Today marks my last full day in Caye Caulker, as I will depart for Guatemala early tomorrow morning.  The last 10 days here have been a whirlwind of nothing.  Few days have been particularly action packed, but they have all slipped by quickly just the same.  It’s all too easy to just stay one more day for 5 days in a row.  The island’s mantra is “Go Slow”, originally meant for the golf carts, the only motorized vehicles allowed on the island, but adopted as a lifestyle for everyone that visits this place.  It is virtually impossible not to.   Most days days here have been pretty much the same, with the exception of a few planned tours.  Wake up slow in the morning, get a fry jack for breakfast, then head to the split (where the island was split in half by a hurricane) for a swim in the turquoise blue waters to cure whatever ails you. Not a day has passed where I haven’t spent at least a couple hours in these waters, as they are altogether way too tempting to resist.  Lunch usually consists of something that was just pulled off the grill, rice, and beans.  Throw in a little hammock swinging, reading, a couple heated volleyball games, and of course a night out on the town with the latest members of your family, and you’ve got yourself a day…or in my case 10.

The one exception to these lazy days was an all day snorkeling excursion.  To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes.  After all, I’m a diver, what could snorkeling possibly have to offer me.  Well, more than I ever expected.  First stop was a place where they often find manatees, but the guide made sure to issue a non guarantee, as many times they are a bust.  Not so on this day.  He hopped in the water and one of these lovable giants was in plain sight.  He must have been having a good day that day as well, as he had no reservations about swimming much closer to us.  I would have been satisfied if that was all I saw for the whole day, but there were several more stops to go, one of which was shark ray alley, which I already raved about in a prior post.  It was just as exciting the second time around.  The other stop was along the reef that runs a few miles off the Cayes where the highlights for me were lion fish and spotted eagle rays, a relative of the manta ray whic  h happens to be my power animal.  Once we were done with the snorkeling we headed to a private island that was inherited by our guide from his grandfather.  On this small tropical paradise we spent a few hours catching our meal for the night then followed up with a bonfire, our faire share of rum drinks, and a freshly caught feast for the ages consisting of crab, lobster, fresh vegetables, rice, and of course the fish we pulled in.  Couple all this with fantastic company and a tremendous guide and you’ve got an unforgettable day, and an unforgettable caye.