LAND ROVER CANOE....

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Live and learn - my first time in Belize I was headed south on the Southern Hwy near Medina Bank. I'd stopped for gas earlier in the morning and waited out an hour long shower that came out of sunny skies. It was more like being under a gentle faucet then a pounding rain but it soaked everything.

I joked around with two local off-duty army under the stations shade and ended up giving them a ride south to see their girlfriends. We sat three across on Eeore's bench seat in humidity that came through the doors and vents as steam.

On the road south there had been obvious flooding with washouts and lazy rivers cutting the road around 2 1/2 feet deep. We reached a point where the road was submerged for roughly 400 feet but it wasn't flowing fast and I decided to drive forward slowly and back out if the depth increased.

We made the half way point when the flow rate of the water increased. I heard it first, coming out of the jungle to our left. Then I felt it in the steering. The flow was hitting me broadside on the drivers side. I turned into it and increased throttle but found to much of an angle into the flow would cause the back to get loose on the muddy surface of the road below. I fought to keep the Rover straight but the current won and pushed the back end off the unseen crown of the road. I managed to get my door open and followed by my passengers - who apparently found the situation very funny - climbed out. The guy on the far right side was a little more frantic to get out. I saw him pushing on his door but he couldn't beat the force of the water. He was laughing just the same.

The army left on foot and I watched Eeore for roughly an hour -fearing the current would push it over and it would be gone. The waters slowed and the levels dropped. A logging truck eventually came, sent by my new friends, and tugged me out and left. It was a lonely couple of hours while I cleaned, drained, pumped, and oiled everything. The mosquito's were terrible but I could hear monkeys in the jungle trees and beautiful bird calls. I caught most of the old water logged oil in jerry cans I carry for spills and repairs - spilled a little which I wasn't happy about. I got the motor running as the sun was setting and by that time I could see the road where I'd got it wrong - two or three hours patience would have made all the difference. Treated myself to a hotel that night. Finished my trip and made it back to San Diego with a bad diaper rash....

Henry

Go Back to the Central America section to see more of the pics from Henry's 1999 trip.....