My first visitors in Belize recently left. My parents came for the Easter weekend and although my mom had to return to work, my dad stayed for two weeks. All of us enjoyed spending the weekend on Tobacco Caye. All the small islands just off Belize’s coast are called cayes (pronounced keys). Tobacco Caye is located about twelve miles off the coast of Dangriga. This island is small - just four and a half acres - and its only a few minutes walk from one end to the other or about a fifteen minute kayak around the island. We stayed in a small cabana with a porch and a hammock hanging over the water. The second-largest coral reef in the world is located along the coastline of Belize and is known for its great snorkeling and diving. Tobacco Caye, unlike many of the islands, is located right on the reef so we snorkeled right off the beach. We saw all kinds of colorful and exotic fish and coral and even a turtle. My mom and I also enjoyed kayaking around the island though my mom did struggle to stay out of the water!
After my mom had to return to Wisconsin, my dad and I continued the vacation. We enjoyed a day trip to Blue Hole National Park. The blue hole is a deep sinkhole that is connected to an underground river. The water here is freezing cold so very refreshing after the heat of Belize.
We also took a trip to the Cayo region in western Belize. This was the only area I hadn’t visited yet so I can now say I’ve travelled to all six regions of the country. We rented a car that allowed us to stop in lots of little places we wouldn’t have seen on the bus. One of these was Spanish Lookout, the largest Mennonite settlement in Belize. Like I previously stated, there is a large Mennonite population in Belize that are successful farmers and entrepreneurs. Many of the largest businesses are owned by the Mennonites including a poultry company and a dairy. They also are known as great mechanics and many Belizeans travel to Spanish Lookout to get their cars repaired. The landscape in this area seemed very different than the rest of the country and other than the occasional palm tree, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that we were in the American Midwest with rolling hills and lots of fields and farms. Dad’s favorite part of the visit was a stop at Western Dairy’s factory where we had ice cream!
We visited two different Mayan ruins in this area as well. The first was Xunantunich, one of the largest and most impressive ruins in Belize. We also saw Cahal Pech, a smaller set of ruins located on the edge of the city of San Ignacio. Both were amazing and if I was an archaeologist, I’d have tons to say about them but I’ll let me pictures tell the story instead.
On the way home from Cayo, we stopped at the Belize Agricultural and Trade Fair that is held one weekend a year. This is the Belizean version of the county fair and reminded me so much of the many years I spent at ours. There is a 4-H program here but its a little different than at home. The fair is held on the 4-H grounds and I saw many kids with 4-H shirts on. There were animals, plants, and lots of commercial booths selling junk. And of course lots of food and beer stands with loud music blaring. The day was horribly hot just like most fair days in Wisconsin! The only thing I didn't see was a Fairest of the Fair!
Pictures from all my latest adventures are posted on the link to the right.
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