Belize
February 28th, 2005
We left the Rio Dulce about 2 weeks ago, after being there for about 2 weeks. There is so much to see and do there, I could have spent a lot more time there than we did. I really loved it. There is something very exciting about cruising down a narrow river and not being able to see what is around the next bend. There are some gorgeous thatched styled homes of the wealthy Guatemalan’s along with the stilted clapboard huts of the local inhabitants. I have terrific pictures, but am so far behind in my web posting because the laptop we use for the digital camera no longer has a functioning keyboard. Darn…when we return to the States, that is what we say to everything now.
We have been in Belize for about 10 days now, making our way up the coast. The country has enacted a very discouraging law, discouraging for tourism, especially cruisers. They are now assessing a $10/person/per night fee just to anchor in national parks and they have converted almost all of the interesting atolls and regions in the southern part of the country into national parks. We were very frustrated at first because it was so expensive, for very little. But, thankfully, we have found that the northern areas, Tourneffe and Ambergis do not fall into the fee area. We are in San Pedro, Ambergis Caye right now hoping to get some diving in here. I think we will do most of the reef diving by ourselves, but pay to go with a group into Hol Chan Marine Reserve and possible do a night dive as well. We have had terrific weather, calm seas and perfect winds for sailing inside the reef. The water colors of the gulf are amazing! Negotiating in and amongst the reefs, coral heads and shallow grass areas is a picturesque but unnerving challenge, displaying every imaginable shade of turquoise, green and blue. With my polarized glasses it looks like something you would see in Disney Land. Too bad I can’t capture it on the camera.
A few days ago I got a chance to swim with a small pod of dolphins!!!! We were anchored off a small atoll, in the dinghy heading to a nearby reef to snorkel and spearfish when we spotted the dolphins. I donned my fins, snorkel and mask and quickly slipped into the water. I can’t say that they WANTED to swim with me, but they did tolerate my presence. One of the groups looked like a family with two younger, more playful ones. The largest of the 4 kept coming close to me, checking me out. It was thrilling. Unfortunately, the visibility was only 20 ft so I had to swim hard to keep them within my view.
We stopped in Belize City, but only long enough to take the dinghy in through the disgusting river/sewer canal leading to the nearest grocery store. From there we went to St. Georges and Cay Cauker, a very funky little town. We had a blast one night with some other cruises drinking dancing and to live music straight from our youth! It is a riot, all of us in the bar, including the band, were about the same age, acting like we were young but looking OLD. The men still have shoulder length hair, albeit strands rather than full ponytails, and the music was like a blast from the past.
We have 2 weeks until we meet some Calif. friends in Playa del Carmen. From there we will go to Isla Mujeres, enjoy the island and then wait for a weather window to head across the gulf to Florida. Try as I might to stay in the present, I feel a growing distraction as my thoughts and energy are focusing more and more on our return to the States.
More from Mexico
Jeri and Michael
