We didn’t get to kayak this last weekend. It was a scuba diving trip that took us to Rockport and led to another visit to North Shore Kayak. But we did get to stop in, say hello and discuss a little bit about kayaking, our trip to Belize and the possibility of purchasing some rides for next year.

While I was there, I picked up a new dry bag. I got a 10 liter Seal Line Baja Bag. I got this primarily to protect my new DSLR camera. I think that most of our gear is pretty waterproof with the exception of this and Liz’s Sony Webbie. The V.I.O. POV 1 and my Sealife are both waterproof (to a certain extend) but these other items might be vital to one or more of our planned adventures; particularly, the ATM trip.

We’ve already established that the ATM trip will involve some immersion (and possible submersion) in the walk to the cave and even within. Since it’s the rainy season, we can count on other wet days. And finally, we’re kayaking, snorkeling and diving. So yes, water is a constant. And I think that if we are to properly document this trip, we need to ensure that we have the resources we need.

The dry bag was a small investment, about US$17.00 towards preserving our gear and equipping us for the elements. Match this with the killer Marmot jackets and a few other waterproof items (like the dry box) and we should be all set!

I know this is a redundant topic, but I wanted to expand a bit more on it.

The mosquito problem in Belize. I hate, hate, hate mosquitoes. Ever since I was a child and my family would vacation in the Outer Banks, NC I have had an extreme irritation of mosquitoes. When my family would vacation, we would always rent a house with my mom’s sister’s family and her three kids. With Seven kids, two couples and my grandmother and her friend (6 adults) there wasn’t ample sleeping space in some of the houses. One year, I was deemed the “sun room” or screened in porch as my sleeping headquarters. Again, I dawned my bed as an air mattress all week. I woke up morning after morning covered in more and more mosquito bites than the night before. I had horrible itching for weeks after returning from the Outer banks and developed a deep hatred for the little buggers.

One day, as a teenager and later in life, I was reading through a Cosmopolitan offering tips for summer beauty. One of the tips suggest Vitamin B1 as a mosquito repellent. You take the pills and the scent your body emits from the pills wards off mosquitoes. I immediately went out and bought a bottle of Vitamin B1 from GNC. Ever since, I have always had vitamin B1 in my possession. The Vitamin B1 has worked for me and it has prevented huge red itchy bumps from camping trips and late beach nights. You have to start taking the pills a few days before your planned journey, but it does work. I have read recently a few forums of people being worried of taking Vitamin B pills being asthmatic. I can say, having asthma as a child and (fortunately) seem to be growing out of it, I have had no problems combining Vitamin B1 with my asthma. Another plus about the Vitamin B1 is that it enhances your energy and metabolism. Maybe I can contribute some of my slender figure to that? It’s not a diet pill but a natural energy enhancer/mosquito repellent. Again, a win win situation!

I have about 8 pills left in my bottle. This means I’ll be making a trip to CVS Pharmacy (I no longer shop at GNC) to pick up some more of these handy pills to start taking three days before Belize and to share with Courtney.

We partnered with Viator to bring you adventure packages and tours in Belize. Take a look at what they have to offer!

Belize City and Reef Helicopter Tour – $ 260.00 Take flight on a helicopter tour to see Belize City as few people ever get to see it! For approximately 25-30 minutes, you’ll enjoy a bird’s-eye view of downtown, the Baron Bliss Lighthouse, the Tourist Village, St. John’s Cathedral and the Swing Bridge. This sightseeing tour will give you an extraordinary experience that very few tourists get to witness!

Cave Tubing and Belize Rainforest ATV – $ 154.00 Discover the Belize Maya Caves on an exhilarating ATV adventure circuit. You’ll drive through the jungle on an ATV, go on a hike to explore the ancient traditions of the Maya, then float through an underground cave system on your own inner tube. It’s a Belize rainforest adventure you’ll never forget!

Community Baboon Sanctuary in Belize – $ 126.50 Everybody loves monkeys! This morning or afternoon tour from Belize City, takes you to an important sanctuary where farmers and howler monkeys co-exist in harmony. You’ll enjoy exotic wildlife and have a glimpse into the lives of everyday Belize locals – all in one tour!

Belize’s Macal River, Panti Medicinal Trails, and Cahal Pech – $ 117.70 Cruise the Macal River from Belize City to the Panti Medicinal Trails, and discover the exotic natural beauty of Belize. This unforgettable experience will leave you with lifelong memories of Belize’s most attractive sights. Great for both adults and children, add this excursion to your Belize itinerary!

Belize Manatee Watch and Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise – $ 117.70 Sparkling waters, tropical fish, and exotic sights – this is why you came to Belize! Jet across the crystal waters of the Caribbean by speedboat, glimpse manatees in the wild, and even snorkel Belize’s Great Barrier Reef on this full day guided tour from Belize City.

Altun Ha and the Olde Belize River Safari – $ 102.85 Cruise down the Belize River and visit the ancient Mayan site of Altun Ha on this exciting day trip from Belize City. Combining exotic wildlife and legendary history, the tour highlights the exquisite natural beauty of Belize and its Mayan heritage. Your guide awaits!

Lamanai and the New River Safari in Belize – $ 102.85 Discover ancient Mayan architecture on an excursion through Belize’s exotic landscapes. You’ll enjoy stunning views and spot diverse wildlife as you make your way to the Lamanai ruins, one of the most famous sights in Belize. Accessible only by water and a brief hike, this adventure is fun for the whole family.

Xunantunich and The Belize Zoo – $ 102.85 Imposing temples and exotic animals! Is it the latest Hollywood action movie? No, this time it’s real and you’re the star. Travel Belize by a hand-cranked ferry, see stunning Mayan ruins, and marvel at the majesty of the Belizean rainforests. And the wildlife? You’ll see unique indigenous species in their natural habitat at the Belize Zoo.

Belize Jungle ATV Adventure Tour – $ 80.85 Explore the Belize jungle and Mayan Caves as never before on an ATV adventure! You’ll drive through the thick undergrowth of the Belize rainforest for breathtaking views of the ancient sacred caves. This family-friendly activity is a must-do when in Belize, and no prior ATV experience is necessary!

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Before Belmopan, the capital of Belize was Belize City. But after Belize City was torn apart by hurricane Hattie, the capital was moved inland to the now Belmopan city. It is located about an hour inland and is situated just East of the Belize river in the Cayo District.

Belmopan proper is a mix of ethnicities including Kriols, Garifuna, Mestizo, Maya and more historically recent immigrants from Asian countries such as the People’s Republic of China. Belmopan is mostly inhabited by government workers and their families.

Four main lodges in the Belmopan area are Jaguar Paw, Cave’s Branch Jungle Camp, Belmopan Conventional Hotel, and the Warrie Head Lodge. Not far from Belmopan you can also find Table Rock Jungle Lodge.

Some activities you can do while in the Belmopan area are the Belize Archives, the Belize Zoo, the Inland Blue Hole, Cave Exploring, Mayan Ruins, Guanacaste Park and Heris Nature Walk & Trails.

Courtney and I will be stopping in Belmopan briefly on our way to our jungle location. We hope to grab a bite to eat and find out a little bit about what Belmopan truly has to offer.

I’ve been thinking about buying the VIO POV 1.5 helmet mounted camera for a few months now. I think it would be an awesome resource for the trip and the videos would be outstanding for
the Belizean Travel website. Liz is all for it. She wants lots of video and photo documentation of our trip. And we could certainly find other uses for it once we get back (besides for our next awesome adventure).
I think there are a number of applications for this nifty device. We could mount it for zip lining and capture some clever images of our flight through the trees. With the optional water proof kit we could snorkel with it or maybe even diving. Rumor is this thing will handle deep dives. But I’ve got a friend’s HD camera setup for that. Kayaking is another option. The Mayan ruins would be well documented and the hands free operation make it great for the climbing and trudging, etc. Basically, we figure it could capture all the activities we do (assuming I have enough memory cards)! The system has a continuous loop recording capability that allows you to simply tag a period of time you wish to keep or you can just set it to record and it does so until it runs out of memory. I like the loop capability because you can sort of set it and forget it until something memorable occurs.
I’ve been researching helmet mounted cameras for a while now and this one seems to be the best. Teton Gravity Research, the guys that produce the best ski movies, use it. That makes me confident I can use it all winter as well. Wired Magazine recently did a review of helmet mounted cameras and gave this one best review. Their major critique was that it was not High Definition and very expensive to not be high definition. I don’t like the cost. It is very expensive, almost prohibitively so. But I am not so worried about standard definition resolution. I figure that is acceptable for DVD and I am no major filmmaker.
I looked further at many reviews on Backcountry.com and they were mixed. Mostly positive but a few people complain about color wash. I think that is something that can be overcome with video editing.
In summary, the decision to buy this is camera is going to come down to want vs. economics. Can I afford it? Can it be folded into the total trip costs? Will it get used sufficiently? I don’t know. I’ll keep thinking, salivating and calculating. If I get it, look for some clever, first person point-of-view videos on this site after the trip.