San Ignacio

We left St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park after breakfast and set off for San Ignacio.

We arrived mid afternoon and decided to camp at Mana Kai campground where we ran unto Scott & Rachel, we had previously met them at Mariposa in Plascencia. After setting up we wandered into town for some dinner. San Ignacio is a small enough town that everything is within walking distance. In the downtown area they have closed off one of the main streets and is just for pedestrians, this street is full of restaurants and bars offering local and international food. After dinner we found a Sports Bar where we found they had Canadian Cable TV feed, we tried to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs (Ice Hockey) but settled for Men’s World Curling Championships!

San Ignacio has an open-air market most days selling fresh fruit and vegetables, the main market days are Friday and Saturday.

While at the market on Saturday we stopped at a stall selling Yoghurt and homemade breakfast cereal which we were shopping for. After striking-up a conversation, it turns the lady (Janet) running the stall was originally from Yorkshire, England. Janet had been travelling south through the USA, Mexico etc. in the 80’s with her husband when they decided to settle in Belize and established a small farm.

Next day we went for a walk around the town to get our bearings.

We walked up a hill to a viewpoint so we could see around the surrounding area.

Can you see our tiny home in the distance?

There was a nice river valley where the local kids and some adults would spend the weekends playing and lounging in the river avoiding the heat of the day, being the temperatures were up in the mid 30’s C.

There was the usual street art.

While wondering around we found a unique BBQ, made out of what looked like a small pressure vessel that had been re-purposed.

Our friends Mat, Stacey, Gabriel, Rafael and Django had came back into town after being out performing at Mystic River for the weekend (Checkout Stacey Joy: http://staceyjoymusic.com/#!home and on YouTube). They were staying at Hode’s Place where we joined them. There is a restaurant and hotel, the owner allowed to stay at the back of the hotel in the orchard for free as Stacey & Mat would be performing there.

Stacey had her mother, Corky visiting from Idaho, she was staying in one of the rooms in the Hotel at Hode’s, we spent a few days hanging out. While here Rafael had a birthday, so we took the boys into town for Ice-cream.

After ice-cream we headed to the local park where the fountains were operating, a fun time was had by all!

One of the days, we walked up to Cahal Pech, these are Mayan ruins located on the top of a hill on the outskirts of town.

We first stopped in at the onsite museum.

Then out to the archeological site.

This site was unique, as it was the first time, we had seen archways and tunnels passing from one area to another.

After visiting Cahill Pech, it was time to start thinking about moving on!

Next: Onto Guatemala or back to Mexico