Cave tubing - is cave dark and long-what to do with passports and such?

[Colorado Kat]

I'll be in Belize the first week of June. Is that dry season? Will we have enough water to float well?

 

Thanks...

[driftwood]

Yes, probably and yes, probably!

Insight Guide Belize, rpt. 2006, p. 306: "There are two seasons: the rainy season is from June to January, with a brief dry period in August; the dry season is from February to May. It should be stressed that this is a flexible division, and torrential tropical downpours can occur at any time of the year."

[patches12]

I am still concerned about snakes. Then someone had to mention a jaguar! It would be my luck! My husband hates to ride on a plane with me. I have such bad luck. OK....I am now ready to go tubing. The "butts up" comment made me laugh so hard that now I am ready to go! A little humor goes a long way with me. I am deathly afraid of snakes though. Thanks to all who helped me decide to go. I do have questions though. 1. Do you book with Major Tom in advance or when you get there? 2. Does he wait for all to get there? Do we have to wait for late-comers? 3. Bikini, 2-piece, or one-piece swim suit? 4. What kind of heat are we talking about in late May or early June? Water temperature too?

Thanks!

[driftwood]

First we have those who are afraid of drowning in an environment where that option is simply not available for those over three years of age (who unfortunately are clever enough to drown themselves in bathtubs, which are somewhat analogous to tubes), and now you are worried about creatures whose existence borders on that of dragons! :D --if you see a snake, you probably need an aspirin at least. Here are two facts which may be of some use to you: 1). Snakes are not like puppies, and will not follow you around, jump on you, or even attempt to sniff you; in that sense thay are much to be preferred to puppies; 2). snakes are essentially lazy most of the time, somewhat like jaguars and housecats, and they conserve their energy in order to be able to have enough energy left to find dinner for themselves. It follows that even the most aquatic of them do not interest themselves in doing the American Crawl in fairly rapidly-moving water--as you will find in the Caves Branch River--but confine themselves AT THEIR MOST ENERGETIC AND AQUATIC to a leisurely Breaststroke across ponds and lakes and lazy rivers such as the New, searching for a likely frog or fish to their dinner--and after dining, as many of us and our cats, they will curl up for a nice nap in preparation for a good night's sleep. Snakes are so pleased with their lives that you cannot pay them enough to come out and scare you--they leave that to unscrupulous tour guides unrelated to Major Tom's operation seeking tips on the way back to the cruise ship. :cool:

 

Take courage from the fact that, although Cruise Critic is twice as old as time, no one to my knowledge has ever written in to say that any proud native Belizean snake has ever so much as made an indecent proposal to them, much less frightened them (or asked them for a tip). If such a thing were EVER to occur, it would be at the top of the Belize forum and would still be drawing more readers than Nurse Laura S.'s Original Threats to Posters--and you may see (on the right-hand column there) how many have read those! :eek:

 

I also believe it is true that even Major Tom has never gone cave-tubing and returned from the river with a snake, and he has been going day after day since at least 1993 and has no fear of 'em anyway. As to the jaguars, they are deep in the rainforest and few tour guides yet living could get you deep enough into the jungle to see one in the wild, as they, like snakes, DO NOT WANT THEIR NAPS DISTURBED. And few things make more noise than tourists. The most exotic creatures we saw in two weeks in the wild were a couple of parrots--and they disappeared into the jungle canopy before we could believe our eyes, much less grab our cameras. There is a nice jaguar in the Belize Zoo if you really want to try to see one, but most of the time even there you will be staring in vain high into the rainforest canopy, scanning along the branches to see a loose paw or tail--before even that disappears. :rolleyes:

 

It is best to book with Major Tom in advance, as then he will have your name on his list and will greet you with his beautiful smile on your arrival; and of course it helps him to know whether he needs to bring a van or six tour buses to accommodate your party. You may pay him on arrival if you do not wish to pay online, but his refunds are sure in the event that you are unable to arrive for any reason. Usually he will fill up a van as his guests arrive, and if others are delayed the first van will start off and the second will come after. He now has someone waiting on the Cruiseship Terminal dock full time so that NO ONE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND. As I have mentioned before, there are a million and one cellphones in Belize, so communication is instant from border to border. Of course if he does not expect you, he will not know to wait for you, so that is another advantage of booking ahead: but you do what makes cave tubing most comfortable for you--he is a very caring person, and he will take care of YOU!

 

You will be the most popular girl in the world if you go cave-tubing in a bikini, as that is what bikinis are for; I have personally admired a young woman from I think a Carnival cruise ship doing so, so I know it is possible and popular enough. The rest of you can wear what you think you can get away with. It might be possible to go as a naturist, but I have not personally been a witness to that so I don't want to give you the wrong idea. Still, the heat in Belize TWELVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR--from the mid-eighties to the mid-hundreds I suspect--would certainly make naturism practicable if not preferable. DO use sun block, however--it is possible to get a sunburn on any exposed portion of one's anatomy. Cave tubing is basically possible, I think, because the hike is through shady (but not cool) rainforest and the tubing is through shady caverns. The heat is always with you. The water seems cool essentially because you will become hot in Belize (if you bikini doesn't make it hot enough), and not because the water IS cool. When we went in January 2008 the water MIGHT have been as cool as 75ºF., I doubt it was cooler, and I suspect it rarely gets cooler than that at any time of year. Nice water for swimming--if you could swim in an inner tube! :D

 

Go in peace and peace of mind, and have a wonderful time! I know you will!

[cruzn4abruzn]

That was FANTASTIC driftwood. I am copying and pasting it to an email for my husband to read. There just couldn't possibly be any other question from anybody after that!:)

[cruzn4abruzn]

Thought this would be of some interest to you guys. I was hysterically laughing at this in conjunction with this thread. Read on and you will see why............;)

 

TWENTY ONE GREAT (some funny, we hope) CAVE TUBING TIPS FOR OUR GUESTS : By Major Tom *********

 

note: If you decide to die laughing at the ideas below, please wait until you have come to Belize and taken our fantastic tour. If you do NOT think the ideas below are the least bit funny, so I am not a comedian, otherwise I would be in politics and gouging you out of all your money and natural resources.

 

Come to Belize….Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret – courtesy of Major Tom and the Fun Team in Belize !

 

 

1.Bring along a complete change of clothes, towel and footwear. You’ll wet the first set, for goodness sakes. You are in a river. You know – WATER!!

 

2.Bring along water shoes or secure sandals and a waterproof camera with flash.

 

3.You can cave tube with bath suits, or shorts/shirt/blouse, and a hat if you wish, but please wear something – the police frown on nude persons. Or just ogle mostly.

 

4.If you must wear prescription glasses or sunshades, ensure they are secured on your head. We sell you small pieces of string for $7,200 US dollars. Besides all the fish in the river are tired of wearing glasses and sunshades. Makes them look silly.

 

5.If you take professional camera equipment, bring along a "dry bag". Please don’t burst into tears if you drop your camera into the river. We’ll dive it up later and keep it. Chinese auction anyone?? Make sure it’s new and has fresh batteries.

 

6.Bring fly repellant and sun block - not always needed, but best to have. If you have golden brown skin like me, and are handsome as well, (I am Maya Yucatec), you won’t need anything. Well, almost – I ALWAYS need something. Greedy.

 

7.No need for snorkeling equipment, although some guests like taking a snorkeling mask just to have fun with at the cave's entrance and downriver in the open. Nice, but small, fish life and beautiful bottom scenery. No fishing, please. And NO, we DO NOT HAVE the Loch Ness monster – the Russians took it !! Probably ate it.

 

8.For small children, some guests like to bring along their own personal, form fitting life vests - these are welcome, but we do also have as well. Or just blow up a nice large balloon and hand it to them – the little darlings will float beautifully with those, until they pop. No giggling, please. Some of those kids punch hard. Or Mom or Dad will knock your lights out. Lots of nice, handy, large river granite rocks.

 

9.Video cameras (with flash) - yes, but use a dry bag. Didn’t I say that up top?

 

10.If you cannot swim, indicate this - we ensure we have extra safety staff. We take and continue to take, swimmers as well as non-swimmers. Swallowing water is strictly forbidden. Does not taste good anyway. Swallowing Belize’s top beer, Belikin Beer – now that works. Or Lighthouse Lager, or Brown Stout. Or Cashew Wine !!!

 

11.Handicapped, but can walk, please indicate, and we will apply extra staff. We are delighted to take our valued handicapped guests and apply all factors to ensure their happiness and total safety. Many handicapped guests have taken our tours.

 

12.If you have your personal lighting gear, you can bring it along, but we do have as well. If you bring one, we’ll buy it off you!!! Pay you in US cash or Russian rubles!!! Or a promissory note. Written on tree bark from our poisonwood tree.

 

13.All that is not taken on the actual rainforest trail and cave float is left locked and secured in the van, with guards. There are security wardens and police at the park.

 

14.Jewelry and cash can be left with security staff, and fully accounted for. Our advice - leave jewelry on the ship, where it is usually properly secured. Our lunatic guards carry 105 mm Howitzer anti tank cannons – they will fire at anyone who walks within 60 feet of the locked vehicles. Kidding? They shoot at birds if they fly too close. Now that’s guarding taken seriously. Losses so far – NIL. Hah!!!

 

15.Referrals - guests often bring others with them from onboard - we accept those last minute additions, as we have extra staff and vehicles – COME ON DOWN !!!

 

16.At tour's end, when we take you back to the dock in good time to shop and then take your tender back on board, ensure you have all your belongings with you.

 

17.The park has a large bathroom system complete with washbasins, showers, and changing rooms. Bring your own soap, please. Don’t use the park astringents!!!!! They’ll take off your skin and make you look like a peeled Belizean banana.

 

18.Vans have first aid kits for your comfort. Including toothpicks if you forgot to brush your teeth that morning. If that’s the case, try not to smile widely.

 

19.Any special questions you may have, please do not hesitate to email us at info@**************** No extra charge!!! We’ll just introduce you to a special rainforest tree that moves when you go near it. Lots of fun.

 

20. The cave tubing park has several gift shops with a wide variety of handicraft items, at good competitive prices - and they will gladly bargain!! You won’t win, but it is lots of fun arguing!!! In fact you’ll probably take a thrashing.

 

21.Lunch can be purchased at a roadside restaurant. “Cedar Cabins”, "Amigos" and "Cheers" all provide excellent Belizean cuisine, especially the famous “rice and beans and stewed chicken” – drool, drool, slurp. Cole slaw. Habanero pepper (yoicks!!). Cold beers, soft drinks, juices. Watch that Habanero Pepper – makes long hairs grow suddenly out of your nose!! Or causes severe snorting, red faces, sweat pouring down on to your table, into your food and the food of the guy next to you. Woh Ho Ho, NELLIE !!!

[driftwood]

Thank you for your kind endorsement--we don't really want to answer ALL questions all at once--no one has asked about the Belize fire ants yet, for example--or Cruise Critic might have to shut down and just publish a book! And then we would have to give them our money--which is something I would prefer not to do. :rolleyes:

 

But I suppose that those of you who enjoyed Major Tom's little essay--and he has hundreds of 'em, he is even a card in person--can understand why I feel that he is after all my (much more handsome and taller) brother, and why I am always happy to recommend him. Would there were a thousand of him, or ten thousand, to accommodate all visitors to Belize! But I found Belizeans in general to be very good, honest, hard-working people: and if they had any food to eat in reality, I would probably move in among them permanently, with my wife and BOTH cats! Rice'n'beans'n'chicken IS an excellent dish--but it is pretty much the ONLY dish! If over the years, as I have, you have become addicted variously to Thai cuisine and Lebanese cuisine, for example, you may grow a little impatient with the permanent diet of rice'n'beans'n'chicken . . . . :D:eek: No, lobster is NOT available all year long, and you might be surprised at how quickly you can tire of that, or even the excellent Red Snapper they provide for tourists . . . .

 

AND AGAIN I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT YOU DO NOT PURCHASE FOOD FROM STREET VENDORS IN BELIZE CITY! It looks good, it smells good, it is quite reasonable in price--especially the tacos--but it can lay you up for two or more weeks, as DW unfortunately proved. If you are as bold as DW (for it is true that not everyone falls down dead immediately) however, if you find your stomach or your other innards are disagreeing with you, GO AT ONCE TO YOUR SHIP'S DOCTOR; HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE; AND HE CAN AMELIORATE YOUR CONDITION in some degree. What you probably have purchased and consumed is a Campylobacter sp. infection. Do NOT wait to see if it gets better--it only gets worse! Food in restaurants is safe all across Belize in our experience, as there are facilities for handwashing and sufficient space for preparation--and isolation--of food.

[uCruiser]

You need the passport to reenter the U.S., which is why it is with you at all.

 

It's much more than that.

 

From wikipedia:

A passport is a document issued by a national government, to identify the bearer as a citizen of the issuing country.

National Passports (as opposed to aliens' passports) are connected with the right to some protection by the national government and with the right to enter the country, of which one is a citizen.

The right to protection does, however, not arise from the passport, nor does the right to enter. Each right arises from citizenship. A national passport proves the citizenship of the bearer, and, consequently, his right to protection and his right to enter.

 

Being in a foreign country without a passport is like driving your car without bringing your drivers license. You most likely will be fine without it, but you can get into unfortunate situations where you would wish you had brought it.

 

Personally I would never go to a foreign country without bringing it with me.

[driftwood]

There was a time when I thought the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights would provide some protections to United States citizens, too, but the past seven years has disabused me of that fantasy. Is your dollar worth the paper it is printed on? Do you suppose a passport will prevent your bus from rolling over a cliff, or stop a bullet, or a Campylobacter infection? "Too soon old, too late smart."

 

I have spent my life essentially dealing with dictionaries and encyclopedias, don't try waving them at me--or flags either. You are living in a dream world now, where you may well be much better off without a passport of any kind. Americans are no longer dipped in gold and current around the world. "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little land," to paraphrase Shakespeare.

 

Got life? Celebrate it until you don't. Try to let go of some of the tickytacky, if only for a few hours--how daring of you to leave it behind you on the ship! IMHO. Different jokes for different folks.

[uCruiser]

There was a time when I thought the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights would provide some protections to United States citizens, too, but the past seven years has disabused me of that fantasy. Is your dollar worth the paper it is printed on? Do you suppose a passport will prevent your bus from rolling over a cliff, or stop a bullet, or a Campylobacter infection? "Too soon old, too late smart."

 

I have spent my life essentially dealing with dictionaries and encyclopedias, don't try waving them at me--or flags either. You are living in a dream world now, where you may well be much better off without a passport of any kind. Americans are no longer dipped in gold and current around the world. "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little land," to paraphrase Shakespeare.

 

Got life? Celebrate it until you don't. Try to let go of some of the tickytacky, if only for a few hours--how daring of you to leave it behind you on the ship! IMHO. Different jokes for different folks.

 

What's all that talk about Americans. Did I say anything about Americans?

[driftwood]

. . . every passport I have ever seen was made of paper and could be lost, burned, shredded, seized or stolen. If I am going to run all the risks in person, why not keep my passport warm and dry in a safe onboard? If it is needed, it can be sent for, and it can be easily located. I do carry a copy around for the amusement of the idle and curious. It is pretty good prima facie evidence that I'm the same goon I ever was. :D

[Travel Angel]

I always urge our clients to make a color copy of their passport and carry it with them when they get off the ship in any port of call. Simply because it will be the starting point of evidence of your citizenship that can be verified if necessary by local authorities. Personally I would not take the actual passport off the ship for various reasons.

 

Happy Mothers Day to all !

[uCruiser]

I'm curious about the reasons for not bringing the passport.

 

If it's because you are afraid of losing it, well you'll have to apply for a new one when you get back. No big deal. You will still be brought back to US with your cruise line and probably get very little problems in immigration since they can see you are coming from the cruise ship and there is documentation available for you leaving with them as well.

 

IF your bad luck is out that day and you are left behind without your passport, for whatever reason that may be, then you're facing problems that you wouldn't if you had brought it.

Airlines are fined by the US immigration if they are bringing passengers without proper documentation. Have fun crossing the US border from Mexico if you decide not to fly. I can only imagine how your situation would be if you had to cross the border between two foreign countries. I have seen in several countries how carefully a valid passport can be investigated. Good luck showing them a photo copy :D

 

As I mentioned before, it most likely won't happen. But the passport will make your life a lot easier if it really does happen.

[dwp1975]

me and my wife went cavetubing in July 2006 using the cruiseline booked excursion. My wife both non-swimmers took this excursion after major flooding in that area so the water was much more deeper and aggresive. My wife had a blast and went thru without incident, I however was not so lucky. I made it to about 100 feet of the end of the cave and was taken to the wall of the cave by the force of the current and was knocked off my tube. As I struggled to get above water I got wedged by the wall and my tube and could not surface. Luckily two other tubers swam in and helped me. I personally would not recommend this excursion for non-swimmers.

[driftwood]

. . . but in fact (if you are a United States citizen) your tax dollars are paying for a real live American Embassy in Belmopan, the national capital of Belize. So you really won't be lost in the Heart of Darkness ("The Horror! The Horror!")--all you would have to do is explain why you were enthusiastic enough to carry your passport into a country where NO ONE will ever ask you for it, and what you believe happened to it while in your personal possession; then friendly Embassy employees will help you use your money or credit to repatriate yourself in a timely manner! :D

 

Now unless, as with the hapless dwp, you arrive on a day when torrential downpours have made the cheerful waters of the Caves Branch River certain death for swimmers as well as for non-swimmers (for believe me there is no "magic" ability to swim, and the overconfident are the first to drown themselves), I would recommend cave tubing for anyone capable of sitting down in an easy chair (after a half hour hike). Major Tom, for example, requires all of his guests to wear a life vest, which he provides--in ALL SIZES, just like the tubes themselves. If you book with a RESPONSIBLE tour provider (97% of those providing cave tubing tours), you will be given an instant refund of all your money in the UNLIKELY event that conditions are not suitable for entering the waters or the caves. If that were to happen, as you are very near to the Belize Zoo, you might then ask your tour operator to take you there before returning to your ship. And you would still have time for a delicious lunch at Amigo's, which is something of an experience in itself! ;)

[uCruiser]

. . . but in fact (if you are a United States citizen) your tax dollars are paying for a real live American Embassy in Belmopan, the national capital of Belize. So you really won't be lost in the Heart of Darkness ("The Horror! The Horror!")--all you would have to do is explain why you were enthusiastic enough to carry your passport into a country where NO ONE will ever ask you for it, and what you believe happened to it while in your personal possession; then friendly Embassy employees will help you use your money or credit to repatriate yourself in a timely manner! :D

 

:rolleyes: that's all pure nonsense... I don't think you even read my last post.

[driftwood]

Guess we just can't keep up with your breathtaking research. Idle speculation IS such a waste of time, isn't it? :D Or perhaps--for reasons imaginable only by myself--I DIDN'T read your last post! Tsk, tsk! :rolleyes:

[Travel Angel]

:rolleyes: that's all pure nonsense... I don't think you even read my last post.

 

Now Now boys... Play nice and make the boards more enjoyable and not full of differences in opinions ! We don't want the board moderators scolding you and removing posts ! :D

[uCruiser]

ok, I'll be good and stop here :)

 

I booked with major tom yesterday for my family's cave tubing next month and hope he'll get back to me soon.

 

ok, I might not stop the passport talk here anyway :D Someone please give me a reason to not bring your passport? I simply don't get it... :confused:

[Travel Angel]

ok, I'll be good and stop here :)

 

I booked with major tom yesterday for my family's cave tubing next month and hope he'll get back to me soon.

 

ok, I might not stop the passport talk here anyway :D Someone please give me a reason to not bring your passport? I simply don't get it... :confused:

 

Major Tom has a great reputation for getting back to his guests...let me know if you do not hear from him as I am in touch with him quite a bit. He says the weather is WONDERFUL... Hot and Humid right now :D

 

If you feel the need to bring your passport PLEASE DO... it is really a personal issue that only you can decide whether or not to have it in your possession when off the ship.

[driftwood]

it simply doesn't matter; you must follow your heart. :D

 

Photo copies of one's passport contain the only information anyone official cares about at any time, to-wit, your photograph, your name, your nationality, the expiration date, and your passport number. As by law in Belize cruiseship passenger day visitors are exempt from having ANY visa for Belize in their passport--which is NOT true of those arriving by land, air, or other seacraft, for many nationalities--it is a good idea to have the ID given you by your cruiseline with you--especially if you wish to reboard your ship before it sails from Belize. Every one I have had issued to me is in the form of a plastic waterproof card the size of a credit card.

 

If one just likes hauling extra stuff around, he can take for example a tripod for his camera, and she can carry--and perhaps lose--as much valuable jewelry as she wishes. It WILL make her popular with Belizeans. Backpacks and wheelbarrows may prove useful for those who really want to make an impression. ;)

[CruiseQueen13]

We did the cave tubing with Yhonny (Cave-tubing.com) and had a ball. There is no swimming - water shallow for the most part and you are in a tube linked with others. It was a lot of fun and the bus ride was enjoyable too. have fun!