Punta Gorda, BELIZE: Day Trip to Guatemala

Last Saturday morning I joined the physician assistant, medical, and physical therapy students on a day trip to Guatemala. We woke up early in the morning for our short calm boat ride to Sustoon River. This river creates a natural border between Guatemala and Belize. Before lunch, we parked the boat and hiked in the jungle to see a large sink hole. Our only rule on our hike: "Do not touch anything like a rock or a tree without looking before hand." This is do to the exotic creatures that inhabit the jungle. After the hike we jumped in the water to take a quick swim to cool off. The water was extremely refreshing after working up a sweat. We then took a boat ride to a near by beach called Playa Blanca. I relaxed in a hammock and drank coconut juice. This was just what I needed after a busy week of work. Some of the students played beach volleyball and swam in the sea. We had a delicious lunch on the beach that a local cooked for us. He delivered our food by boat. I ate tortillas, fish, chicken, rice, and vegetables. I might have had 5-6 tortillas, but who's counting? After lunch we jumped in the boat and headed to some waterfalls called "Siete Altares" which translates to seven alters. Although they may not be true waterfalls the water descends across breaks in the river bed making a beautiful path to walk on. At the very end of hike we were welcomed by a gorgeous waterfall. I finally mustered up the courage to jump off the very top!