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Published: April 28th 2014
Silk Caye
(Words not required)After the slightly stressful plane ticket episode at Fort Lauderdale, we finally arrived in Cancun around midday. However there was going to be no hanging around in Cancun with the 'Spring breakers', as we were heading straight down to Belize that day. We booked two bus tickets for 10pm that evening which would take us from Cancun to Belize City. It was a pleasant surprise when it suddenly occurred to us that Belize is an English speaking nation which meant we didn't have to struggle with our pathetic Spanish vocabulary. In the meantime, we had about nine hours to kill and nowhere to go. Hungry, phone batteries getting low and in need of wifi to do some planning for the week ahead, we did what anyone would do...headed straight for Maccy D's! Before we knew it, we had spent lunch and dinner in there and it was almost time to get aboard our bus.
The bus was due to arrive in Belize City at 8am, where we would then have to catch another bus to take us from Belize City to a small town called Independence where we would then catch a small boat over to Placencia. Having watched a
few tv programmes on Belize City and been advised to steer clear at all costs, it was slightly unnerving to arrive there early in the morning with no money or food. In order to get on the bus we had to go and get some cash out; which unfortunately meant negotiating the mean streets in search of a cashpoint. Having been pointed in a rough direction, Rich emptied all his pockets, took just the bank card and set off in search whilst Gem kept guard of the bags. After a long nervy 15 minute wait for Gem, Rich thankfully made it back money in hand and in one piece. Thankfully we were now able to board the next ram packed 'chicken bus' (an old American style school bus), which would take us to Independence.
Four hours of hot, sweaty, bumpy, crammed conditions with blaring reggae music, we saw the oasis like town of Independence. Off we hoped, jumped into a taxi to take us to the nearby jetty and we boarded one of the local 'Hokey Pokey' boats which would take us over to the Belizean peninsula of Plancencia. Upon arriving, we didn't have any accommodation for the week
Gem giving diving a go
Check out the fear in those eyes! Ha ahead, so headed off in search of a suitable place to stay. After a short while we managed to find a nice enough place at a really good price owned by a local lady called Lydia.
After a long day and night of travelling, we threw our bags in the room, grabbed a bite to eat (the biggest burrito you can imagine), then took a leisurely stroll along the beach up to a Dive school we had been recommended. After weeks of Gem deliberating over whether she wanted to try out scuba diving, she agreed to make a start on her scuba diving certification, but if she didn't like it she was able to give up after the first day without any further charge. With our bellies still full to the brim from our monster burrito we made our way to bed super early so we felt fresh as a daisy for the following day,
After a yummy brekkie at our new favourite restaurant, we waited outside our hostel for a pick up from the dive school. Before we knew it, we had met our dive master, collected our equipment for the day and were on our way.
After 45 minutes we had arrived at the house of the dive centre owner where we would practise and be assessed on our diving skills in her swimming pool. As Rich hadn't dived for over two years and wanted to dive later on in the week, he was required to carry out a refresher course which would consist of completing the same tasks Gem was required to do for the first stage of her certification.
With wet suits, BCD's, tanks, regulators and masks all on, we were ready to get going. We hopped in the pool and got ready to start performing our tasks in order to pass the practical section of the certification. Task number one (and often the most dreaded): under water mask clearance. This involves being underwater, flooding your mask and then clearing it by leaning your head back and blowing through your nose. With Rich having done this many times before it wasn't too much trouble for him. As Gem wears contact lenses it was the task she was most dreading. Despite having a little bit of trouble at first and having to shoot to surface looking like a drowning kitten, she managed to do
the clearance and we could then move on to the other tasks. As we went through task, we both completed most of them with ease, and even when Gem wasn't sure what the hell was going on, she made it up as she went along and managed to blog it somehow. With all the skills complete it was decision time...did she want to continue with the course by completing the theory then going out into open ocean to complete her certification dives, or call it a day at that and stick to snorkelling. After realising scuba diving just wasn't her thing, she decided to stick to what she's know best and to hone her skills at snorkelling! Once we had informed the instructor of Gems decision, we drove back to the dive shop and Rich booked a dive to Silk Cayes for a couple of days time and booked snorkelling with the whale sharks for a few days after that.
The following day we were up and about at the crack of dawn, having brekkie at our usual spot before going to collect our ride for the day...a golf cart. Despite Placencia being a relatively small town, it is
Gem ready to find this whale sharks
...she didn't have much luck...even the sick didn't attract them! very long and thin, therefore to visit all the areas, it is best to hire a golf cart to explore. Just before leaving to collect the golf cart, Rich logged onto our bank account to check our money status. It was at this time that we suddenly realised that something wasn't quite right. After an extremely expensive 30 minute phone call (£1.50/min) to the bank, it soon became apparent that our bank card had been cloned in Miami and $1,000 had been taken from the account. Luckily the bank were extremely cooperative, the transactions were identified and the money was refunded, PHEW!
With our financial problems resolved, we headed of to collect our cart. As Rich lost his driving license some months back only Gem was legally allowed to drive the cart (must to Rich's frustration!). So we hoped in with gem at the helm and tore off (well kinda, more like crawled off) into the distance. We set off along the main road to see what else was around. After driving past the tiny air strip and numerous posh hotels and new housing developments, we decided to park up and go and lie on one of their very
posh sun loungers on the beach. A couple of hours later, we started to make our way back to town. En route back we decided to stop at a restaurant which had been recommended to us the previous day. Serving up local Belizean dishes such as BBQ chicken, rice and beans with various local spicy sauces, it was right up our street. Lunch done, we cruised around a little more, stopped off at the air strip to watch one of the little planes take off before going back to pick up some food for dinner that evening. As we had the cart for 24 hours, we took it back to our place, locked it up, had dinner and went to bed.
The next morning, we were up and about eagerly anticipating the day ahead. After dropping the cart back to the hire place, we were picked up from our hostel and driven to the dive centre. Today was going to be Rich's first dive for four years. After arriving at the shop we were kitted out, had a drink and jumped on board our boat for the day, all whilst Rich did his best to hide his slight apprehension.
Strapped with two 250bhp engines, our boat certainly couldn't be described as sluggish (however it still had nothing on Rio Rita!!!). For an hour and a half it pounded the large swell until we finally reached the calm and tranquil waters surrounding our destination; Silk Caye. Silk Caye is formed of three indescribably idyllic coral islands complete with a few palm trees and surround by crystal clear turquoise water. The nearby shallows are perfect for snorkelling around the under water reefs which are teaming with numerous different types of fish and corals. Some of the nearby reefs provide fantastic opportunities for diving.
Before we could get cracking, we all had to go ashore and have a briefing from one of the park rangers from the Marine Reserve. Once this talk was over, Gem grouped up with her snorkelling buddies and Rich boarded the boat once again and headed out to one of the nearby reefs. Whilst Gem was snorkelling in the crystal clear water she saw hundreds of incredible multicoloured fish and came face to face with a rather mean looking barracuda. At the same time, Rich was getting geared up and ready to get diving. As the boat
pulled up, it was rocking about in the large swell and we were all geared up and ready to go. A quick backward rolled entry and deflate of our BCD's (inflatable scuba jackets) and we were soon sinking slowly to the bottom of the ocean. Once we reached about 70ft, we made our way to the edge of the reef and swam along a huge underwater reef wall which reached down over 1,500ft deep into the abyss and was covered in coral and full of large fish. On the first dive we saw tonnes of fish, rays and a 6ft green moray eel which was swimming up and down along the reef wall...a little too close for comfort maybe!
All too quickly we were back on the surface, back in the boat and racing back towards shore. As the boat pulled up to the island, Rich could see Gem standing on this tiny little island waiting for him (very cute!), whilst also looking like Ursula Andress from the famous scene in Dr No. Starving from all the mornings excitement, it was luckily time for our lunch; more yummy BBQ chicken, rice and coleslaw. Being careful not to stuff ourselves
too much before our second dive/snorkel, we restrained from seconds, wandered around the island taking pics and admired this incredible location.
Rich was then called to get back in the boat to prepare his equipment before heading off to the second dive location. This time he would be diving down to 60ft and swimming over various underwater canyons running through the tropical reef like veins. This dive he saw much of the same, but instead of a moray eel he saw a nurse shark perched under a large rock and a huge loggerhead turtle calmly swimming past. At the same time Gem was back in the water in search of some more interesting marine wildlife. Continually diving deep down like a snorkelling pro, she saw tonnes more fish and amazing types of coral. With the dive complete, Rich was back in the boat and making his way back to land when they suddenly said "it's time to snorkel", so all the divers on the boat jumped in the water and snorkelled about. As soon as we jumped in, we were welcomed by about 15 large nurse sharks, barracuda, huge loggerhead turtles and a gigantic stingray which must have been
about 5ft diameter. A couple of minutes later Gem and her snorkelling buddies arrived in another boat and jumped in the water too. It was an incredible experience to be so close to such large sharks, turtles and stingrays. However, one of the barracudas seamed to be getting a little bit too excited so we all had to make a pretty swift departure from the water.
The day was soon coming to an end and it was time to head back to shore. With the water slightly calmer than the morning, we rocketed back in little over an hour. It was an incredible day and Rich had once again realised how much he loves diving. It was back to the hostel, another tuna pasta for dinner and into bed all before 8:30!
After such an action packed previous day, we were ready for a nice chilled, drama free, cheap day...and thankfully, this is what we got! After another lovely cooked breakfast on the beach, we laid on the beach until lunch, had lunch on the beach, went and booked a tour for the next day and then decided we would both FaceTime our best friends! A good chat
with them both later and it was time for our usual tuna pasta dinner, this time coupled with a few local beers, then off to bed for yet another early night. Just the day we fancied.
The next morning we were up, ready, out the door and heading down to the dock where we would be going on a boat out to another one of the many Cayes in the local area; Laughing Bird Caye. An hour after we were due to depart, the captain finally weighed anchor and we set off pounding the waves once again. Upon arriving at the Caye we were greeted with another spectacular picture postcard island surrounded with turquoise waters. Once we had received another briefing from one of the park rangers on the island, we were soon both in the water and setting off snorkelling around the island where we saw rays, fish and lots of enormous lobsters. After swimming round the south end of the island, we went back ashore where awaiting us was another lunch off...yep, you guessed it, BBQ chicken, rice and coleslaw! However, we certainly didn't mind and gobbled up 3 servings each.
After lunch, we took a
stroll around the small coral island then Rich bobbed around in the sea whilst Gem laid on the beach topping up her tan. It was soon time for our second snorkel, and despite still feeling far too full to walk let alone swim, we battled on and continued the snorkel around the north end of the island. With our second snorkel complete, we were back ashore, packing up our things, on the boat and heading back to Placencia. We could see large dark storm clouds on the horizon, so our driver put his hand down and we bombed it back before the storm reached us. It was truly another day in paradise.
Another day we had both been waiting for since the beginning of the trip was finally upon us...swimming with Whale Sharks. The Gladden Split which is located 30 miles due east from the town of Placencia, is an open ocean region where each March, April, May and June around the days of full moon, the Whale Sharks come to feed on the spawn released by numerous species of fish. The best month to see them is April and more specifically, a few days after full moon. We
were going in search of them April 16th, which was one day after full moon, so we felt that the odds were in our favour.
Up at 5:30, we had breakfast and made our way down to the dive centre where we would kit up, have a drink and get ready to board the first boat out at 7am. With butterflies going strong from the building anticipation, we were both so excited and praying to see these somewhat elusive creatures. One hour and 45 minutes of choppy water and we had reached the edge of the barrier reef which lies right next to the Gladden Split Marine Reserve. Once we had been briefed on the plan of action, the boat made its way out into the Whale Shark zone where the apparently calm conditions (about 6-8ft swell) and we all jumped into the water. Being 30 miles from shore and in water over 200 feet deep, all you could see around was deep blue ocean. It was an incredible if not slightly nerve racking situation to be in, but was still pretty incredible. The plan was for us to snorkel along the surface, following the bubbles of the divers
who were 80ft below. The bubbles produced by the divers is apparently a pretty accurate simulation of the spawning of the fish and therefore should help to attract the Whale Sharks. After 40 minutes the divers surfaced and we hadn't seen as much as a jelly fish! Disappointed but still optimistic that we had another chance that afternoon, we swam back to the boat and drove back to the calm waters inside the reef for some lunch.
As only one boat at a time is allowed in the Whale Shark zone, we had to wait for our next allotted slot which was for about an hour. So we used this time to lay about the boat, jump in off the roof (of course) and have a snorkel in the nearby reef in search of anything interesting.
Before we know it, it was time for search number two. The boat made its way back into the turbulent waters of the Whale Shark zone and we all jumped in once again. The large swell which was rocking the boat about like a little toy was almost unnoticeable when you were in the water with your head under the surface. However,
our bodies were still being rocked about up and down and side to side with the motion of the ocean. All off a sudden Rich turned around to see Gem being taken back to the boat whilst throwing up in the hands...she was sea sick! Minute by minute time quickly sped by and still nothing, then suddenly a large school of jack fish were spotted in the distance (they often attract the sharks), so we desperately swam after them praying once again that out of the darkness would emerge one of the giants...it didn't happen. Today was not our day! Disappointed beyond belief, we got back on the boat and headed back to the reef. Thankfully we are both still young and have plenty of fight and determination to see these incredible animals...until next time Mr Whale Shark, we will find you!
Before heading back, we still had one more snorkel around the nearby reef to enjoy. With the reef being so far from shore and so close to the gladden split reserve, the coral was almost pristine and was a really enjoyable snorkel.
Although the main star of the Placencia show didn't turn up, we still had
Mean machine
Belize Ocean Club....very posh!!! a brilliant seven nights in the town. The heaven like Cayes we visited looked simply like desert island pictures from a child's story book and the locals were some of the friendliest people we had met on our travels. The local people are primarily black Afro-Caribbean and some people would find their image a little disconcerting at first, however they were genuinely so friendly and it would be a very rare occasion when one would walk past without a smile and say hello...usually in some form of Caribbean lingo.
It was now time to move on up the coast. We would still be staying in Belize, but moving to a much more touristy area which is also located much closer to the infamous Belize City. We were excited to see what it had in store for us. Next stop...Caye Caulker.
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nat
non-member comment
sea looks awesome!!!!
sea looks awesome!!!!