Belize Trip - Scuba, Snorkeling and the Jungle!

After taking 2 days to fly from Montana to Belize City, Joe and I finally arrive! So long snow....Hello sun! Arriving into Belize City was a snap. The airport is quite small (a handful of gates), so it was relatively quiet. Our bags arrived quickly and we went through customs. Outside of the airport, the heat hit us! Not as humid as I thought it was going to be! I think the first thing I did was remove my sneakers and put on my flip-flops! There were men outside of the airport exit offering to take us into Belize City (about 10 miles away). We agreed on a price ahead of time, although we had already read that a taxi from the airport usually runs about $25 to $30 one-way. We paid about $30 with tip. Our driver was pleasant, and the drive didn't take long. Some travelers choose to take a small airplane to the cayes off of mainland Belize, but Joe and I were excited to see the turquoise water. And, 3 plane rides to get to Belize City was plenty! So, our taxi driver took us to the Caye Caulker Water Taxi dock. There, we were met warmly. Someone grabbed our bags (and gave us a receipt for them) and we were lead to an office where we could buy our tickets for the water taxi to Caye Caulker. The ride would take about 45 minutes, and cost $10 per person, one-way. I definitely recommend buying only a one-way ticket, as there are 2 water taxi companies on Caye Caulker.....And you might not have a choice on which one you use coming back. We were herded into the taxi: One separate taxi went to Ambergris Caye, and ours to Caye Caulker. The water was beautiful and the boat ride, calm. We arrived to what looked like something out of a move: a tropical paradise! Palm trees, sand and sun. After getting our bags, we walked the 15 minutes or so to our beach cabin. At the dock when you arrive, there are a handful of "taxi" drivers offering to drive you to your accommodations. The cost is only $5 per ride (one-way), or they will drive just your luggage for about $1 per bag. We chose to walk. Make sure your bags can make the trip as all of the roads are made of sand....So wheeling a wheeled bag could prove difficult! We arrived at Ignacio's Beach Cabins, one of the lower priced options on the island (about $23 per night). It was on the south end of town so it was quiet and more remote. Not that Caye Caulker is too busy, but if you lodge in town, I could see how there might be some noise (music) from the bars or restaurants that might bother you. But overall, Caye Caulker is a quiet, tranquil easy-going island. Ignacio's was a bit rustic, but very cool. The cabins sit high up on stilts right on the beach, close to the water. The owner, Ruben, was terrific and the cabins come equipped with their own hammocks for lounging. Caye Caulker gets a nice breeze each day, so that helps with the humidity. It wasn't too bad actually....But at night we definitely used the fan in our room. After checking in to our cabin, Joe and I walked around. Caye Caulker is small, with about 1,000 inhabitants. I felt very safe at all times. The people were friendly and the vibe is so relaxed. We got dinner at the Rainbow Grill (fresh fish, rice and beans...) and had some drinks before heading to the Belize Diving Service office to sign up for my open water scuba certification dives. One of my main goals on this trip was to finish the scuba certification that I started in Montana. I could have done my open water dives in Flathead Lake in Montana in October, so I think this was the better choice!

This morning, we went to the dive shop where I did 2 of the 4 dives for my certification. I talked Joe into the refresher course (with some resistance), but it had been about 13 years since his last dive! We were on the same boat which was nice, and I got one-on-one instruction with Ricardo. We dove at the local Caye Caulker Marine Reserve and I saw a Moray eel, grouper and some colorful fish. I was a bit rusty since it had been about 6 months since my classroom and pool courses, but it was great! Warm water and great visibility! Afterward, Joe and I had a big lunch and took a well-deserved nap! We read, relaxed in the hammock and then head out for dinner that evening to Rosa's, one of our favorite places on Caye Caulker! The catch of the day is laid out before you and you get to choose what you would like grilled up for you meal. I think we had the snapper and shrimp and both were delicious!

Today was another good day! After my 2 dives this morning, I am officially SCUBA certified! Pretty exciting! We explored town a bit....It's amazing that there are no vehicles on the island! It was great! People do use golf carts to get around, or for the taxis, but other than that, it's mostly pedestrians. This evening was another day of reading and taking it easy, and an amazing dinner of fresh seafood yet again!

Today was a nice relaxing day! We woke early, had breakfast at Amor y Cafe. I love the fresh fruit, fruit juice and fruit smoothies that you can get almost everywhere! Joe and I explored the south side of the island, beyond our cabin. There is a "mini-reserve" on this side of the island...A good place for bird-watching and exploring the natural flora and fauna. We did manage to get a few mosquito bites on this walk, although this was the only time in our entire week on Caye Caulker! Pretty impressive! We saw a lot of lizards on our walk and a few brand new homes were being built in this area. After the walk, we relaxed and read and then went into "town" for a bite to eat. Joe snorkeled at the Split - The north end of Caye Caulker was split by a hurricane and at this spot is a public dock for swimming and snorkeling. Kiteboarding is popular here too, and the wind seems perfect for it.

Today was a great day! Joe fished off of our dock and caught a bonefish! Very exciting! We had breakfast at Sobre Las Olas and I had fried jacks for the first time. (Pretty much like fried dough) Of course, I had some rice and beans too! We also did a full-day snorkeling tour with Ragamuffin Tours. Their tour stood out because they take you out on a sailboat to do the snorkeling, not a motorboat. The boat ride was relaxing and we chatted with other people on the boat. We went to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. It was great! We saw nurse sharks, a bull shark, spotted eagle rays, a moray eel and a family of green sea turtles! Couldn't get much better! Lunch and fresh fruit was included in the tour, and on the way home, we were given shrimp ceviche and rum punch! I think this the most relaxing day of the entire trip! One thing I could not live without on this trip was my surf shirt / rash guard top. It was THE best item that I brought on the trip. It kept the sun off while snorkeling, and I even wore it under my wetsuit one day while diving. (I also wore it in the caves towards the end of our trip.)

Honestly, I'm not sure what we did this day! Probably some reading, napping and definitely eating!

We were at the dive shop at 6:00 AM this morning! They had breakfast ready for us, which was great. We took about a 2-hour boat ride to the Turneffe atoll for our 3-tank dive. The area was beautiful and the water a deep blue. They fed us a huge lunch and we dove at 3 different sites. We saw a big lobster, barracuda and an eel. It was nice to be able to dive without having to do any skills! I could just enjoy the view! Joe fished in the evening while I read, and we went out for our last dinner on Caye Caulker! We ended up at an Italian restaurant that was amazing! I was getting a bit sick of seafood, but Joe ordered snapper even here. I had pasta and it was delicious!

Sad day, but I'm ready for the next adventure. We took the water taxi back to Belize City and waited for our bags to arrive...(They ended up on a separate boat.) We shared a taxi with 4 other people plus the diver (that makes 7 of us in a relatively average-sized car). The driver was a bit scary and didn't even stop to let a disabled man cross the street! Good thing we weren't in that car for long! We were headed to the bus station, and paid about $5 for the 2 of us. There were some bus station attendants who were helpful in deciphering what bus would get us to Belmopan. We were on our way to Pook's Hill Lodge outside of Belmopan, and the lodge agreed to pick us up in Belmopan for free. The bus was an old school bus, a little worn, but the ride was pleasant. The ride took about 1 hour (give or take) and we were in Belmopan before we knew it! It was a nice way to take in the scenery. Belmopan is now the capital of Belize, though it's a relatively small town. When we arrived to the bus station, we went across the street to the Caladium restaurant to wait for Cat from Pook's. Joe and I had a nice meal, and then Cat from Pook's arrived and joined us. Driving into Pook's was a beautiful drive. The forest is lush and there are many different birds. Our cabana at Pook's was amazing! Quite the step up from our cabin on Caye Caulker. The first thing we did was explore the property. There's a loop that you can walk through the jungle, and on that loop there are a few gorgeous swimming holes on the Roaring River....I waded a little but Joe went right in (of course). After the stroll. I took a nice hot shower! (They burn the Cahune Palm Tree nuts to heat the water.) Cat made us some mean rum drinks at the bar, and we went down to the dining room (under the main lodge) for dinner. The food at Pook's was amazing! Seating is family-style, so you get to chat with the other guests, staff, etc.

The sounds at Pook's are wonderful! Birds, bugs, and in the distance, howler monkeys! We had a terrific breakfast. There was more than enough food. Francisco, our guide, took us to the zoo. The Belize Zoo only has orphaned or abandoned animals, and it seems like they really care about the animals there. We saw many animals of Belize that we would never have seen in the wild such as the puma, jaguar and tapir. Franciso has the best eyes for spotting wildlife that I have ever seen!! After the zoo, we drove to the Jaguar Paw Reserve for our cave tubing experience! First, we ate lunch at a restaurant in the Reserve. The food was delicious! To start our adventure, we hiked about 30 minutes in the jungle, on our way to the put-in. (There are shorter tube rides that require a shorter hike.) Hiking in the jungle was nice and cool and shady. Joe and I had one guide each, but my guide, Jerome, was the one who told us about the history of the area and the Mayan people. The float through the cave was very relaxing. The water level was a bit low, so our guides helped paddle us with their arms to keep us moving. The cave tubing is a relaxing way to spend the afternoon and keep cool!

Our guide today was Hector and he was fabulous! He had lots of energy and was full of information on birds, plants, and Mayan history and culture. This was a full-day event, not for the faint of heart! We started with a short drive to the trailhead, and then hiked through the jungle for about 1 hour. During the hike, you must wade through a few rivers/creeks to get there. We arrive the entrance to the cave! Here, Hector helps gather our gear - He has a dry-bag that he packs in his backpack, so you can put your camera in there if you'd like. (Our camera had a waterproof housing, so we kept it out at all times.) You don't take anything with you inside the cave except maybe your camera. We wore sneakers, socks (a must), bathing suits/trunks....I wore board shorts and my rash guard to help keep me warm and protected (in case I scrape up against any rocks). What can I say about the ATM cave?! Lots of history here...It was amazing to see some of the remains of human sacrifices. The journey through the cave was fun and challenging, but mostly adventurous! There were stalagmites, stalactites, and other interesting rock formations. We even saw some small plants growing in the cave - In complete darkness! We doggie-paddled through water and did some scrambling on the rocks. You definitely need to be an active person to get through this cave. The ATM cave is a magical place and also a sacred place. Hector did such a great job making sure we were safe, and he was so knowledgeable about the cave. What an exhilarating day! This evening, after an amazing dinner, Francisco took us on a night hike through the jungle. (And there were almost no mosquitoes!) Francisco is so good at spotting animals, that he can recognize an animal by the rustling sounds it makes in the jungle! We saw 3 armadillos, 1 skunk, some frogs, bats, kinkajou and wolf spiders (which glow when you shine your light on them). This night hike was really spectacular, and it's complementary at Pook's.

Our last day. Always a bittersweet moment. Belize was one of those trips that I enjoyed more than I even thought I would. It also was such a relaxing vacation. And, we got a little of everything - Sun, scuba, snorkeling, sailing, tubing, jungle, caves, animals, Mayan ruins....What an amazing trip!