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….