Day Five- Saturday. Wenesday was spent in Tulum. The overpriced Playa del Carmen did not fit the budget; even Tulum was expensive. We stayed in a packpacker hostel that was very dominatly French. It cost 30US a night and was miserable. I lost the rock paper sisors for the bed and slept on the tile floor on Josh’s sleeping pad. Needless to say it was one of the worst nights of my life.
Thursday we check out of the hotel and hit up the beach. We swam and for about an hour and then walked around and tried to see the ruins down the road. I am sunburt; it hurts bad even two days after. It was pricy so we headed back to Tulum. We caught a bus to Coba and arrived there just before five. Coba is a small town that boasts some very impressive ruins. They closed at 5 and so we decided to stay the night and see them early in the morning. The hotel was a restraunt, bus stop, and hotel. It was a steal for 7 dollars a peice.
Friday we went to the ruins early. It was the way to go; there were almost no visitors and it was not as hot. There is also an impressive lake near by filled with crocodilles. We then caught the bus back to Tulum. From there it was bus rides late in to the night. We had to catch a bus to Chetumal on the Belize border. From there we caught a bus to Belize city. We were actually torn between there and Orange Walk, north of Belize City, but we finally settled on Belize City. We met a man named Ali on the bus and he taxied us around once we got in to the city; it was around 8 pm and completly dark. We stayed at the hotel he was staying at and crashed once we got there.
Today. We wandered around the city until the bank opened at 9am. We cashed some travlers cheques and ate some cheap food. There was not much for people like me with little money to do. We toyed with the idea of getting a boat out to the Cayes and staying a day there but opted against it due to our economic condition. We also heard of boats going to Cuba, but ruled that out as well. After some shopping and wandering we found a bus to San Ignacio.
Between the blonde haired German menonites, the rasta-english, and the extremely friendly people, Belize was nothing like I thought it would be. I have only spoken Spanish a handfull of times; it throws me for a loop. My mind is working in Spanish and has to change over when they talk to me in English. They German Menonites were a trip as well. On the bus over to San Ignacio a group of blond haired Arian looking people board the bus. They spoke english like the natives. It was interesting.
Next stop the surronding jungles of Cayo. Then on to Tikal in Guatamala.
Roughly 15% of all diamonds being sold during the 1990’s were conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds, are mined in war zones and sold illegally to fund the conflict. The recent blockbuster release Blood Diamond targeted this specific issue. I highly recommend the movie; it is rated R, but if you can get a edited copy, do it. Thousands of people have died in conflicts across Africa, many of which are or were funded by the illicit trade of diamonds. Today it is estimated that between 1 and 3 percent of all diamonds come from conflict zones and are used to fund those conflicts. Usually moved between several middle men, conflict diamonds are not easily identifiable. However we as consumers can make a difference. Don’t buy diamonds that are not “conflict free”; make sure and ask the retailer the origin of their diamonds. Or don’t buy diamonds. We can make a difference and we should. This young girl lost her arm in a war funded by diamonds. Is it worth it? No stone is worth a human life. 
