Just the tip of the Caulker

The water taxi to Caye Caulker was very crowded with maybe 30-40 people on board of a 25-30 foot long speedboat powered by two engines. Packed in like sardines, a variety of cultures were represented on the boat. A woman across from me was reading a German travel guidebook, a couple sitting next to me were speaking in french, the couple behind me were speaking in (to me) an unrecognizable language, and I had a Mestizo (mixed spanish / indigenous indian) sitting across from me and a Creole (African slave descendent) sitting next to me opposite the French couple. There were also a loud group of British dudes on the boat who were sitting a ways towards the front.

We passed many little islands as we motor boated (us motor-boating sons of bitches!) along the Belizean coast. These islands were covered with trees and oftentimes the tree roots were completely immersed in water, which is strange considering the water was salt water and you would think that they would not be able to survive on salt water. Many of the these islands had houses and other structures on them. Also there were houses / structures in the middle of the coastal waters on stilts holding them above the water.

Upon arrival to the island, I hopped off the water taxi and since I didn't have any luggage on the storage area of the boat I just headed off the dock to the island. Most everyone else had to wait for their luggage to be unloaded. Thinking that the dock was on the side of the island facing the Belizean coast, I began to walk across the island to got to the side of the island facing the Caribbean. I was wrong however, and the dock was on the Caribbean side but the island was only a kilometer of so wide and I did not go too far out of my way.

Being too lazy to pull out my guidebook, I just wandered the island for a little bit looking for one of the cheaper hostels I remembered reading about in the guidebook. Eventually I ran across the hostel called Da Real Macaw. I asked how much their least expensive room was and was told it was only 28 dollars Belizean (14 American). I immediately proclaimed that I would take it! but the lady working at the desk told me I should probably see it first. It was a tiny little shack behind most of the other rooms. While all the other rooms were larger with beds, showers, sinks, tvs, and front porches with hammocks, this little room had a futon, a tiny little shower, a cramped toilet, and tiny tv. I was impressed by it, considering it was a hell of a lot nicer than the hostel I stayed at in Belize City and cheaper besides.

Caye Caulker isn't that big and seems pretty poverty stricken, despite most everything being more expensive than on the mainland. The houses and building all rather ramshackle (which I guess should have been a sign of things to come), and their wasn't any real beach. Their were a few docks which had people sunbathing on them and swimming of the ends. The water was beautiful, being various shades of blue, depending on the depth, and very clear when seen from above but was really shallow for a ways out with many things to cut your feet dwelling or laying on the sea bottom.

I was planning on going snorkeling while I was there, but the prices were all very expensive and my anti-social tendencies kept me from really venturing out and trying to socialize. I walked throughout the village and the further towards the outskirts I explored, the more poor and depressing the village became. I eventually bought a few beers and food and went back to my room. I watched part of a playoff football game on my tv before taking a nap. I woke up right before sunset and decided to go watch the sunset on the western side of the island, but I just missed it, arriving as the sun was no longer visible and to people heading back to their hostels.

I walked through the main streets of the village searching for any bars or places with people but didn't really see many people at all (besides the locals) and headed back to my room to figure out what I would do the next day. On the way back to my room, a Rasta looking dude on a bicycle stopped me and asked if I was British (maybe I look British?) and I told him no, and that I was American. He then asked if I smoked ganja, which I just replied "no, thanks," and walked on to my hostel.

In my room, I checked the weather and the weather forecast was rain for the next four days. The rain for the following day was supposed to be mostly on mainland Belize and I decided to just head back to Belize city the next morning. I didn't want to take the two hour boat ride during the rainstorm. I just hung out in my room for the next few hours and eventually fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up, took a shower, checked out and went to the dock and waited for a water taxi back to Belize City.