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Ocean Academy

April 29th, 2010

When visiting Caye Caulker last year I spent a significant amount of time at the local Internet Café updating this blog right from the source. While sitting there with my orange juice typing away I noticed a woman coming in several times for copies and one time she sat down at the computer next to me looking up something on the Internet. Of course it is all about granting each other privacy at the Internet Café but I couldn’t resist to sneak a peak at the site she was looking at. Caye Caulker Ocean Academy – A non profit Highschool it read.

The Ocean Academy schoolbuilding

I introduced myself and told her I maintain a blog about Belize and my travels and asked her if I could feature her and the school in my blog. She was delighted.

Ocean Academy is the only Highschool in Caye Caulker. The idea was born in February 2008 and put into action after a HUGE public response within 7 months. It moved from being an idea, to a concept to a dream come true within this short a time and residents were very happy about the good news of a local Highschool.

Before Ocean Academy was founded kids had to travel to Belize City on a daily basis, stay with relatives on the mainland or be boarded in Belize City in order to go to Highschool. If all of these options didn’t work for them, they would just drop out and not go to school anymore. Another reason Highschool and education is unattainable for many children in Belize is the costs of it. Tuition, books and meals are expensive and most Belizean families cannot afford to send their child, much less more than one, to school past Elementary Grades. So it was clear that there is a great desire and need for a Highschool in Caye Caulker.

In a developing, young country such as Belize it is essential to be competitive for the job market in order to be employable by companies. Companies prefer to employ locals but with the shift from fishery to industrialization there aren’t enough qualified individuals to fill those openings. The other big source of income in Belize is tourism. But even for the tourism industry growing in Belize someone has to have major knowledge and job skills only gained past Elementary school.

Ocean Academy is a non-profit Highschool, meaning it sustains itself on grants, sponsorships and donations along with voluteer work. The vision of the two co-founders is to provide education to any child wanting to learn, no matter what social status, income of parents or grade. In order to follow this creed the Ocean Academy has to rely on donations a lot, be it money or teaching materials. Some of the teachers work for no pay at all just because they support the vision and Ocean Academy could NOT afford paying salaries at this time.

Future Student of Ocean Academy

Textbooks and Materials have been donated by Canadian and American schools, churches and individuals while time, transportation, food and equipment for some classes were provided by the local businesses. Apart from the regular school work like Math, Computer Skills, Physical Education, English and Social Studies, Ocean Academy is working with the local businesses to provide the opportunity to gain “on the job skills” for it’s students through an Apprenticeship Program. The students volunteer in local businesses gaining experiences in wedding photography, marine biology, business letter correspondance, online hotel booking, customer service skills, masonry, construction and sales and inventory.

I was very impressed with how much good these women have done over that short a time and applaud Joni Miller and Heidi Curry, the two co-founders of Ocean Academy. This year as they expect a rise in enrollment numbers they are planning to expand the school building in order to accommodate all the new students. Any of you who would like to read up on what is going on with Ocaean Academy, would like to donate school supplies or tuition money or have any questions concerning Ocean Academy, check out: www.cayecaulkerschool.com

Remember, education is a valuable good! And not everyone is priviledged enough to be able to afford it!

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Posted in Belize, The Cayes

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Making Belizean Ceviche

April 24th, 2010

I spent the pleasantly sunny day hanging out on my friend’s balcony trying to catch some much needed rays of sunshine. Feeling the warm sun definetly reminded me of Belize. Talking to my friend about my last trip to Belize I had an idea how to lighten the feeling of “I MISS IT SOOOOO MUCH” and decided to make some ceviche for my friend and myself to enjoy.

These are the ingredients you need to make ceviche

Here’s the mission: Make ceviche how I learned to make it when sailing with Ragamuffin Tours. A trip to the local grocery store provided us with all we needed for a fun afternoon with ceviche, a couple of beers and Nachos.

The ingredients: 1 clove of garlic, 1 red onion, 3 bell peppers (yellow, red and green), 1 cucumber, 1 avocado, 6 large Tomatoes, 200grams of precooked shrimps, 2 limes, mixed dried herbs, cilantro and the Original Marie Sharp’s red habanero sauce from Belize!

Since I could not find any fresh cilantro I had to substitute with the chinese-in-a-glas version. It tastes just the same though! The hotsauce is the one I brought back from my last trip. It is also my meter for knowing when it is time for the next trip: if Marie Sharp’s Sauce is getting low, time to go to Belize again! :)

Take out a large bowl. This amount of vegetables for the ceviche feeds 4 people.

Peel the garlic, dice it very small and add it to the bowl. Dice the red onion and add to the bowl. Cut all of the vegetables in very small dices and add them to the bowl. Cut the shrimp into pieces about the same size of the veggies in your bowl. Stirr all your veggies and shrimps thoroughly.

Cut the limes in halves and squeeze the juice over the veggie-shrimp concoction. Stirr some more. Take about 2 teaspoons of the cilantro out of the glas and add to the bowl. If you know and like cilantro add as much as you like, especially when you have the fresh cilantro and not my

Belizean Ceviche as made and served by the locals

jar-variety.

Last but not least, add hot sauce to your liking. Personally I am a bit of a firebreather, so I usually add a little more. If you are sensitive when it comes to spicy food you don’t have to add any hotsauce at all and it will still taste wonderful. Stirr it all up again so the cilantro and hotsauce will be equally distributed among the veggies and shrimp and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Serve with Nachos or Tortillas.

Enjoy! :)

PS: best drink a beer with it. Preferably the local Belikin from Belize but since Belikin is not sold here in Germany a Beck’s will do! Cheers

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Posted in Food

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Wolf’s Place in Cayo District

April 22nd, 2010

On my last trip to Belize I took some time away from island life on Caye Caulker and went to travel in the jungle for a few days. The area I visited is called Cayo district. While staying in Ontario village with my friend Patrick’s family we walked to the next village. In the village of Blackman Eddy I had visited a German couple who is running a Lodge on my first trip to Belize. Due to leaving Cayo the same day it was a brief visit with a couple of minutes of talking to Peter and the promise to drop by whenever I am back in the area.

In hopes of this time having more time to talk to my fellow Germans Patrick and I set out on foot to get to Wolf’s Place.

This is Peter Wolf's Burger Restaurant, the best there is in Belize!

Coming around the first bend in the road in Blackman Eddy we spotted McWolf’s on the lefthand side.

Situated on a green hillside lot is not only the cute lil Restaurant serving up the best burgers in all of Belize, there is also Peter and Petra Wolf’s Lodge and Cabanas, the original Wolf’s Place itself!

On the grounds you find Peter and Petra Wolf’s house and 3 (soon to be 4) Thatch Cabanas, a barbeque area, outdoor shower and a Palapa Hammock area to relax under.Peter and Petra not only host tourists on their property, they also offer tours that range from tubing and cave exploring, to snorkeling, to diving to jungle and river tours. They have been in Belize for almost 6 years now and Wolf’s Place has by now established a fabulous reputation among travelers and locals likewise.

When Patrick and I arrived at the main gate we were greeted by three large dogs who barked up a frenzy but otherwise seemed nice. I guess they were just guarding their territory.

Once the dogs started barking, Peter looked out of the window in the main house and hollered he’d be right down. He remembered me from my former brief visit and invited us in to have a look at Wolf’s Place. While walking around the property he told me of his plans for the future. There will be a new road built from Spanish Lookout to Orange Walk which would take away most of the traffic that is now still running by Wolf’s Place.

Peter and Petra Wolf's Main House at Wolf's Place

In spring 2010 Peter is planning to build the third cabana on his property and wants to equip it with a kitchenette and a bathroom.

In the long run, once the road from Spanish Lookout to Orange Walk is built he is planning to further expand Wolf’s Place as there is no shortage in bookings for him. “In all honesty”, Peter tells me, “I am booked well into the year of 2010 and coming to an end with my capacity to host visitors. It is the only logical thing to expand.”

Despite the ambitious plans I have no doubt that Wolf’s Place will not lose it’s charme and comfort, being a family owned and run business who does not cater to mass tourism but small individual travel groups seeking an experience off the beaten path.

This is one of the cabanas at Wolf's Place

I cannot find enough words of praise for the Wolfs as they have made me incredibly comfortable while I spent time with them. Peter had me taste his fantastic wine (secret receipe) and had me guessing what it is made of. It tastes like a semi sweet white wine. If you visit Peter, you HAVE to taste it!

Patrick and I spent the whole afternoon with Peter on the patio drinking his wine, eating sugar cane and talking about anything and everything. He showed me the new german guidebook on Belize he is publishing as well as let me play with his 3 dogs who are all very friendly despite all the barking at the gate.I promise you will feel instantly at home with Peter and Petra Wolf!  They are the best! :)

All of you who would like more information about Wolf’s Place, go to: www.belize24.de   This is Peter Wolf’s Website where you can learn more about the tours he offers, accommodations and the history of Wolf’s Place.

If you’re in the area stop by McWolf’s for a hearty burger or say Hello to the Wolf Family! The visit with them is one of my most cherished memories from my travels in Belize!

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Posted in Cayo District

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Lighthouse Reef

September 10th, 2009

When visiting Belize and looking for new spots to see and snorkel three of my local Caye Caulker friends made it happen for me this time by taking me to Lighthouse Reef. Rafael, Fiona, Patrick and i spent 4 amazing days out on Northern Caye on Lighthouse Reef and snorkeled to our hearts’ content.

Small Caye with the Lighthouse after which the Reef was named.

Small Caye with the Lighthouse after which the Reef was named.

This trip was all about back to the roots for me. We only packed bare necesseties when it comes to food, since we wanted to do as much speerfishing, flyfishing and trolling as possible. Other than that, the most valuable item was my bikini!

When we arrived at Lighthouse Reef the island’s caretaker greeted us happily and invited us to stay in the room’s that had formerly been Staff Quarters. Simple but clean and the bathrooms right next to it. We were delighted at so much comfort as we had anticipated camping out and sleeping under the stars. Mr.Jones, the caretaker, soon quenched that thirst for “outdoor sleeping” when he let us know there are crocodiles on the island as well as gazillion of mosquitoes!!!

As soon as the boat was unloaded we set out to go speerfishing, a little bit of a contest between the two pairs Rafael and Fiona and Patrick and i. We caught two hogfish each and a yellowjack. Shortly before sunset we started cooking and soon after lit a huge bonfire on the beach to chase away the mosquitoes.

We started the next day with an early breakfast and then explored the island for a bit. When talking to Mr. Jones i found out that the resort has been closed and for sale for 4 years now. It has an airstrip where people used to fly in directly to Northern Caye. There are three big houses that sleep up to 6 people, while the 5 smaller cabanas sleep up to 4 people. I was amazed how someone could close a beautiful resort like this one. Everything looked as if someone just hit “pause” not like having been closed for years.

two Juvenile Queen Angelfish i was able to find at the dock on Lighthouse Reef.

two Juvenile Queen Angelfish i was able to find at the dock on Lighthouse Reef.

As i mentioned before, it is my lil paradise found. The island is surrounded by corral reef which enables you to snorkel right off the beach, the ocean is inviting you to dip in for a swim at any time and the water is home to as many game fish as well as reef fish.

I found out that the dock at the former restaurant has another function now: it is the island’s nursery for reef fish babies of all sorts. I saw juvenile Angel Fish, juvenile Rock Beauty, Seargent Majors, Black Snappers, grunts, Dogteeth, Butterfly Fish and Lobsters as well as the occassional baby Stingray very close to shore.

Later this day we took the boat over to Small Caye (the island where the actual lighthouse is) and spent the afternoon sunbathing, relaxing, playing around in the shallow waters on the shore and of course, fishing.

Rafael holding his catch, a tarpon, before releasing it back into the ocean.

Rafael holding his catch, a tarpon, before releasing it back into the ocean.

Rafael was able to catch a tarpon. These fish are protected in Belize and fishing for them is catch and release only. It took him a good hour to get the huge fish in and we could not resist to pose for a picture with the gorgeous animal.

We then went for a bit of snorkeling and speerfishing since our dinner was not caught yet and we were all getting a wee bit hungry. Snacking on coconuts all day may sound great but it is not going to fill one’s stomach for long. The day ended with Hogfish for dinner and a great bonfire (mainly to chase the mosquitoes away).

Before i tell you that on the last day we did exactly what we had done the prior days, i would like to point out how much wildlife there was on these remote Cayes. We actually saw a blue heron, a greenback heron, pelicans, crabs, lizards, turtles, crocodiles, nursesharks, stingrays, eaglerays and many many colorful reef fish!

For all of you who would like to experience something like this trip to Lighthouse Reef i would advise to talk to Rafael from Raggamuffin Tours and he may be able to hook you up with what you want. But beware, the trip is expensive as gas prices have skyrocketed and you will need to bring pretty mcuh everything to the island, from ice for the coolers to bugspray for yourself. Other than that is a great trip to relax, snorkel, speerfish and enjoy island life for a few days.

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Posted in The Cayes

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Five Sisters Falls

September 5th, 2009

On my second day in Cayo district Patrick and i decided to check out Five Sisters Falls and the Lodge under the same name right above it in the mountains. Five Sisters is one of the many waterfalls in the Mountain Pineridge area.

This is the "better" of the two roads to Five Sisters but "better" does not mean it is a smooth ride up there ;)

This is the "better" of the two roads to Five Sisters but "better" does not mean it is a smooth ride up there ;)

We had to get a ride up the mountains in a pickup truck and that itself was quite the adventure because there are two roads leading up there and both are rocky and bumpy. We took the better one from Santa Elena leading up past Cristo Rey and San Antonio, two cute little villages amidst jungle, trees and a few farms here and there.

The ride to Five Sisters Lodge took us a lil more than an hr from Santa Elena and we shared one or the other moment of “wow” on the way marveling at the lush vegetation and hoping other drivers would get back on their side of the road. Since the road is so bumpy whenever there is no other trafic you use whatever side is best. But beware, just around the next corner there could be a big truck coming up the hill or a smaller and faster SUV that needs the space in their lane.

Once we arrived at Five Sisters Lodge we were greeted by Xavier, the manager of the property who toured us around on the Lodge’s grounds and showed us where to find what. When we arrived at the Restaurant we started to hear the gushing water. When we stepped out onto the sundeck we took in a scenery that is very hard to match.

beautiful Five Sisters Falls

beautiful Five Sisters Falls

To our left, we saw pine forest mountains. Looking to the right, we saw the broad leaf folliage of the jungle and down below us were the waterfalls that gave the eco-friendly lodge it’s name: Five Sisters, due to it being five waterstreams falling down over the rocks.

The Lodge features cabanas and a river villa and the guests can choose between “mountain view” or “waterfall view”. Our sweet little cabana had the name “Roaring Creek”, and rightly so i would say. From it’s patio we had a great view down to the waterfalls, as well as the surrounding pine forest.

Soon after settling in it was time to have dinner and our waiter Dan greeted us with a perfectly set, beautifully decorated and candle lit table on the separate deck outside next to the restaurant. Since this is a very silent and remote location i decided to spend the rest of the evening enjoying the quiet and reading for a bit but soon enough the constant calming sound of the waterfall had lulled me to sleep.

The next morning started with a hearty belizean breakfast of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, refried beans and fry jacks, some fruits and goooooood belizean grown coffee served outside on the deck again. Temperatures were still moderate so we decided after breakfast it is time to walk down the 300 steps to the falls.

sitting at Five Sisters Falls

sitting at Five Sisters Falls

And it was well worth it. The Lodge has a lil area set up by the waterfalls were you can lounge in a hammock and listen to the streaming falls, the birds calling in the trees and the occassional woodpecker. The lady who cooked our breakfast told us that there is a jaguar who comes down to where the private villa is by the river but we were not lucky enough to spot it there.

After i had made Patrick walk up the 300 steps with me back to the restaurant i changed my mind and we walked back down half way to go on the nature trail which leads around Five Sisters Lodge through the jungle. You start out amidst pine trees and the trail leads you alongside the stream that forms Five Sister Falls and as it continues you can see the vegetation change to broad leaf jungle with all the Mayan medicinal plants marked alongside the way.

As i was about to give up on ever seeing a jaguar in the wild it crossed our path! Just like that. It was a good distance away and i didn’t dare to move in order not to scare it away which is why i couldn’t get a picture of it. The jaguar did take notice of us, looked our way and then continued his way back into the jungle. It was one of the most magical moments.

yummy bugs! lizard and his breakfast at Five Sisters Lodge

yummy bugs! lizard and his breakfast at Five Sisters Lodge

As we continued the trail we spotted several other animals including the Lodge’s local coatimundi “Buddy” and a few spinytail lizards catching grashoppers (huge grasshoppers!). After the 45 minute walk we were soaked in sweat but happy when we arrived back at the entrance area to Five Sister’s Lodge.

My HOT tip, when you walk the nature trail and come to the stream, cross over and keep walking until you reach the secluded waterfall. It is called “Skinny Dipping Falls”, wanna guess why? :)

One piece of advice: DO NOT forget to come “armed” with bugspray. We were moskito food despite bugspray but it makes it a lil more bearable. Also, the sandflies were out in the afternoon and you might be more comfortable wearing longsleeves and pants. Nevertheless, the trip to Five Sisters Falls was one of a kind and if you are in Belize it is a MUST SEE!

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Posted in Cayo District

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Life with a Belizean Family

September 4th, 2009

The last 4 days i decided to give beach life on the island Caye Caulker a break and went to Cayo district in Western Belize. The trip on the bus was easy as could be and buses travel frequently in either direction. You pay 5BZE (2.5USD) for the bus ride and it takes you about 2 hrs to get from Belize City to San Ignacio.

This time we (my friend Patrick and i)  stopped about halfway between Belmopan and San Ignacio in Ontario Village to visit his family and spend some time with them. I knew before that Belizeans in general are very friendly people but i had not anticipated what i experienced the next four days.

When we got off the bus in front of the house (yes, you can get off anywhere, just holler and tell the driver to stop) we were greeted by three of Patrick’s cousins, his aunt and uncle. Joe and Marjorie Middleton greeted me like an old friend with big hugs and hellos although i had never met them before.

My first tries at making fresh tortillas

My first tries at making fresh tortillas

We spent the rest of the day meeting many cousins, aunts and uncles and got the impression this family must consist of about 100 people and that is only the maternal side. In the evening aunt Marjorie taught me how to make tortillas on a comal and we enjoyed a tasty dinner of chicken, home made flour tortillas and avocado.

Afterwards i settled into a comfortable bed in the nice little house and was soon after in a deep deep sleep.

The next day Patrick and i set out to go to San Ignacio. On the way we stopped to visit his Mom and Stepfather. It was very nice but brief since we had a lot on our agenda still. We had our mind set to go to Five Sister Falls and spend the night at Five Sisters Lodge (this trip i will feature in a separate blog post).

We spend the third day in San Ignacio itself and went to see Patrick’s 97 yearold grandmother! This old lady was amazing! Although she said age is finally getting the best of her and she doesn’t hear and see

Patrick's 97 yo grandmother and i

Patrick's 97 yo grandmother and i

good anymore she was sitting on the porch pointing out birds in the trees to me and i had to smirk about that! It was a lovely time visiting with her and hearing her tell about how Cayo and San Ignacio have changed so much over the last few years.

At the end of the day we went back to Ontario Village and prepared dinner with aunt Marjorie, her 4 children, her husband and 2 grandchildren. I am still flabbergasted how such a small house can fit 10 people without feeling overly full. There was so much love and warmth in this home and i have NEVER in my life felt so welcome as a stranger ever before. It was instantly like i belonged to the family.

Of course the goodbyes in the morning were not easy. Especially the boys (age 8-10) had a lot of fun goofing around with Patrick, playing soccer with me and dancing funny dances to all kinds of music. I was impressed when 9yo Ivan showed me how to dance Punta!

But afterall our time in Cayo was coming to an end. We hugged everybody goodbye in the morning and stepped out to the roadside. We flagged down a bus going towards Belmopan/Belize City and started making our way back to Caye Caulker.

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Posted in Belize, Cayo District

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Snorkeling Trips

August 26th, 2009

With the second largest reef in the world located right at the doorstep of Belize’s coast, snorkeling is one of the most enjoyable passtimes you can have. There is so much to see in the water and coral and animal life is plentyful. An Australian guy told me yesterday that this reef here is prettier and healthier than the one in Australia!

Patch and the Ray

Patch and the Ray

Yesterday i arrived back on the island and after meeting up with Patrick and the Raggamuffin “gang” i went with them to snorkel at Corral Gardens, Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan. At Corral Gardens i spotted a caribean ray and a biiiiiig Manatee! It was just hanging out there and actually developed an interest in us snorkelers. It came swimming after us for a while! The manatees (West Indian Manatees) are pretty impressive in size and can get up to 3500lbs.

Nurse Sharks at Shark Ray Alley

Nurse Sharks at Shark Ray Alley

At Shark Ray Alley we snorkeled with Nurse Sharks and Southern Sting Rays, as well as turtles (Green Turtle and Hawksbill Turtle) and saw a lot of beautiful corral. Shark Ray Alley is one of the many protected areas around here. There are park rangers out at Shark Ray who make sure the tourists do not harrass the animals. It is all here for you to see but you should not go chasing after turtles, rays or sharks.

The third snorkel stop for the day was Hol Chan (Little Channel) which is a protected habitat for all kinds of fish as well. It is a natural opening in the reef and has an abundand wildlife to offer for you to see.

In any case the snorkle opportunities are as abundant as hardly anywhere else in the world and you as a Belize traveler should not miss out on any of them! Here you have the chance to see animals you will probably not spot at other places and explore an unpoluted patch of oceanic life!

Tomorrow i will be heading out for another 3day overnight trip with Raggamuffin Tours to see Rendevouz Caye, Tobacco Caye and South Water Caye. We will sail from Caye Caulker to Placencia and back! I will report back when we are back on lovely CC!

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Posted in Belize, The Cayes

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BELIZE! Get ready! Here i come again

August 21st, 2009

I have only been back from my last trip for about 6 weeks, yet i am going again in two days! Belize has made a major impact on me and became my most favorite destination! This time i will explore some more and hopefully see different sites. Also i have not given up on hoping to spot a jaguar in the wild. I guess it will always be a good reason to come back to Belize for more time.

This time around my plan is really sketchy. I fly into Cancun again (great deal via ATL with Delta) and make my way down to Belize by bus. My first destination is Caye Caulker yet again and i will spend some time with friends on the island, snorkel, swim, sail, fish and do all the things i love so much! I am sure the slow pace will come back to me instantly when setting foot on the sandy roads of CC again!

In my second of three weeks in total i am planning to do some more exploring around San Ignacio. 5-Sister-Falls or Bullet Tree Falls would be nice and i might be able able to string up a stay at 5-Sisters-Lodge.  A friend of mine spoke highly of it and i can’t wait to go and see for myself. One of my island friends from CC has family in this area and will be traveling with me. In addition to the falls we will be riding horses through the jungle,

This is the view from up the hill down towards San Ignicio downtown

something else i can’t wait to do!

Last but not least i will try to visit Cockscomb Basin although i’ve heard that there is not much to do or see other than being food for the local moskito population. Nevertheless i will check it out for myself and report back on it on my blog!

I will enjoy the local food again and try to go back to eat at Hannah’s in San Ignacio!  This time i will also try new things i hadn’t had a chance to try the first time, like coconut fudge.

For all of you backpackers… there ARE essential things you may wanna bring with you instead of having to buy it in Belize. Remember, most things are imported and more expensive than at home. And if you buy on an island, you are going to pay even more due to things having to be brought there via boat. The more remote the island, the higher the price of whatever you buy.

The essential things i would advise to buy at home are simple things such as sunblock (about 10USD on Caye Caulker), moskito repellent (15USD on Caye Caulker) and clothes (more and nicer selection at home). When it comes to personal hygene you can find pretty much anything anywhere and the Asian-owned supermarkets are stocked well on most US-products. Any of the ladies requiring special hair products will be best advised to bring them with them as well.

Remember not to pack  too much. You will have to carry what you pack and i don’t think a selection of 25 tops and 8 pairs of pants is necessary in a country as relaxed as Belize. Pack a pair of sturdy shoes (tennis shoes should do) for hiking/exploring the jungle and a pair of long pants to ward of bugs.

When it comes to personal items… cell phone chargers and electricity adapter plug for anyone NOT coming in from the US, a good book or two to read while relaxing in a hammock and of course the camera equipment to take oodles of gorgeous pictures!

If you have any questions or comments, let me know and i will blog on it or write back to you if you hand me a return email address!

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Posted in Belize

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Caye Caulker

August 5th, 2009

One of my favorite places in Belize are the islands along the coast, called Cayes. The two most northern Cayes are Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. While Ambergris Caye is bigger and more touristy, Caye Caulker still has the small-town charme and is more attractive to backpackers as their prices are still moderate and there are many simple accommodations there.

Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker

Don’t get me wrong, of course you can live splendidly on Caye Caulker as well. You can rent a house or a condo with AC and all kinds of extras. But most ppl on the island don’t. Especially not the budget travelers!

Caye Caulker is a charming place to spend some time and unwind. The island is the epitome of the motto “No shoes, no shirt…no problem”. Nothing seems to be a problem on this lil patch of paradise, where dogs nap in the sandy roads and tanned cyclists pedal around them. In fact, you may not once see a car on the island. There are very few and the only thing that comes close to it in transportation is the golf carts.Those are very fun though.

The general directive on Caye Caulker is “Go slow” and you will realize after a couple of days that you lose the fast stride and begin to immerse yourself into the island life. You, too, will start to “go slow” and enjoy it!

With roughly 1000 residents on the island the main two sources of income are tourism and fishery. There is an abundance of tour providers on the island to chose from. My advise would be to look around and talk to other travelers. Maybe they already went with someone and can point you where you need to go. If not, the other reason to look around for a bit would be comparing prices (which are pretty much the same whereever you go) and in the end, picking a tour provider that YOU feel comfortable with. Personally i love the company Raggamuffin Tours! Great people, great sailing and absolutely safe and reliable! All their tours were tons of fun!

isn't this paradise?

isn't this paradise?

No matter which tour provider you decide on, make sure you do not miss out on the vast opportunities for snorkeling, diving, fishing, sailing, kayaking, surfing and animal watching. It is a one of a kind spot to do so with the 2nd largest reef in the Western Hemisphere right at your doorstep!

The island is an ideal base for trips to The Blue Hole and the more remote locations along the reef such as Tobacco Caye, Rendevouz Caye or Halfmoon Caye (just to name a few). It is easiest done by going with a boat of divers. I chose Frenchie’s Dive Shop to do the tour to The Blue Hole and it was a lot of fun. We did three snorkel stops and even got to see Reef Sharks!

For all of you that are not into the watersports, don’t despair! Caye Caulker has plenty to offer for you, too. At the northern end of Caye Caulker there is the “split”, a waterway separating the North island from the main Caye Caulker south island. It is a good spot to swim or snorkel of the beach, as well as get a couple of drinks at the “Lazy Lizard”. The split was created by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 and the broken wall laying in the water is a perfect spot to put your towel down and soak up the sunshine.

the north end of the southern island of Caye Caulker, called The Split

the north end of the southern island of Caye Caulker, called The Split

Other than that you can lay in a hammock all day, enjoy the breeze and plenty of great food. There is no way anyone would not be able to find a place to eat. From Italian, to Belizean, to Chinese, to Mexican to fast-food-type stuff. It is all here. My tip would be to try the lil comidas on front street. Fran’s Grill was one of my favorites. She has a delicious lobster menue. Also i heard a lot of good about Rosa’s Café on Dock Street, it was recommended to me and i will be sure to check it out when i am back to the island in roughly 3 weeks.

When it comes to accommodations they are as abundant as places to eat and you will hardly not find a place to hang your hat at night. It all depends what you are looking for. With backpackers most popular is Tina’s which you practically almost stumble into when you get off the water taxi.

In any case, take my advice here! DO NOT stay at Mara’s Place next to the split! We did for two nights and encountered bed bugs. If you don’t mind them, go right ahead but i could have done without the experience.

Look around until you see a place you like, then just walk in and ask. Belizean in general and people on Caye Caulker especially are very friendly. Even if that particular place does not have rooms available they will sure know about somewhere else you may wanna check.

As you can tell, Caye Caulker quickly became a second home for me and i miss being on the island. The vibe and laidback attitude is why i love it so much. The locals are friendly and helpful and there has never been a “bad day” to be had on Caye Caulker. If you have specific questions about places to stay or eat at, or anything else concerning “Caulker”, please drop me a comment and i will get back to you as soon as i can!

“Go slow” and enjoy! I left my heart on Caye Caulker and i am sure so will you very soon!

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Posted in The Cayes

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The Belize Zoo

August 4th, 2009

Belize City might not be much of a dream destination but you should take the time to stop at The Belize Zoo! It is well worth it.

The Belize Zoo was founded in 1983 after filming the natural history documentary “Paths of the Raingods” by Richard Foster. At the time of filming the documentary Sharon Matola, a biologist, former circus performer and former US Airforce survival instructor was hired to take care of the animals. By the time the filming was done the animals had become partly tame and Sharon Matola was left wondering what to do with them.

She founded The Belize Zoo, which is by now not only a Zoo but also an education and research center surrounded by lush vegetation. It is one of the few zoos that is amazingly well cared for. It strictly exhibits animals native to Belize. At the moment the zoo features over 100 animals, many of them endangered in their natural habitat.

Junior the Jaguar smootching on my cheek

Junior the Jaguar smootching on my cheek

The 29 acres ground are displaying the animals in their natural habitat while you can walk around the winding pathways. You never know what’s waiting for you to discover around the next corner but you can be sure to see animals you have never seen and probably will never see in the wild.

Some of the animals are tame or part tame. When i visited The Belize Zoo i had the chance to pet the Tapirs (and they loved it) as well as get a one-on-one with Junior, the Jaguar. Junior was bottle-raised because his mother didn’t accept him. He is as tame as a Jaguar can be and for a small extra charge, his caretaker will gladly take you inside his cage (into a small cage inside his big habitat) to have him perform tricks for you. You will be allowed to feed him and pet him and he will even give kisses. The money this exhibit generates is used to further improve the jaguars’ habitat as well as help out orphaned jaguars like Junior.

The Zoo also has a bird observation deck, a class room facility and conference room and different slide presentations and lectures available upon request. They offer a night tour which is my HOT TIP. Most of the animals are nocturnal and you will see a lot more just before dusk or at dusk than in midday.

one of the two tapirs at Belize Zoo

one of the two tapirs at Belize Zoo

The Belize Zoo is open every day except major holidays from 8.30am to 5.00pm, the night tour has to be arranged for in advance. Check out their website as well: www.belizezoo.org

The admission fee for Non-Belizeans is $10US for adults and $5US for children. They also host a giftshop where you can buy pretty much anything from batteries to postcards to actual photographs of some of the animals.

All in all The Belize Zoo is one of the MUST SEE’s in Belize and definetly worth a trip. It is located 31 miles from Belize City along the Western Highway. If you are traveling by bus, let your driver know and he will gladly drop you off there. To get back to Belize City you can either use a cab or flag down the next bus running in the desired direction.

In order not to take away all the suspense, i will refrain from putting up a complete list of animals you may encounter at The Belize Zoo. Just go and see for yourself, i am sure you will enjoy yourselves plenty no matter what age you are or where you are from!

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Posted in Belize City

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