Belize: Day 5 Continued

Once we arrived at the bottom for our final training dive (60 feet) we completed our final skills demonstration to complete our certification: take your mask off and put it back on then clear it, navigate underwater with a compass, and hover just off of the bottom of the ocean floor. While I was working on taking off my mask and clearing it, a giant Hawksbill Sea Turtle swam by Ashley. Once I was finished with my skill and I reopened my eyes, the instructor signalled turtle to me and swam me over to where it was swimming away. It was about four feet in diameter and maybe six feet long! Ash said that there were two sucker sharks that were six feet long that were swimming along underneath him. I was so jealous that I didn't get to see more of him.

After we finished our first dive, 40 min, we surfaced and spent about an 1:30 on the surface eating lunch and chatting while two of the divers with us completed a rescue diver course. While we were up there, we ate PB&J sandwiches and a fresh watermelon that I had cut up earlier that morning. Can I say, I just love all the fruit here!

During our second dive, as certified divers and also to 60 feet, we saw a lot more fish. I saw many Anglefish that were nearly one foot in diameter. I also saw a spotted drum fish which is black and white, like a zebra. I find it so amazing that all of the colors we create are actually colors that exist in nature, something that is especially apparent while looking underwater at the reef. The reef was as healthy as we had seen it. Many hurricanes come through the area and damage the reef just outside Caye Caulker. This is one of the reasons why Caye Caulker is so quiet and laid back.

After finishing our diving for the day, we went back to the dock where we finished our paperwork and got our certificates as certified divers. We then rushed to pick up our laundry from the laundermat and we returned our bicycles. Then, we walked home, packed our freshly laundered clothing into our suitcases and headed for the boat taxi to take us to Ambergris Caye. The boat ride was about 45 min and mostly pleasant.

We arrived on Ambergris Caye to a bustling city and a very unpleasant surprise. The streets are narrow and full of cars, golf carts, bicycles, pedestrians, and street vendors. There just isn't enough room for everyone! We did not have a pre-arranged place to stay here so we started walking down the street with our suitcases in hand and asking questions of taxi drivers that wanted to take us around. We stumbled upon a little info cabana that had a few people at it that get paid to arrange tours, places to stay, dives, etc for each places but get paid a commission by the places not by the tourists. They gave us a map and helped us find a place to stay. It was a bit of a dive but it had everything that we wanted, wireless internet, AC, private bathroom, and a mini-fridge, for only $50 US/night. We walked around the town that afternoon to look for a grocery store and a place to get an appetizer. We found a bakery, Jedda- Smile, that was similar to a European bakery but with a Latino spin on it. Instead of 10 different kinds of rolls and hard breads and a variety of pastries, there were different kinds of flat breads, tortilla chips, soft rolls, and mexican pastries. We also found a little bar that made some great appetizers that filled us most of the way up. After leaving there and walking around a bit, we were so overwhelmed by the fast pace that we went back to our room before the sun went down to see if we could get out of there and onto another location.

Before leaving, I had read about a place, Placencia, that seemed very quaint and quiet- more of what we were looking for. We decided, while falling asleep looking at the computer, that if Lily, the woman who owned the hotel, would give us our money back for the second night, we would try to make it there tomorrow. Ashley and I fell asleep, he had the laptop on his lap, by 7:00 and didn't awake until about 6:30 this morning. It felt so good to sleep for so long and to rest from all of the stress of the city.