The Avis rental car counter was a small cubbyhole across the parking lot. It smelled kind of funky. I got my Daihatsu four-wheel-drive vehicle, and got directions out of the area. The map provided by my travel agent had pointed me back toward Belize City, and from there to the start of the Western Highway. However, the Avis guy gave me shortcut directions through Burrell Boom and Hattieville. So I never set foot in Belize City.
The turn-off from Ladyville (where the airport is) to Burrell Boom is just before a
sleeping policemanas they call them there. Also known as a police checkpoint. Only saw two in operation the entire time and I didn't need to go through them. However, they have spots for them, and most were manned. With sleeping policemen. Also, in many places on the highways there are speed bumps of prodigious size. One must slow down to 5 mph or face your vehicle falling apart when hitting them.
First night was to be at Jaguar Paw Resort. It's at mile post 37 on the Western Highway. After that it was a long dirt/gravel road south to the resort on the Caves Branch River. The gravel road wasn't even so nice as gravel roads in eastern Washington. It was bumpy, filled wit potholes, and washed out in many places. Luckily, despite the heavy rain there weren't any streams completely covering the road.
Pulled into Jaguar Paw. My package had a prepaid tubing experience with it, but I elected not to use it then after the front desk person mentioned flash flooding. Checked in, and got lead around through the jungle to the cabana. Each building there has 4 rooms. The walkways burrow through the jungle to get to each. Unloaded the bags, and headed back to the main building for lunch. Rain intensified just then and the 100 feet soaked me to the bone. Well, to the skin, but
to the bonesounds better.
Then, sleep. After a huge lack of sleep on my Orlando trip and only fitful napping on the flight down, I was zonked at around 3 p.m. Belize runs on Central Time (without Daylight Savings Time). I intended to wake up and get dinner and decide on the tubing trip, but the next thing I know it was 6:30 a.m. So, other than drive for a couple of hours and eat lunch, I didn't do much my first day.