B2B - Belize to Bern (with a stop in San Jose)

Boy! It's been a long time since I've posted to this blog.

Blame it on the 2 weeks, over Christmas last year and New Year, in Belize (Central America) and a week long trip to Bern in Switzerland 2 weeks ago.

BELIZE
What a beautiful place this is. My second trip there in the last 3 years and it's still enchanting. Hearing howler monkeys in the middle of our last night in the jungle was definitely the highlight of this trip.

The temperature never dropped below 70 degrees F and running there was just superb.

We (26 adults and kids) spent the first 4 days in the jungle, in Ian Anderson's caves Branch Lodge (http://www.cavesbranch.com). A little insect repellant and out the door I went on my early morning runs, alone or with friends. The roads were empty of people and vehicles and the sun's rays peeking through the lush trees lining the roads presaged a day full of new adventures.


(Early morning run with Arul, the picture taker, and Anu)

The last 5 days were spent in Ambergris Caye, famous for it second longest Barrier Reef in the world.

The runs here were along a narrow trail hugging the water. My longest run here was an 8 mile run, the last 2.5 miles of which were run with a plastic bag of groceries in hand.

BERN
My trip to a customer in Bern was rather sudden but not so much that I did not have time to pick up warm clothing.

I ran 5 days in a row there, with the longest run at 11 pm on Thursday, Feb 1. It was moderately hilly near my hotel and I enjoyed the steep climbs in the 30-32 degrees F weather.

Having visited Bern in Sep 2005, I was familiar with the roads and pretty much had my pick of routes I wanted to run on a particular day. Most of the runs were done wearing 3 layers on my torso, 2 gloves (one inside the other), a skullcap and running tights.

Started the month running in 70-75 deg F weather and ended it in 30-32 deg F.

What a difference!