There are places in this world that I had never even thought about visiting, let alone knowing of their existence. Caye Caulker was one of them. An island off Belize, it was exactly what I needed after the busyness of Mexico. The mantra in Caye Caulker is 'Go Slow'. I had seen this on signs and t-shirts in local shops, the island clearly being proud of the fact. We had an experience with a local man one day as Declan and I were walking down a sandy path towards our hotel. The man asked us how we were and we replied with the typical ''Good, thanks! And you?'' He smiled and replied, ''Well, I'm going slower than you!'' and walked off, head held high and with a pep in his very slow step.
Sleep
Whilst in Caye Caulker we stayed at Popeye's Beach Resort. We did have a slight problem with our room checking in but the staff were so friendly and sorted us out straight away. We had our own private room with an ensuite, kitchenette and sofa which was a lil basic but met all our needs. We (mostly I) had a slight mishap (more on that later) where we ended up having to stay an extra night and they accommodated us which we very much appreciated.
Wear
Minimal clothing and ALL the SPF50 EVERYWHERE.
Transport
To get from Tulum to Belize City we had to take an overnight bus in which we crossed the Mexican border. I had been warned by my good friend, Nicola, that you needed to have proof of travel tax paid leaving Mexico, which is normally included in your airfare. It was indeed included in ours and we had the proof all ready to rock and roll on our phones. Now, once you get to the Mexican border you are asked to leave the bus in the middle of the night and line up outside a very dodgy looking border control building. Waiting outside the door to the building, you can hear your fellow travellers inside; some crying, some arguing with border officials and others pleading to let them through without paying. Upon entering the office, arriving at a desk and looking into the eyes of an unsympathetic guard, we were told that our proof was inadequate as we had to have it printed out. So, much like the majority of our bus companions we had to pay $500 Mexican Peso to cross the border. The five hour bus journey ended up taking eight but we finally got to Belize City. Once in the city, take a taxi to the ferry port and hop on a ferry with Belize Water Taxi. The guys in green t-shirts take your bags and you board the boat, arriving in beautiful Caye Caulker a short time later.
Once on the island, you can walk wherever you may please. A lot of the locals use golf carts to get around on the sandy paths as there are very little roads. I think I only saw two vehicles the whole time we were there.
Eat & Drink
Rum punch was my drink of choice in Caye Caulker. Those Caribbean vibez. Try The Lazy Lizard located at the Split for good cocktails, music, a nice place to watch the sunset and diving boards for during the day if you feel like a dip. A lot of the restaurants on the island do amazing seafood that's caught locally. We loved wahoo and red snapper. I also highly recommend the only bakery on the island for breakfast treats. The Guinness is nothing like the stuff at home but that's to be expected. The #1 restaurant on TripAdvisor in Caye Caulker is an Italian one, Pasta Per Caso Anna & Armando. We didn't get to try it as it was full at the time but I could use this as an excuse to go back to the island one day!
Do
The best thing we did whilst on Caye Caulker, and one of the best things I've done in my life so far, was snorkelling in the Caribbean with Stressless Tours. It was an unbelievable day out on the water. We saw manatees and turtles and swam with nurse sharks and stingrays. We snorkelled over a ship wreck and Hol Chan, a marine reserve, where we saw beautiful coral and other sea life. The water itself was just incredibly blue and beautiful all on its own. We were given a hearty lunch and some rum punch to keep us fuelled during the day. However, I've never felt the urge to pee as much as I did on the boat ride back to the island. I'll never forget it. And then what happened? The boat ran out of fuel. Heh. Upon eventually arriving back on the island, I used a local man's loo and promptly noticed how red my arse was. This being the mishap I mentioned earlier. I had been layering on the factor fiddy THICK, forgetting to cover the one part of my very pale body which was protruding out of the water all day. This the reason being us staying an extra night as the whole next day I was laid on my tummy alongside my new best pal, a refreshingly cool bottle of Aloe Vera. The final few days of the holiday were spent watching GoT, sheltering from the sun, then braving it with a few dips in the pool. All in all, the burnt bum was worth the experience and I look back on it with great fondness and a lesson learnt in suncream application. Don't.forget.ya.bum.
Our time in Caye Caulker was one of my favourites of The Big Trip. Take a lil time to go slow my friends!
Next up, Guatemala.
Ciara
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