Beach time in Belize (part 2)

Our little cabin as the storms roll in

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Our final few days in Latin America were designed to be a relaxing break from travelling before we hit the road big time in the US with Alex's dad.  We also thought we try to learn to SCUBA dive (more of that later)

So from San Ignacio we took the bus into Belize City, and then a water taxi for the 40 minute trip over to Caye Caulker, an 8 mile long, 400 yard wide bit of sand located between Belize's coast and its Barrier Reef.  Our start to idyllic life on Caye Caulker did not start well.  The idea was that we would get off the boat, drop Alex and our now enormous payload of bags off at a cafe, whilst I went looking for lodgings.  However, it was hot and the bags were heavy (have I mentioned that already?) and we couldn't find anywhere to stop, and to make things worse, Alex's sandles fell apart on the boardwalk as we got off the boat.  However, we were rescued by James, our handy island tout.  His 'brother' had a little cabin at the far end of town that sounded as though it would suit us.  TV, bed, little kitchen, big fan and fridge.  Perfect.  So I went off to look on a nice bicycle.  And I came back with James' brother in his golf cart (on Caye Caulker the ONLY transportation is golf carts, which is a bit odd).  Anyway, the two of us and our enormous payload (had I mentioned that already, I think I might have done) loaded up onto this cart and out to the cabin.

A boy under water

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So all was set of a beautiful week in the carribean, sun, sea, a little bit of sand and quite a lot of rain (well, we had chosen to come here in the rainy season).

A little more about our friend James now.  Well, he got (for me) a nice big tip for his accommodation finding services, and when he came back to the cabin on our first night he told us that a friend of his was going lobster fishing the next day, and asked of we would like some for our tea.  So we gave him 6 pounds, which should have been enough for 1 kilo of lobster tails (a pretty good price I think you'll agree).  The lobster was due for delivery around 3 that afternoon.

Well, we gave up on James at about 8, and he found us in a restaurant to say that there had been some terrible rain related delay to the lobster catching, and that he would have to bring the food around the next day.  Well he didn't manage this either, and we kept bumping into him on the street over the next 5 days, and he kept making excellent excuses about why we couldn't have any lobster, and on the last 2 days, about how he was just on his way to get some money for us.  Needless to say, we never saw our money in the end.  So if you are going to Caye Caulker and you bump into James, push him and his grinning face of his bike for us would you...

Can you spot the girl at this brilliant swinging seat restaurant

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And now to the PADI SCUBA diving course, something Alex had been wanting to do for years, I wasn't so sure.  After watching a few videos, we finally hit the water, but Alex immediatly had problems.  Even though she is an excellent and panic free snorkler (unlike myself, reference swimming with hammerhead sharks in Galapagos) she did not like breathing from the tank.  After about 30 minutes of bobbing up and down, and trying to start all the emergency practices underwater she gave up.   Very sad, as Alex had been looking forward to it for so long.

I kept up with the next 2 days and of passed (of course...) but it wasn't the same without Alex.   SCUBA was fun enough, but not a million miles better than snorkelling, I don't think visibility was that good in Belize (because of the rain) and it certainly hurt my ears a lot more.  But I think I'd like to try again, because the sight of the sun coming in when you look up from 60 feet underwater is pretty amazing.

View from the Ragamuffin as the clouds roll in (again)

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On our last full day in Belize we went on a sailing and snorkelling trip with Ragamuffin Tours.  The sailing part was really nice and relaxing, the snorkeling, after Galapagos (and Egypt a few years ago) wasn't all that inspiring, we only saw countless different varieties of fish a few rays and about 6 sharks, rubbish... 

However, my alcohol alergy (that I thought had magically gone away in South America) doesn't seem to have done anything of the sort.  It is true that I must have drunk about 4 pints of rum punch, and it is also true that I felt a bit tipsy for about the 2nd or 3rd time in 10 years, but I was still feeling ill 10 days later.  BOOOOOOOOOOOOO.  Still, I'm writing this from the dry state of Utah, so I'm not missing out at the Mormont (ho ho, I think its time I stopped writing now)