June 17 - Caye Caulker and Snorkeling with stingray and over the reef

We awoke on June 17th to a rainy cloudy day. It was a little chilly so we were worried our snorkeling and beach day would be ruined. We decided to go anyway and pray it cleared up by the time we got out to the Caye. We made the right decision except that the boat ride out to the Caye about did me in! It was so bumpy I thought I was going to die. The water was so rough I was afraid the boat would flip. I'm not exagerating! Just look at my face in the picture!

When we got to the Caye it was starting to clear up a little. The rain was gone but the clouds were hanging out. We took a little golf cart taxi (they drive golf carts and bikes on the island. We did see one car.) to the a snorkeling shop. I have to say that if you go to Belize it is much more economical if you book your own passage out to the Caye and then book the snorkeling yourself instead of going through a hotel or tour agency. The price we paid was so much less than they offered.

We booked a 3 hour private boat trip out to 3 snorkeling sites. The first was a site with stingrays. It was shallow. Probably 3-4 feet and the stingrays were huge. It was a little freaky at first but the water was beautiful and crystal clear and the kids loved it! Nathan and I took turns staying in the boat with Gabby. I ended up getting really sick between this site and the next (could have been motion sickness from the boats or from all the salt water I inhaled trying to remember how to work a snorkel) luckily I had my first aid kit (yes! I knew you would be proud!) with some anti nausea medicine Grandma Beenie gave me before we left.

Our guide became buddies with Brigham - of course- and took care of him at the second spot. It was snorkeling over a shallow reef. They had to swim quit a ways from the boat and I was feeling pretty sick so just stayed behind on the boat with Gabby.

The third spot was a deep reef spot. Our guide and Xela stayed behind with me because they had to swim quite far. I thought it was because he was worn out from pulling Brigham around at the last spot, but I soon learned that it was because he needed to smoke a joint. Lovely!

Nathan will give a description of all of this because I missed it. I grabbed a water camera from home but it was out of pictures OOOPPPS! We will have to get pics when we come back again in 3 months. Sorry!

We really enjoyed Caye Caulker and Snorkeling!! I would love to go back when it is sunny and warm and spend several days on the beach! It was a very fun place to visit. The roads are sand and everyone runs around barefoot and it is only 3 streets wide and the main street is lined with palm trees that you cruise through on your golf cart.

The boat ride back to Belize City was smooth since the rain had passed. Another homeschooling family with 4 kids from Williamsburg was on the same boat with us. They are in the process of deciding whether or not to move to Belize on a mission trip for their church. They asked if we felt it was the right decision for our family to move to Guatemala and of course I said "Absolutely!" I did tell them that I miss all of you horribly though!