Our last few days on Caye Caulker consisted of blissful days lying on the beach by the Split and enjoying great food with new friends. Katie and I had originally planned to leave the Caye on Monday, but this awesome Aussie couple we met convinced us to stay and relax a bit longer- not that we needed much convincing. By this point we'd met a decent amount of locals that were wicked helpful pointing out hole-in-the-wall eating spots that we never would have discovered on our own. The Kitchen, located a few blocks off the main strip, is a perfect example. The tables are located two flights up on a deck, with a great view of the island, an amazing breeze, and even better conch fritters and chicken salbutes!
By Tuesday we were ready to head on to our next destination- San Ignacio, by the Guatemalan border. Some of the coolest Mayan ruins in Belize are located in the area, and that was our main objective for heading there. We hopped on a water taxi to Belize City, where we met an American guy named Mark- he and Katie bonded over their epic amount of bugbites. My theory is that if I keep hanging out with these two I will NEVER be bitten. I have perhaps 10 bites total compared to their 100+ apiece. Mark didn't have a destination so he decided to join us, and me and the two insect-magnets hopped in a cab and headed to to San Ignacio, with a quick detour at the Belize Zoo.
We arrived in San Ignacio, tossed our stuff down, and set off to book a tour of the ATM caves (Actun Tunichil Muknal) about an hour outside the city. Once that was accomplished, we settled in to have some beers and dinner, and hit the hay early in preparation for our tour the next day!
Showing posts with label Caye Caulker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caye Caulker. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Raggamuffin Love
While Regan and I had a fun night out at I & I and Oceanside Bar the night before, nothing could keep us from being stoked about our snorkel trip the following morning (Not even the Rum!) We had asked people we met over the previous days about the different tours out here and every time we were recommended to the same tour company- Raggamuffins :)
Located right on the Main Strip, Raggamuffins has a little booking spot right next to the beach on the right as you're walking towards the Split. They offer half day and full day tours of all different kinds but Cait and I did the full day snorkel tour. For $140 BZE, your trip includes 3 awesome snorkel destinations (45 minutes each), fresh lunch of your choice, good quality equipment, a very cool laid back and knowledgeable crew, a never-ending refill of rum punch (trust me, its unlikely that you will hear anyone say "why's the rum gone?"), beautiful scenery, and MOST importantly...An amazing experience with tons to see!!!
Our first stop was the Coral Gardens, where we saw tropical fish of every variety and plenty of beautiful corals. Our first mate Shane jumped in the water with us, and while you had the option to self guide, he was happy to point everything he saw out to you and share his ocean wisdom.
Stop # 2 was called Shark and Stingray Alley and you might be able to guess what we saw here. They chum up the water to get the Nurse Sharks and the Stingrays close to the boat and we scooted right in for an up close and personal interaction with these amazing animals. Shane jumped back into the water and with his understanding of what calms the sharks, he was able to hold one very lightly in the water so that we could see what they're really all about. For Caitlin and I (who both have seen Jaws at a very young age) this felt like the first baby-step towards changing our initial outlook on these docile and mellow dudes. The Stingrays were also an outstanding sight, I have always been a big fan as I love the way they just glide through the water and always look like they're smiling.
Our final stop was Hol Chan Reef where Shane and our Captain Kimani both guided us around in 2 small groups. We saw even more intricate reef, sea turtles of all ages, and the prettiest of the rays, the eagle ray.
We finally sailed back towards Caye Calker, rum in one hand, fresh ceviche in the other, and island reggae comin through the speakers. This experience will treat you right, and leave you wanting life to always feel that sweet.
Located right on the Main Strip, Raggamuffins has a little booking spot right next to the beach on the right as you're walking towards the Split. They offer half day and full day tours of all different kinds but Cait and I did the full day snorkel tour. For $140 BZE, your trip includes 3 awesome snorkel destinations (45 minutes each), fresh lunch of your choice, good quality equipment, a very cool laid back and knowledgeable crew, a never-ending refill of rum punch (trust me, its unlikely that you will hear anyone say "why's the rum gone?"), beautiful scenery, and MOST importantly...An amazing experience with tons to see!!!
Our first stop was the Coral Gardens, where we saw tropical fish of every variety and plenty of beautiful corals. Our first mate Shane jumped in the water with us, and while you had the option to self guide, he was happy to point everything he saw out to you and share his ocean wisdom.
Stop # 2 was called Shark and Stingray Alley and you might be able to guess what we saw here. They chum up the water to get the Nurse Sharks and the Stingrays close to the boat and we scooted right in for an up close and personal interaction with these amazing animals. Shane jumped back into the water and with his understanding of what calms the sharks, he was able to hold one very lightly in the water so that we could see what they're really all about. For Caitlin and I (who both have seen Jaws at a very young age) this felt like the first baby-step towards changing our initial outlook on these docile and mellow dudes. The Stingrays were also an outstanding sight, I have always been a big fan as I love the way they just glide through the water and always look like they're smiling.
Our final stop was Hol Chan Reef where Shane and our Captain Kimani both guided us around in 2 small groups. We saw even more intricate reef, sea turtles of all ages, and the prettiest of the rays, the eagle ray.
We finally sailed back towards Caye Calker, rum in one hand, fresh ceviche in the other, and island reggae comin through the speakers. This experience will treat you right, and leave you wanting life to always feel that sweet.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
You Better Belize It!
So we touched down in Belize City midday on Thursday. The first thing we did once we cleared customs and got our bags was to find a cab to take us to the docks where the water taxi to Caye Caulker departs from. Pretty much everyone we had talked to told us that the first thing we should do once we got to Belize City, was to bail out of the city and head for the islands. And that was just fine by us!
After roughly an hour's boat ride we landed in paradise, aka Caye Caulker. We dropped our bags off in our small dorm-style room near the beach and went to explore. The main streets run roughly a mile long by 4 blocks wide, and sport mostly bars, restaurants, and little shops and bodegas. The island itself is approximately 5 miles long and less than a mile wide. A lot of the locals we've become friends with are originally from Belize City, and came here to escape the violence and crime of the city, and just "Go Slow", which is the motto of the island. There are no cars, only bikes and golf carts. Things move at a leisurely island pace... more than once as I've been walking down the main strip I've heard, "Ay girl where ya gon' so fast now, this is the Caye- go slooow!"
On Friday we decided to move onto a larger, but less expensive room at a guesthouse near the other end of the island. We spent the day near "The Split", a beach-bar area where the island is split in two by a channel about 300 yards wide or so. There's a bar there called the Lazy Lizard, which was appropriately named given that most of us backpackers spent the day sunning ourselves on the concrete piers adjacent to the beach. The water is beautiful- crystal clear with white sands.
Around mid-afternoon we got pretty hungry, and after listening to a few fellow travelers rave about the lobster on the island, and how they've literally eaten it for every meal, we decided that sounded like a pretty solid plan for a late lunch. Not too far from The Split we noticed a sign for Wish Willy advertising a lobster meal for 18BZ (which is $9 US) with free rum punch drinks while you eat. Not gonna lie, it was the second part that really hooked us in. We wandered over there, and inquired about eating. A few men in the yard doing some work informed us that the restaurant did not open until 6:30 pm that night. As we turned to leave, with the intention of coming back when it was open, a tall local came out of the apartment above the kitchen. It was Maurice, the owner and head chef.
"How can I help you?" he asked us. We mentioned the sign and said we'd been craving lobster and his place looked ideal, and that we could come back later on. Maurice quickly waved us to a table, "For you, I'm open" he said as he sent one of the guys to grab some fresh lobster from the market. He then came over and chatted with us, asking us where we were from and how we liked the island. After a few minutes he disappeared, returning with a pitcher full of rum punch. A local favorite and the most affordable drink around, it's always delicious and refreshing. Shortly after that, he presented us with our late lunch: two lobster tails each, cooked to perfection with local spices. It came with an epic rice side seasoned with ginger, sautéed with carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and onions. It was hands down the best meal we have had so far on our trip, and Maurice was a great host. Definitely check this place out if you ever travel to the Caye!
That night we cruised down to the I & I, a local reggae bar where everyone goes at night. Katie and I ended up having a few "small world" moments. We ran into two other UVM grads with whom we had a ton of mutual friends. I also met a kid named Tyler from Keene, who used to live with a friend of mine. Pretty random, right? We made some new friends as well, and cruised to Oceanside nightclub, the favorite late-night spot of the island. All-in-all a really great first full day on the island! I'll let Katie fill you in on the EPIC snorkel tour we took the next day...
Adios everybody!
Caitlin
After roughly an hour's boat ride we landed in paradise, aka Caye Caulker. We dropped our bags off in our small dorm-style room near the beach and went to explore. The main streets run roughly a mile long by 4 blocks wide, and sport mostly bars, restaurants, and little shops and bodegas. The island itself is approximately 5 miles long and less than a mile wide. A lot of the locals we've become friends with are originally from Belize City, and came here to escape the violence and crime of the city, and just "Go Slow", which is the motto of the island. There are no cars, only bikes and golf carts. Things move at a leisurely island pace... more than once as I've been walking down the main strip I've heard, "Ay girl where ya gon' so fast now, this is the Caye- go slooow!"
On Friday we decided to move onto a larger, but less expensive room at a guesthouse near the other end of the island. We spent the day near "The Split", a beach-bar area where the island is split in two by a channel about 300 yards wide or so. There's a bar there called the Lazy Lizard, which was appropriately named given that most of us backpackers spent the day sunning ourselves on the concrete piers adjacent to the beach. The water is beautiful- crystal clear with white sands.
Around mid-afternoon we got pretty hungry, and after listening to a few fellow travelers rave about the lobster on the island, and how they've literally eaten it for every meal, we decided that sounded like a pretty solid plan for a late lunch. Not too far from The Split we noticed a sign for Wish Willy advertising a lobster meal for 18BZ (which is $9 US) with free rum punch drinks while you eat. Not gonna lie, it was the second part that really hooked us in. We wandered over there, and inquired about eating. A few men in the yard doing some work informed us that the restaurant did not open until 6:30 pm that night. As we turned to leave, with the intention of coming back when it was open, a tall local came out of the apartment above the kitchen. It was Maurice, the owner and head chef.
"How can I help you?" he asked us. We mentioned the sign and said we'd been craving lobster and his place looked ideal, and that we could come back later on. Maurice quickly waved us to a table, "For you, I'm open" he said as he sent one of the guys to grab some fresh lobster from the market. He then came over and chatted with us, asking us where we were from and how we liked the island. After a few minutes he disappeared, returning with a pitcher full of rum punch. A local favorite and the most affordable drink around, it's always delicious and refreshing. Shortly after that, he presented us with our late lunch: two lobster tails each, cooked to perfection with local spices. It came with an epic rice side seasoned with ginger, sautéed with carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and onions. It was hands down the best meal we have had so far on our trip, and Maurice was a great host. Definitely check this place out if you ever travel to the Caye!
That night we cruised down to the I & I, a local reggae bar where everyone goes at night. Katie and I ended up having a few "small world" moments. We ran into two other UVM grads with whom we had a ton of mutual friends. I also met a kid named Tyler from Keene, who used to live with a friend of mine. Pretty random, right? We made some new friends as well, and cruised to Oceanside nightclub, the favorite late-night spot of the island. All-in-all a really great first full day on the island! I'll let Katie fill you in on the EPIC snorkel tour we took the next day...
Adios everybody!
Caitlin
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