Week 4 -- January 27

January 27:
Sadly, today was our last day at duPlooy’s. We had a late breakfast, and then Dad and I went down to the beach on the Macal to relax in the sun while Mom returned to the Botanic Garden to explore. We had planned on swimming, but the water had turned cool, so we waded and watched the yellow tailed freshwater sardines nibble at our feet. While on the beach we spotted a white-necked puffbird and saw the Amazon kingfisher again. After packing up and having lunch at the bar, we met our driver (also a bird guide) and headed out for Hopkins. Along the way we reflected on what we would do at duPlooy’s next time: go on a Barton Cave tour and canoe float, visit Tikal for two days, and do another bird tour. We made a little detour to try to find fork-tailed flycatchers but were disappointed. The drive down the Hummingbird Highway was gorgeous—mountainous jungle, the Maya Mtns that include the “Sleeping Giant”. We passed many orange and grapefruit plantations along the way and spied a while hawk sitting on the phone lines. We arrived in Hopkins around 4 and settled into our spacious room with AC, a DVD player and small kitchen area. Hopkins reminded me of Tulum but was not quite as inconspicuous or scenic. The town of Hopkins is spread out over a mile or so, a collection of ramshackle homes, Chinese owned grocery stores, and hole in the wall restaurants. The Parrot Cove Lodge is situated right on the beach, with a view of False Sittee Point to the right. There are four or five small resorts right here—Hamanasi’s to the north and Beaches and Dreams to the south. A bench and small table covered by a palapa are situated at the end of the resort’s dock which juts out into the turquoise water. I’ve never seen a better invitation to relax, savor the moment, and remark on the scenery. Before dinner we indulged in some umbrella drinks and then wandered down to Hamanasi, a resort known for its dive and snorkel trips. We discovered a boat was going out to Glover’s Reef the next morning so signed up for it. Back at Parrot Cove we ate enormous portions of roast chicken and then got to bed early, anticipating that 5:30 am wake up call…