Traveling westward, we stopped at the Belize Zoo so we could see some the local wildlife up close. In the Cayo district on the western border, we stayed six nights at duPlooy’s Lodge set within the jungle canopy along the Macal River. The area around the lodge was great for birding with several short trails along the river and through their botanical gardens. We also did days trips to the Five Sisters Waterfall and the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich (pronounced zoo-nan-too-nitch). We were lucky to be staying at the duPlooy's Lodge just before the start of their busy season so there were several nights when we were the only guest. This gave us a chance to talk with several of the young staff members and learn about their lives and ambitions.