Christmas in Belize

Mari and I are still in Caye Caulker, just off the coast of Belize City. We decided we better stay put for the Xmas rush, as hostels fill up around this time of year. Last night there wasnt a ton going on, but there were several other hostelers (Sweden and Holland) cooking holiday meals to remind them of home. Mari and I prepared a Spanish style tortilla, kidney beans, and a fillet of fish we threw on the grill. We walked down to a local pier later in the afternoon when the fisherman are returning and bough a fresh fish right off the boat. It took a bit for us to fillet it, but it worked out.

We were flirting with the idea of taking off today, Christmas morning, on our way to Guatemala on the 7 am boat off the island. But, knowing this place is packed, we decided it might be a better idea to stay put and travel afterward. We really didn't like the idea of showing up this evening in Guatemala to full hostels and no beds.

This island is beautiful, rustic, and very interesting. We are staying at a place named Bellas, run by a guy from Federal Way (near Seattle) of all places. His mom is Belizean, and he moved back here 8 years ago, buying this hostel somewhere along the way. We have a super rustic, cute tiny room, sort of a shack, with a tiny bed inside and not much else for 15 bucks a night. There's enough of a kitchen in the main building that we have been cooking meals, and there are two boats for rowing around the island.

A few days back we took one of the little boats out into the open water towards the worlds second largest reef for a bit of snorkeling and an adventurous open water trek. I pushed Mari to the limits with a few hours of hard rowing, and we were both a bit sore after. On the bright side, we weren't swept out to sea and we were able to view some beautiful underwater specimens. Looking back it wasn't the brightest idea, but we did extremely well with a little dingy in the windy and chopper current. Luckily, I just recently read "In the Heart of the Sea", a shipwreck survival story, so I was prepared for the worst if it came to pass.

Now, its 11 am , and its already getting hot. The earlier cloud cover is waning and the sun is creeping out from its hiding place. We already took the boat out and paddled around, looking at fish, dropping anchor to float, and paddling around with hands and feet dipping in and outta the water. The Caribbean water is incredible. Azul and clear and wonderfully refreshing.

We will spend Christmas night here, and plan on leaving on the morning boat tomorrow headed towards Flores, near Tikal. Mari is really apprehensive about entering into Guatemala, and has been trying her hardest to convince me its not that great of an idea. But, seeing all the travelers flooding out of there, I know the horror stories are few and far between, yet still possible. We will try our hardest to pay attention to our surroundings and play off our good spirited vibe.

Merry Christmas to all! (and to all a good night)

T