Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Reserve

            As we packed up our belongings (as well as Jordan’s, Alyson’s and Diana’s) and said our goodbyes to Faustino and the gang, the exuberant UVM crew was ready to head to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.  We arrived at Cockscomb just in time for lunch, where our gracious host, Julio, greeted us.  This was the first meal we ate outside of Laguna in four days.  We were served with the traditional Belizean dish of beans and rice, accompanied by chicken and refreshing lime juice.  I think I saw Mel tear up when she realized she wasn’t going to be able to eat her favorite dish of cahune.  With our stomachs stuffed to the brim, we hopped in the bus and traveled down the long and windy road into the jungle.  The group was shown to their accommodations for the night.  After four days of separation, the boys club was once again reunited.  While some unloaded the gear, others marveled at the discovery of flushing toilets.  The relaxation was short lived, as we had a full night of activities ahead of us. 

Shortly after Dr. Isabelle’s presentation on our animal profiles, we inhaled aquick dinner (much to the delight of Elias) and prepared for the night hike.  Headlamps on, pants tucked into socks, raincoats zipped up as far up as they could go, and coated on bug spray, we were ready to hit the trail.  Our guide Julio led us into the jungle in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive jaguar.  As we “silently” trundled through the woods, we came across a fresh jaguar paw print placed perfectly in the mud.  “We just missed him,” said Julio.  Although we did not see any jaguars, we did witness the cat-like reflexes of Elias jumping up after falling down a small hill.  But the hike was not in vain as we also saw a tapir track and a kinkajou. 

The next morning we awoke, only to realize something was missing; the obnoxious crowing of a rooster that had received numerous death threats from people finding themselves wide awake at 4 o’clock in the morning.  Shortly after, we sat down to a much-anticipated breakfast of Raisin Bran and Corn Flakes to gain our strength for the hike up to Ben’s Bluff.  Not much was said as we trudged up the mountain, focusing on nothing but careful foot placement.  When we finally reached the top, we were rewarded with a spectacular view of Mt. Victoria and the majestic landscape of Belize.  It was not the same without our three missing compadres, but we knew they were there in spirit.  After spending ample time at the top, we started back down towards home base (for that night at least).  We made a quick detour so we could stand underneath the supple waterfall and cool off.

--Submitted by Dan Devlin