Travels in Belize Part 3

Sailing the High Seas

After another big breakfast of scrambled eggs, fry jacks (a cross between fry bread & flap jacks) & peanut butter (Caribbean substitute for butter), everyone loaded up the kayaks and after a brief lesson on SAILING (yes sailing was a new rip on kayaking for us) we started the 6 mile journey to our next destination. The sun was gorgeous - but then it looked as if we were heading right into a very dark and dangerous rainstorm! Good thing everyone was wearing their life vests! But the storm passed just before we got there and we landed safely at Southwater Caye. Of course we had a fabulous picnic lunch of pasta salad and various fruits. (Did I mention that we ate three squares a day?) We snorkeled right off the beach and then headed for the IZE lodging - our home for the next 3 nights.

Southwater Caye & IZE

Well, I've made quite a few friends by now, so we headed for the bar. Barmistress Jennifer has discovered the "Magic Bullet" and her specialty is frozen Pina Coladas. My new friend Laura decided that's what she'd have and the night began to take shape! IZE was a step up from the Paradise Island Resort and we could actually acquire chocolate here. Fellow adventurer Mike likes Twix Bars and Barmistress Jennifer made his day - Twix is a staple at her bar! Now as the night wore on, I got wilder by the minute. Barmistress Jennifer only knew one way to make my margaritas - stout. After it went to my head, I went down on my bill. Ouch!! Then out came a dancing musical gecko and everyone went crazy. The dinner bell sounded and off we went to a grand dinner of chicken, rice and fryjacks. I'll bet you can guess what breakfast would be - scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, biscuits and PEANUT BUTTER. After dinner we played Trivial Pursuit which I won of course because I am a know-it-all.

The next morning I greeted the sunrise in a chipper mood from the deck of the 3 bedroom cottage. Not one to be bothered by hangovers, I was ready to kayak to Carrie Bow Caye. This is where the Smithsonian has a research station and we had arrangements for a special tour. But first,of course, the customary breakfast was served complete with you guessed it, PEANUT BUTTER. I decided I'd rather swim with the fishes, so that's what I did. Next thing I heard was all my new best friends discussing the "restroom" at the Smithsonian. Apparently it's just a hole with a toilet seat in an outhouse suspended over the water! What will they think of next? I was hungry so I checked out the picnic lunch we brought with us. The IZE kitchen made huge black bean & rice burritos - Yummy!

It had been another wonderful day exploring the sea. We headed to the dining room for our last evening together, stopping on the deck to enjoy the sunset. It was "surf & turf" for dinner (you know, steak & lobster) with homemade ice cream for dessert. My bestest new friend Jac had spied a handsome young man we had begun to call "Bandana Boy". He is f-i-n-e and after Kris introduced them, he invited her to go out for a round of pool later that evening at the Blue Marlin. Well, you know me, I can't be left out of anything so I convinced her she needed a chaperone and, well, the rest is history.

Homeward Bound

Jac & I managed to get back before dawn, just in time to enjoy the usual breakfast of scrambled eggs, biscuits & PEANUT BUTTER. This was our last time to enjoy each other's company. After that breakfast, we headed for the dock to load up. This was the hardest thing I'd done on the whole trip. I didn't want to leave my 12 newest best friends! How would I live without them? Oh yeah, I forgot, it's No Problem, Mon! We have e-mail!
I hope you enjoyed my awsome adventure in Belize. I'm not sure when I'll get to post again, so until then practice random acts of kindness. You never know what good things will come your way if you do.