Tuesday, September 14, 2010 – Day 07

I was up at 6:30. By 7:45 I was at the terminal of Caye Caulker Water Taxi, which is a company that runs speed boats between Belize city, Caye Caulker, and San Pedro. At the ticket booth I found out that the next boat and also first boat of the day was going to leave at 8:00 and the last boat to return from Caulker was leaving at 16:00 from the island. I bought a two way ticket. Later I found out that there are other boat lines covering the same route that leave as late as 18:00 form the island.

Be that as it may, we left at 8:00


As I realized the small Menonite community’s members are all over the place. Two of my fellow passengers were Menonites.


In about one hour we docked at Caye Caulker.




Soon as I got off the boat I was accosted by a local that convinced me to walk w/ him to Mario’s, an agent that arranged snorkeling excursions. Mario informed me on the one day and half day tours. Answering my question he said that on the half day tour I’ll see the same things but for a shorter period. I told him I would think about it and return. I went for a walk around the island and then returned to the office and bought the half day tour. I had to be back by 10:15. I availed of the opportunity and walked around more.

The shabby part


The better part


The beautiful part


By 10:15 I was back and Mario instructed me to go to the dock at the beach, a block away and wait for a boat that would come to pick me up. He said, since it was the slow season he joined forces w/ other agencies and they group their customers together. I followed his instructions and went to the seaside


The most successful scam.
I waited for about 20 mins, way past the time they should have showed up. The boat I was waiting for never showed up, instead Mario appeard on his bike saying in a loud voice that I was out of luck. What had happened was that the other agency had canceled and therefore the entire tour was canceled. No snorkeling for me. I told him that somebody else on the island must have a spot for me. He said that he had called everybody and nobody had enough customers to sail out. If, of course, I were willing to pay the double price, then it would make it economically feasible for him to send his boat out w/ just me on it. I realized that it is either yes or no snorkeling for me. All I managed to do was to bargain him down a bit and then say yes. He left and w/in 10 mins the boat w/ the captain was at the pier. I boarded and we sailed out.


Caye Caulker seen from the reef


When we arrived I put my swimming suit on got the snorkeling gear and dived. My camera is supposed to take underwater pictures. This was its first test.

Stingrays


Dog fish


The boat


From the sea surface!!!!


Shark


Man of war


Swimming w/ the dogfish


The coral reef


Diving




Stingray


The reef






After we returned to terra firma there were two hours left to walk around on the island till the last boat.


At the northern tip of the island I spotted the long sought paradise and actually entered it.

Tropical paradise (bar on the beach)




In paradise










At 15:30 I left paradise and slowly started walking towards the boat dock.






At 16:00 the boat sailed back to Belize city


By 17:15 I was back in Belize and walked back to the guest house. Upon my arrival I realized the damage I had done to myself. I had been burned like I had never been burnt before. The sun was unforgiving. My back was lobster red!!!! Throughout my career, I make a point to stay out of the sun and be well covered at the same time. This was the first time that I had exposed myself, for three consecutive hours too, to the sun w/o anything to protect me (no sunscreen or garment.) Everything has its price. Other than going to town to buy something to eat, I stayed at the guest house and went to bed early.