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Published: December 20th 2009
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A view from our hostel I took on my phone to e-mail to a friend. (So this blog was the first part, the good part, of the last few days. I left it in its original form just so you get the idea of how happy I was about life. The second part, the next blog, was possibly the worst 24 hours I’ve ever had in my travels. I went from extremely high on life, to being completely frustrated. I won’t give away the details, but notice that there are very few pictures? If you want to read the happy stuff, this is for you. If you would rather hear me rant on frustrations, check out the next one.)
We got to Caye Caulker through what one would call “one of 'em good problems.” Sitting in Flores, Guatemala with the buses full in the direction we wanted to go, we had to pick another destination. A small island on the second largest coral reef in the world, an island Madonna found inspiring enough to create the song “La Isla Bonita” (okay, actually San Pedro is on the island 10 kilometers away, but close enough), an island considered to be one of the best scuba and snorkeling spots in the world being the solution to the
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A photo of the bad weather rolling in one time when I had forgotten my camera. problem means it wasn’t that bad of a problem to begin with… If only life could present those problems more often!
We got here and checked into a beachfront hostel ten steps from the pier. That sounds luxurious but being that the Caye is less than a few hundred meters wide, most things are beachfront. Unfortunately, shortly after getting here the rains started and ran for the next few days on and off every few hours. While the sun poked through the clouds from time to time, it was never strong enough to burn away the clouds. So, we were forced to take shelter in the nearest bar and wait it out, for many hours on end, for many rounds on end. In all honesty, what else could we do? It was slightly disappointing, but we made the most of it, making friends with random backpackers, enjoying our new friends Pablo and Rodrigo. And, we were still able to eat plenty of cheap lobster, fresh fish, burritos and other delicious delicacies.
TJ made friends with some locals and managed to find his way onto a fisherman’s boat for our second day. It was a torrential down pour on and off all day but he roughed it anyway, spear fishing and collecting conch with the fisherman and his seven year old son. Of course he had a great time while Rodrigo, Pablo and I sat in the bars laughing at how much it would stink to be on a boat in the rain like that. That is, until he came back with fresh seafood for us, and we didn’t quite think he was the fool anymore. That is, until later that evening when he made a fool of himself in a bar. I’ll leave it to him to give the details, but it entailed him on a dance floor alone in a crowded bar, with a pole.
With the weather not letting up and future forecasts looking bleak, we were about to hit the road but, of course, we woke up to find clear skies. So, I jumped on a daylong snorkeling trip to the Great Belize Reef to see what it was all about. I have to say, it was amazing; it far exceeded what I expected to see. The number of gorgeous reefs and fish were astounding. More so, sea turtles munching on sea grass came to an arms length from me, various types of sting rays were hovering to and fro in different colors and shapes than I’ve ever seen, moray eels poked their heads out of their coral caves and six foot long nurse sharks always kept an eye on the action. I was amazed by how quickly I got used to their presence and how docile they were. Our guide actually brought one by and I was able to pet it. Combined with a sailboat trip to the reef and back with rum punch, shrimp ceviche and a gorgeous sunset, it was an amazing experience! It was exactly what I had thought Belize had to offer and did not disappoint in the least.
No cars on the island (the only mode of non-manpowered transport is golf carts) also meant no streets, just sand pathways to take you to your destination. No one cares about shoes, much less shirts, the bars have swings instead of stools and walking with a drink is never a problem. So, while the start to our Caribbean Island adventure came from a bus being full and was dampened by the storm, we still made the best of it and love the island life it offered. As I mentioned, this being the solution to an earlier dilemma is what you would call “one of 'em good problems.” Hope all the problems in your lives are as good as these at the moment!
(Like I said, this was before. Turn the page.)
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TJ's embarassing night
More about TJ's embarassing night please...