Through rain, sleet, snow or gloom of night
Trip Start
Dec 31, 2007
1
7
12
Trip End
Jan 15, 2008
Caye Caulker,
Belize
Monday, January 7, 2008
Cut to a few hours later, when we hurried through breakfast (fryjacks, of course). It was still grey and gloomy outside, even though it was eight a.m. by now, but we were bound and determined to go snorkeling, even if we had to miss the Blue Hole. We ended up in a small boat with some of the most annoying travel companions we'd yet met. There was a large (both in size and in number) American family who brought a luggage bag literally as tall as I am, two German girls, an Irish couple, a trio from Norway, and us. Of all of these people, the Irish couple were the only ones I'd want to get trapped on an island with. Our guide and the boat's captain, Rene, and his nephew also seemed like decent fellows. In addition to the American family's bag, ever single other person except me and Sarah had brought a backpack which had to be shoved into the cargo hold at the prow, where the anchor was kept. This meant that every single time we stopped anywhere, every single backpack had to be taken out, moved, and restowed. (I started counting, as the cargo hold opened directly into my knees and pinned me to the seat with the sharp anchor points centimeters from my feet). (Beginning of trip stowage debacle: 1)
We could tell almost from the minute we pulled away from the dock that this was going to be a rough ride. We were all pretty much just wearing swimsuits and shivering in the wind and drizzle, whereupon Rene told us over the leaping of the boat and rushing wind that it was going to get worse in a moment, since we were heading right into a storm. This fact was obvious to pretty much everybody, as we could see the grey sheet up ahead where the storm was hitting the water. (Sarah and I hummed bits and pieces of Gilligan's Island quite a lot while we were in Belize.) I say "pretty much," since the American dad could not figure out what Rene was talking about. After twenty minutes of jarring and lurching, we started getting drenched with rain. I had dragged out my waterproof jacket at the storm warning earlier, so while I was barefoot and in a swimsuit, I at least had a little protection. The Irish couple, Sarah, and I were the ones sitting in the prow, so we got the full force of the stinging rain and wind. Eventually, though, Rene realized that the storm was just getting worse, and he headed over to what looked like an abandoned solitary house on an island to shelter until it blew over. I think he said that it was a station of some kind for one of the reserves around, but I didn't catch the specifics. (Bag stowage debacle: 2)
Fifteen or twenty minutes later we were able to pile back into the boat (Bag stowage debacle: 3) and continue on to Shark Ray Alley. We anchored (Bag stowage debacle: 4) and listened to a brief lecture from Rene on the currents in the area, the reef break, the choppy water, and staying close to him. This is also when we learned that almost the entire American family couldn't swim, in addition to one of the Norwegians. Of course this did not stop them from going right ahead and donning life vests to jump into the current, anyway. The effect of the vests in a group of swimmers was that every single person in one was swept around rather helplessly by the current, crashing multiple times into the rest of us. The worst offender, the ten year old boy from the American family, actually had the audacity to glare at you when his flailing finned foot connected with your person. It angered him especially if your head got in his way. The father of the family was such a jackass, though, I didn't see much hope for his offspring. At one point he actually tried to swim by holding onto a float that was tied to the anchored boat. It was cartoonish. Even worse, he frequently shouted instructions to his family to do what he was doing. I really don't see how they've survived this long.
The water was grey and rather murky, but we still managed (between blows to the head from people in life vests) to spot huge (4-5 ft) sting rays, spotted rays, moray eels, and a giant turtle, like those we saw last year nesting in Costa Rica. Sarah took some pictures with a disposable underwater camera that turned out surprisingly well, with much more of a blue tint than the water had in reality. We swam around for about 45 minutes before Rene got us back into the boat (Bag stowage debacle: 5) so we could head off for the next destination, the Hol Chan Reserve. This wasn't a very long ride at all, compared to the first leg. Back into the water at Hol Chan (Bag stowage debacle: 6), we had a slightly less structured swim, but we still had to keep Rene in our field of vision at all times. We saw more moray eels, some of the huge conch shells, tons of coral (some dead), and more rays. I just could not help but think of Steve Irwin whenever I would see one coming to float directly under me, and remained a little stiller than usual. Right before we were to head back to the boat (Bag stowage debacle: 7) after another 45 minute to an hour swim, Sarah and a few other people spotted a small shark. Sadly, I missed it. I was swimming with sharks and didn't even know it.
From Hol Chan, we headed into San Pedro for lunch, as the reserve is significantly closer to Ambergris than Caye Caulker. The Patio was closed, so Sarah and I found the Blue Water Grill, attached to the Sun Breeze Beach Hotel, where we got some of the best fish and chips I've ever had. Well, the best fried fish. Fries seem to be impossible to cook correctly in Belize, but theirs were at least edible. After tidying up in the bathroom, rinsing some saltwater out of my hair, and getting somewhat dressed again (I'd stowed quick-dry pants in the bag from the pocket of the waterproof jacket), I decided that I was going to forgo the last snorkel. After a few minutes of deliberation, Sarah agreed. We'd seen rays, sharks, a turtle, and coral, in addition to a thrilling boat ride, which we would both have bruises from the next day. Further dodging of the bad swimmers in the cold just did not sound like fun.
Back in the boat (Bag stowage debacle: 8), several other people agreed with us at first, but in the end, almost everyone jumped back in the water (Bag stowage debacle: 9) when we reached the new spot on the reef. The only other holdouts were one of the Norwegian girls and the mother of the American family, who tried to confide in us that she'd tricked her family into the water, even though she had no intention of swimming. She must not like them very much either, because convincing your children, none of whom can swim, into the ocean current during a storm just seems beyond accidental negligence. Sure enough, the youngest also forgot his life vest and flailed around yelling for nearly a minute before the dad realized the problem. I was almost concerned despite myself.
It didn't really sound like we'd missed much by skipping this swim, either, as no one had much to report once they got back in the boat (Bag stowage debacle: 10). I was getting a headache from all of the pounding up and down the waves and was ready to just get back to the hotel, so, of course, the next thing to do was pass around a plate of fruit and drive back to the far side of Caye Caulker so we could all sit quietly and have rum punch. After I passed on the rum punch (headaches and rum do not mix), Rene asked us if we were Muslim. I guess it is unheard of to turn down rum punch.
Finally we got back to the dock (blessedly right across from our hotel) and immediately escaped back to our room, after the last and final Bag Stowage Debacle, number 11. What any of those people brought in their backpacks I have yet to fathom, other than perhaps towels and water. Since I had a headache, I didn't much feel like leaving the room once I was showered and cozy in my pajamas, so Sarah went by herself to the Rainbow Grill, where she said she had some good snapper. I was so tired that I was asleep before she ever got back.
The moral of this story is, if you can't swim, please, please do not decide to go snorkeling in an ocean current during a storm with more baggage than we brought (combined) for our entire two weeks in Belize. It makes it very hard on the rest of us idiots who would just like to snorkel in an ocean current during a storm in peace.
