Island Life

It was around 5:30pm, the sun had set, the moon was rising, but there was still just a hint of daylight left.  Our boat was heading east towards one of the reefs, and slowed to a stop.  Now was the time to make the choice.  We had spent the entire day between the boat and a private island, fishing for snapper, conch hunting and pulling up lobster traps.  Our group’s catch – a great combination of crab, lobster, conch and snapper – was turned into a feast back on the island, including conch and lobster ceviche, grilled fish, and crab and lobster stew.  Then we headed back on the boat for one final fishing adventure.

Benedict, our guide and catcher of all things with fins, claws, or otherwise residing in the ocean, was scanning the ocean while James, our navigator and captain (and the only person who had not been drinking throughout the day) instructed us on the proper handling of a spear gun.  It had been a really long day, spent mostly under the direct heat of the Belizean sun, and part of me just wanted to stay in the boat.  But part of me really really wanted to try my hand at spear fishing.  So I put my mask and snorkel back on and jumped into the warm ocean.  We swam around scanning the reef below for more snapper, or perhaps a stray lobster.  Unfortunately, our intended prey was nowhere to be found, and after 10 minutes or so we were all back in the boat heading for shore. 

And that is how we spent the second of three days on the island of Caye Caulker, just off the coast of Belize City.  The first and third days were remarkably less adventurous – I spent at least half of each day living the island life from the vantage point of my hammock.  Our room at De Real Macaw guesthouse is well placed – the front porch is about 6 feet off the main drag, and just a few more yards from the ocean.  Whether watching the locals, fellow tourists, boats in the water, birds in the sky, lizards on the porch rails, or Java or Squeaker – our two adopted porch cats, this is the place to do it.  Just about everything the island has to offer is within a five minute walk from here.  And, when we get lucky, the island (in the form of the local fruit vendor, the Tart Man or the Cake Lady, all with their wheeled carts) comes to us. 

Tomorrow we hop the ferry back to the mainland and head to the airport for the trip back home.  The twelve days in Belize and Guatemala have provided a great mix of adventure and doing nothing at all.  As everyone has been trying to get us to say since we got here, and I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, yes, it has been “unBelizeable”.