Belize - Dangriga/Tobacco Caye

Scouring for household items on the protected reef
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After leaving Orange Walk we set off for Southern Belize to sample some of the excellent scuba and snorkeling sites that can be accessed off the coast of Belize. Our chosen base was Dangriga which is a suitable launchpad for exploring Tobacco Caye and slightly further afield Glovers Reef, part of the world renowned and protected Belize Barrier Reef. Dangriga is also the Garifuna heartland and whilst we had not exactly got to grips with the language we were looking forward to immersing ourselves in "Punta Rock".

Sunset on our time in Belize
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According to music officianados, Punta is a re-enactment of the cock-and-hen mating dance which involves a lot of feet shuffling, ass wobbling and hip gyrating but the upper torso remains motionless (picture wing flapping). The music is provided by drums, rattles and occasionally conch shells with rhythm guitars providing the rock element.

As you travel down through Northern and parts of North-Eastern Belize the scenery is spectacularly unspectacular. I say this with more than a touch of irony as upon reading the LP Guide to Belize, the equivalent of a travel writers wet dream, you expect gorgeous vistas at every turn. Thankfully, south of Belize City following the Hummingbird Highway, the wide, open, arid dust pans are left behind, taken over by views of undulating mountains, dense vegetation and orange groves.

Refreshments on the bus
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By mid-afternoon we arrived in Dangriga feeling relatively refreshed and looking forward to checking in at Bluefield Lodge (which had scored rave reviews in the aforementioned LP) and exploring Dangriga. Bluefield was somewhat of a disappointment, whilst the location was ideal (close proximity to the boat shuttles) the staff were less than friendly. In fact when speaking to me they seemed to focus all their attention on a gremlin that sat just off my left shoulder and did not really offer any pearls of wisdom on the town at large. Added to which, adorned on every wall there was a lurid, laminate description of what you could DO or NOT DO in the 1 storey building. Beating a hasty retreat we headed off in search of the infectious rhythms of Punta Rock, sample some local seaside delicacies and engage in friendly banter with the locals.

The happy couple
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After nearly two hours we gave up. On the basis of our experience Punta Rock seems to have been sadly superceded by the ubiquitous gangsta rap, it´s nigh on impossible to get a meal let alone traditional Garifuna/Belizean fare, apart from mercifully the Riverside Cafe (where 20 tourists were found sheltering from the vibrancy of Dangriga) and as for engaging with the locals they were quite prepared to talk to you as long as you asked less than two questions and it came at the end of a round of cards. We did have a decent chat with one amiable fellow who had some good advice on what to take for our stay on Tobacco Caye (hastily pushed forward a day). It was particularly enlightening as we had not initially thought of taking mushrooms and garden herbs.

Hooray! Like seeing an old friend
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As the boat left the jetty the following morning we were anticipating a stay on Tobacco Caye of up to four days. Enough time to soak up the suns rays and explore the marine life of the crystal clear waters. Not including the brief sojourn back after 45 mins to fix the engine before attempting another crossing, we were back on the jetty at Dangriga within 24 hours. This is why.

As the clouds lifted, the sun shone down and the waves died a little Tobacco Caye sat there winking at us from 400metres away. Not for the first time on this trip would first impressions prove to be deceiving. Tobacco Caye takes 3 minutes to walk across by which time you have passed through seven resorts which with the exception of Tobacco Caye Paradise (unfortunately full), look to have been the dumping ground for many of IKEAs earliest designs. The Caye bizarrely has sand in the middle and continuing with the dumping theme, has a ring of rubbish around the outside where all sorts of useful Belizean household items can be found; lobster pots, fish carcasses, dead wood, rubber tyres, oil cans and all manner of plastic containers. This was not the reliving of our Fijian dream!

Fortunately, off the southern side of the Caye you can lounge on some wooden decking that juts out into the sea. This is a superb sun trap and provides great access to the nearby reef. It was also where we managed to stay sane for the day and as the sun dipped over the ocean we resolved that this would be our last night in Belize and that our best bet was a swift return to the welcoming and vibrant environs of Mexico.