Second Stop
Belize
Belize
I had read alot about Belize in the few weeks prior to our trip. I was actually a little nervous about going there. It's a very poor little country. It's located right under Mexico, next to Guatemala. It has only been a country since 1981 when it won it's independence from Great Britain. The people there are VERY proud of their country and eager for it to grow and mature. We learned that from talking with them and hearing them give us information about it.
Mom & Dad ended up staying on the ship. We had heard there wasn't much when you get off the ship and that it isn't safe to travel outside of the immediate port unless you are with a tour group. I would have at least gotten off the boat, to say I had set foot in Belize. We tendered there, so they can't say that.
Andy & I chose to go to a private beach again, imagine that. It was still pretty windy and the tender boat ride was WILD!! It was as much fun as the time at the beach. Those boats FLY with their FOUR outboard motors over the water. (and I do mean OVER at some points) We came out of the water more than I care to mention, but it was so much fun. They're very big boats, carrying 75 people at a time. I took some video while we were on the boat trip and it is so funny, bumping up and down and nothing ever really in focus!
We went to Bannister Island which is a tiny (really really tiny) little island about 15 miles from the mainland of Belize. (The ship anchors 8 miles off the coast b/c the water around Belize is so shallow) It is complete paradise! It holds it's own against any of the cruise lines private islands that we have been to! It isn't quite as beautiful as Castaway Cay, but it's sure close.
(and for some reason my Mom wondered if we were still in salt water because we were between little islands and the mainland....yep, still the great big salty ocean.....*shake your head here and laugh*)
There is a HUGE bar area there with a ton of tables in the shade, enough beach chairs for everyone in the sun or shade, volleyball, paddle boats & canoes to rent, lifeguards around the edge of the water, super crystal clear water, more shells than I have EVER seen in my entire life, a little pier to walk out on, a few gift shops, a playground, floats to use for free, very nice restrooms and a grille where you can buy lunch. (It's pretty reasonable and typical "grill" food)
We were totally surprised when we got there that it was hidden from the wind, totally! There were other islands bordering us and keeping the wind away. It ended up getting super hot and we couldn't have been happier. The water was still pretty cool, but we were able to get in about waist deep without freezing.
The most amazing thing there was the shells. You had to be careful getting in the water b/c where it was ankle deep, the bottom was total shells. It wasn't like I'm use to...broken bits and pieces and searching for whole ones. It was total whole shells, they were so pretty! They were deep too and EVERYWHERE!! If you put your hand down in the sand and picked it up, the picture here is what you came up with. That is what I picked up, didn't pick any stuff out or throw any down. Wild!!
The fish there were pretty too. There were oodles of them around the little pier/dock. They were yellow & black, blue and orange. Darn those little suckers are hard to catch with a camera though.
We spent about 4 & 1/2 hours there and would have stayed longer if we had the chance. It was fabulous!!!!!
Mom & Dad ended up staying on the ship. We had heard there wasn't much when you get off the ship and that it isn't safe to travel outside of the immediate port unless you are with a tour group. I would have at least gotten off the boat, to say I had set foot in Belize. We tendered there, so they can't say that.
Andy & I chose to go to a private beach again, imagine that. It was still pretty windy and the tender boat ride was WILD!! It was as much fun as the time at the beach. Those boats FLY with their FOUR outboard motors over the water. (and I do mean OVER at some points) We came out of the water more than I care to mention, but it was so much fun. They're very big boats, carrying 75 people at a time. I took some video while we were on the boat trip and it is so funny, bumping up and down and nothing ever really in focus!
We went to Bannister Island which is a tiny (really really tiny) little island about 15 miles from the mainland of Belize. (The ship anchors 8 miles off the coast b/c the water around Belize is so shallow) It is complete paradise! It holds it's own against any of the cruise lines private islands that we have been to! It isn't quite as beautiful as Castaway Cay, but it's sure close.
(and for some reason my Mom wondered if we were still in salt water because we were between little islands and the mainland....yep, still the great big salty ocean.....*shake your head here and laugh*)
There is a HUGE bar area there with a ton of tables in the shade, enough beach chairs for everyone in the sun or shade, volleyball, paddle boats & canoes to rent, lifeguards around the edge of the water, super crystal clear water, more shells than I have EVER seen in my entire life, a little pier to walk out on, a few gift shops, a playground, floats to use for free, very nice restrooms and a grille where you can buy lunch. (It's pretty reasonable and typical "grill" food)
We were totally surprised when we got there that it was hidden from the wind, totally! There were other islands bordering us and keeping the wind away. It ended up getting super hot and we couldn't have been happier. The water was still pretty cool, but we were able to get in about waist deep without freezing.
The most amazing thing there was the shells. You had to be careful getting in the water b/c where it was ankle deep, the bottom was total shells. It wasn't like I'm use to...broken bits and pieces and searching for whole ones. It was total whole shells, they were so pretty! They were deep too and EVERYWHERE!! If you put your hand down in the sand and picked it up, the picture here is what you came up with. That is what I picked up, didn't pick any stuff out or throw any down. Wild!!
The fish there were pretty too. There were oodles of them around the little pier/dock. They were yellow & black, blue and orange. Darn those little suckers are hard to catch with a camera though.
We spent about 4 & 1/2 hours there and would have stayed longer if we had the chance. It was fabulous!!!!!
6 comments:
I have friends that own a timeshare in Belize and they love it.....they go there to go diving and say it's the best place in the world short of the Great Barrier Reef
The fish may have been hard to catch on camera, but I think that picture is pretty cool looking!!!
Were you allowed to take the shells home with you?
I did!! Several places we've been you couldn't...Castaway really really discouraged you from doing it...St. Thomas & St. Martin FORBID it....we never heard a thing from where we went in Belize. (That's the only reason I felt ok with it, the people there didn't ask you not too.) On the ship list of what not to bring home, it lists shells...but they were in a suitcase and were still there when I got home...so I guess that there wasn't a shell sniffin' dog around....
The HUGE pile is laying on my kitchen counter still, Kendyl was totally amazed....they're kinda small for the most part, but so totally perfect...blows my mind. Never ever seen anything like it!
I want to go to Belize!! Just for the crystal clear waters and the shells!
We weren't supposed to take any shells home from my parents island either. I wrapped all my shells (all 10+ pounds!) in a bag, and put that bag all around my underwear. Nobody wants to check thru there! ;0)
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