Europe and best preserved on the continent. And of course… a World Heritage Site. Though Romania is landlocked, between the Danube and the Black sea, you will never be in want of water based views or tours.

As mentioned by the E-Club, Bucherest the capital of Romania was once hailed as ‘Little Paris of the East’ . And the Palace of Parliament is according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest civilian administrative building. (also most expensive and heaviest) And has also been listed as a World Wonder.

Back to the Future

I have two surprises this week.

1st of all, this is a country that has NO TROPICAL BEACHES, ok.. there’s beaches, but they are NOT tropical. I was surprised how many countries in the world are beach infested.

2nd surprise, today I am traveling with a guest who knows this country and has even lived here. So we get the inside track. Extra credit if you can guess who my guest is.

In this part of the world, it is impossible to escape history, going back for thousands of years. Here history and modernization collide to create a beautiful and life altering place to visit. This country lays claim to the fact that they believe their language is the closest to original Latin that is still spoken. Unfortunately a significant role in the Holocaust was played out here, but the countrymen fought both sides of the war. (WWII) Suffering under the communist rule up until the late 80’s, they still required a bloody revolution to claim their independence.

Whether by trying or just lack of availability this country did not open any American chain restaurants until 1994, but just as way back when Cabbage rolls are still among the more popular dishes here. Yum.

The self proclaimed King of the Gypsies lives here, As well as one of the world’s most famous villains.

The monasteries here set themselves apart from other Monasteries around the world. I can’t say just why yet, but you will be impressed. There are also several world heritage sights here. And on the subject of Kings, there is a king of rivers here as well. A household name , this river offers tours of castles, nature, dams, ancient roman bridges, medieval cities, and of course modern cities as well.

As I mentioned there are beaches here, warm climate, miles of sand beaches, ancient monuments, vineyards and modern resorts invite travelers to seriously consider this coast for their summer vacation destination. Remnants of ancient Greek culture as far back as the 7th Century, BC, when seafarers established trading colonies along the coast, are still being discovered.

Several books & movies ranging from moderate to extremely famous are either set here or have reference to this country. (some you will know instantly others you will be like, whaaa? I never even noticed) Not to mention TV, Cartoons, and Music. This country loves the show "Dallas" and has a life-size replica of South Fork Ranch. A few wildly famous books are based here, but did you know one of the books that involves this country, was the original Pied Piper Story? (pay attention, this is a trick clue)

The history, the culture, the people, the landscape, there is just too much here to cover in one page. Do some research on your own, and see what I’ve missed.

Maurtius

I know I know the Dodo gave it away, but really how could I have left it out. Especially with so many of us reading about Pickwick these days in the Thursday next series.

Location: Off the east coast of Africa **20° 17 S, 57 º 33 E** this paradise island is about 560 miles east of Madagascar.

Originally created by a volcano, like most islands, the area now enjoys awesome coral reefs and crystal clear lagoons. Known to the Arabs as early as the 10th century, but officially discovered in early 1500’s by the Portuguese, this area was ruled in succession by the Dutch, French and Great Britain. Finally this country gained its independence in the late 60’s.

Black River Gorges National Park - Mauritius’ sole national park is a spectacularly wild expanse of thick forest covering 3.5% of the island’s surface and home to over 300 species of flowering plants and nine species of bird unique to Mauritius, where the pink pigeon is staging a comeback from extinction. The island of Mauritius is renowned for having been the only known home of the dodo. First sighted by Europeans around 1600 on Mauritius, the dodo became extinct less than eighty years later.

Mauritius enjoys several festivals some of which include Divali (Festival of lights) & Maha Shivaratree – The great night of Shiva celebrated by a pilgrimage to "Grand Bassin", a natural lake on the central plateau. Generally held in February, the pilgrims dressed in white proceed to Grand Bassin carrying bamboo contraption on their shoulders as a sign of sacrifice. In 1847,

Mauritius became the fifth location in the world to issue postage stamps. The two types of stamps issued then, known as the Mauritius "Post Office" stamps, consisting of a "Red Penny" and a "Blue Two Pence" denomination, are probably the most famous and valuable stamps in the world.

Lesser known than say Hawaii, this island is a tropical paradise, worthy of any beach goers dream.

Where the sun DOES shine

Here we are on another island country.

What can I say I'm a sucker for snorkeling and scuba diving and here the ocean is my oyster. First though I arrive just as they begin one of their more celebrated festivals. Known as one of the more jovial of all Hindu festivals, and celebrated in October/November, it marks the victory of righteousness over evil in the Hindu mythology. Traditionally, clay oil lamps were placed in front of every home turning the island into a fairyland of flickering lights; these have now been replaced mostly by decorative electric lights.

Next I decide to go a bit inland. To their one and only National Park where you can find beautiful flora and fauna, along with rare birds some even recently come back from the brink of extinction. This island also claims to be home to a famous bird that is in fact extinct.

I've heard the deep see fishing is the thing to do here, and after getting my fill of awesome scuba and snorkeling, I decide to give that a try. Try everything once right!

Who would have thought, you can find one of the first horse race tracks opened in the world on this small little island. Today, it is world renowned for its magnificent race track which is almost circular in shape, allowing punters wherever they are situated within the centre area or in the stands to watch every moment of the racing action. Every year, horses are imported from all parts of the world, namely from South Africa, England and Australia, and allocated to the various stables. Jockeys come from all parts of the world.

Also completely unexpected, this country is of one of the first few places in the world to issue postage stamps that remain today legendary in their rarity and value. There’s a lot of firsts here for such a small and secluded country.

CROATIA

Well I thought that the stones for the white house would give it a way, but it looks like you all latched on to the Kuna. And we learned about Martins too. Anyone temped to take a vacation to Croatia now?

Location: Southern Central Europe**45°48′N 16°0′E ** on the Adriatic Sea in bordering Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia, and shares a sea border with Italy.

The Croatian coat of arms resembles a Lily known as the Snake’s Head and Leper Lily. The Croatian word for the flower is Kockavica.

Croatia has only become a country recently, declaring its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Lord Byron was not overstating the matter when he proclaimed Dubrovnik, Croatia ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’. Dubrovnik, a world heritage site, is a magnificent city with a curtain of walls surrounded by marble streets and baroque buildings that exude a pearly light in the Adriatic sun.

Croatia is also known for its adventure tours. Sailing, sea and river kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, whitewater rafting, biking, they have it all.

Croatia’s currency, the Kuna, was named after a small rodent also known as a Marten.. which is basically a horned ferret (see Gwin, pet of Dustfinger).

Men, your father’s day favorite, the necktie was invented here in Croatia. They call it a “cravat,” derived from the word “Croat.”

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Interestingly Croatian young people can vote at the age of 16 if they have a job but must wait until 18 if they are unemployed. Voting and a job at 16… talk about growing up fast.

Called the Arena, this ancient ruin is the 6th largest of the 200 known roman amphitheaters. Located in Pula, Croatia, it is 106’ high and could accommodate 23000 spectators. In 5th century gladiator fighting was outlawed, but it wasn’t until 671 that combat between convicts (especially those on death row) and wild animals was forbidden.