About 4 miles off of Southern Highway, down a dirt road is a village called Red bank. It has recently become a tourist destination when it was discovered that the Scarlet Macaws flock there to eat the sweet fruit of the Annato and pole wood trees. The best time to see the birds is January thru March.
We decided to drive out last Sunday afternoon for a picnic and swim along the river. The road was in good condition as it has been dry lately. The turn onto the two track narrow jungle path is not marked. Fortunately we had friends with us who knew the way.
After winding down the overgrown path for maybe a mile, we came to a “Y”. We took the left leg and found ourselves sitting above the rock laden river below.
Boulders better describe the landscape. We unloaded all of our supplies , chairs, and food, and walked to the edge of a tree shaded spot to set up.
The spot was a good mix of rocks, sand, shade and access to the river. The kids played and the men got the fire started so we could grill the hot dogs.
After eating grilled onions, and hot dogs over the open fire, some of us chose to swim while others opted for a relaxing nap in the shade. Angela and I opted for the nap.
While it was unfortunate we did not see the Macaws, we did enjoy other birds and wildlife, along with the soothing sounds of the flowing water around the rocks, forming rapids.
You just can’t really have a bad day traveling around Belize, enjoying all of its natural beauty.
