King Vulture Falls: We got Super Lucky today!!!

We got really, super lucky today!

First of all, birdwatching for the avid or amateur birdwatcher is a must here. Or rather, you almost can't help it.
Secondly, we got to see two of the most rare species of birds today!... the Orange Breast Falcon and the King Vulture.

King Vultures for sure are extremely rare in Belize.. and the area we happen to be in, the Cayo region, is likely one of the BEST places in the WORLD to see them... AND WE DID!!! A pair happened to do a 'fly over' our trail as we approached King Vulture Falls. Obviously, the Falls are named after them... we happen to be in the perfect place to spot them, if one is so lucky. They roost near these falls.

We also got to see a pair of Orange Breast Falcons. Thank God we had Camille with us to recognize their calls in the sky, otherwise we would have never known how lucky we were to see them in flight. Camille Meyers is one of the 4-person crew here re-introducing the falcons to this area... hoping for them to disburse in this area and into Guatemala... possibly into Mexico! As nature is perfect, I'm sure they'll find the most suitable habitats and we'll just leave it up to them.

The Orange Breast Falcons we saw were rather playful in nature. Camille thought they may have been some of the fledglings from this year, judging by their calls. I saw them bump into each other.. .kind of like playing 'tag'. Camille says they were likely 'practicing' their coordination because the male and female will exchange food in the air from talons to talons. This is how the male will bring food to the female who is incubating eggs.

The OBFs are rather small in nature compared to the vultures flying about. We mainly saw black vultures and turkey vultures flying about and then out of no where, Camille says: "Oh wow! Here comes some King Vultures!"... and they were cruising on a current coming toward us... almost seemed like they were a plan coming in for a landing. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera out.. so while they were really low to us, I didn't snap up any shots.

They dipped into the deep lush gorge of the falls and we thought that was going to be it for us. Then as we made our way home, they took flight high above. I was able to snap a few photos (the one with the white background is mine)... but they are so high in the sky, you can't see their true beauty. I've included another 'stock' image for your convenience. They are incredibly beautiful. Guess I didn't know I had a bit of birdwatching blood in me. Tee hee.

Last Day to Play... ALL Day!

Om Shanti~ A hike to Tiger Falls leads you to the Om Shanti yoga studio.. one of two uncovered platforms.

Took the mountain bike then hiked into Om Shanti to dance (Natarajasana) in the middle of the jungle. Actually no one was here, so I did a totally nude practice cuz it's so humid, I didn't want my clothes to be soaked. Most of the groups have left the property, so there is no yoga scheduled for me to teach today. YIPPEE!! We get to enjoy this last day here and discover a few other places. The plan is to head to King Vulture lookout and hope to get lucky and see a pair of recently released Orange Breast Falcons (OFB). We have an open invitation to go to the hack site where they are now nursing some baby falcons for release in the next 6-8 weeks. Did you see these cute birds? Unfortunately, we can't make it to the OFB project's base camp because the rain has made the roads so treacherous, only ATV's can make it up there and we have no transportation. :(

I'll have to wait to see Tikal. The 'almost' trip to Guatemala is not happening. We had hoped to tag along with a couple who plans to go see the ruins, but they've decided to journey there on Monday. Which only means, I have to come back! :)

One of the most memorable experiences is waking each morning to an orchestra of birdsong. The birds are so abundant here and they are so lively in the morning, it's not only a sight to see this property with so many varieties fluttering and perching about, but to hear the meliflous tones.

I've often stayed in bed upon waking and done my morning meditation laying there, as opposed to getting up and sitting. Today, however, I got up extra early, did my practice to candlelight and meditated to their song.

It will be a day of sunshine here after two overcast days and rain off and on.

Grab your Lover or find one and get over here.

Grab your Lover or find one quick. Come here.



This is such a luscious playground and the pools that are on this property or surrounding it are just divine.

Started the morning with a silent yoga practice and meditation... then a second meditation... then headed toward the waterfalls. Kicked off the shoes and hiked on the damp, soft ground into Butterfly Falls. Feet were muddy, felt the Earth deeply and then jumped into the pools. You need to visit these spots with your sweetheart for sure. Carole and I spent the afternoon in a very Yin space in the middle of luscious green, sounds of waterfalls, or rolling water, birds in abundance singing... luscious flowers blooming all over and in between. Yoga tonight at 5:45. And if the Universe is generous, we may be headed for Tikal at the crack of sunlight tomorrow morning! One long day to Guatemala, but hey, going with the flow is Yoga. :) Cross your fingers!!

Learning about the Orange Breasted Falcon Project!

You have to watch this video of these beautiful birds !!

I'm in Love with these falcons and the whole effort to FREEEEE them...help create their abundance in the wild once again. It's not clear why their numbers have decreased, but it appears these birds are rather isolated in Belize.. from the larger population in the rest of South America... it's too far for them to intermingle.. so.. likely in-breeding is having an effect on the ability for them to re-populate on a healthy/survival level. But deforestation could have possibly had an effect... by diminishing their prey. Since there is suitable habit here in Belize it makes sense to repopulate them.. to fill in the gaps... yay!!!

Me and Carole are sharing time with a beautiful girl, Camille, who (is a super Yogini in class) is part of the Orange Breasted Falcon Project... and we're learning so much!!

Another factoid: the male does all the hunting for the entire family... he does this while the female incubates the eggs.. then once they hatch he has to feed the entire family, plus himself. They are apparently AMAZING very, protective parents too. One mama pecked tirelessly at one of the project workers who was trying to 'band' some of the chicks to track them. Funny.

These are an amazing and RARE species to see. They are so graceful to watch. So far the project is successful.

It's a 21-year effort to effectively propagate rare Orange-breasted Falcons in captivity. They are just now releasing more chicks to the wild (of captive-bred birds) They started the releases in Belize in 2007. These falcons are the foundation for an experimental population that will allow the study of what may be limiting the falcon’s distribution and abundance. Thanks to Yeray Seminario who captured these videos and photos. Do spread the word of their works.

Butterfly Falls and the beautiful Kimberly Moon..

Drop dead gorgeous scenery... and Kim Moon, owner of BellaLuna Yoga-- dancing in it.. This is Butterfly Falls... a dream retreat on the Hidden Valley Inn property... these falls are nestled in 7,200 acres of a private forest reserve-- a true hidden treasure ! The cool thing is.. being a teacher or guest here.. we get access.. no one else can! woot woot! We hike in on a narrow trail for about 30 minutes through the semi-tropical forests of the Mountain Pine Ridge Area... just MAGIC. The water you see cascades down 80 feet . You kinda feel like Tarzan in the jungle. White and Blue Morpho butterflies are plentiful.. hence.. Butterfly Falls.... let the transformation begin.

Zip Line and stuff

After Yoga it's never a dull moment. Took a tour of the Barton Creek Caves... we canoed into the dark abyss of a 10-mile cave loaded with bats, human sacrificial remains--seriously-- we saw a skull that's calcified into the walls. Apparently the Mayans would do their sacred and sacrificial ceremonies at the entry parts of these caves... this cave we were in is a relatively new discovery. Seems lots of new excavation and discovery is going on in this region (Cayo district). It's quite exciting for the locals and a gift to us, as visitors! We went ziplining later. It was my first time and what an amazing adrenaline rush it is. I have decided I need to go skydiving! Finished the day out with a post-excursion Yin yoga class before dinner. I think I needed it more than the group. :)

Yoga is still personal and universal no matter if you're overseas.

Classes are quaint here. The intimacy of the Hidden Valley Inn is very cool. I decided to do pre-adventure Yoga classes early in the morning to help wake up the body for a day of Belize adventures.
And we'll do a post-excursion class before dinner to help wind down from the day and prevent soreness. It's a hot and humid and very active day for most visitors. The daily tours do not leave your body a moment to chill out. Doing yoga in an open air space is lovely, especially when you can hear rushing water beneath your feet. The outdoor studio is just above a river and a waterfall in the short distance is a nice reminder of how to let go and fall deep into what IS.

My Yoga studio off the Yok'ol Chen trail (Belize)

Class at 7:30 am to the sounds of a waterfall and a river running underneath the hardwoods.
a 5 min jaunt from the homestead property and we're opening up to the day with song and asana underneath a thatch roof studio. More later, but here's a sneak peak. Aum.

Caracol - Mayan Ruins... currently an archaelogical site

Came to teach Yoga twice a day in Belize (Hidden Valley Inn resort).... but am getting so much more!
Visited the Caracol (Mayan) ruins today...it is still officially an archaeological site, as they are still unearthing ruins. Very exciting. We got to see the latest stuff that's been discovered.

We hit some waterfalls and pools on the
way home, and I ran on the red carpet.... this rich terra cotta road leading to my hOMe.

Learned about Horse Balls (see pic: the things that look like balls hanging from a tree)... apparently, this fruit is bitter, but the howling monkeys love them.
Hiked into a tunnel cave... and didn't fall into the sinkhole and rushing water below.
Peed in the 'rustic' bathrooms... err.... outhouses. :)
Got a massage... a hydro massage thanks to some waterfalls that splash onto and course through these massive granite boulders.. very cool. Never seen granite on this scale before... so shiny and buffed out from the water/erosion.
Did some yoga on steps of the tallest temple (in Belize) structure at Caracol... 140 feet high.. it took them 300 years to build. Crazy. But hey.. the taller the temple, the closer they are/you are to God. They must have had God on their side, cuz with only a very small contingent they beat the massive army of Tikal at one time.

Have a little cottage that I share with Carol, my amazing and trusty yogini-mama-personal assistant extraordinaire... and just outside our sacred home is a little hummingbird buzzing in the morning. Took a tiny swim to wake up at the pool...like TINY swim... 5 back strokes is the maximum. Woo hoo!

OH.. and learned about Oropendolas ((see the pic in 'More Pictures' click on the "untitled page". I can't seem to title it)).
Oropendolas are these really cool birds. Thet have it down right.. the males will make these nests that hang from the trees.. they look like hanging water balloons.
And the females will come and swing on them, like a pendulum... and if SHE thinks that the nest (aka home) is strong enough and she likes it... she will mate with that male who built it. If she doesn't like the nest, she breaks it and it falls to the ground.

Ha! Even birds know how to pick a man! :)