Feb 1, 2020 - Caye Caulker

We left Flores at 7a. First we walked with bags to Marlin Travel arriving at 6.15a, checked in and were served breakfast yes breakfast on a shuttle, before boarding the bus to Belize City. 1 1/2 hours found us at the border. It was a breeze. We walked across, were welcomed to Belize and were then put on the bus to Caye Caulker. Belize was British. English is widely spoken here. Spanish...not so much although the country is bilingual. We could see a difference immediately. It does not feel like a Caribbean country. As the country is mostly...

Jan 18, 2020 - Belize

Tiny Belize doesn't quite fit the mold of Latin America or the Caribbean, but proudly considers itself both. It was occupied by both the Spanish and the British. The British kicked out the Spanish in 1840 and claimed the area. It was known as British Honduras. It became independent of Britain in 1981. English (American English not British English) rather than Spanish is the official language and Central America's youngest nation dances to its own beat with a diverse and laid-back culture that encompasses Garifuna, Maya, Creole and Mestizo...

Feb 26, 2019 - Belize City

Belize is a New Hampshire-sized country with a proud Mayan heritage. It's the only country in Central America where English is the official language, as it was once controlled by the British. (Until 1981, it was a British colony known as British Honduras.) With a population of just over 300,000, Belize boasts some of the most beautiful and accessible wilderness in the Western Hemisphere. Tourism is by far the biggest industry in Belize. Eco-tourists flock to Belize to dive, swim, snorkel, fish, kayak and sail in the 150 mile long Belize...

Oct 25, 2018 - Harvest Caye, Belize

Voted Best New Cruise Port in 2017 by Porthole Magazine, Harvest Caye in Southern Belize is the Caribbean's premier island destination. Natural beauty and culture on a 75-acre oasis featuring an expansive pool with a swim-up bar, salt-water lagoon for water sports, exclusive 7-acre beach and exciting shore excursions ranging from zip lining across the island to snorkeling the world's second largest barrier reef. There is no “Diamonds International”, either (as found in most ports). Visitors find local artists and vendors manning the stores...

Oct 26, 2017 - Caye Caulker, it’s a corker

To get to Caye Caulker, we had to get a bus for 4 hours to Chetumal in Mexico, then get a water taxi for 2 hours. We arrived at about 6pm, so had some tea and went to bed. Next day we switched hotels to Popeyes. We had a chilled day sunbathing and swimming at the spit, which is where the north island of Caye Caulker meets the south island. It was originally a whole island before a hurricane separated it. We watched the sunset at Sip and Dip, a bar on a jetty with hammocks and tubes in the sea, before having tea at Steve’s BBQ, grilled...

May 10, 2017 - Belize - Liberty and Sights

I was up early again this morning and down for devotions. I met Christine in restaurant for breakfast then we went to our room and got ready for our tour. We met some of our group in the showroom where we were allocated to a tender. We chatted while we waited and eventually we went down to the boat. The tenders here are quite different from the ones we have seen on other ships. Mostly we have seen them use the lifeboats as tenders, but here they contract with a local company to supply larger boats that ferry the passengers back and forth....

Feb 15, 2017 - Belize

Arrived 8 am and departed 4:15 pm. We anchored a long way from shore, and had to take a tender that took at least 15 minutes. We took the Lamanai Mayan Ruins and River Boat Safari tour. Our tour guide was Elvis and he talked nonstop the whole air-conditioned (modern)bus ride to the boat. The ride was through the scenic Belize River Valley. He shared local history and information and was full of energy. He pointed out historic villages which were the original settlements of the colony of British Honduras, along the way. Belize is the only...

May 16, 2015 - San Pedro, Belize

This update is months old since I actually went to Belize back in May, but I'm adding it for completeness and because the blog gives me a really good record of my travels. Mom and I (after she had only been out of the hospital a month!) flew to Belize via Houston. We met up with my brother at the Houston airport then continued on to Belize City then a short hop on a prop plane to the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. We had a great room on the second floor of a hotel right on the beach which meant nice sea breezes to keep us cool. San...

Apr 11, 2015 - San Ignacio

Off this morning to the Saturday market was all ready very busy when I got there at 7:00am lots of vegetables, cooked food, clothes, and about anything you could want had breakfast there then off by local bus to Xunantunich A Maya site a short way from town had to cross the river by a hand cranked ferry, then got a ride the 1 mile to the site by a couple that was on the ferry. I was the first in the park for the morning followed by the couple from Iowa, was nice checking out the ruins went to the top of El Castillo nice view from the top,...

Apr 10, 2015 - Today we travel to San Ignacio

up at 5:30 out for a walk and some breakfast then back to room to pack my bags as we leave today heading back to the main land by water taxi and on to San Ignacio for the next two nights. Checked out of our hotel at 11:00 and off to taxi station dropped off our bags then got a Cuban coffee while waiting for time to get the water taxi back to Belize City, on the taxi for 45 minute ride, I was seated in the back so got a bit wet, lol then a couple reg taxi's to the bus station, where we got our local bus to San Ignacio, was a old USA school...

Apr 9, 2015 - on the island

We have another full day here on the island so it was a very laid back type of day, out for breakfast, walk about the inland, some more pictures, mailed a couple post cards, did a bit of washing, work on travel blog, and a hour long massage on the beach great, a few beers, ice cream, great lunch of grill snapper with a sauce and rice, back to the split for a beery sunset, a group at 7 then out for a dinner of grill shrimp a very nice relaxing day, the only thing wrong with this place was the lobster season was closed so no lobster for dinner...

Apr 8, 2015 - Caye Caulker, Belize

My morning starts off with a walk to the splits to get a few shots of the sun rise the cool breeze coming in off the sea is great, the birds busy, not a lot of people up most of the tourist sleeping in after a night of drinking and partying. A stop at Amor Y café for some coffee and a waffle with fresh fruit and a side of Bacon. yum, an then continuing my walk about the island, my group meets at 10:00am for a sail boat ride to Hol Chan marine Reserve for a great playing in the water, a time to swim with the small sharks and to feed some...