Belize – Ambergris Caye

We just spent 2 weeks in Belize – Ambergris Caye – San Pedro. A quick getaway before Christmas. We flew direct from Toronto to Belize City with West Jet (first time flying with West Jet – did the seat upgrade).

From Belize City, we took a small plane – puddle-jumper (it held 14 including the pilot) to San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye (about a 20 minute flight).

We were met by someone from the condo company and transported to our condo.

While there are a few taxis that operate on the island, most vehicles are golf carts. Like cars, there are huge variances from beat up and dirty, to new and shiny, to customized like this Mustang.

Our condo, while nothing fancy, was comfortable with a small kitchen, and it was close to the town centre and was oceanfront.

We had a great view from the balcony, and even had a visitor one day.

In Hawaii, we always see the sunset on the water because we stay on the west side of the islands, but here we were on the east side and saw some beautiful sunrises.

We were treated to a clear full moon too on our second night.

We did a lot of walking along the oceanfront. The weather was amazing – we averaged around 25°C every day.

We saw so many birds – osprey, frigates, pelicans, herons, hummingbirds, and egrets (just to name a few…).

This little guy hung around condo and followed Todd on the dock one day.

We were really close to Palapa – a restaurant built out on the water (recently rebuilt because of the Hurricane Earl in 2016).

We had great views from inside the covered area, but some people chose to sit on the deck chairs, or in the inner tubes in the water (they even have a clothes line set up to send you your beer in a bucket while in the water).

One day walking up the dock to the restaurant, we saw this huge stingray.

The most “wow” factor here was during our second week when they were building new steps into the water from the deck. They were using electric tools (just holding the cord out of the water) to drill. (Crazy!)

My go-to meal here was the smoked pork on a bun (really tasty).

Todd enjoyed the fish tacos.

For afternoon refreshments, we frequented a beach bar called Sandy Toes.

A rainbow appeared one afternoon.

Sandy Toes is oceanfront, and a great gathering spot. Locals, expats and tourists that stopped in made for many interesting conversations.

Todd ordered Conch ceviche (raw, marinated in lime juice) for a snack (huge snack). Conch is a large sea snail with a spiral shell. Todd offered to share with me….no thanks.

Although the weather was great and everyone we met was friendly, we ran into some issues our first week. I began to get a cold (seriously? In the tropics!), and Todd was getting eaten alive by no-see-ums (sand fleas). I had bites, but they didn’t turn into welts and they didn’t itch. Canadian Blood services likes Todd’s O+ blood and apparently the bugs everywhere we visit like it too !

Before my cold got too advanced, I went on a snorkeling tour. Deep water snorkeling isn’t Todd’s thing, so I went without him.

The first stop was Hol Chan Marine Reserve. A barrier reef spans the length of Ambergris Caye and is second in size to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. We saw some fish and a lot of coral.

I expected to see vibrant colours of coral, like in an aquarium, but other than the yellow flowerpot coral, it wasn’t that brightly coloured.

Our next stop was Shark/Ray Alley where I WENT SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS! Okay, they were only nurse sharks, but it was still pretty freaky.

The guys on the boat dropped fish parts into the water and the sharks swarmed.

We didn’t see any rays, but that was okay….sharks were enough.

Not wanting to miss Football Sunday, we went to a local bar, Lola’s, to watch Todd’s team, the Patriots, play (my Seahawks played later at night). Five games were playing at one time, so there was lots of excitement from the crowd cheering on various teams.

When the Packers came from behind to win, one guy was so happy, he bought Fireball shots for everyone in the bar.

Most days, we had breakfast at the condo, but we did go to Boogie’s Belly one day to try their meat pies. They were freshly made and delicious.

A few mornings, we went to Estel’s for breakfast and had bacon and eggs (Todd) and an omelet (me). We watched one of the workers prepping the daily catch for the restaurant’s menu (now that’s fresh…).

Todd enjoyed his fill of fishy stuff. He had ceviche (again) at Blue Water Grill.

Some whole Snapper at Caramba.

And a seafood curry dish at Elvi’s.

He did share pizza with me a couple of times from Sandbar, and he opted for a taco salad on a return visit to Blue Water Grill.

We both had a typical Belizean lunch one day (at Elvi’s) – stewed chicken with beans and rice and a side of potato salad.

Mostly, I stuck with my favourite – pork. The pork belly  tacos at Blue Water Grill with the Asian slaw were delicious.

At Elvi’s, the pork chop with mushroom sauce and a baked potato was one of my favourites.

The town centre is filled with numerous stores and restaurants. The roads are shared with pedestrians, cabs, golf carts, and bikes, but walking is the way to go to take it all in.

Todd got a chuckle from this sign.

We bought a few baguettes and chocolate croissants from the newly opened Boulangerie.

The fire station was across from where we were staying.

Our friend, Aline, works at Save-On grocers in BC. We suggested she put in for a transfer.

Unfortunately, we missed the night time boat parade; it was on the Saturday we left. But, we did get to enjoy the local Christmas parade the Sunday before leaving.

Multiple bands, floats, and people paraded through the streets.

Even though we both had colds by the end of our vacation, we did enjoy the getaway and the warmth. Now home to the snow and Christmas festivities… until it’s time for Hawaii….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Island Adventure – Final Blog

For the second year in a row, we were in Kona for St. Patrick’s Day. Aline, Dave, Todd, and I went to Quinn’s. Although not as “happening” as last year, there were lots of fun people, lively music, and good food.

On one of our road trips, we travelled south to visit The Painted Church (a.k.a. St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church). The church in its current location was built in 1899.

A cemetery surrounds the small church on the hillside overlooking the ocean.

Six scenes are painted on the wood side walls within the church. These were painted in the early 1900s by the Father of the church who was a self-taught artist.

The painted scenes within the church were used as teaching tools as many people at the that time could not read or write.

St Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata.

Cain and Abel-with great anguish and violence.

Temptation of Jesus. The devil is being cast down along with a crown, a scepter and bags of money.

A couple of times walking by one of the restaurants near our condo, we saw a truck parked out front with a huge fish wrapped in ice taking up the entire truck bed. Todd talked to the fisherman who goes out almost daily. This marlin weighed 383 lbs.

On the Saturday prior to the Hawaiian Prince Kuhio holiday, the Daughters of Hawaii hold a fundraiser at Hulihe`e Palace. The palace is free to tour and artisans populate the grounds. The highlight is the entertainment with traditional songs and dances being performed.

I booked an Island Circle Tour with Big Island Air on a Cessna for us on our 3rd week here, but after they rebooked us twice for different reasons, we ended up going on our final week and for sunset (an upgrade).

What a great experience! Our pilot/tour guide, Darryl was professional, friendly, and very informative. We headed north to where the coastline isn’t accessible by car (no roads).

After the sugar mills shut down, a Japanese company leased thousands of acres of land and planted fast-growing Eucalyptus trees for lumber. The timber is mainly shipped to China where it’s made into a variety of products including plywood, pallets, industrial flooring, and furniture frames.

It was amazing getting an aerial view of the Island and seeing the differences in landscape, from desert to semi-desert to evergreen forests, to rainforests….

Once again, we got to visit Volcano National Park, but we saw it from a whole new perspective. The ring of fire in the Caldera was stunning.

Looks like Pele is smiling up at us !

Sometimes a little un-nerving looking out and seeing a helicopter right below us.

The flow into the ocean is blocked a bit now, but we were still able to see the lava through the plume of steam.

As we travelled south and rounded the island towards the west, it became quite voggy. Vog is made up of volcanic gases and dust and it is prevalent in this area because of the active volcano and the trade winds.

We completed our flight just as the sun was setting. Wow!

A couple of days after our plane ride, we did the Big Island Duck Boat Adventure with Dave and Aline. (Note that this also had to be rebooked due to ocean swells…. flexibility while travelling is a must…). The Hydra-Terra is a state-of-the-art amphibious tour bus.

This was a lot of fun! We travelled up Ali’I Drive where historical buildings and places were pointed out, and we played a trivia game for a fun way to learn more about Hawaii and the Big Island. Along the route, we greeted people and used our duck whistles. So silly…

The water part was excellent. I thought we would just hang out in the habour, but we went out into the ocean and travelled up the coast a bit.

We passed a few boaters, had a great view of the coastline, and saw some ancient fishing ponds.

The excursion was informative and lots of fun!

The past couple of Thursdays have been pool nights.

We met up with Doug and a few of his friends, fun times are had by all!

Dave said he hadn’t played in years, yet I think he and Aline were scamming us judging by the moves they used so he could make his shot.

Hawaii life is lanai life. There is so much to see…. Locals on the rocks fishing, crabbing, and Opihi hunting.

Kids surfing and boggie-boarding in the waves.

Watersports.

Birds coming to visit.

….And always the beautiful sunset.

We love Hawaii life…already booked for next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Island Post 1

This is the third year in a row we’ve been to the Big Island; it has become a second home here in Kona. We meet up with our friends from B.C., Aline and Dave, and we reconnect with local friends.

Two years ago, we did a tour that ended with a visit to Volcano National Park. This year we decided to go ourselves, spend the night (Volcano House Hotel), and explore at our own pace going to places we had not been. We arrived at the park just before noon and it was already packed with people (tons of tour vans and busses). Our first stop after the Visitor’s Centre was the steam vents which surround the volcano crater.

They are much more active than when we saw them back in 2005 or even two year ago.

Next, we went to the Jaggar Museum, where we had a great view of the Kilauea Caldera.

We stopped here as part of our cruise excursion in 2005 and could walk right up to the crater’s edge. It became active again in 2008 and the road has been closed since. According to one of the rangers at the museum, the area we once stood has collapsed into the crater.

We returned here at night and were treated to a bit of a show.

As the lava sputtered up, lots of oohs and aahs came from the crowd.

Here is a time lapse video Todd made from a group of shots he took.

Because of Todd’s ankle, we didn’t do any hiking; that will have to wait for a return visit. We drove along Crater Rim Drive where markers detailed the various years that lava had flowed over the area.

There are two types of lava and they are easily distinguishable. The smoother, dense lava is called Pahoehoe. It looks like gentle waves. The other lava, A’a, is porous and jagged and appears as individual rocks.

As we continued towards sea level, descending 1128 m, the temperature rose 11°C. In the distance, we could see this huge billowing of smoke. Smoke? No, it was steam!

We knew to get anywhere close to the lava flowing into the ocean, you had to hike in about 8 km…and that wasn’t happening. So, we were quite satisfied to see the forces of nature at work from a distance.

Because we spent the night at the hotel in the park, we were able beat the crowds the next morning. We returned to the Jaggar Museum outlook for a clearer daytime view of Kilauea Caldera.

We did a return drive towards the ocean and the end of Chain of Craters Road, taking pictures along the way.

But the main attraction of course is the steam plume. When hot lava touches the ocean, it evaporates water, forming an impressive steam plume, and heats the surface water to temperatures capable of causing third-degree burns.

Our final stop was at the Thurston Lava Tube. We were the only ones there! Amazing! The rainforest area around the tube was totally serene…only the birds could be heard. (Click play below)

The ferns growing around the lava tube have huge (as big as your head)  fiddleheads starting!

The Thurston Lava Tube is estimated to be about 500 years old.

Lava caves like this are formed during lava flows. The outer crust begins to harden while the inner lava continues to flow. Once the flow stops, the tunnel formation remains.

Volcano National Park is truly unique. We witnessed the past and present impact Pele has on the Island. It is amazing – the beauty in some of the plants that thrive in the lava!

While this is our 3rd visit to Big Island, it is the first time we have rented a car; and that turned out to be a good plan because of Todd’s swollen and sore ankle. We are doing a lot of driving and seeing the sites. On one of our drives, we headed to Waimea and stopped for lunch… at a Korean restaurant (Yong’s Kalbi). I had the Chicken Katsu and sides including pickled daikon that was very good. (Going to get Todd to make some pickled daikon back home.)

Todd had Mandoo Noodle Soup and sides.

After lunch, we went to Parker Ranch. Parker Ranch was founded in 1847 by John Palmer Parker, from Massachusetts. He married the granddaughter of King Kamehameha I, and they purchased two acres of land (for $10). Rows of eucalyptus trees create a tunnel along the entry way and horses graze in the fields.

Today, the ranch is the 5th largest independently owned ranch in the United States at 130,000 acres.

The property allows visitors a look into the past. We toured Mana Hale (House of the Spirit). The original house was built in the early 1800s by John Parker. Later, his great-great-great grandson, Richard Smart, had the home disassembled and reconstructed where it sits now.

The house, made entirely of koa wood, is quite impressive.

The rooms are filled with pictures, documents, and household items from the early era of the ranch.

The second floor, shows what the bedrooms would have looked like.

The other house available for visitors to tour is Puuopelu. It was the home of the Ranch’s sixth-generation and final heir from 1960 to 1992. The Parker Ranch property was left as a beneficial trust when he died.

There is also a museum on the grounds with old carriages and tools on display.

On another drive, we went south to Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park.

This is the site where Hawaiians met Westerners when Captain Cook arrived in 1779.

On the large rock platform, various ceremonial structures once stood. Over the years, it has had to be rebuilt due to damage from high surf and tsunamis. It remains a sacred area.

While on the Island, our friend Doug, who we met here 3 years ago celebrated his 40th birthday. We met him and some of his other friends at Bongos.

Then we made our way upstairs to play pool and have some beverages and snacks.

Doug’s dad also came by.

The guys enjoyed playing each other, and pairing up to play others wanting to play. We had lots of fun celebrating with Doug and his friends on his birthday.

Todd was the only one willing to have a shot of Patron tequila with Doug to end the night!

We got to experience another full moon on this vacation (first one was in Poipu). The sky was clear and made a great background for the brilliant moon.

We continue to take sunset pictures.

Just when you think, okay we have enough sunset pictures, another stunning sunset comes….and we have to take more pictures.