South America 2024

Are there two 6 o'clocks in the day?
Up n early for the 7am bus from Flores to Belize. It began normally enough, then we had to change buses - to a smaller, more economical on diesel.
Hang on though... is that a bullet hole in the windscreen?
Oh well, onward.
It's a 3-4 hour journey through un-interesting landscape (so no photos). The border crossing was the 'interesting' part: Queuing, passport stamping, more queuing before walking across no man's land to the civilisation and C.21st of Belize. Actually, things did noticeably pick up: the rain stopped and the roads improved.
The outskirts of Belize city are fairly undeveloped but still relatively comfortable-looking. When we finally arrived at the bus terminus, very close to the water taxi/boat ferries port, the next task was to find my new digs. Excellent pre-planning (?) meant it was only a short-ish walk to find it.
It's really good. The woman who runs it, Kira, is lovely. The rooms are clean and tidy, the facilities are good.
Kira has invited all the guests who are interested to go with her to Belize's Annual Love FM Christmas Parade, starting in Albert Street in the city centre.
In a while I have to plan what to do during the later days.
I think things are going to be okay :)Читать далее

The early bird catches the worm, and the first 'water taxi' boat from Belize City to the Cayes leaves at 8 am. I made it and headed for Caye Caulker. It's smaller than San Pedro, closer, and the reviews are great so I'm off to swim (sleep?) with the fishes (The Godfather reference).
Couldn't help but take a shot of the man's t-shirt urging us to "relax". Was the boat trip going to be a tad on the dangerous side?
We were okay - a bit boring actually - stopping briefly at Caye Chapel before Caye Caulker. It looked absolutely gorgeous.
Aah, I was meant for this kinda thing.
After a short stroll around the tiny streets to get my bearings, I chose a 'tour vendor' more or less at random and booked on a snorkelling trip for 10:30 to 1pm. I checked on a scuba diving option - they wanted $170 for a 2 tank dive. Yikes! That's three times what I paid in Colombia. I'll snorkel thank you.
Caye Caulker is small, narrow and easy to walk around in an hour or so. At some points, you can look each way down a street and see both beaches, East and West, with much the best ones on the West side.
The men organising the snorkelling were actually okay. Not like yer usual 'scally' running the dodgems at the fair. We were in safe hands.
What they called the 'half day tour' included four stops for snorkelling etc.
The first was over really good coral (plenty of fish eg. Red Headed Rainbow Fish and lots I didn't recognise).
The second was swimming with Nurse Sharks (big 'uns! maybe 6ft) and huge Manta Rays (over 6ft including tails).
Third stop was at another coral outcrop where we could walk on the sea floor - about 20 miles from the mainland / 2 miles off Caye Caulker.
Lastly was an odd experience: we pulled nearer shore and the guides gave us sardines to hold between our fingers over the side of the boat. Then these huge 'Tarpon' fish would actually jump out of the water and either grab the sardine from your fingers, or head-but your hand so hard that you dropped the fish anyway. Amazing! And they were whoppers.
Back on dry land was a bit of a come down - lunch, a bit more exploring the island and then back on the water taxi to Belize.
A cracking day.Читать далее