Don and I had a wonderful time on vacation 3/2 through 3/12/2010. We went to a VERY small island called Caye Caulker off the coast of Belize (below Mexico). Caye (pronounced ‘key’) Caulker is 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. The 2nd largest barrier reef is just east of the island. Caye Caulker is known for fishing, scuba and snorkeling. There is not much ‘night’ life entertainment. The residents maybe poor in finances but certainly rich in Spirit. Their motto is ‘no shirt, no shoes, no problem’. They have signs that say “Go Slow’ which definitely describes their way of being. You need to ask for your check, meals take at least 30 minutes to prepare, they never bug you to buy more drinks….they just let you be. The roads are sand covered with LOTS of pot holes…..a little sore with bike riding. You spend your time trying to dodge the pot holes. There are no cars, only golf carts as taxis or to rent.
We stayed at a place called OASI, owned and operated by Luciano Estriazle and Michael. Our hosts were fabulous people!!!! So accomodating, fresh flowers in the room each day and VERY clean apartment. We had a refrigerator and stove (not that I cooked of course). There is cable TV with HBO and STARZ. The ceiling fan and cool tropical breeze through the windows, kept us very comfortable. There is also air conditioning, which we didn’t use. We got 2 bikes which was included with the room rate of 65.00 per night!!!
Our days were pretty much the same……wake up and drink coffee on the front porch, listening to the birds and watching them play in the bird bath at our apartment. We would then bike into town (about 10 minutes) and would sit and have breakfast at our favorite spot….Femi’s. It was right on the water and we sat and watched the birds, people, boats, water……the orange juice was ssssoooo fresh and sweet. We usually stayed here for about 2 hours each morning.
We would then ride another 10 minutes to another favorite spot…..the Lazy Lizard ‘at the split’. This was an eclectic bar with tables that sat partially in the water…..so you got to cool your feet and legs while sipping on your rum punch. We usually got lucky and found 2 recliners under the palm trees (there were only 3 recliners total). We sat there with a rum puch for a few hours, doing what you ask?……looking at the water, the birds, people, music, clouds, whatever…. totally mindless 
We usually came back to the apartment around 3pm each day. I got to recline in the hammock on the front porch of the apartment, Don took a nap. I rocked in the hammock and looked at the birds, clouds.
We did ‘attempt’ scuba diving. We signed up for the Resort Dive and learned a lot…..especially the fact that you can die doing scuba! The gear we had on was ridiculous….I couldn’t tell which button inflated or deflated or sent me down or up in the water. Don’s mask kept filling with water, after he swallowed about a gallon, he decided scuba wasn’t for him and he got out of the water. I decided that scuba wasn’t for me before I even got in the water…….being flipped over backwards off the boat into the water with all that equipment….that was enough for me!!!! We spent the rest of day talking with our tour guide on the boat while 2 others from our class did their dives. What a colorful life story he had…. He is Belizean, ‘adopted’ when he was 2 months old. He was found by a 61 year old American woman who was living in Belize. She had 8 grown girls living in the US. She raised him and they moved all over to different islands and also US. She recently died at the age of 97….God bless her.
We also went snorkeling. I had a cold (probably from whatever germs were on the respirator from the scuba equipment) so I did not go in the water. Don only snorkeled a short time and then we both sat on the boat talking with the tour guide. Yet another colorful story.
We did take a day and went to Belize to see the Mayan ruins at Lamanai. It was an hour ferry ride to Belize, followed by an hour van ride, an hour boat ride on the North River to the site of the ruins. We then walked for an hour through the jungle (saw a monkey) to the different sites…..it was ssssooooo hot, we must have lost 3 pounds of sweat. We then got a homemade fabulous lunch………rice with veggies, curry-type chicken, potato salad, cole slaw and bruschetta. The tour guides mother makes the meals…she got up at 4:30am because she needed to cook for our group of 20!!! What an awesome job…Reyes & Sons was the tour guide.
Favorite spots…..Femis for breakfast; Rose’s for dinner; Habaneros and Don Corleone were pricey but sooooo worth it!!! Happy Lobster for lunch, along with Rainbow Cafe for lunch. We would NOT eat again at the Sand Box. Syd’s was OK. Most places were lower prices than US for meals for 2. We ate ate Roses several nights……they display the fish they caught that day, crab legs, shrimp, grouper, etc. You pick what you want and they grill it. You get 2 side dishes and 2 rum punch for $35.00 for BOTH of us!!!!
We would both return to Caye Caulker again….loved the people and the laid back lifestyle. Looking into land for retirement spot
Here are some of the photos, check them all out…
