UnBelizeable family vacation Day 7: Diving the Blue Hole (122216)

Get up at 445 to get out of our current digs and to our next place (sandbar hostel) to drop our bags off before we have to meet at the dock for our blue hole trip. Get to the hostel and the night security guard is chilling at the desk with the lights off. We put our stuff next to the desk then head over to the dock for amigos del mar dive company as that is who we were going with (I guess a couple dive shops coordinate with each other to make it worth their while).

One of the perks of getting up so early. 

Leaving the dive shop for our day of diving.

Sun starting to poke its head out.

Lone boat out enjoying the sunrise with us.

Sun getting above the horizon.

Clouds always make sunrises better. Exhibit A.

Loving the view.

Its a beautiful morning!

We have made it to the Blue hole. First of a few dives today.

Panorama of the blue hole.

Jeff just chilling on the front of the boat after our dive.

Cruising in the blue hole

The blue hole on the other side of the reef.

Bros hanging out after a dive.

We get there (have to go back for our dive cards as they will need that information) and have some breakfast after getting our gear. As the sun is rising we get on the boat and head out. All the food follows us on board. We cut across the open water which is a little rocky and this girl gets seasick (again on the way back as well - some people dont learn their lessons as both times she was up near the front of the boat and laying down). Get to the blue hole and go down. The dive isnt that great but not too bad either. Not a lot of wild life to see but you do get to swim around and between rock formations. And it is cool looking down and just seeing vast emptiness below you. We come up and scoot along the shallow area looking at the lobster and whatever else we can find among the limited coral/rocks up there before time to get out. We then head over to half moon caye to do the wall. This was cool as we snorkel over the sandy bottom to the coral, to the other side and it just drops off. We swim along the wall and reef sharks keep coming over to check us out. Cool/chilling as you can see their eyes and if they wanted to you couldnt stop them from making you a meal. Keep hovering around the coral wall with the sharks and seeing other fish before heading back to the boat. Get off the boat at half moon caye for lunch. After lunch we walk over to the red-footed boobie viewing platform and on the way realize there are tons of hermit crabs all over the island (some are huge). Birds are just nested all in the tree tops with frigatebirds flying overtop.

Left our pit stop to go do a dive but we will be coming back here for lunch in a little bit.

That is a ton of birds hanging out over the island.

About to jump off the boat to scuba towards the island.

Small island has a need for a sign to tell people where to go.

Now that is a hermit crab. Dude is huge!

Dude trying to say hello to his captor friends.

Island in paradise.

The island has some cabins you can stay in. Would be kinda nice me thinks.

Somebody just unwinding off the coast of this remote island. Nice boat.

Do you see the lizard hiding among the brush?

Frigate birds just cruising overhead.

Frigate bird flying over one of the boobies chilling in its nest.

Hard to see but the boobies are heavily populated among the canopy.

Found a nice little iguana hiding among the leaves. 

Boobies just hanging out in the trees.

Walking along the path on the island.

Jeff just walking along the beach not realizing he is being watched.

Finally got his attention.

Go back to the boat and head over to our third dive, the aquarium. This was similar to the last as we were going in and out of coral with the other side being a large drop off with reef sharks everywhere (few were getting so close one of our people freaked out and ran into the underside of a rock above him as the shark was approaching him from beneath). Some of them would swim up and down the wall along the coral instead of left right which was interesting to me as I think of sharks more linearly and not slithery like an eel. After that we get back on the boat and make our way back. As we enter the middle atoll, they break out the rum and start making rum drinks for everyone. As we get close to getting back the boat stops mid-open water and turns out there are a ton of dolphins playing in the boats wake (there even was a wee dolphin in the group).

Captain slowed down the boat for some reason. Wonder what they could be.

Found some mammalian friends swimming in the water

Dolphins galore

Dolphin friend breaching the water

Watching the dolphins swim with the boat a little bit

Get back to the dock, check in to the hostel, shower, and then head out to check out some cheap eats. Grab a smoothie from the smoothie place near pizza planet then go to the main square to get a burrito from one of the food carts. Pretty tasty chicken burrito for 5$BZ. Then we go to jeffs chicken torta place from the other day and the smoothie place near our old place and sit at the soccer field to eat and drink our meal (they just finished their game which is a shame cause we were going to watch them). After that we came back to the hostel to take it easy and call it an early night as it has been a long and fun day.

Man those workers never get a day off. 

Our bunks for the next couple days.

Main square at night with all the christmas decorations.

A frequent stop for food for us on this trip. Tasty and cheap and right across from the soccer field.

UnBelizeable family vacation Day 6: Exploring Caye Caulker (122116)

Woke up and headed to ferry to explore Caye Caulker. 25$ round trip which is kinda expensive considering it's 35 to mainland but whatever. Get on the island and immediately see the differences between the 2 islands. Far fewer people here and much more laid back. Walk around the island a bit before grabbing a drink at sip and dip on the water. Tis quite the view.

Yay I made it onto the island!

Would you trust this dock?

Cool looking hotel.

The infamous split bar at the north end of the island.

Sign by the split with nearby points of interest labelled.

Hammocks all over this island.

This hotel has a pretty cool cabana out front for people to chill in.

Small island has a Humane Society. People everywhere love their animals.

Chill looking place to grab a beer or 2. 

Great view at sip and dip. Love chairs, inner tubes to chill in, and beautiful water.

Some hammocks at sip and dip. 

Bathroom area for the sip and dip. Clustered.

People learning to kite board. Must be a pretty cool job. 

Decided to get a lil snack and try some coffee while enjoying the weather.

There are many of these broken docks all over these islands.

The pedestrian road along the beach.

Random dock by some of the resorts. Looks pretty peaceful.

Grabbing a bite to eat as I chill at some swing tables.

After that explore the back of the island and wind up at ice and beans for a coffee and rum ball. Rum ball not that great but the cappuccino wasn't too bad. Sit out facing the water to enjoy the wonderful view before walking around the island some more and eating some lobster ceviche for lunch at bambooze (also overlooking the amazing view that is the water). Cool spot with swing chairs all over the place. Once I finish up the beers I catch the ferry back to get my computer to work on this blog while I enjoy a beer at the coast. Went to estelle's and after a couple beers and getting some work done, I go to the Belize chocolate company which had much more variety than moho. Grabbed a few bites then walked around before heading back to the place to wait for jeff to finish his night dive so we could eat. Decided to check out the pupuseria as it was closed yesterday. Jeff gets back and showers then we head out and get to the pupuseria. Order some Pupusas and some shakes and feast like kings. We then walk around and wind up back at the same place to get one last shake before bed.

Estelles patio for a little bit of work. Nice view.

Learning about the chocolate making process while I eat some local chocolate.

Went into a art gallery and came upon this unicorn jellyfish lamp?

Found a pupuseria for dinner down the street from the place.

Eating dinner inside the Pupuseria.

UnBelizeable family vacation Day 5: Eating on the back street (122016)

Woke up and did some planning for rest of trip while family was out with the kids. They got back and we head over to Briannas place for food for lunch. Cheapest meal of the trip thus far and was tasty. Wasn't much meat on the pigtails but had a good flavor. Rice and beans and plantain were both on the dry side but still good. Walk back to the place and there is a great smell near our place. Turns out the smoothie place next to us just made a batch of waffle cones.

This was the smoothie place right next to our AirBnB. They also rented bikes.

The grocery store next to the pizza place where we got a smoothie during dinner.

Tao was being a model for a local author who was signing her children's book. Thats their photo shoot.

So we go and I get a banana shake with coconut ice cream. Love me fruit shakes. After Sean and tao went to snorkel, Jeff, dad, and i go to walk around. First stop moho chocolate. Get the dark chocolate bar to split (6$usd -expensive) and it's good but not sure if I'd pay that price again. Continue to walk and try and grab a local beer at Lolas pub but it is closed. Keep walking north and notice a storm coming in so we head back. Beat it back and hang in place till storm over and dinner time comes. Head out to pizza planet where we get 2 split pizzas for everyone to split. Some of the usual suspects and a garlic shrimp one which is pretty good. Try to get a smoothie from a nearby place but it was closed so I go into the store next to the pizza place to see if they have milk and it turns out they have smoothies so I get the wee one a smoothie to help him calm down. After dinner a few of us walk to Lolas to try the micro brew and it turns out they stopped making it a year or so ago. Have a beer there before heading home and calling it a night.

Entrance to Lola's open for business.

UnBelizeable family vacation Day 4: Diving with my bro (121916)

Woke up and after a quick breakfast, go to the dock for our morning dives. Head out to tackle box to see some reef sharks, which after swimming through a lil tunnel we get to this vast opening and the shark comes over to us. This was one of the normal sharks you would expect to see in the water (nurse sharks look weird compared to other sharks). After it swam away for good, we start making our way back and see a turtle cruising through the water and hiding in the coral. We go back to the dock after that dive is over to do our surface interval and have some fruit (such a nice thing to have between dives).

Soap store. Liking the sign.

Found a place to get some tres leches on the island.

After chatting with the fellow divers, we get back on the boat and head out to esmeralda where they have feeding tube for nurse sharks to come over so you can pet and watch them feed. We sit there for a bit petting sharks until a huge one comes and joins the party. Them and the fish waiting for scraps just swarm around in a feeding frenzy. After that we go swim around and see another turtle and many pretty fish. After our dives, we go back to the house to find everyone to get some grub and wait for dad and brother to get back from dropping the carts off, which takes much longer than expected. They come back and Jeff and I go walking to find some grub. First stop is a little stand next to the tortilla factory by our place where we found our dad on the way and the 3 of us got tortas to snack on. Tasty but the chicken had bones in it still which made eating it a pain in the butt. After we ate those, I went walking to find me a bday cake - jeff headed back to the house and dad joined on my quest. We walked up pescador st. and eventually found Annie's pastries which had a tres leches with a solid gelatin layer in the middle. It was tasty tres leches just not what I was used to. Then we hung around the house with the family until it was time to do dinner. Walk around the corner to El fogon where they have a keyboardist playing american music with raggae mixing. While eating, it rains for the third time of the day but the rains are short, sky opening rains then nothing. Food is good but the dessert is too sweet (well the frozen coconut cheesecake that they brought me for my bday was). The keyboardist sang me happy bday twice ( once before we got our food and once when they brought out the dessert). After that we headed back to the place before it rained again and everyone turned in for the night.

Dinner spot right near the soccer stadium.