Central America - Belize

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So after the joys of Tulum we had a long journey to Caye Caulker, Belize by bus and ferry. We hadn’t managed to get lunch before the ferry trip so bought some takeaway toasted sandwiches and chips from the rooftop bar. The word ferry conjures up some kind of slow moving large boat but what we actually went on was a speedboat. Speedboat plus waves plus sandwiches plus chips is not a good combination! Needless to say I felt a little nauseous for the first half of the journey but the sea got a bit calmer later on. We first stopped at another Island San Pedro for immigration then went on to Caye Caulker. We were met by a smiling man in a golf cart who turned out to be Pike from our Airbnb apartment. He was a very funny, friendly guy and seemed to know lots of people we passed. No cars are allowed and the island motto is “go slow”. Being from London we were told several times that we need to slow down and that we might get a speeding ticket for walking so fast!
The island is quite small so the main activities are snorkelling, diving, eating seafood, soaking up the sun and drinking rum! We went on a half day snorkelling day trip to three different marine reserves around the island. We swam with lots of fish, rays and nurse sharks. One of the other snorkellers had a large underwater camera and an eel came and took a bite out of it...clearly it wasn't impressed with the paparazzi! After snorkelling we went to a place on the other island where there are lots of large tarpon fish and seahorses. We also visited a small family run dog and cat sanctuary where the owner removed ticks from a dog's ear and then gave him a bath. The island was split in two due to a hurricane and "the Split" is a popular place to sunbathe and watch the sunset. There is a bar there called the Lazy Lizard which is quite appropriate. There are not many beaches but my sister managed to find lots of shells on one. We also were there when some fishermen had just brought in their catch and were preparing it for sale. Pelicans and other seabirds hung out nearby to catch the scraps that the fishermen discarded. There were also some beautiful conch shells left by fishermen as they use this to make a ceviche or stew. We didn't try it but had some fresh fish, shrimp and delicious banana bread. We also drank rum out of a coconut which was nice (mixed with the coconut water). As it was a small island the nightlife pattern was the same....Sportsbar (dancing and banana baileys coladas) and the "I and I" reggae bar (more dancing).
At the end of our stay we got the "ferry" to Belize City and were completely soaked by the waves. At least it wasn't as bumpy this time! We then got a taxi and said our goodbyes. Ali was off to the airport and I was going by bus to San Ignacio which is not far from Guatemala. I arrived there about lunchtime and had a whole dorm room to myself as there didn't seem to be too many tourists around. In the afternoon I went to an Iguana conservation centre in a hotel. It was actually at the back of a very posh hotel where the queen stayed! However the tour in the Iguana centre wasn't too expensive and I was the only person so it was like a private tour. They have rescued iguanas which are rehabilitated to release back into the wild if possible (some of them can't due to health conditions). There are also some woodland with medicinal trees and plants which my guide pointed out. He also showed me a termite home and said that termites are nutritious if you are in a survival situation. Apparently you can't eat too many though as it gives you lactic acid. Anyway he said I should try a few so I did and they tasted a bit minty. Apparently there are several different flavours! After visiting the Iguana centre I went to a chocolate making tour. Again I was the only person there. I learnt about the cacao bean and the traditional mayan process of producing chocolate. They use volcanic stone to grind the roasted beans and then rub into a paste. You can then mix it with hot water to have as a drink. I was pleased to also read about all of the health benefits...I knew that chocolate must be good for you!
The next day I was waiting for a bus to visit some mayan ruins called Xunantunich. However the bus was taking ages so a taxi driver who approached me earlier mentioned that another girl was going to the same place so would be cheaper if we shared. I was then introduced to Charlotte and we decided to go with the taxi and we ended up visiting Xunantunich, a butterfly house and Cahal Pech (mayan ruins closer to San Ignacio). The day finished with a curry so I won't get too homesick!

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