(Sorry I won’t have any internet from here on out for a while) Today was quite a road trip. Not only were we riding in a van for like 5 hours, but it was also an extremely bouncy bumpy ride. However, it was also quite a ride in terms of what we got to see. We passed through the unique pine ridge ecosystem that is formed from an enormous geological feature that is a granite dome. We then descended into the Chiquible forest which felt much more rainforesty with dense plant cover with tall trees that had a visible canopy and vines, epiphytes, ferns, etc covering everything underneath. 

Before we went to las cuevas research station where we would be staying, we stoped for an amazing tour at the Caracol mayan ruins. This was truly an insane experience. We got to climb a pyramidal temple that is the tallest building in Belize and had amazing views, view an astronomical sight that could be used to track time via where the sun was rising in the sky, and more!

On our drive through the forest we also got to see some amazing wildlife including a tiny crocodile siting on a rock, a turtle scurrying across the road, and Scarlet Macaws passing our van overhead. 

I also found my first cockroach! I believe it was a Periplaneta australasia based on the body shape and the slight white markings on the head covering (pronotum) It was fluttering around the ceiling of one of the las cuevas research station bedrooms, and also causing the bedrooms inhabitants much distress!