moreover, mannygoossen: Belize Bound! The Cayes of Belize (Chapter Four)

On our fourth day in Belize, we got up early and drove down to Punta Gorda for a day trip to the Cayes [Keys] (the many islands between the mainland and the barrier reef), all of which are a leisurely boating distance from shore. We went with an American family with three kids who have been staying and helping out at Machaca for the past little while. Physically, the blondest family ever (as you'll see in the vlog).

Patrick, a young Belizean, was our tour guide along with his even younger assistant. Both knew the Cayes' inside and out, especially the prime fishing and snorkeling spots. Fishing was our first stop as Patrick anchored the boat and pulled out a bucket of these rustic looking, nylon-raveling, wooden handles. We hooked some bits of fish flesh then unraveled the nylon lines into the sea, tugging when we felt the presence of a hovering snapper. Red snappers to be exact, scaly and snappy with a spine dorsal fin. It took Willie the longest to catch one, and everybody cheered once he eventually did! The fearless Bubba (the youngest of the three kids) was actually raking in the most fish. He was so excited to the point of flinging himself hard from the side of the boat onto the floor, landing on his knees in a triumphant fashion. Crazy kid.

From fishing we motored on to another island to check out the lighthouse where TIDE's HQ was; a conservation organization for the cayes' wildlife and environment. It was beautiful to climb to the top and look out over all the surrounding area.

Snorkeling was next on the agenda! I had never done it before so it was awesome maneuvering in between the coral and seeing all the colourful fish darting into the tiny holes and cracks. Once you got over the fact that there were barracuda amongst you, it was smooth sailing. The sun was our biggest threat however, and my back paid dearly. (We didn't head to the barrier reef because it was much pricier and about 20 more miles by boat unfortunately.)
After we had our fill of snorkeling we went out to deeper waters to swim. Patrick swam pretty far to dive many meters for conch shells (you'll see his assistant holding one in the vlog that he brought back). During this time, Jeremy, the dad of the family we were with, ended up diving down with a mask only to spring back up in a panic. He quickly swam back to the boat and explained his terror. A barracuda swimming underneath him stopped to look up, stared at him, and started to draw closer! ... I know I would freak out. Who knows if it was the same one, but after our swim, we put a hunk of meat on a line, trolled the boat and luckily caught a barracuda. Patrick wrestled in the heavy line and bludgeoned the thing as it tried to flail free. It's teeth were jagged and it's eyes were cold. Scary creatures.

Our last stop out on the sea was this thatch hut, small island resort. It featured a breezy bar/restaurant that was onlooking the dock with an aquarium. It oozed retirement. Or maybe just a nice getaway! An iguana we saw on shore about 3-4 feet long was definitely enjoying its stay, as it lazily chilled out in the sun.

Willie's allergies had kicked in so we decided to call it a day and head back to Punta Gorda. Although once we got home to Machaca, we went with Don and Cliff to visit another resort named Hickatee Cottages, a Bed & Breakfast spot hidden in a deep pocket of the rain forest. The British husband and wife owners were once students of Don and Cliff's at Machaca. They decided to come back some years later and build their own little cottage oasis (getting some notice from travel magazines too). As we arrived, we walked in on a local Galifuna drummer playing for the guests on the restaurant's veranda. It was super tribal-esque, and even the British husband had his own drum to join in. When the drum lesson was finished and the guests went on with their night, we hung around to talk with the owners. They offered us free drinks so we all asked for Sprite, but the husband somehow mistook Cliff's order for a beer. I jumped at the opportunity to try the local brew. Belikin, Mayan Temple beer. Mmmm, 'twas really good. Good enough for me to buy a shirt at the airport when we left, and yes it did say "You Better BELIZE It!" on the back.

After seeing and gawking at our first tarantula of the trip, we hopped back into the van and took off back to Machaca for the night; making a pit stop at Papa Jop's, the local Jehovah's Witness, for a pizza for the road. It was delicious.

Here's the vlog, enjoy! Stay tuned for the last chapter!