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He was tired, but still stepping smartly; here's how he looked:...

Jules Vasquez reporting
Through the majestic, rolling hills of the Cayo district - they appear as only a speck on the horizon, figures lost against the broad vista - a slender 14 year old, his friends and followers doing the impossible, the unthinkable - walking from Benque to Belize City.

Well-wishers greet them along the way with gifts and small contributions. Mugging for photos with the 14 year old - who after 20 miles in the unforgiving heat can still muster a smile for his fans. Walking through Camalote today - Rowan Garel was coming up on 20 miles. But - clutching unto his father Joe for direction - he was still keeping a brisk pace. The prospects of an entire summer programme are riding on these slender shoulders, so he made sure to keep hydrated with his mother Milagro taking a turn on his arm and coming across Roaring Creek Bridge up on the end of today's arduous trek - which ended at Guanacaste Park.

With the end in sight - just to show he could still pull it off - after twenty plus miles, Rowan broke into a jog. And still had the good grace to indulge us in an interview just as soon as he sat down on the roadside and took a drink.

Rowan Garel
"I'm exhausted but I am happy that this day is done."

Reporter
"This is your second day of walking. How do you feel so far about your progress and about the support you've been getting?"

Rowan Garel
"I'm really happy for the support that we are getting. People are talking to us and coming, showing their support waving and we were getting some contributions as well."

Jules Vasquez
"What was the hardest point for you today?"

Rowan Garel
"The thing with me is that I will only stop if I am about to collapse. I really didn't want to stop although my feet were killing me."

Joe Garel, father
"Today, we knew that this was going to be one of the longest drives, a little hilly - just keep a pace and keep re-hydrating him - Gatorade, water - and we did stop for about 15 minutes because his feet were a bit sore in Teakettle. We stop about 15 minutes, took his shoes and massage his feet a bit and put some anti-inflammatory cream and he got up back and he said that he will spring it - I said to be careful, but he did well."

Jules Vasquez
"Rowan are you feeling sore from the first day of walking?"

Rowan Garel
"Definitely."

Jules Vasquez
"The second day was harder than the first because of the soreness combine with the fact that you had to go over 20 miles."

Rowan Garel
"Yes, because yesterday it was like 13 miles and so I think I've done about 13 miles before when we went to Boom, maybe a little less, but I've never walk 20 miles ever in my life so today was really painful but it's good to know that that's over and that's probably the longest day, so there is definitely a sense of triumph."

But the real triumph - he hopes -will come at the end of this walk:

Jules Vasquez
"Do you visualize that the children who will be benefiting from this at the summer camp?"

Rowan Garel
"Sometimes, I just picture if I am successful, we could have a really good summer camp and they could get a really good education there."

Joe Garel, father
"People are blowing their horns when we pass and people are running out of their houses and they bring like 2 dollars and 5 dollars and that kinds of stuff, especially when we get closer to Belmopan you see more of that happening because the population is bigger."

And we wondered how this grueling walk compare to Victoria Peak?:

Rowan Garel
"I said before that this would be easier than Victoria Peak, but now I am not so sure."

And now after all those steps, what does he want most?

Jules Vasquez
"After a long walk like that Rowan what is the think you want most?"

Rowan Garel
"Apart from my bed I want to go in a pool and just soaked."

Rowan reached Belmopan at just before noon - meaning he'd walked for seven hours. Tomorrow morning he sets out at five to go from Belmopan to the Belize Zoo.

To contribute to his effort you can deposit to Belize Bank account number 71096 or drop donations off at BCVI. Or, you can donate online at http://www.bcvi.org/help.html

He hopes to raise one hundred thousand dollars with this year's walk - and so far he has raised $27,959.