AHHHH BELIZE

AHHHHH BELIZE

Belize came at a crossroads in my life. I had decided to leave the school district that I had taught for 19 years. I was pursuing opportunities with the Peace Corps as well as teaching overseas. Neither one was going too well. So, I decided to go to Belize! Nothing says jobless like sun, sand, tropical drinks and snorkeling. I went to Belize on the recommendation of a friend who spent her honeymoon there. For a surprisingly small island, there were many choices~beachside, eco tourism, inland stay, etc. I decided on Placentia in the south. As it was late May, early June, that meant off-season so many hotels and resorts were offering great discounts. The tip tapping fingers took me to a perfect option: a little cabin on the beach. The_____

is a small cluster of 6, brightly painted cabins situated a few feet from the beach. Heaven! I called the manager directly and secured my 7 day stay. Even better, there was no need to pay until checkout. Wow!

I flew Phoenix to Houston, Houston to Belize and then my favorite thing in the whole world: a small plane from the main airport to Placencia. I lie…this is NOT my favorite thing. I do NOT like small planes. I survived, gathered my things and hopped on board the small van that was there to take to my little cabin in the ~~woods~~

on the beach.

I could not have been more delighted with my “place.” Each cabin is brightly colored with a small porch and chair. Inside everything was cozy and clean: a bed, chairs, bathroom, a/c and small kitchen. The surroundings were lush and colorful. As I said I was on the beach within walking distance to the small town of Placentia. I immediately unpacked and walked to a nearby market for some staples: cereal, milk, coffee and fruits and veggies. There was a nearby produce stall and I immediately put my broken Spanish to use only to be told we speak English. J

Belize is an interest mix of Spanish speakers, the first people-Mayans, Caribbean, and other groups from Asia. All seem to live very comfortably and simply in Placencia.

Humidity struck! Lots of naps and resting and showers were had over the next few days. There’s a long stretch of sidewalk parallel to the beach and from the hotel, that leads to the little town of Placencia. Placencia is a quiet, laid back place suited for travelers seeking quiet days and more lively nights. There are dozens of little cantinas and open air bars with lots of music…LOTS OF MUSIC! And well into the hours of night. Enough so that after 3 days, I was compelled to leave my lovely little cabin and move to a near empty resort. One thing I loved about my little cabin was the proximity to a wonderful, open air restaurant. I had several breakfasts, dinners and cocktails at the----. The place was rather empty due to the off season, which meant lazy, long dinners staring out the water. I never ventured further into the town for dinner, but didn’t feel compelled to. Even though, I had a few invites to attend local parties. ;)

Placencia is a great place for those wanting to snorkel and SCUBA. I’m inclined to the former but not the latter. There are lots of day tours to snorkeling sights as well as rainforest treks. During my week long stay, I had a great mix of rest, relax, and day trips. It was also in Belize that I got the first phone call with a job offer for AIS-Cairo. My 3 day trips included:

ü Snorkeling to Laughing Bird Cay

ü Boat ride through Monkey Island

ü Journey to Mayan ruins

First to the food: YUMMMMMYYYYY!!! Crepes and pancakes and fruit and yogurt and one meal that was the best: crab cakes. Absolutely delicious! As a solo traveler, I tend to skimp a bit on meals. Simple breakfasts, small snacks, and then an early dinner-usually with a cocktail. Perhaps the best meal that I had was on a day trip to the Mayan Ruins. The driver stopped at a small house with some tables outside. Inside was the kitchen and it was serve yourself. The kitchen was hot and steamy and filled with indescribable smells. Basically it was help yourself. There is nothing better than a cheap meal of so called “peasant food.” No fancy meals for me! I love simple, earthy food. This plate consisted of tender, marinated chicken, rice, veggies and plantanos. The meals at the second resort were more pricey as I was limited to eating at the resort restaurant.

I chose to leave the second resort because of the nightly loud music coming from the beach bar down the a short distance from the cabins. It just got to be too much for me. If the music would have ended before midnight I would have been okay, but no… this went well past midnight. Even with earplugs and the fan running the constant music drove me away to another resort. Fortunately, the manager, maybe she was the owner, understood and didn’t charge me for the nights I booked, but didn’t use. She insisted that she told me about the music, but I would never have booked if I knew about it. Again, she graciously let me out of my reservation and I moved on to a resort much further down the beach and not with walking distance of the town. What was absolutely lovely was that the resort was near to empty! I had the pool and beach all to myself!

THE EXCURSIONS

The first excursion was snorkeling. It was rather difficult to book as off season meant few customers which mean no boats wanted to go out. Fortunately, I found a boat with a few other tourists. We went out Laughing Bird Cay. I hadn’t snorkeled for years and was a little worried. The boat ride over was amazing and coming on to the small island with crystal blue was water was simply amazing. I chose to wear a life jacker as I’m not a stellar swimmer. And rather wisely, I put on a t-shirt to protect my back for the harsh sun. The snorkeling was outstanding! Belize has some of the best reefs in the world. The diver master took us around the island with lunch in between. I wish I had a camera to capture all that I saw. Truly amazing! I think my favorite fish is the flat blue and yellow parrot fish. We saw eels, sea cucumbers, rays, and of course fish I can’t even begin to name. On the way back we had the pleasure of some lovely company: dolphins swimming along side the boat.

The next excursion was the Monkey Tour. A guide picked me up in a little boat and we went out to the mangrove fields and then deeper through the waterways into the rainforest. Lots to see and hear: the constant hum of insects and bird call; the occasional call of the howler monkey and one memorable little stop: a mama alligator and her babies. The guide would pull the boat over whenever he saw something interesting. It was an interesting but exhausting day: bugs, sunshine and creeping humidity make for shower and a long nap afterwards. And then of course a cocktail.

The Mayan ruins further inland and near Guatemala was the final excursion and had the unique travel experience of breaking my thumb in the van door. Little I could do but bear the pain. Made picking up luggage rather challenging. Again, this trip was hard to book as no tour companies were willing to go out in off-season. The resort kindly offered up the services of one of their on site gardeners. I said yes and off we went in the resort van. Sadly, my Spanish was limited and we had limited conversations. But he gladly took me to several Mayan ruins and usually, there was a site guide to fill me in on the details. On our way back I saw several traditional Mayan villages and had the aforementioned meal.