In November, 2024, the Internet was busy with videos and messages about places to live outside of the United States. For many, this was probably a safe way of blowing off steam. For me it was a chance to watch a video about Belize, find an island (Caye Caulker), book a trip, and blow off steam.
Belize, the only Central American country colonized by the British, uses English as the national language (although there’s plenty of Spanish speaking), and it has pegged its dollars as being worth 1/2 US dollars. In those respects, it is an easy country for me to visit.
Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker are the two popular islands of Belize. Ambergris, which I never visited, is closer to the Belize Barrier Reef, making it more convenient for snorkeling tours. Much of Ambergris is happily set aside for wildlife preservation, preventing over development. However, I chose Caye Caulker, which is much smaller, less busy, probably less touristy, has no cars, only golf carts, and may have better swimming (one of my main goals). map: TUBS, labels: MacedonianBoy/Kaldari, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
To reach Caye Caulker, I flew about 4 1/2 hours from Denver to Belize City, from where I caught a taxi to a water taxi and then, reaching Caulker, a golf cart taxi to my cabin. The driver, I soon realized, was not the only one who drank Belikin Beer as he drove, the cart traffic being happily slow, the life probably boring, and the rewards probably few.
Landing in Belize City.I volunteered for the overflow “express” taxi, which didn’t move for about 10 minutes until one of the workers ran up with a large paper clip. An on-board worker leaned over the stern and placed the paper clip somewhere. Hmmm. Then we sped away, past these boats in the harbor.Water taxi, eastward.
Unvarnished
For the month, I lived in a nice cabin with Internet, a kitchen, a comfortable bed, air conditioning, a shower that tried very hard graduate from a dribble to a spray. Unfortunately, although I arrived after the rainy season, it rained at night the majority of the nights, fiercely, surrounding the oasis of my cabin with muddy pools in every street on my end—the back end—of the island. I arrived with three pairs of shoes and left with one (gave away the Chacos that never did fit and threw away the Sauconys that were my daily wading shoes).
My cabin on Black Snapper street. Nobody knew the street name, but the taxi drivers knew it by the name of a previous resident.One of the puddles out my door. A taxi driver said it wasn’t safe to walk through them. That sounded like a way to drum up business. Then the man who helps maintain my cabin said walking in the puddles gives you foot rot (or something undesirable). Many people ride bikes to avoid the puddles, but my bike didn’t fit me well, so I walked (but less after the second warning).The houses in my neighborhood put up with swamps, abandoned things, and detritus most likely from a hurricane.This Yellow-crowned Night Heron beautified the street.
Walking South from my Cabin
One day I walked past many homes, including a notable Rastafarian place, past the air field, along a road through the jungle to the southern end of the island, where a few luxurious homes and condos were scattered. The swampy parts smelled of sulfur, which I thought was rotting sargassum, the sea grass that emits hydrogen sulfide as it decays. But later I learned it was mangrove roots (which are abundant as one walks southward). I remember now that on the water taxi to Caye Caulker a resident said, “Don’t swim near the mangroves—crocodiles.” So there’s two votes against the mangroves which serve as a refuge for many birds and animals.
Never saw anybody here: Rasta TowerThis is the “Wailing Fence” in front of a Rastafarian place. You can enlarge the photo to get an idea of it…seems as though saints, villains, and then many imperialists are mingled, sometimes ambiguously. The point is, I think, to pray for them all.Here’s another part of the Wailing Fence to illustrate some unexpected juxtapositions.Less ambiguous: “We have two cemeteries but no hospital”The Maya Regional Airport in BelizeSoon I saw one cemeteryLater, another. (And no hospital though there is now the Caye Caulker Health Center)The entire wall has a facade of conch shellsOne of the last places before reaching the end of this loop—nice pillars and painted wall
Tourists, Restaurants, Hotels, and Beaches
The main street (Front Street) runs alongside the eastern edge of the island. It and these adjoining streets hold most the restaurants, snorkeling tour companies, bars, and several hotels.
Note the marine line, an effective speed bump for the golf cartsChina Town Supermarket—one of many small grocery storesThey maintain the business-area streets well. The bulldozer never made it to my cabinThis man, Smooth, owns a juice bar (that also serves food). I ordered a drink with ginger. He held up these two roots and said, “Do you like ginger or do you love it?” I think he loves his ginger.Smooth’s name, tattooedSmooth’s juice bar bears many messagesMany piers over the crystalline water“Go Slow” is the motto of the island, but I guess some people take it to an extremeNot the last Belize pun I encounteredThe outdoor grills serve lobster, curry, chicken, fish, and shrimp. I usually went for a shrimp “kebob”At the “kebob” grill on Front Street, a nice couple from Louisville, Kentucky treated me to lunch, unexpectedly. Thank you!(Wet) bar where you can sit in the water while you drinkApproaching “the Split” as the sign readsThe Split features among other businesses, the Lazy Lizard bar & grillThe north part of Caye Caulker, created by the Split. The canal was always there (according to more than one inhabitant) but it was dredged to allow boats to pass easily. Later, a hurricane made it wider. The north part is less inhabited, but a target for burgeoning resorts. A fellow told me I could buy 5 acres of undeveloped, but beautiful land for $500,000, something I found it easy to declineSeveral ferries at the Split are called Rasta FerryHere’s a wide-angle of the waterfrontIguana Reef—where I swimWide-angle of Iguana Reef waterfrontHouse of Fry Jacks, which are stuffed pastries, popular in Belize; one source says they are like sopapillas (but not the one I tried)The fry jack I triedI liked the paint jobI liked this paint job, tooStacy selling jewelry made from shells.
Friend
I went to Belize to swim, mostly, and snorkel some. Between the weather and some enervation that I continue to fight, I did swim but nowhere close to the daily mile I had imagined. One snorkeling tour satisfied me. I was not Lloyd Bridges nor anything close.
What I didn’t expect was to find a friend. It started with me telling my host (who lives in Europe) that my bathroom had no light, and ended with Larry (who fixed the light) visiting me several times during the last couple of weeks. The bond between us was our faith in Jesus, just two men living in a crazy world, wanting the best for their children and their health. We prayed together on several occasions, making this visit of lasting importance to me.
Often, he’d give me a ride beyond the puddles so I could better enjoy my walks around the island. Once we went to the northern side of Caulker, an outing I’ll remember well. Larry at breakfast (we went to Amor y Cafe) To get to the north side of the split, Larry and I put his golf cart on this small ferry And “drove” across the split, at which time Larry mentioned that the ferry pilot thought Larry’s golf cart had brakes, giving me a moment of worry since nothing would keep us on board if we hit a sandbar or a big crocodile
The north part of Caye Caulker is a hotspot of development for hotels and condos. El Ben Cabañas is the nicest resort by a long shot. The buildings are, according to Larry, Mayan style, with thatched roofs and walls of small, vertical logs—keeping the inhabitants dry and cool (click on photo to see a cabin)
After passing many concrete and cumbersome developments, we reached this as-yet undeveloped coconut grove with the Caribbean and the barrier reef in the distance After returning to the southern half of Caulker (which is the more compact half), Larry drove us to Eden Isle, an area I hadn’t seen that features nice but not ostentatious homes that are often solar powered—definitely the part of Caulker I’d prefer to live on One of the Eden Isle houses proudly waves its Canadian flag
Videos
6-minute tour of Caye Caulker
34-seconds of a pelican and a stingray
Blackhawk Snorkeling Tour
Final Sign
When I was leaving the island, I saw this sign on the dock of the water taxi. Handwritten island wish list
