ON THE CHEAP SEATS…

Today we travelled to Caye Caulker. Caye Caulker is a few miles off the coast of Belize, an hour’s trip on a speedboat.

For the first time we didn’t use a private hire vehicle but went on a local bus for local people. We travelled 113 kilometres from San Ignacio to Belize City for about £4.40.

As we travelled from village to village people would get in and sell all manner of things, meat pies, mango slices with chill pepper etc.

Reggae music blared out throughout the trip. it seemed paradoxical that there would be Mennonites travelling on the bus to the accompaniment of lyrics that were mostly to do with sex, drugs and drinking in a variety of different orders.

Reaching Belize City we were greeted by 4 4×4’s lined up ready to take us across the city to the ferry port. It was all so quick that there seemed to be some level of subterfuge going on. Ours had a smashed windscreen that spread across the entire car, the driver assured us he was the best driver in the city.

We couldn’t get on the first ferry and had to wait for the 1,30pm sailing.

The group just hung around the travel terminal but as we had quite a bit of time to wait we ventured a bit further afield.

We found ourselves at the local library which had displays about the history of slavery as well as one about hurricane preparedness. We are currently in hurricane season, it starts early June and goes on until November. There are roughly between 6/7 hurricanes each year, the most severe one being hurricane Lisa last November.

The area around the ferry terminal was what could only be described as a bit dodgy. Lots of people slumped on the floor comatose. Luckily we were able to get on the next ferry, or rather high speed boat to Caye Caulker. Lasting roughly an hour it was really rammed, did manage to see a turtle bobbing in the sea.

Reaching Caye Caulker was definitely a sensory explosion, we have never been anywhere like this in our lives. So tropical and colourful. Signs saying to go slow and take it easy.

The hotel was nearby. Quite a grotty place. Enjoy Hotel, a bit of a misnomer. Chinese ownership, which is true of alot of businesses in Belize. In the mid nineteenth century many Chinese came over to Belize as indentured servants. In 1986 something called the citizenship by investment was devised and many more Chinese citizens took up the chance of coming here. Often as a stepping stone to elsewhere.

It is one of those hotels with senseless notices, how could we possibly dismantle the TV or the sink. The sink is huge!

I am sure that if we left with this we wouldn’t get very far!

The local school has linked in with the holiday company, they restore bikes, take visitors on bike rides round the islands as well as taking them to their school and teaching them Creole.

I had wanted to do this but as we got a later than anticipated ferry it meant there was an incredibly quick turnaround. As tempting as it was I decided to have a complete rest, taking note of the signs around the island, I was definitely going to ‘go slow’.

Pete had a great time, as I did doing nothing!