Sharks

THE view from the top of the High Temple at Lamanai is one you will struggle to find anywhere else. 

Most of the great Mayan sites, including Mexico’s Chichen Itza, stopped visitors climbing their pyramids years ago.  

Here, you can still haul yourself up the worn stone steps to the summit and look out across the treetops. 

It is one of many surprises in Belize, a former British colony, squeezed between Mexico and Guatemala on the Caribbean coast. 

Roughly the size of Wales, it packs in ancient ruins, thick rainforest and the second-largest barrier reef in the world. And English is the official language. 

I spent a week there, starting deep in the rainforest of the north before heading south to the beach. 

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My first stop was Chan Chich Lodge, on the Gallon Jug Estate in the north-west of the country, which is surrounded by a 30,000-acre private reserve.

Almost everything on the menu comes from the estate’s own organic farm, and I explored the grounds and saw the free-range animals that supply the kitchen. 

The estate grows its own coffee too. It was so good that I came home with a few bags stuffed in my case. 

The best way to see the surrounding rainforest is on horseback, on a guided ride along the trails around the lodge.

Braver guests can head out after dark on a night safari in open-top trucks, with a chance of spotting jaguars and tapirs, Belize’s shy, pig-like national animal. 

Lamanai, home to that High Temple, is a day trip from the lodge. It is two hours by road, then 45 minutes by boat up the New River. 

Its name means “submerged crocodile” in Yucatec Maya, a nod to the crocs that still lurk in the lagoon beside the ruins. 

People lived here for more than 3,000 years, far longer than at most Mayan cities. 

You wander past the Jaguar Temple and the Mask Temple, with its giant carved stone faces, before tackling the High Temple itself.

The steps are steep and worn smooth, with handrails on some stretches, but the view over the rainforest from the top is worth every puff. 

Then it was time to swap the jungle for the beach. I flew south to the coast with domestic airline Tropic Air.

The little propeller plane is half the fun. As you near the coast, the Belize Barrier Reef appears beneath you. 

My base for the second half of the trip was the Placencia peninsula, on Belize’s southern coast. I stayed at Naia Resort and Spa, a boutique hotel set in a 200-acre private reserve. 

Its pool, a few steps from the beach, is as warm as a bath. 

Come sunset, the sky turns orange and pink across the water. With a rum punch in hand, it’s hard to care about anything else. 

My beachfront studio opened straight on to the sand, and came with an outdoor shower for rinsing off under the open sky after a long day out. 

I ate well at 1981, the resort’s waterfront restaurant, and the cocktails were delicious too. 

The real highlight was a day of island hopping and snorkelling by boat from Placencia. 

First stop was Moho Caye (pronounced “key”), a speck of golden sand surrounded by clear blue water. I snorkelled alongside nurse sharks, docile bottom-feeders that pose little threat to swimmers, watched stingrays glide past and spotted hefty lobsters tucked into the reef. 

Before moving on, I sat down to a seafood feast on the beach, with fresh lobster, white fish and crab — all caught the day before by my guide Akeem from Cultural Experience Belize. 

Then it was on to the second stop of the day, King Lewey’s Island Resort, a quirky, pirate-themed private island 12 miles off the coast, where I jumped back in to explore more of the reef. 

Back on dry land, a rum punch rounded off the day. I can confirm it’s strong enough to make any pirate proud. 

On my final night, the local Garifuna community — people of African and Caribbean ancestry — laid on a beach dinner with drumming and dancing. 

Watching the dancers perform, I couldn’t think of a better way to say goodbye to Belize.

Former Sale second row Hyron Andrews has died at his Johannesburg Lions’ team hotel before their Champions Cup match at La Rochelle on Saturday.

A statement from SA Rugby stated that his death had been an “accident” and that the 31-year-old had “died after a fall”.

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Hyron,” said Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli.

“He was not only a gifted rugby player, but also a cherished member of our Lions family having recently joined us this season.

“On behalf of our chairman, Mr Altmann Allers, the board and everyone at the Lions, I extend our deepest sympathies to [Andrews’ wife] Maighlin, their young sons Hendrix and Emerson and the entire Andrews family.

“We stand with them in their sorrow and will remember Hyron with great affection and respect.”

The Lions will fulfil their fixture against La Rochelle, which kicks off at 17:30 BST, in Andrews’ honour, while a moment’s silence will be observed at all the opening round’s fixtures.

“This is terrible and distressing news; our hearts go out to Hyron’s family and the whole Lions rugby community,” said Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union.

“There are no words to adequately convey our shock and the depth of sympathy we feel for his wife Maighlin, and for his extended family, friends, team-mates and loved ones during this time of immense sorrow.

“His untimely passing is a devastating loss, and we share in the grief of all who knew and loved him.”

Andrews left Sale in the summer to return to his native South Africa. He made 45 appearances for the club after arriving in February 2024 from the Durban-based Sharks as injury cover for England international lock Jonny Hill.

“Hyron was just a brilliant guy and a brilliant team-mate,” said Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson.

“He was so skilled on the field but off it, he was always someone you would want to have a beer with.

“He was funny and charismatic in his own unique, dry way and the lads, to a man, loved playing with him and being around him.

“It was a big move for Hyron and his wife Maighlin to come to England, but he truly made a second home in Manchester. It was incredible to see how he and his family embraced the club and area.

“Most importantly, he was a loving husband to Maighlin and a doting father to his two gorgeous boys. It was an absolute privilege to get to know him and it’s just absolutely devastating for everyone.”

While he was yet to earn senior international honours, Andrews had represented the Junior Springboks in 2015.

Andrews’ death comes 10 years on from the sudden death of Munster coach Anthony Foley in Paris before a Champions Cup fixture.

Foley, 42, died in his sleep on the eve of a match against Racing 92 after a heart condition caused fluid to build up in his lungs.

Munster’s present-day players will wear commemorative tops, featuring the Munster club crest and Foley’s shirt number eight as part of their pre-match routine at their match against Racing on Saturday.

The Lions, who play their home matches at Ellis Park, are making their first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition, with South African sides introduced into the continental competition in the 2022-23 season.

They have won two of their first three matches in the United Rugby Championship so far this season, including beating defending champions Leinster in their first game of their campaign.

SAN JOSÉ — Igor Chernyshov scored his second goal of the game with 1:42 remaining in overtime and the San José Sharks beat the Kings 5-4 on Saturday night for their second straight win to open the season.

The Kings rallied from two goals down in the third to tie the game and controlled play for most of the overtime. But San José came out on top when Chernyshov beat Anton Forsberg on a one-timer off a pass from Macklin Celebrini, who has five assists in two games.

After not getting a win in the first five games the past four seasons, the Sharks have back-to-back overtime wins to begin this season after beating Florida 4-3 in the opener Thursday night.

Tyler Toffoli, Kiefer Sherwood and Nolan Allan also scored for San José. Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves.

Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Erik Haula and Artemi Panarin scored but it wasn’t enough to keep the Kings from falling to 0-2 on the season. Forsberg made 20 saves.

Chernyshov gave San José a 4-2 lead early in the third when he scored on a breakaway but the Kings responded. Haula scored to make it a one-goal game and Panarin got the equalizer with 5:01 remaining after a poor clearing attempt by Allan.

The Kings struck first when Kempe scored on a one-timer off a pass from Panarin on the power play in the first. The Sharks took control with three goals in the second starting when Toffoli tapped in a perfect feed from rookie Ivar Stenberg on the power play. It was the first career point for the 19-year-old Stenberg.

The Kings got one back with 1.3 seconds left in the period when Byfield scored on the power play.

Up next for Kings: vs. Florida at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.