We scheduled fishing for this morning followed by a beach picnic and then snorkeling at stingray alley. It did not disappoint!
We pushed back our pickup time from 8 AM to 8:30 AM so we could grab breakfast quick after the restaurant opened at 7:30. Then we ended up just making scrambled eggs and sausage at our place. The boat did not actually make it until closer to 10, but that have us time to enjoy iguana spotting and drinking fresh coconuts.
We watched a "black spiny iguana" in awe, until like the conch and coconut, we realized they were plentiful.
While waiting for the boat one of the groundskeepers offered to get us coconuts :)
He used a big contraption thingy to get them out of the tree, like one you might see in a retail store to get clothes off a tall rack. And then just used his handy-dandy machetti to lop the top off. Delicious!
After betting some chum, by going to where the pelicans were, we set about catching fish. The first stop we had some nibbles but only 1 fish, which I technically snagged in his eye. Sigh.
At our second and third spot, we were catching fish left and right! So many different types of beautiful fish! We were able to keep a fair number of them.
Next stop was a little bar on the beach where the fish were cleaned, grilled and eaten :)
Here the pelicans wait for the scraps...
The bar
Our view
Um....
Love that Indiana made the post...and that the entire state is referenced compared to cities!
More homage to the conch
The conch haul from the beach walk at the bar.
After we weathered a quick rainstorm we went to
Stingray Alley to snorkel. We saw dozens of stingrays, a couple nurse sharks, and probably 100 conch shells. It was a bit unnerving swimming with the marine life in view - especially as the boats dropped in fish corpses to keep them around, and the advice from the boat crew to, "just keep your feet up" 😕 Gia did a quick snorkel then decided to take on the role of photographer.
After some serious napping, we hopped in the golf cart and went farther north to El Norte for dinner, and drinks from the newest (and cutest) Belizean bartender - Lily Francis Angst :) She was in her element. And now if neuroscience doesn't pan out, she has a backup plan. At least if there is God money to be made in making rum punch!
After consuming the amazing rum punch, you were able to spin the wheel. Once spun, there's no going back. Gia spun for Corey....
Corey has to do a shot of tequila with the Turkish bar owner, Iz, that was salt (snorted), followed by lime.squeezed into your eyes, then drinking the shot - which he did! Respect.
Lily's spin won the opportunity for a beer snorkel. Of course Gia was the only one of us that knew what that was!!! But a moment of... Disbelief? Awe? Pride?!? seeing her bong a beer through a snorkel, without spilling!
My wheel spin was a body shot, which I was able to direct, so it did not involve me actually drinking the shot. Ha! Funny memories as we debated where the body shot should - or could - happen from. Ended up sitting the shot glass on my stomach.
Needless to say, Caden drove the golf cart home. Oye!
