Belize is beautiful, simple as that. With its crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, and warm weather, it's no wonder that divers and marine enthusiasts from around the world flock here! It's also the only English-speaking country in Central America. It is still part of the British Commonwealth, so it has a noticeably more anglophone feel than neighboring Guatemala or Mexico. It was also a little trashier feeling, like paradise with a touch of college spring break.
We entered Belize overland from Guatemala, where we'd just spent a week in the sweltering jungle climbing around the Mayan ruins of Tikal, so once we reached the coast, we boarded a ferry and set off straight to Caye Caulker. We rented a beautiful wooden house for the week, just a few blocks off the main tourist drag and on stilts, which gave us a bit more of a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. Plus, the island is tiny, so we could get anywhere walking in about five minutes, preferably barefoot, and always in swim trunks.
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| Caye Caulker, Belize |
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| Caye Caulker, Belize |
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| Caye Caulker, Belize |
With such amazing waters all around us, you'd have expected that the food would be great. But, unfortunately, it seemed that most of the restaurants in town preferred to cater to younger clients with less refined palates and more interest in cheap drinks. As we walked past one restaurant, a man shouted a warning, "come here if you wanna eat real lobster, other places gonna serve you some fucking shrimp!" But it was too late; we'd already found the best food in town: a guy with a grill on the beach serving up the daily catch while it lasted. He ran a simple operation, but his lobster was the best because it was done simply to let the freshness shine through. Heavy cream sauces and tropical mango chutneys are for the novices, butter, and lemon and salt are you really need for a grilled lobster or fish!
Eventually, though, we grew tired of all the restaurants and instead headed to the fish market to pick up some lobsters to cook at home. However, we quickly found a man selling lionfish, and I immediately thought to prepare a cebiche. I bought eight lionfish, knowing full well that they are venomous, and naively told the fishmonger that I would filet them myself. Stupid, Alec. Two hours later, I shamefully walked back to the fishmonger and begged him to filet them for me for a modest price, of course. In two minutes, he accomplished more than I ever could have dreamed of myself, but naturally, I'd blame the bad quality knives at our house for causing the problems this evening. But, regardless of how the fish got sliced, the cebiche turned out fantastic, and our bellies were full, and our tastebuds were satisfied.
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| Lobsters and fish, Caye Caulker |
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| Sharks, Caye Caulker |
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| Sharks, Caye Caulker |
Our final adventure on Caye Caulker was to go swimming with sharks. This had been my lifelong dream, as well as a fear, as I'm terrified of being eaten alive by sea creatures. Funny to think that I dreamed of becoming a marine biologist as a teenager!
We signed up for a one-day snorkeling trip at a few different locations, where we saw coral reefs, stingrays, sea turtles, and eventually a shiver of nurse sharks. Standing on the edge of the boat, waiting to take that first leap into literally shark-infested waters, was terrifying. Yet, somehow knowing that the sharks were there in plain sight made it easier instead of jumping into dark or murky water filled with mystery. Sure, I was also familiar with nurse sharks from my days interning at the National Aquarium in Washington D.C. and knew that they couldn't cause too much damage; their mouths are designed to eat small mollusks and crustaceans, after all. But, in the worst case, maybe I'd lose a finger or two, nothing too serious, and a good conversation starter at a future cocktail party. And so I leaped into the water, splashed around frantically for a few seconds, and then just swam with the sharks. Sure, I did swim in circles like an idiot to ensure that no beasts crept up behind me, but I confronted my fears and walked away all the more pleased with myself for it.
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| Caye Caulker, Belize |
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| Sharks, Caye Caulker |
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