Tobacco Caye

Since I last spoke with you on Thursday, a lot has happened. Well, maybe not so much, but is has been one incredible weekend. Friday, we left bright and early at 7:20 and made the bus in Belmopan for Dangriga almost right on time. The bus ride down was packed. There were at least 75 people on the bus when we pulled up to a stop and 20 more workers crowded on. Luckily we had a seat.
When we got to the bus station in Dangriga, we walked down to the water taxi. It was the exact same place we left from 2 years ago when dad and I were in Belize for our first time. The water taxi didn’t leave until 12 so we sat around at a restaurant, drank grapefruit juice and played hearts. The captain (Captain Buck) was out doing errands for the islands, picking up groceries and such. The ride out was bumpy but it was enjoyable. We were going to paradise. After one stop, we cruised out and finally made it to Tobacco Cay. When we made it, we jumped on the hammock and lost track of time. Our friends from the GLS program came over and we jumped in the water. Swimming around we didn’t see much but the water was spectacular. Later, we went snorkeling right off of the south dock. There was some beautiful coral and some great fish.
The rest of the day was just spent relaxing and playing cards. Saturday morning, we got up at 5:45 to watch the sun rise. At first I didn’t seem like there would be one, due to partial clouds on the horizon. At around 6:15 the sun peaked and rose with great speed. It was a spectacle to behold. Then, at 6:30, it was back to sleep. Breakfast was at 8 so we didn’t get much of a rest, but it was enough to sustain us for the rest of the day. Until lunch, we lazed around on the porch watching the clouds go by and reading. After lunch, we went snorkeling again at the same spot. This time, Jessica got carried away with her camera and got into the area where the waves started crashing at a spit of land that was part of the barrier reef. It wasn’t too dangerous, but she got spooked, so we decided to get out of the water. The rest of the group joined us later and those who had rented snorkel gear returned them. While they were doing that, I went looking for a volleyball, which got the interest of many people. When we finally found it, we had two full teams ready to play. It was Jess, Ali, Terra, Shannon and I and then 6 Belizeans ranging from our age to the mid 40s or 50s. We asked if they played much and they told us no. As soon as we had warmed up, though, the ball started flying. Lloyd and his brothers Greg (older) and Noble (younger) were killing the ball. One spike Lloyd hit at one of the older men and it smacked him in the head and bounced 20 feet in the air! It was intense, but all in good nature. That was probably the highlight of the weekend, because we made friends almost instantly. These men we had met earlier, but in the game, we really bonded.
Next, a swim was in order to cool off. However, we found a ship blocking our way. It turned out to be run by the same company we went snorkeling with on Caye Caulker and the 2nd captain the same guy: Reynolds. It was funny seeing him again and he immediately got us a rum punch. Apparently he was friends with Lloyd and so we all got to talking. It is funny how small a country Belize is, and how nice everyone is. It is exciting to see old friends and make new ones all over the place. When we left, Noble told us to come back every free weekend we had. Next time I will probably go fishing with them. Reynolds is coming to Cayo soon so hopefully I will see him here at Faya Wata.
That night, we got to hang out with Lloyd some more and watched him and Greg play the Garifuna drums. I remember, two years ago, when dad and I watched the islanders play the drums and I wondered if they were the same people as last time. The one thing I wish I could have done was kayake over to Tobacco Caye Range and seen the campsite again. There were some good memories playing cribbage there.
The next morning we got up for the last sunset. It wasn’t that great because the clouds hid the sun at as it broke the horizon, but it was still pretty. After breakfast Jess and I went for a quick swim to top off the trip. The water taxi made it to Dangriga via the Bird Island, where hundreds of ocean birds nested. There were so many that you could see them as a dark cloud hovering over the island from a mile away. After getting to Dangriga, we enjoyed a nice comfortable, sleep filled ride back to San Ignacio on an empty bus.