This is the wake of our southwardly bound water taxi. Only we intended to head north. $25 and three hours out of our lives is the price we pay for not asking a simple question.
Lesson Learned: If the boat (or bus) is on time in Central America, it is probably not the ride you’re waiting for.
I sat on the edge of the boat, clutching the side and staring at the nurse sharks and south rays circling in the water below—lured by our guide, who threw sardines to entice them to swarm en masse for our benefit. I might have stayed in the boat, foregoing the snorkeling, if Brian hadn’t thrown down the gauntlet with his post How to Become Fearless. So I jumped in…and lived to tell the tale.
The small island off the coast of Belize is exactly what we needed. Colorful. Laidback. Easy. We couldn’t have picked a better spot to coast into our journey. Caye Caulker, in its present form, exists to serve travelers and we are glad for it.
The island is touristy but in a subdued kind of way. The dirt roads (and they’re all dirt roads) are lined with restaurants, bars, guest houses and dive shops. As a traveler, it has most everything you want, and none of what you don’t.
Food shacks in Belize City, and site of our first meal in-country
The bright colors of Belize City are dulled with age and the buildings show clear signs of neglect. Dogs and bicycles and cars jostle for position with no obvious adherence to any traffic laws. We hear a mixture of rustling palm trees and Creole conversation. Touts pester us as we pass. We’re not in Kansas anymore and it is wonderful.
So often we talk about travel only in terms of seeing and doing. We completely forget about being. There’s something invigorating about being someplace different; really different.
Everywhere Once 