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In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle: Adventures Abound at Caves Branch Lodge By Sharon Miller September 2004 If you are looking for an adventure, unlike any you have ever experienced, Caves Branch, Belize is the way to go. Caves Branch, owned by the locally famous Ian Anderson, is a “resort” nestled deep in the jungles of central Belize, and it is not for the weak of heart. Offering a wide variety of adventure Caves Branch is located about a two and one-half hour drive from Belize City, and can be reached by a long, gravel road strewn with large, mud filled potholes. It makes for a bumpy ride. Nevertheless, as you turn off the Hummingbird Highway and you pass the small sign declaring you have entered Caves Branch estate, you can feel the excitement in the air. My family and I arrived in the early evening, and luckily had a few hours to acquaint ourselves with the resort before dark, something I would recommend to anyone who visits. After unloading our bags from the van, we met Ignacio, a kind of concierge, if you will for the lodge. He was the guy you spoke to if you needed anything, including beer or wine (which is put on a tab for you to pay at the end of your stay). After showing us around the communal area, Ignacio showed us to our rooms, explaining on the way to always check our beds for snakes, spiders and scorpions. There are a few choices when it comes to accommodations, ranging from $128/night for the nicest suites, to $15/night for shared accommodation. For our adventure, we choose the Jungle Bungalows, which were two large rooms, with five beds (one double, one single and one set of bunk beds) per room. Lacking in electric lights, they did have several kerosene lamps, a ceiling fan, and a bathroom with hot and cold running water. It was wonderful not having to leave the room in the middle of the night to use the restroom, which in my opinion, would have been terrifying. The bungalows were nestled deep in the jungle, accessible by gravel paths lighted by kerosene tiki torches. Once everyone had settled into their rooms, and killed any stray spiders they found, we headed back to the community area for dinner. Every night, at 6 p.m., dinner was served for all of the guests staying at the resort. The meals were magnificent and usually offered enough choices that everyone, no matter their tastes, was satisfied. It is during this time, that the guests have a chance to mingle and meet all of the Caves Branch staff. They seem to make it their prerogative to meet everyone and learn their names, which results in a very friendly atmosphere. This is also the guests’ chance to discuss the next day’s adventure with the guides, and other guests who had already participated. Listen closely and heed their advice. For our group, after much discussion concerning my being five months pregnant, we decided on the “Black Hole Drop.” The next day, we all staggered to breakfast, which was served everyday at 8 am, wearing the specified gear for our particular trip. For the “Black Hole Drop” the required attire consisted of a long sleeved shirt, long pants, hiking shoes/boots and a day pack for carrying water. The employees at Caves Branch are strict about water consumption, whether or not you are participating in a rigorous activity, and water is always readily available, for free. Like dinner, breakfast was a smorgasbord of high-energy foods, like eggs, bacon, pancakes and oatmeal and definitely left everyone satisfied. Also, a community affair, this was your last chance to get last-minute tips from all the “old-pros” who had already been on your trip. The “Jungle-Lim The hike itself, though tiring, was amazing. The jungle was lush and green and utterly complete. Once we stepped onto that path, we disappeared and if you got too far behind the group, they were literally lost in the undergrowth. Due to the thickness of the canopy above us, the sun barely filtered through, providing for a surreal landscape. We found out later, after we returned back from the adventure, that it had been raining all day, but the rain barely seeped through the trees. It was truly spectacular. Finally, after we were all thoroughly exhausted and dirty, we arrived at our destination, a 300-foot cliff, looking down into the opening of a huge cave. The awe at the beauty of our That night, after dinner, as we all sat around chatting with the other guests, I could not help but feel a sense of pride and deep satisfaction at completing the “Black Hole Drop,” especially when one of the newcomers turned to an “old-pro” like me, to ask for advice. If You Go Caves Branch Adventure Company & Jungle Lodge Mile 41 1/2 Hummingbird Highway P.O. Box 356 Belmopan, Belize, Central America Jungle Lodge (via Radio Phone): 001.501.822.2800 Fax: 1.888.265.4579 Email: info@cavesbranch.com
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activities that delve into the rainforest and caverns of the area, Caves Branch preys on your fears, builds your confidence and teaches you that if you are willing to try and get a little bit dirty, you can do just about anything.
They did not have any windows, only screens that covered most of the walls, which provided a wonderful and uninhibited connection to the outside. At night, when the inevitable rain showers would come, you could lay quietly in the darkness of your room and truly enjoy all the sounds of the jungle, from the rain splashing off the huge leaves of the banana trees to the distance calls of the howler monkeys.
o,” which was a tractor pulling a huge flatbed trailer behind it, departed promptly at nine. We all held on tight as we bumped along the gravel road to the highway. We traveled about two miles north on the Hummingbird Highway, and then turned off into an orange grove where our group was dropped off. As the “Jungle-Limo” bounced off through the trees, the eight of us and our three guides, Walter, Albert and Mojelio headed into the groves towards our starting point for the hike. We walked along the edge of the groves for about five minutes, before we came to a small opening in the underbrush. Looking down the path, the jungle looked thick and wild, and we all wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. Nevertheless, before we entered, the guides gave us a quick spiel about the dangers we may face on our upcoming journey. They told us of the snakes, monkeys and tapirs (also called mountain or jungle cows) that we might come across. Most importantly, however, they explained the different types of trees and plant life that could do us harm. Among these was the “Give and Take” tree, which was a tall, thin tree that had sharp thorns covering its entire trunk. It was named the “Give and Take” tree due to the fact that if you happened to touch it and get the thorns in your hand, the sap of the tree itself is the only thing that can take away the pain—hence, it “giveth and it taketh away.” There was also the “Razor Palm,” a palm tree with frond stalks so sharp they could slice your hand if you happened to grab them to break a fall. This was very important information to know, because the trail on our one and a half hour hike through the jungle was often steep and very slippery and, as we quickly found out, it is a natural instinct to grab for the nearest tree to break a fall. To try and avoid any major injuries, we employed a method that we had learned as a family on our canyoning trip the year before, in Switzerland, pass all information to the person directly behind you. 
surroundings quickly turned to fear as the realization of what we had gotten ourselves into finally dawned on us. At this point, there was no turning back, it was either abseil down the 300 feet into the “Black Hole,” or be left alone to fend for ourselves against the alleged snakes, monkeys and tapirs. Despite the knots growing in our stomachs, we all chose the “Drop.” After suiting us up in our harnesses and offering a quick explanation of how the rope and pulley system worked, our guides led us back up the path to a wonderful picnic lunch. Mojelio had spread a huge white tablecloth on the ground, and laid out a picnic fit for a king, consisting of lunchmeats, fresh vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, homemade tortillas and juice. We were all feeling extremely anxious, knowing fully of our impending doom, nevertheless, we all made a valiant effort to enjoy the meal we knew we needed. Finally, after finishing lunch, and packing everything into Mojelio’s bag, we were ready for our descent. Walter, my fiancé, not our guide, exhibited the ultimate act of self sacrifice by attempting the feat first. We all sat and watched in terror as he slowly but surely disappeared over the edge. After a minute or two, we heard the first whoops of delight as he experienced the beauty and dream-like quality of the descent. One by one, our whole group went over the edge, and one by one we all had the chance to experience something that is almost impossible to put into words. For the first ten to fifteen feet, you rappelled, or kept your feet against the side of the cliff, but after that, you basically sat on your harness and slowly lowered yourself down, hanging freely, above the canopy at first, then into the trees. If you were able to put your fear of falling 300 feet to your death aside, you could actually stop yourself in mid-descent and enjoy the surreal quality of the scene in front of you, as you floated there, almost weightless. Once they got to the bottom, everyone could barely contain the overwhelming spectrum of emotions that they felt. Some were exhilarated by the experience, some were celebrating that they had made it alive and others were still a bit terrified and shaken from the decent. Everybody, however, was amazed that we had all completed such a daunting task. That, however, was not the end of the journey. Ahead of us, we still had a hike into the cave we had just abseiled into, then an ascent up a very tall and rickety ladder and then the hour and a half hike back through the jungle. By the end of it, we were all extremely dirty and exhausted. Luckily, as we made our way out of the jungle, a truck was waiting patiently to take us back to Caves Branch.