My husband Rob and I recently visited Lamanai in Belize and it was fantastic. During our trip to Belize, it was very difficult to pull ourselves away from the islands. On the last day, we decided to hit the mainland and take a boat trip up to a Mayan ruin and visit Lamanai.
Lamanai means submerged crocodile in the Maya language and it’s also the name of the third largest, and possibly most interesting, archeological site in Belize.
We had a little visitor who jumped into our boat on the way up the river after following us for awhile onshore swinging through the trees. Her name is Greedy and she frequently jumps aboard and asks for handouts from the tourists. Smart girl and oh so cute! Ok, I admit, I gave her a banana after she gently put her hand on my knee and peered inside my bag.
Another unexpected sighting was this Jesus bird, who appears to walk on the water. The guide told us that the male makes a floating nest and tends to the upbringing of his babies while the mom flies away to another guy in waiting.
All in all, I am glad that we took one day to see the mainland of Belize and choosing Lamanai was a great idea. I do however, already miss the islands and the gentle waters of the Carribbean.
The photo below shows a close up of the face of a jaguar on the Jaguar temple.
