| As the engine roar melted to a kitten
| |
| | soaked up the afternoon sun, and flipped
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| purr and our boat nuzzled up to the Caye
| |
| | through back issues of Mexican celebrity
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| Caulker pier, we did a quick inventory
| |
| | gossip magazines found discarded in our
|
| check. Dancing palms, tick. Sun bleached
| |
| | room - anything to keep our minds off the
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| beach, tick. Island motto, "Go Slow",
| |
| | fact that our days of sloth were
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| painted lazily on a signpost stuck in the
| |
| | numbered. Back at the bungalow we hatched
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| sand, tick. I gave my partner in crime a
| |
| | our plan. We were not giving up our life
|
| private smile. This was the place. We'd
| |
| | of leisure that easily. We would go down
|
| escaped...for now.Bobbing up and down
| |
| | partying. Caye Ambergris awaited and I
|
| against a tiny Belizean island on the
| |
| | had a birthday to celebrate.As the
|
| Caribbean Sea wasn't in the original
| |
| | largest, most developed, and most
|
| script. The plan had been to fly into
| |
| | expensive of the Belizean islands, Caye
|
| Belize for a quick taste of eco-adventure
| |
| | Ambergris caters well for the first class
|
| before slipping over the Guatemalan
| |
| | holiday seeker, with a range of villas,
|
| border. But we'd got greedy, and four
| |
| | luxury home stays and resorts to choose
|
| days later, we were still there with our
| |
| | from. To prepare for our last stand, we
|
| hands caught in the action jar. Jungle
| |
| | checked into the mysteriously named Sun
|
| hikes, eco-tours, Jaguar spotting, cave
| |
| | Breeze Beach Hotel, close to the main
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| tubing, Mayan ruins and mountain bike
| |
| | town of San Pedro, for some pampering and
|
| treks. Where would it end? The equatorial
| |
| | creature comforts. The spacious rooms,
|
| heat was on. We'd needed a place to lay
| |
| | resort style swimming pool, Jacuzzi,
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| low for a couple of days. Somewhere a man
| |
| | massage studio, swanky outdoor bar, and
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| could find a secluded beach and lie back
| |
| | international flavoured restaurant were a
|
| and think of England, or anywhere else
| |
| | world away from the Gilliganism's of Caye
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| he'd rather not be. After making a few
| |
| | Caulker, but at only USD125 a night, my
|
| discreet inquiries we knew there was only
| |
| | inner Thurston Howell the third was
|
| one place to hide, and only one man
| |
| | calling.Pandered, pleasured, and fed in
|
| powerful enough to help us get there. The
| |
| | ways that only money can buy, we climbed
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| man known only as, "The Marine Terminal
| |
| | to the lookout over the hotel bar.
|
| ticket booth guy".So we paid for our boat
| |
| | Slipping in the hammock, we witnessed one
|
| passes in small, unmarked bills, jumped
| |
| | of the most beautiful sunsets the
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| aboard the first vessel bound for the
| |
| | Caribbean has to offer. Swinging back and
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| islands, and left the spoils of mainland
| |
| | forth with a birthday cocktail in hand, I
|
| adventure in our wake. Not that the warm
| |
| | could truly appreciate how delightfully
|
| blue coastal waters were fooling us. Home
| |
| | far we were from anything resembling an
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| to more than one hundred and seventy
| |
| | office cubicle. Contemplation over, I
|
| islands, or cayes, and the world's second
| |
| | made my final charge into the night.
|
| largest barrier reef, it wouldn't be easy
| |
| | Crazy Canucks Bar, crazy Canadian in tow,
|
| to keep our hands off a bounty of aquatic
| |
| | we drank, laughed and danced
|
| fun that has tempted travellers since
| |
| | embarrassingly to reggae music until
|
| Blackbeard and his Buccaneer posse
| |
| | sunrise.The following days we gorged on
|
| cruised these waters back in the 1600's.
| |
| | water sports as fast as Caye Ambergris
|
| Yet, as we stood on this unassuming wharf
| |
| | could dish them up. There was diving
|
| and watched our getaway vessel pull out
| |
| | amongst some of the world's most
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| of dock, the captain turned to us with
| |
| | beautiful coral reefs, sailing tours
|
| some re-assuring words of advice, "Relax
| |
| | around the island, deep-sea fishing for
|
| mon. You're on Caye Caulker time now".If
| |
| | sailfish and barracuda, jet skiing and
|
| Gilligan had ever taken up real estate
| |
| | paragliding off the sun-tickled beaches.
|
| development, Caye Caulker town would have
| |
| | Oh how we feasted!Our hunger for aqua
|
| been his Big Apple. Dozing peacefully on
| |
| | adventure finally satiated, we wandered
|
| this slip of an island, the cluster of
| |
| | into town, plonked our behinds on the
|
| brightly painted ramshackle beach
| |
| | nearest bikes for rent, and peddled to
|
| hideaways, deserted beach lots, scattered
| |
| | the far reaches of the island. Crossing a
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| fishing boats, palm trees, sand floor
| |
| | small river by
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| restaurants, dive huts, and salty old
| |
| | man-pulling-rope-very-hard-powered ferry
|
| sailors propping up bars at 11am in the
| |
| | to the less populated north island, we
|
| morning, makes for the perfect getaway
| |
| | cycled along remote dirt tracks lined
|
| haven.The jewels in Caye Caulker's crown
| |
| | with sweeping palm trees. Emerging from
|
| are it minimalist pleasures. No
| |
| | the bush onto the beach at the edge of
|
| international resorts, flashy nightclubs,
| |
| | the lapping blue Caribbean, it was a
|
| or peak hour traffic. Remember the motto?
| |
| | leisurely ride along long stretches of
|
| Go slow. Our mission, and yes we did
| |
| | white squeaky sand to the "money" end of
|
| choose to accept it, was to find a
| |
| | town.The north beach plays host to
|
| bungalow for as little as forty dollars
| |
| | luxurious resort bungalows and private
|
| per night on a quiet stretch of squeaky
| |
| | beach villas. I pondered ambitiously over
|
| white sand, treat our palates to an array
| |
| | the For Sale sign standing outside one
|
| of seafood delights, and then debrief
| |
| | particularly hedonistic abode.
|
| over a drink at a beach bar watching the
| |
| | Apparently, the former owner wasn't happy
|
| sun slip beneath a sheet of Caribbean
| |
| | about motoring his 80ft cruiser around
|
| blue sea. This message will self-indulge
| |
| | all that coral nonsense to moor outside
|
| in five seconds.Before long, we'd slipped
| |
| | his beach palace. Being the
|
| into the "no shoes, no shirt, no problem"
| |
| | entrepreneurial type, he'd used a few
|
| and "sarong, swimsuit, smile" dress code,
| |
| | sticks of dynamite to blast a neat little
|
| and immersed ourselves amongst the
| |
| | driveway straight through the reef.
|
| welcoming band of eclectic castaways. It
| |
| | Unfortunately, the government didn't see
|
| soon became clear that the local brew of
| |
| | it that way and sent him a fine big
|
| Creoles, Central Americans, and Europeans
| |
| | enough to clear the Belize national debt.
|
| posed little threat to our relaxation
| |
| | He was last seen paddling a canoe in the
|
| plans. However, we'd have to keep tabs on
| |
| | direction of Cuba.A little further along
|
| the North American retirees swerving
| |
| | we stumbled across Captain Morgan's
|
| along the streets in rickety old golf
| |
| | Retreat, setting of the original
|
| carts, sending dogs, children and
| |
| | Temptation Island show. As we stood
|
| loitering tourists running for cover.For
| |
| | outside the Mecca of televised drama, so
|
| three perfect days we hid behind
| |
| | many touching memories came flooding
|
| sunglasses, cocktail umbrellas and
| |
| | back. Amber and Troy whispering under a
|
| lobster menus, wondering if maybe, just
| |
| | palm tree, probably discussing the
|
| maybe, there would be no more calls to
| |
| | effects of global warming. Shawana
|
| action, and life really was a beach after
| |
| | ditching Gary and confessing to Chad 'you
|
| all. Then one night, whilst minding our
| |
| | had me at "are those things real?"' At
|
| own business over a couple of tall Panty
| |
| | that moment, I couldn't help but
|
| Rippers at Popeye's Bar and Restaurant,
| |
| | appreciate the truly important things in
|
| the bartender told us a man had been in
| |
| | life. I turned to the ski bunny and told
|
| asking questions. "Did he know anyone who
| |
| | her she had a smile so beautiful it could
|
| might like to explore the reef?" "Had he
| |
| | almost pass as cosmetically
|
| seen any tourists dance so badly to the
| |
| | enhanced.Peddling across the beach
|
| reggae band they couldn't possibly show
| |
| | towards town for the last time before
|
| their faces around the island?" The next
| |
| | heading back to the mainland, we waved
|
| morning, we went to see a man about a
| |
| | goodbye to all the things we loved about
|
| snorkelling tour.Whilst experienced
| |
| | the cayes. The lazy palm trees, the ivory
|
| divers prefer the more exciting sites in
| |
| | white sands, the aqua blue waters, the
|
| the waters off Caye Ambergris, the
| |
| | hammocks swinging in the breeze, the
|
| beautiful calm reefs of Caye Caulker
| |
| | friendly faces, the plastic whale and
|
| offered the ideal setting for first timer
| |
| | dolphin fountain splashing water over
|
| submariners like my nervous companion, a
| |
| | Jesus outside the pink Jehovah's Witness
|
| Canadian mountain girl, much more at ease
| |
| | mansion...the what? Anyway, for a couple
|
| in a set of ski's than a pair of
| |
| | of repeat adventure travel offenders, it
|
| flippers.After the initial disappointment
| |
| | sure made a nice place for a day pass or
|
| of learning that this wasn't my chance to
| |
| | two.Some have said I spend too much time
|
| wear a tight rubber body suit in public,
| |
| | living in a fantasy world, that I need to
|
| the reef snorkelling trip turned out to
| |
| | get a grip on reality. Sometimes I think
|
| be a fantastic experience. We goggled and
| |
| | they're right. But then again, they've
|
| gawked at the amazing array of fish,
| |
| | probably never been to the Belizean
|
| eels, and spectacular coral formations.
| |
| | cayes.Simon Hillier is a freelance writer
|
| The highlight of the three-hour tour was
| |
| | based in Sydney, Australia. His company,
|
| Shark Ray Alley, where Nurse sharks
| |
| | Get There Writing Services, provides
|
| circled our wary group from a distance
| |
| | copywriting, travel writing, feature
|
| before weaving in for a closer look, and
| |
| | articles, scripts and ebooks that will
|
| the Southern Ray stingrays slid their
| |
| | have your readers clicking and streaming
|
| expansive wings over our bodies. Both
| |
| | for more. For further information on
|
| proved to be fairly harmless, if perhaps
| |
| | Simon's article services, visit the
|
| a little fresh for a first date.For the
| |
| | feature articles and travel writing
|
| rest of the day hardly a word was spoken.
| |
| | section of the Get There Writing Services
|
| Mountain girl and I adjourned to our
| |
| | website.
|
| secluded patch of waterfront paradise,
| |
| |
|
