Caye Caulker

Before crossing the border we had already decided not to be in Belize for too long, we'd only go to the island of Caye Caulker to do some diving. It took some getting used to once we were in the country- instead of Spanish, everything was in English: the signs along the roads and outside the shops; even the local people speak English to each other.

The bus dropped us off at the station from where we'd take a water taxi to the island. 2 days before our arrival, Caye Caulker had experienced a heavy tropical rainstorm of which the damage was still evident everywhere. The wooden dock belonging to our accommodation, Popeye's Beach Resort, had been ripped apart; trees were damaged and so much debris washed onto shore. Despite that, it is a beautiful bounty island where the lobster is cheap and the thick pieces of rope on the ground (ie. Speed bumps) keep the golf cart drivers under control.

The boat ride to the Blue Hole dive site was just as memorable as the diving itself. Geert and I were seated at the lower deck of the boat, in the front, which means we couldn't see the big waves coming our way and we would feel it the most. All we could do was hold on tight and try predict when the big waves came in order to hold our bodies above the hard seat. It was a good 1,5 hours to the dive site, we felt the effects of that trip in our hands, bums and backs the next day. It could also just be the age kicking in.

The Blue Hole does its name justice. It is not known for marine life but we managed to see sharks swimming in the blueness as we descended down the mysterious hole. The 2 dive sites afterwards were more about the colourful coral and big beautiful fish making it a diverse day of diving. By the end of it everyone was very frustrated with one Israeli diver in particular. He had done his Advanced Course directly after his Open Water Course in Utila a few days before. His instructor should be fired for letting him continue with Advanced because he struggled even with the basics of diving, causing himself and the other divers possible danger. He stubbornly took a camera during each dive- kicking the corals and sediment - swimming around like a young child without armbands. Besides for him, there was a fun group of people from different countries on the boat with whom we spent a few hours that evening, drinking cocktails at the end of the island while watching the sun set over the sea.