[va-richmond-general] Re: Birding Belize?

Irene
    A decade ago, Cricket and I also went to Crooked  Tree ... and to the 
Howler Monkey Refuge.  There are lots of places to stay  at the former, as well 
as knowledgeable birding guides and a full range of  access possibilities -- 
boat is mandatory for accessing the mangroves /  horseback was how we went to 
see the storks in the grassy marshes.  We  chose to stay at one of the private 
households in the village -- sort of a Peace  Corps experience with outside 
shower and mosquito nets; there are also several  nice resort-type clusters of 
attractive bungalows with nicer amenities along the  lake.  The Howler Monkey 
Reserve was just getting set up for visitors when  we arrived. We stayed in the 
basement of the village leader's house and bathed  in the river nearby. They 
had a nice set of "nature trails" and  naturalist/guides. The beauty of the 
place is that the villagers have set up the  refuge to allow certain kinds of 
farming, grazing and forest product harvesting  while at the same time assuring 
the safety and continued presence of various  nectar feeding birds and howler 
monkeys.  It was a grand experiment when we  were there.  I'm glad its still in 
existence.  If we were going to  Belize again, we would also certainly 
include the jaguar refuge in the  South.  You sleep in a caged-in bungalow and 
listen to the big cats  snarling outside at night.
    Ralph & Cricket

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