I decided to travel to Belize by default. I was actually holding tickets in my hand to go to Turkey and was planning to depart on September 13, 2000. Then September 11th made it's mark in history. The tensions surrounding the U.S. and travel to the country overcame my threatened safety and I decided to change my tickets for another less tense destination at that moment. As a Travel Agent I have access and inside travel deals that are not always found with the public. I checked almost every destination on the map and there happened to be 2 seats on American Airlines for my friend and I to Belize. It must have been meant to be.
We flew from Seattle to Belize City. When we arrived we took a 20 minute taxi ride to the ferry dock to catch our ferry transfer to the modest island of Caye Caulker. These ferries were not like the large ones I was used to in Seattle. Our ferry in Belize was a packed speedboat of locals and tourists heading to the one of the many island lining Belize's Caribbean coast. Caye Caulker was the 1st stop. The boat sped across the Caribbean for almost an hour before we stopped. I could barley see anything but the tropical waters around me since the wind from the speed was making me cover my face.
We arrived at the long wooden dock poking out from the island and were helped out of the boat by the driver. "Have a good time." He said and then they sped off. Gabby and I stood on the dock holding our backpacks watching the boat venture off to the next island. We both burst out laughing, "So this is Caye Caulker?" We said in unison. We looked around at the shore ahead of us and smiled at the brightly colored houses in front of us and the palm trees swaying with the ocean breeze. We walked up the dock and made our way down the sandy street looking for somewhere to sit and have something to eat and a beer. It was only 11:00am in Belize but it was 5'oclock somewhere. It was hard to tell what was someone's house and what was a business. All the buildings were on stilts and made of wood that looked that they had been weathered in the salt water and wind and maybe built more than once. People passed and smiled always offering a friendly "Hola!.
We found a restaurant nearby and sat down. Both of us ordered beans and rice and a Belizean Belekin beer. The restaurant resembled more of a run down storage room than a bar and I loved it! After refueling we decided to walk around the around to find somewhere to stay. Caye Caulker is only 2 miles by 1/2 mile so we knew it wouldn't take too long to find some where to stay. There are no cars allowed on the island, only golf carts and bikes. We made our way to the south end of the island toward the cemetery. It was a beautiful resting place for the deceased overlooking the Caribbean. Just next to it was the Paradise Hotel and Restaurant and we rented a room for there for $17 USD a night and called it home for now. We dropped off our bags and were then were off to explore the rest of the island.
To my surprise the hotel was also next to another beautiful sight to my eyes. The 'I and I' reggae tree house bar. The reggae was blaring from the tops of the trees and I ran up the stairs like I was about to discover gold. To me, I had. The bar was 3 levels with a thatched roof and had seat swings to sit in. I ordered a beer and listened to the reggae as it consumed my soul watching the Caribbean Sea in the distance. I pinched my leg, convincing myself I haven't made it to heaven just yet.
We explore the rest of the island and check out the dozen or so restaurants and bars. There are bamboo stands set up along an area of the beach selling jewelry and T-shirts etc. The island is made up of native Mayans and Dread locked Rastas from the Caribbean. Everyone is friendly, offering us to come their way and say hello. We made our way to the north end of the island called the Split. It's where the island split after Hurricane Hattie in 1961 and there is an open thatched bar there where everyone gathers to watch the sunset. It's filled with locals and tourists (mostly European). By the end of sunset I believe we now know everyone on the island.
We spend the next couple days relaxing and swimming in the warm, clear bath water of the Caribbean and dining on fish, beans and rice. We would watch the sunset at the Split while having a drink and then ending the night at the I and I. I was beginning to feel very at home here. Gabby and a local man named Carlos became a friendly pair, teaching each other about their own cultures. He ran a snorkeling trip to Ray and Shark Alley and invited us to come. We took him up on his offer and decided to go and see what it was about. I had been on countless whale tours in the Northwest and was lucky if we saw one so I wasn't too worried about seeing a shark since this was a fear of mine. We gathered some snorkeling gear and headed out to sea. After about an hour in the boat heading away from Caye Caulker the boat stops. Carlos tells us, "Ok girls here we are. Get your gear on, it's time to meet your new friends."
I was staring off about 10 feet or so from the boat and didn't see a thing. Confident, I put my gear on and went to step into the water off the ladder. As soon as I look down into the water toward my feet I screamed. There must have been 20 black 3-4 foot Nurse Sharks and a doze
n Manta Rays swimming under and around the boat. Carlos jumped in and assured us it was ok. My heart raced at the thought of swimming with these creatures. I held my breath and jumped in. Although I think the sharks were more scared of me than I was of them since they left after only a few minutes. The Manta Rays on the other hand stayed and played with me, almost like a dolphin. They seemed intelligent and to stare at me in my eyes. I was intrigued. This was a once in the lifetime chance to see these creatures up close I was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Gabby and Carlos continued to hang out as I did with people that we met from all around the globe. It was a great destination for backpackers and travelers on a budget. After about 5 days on the island we were ready to head to the jungle for a few days. We took the water taxi back to Belize City and from there took a taxi to the interior city of San Ignacio which took about an hour. Situated on the boarder of Guatemala it was the perfect stopping point . We spent one night there and were soon on our way in the morning to the ancient ruins of Tikal in Guatemala. Upon entering the country across the boarder I couldn't help but notice the armed men hiding in the ditch as we passed. The foliage became an overgrown jungle over the streets and elderly men riding on donkeys passed every few miles.
As we became closer and closer to Tikal the more anxious I became to see this ancient land. We finally arrived at the park and were able to get out and stretch. I took a deep breath and and listened to the howler monkeys in the trees communicate with one another. We had made it to Tikal!We met with a local guide who took us on a 3 hour tour and informed us of Tikal's ancient history. http://tikalpark.com/.
The ruins were an overwhelming presence and we hiked to the top of Temple 4. It was one of the most extraordinary travels I had yet and I absorbed all I could while there. Ruins always creep me out since they are just that, Ruins of an empire that ended without will. The history that happened there did make itself known by the impressive structures that were built throughout that stand watching over Tikal. We eventually took our taxi back to San Ignacio for the night and spent the evening at a local bar in town where all the locals met to dance to Punta music. We danced the night away and tried our best to chat with everyone with the limited Spanish that we knew. The next day we were on our way back to the ferry to go back to Caye Caulker. I found myself missing the 'I and I' and Gabby missed her new friend Carlos. When we arrived back on the island everyone greeted us as if we had been long lost friends they had not seen in years. We spent the next few days swimming in the Belize sun and continuing to get to know our new found friends. I got my wish and spent the night sleeping high up in the I and I tree house after a long night. The locals on the island made us feel like Caye Caulker was our home and we felt like it was our home too.
Leaving this tropical paradise was not easy. Half the island showed up at the Split on our last night to say goodbye and we danced to reggae watching the sun set and continued dancing until we saw the sun rise again. Sadly in the morning we gathered our things and waited for the taxi to pick us up. With a handful of people there on the dock to see us off it was time to say goodbye to Caye Caulker. Gabby said goodbye to Carlos and I said adios to the island I have fallen in love with. My heart cried as we sped away back to the mainland on the ferry boat once again.
I think of Belize often and can't wait to return again. Gabby couldn't wait, she did return a month later after keeping in touch with Carlos. She ended up moving from her cloud covered island in the Pacific Northwest to the sun drenched island in the Caribbean. She stayed for a few months with Carlos and lived life as a true Belizean and then decided Belize and Carlos were a better option as a vacation than to call home for now and moved back to Washington. I fell in love with Belize's people, land, music and culture. Do I daydream about returning again someday? You better Belize it!
We flew from Seattle to Belize City. When we arrived we took a 20 minute taxi ride to the ferry dock to catch our ferry transfer to the modest island of Caye Caulker. These ferries were not like the large ones I was used to in Seattle. Our ferry in Belize was a packed speedboat of locals and tourists heading to the one of the many island lining Belize's Caribbean coast. Caye Caulker was the 1st stop. The boat sped across the Caribbean for almost an hour before we stopped. I could barley see anything but the tropical waters around me since the wind from the speed was making me cover my face.
We arrived at the long wooden dock poking out from the island and were helped out of the boat by the driver. "Have a good time." He said and then they sped off. Gabby and I stood on the dock holding our backpacks watching the boat venture off to the next island. We both burst out laughing, "So this is Caye Caulker?" We said in unison. We looked around at the shore ahead of us and smiled at the brightly colored houses in front of us and the palm trees swaying with the ocean breeze. We walked up the dock and made our way down the sandy street looking for somewhere to sit and have something to eat and a beer. It was only 11:00am in Belize but it was 5'oclock somewhere. It was hard to tell what was someone's house and what was a business. All the buildings were on stilts and made of wood that looked that they had been weathered in the salt water and wind and maybe built more than once. People passed and smiled always offering a friendly "Hola!.We found a restaurant nearby and sat down. Both of us ordered beans and rice and a Belizean Belekin beer. The restaurant resembled more of a run down storage room than a bar and I loved it! After refueling we decided to walk around the around to find somewhere to stay. Caye Caulker is only 2 miles by 1/2 mile so we knew it wouldn't take too long to find some where to stay. There are no cars allowed on the island, only golf carts and bikes. We made our way to the south end of the island toward the cemetery. It was a beautiful resting place for the deceased overlooking the Caribbean. Just next to it was the Paradise Hotel and Restaurant and we rented a room for there for $17 USD a night and called it home for now. We dropped off our bags and were then were off to explore the rest of the island.
To my surprise the hotel was also next to another beautiful sight to my eyes. The 'I and I' reggae tree house bar. The reggae was blaring from the tops of the trees and I ran up the stairs like I was about to discover gold. To me, I had. The bar was 3 levels with a thatched roof and had seat swings to sit in. I ordered a beer and listened to the reggae as it consumed my soul watching the Caribbean Sea in the distance. I pinched my leg, convincing myself I haven't made it to heaven just yet.
We explore the rest of the island and check out the dozen or so restaurants and bars. There are bamboo stands set up along an area of the beach selling jewelry and T-shirts etc. The island is made up of native Mayans and Dread locked Rastas from the Caribbean. Everyone is friendly, offering us to come their way and say hello. We made our way to the north end of the island called the Split. It's where the island split after Hurricane Hattie in 1961 and there is an open thatched bar there where everyone gathers to watch the sunset. It's filled with locals and tourists (mostly European). By the end of sunset I believe we now know everyone on the island.
We spend the next couple days relaxing and swimming in the warm, clear bath water of the Caribbean and dining on fish, beans and rice. We would watch the sunset at the Split while having a drink and then ending the night at the I and I. I was beginning to feel very at home here. Gabby and a local man named Carlos became a friendly pair, teaching each other about their own cultures. He ran a snorkeling trip to Ray and Shark Alley and invited us to come. We took him up on his offer and decided to go and see what it was about. I had been on countless whale tours in the Northwest and was lucky if we saw one so I wasn't too worried about seeing a shark since this was a fear of mine. We gathered some snorkeling gear and headed out to sea. After about an hour in the boat heading away from Caye Caulker the boat stops. Carlos tells us, "Ok girls here we are. Get your gear on, it's time to meet your new friends."
I was staring off about 10 feet or so from the boat and didn't see a thing. Confident, I put my gear on and went to step into the water off the ladder. As soon as I look down into the water toward my feet I screamed. There must have been 20 black 3-4 foot Nurse Sharks and a doze
n Manta Rays swimming under and around the boat. Carlos jumped in and assured us it was ok. My heart raced at the thought of swimming with these creatures. I held my breath and jumped in. Although I think the sharks were more scared of me than I was of them since they left after only a few minutes. The Manta Rays on the other hand stayed and played with me, almost like a dolphin. They seemed intelligent and to stare at me in my eyes. I was intrigued. This was a once in the lifetime chance to see these creatures up close I was going to enjoy every minute of it.Gabby and Carlos continued to hang out as I did with people that we met from all around the globe. It was a great destination for backpackers and travelers on a budget. After about 5 days on the island we were ready to head to the jungle for a few days. We took the water taxi back to Belize City and from there took a taxi to the interior city of San Ignacio which took about an hour. Situated on the boarder of Guatemala it was the perfect stopping point . We spent one night there and were soon on our way in the morning to the ancient ruins of Tikal in Guatemala. Upon entering the country across the boarder I couldn't help but notice the armed men hiding in the ditch as we passed. The foliage became an overgrown jungle over the streets and elderly men riding on donkeys passed every few miles.
As we became closer and closer to Tikal the more anxious I became to see this ancient land. We finally arrived at the park and were able to get out and stretch. I took a deep breath and and listened to the howler monkeys in the trees communicate with one another. We had made it to Tikal!We met with a local guide who took us on a 3 hour tour and informed us of Tikal's ancient history. http://tikalpark.com/.
The ruins were an overwhelming presence and we hiked to the top of Temple 4. It was one of the most extraordinary travels I had yet and I absorbed all I could while there. Ruins always creep me out since they are just that, Ruins of an empire that ended without will. The history that happened there did make itself known by the impressive structures that were built throughout that stand watching over Tikal. We eventually took our taxi back to San Ignacio for the night and spent the evening at a local bar in town where all the locals met to dance to Punta music. We danced the night away and tried our best to chat with everyone with the limited Spanish that we knew. The next day we were on our way back to the ferry to go back to Caye Caulker. I found myself missing the 'I and I' and Gabby missed her new friend Carlos. When we arrived back on the island everyone greeted us as if we had been long lost friends they had not seen in years. We spent the next few days swimming in the Belize sun and continuing to get to know our new found friends. I got my wish and spent the night sleeping high up in the I and I tree house after a long night. The locals on the island made us feel like Caye Caulker was our home and we felt like it was our home too.Leaving this tropical paradise was not easy. Half the island showed up at the Split on our last night to say goodbye and we danced to reggae watching the sun set and continued dancing until we saw the sun rise again. Sadly in the morning we gathered our things and waited for the taxi to pick us up. With a handful of people there on the dock to see us off it was time to say goodbye to Caye Caulker. Gabby said goodbye to Carlos and I said adios to the island I have fallen in love with. My heart cried as we sped away back to the mainland on the ferry boat once again.
I think of Belize often and can't wait to return again. Gabby couldn't wait, she did return a month later after keeping in touch with Carlos. She ended up moving from her cloud covered island in the Pacific Northwest to the sun drenched island in the Caribbean. She stayed for a few months with Carlos and lived life as a true Belizean and then decided Belize and Carlos were a better option as a vacation than to call home for now and moved back to Washington. I fell in love with Belize's people, land, music and culture. Do I daydream about returning again someday? You better Belize it!
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