Caye Caulker

They call it a water taxi. I'd say it is more like a water bus since the boat holds over 20 people and they strap the bikes to the front of it. Whatever you want to call it, this was our transportation to Caye Caulker, a 30 minute ride south of San Pedro.

Caye Caulker has a sleepy, laid back feeling. The are no paved roads through town, little traffic, a tiny amount of tourists, and a few iguanas sunning themselves. We walked through the town to the end of the road and a beach bar called the Lazy Lizard. It is located next to The Split that separates the two parts of the island. To cross it, you either need a boat or swim. There are no pesky bridges to walk across.

Back in town, we met the shop owner of Chocolates who is a supporter of the Manatee. She informed us how cruise ship lines want to develop other Cayes, which in turn will shrink the natural habitat for manatee. We talked for awhile and then wished her much success in her fight to save the manatee. Outside I spot a sign for the street cook that grills up the cheapest and best lobster in all Belize. (Or at least that's what I read.) He started serving at 5 PM. Drats! The last water taxi ride back to San Pedro was at 3:50 PM and we weren't in the mood to spend the night there. Oh well, we settled for a lobster burger at a place south of town. Desert was at Femi's, a restaurant underneath the stilts of someone's house. The ceiling was so low that I had to duck my head. What they lacked in ceiling height, they truly made up for with the best chocolate ice cream we have had so far.

The water taxi took us back to San Pedro. That evening we ventured into town for the infamous Chicken Drop at the Pier Lounge. This is a strange ritual of betting on where a chicken will poop on a numbered board. There are 100 number. Each cost $1BZ. The winner gets all the money. I bought a couple of numbers, 4 and 89. The numbered board is fenced in on the sand outside the lounge. Diane and I found a place close up to watch. Then the hostess brought out the chicken and sets it on the board. Wow! You never heard so much cheering and yelling for a chicken. Diane is screaming at the top of her lungs. Several minutes later, the chicken drops his load on number 29. We laughed about the Chicken Drop all the way back to our room.

Next: A Perfect Day