Heading home

Well loyal readers, we head home this afternoon via Houston, arriving after midnight. Thanks for following along as we travelled, and special thanks to those of you who sent encouraging emails; it was good to know we weren't talking to thin air!
We've really enjoyed Belize and its diversity and warmhearted people. Of course it was fabulous having our friends Debra and Phil hosting us, creating our itinerary and giving us so much information and advice.
So we're signing off for now; until next time!
M and B

Short but fun flight

We decided to fly from Placencia back to Belize City, rather than take the bus. The flight, if you fly during the week and pay cash for your ticket, is $50.00 US each, versus a 7 hour bus ride (on school buses with little leg room).
We flew Maya Island Air, in a 12 seat Cessna. Our plane hurtled down the runway, lifting off just at the last moment, or so it seemed, over the road and out over the sparkling blue ocean, banking left and gaining altitude.
We had great seats right behind the pilot, and could watch him checking his paperwork and text messaging as we cruised along. We took pictures of Hopkins as we passed by.
Seven minutes later we were approaching Dangriga, preparing to land on what looked like an impossibly small runway - but we did, and one of the passengers we picked up got to sit in the co-pilot seat!
Again we were over the beautiful water, and fifteen minutes later we were approaching Belize City municipal airport; again the runway looked so tiny, this time running parallel to the water, only a few yards away. Soon we'd landed, and Phil kindly picked us up. It was so much fun to fly on a little plane on a beautiful sunny day.

Another day in and on the water

Another day of snorkling, this time to the Silk Cayes, just inside the Barrier Reef, a 45 minute boat ride from Placencia. Besides us there were 2 couples from France, who hadn't met before! Our boat driver Leo was also our guide and cook.
The Silk cayes are 3 tiny islands, and we went to the largest one: it had 12 coconut palms, 6 picnic tables, a BBQ pit and washrooms. Three large catamarans were anchored offshore, and a boat full of scuba divers came by and stopped to have their lunch, so at noon the island was positively crowded!
While Leo prepared lunch we snorkled on our own all around the island, and besides colourful fish, we saw a squid.
After lunch we had a demonstration of how to crack open a coconut, and ate some.
Then we went over to two fishing boats; they anchor and men in dugout canoes go out to fish and dive for conch, then come back to the big boat to clean the fish.
We snorkled around the boats and saw lots of nurse sharks, and two kinds of rays: spotted eagle rays and huge grey Caribbean sting rays.
Then a turtle swam by, with 2 ramoras under him. We followed, and could see the barnacles on his back - his shell was about four feet long!
People from the catamarans came over to buy fish for their dinner - can't get it much fresher than that.
In the village after dinner we watched some Garifuna drumming: one man with shakers, 2 on handmade drums, and one playing turtle shells (hanging from his neck).
It's going to be hard to leave this part of Belize; this was our last full day here.
Such beautiful cayes, white sand beaches, warm sun, and warm clear saltwater. All itchy bug bites are forgotten when you float and swim, look through your mask and are mesmerized by the whole other world below the surface.

Snorkling

Went out by boat to Laughing Bird Caye; there was less wind than we've had, and clear skies, so a good day for snorkling. It took about half an hour to get to the caye, a national park and now a World Heritage Site. We were surprised to see a little building on the tiny island - two rangers stay there for 3 weeks at a time and then get a week off. Saw lots of pelicans fishing.
We were a group of 11: us, two from England, and the rest Americans. We snorkled the west side then came in for lunch: a BBQ on the beach, then snorkled the east side, which was much deeper water, and saw a huge spiny lobster, a ray, barracuda, as well as the usual beautiful fish.

South to Placencia

We flagged down the local bus, which went up to the Southern Highway, past banana and orange trees, then turned onto the potholed dirt road down the peninsula. Went past an Aquaculture place (they farm shrimp here). Sometimes the land was so narrow we could see the ocean on one side and the lagoon on the other. The road goes around the end of the small airport runway, and saw a sign that says traffic must yield to planes taking off and landing.
We settled into our beachfront hotel and looked around the village. A small sidewalk goes north and south, with paths going the other way to the main road, so it's easy to walk everywhere.

Relaxing time

We had a very relaxing weekend in Hopkins, reading in the hammocks, watching rain squalls, and pelicans diving for fish, swimming when the sun came out, and walking on the beach.
On the small beach access road beside us, local kids played marbles, as well as spirited soccer games, with tin cans for goal posts. Then they'd run down and jump in the water.