The best part was the pie.
Trip Start
Dec 31, 2007
1
6
12
Trip End
Jan 15, 2008
Where I stayed
Caye Caulker,
Belize
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Other than a lot of squishing together on the bus seat (remember elementary school field trips?) whenever the bus would get full, the ride down was even less eventful than the ride up. Since it started raining awhile after we passed Belmopan (very nice, friendly looking town, but we never had any time there), we caught a cab directly upon hitting Belize City. Belize City is an unpleasant place, and being accosted by seedy looking men in the rain sounded even less pleasant than usual. The water taxi to Caye Caulker was leaving directly as we were dropped off, so we had no time to catch our breath before being bundled into the boat. As we left Belize's harbor, I saw a couple of dolphins leaping from the water in the middle distance. The rain slacked off soon enough, and the ride was only a little bumpy. This was still bumpy enough to upset a lady near us, who threw up miserably throughout the latter half of the trip.
Upon arriving on Caye Caulker, we made our way through the drizzle and rain down the main street to our hotel, which, of course, was at the far north end of the inhabited section of the island, right by the deserted resort. The roads on Caye Caulker are not paved or covered, so we trudged through the wet, muddy sand, skirting the massive puddles covering the road until we got to Costa Maya Cabanas, only to find that our room was a tiny, dim room with one smallish bed. After escaping the room and talking with Heather, the owner, we were told, once again, to leave our stuff and not make a mess while she tried to get some visitors who had been asking about our room (whatever for?) to switch with them once they arrived.
We went all the way back down the road almost to the water taxi station (we had time to waste) to have lunch at the Sandbox, where we tried lobster and shrimp salsa, and I got a chirimole. This turned out to be a type of spicy black chicken soup with a whole chunk of chicken, a hard-boiled egg, and a large slice of potato in a cup. It was pretty good, though spicy, but it was brought out way after we'd finished everything else on the table, so I didn't really feel like lingering to eat my slice of potato.
Upon our return to Costa Maya (back at the other end of the island), we found we still had to wait for the other room, so it was back out in the rain for us. We found a cheap internet place not in any of the books at Taj's, then stopped in at Caribbean Colors for a cup of mocha (quite tasty) and a slice of key lime pie from next door. The key lime pie was a creamy yellow color, which I'd never seen before, but it was definitely lime flavored. The gallery and art section of Caribbean Colors spent another few minutes until it was fully dark and we had to go back to Costa Maya.
Once there, we found Heather had already put our bags in the new room and registered for a replacement snorkel tour for the morning, to make up for the one to the Blue Hole we had wanted that was canceled due to the rain. Back at the new room, we were, and remain, baffled. This room was at least twice the size of the other, had a large bed, a futon, its own porch, and windows on three sides. And it was actually cheaper than the tiny, dark room we'd vacated. (Though still pretty dark. The high cost of electricity in Belize again.)
We sat around watching the presidential debates for awhile, before reluctantly deciding that all of the restaurants were going to close if we didn't eat soon. We went just a short way down the street to one of the best restaurants on the island, Don Corleone's, where we had pasta, since, as the hostess said, "We are out of pizza." As we arrived half an hour before they closed, we didn't question that. Also, Don Corleone's fulfilled our current streak of trying Italian food in every country we visit (we'd already managed the Chinese food part back in Corozal). As it was dark, wet, and we had an all day snorkeling tour in the morning, we turned in pretty soon after dinner, with no further adventures walking around in the mud on Caye Caulker.
