Chilling on Ambergris

Somehow, we managed to spend nearly two weeks in Belize (all of it on Ambergris Caye).  Doing almost absolutely nothing.  But our tans are back!

Robert went diving twice and we went snorkeling twice.  (Note to self:  sunscreen is no competition for the Caribbean sun when one’s backside is sticking up in the ocean….).  The sea life is pretty amazing here (although, sadly, the reef is dying and was much less colorful now than when we were here three years ago).  We saw lots of hard and soft corals, a ton of colorful fish, huge stingrays (including white spotted eagle rays) and nurse sharks.  During one of our snorkeling trips we even came across a loggerhead turtle.  Our guide thought he was likely 70 years old or so and he was an inquisitive little creature — he even ran right into Robert when Robert didn’t get out of his way fast enough.  And, we saw a baby green turtle on one trip and an adult green turtle on another.  In short, the scuba diving and snorkeling rocks here.  (Sadly, we don’t have an underwater camera so no photos).

Taken from the boardwalk

We even saw a couple of sting rays right from shore.

We also enjoyed watching the various lizards on the island.  Some were quite small, but others were significantly bigger.

And, we loved watching the birds, particularly the frigate birds.  Apparently, the locals refer to them as pirates, because the frigates constantly steal fish from each other and from other birds.  We spent quite some time one day watching numerous frigates try to fly with a dead fish that was too big for them.  And watching the pelicans.  Truly one of the least graceful creatures I have ever seen.

Lizard

Other than that, we did a fair amount of reading (a big plug for the Unwind Dystology for fans of YA dystopian fiction), a fair amount of lounging by the pool, and a fair amount of enjoying the ocean views (from pool chairs, our hotel veranda, and bar stools).

Tomorrow, we are off to Nicaragua.  Where we intend to be a bit more adventurous…and hopefully have more interesting stories to tell.