Checkers Anyone?

Necessity is the mother of invention.  Here in the U.S. if I needed checkers, I'd go to the Walmart and buy the game.  Our heads are just too in the box.  Here's Belizean style checkers ---the  homemade painted wooden checker board using Beliken bottle caps!

Lose your checkers?  Have another round of beer!

Wild Thing!

On the ride back from Caye Caulker to Ambergris Caye in the water taxi, we encountered another little monkey on da boat.  She was quite the character.  At first, we thought she belonged to an American couple because she was climbing all over the man, doing her best to destroy his laminated map of Belize, and literally swinging from his t-shirt at one point while he was standing up gazing out at the water. 

She next turned her charm on me and begged for me to take her picture, and then she did her rendition of eating her shoes.  After trying to claim my bracelet and having no luck removing it from my arm, she turned back to swinging off the man's t-shirt again.  As the boat was pulling into the dock, she woke her sleeping sister by pulling the sister's jeans down for everyone on the boat's viewing pleasure. A fight ensued between her and the embarrassed older sister and the mother stepped in to scold our little friend.

Our last glimpse of her, she had hopped atop the huge luggage cart being pushed by porters off the dock and up to the main street.  Grinning all the way!

She was wild, but quite the charmer!  Guess she hasn't been to kindergarten yet.  They'll break that spirit!  (Again, just kidding!)

Biking Ambergris

On Ambergris Caye, we rode bikes practically everywhere we went.  We loved that because we ride bikes at home almost everyday.  Lots of locals also use bikes as their primary form of transportation to and from work and school.  In comparison to our favorite little island off the coast of Mexico, Ambergris just seemed much more bike friendly.  Specifically, we felt much safer riding bikes on Ambergris because car traffic on the island moves at a slower pace. 

Translated, that means Ambergris taxi drivers don't seem to be in kamikaze mode.  There's plenty of traffic, especially in San Pedro Town, but people don't seem hell bent to get from one place to another in record time.   We noticed bikes riding down the middle of the street with cars and golfcarts behind giving them the right of way.  In fact, the few times we rode in taxis, the polite drivers  patiently waited behind pedestrians, bikes, and/or golfcarts in the road without honking horns, much less trying to force them to the side to swerve around.

It's just my opinion, but Belizean time seemed a notch slower than Mexican time -- if that's possible. That's a good thing if you're on vacation! 

Bike racks can be seen all over the island, so obviously, lots of people ride bikes!

If a person's in need of a bike repair, El Guapo is there to save the day!  We passed this sign on Middle Street almost everyday.  Several times, I saw El Guapo himself out front, but didn't have the nerve to ask him to pose with his sign.  (Guapo means handsome in Spanish.)

Our first week on the island, the hotel didn't provide free bikes, so we rented from Joe.  Joe's bikes were in good repair, and I think the maximum charge a day was around $10.  He surprised us and pro-rated by the hour, so we ended up paying less than $10 for two bikes the days we rented.

I think I may have posted this guy's photo before, but he wins the award on most unusual item transported by bike on this trip!  He's got a papaya tree (at least it looks like one to me?), and he was very happy about his find!

Most of the island bikes are simple coaster types with pedal brakes and no gears.  I'm still trying to brake by back pedaling and we've been home three weeks!

Just like on Isla Mujeres, vendors use trikes to sell food and produce up and down the island.

This bike hangs from the roof of a dive shop, Chuck and Robbie's, where Craig did his dives.  I'm guessing they found it in the deep and brought the artifact back to decorate the shop!

This Caye Caulker bike has a sophisticated air, especially since it matches the B&B sign.

We stayed at Cocotal Inn and Cabanas the second week.  They had a large lineup of free bikes for guests to use, so we pedaled up and down the beach paths north of the bridge everyday.   The bikes were also useful for picking up supplies in town.  Most mornings, we'd ride over the bridge to San Pedro town to stock up at the bakeries, fruit stands, and grocery stores. 

Lots of locals ride two on a bike giving a lift to an extra child on the handle bars or back of the bike.  So when I spotted this modified bike below at a house, I thought it was so cool!  The hitchhiker gets his own seat!

A cool little bike on Caulker.

As a side note, I'm a happy girl today!  I had my doctor's appointment yesterday and my internist ruled out the heart as the cause of my Tony Soprano flop in the mountains last week.  So, I'm free to move about the country.  My guess about the cause was probably right on the mark.   I really should have gone the extra six weeks and gotten my M.D. certificate.  (That's a JOKE!)  

Technical Difficulties and Fruit

I've been having a number of technical difficulties this week.  First of all, my laptop crashed.  Fortunately, I saw it coming and I think hope all my photo files saved to my external hard drive.  I still had my Belize photos on a flash drive, so at least there's that!

Next on the list -- I'm like a bird with a broken wing.  Getting out of bed on Thursday, I pulled a muscle in my upper back, so it hurts to use my right arm with the laptop (actually, that would be Craig's laptop, which I'm trying to convince him to share).

Last, but certainly not least, we have the little seeing stars episode on Wednesday's hike in the Superstition Mountains.  If I hadn't been sitting on a rock, I would have gone down in a Tony Soprano-like flop.  I have an appointment with my doc tomorrow, and hopefully, the experts will figure it out.  But I don't think new hiking boots will make my Mother's Day wish list!

I think the solution to all my little woes would be to move to the tropics, soak my sore back/shoulder in the warm saltwater, ride my bike everywhere, and eat more fresh fruit and veggies!

Fresh fruits and veggies are abundant in Belize. 

You can't ride a bike far without spotting a new fruit and veggie stand.  I like the bright signage on this one!

I didn't step into Patricia's Boutique to investigate if she sells something else besides fruit and veggies, but how cute!  Love the palm trees painted around the window.

Another huge stand south of town.

Papayas -- my favorite!

A fruit/veggie rack replaces the candy rack at the checkout!

This man sells on a corner in San Pedro.

A little cart out front.

Caye Caulker fruit stand by the sea.  I noticed some shops on Caye Caulker have No Loitering signs. 
Maybe people touch too much and bruise, or maybe fruit disappears?  But I also noticed the sign in front of a small grocery store.  Hmmmmm.

Belizean Paintbox

Just some photo fun on a Thursday with the bright tropical colors from Belize!

Polly Wanna Breakfast Burrito?

One of our favorite places for breakfast in San Pedro was Estel's Kitchen.  One day on the way into the restaurant, I noticed this parrot on a branch right next to Estel's entrance.  Only in the tropics!

Estel's is located right on the beach just south of the town park in San Pedro and serves delicious food until 5:00 p.m.

Diners can choose from tables on the beach or tables on the covered front porch.  Either way, your toes are in the sand.  I found out the hard way that sand can be problematic.  One Sunday while we were waiting on our food, a little boy in a standoff with his mother picked me as the target for a handful of sand.  Right in the face!  After I got over the shock and the mother finally dragged the kid out of the restaurant, Craig pointed out that we could thank our lucky stars that the food hadn't arrived yet!  Otherwise our breakfast burritos would have been a little gritty!  I guess every moment has its silver lining.  (And I'm just glad my son never pulled that one!)

The menu's quite extensive!  And the prices are reasonable.  For example, the huge breakfast burrito is $15 Belizean, which translates to $7.50 U.S.  The exchange rate is set at 2 Belizean to 1 U.S. dollar.  If you're headed to Ambergris, don't worry about getting Belizean dollars.  Everyone readily accepts U.S. dollars.  We started out with a supply of U.S., then used the ATM for Belizean dollars.   I left with one $2 Belizean bill as a souvenir.

 

 

Our favorite was the huge breakfast burrito, along with a bowl of fruit. 

After you eat, check out the artifacts up by the menu board!  Or head out onto the beach for some shopping.  The vendors set up tables under the palms out front.

 

Wish I had one of  Estel's breakfast burritos this morning!

Reflections on Ambergris Caye

With this post title, I bet you're expecting deep thoughts from Beck about Ambergris Caye.  Sorry, no time to reflect!  We're off on a hike today, so I'll just post a few reflective photos!

I'm slipping one in that wasn't taken on Ambergris Caye.  I bet you can easily guess which one!
 

Our Home in San Pedro

Now that post title's a little misleading.  I wish I had a home in San Pedro!  To rephrase, we spent the first week of our trip to Ambergris Caye at a beautiful boutique hotel, Caye Casa, located on the beach road that leads north along the water from San Pedro Town.  For anyone looking for some quiet luxury within walking distance of town, I'd highly recommend it!  Click on the Caye Casa link above for photos and more info.

I can't say enough good things about Caye Casa.  The rooms were perfectly maintained, the views were striking, the atmosphere was extremely friendly, and the service from staff was impeccable.

 The view from the second floor.

Most mornings, I'd wander downstairs and out to the beach to photograph sunrise.  What a tranquil scene!

Reef, a friendly canine member of the Caye Casa staff, surveys her domain.  She's such a sweetheart, but definitely keeps an eye on the place and watches out for her buddy Caulker.

During our stay, the staff would move our loungers across the sand road to our favorite beachfront location under the deep shade of the palms where we'd read, nap, and occasionally stroll to the end of the dock.  The water at the end of the dock is very shallow, so you can go down the ladder there and wade out a little to snorkel and swim.  The hotel has placed a marker in the water out from shore to mark the end of the safe area and instructs guests not to swim beyond that point to avoid being hit by boats.

The water here was warm!  In February!  One afternoon, a man from a small hotel next door who'd been over-served ran out to the end of the dock and dove in.  My eyes popped out of my head wondering if he'd broken his neck.  Fortunately, his arms must have hit first and the sand and alcohol cushioned the blow.  Once he emerged unscathed, all his dock companions had a good laugh.

Lounging waterside here was very peaceful.  Most vendors on Ambergris set up their wares at various locations and let buyers come to them, so a person can relax for hours uninterrupted.

Later in the afternoon, I'd turn my beach lounger around to see the local kids pass on their way home from school.  It was one of the best spots in town for a people watcher like me!   That area of San Pedro is a mixture of residential, small hotels, and condos on a sand street, so the neighborhood is very quiet with very little traffic.  The afternoon kid parade is about the only rush hour on Beach Road.

Caulker after a roll on the beach.  He's a sweetheart and lives the good life at Caye Casa with his best friend Reef!

Captain Boxter's sailboat Bien Amigo.  Below he's coming back into the dock after a snorkel outing with Caye Casa guests.

Caye Casa rates up there as one of the most relaxing places we've stayed!  If you're headed to Ambergris Caye, I'd highly recommend it!  It's a winner!

Prepare for Takeoff!

Okay, this just cracks me up.  I hadn't been in a small plane since I was a kid and a friend's dad gave us joyrides in a little Cessna as the entertainment at a birthday party.  The Tropic Air plane from Belize City to San Pedro was certainly larger than that, but the smallest commercial plane I've flown.  The flight was my first experience with what I'd call an island puddle jumper.

When I decided to book us on Tropic Air between Belize City  and Ambergris Caye, I envisioned something like Horizon Air's small prop planes that we used to ride from Spokane to Montana on ski trips.  Metroliners?  I had friends who wouldn't fly them and called them the toothpaste tubes of death.  Well, these planes made Metroliners look like 737's, but only in the sense of their size.  I had no qualms because they appeared to be in tip top condition!

Craig and I decided on the return flight to Belize International that we wanted to sit in the row right in back of the pilot.  That's easier said that done since a larger person has a difficult time wedging themselves between seats to get forward.  Finally an old pro told me to turn sideways to squeeze myself through the tiny aisle.

Here's another suggestion.  Be early.  We checked in about 40 minutes before the flight and they informed us our plane would be leaving shortly.  Craig made a quick bano run and by the time he came back, a gate agent was leading us out the door and walking us out to the plane to board.  The flight took off about 20 minutes early.

If I'd known these guys were going to have to stuff my bag into this little plane, I might have packed lighter!

Here's a little video clip of the flight from San Pedro to Belize City.  Meet the pilot!  As you can see, we're up close and personal.  In fact, if I'd stretched my arms, I would have hit him in the head. He's the guy right in front of us with the GPS screen.  And the lady with the spiky white hair in the seat next to him is not the co-pilot.  She's the lucky passenger who was tiny enough to wedge herself into that seat and ride shotgun! 

There's no rum punch juice boxes, no banos, and no flight attendant making a safety announcement telling passengers to turn off electronic devices.  And that's why I was able to whip out the Flip and record the event for posterity!



For future info if anyone wants to travel to Ambergris Caye, there are two choices after landing in Belize City.  Water taxi or small plane.  The water taxis take about 90 minutes, and while much cheaper, can be a bone jarring ride.  And if you land late in the afternoon, you might risk missing the last water taxi.  We booked our Tropic Air flights through Taco Girl  and saved 10%.

We did make the boat crossing to and from Belize City while we were on Ambergris when we took the long daytrip to Lamanai.  I have to say after a long day of touring and/or traveling -- it's a gruel.  So if we return to Ambergris, we'll definitely just take the 15-minute flight on Tropic Air.  It's easy and scenic!

The Anti-Beach Day

 After my failure to climb the High Temple at Lamanai last week, I think Craig was just spoiling to get me back out there.  So yesterday, he roped me into taking a hike.
 

We settled on a desert mountain hiking area about a half hour from the house.  And who could resist a Goldmine!

Craig led the way.

I really wish they wouldn't put signs like this out there for men to see because it's like waving a red flag in front of a bull.   Hazardous -- steep -- gotta have it!

 After climbing up up up, I plopped down on a handy bench to rest contemplating whether I wanted to risk death and go any higher.  (Okay, that's an exaggeration.)  Another couple came along to distract me from my pain and we struck up a conversation.  About that time, Craig noticed this bad boy on a rock off the trail.  At first he thought it was an iguana, but we found out later its name is Chuck.  Seriously, it's called a chuckwalla!  It's the second largest lizard species in North America and a member of the iguanid family, so Craig's first thought was semi-accurate. The gang talked me into inching closer and closer to get a decent shot of the thing.  At the time, we had no clue what it was -- but go say hi Beck and take his photo!

The desert blooms put on a show in February and March.  I can't believe this ugly prickly thing produced these beautiful purple flowers!

 I got my second wind and we decided to forge on to the highest point on the trail for the vistas.

We're on top of the world!!!  (Not really.)

The trip down was much quicker than the climb up!  I saw this gherkin cactus on the way down.  (And no, it's not really a pickle cactus, but that other ugly thing was a chuckwalla!)

We hadn't really planned on taking the high road, but after reading the trail map, the hike was five miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet.  I think it might have been easier to just climb the temple at Lamanai?

And speaking of Mayan ruins, we must have them on the mind.  We saw this on the road home and Craig swears it's an unexcavated Mayan temple.  I think he was hallucinating after his desert hike!