After a pleasent bus ride from Punta Gorda to Placencia, we got our first tast of the Caribbean wonders.... white sands, warm blue waters, palm trees and wind. We stayed a couple of nights in Placencia. Unfortunately the place had developed a lot in the last four years and we found it pretty touristy although still laid back. We filled our time in with walks around the bay, swimming in the sea, drinking the Belikin beer and sampling the Garifuna culture and food.
If we thought Placencia was laid back, Hopkins, our next destination, was a mark behind the rest. This sleepy little town of maybe 1,000 people was a great little place. We stayed at the Drumming School, shown in the picture. Lessons were held in the shelter near the centre of the picture.
Our simple room opened onto the scene above. The place was run by a Canadian woman and her Belizean husband, so it had some of the comforts of the western world mixed in with some Belizean culture.
From our place the beach was a short stroll down the sandy path.
And once again we were greeted by the same scene we were introduced to in Placencia.
As our skin grew darker, our bellies grew rounder as we feasted on fruit, drank the Belizean beer and lazed our days away.
The serenity of it was delightful.
Even an old boot washed up on the shore looked weathered but peaceful.
In the evening we were invited to watch a performance of some local guys jamming out some sounds on the drums and shakers. But then it was time to move on.
We took a bus futher north up the coast line to Dangriga. From here we caught a tiny boat out to Tobacco Caye (Island). This island, as you can see in the picture, was pretty small. Walking from one side to the other took around 30 seconds. And this little slice of paradise was to be our home for the next 5 days.
We chose to stay at Lana's. Accomodation and 3 meals run by an 80 year old Belizean woman. As you would expect she was a great cook and we never went hungry. The picture shows the dock at Lana's looking back to our place.
Looking out to sea from the dock provided great views of the weather rolling in.
Every evening we finished the day with a couple of Belizean "1 Barrel" rums with lime and lemonade on the dock.
From here we watched the sea birds circling overhead....
The pelicans resting in the shallows....
or diving for fish....
the spotted eagle rays doing their evening swim past the dock....
the young ospray calling its parents for dinner.....
and the fiddler crabs waving their big pincher to attract a mate.
During the day we spent hours snorkling the local reef. There was lots to see including corals, ferns, coloured squid, conch, giant hermit crab, lobsters, poisonous cow fish, various rays, and all sorts of fish.
Ken got a conch....
Then got one of the locals to show him how to gut it....
The fresh flesh has a slight fresh scallop flavour and a texture slightly softer than paua.
We also gathered old fishing lines while snorkling and one evening threw our lines in when the fish were biting. Ken got a couple of snappers and I got a grunt. Very good eating. We gave them to Lana the next morning and she cooked them up to perfection for our lunch.
We spent lots of time hanging around in the hammocks. But before long it was time to leave.
We headed back to the mainland and after a night in Dangriga jumped on the bus out of town. Half way along the journey.... looking at all the hot land and tropical jungles.... we decided to head back to the coast. Taking the bus all the way north to Belize city, we boarded a boat to Caye Caulker. This island was several time bigger than Tobacco with a school and many shops and eateries.
The island still had its laid back feeling with sandy streets.
The cold beers and drinks were delivered from the town dock to the resturants, bar and shops via tractor.
Some of the bars were so close to the water... the tables were via "swimsuit access" only.
We stayed beach front in a little cabana (hut). The wind blowing furiously at the windows all night. Under the hut lived a few of these guys. The iguanas loved basking in the sun, but would scamper for shelter if anyone walked past.
Local resturants had lazy water front locations.
And the water looked just like in the pictures.
Fish, beans and rice, coldslaw and fried plantains was a staple garifuna style diet.
The sun shone and the sea beckoned but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.
So we took a final walk about the island and headed back to the mainland.
We stayed one night in Belize City, not as dangerous as perhaps it is made out to be, if you kept your wits about you. In the morning we took a cab to the airport and flew off in search of some £££. And so the UK job hunt began.
If we thought Placencia was laid back, Hopkins, our next destination, was a mark behind the rest. This sleepy little town of maybe 1,000 people was a great little place. We stayed at the Drumming School, shown in the picture. Lessons were held in the shelter near the centre of the picture.
Our simple room opened onto the scene above. The place was run by a Canadian woman and her Belizean husband, so it had some of the comforts of the western world mixed in with some Belizean culture.
From our place the beach was a short stroll down the sandy path.
And once again we were greeted by the same scene we were introduced to in Placencia.
As our skin grew darker, our bellies grew rounder as we feasted on fruit, drank the Belizean beer and lazed our days away.
The serenity of it was delightful.
Even an old boot washed up on the shore looked weathered but peaceful.
In the evening we were invited to watch a performance of some local guys jamming out some sounds on the drums and shakers. But then it was time to move on.
We took a bus futher north up the coast line to Dangriga. From here we caught a tiny boat out to Tobacco Caye (Island). This island, as you can see in the picture, was pretty small. Walking from one side to the other took around 30 seconds. And this little slice of paradise was to be our home for the next 5 days.
We chose to stay at Lana's. Accomodation and 3 meals run by an 80 year old Belizean woman. As you would expect she was a great cook and we never went hungry. The picture shows the dock at Lana's looking back to our place.
Looking out to sea from the dock provided great views of the weather rolling in.
Every evening we finished the day with a couple of Belizean "1 Barrel" rums with lime and lemonade on the dock.
From here we watched the sea birds circling overhead....
The pelicans resting in the shallows....
or diving for fish....
the spotted eagle rays doing their evening swim past the dock....
the young ospray calling its parents for dinner.....
and the fiddler crabs waving their big pincher to attract a mate.
During the day we spent hours snorkling the local reef. There was lots to see including corals, ferns, coloured squid, conch, giant hermit crab, lobsters, poisonous cow fish, various rays, and all sorts of fish.
Ken got a conch....
Then got one of the locals to show him how to gut it....
The fresh flesh has a slight fresh scallop flavour and a texture slightly softer than paua.
We also gathered old fishing lines while snorkling and one evening threw our lines in when the fish were biting. Ken got a couple of snappers and I got a grunt. Very good eating. We gave them to Lana the next morning and she cooked them up to perfection for our lunch.
We spent lots of time hanging around in the hammocks. But before long it was time to leave.
We headed back to the mainland and after a night in Dangriga jumped on the bus out of town. Half way along the journey.... looking at all the hot land and tropical jungles.... we decided to head back to the coast. Taking the bus all the way north to Belize city, we boarded a boat to Caye Caulker. This island was several time bigger than Tobacco with a school and many shops and eateries.
The island still had its laid back feeling with sandy streets.
The cold beers and drinks were delivered from the town dock to the resturants, bar and shops via tractor.
Some of the bars were so close to the water... the tables were via "swimsuit access" only.
We stayed beach front in a little cabana (hut). The wind blowing furiously at the windows all night. Under the hut lived a few of these guys. The iguanas loved basking in the sun, but would scamper for shelter if anyone walked past.
Local resturants had lazy water front locations.
And the water looked just like in the pictures.
Fish, beans and rice, coldslaw and fried plantains was a staple garifuna style diet.
The sun shone and the sea beckoned but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.
So we took a final walk about the island and headed back to the mainland.
We stayed one night in Belize City, not as dangerous as perhaps it is made out to be, if you kept your wits about you. In the morning we took a cab to the airport and flew off in search of some £££. And so the UK job hunt began.
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