Caye Caulker

Belize is like Newport Beach with a third-world, Caribbean twist. I arrived in Belize City at 3:00 this afternoon and headed straight for the pier to catch a water-taxi to Caye Caulker (prounounced, "Key Caulker"). I knew I was really on vacation when the water-taxi left for the island. It was fun just to sit back and enjoy tropical, summer weather at the beginning of February. On the way out the wind rushed past my face as we passed several lush, green islands. I even saw a manta ray leap out of the perfect, turquoise water.

Caye Caulker is a lot of fun. Most tourists head to Ambergris Caye, which has upscale resorts and is more geared towards tourists. Caye Caulker is a big mix of tanned backpackers and laid-back locals. My favorite part of the island is all the store fronts. Bumpy dirt roads criss-cross the island and are lined with brightly colored buildings that house shops, restaurants, and guest houses. As I wandered down the roads this afternoon I passed Belizian kids on their bikes, a lady with a massive colored afro braiding her friend's hair, and a local man peddling his artwork and asking passers-by if they want any "Ganja".

The locals here are hilarious. They really are the most laid back people. It's funny though to see some of them try to sell their stuff with such a mellow attitude. I passed one guy who was having a barbeque on the beach later tonight. He came out to me and said, "Hey mon, you hungry?"
"No", I said.
"You gotta eat!"
"Not tonight."
"If you don't eat you gonna fall over, mon."
Later I changed my mind and went back to the same guy to arrange to eat at his barbeque. "Remember me?" I said.
"Yeah, you're the guy who says you don't eat."

Dinner was three lobster tails with mashed potatoes and rice and garlic bread. Lobster is as cheap as fish down here because it's so easy to catch. I met a couple from Colorado and chatted with them as we had barbequed lobster. This place is just way laid back and mellow, I'm so excited to spend the next few days here diving, having barbeques on the beach, and snapping pictures of the classic Caribbean culture.