Like Brasilia (in Brazil), Belmopan is a purpose-built capital city. A hurricane in the sixties destroyed much of Belize City so the admin buildings were moved inland. It is basically a big ring road.
My reason for being here was to do some research and prepare for my trip down to Caracol. There was a chance I would be needed to write something for the Daily Telegraph so went along to the Institute of Archaeology to interview some of the people workng there, ahead of the end of the 13th baktun.
As the pictures show, the Mayans certainly trumped them in terms of architecture. My days were spent contacting England on their time, getting on with writing in the afternoon, and then down time in the evening. After the hectic previous week in and around PG, it was a welcome break.
By the 19th, I was ready to check out of the hotel, and went off to San Ignacio, the base town before Caracol. Here I had to get a bus out of town to retrieve a Guatemalan SIM card ahead of the following day. Got back to the Main Street and chatted to various groups of people about their expectations, to “get colour” for my article.
In the morning I got up, sent off my piece, and took the walk to Cahal Pech, to be transported down to what could’ve been my final destination before the end of the world…
