Our first snorkel stop on the reef was a little challenging for me as I'm not overly at home in the water but Gemma stuck with me and helped me out loads so I was able to see some beautiful fish and coral formations.
We also saw our first dolphin on Friday. It swam about the bow of the boat for a bit, much to my and everyone else's delight. We also spotted others later on the trip but this first one sticks out in my memory most.
Our home for the night, Rendevouz Caye, turned out to be a dreamy and truly deserted desert island. And at just 12 metres wide we were able to make the most of having it entirely to ourselves. We went for a snorkel off the beach whilst the crew set up our tents and this time I was able to relax a little more and enjoy this beautiful underwater world.
After dinner, we drank rum punch around the fire and watched a spectacular moon rise over the water. All in all, a magical day.
But we woke in the middle of the night to what sounded like a hurricane blowing through our tent. We didn't see that coming!
By the morning, it had calmed down a little and we set sail again after breakfast under an overcast sky. I have to admit that I skipped the snorkelling on Saturday. The waters were a bit choppier because of the wind and I didn't want to be the weakest link in amongst a bunch of strong swimmers.
I did enjoy my time up on deck though but it turns out that the sky was deceptively overcast as I now have a red leg, two red feet and a red chest and back to go with my nose. You can definitely see me coming!
Tobacco Caye was our destination on Saturday and a very different island to the night before. This Caye has a few inhabitants and felt a bit like an ex hippy hangout! We settled in for an evening of freshly caught lobster which I was not that sure about given my dislike of seafood, so couldn't believe my luck when one of the extra dishes turned out to be Macaroni Cheese! First cheesy pasta of the trip tasted every bit as good as I remembered :)
We finished the night dancing to the drums at one of the islands two bars.
Again though we were woken in the night to the sound of strong winds but this time accompanied by torrential rain. Unfortunately this storm had settled in for the day, so, we've spent a fair few hours huddled inside the boat with only a handful of brave souls risking a dip in the ocean.
Overall though, I really loved being on the boat. Ok, so today's weather isn't what we ordered but on the plus side our boat and crew got to do what they do best: sail. I found the experience of cutting through the waves exhilarating - well, once I'd worked out to hold on tight and focus on the horizon anyway!
Our crew, Captain Kimani, Shane and Dane (yes, they rhyme!) were real live wires and worked hard for us as well as having a lot of fun. And the rest of the group were great to be around. I'm sure we'll bump into some of them again.
Right now though, we're sitting in our roomy cabana on the beach in Placencia listening to the wind howl through the palm trees and the waves pound the shore. I'm kinda expecting Toto and the the Tinman to make an appearance. We're definitely not in Kansas now...!
(btw this place doesn't have WiFi, so, if you're reading this, we didn't get blown away!)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Placencia, Belize
I love reading your blog, very funny anecdotes which bring a smile to us all! Definitely needed at this cold time of year. I think we need to hear more personal anecdotes though, eg. you falling in the water or a cheeky monkey stealing your underwear, can you please try harder :).... Only kidding! Keep the fun going!
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