At the end of our fourth day in Belize we moved from Crooked Tree Lodge in northern Belize to Dangriga, a town in the southern part of the country. We stayed at the Pelican Beach Resort right on the beach at the Caribbean Sea. Our fifth day in Belize started sunny.

Breakfast at the Beach

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We came here in part to enjoy the Caribbean and the Belize Barrier Reef, one of the longest reefs in the world. But our immediate goal was the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. En route there we saw these Mayan woman doing their laundry in the river.

Laundry Day for these Mayan Women

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Coxcomb Basin is a 103,000 acre refuge for all wildlife, but specifically for jaguars. It is the world’s only jaguar preserve.

Watch for Jaguars!

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While we didn’t see any of those big cats, we didn’t have any expectations either. And frankly I was glad that none of them apparently got close enough to see us.

After we got to Cockscomb Basin heavy rain came down for a good part of the day. This came as no surprise since the area gets nearly 200 inches of rain a year.

This juvenile Gray Hawk, lacking a raincoat or umbrella, symbolizes the wet weather we all experienced. This big bird sure looks miserably bedraggled in the rain!

This Juvenile Gray Hawk Doesn't Seem to Be Enjoying the Rain

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We appreciated that we had rain gear. I even made a 20-second movie of our tour companion Sandy Komito apparently enjoying himself under his umbrella. I posted the movie on YouTube which you can watch below.

Once when the rain came down especially hard as we hiked the Wari Loop Lagoon Trail along South Stann Creek we just sat and waited. I took the opportunity to meditate as I sat away from my companions with nothing in view except unspoiled nature.

But before we left Coxcomb Basin the weather favored us again as the rain halted and the sun reappeared.

A Morning Glory Flower after the Rain

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A Social Flycatcher Sits in the Sun

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We knew that we were traveling in Belize during the end of the rainy season. The entire country was lush and green, and a few hours of heavy rain didn’t put a damper on our exuberant spirits.