After 8a yoga and breakfast (which included fresh tortillas and black beans, yum!), I had a 10:30a reflexology/massage appointment, hoping that would help my headache. Tubing had been re-scheduled for after lunch. By that point I was feeling better, but still not great. I opted to stay at the lodge rather than fight the glare of the sun on the water. Disappointing, as I'd really wanted to try tubing. But with snorkeling the next day, I wanted to be ready for that.
So I sat in the hammock on our porch and read. And watched the iguanas crawl through the trees. And listened to them as, graceful creatures that they are(n't), crashed tree limbs as they fell and landed in the river. I listened to the hummingbirds buzzing by -- always an amazing sound! -- and studied a Baltimore oriole for a while, a bird rarely found now in the Baltimore area.
By 5p yoga, I was feeling better. Dinner included fresh lobster over fresh fettucini. We were getting spoiled. I also learned about electrolytes; one of the girls gave me a packet which I intended to use the next day. I will be sure to add those to my packing list for next time!
That night, I fell asleep to the sound of howler monkeys again. I woke in the early hours to torrential rain, which continued for hours. By the time we all met for breakfast (yum, fry bread and honey today), it was damp and overcast. But, snorkeling was not canceled!
One of the lodge staff sees us off! Yes, the dock is flooded. That's why everything at the lodge is on stilts -- in the rainy season, everything floods. No, this wasn't the rainy season.
Along the way down the river to the ocean, the guides spotted a howler monkey family, so we pulled over. All things considered, they are not very big creatures. Amazing creatures though.
It rained on us some more during our trip, but by the time we reached the Port Honduras Marine Reserve office, the sky had cleared! We had our park overview here - they are doing a lot of work to protect the region and its resources; I found it very encouraging. Magnificent frigatebirds and royal terns were everywhere.
Unfortunately, so were the sea swells. Here's my friend, as she sets off. I stayed on the boat. I knew from past experience that this water was too rough for me, since my swimming skills are marginal. The group drifted off. She came back for me. I resisted, then second-guessed myself -- because I wanted to snorkel! -- and got in. BIG mistake. The first wave washed over me completely and I panicked. More unfortunately, the guides did not leave the ladder out, so I couldn't get back into the boat. We tried, but couldn't find it. And I couldn't let myself get away from the boat. I had spectacular bruises on my arms for more than a week from hanging on to the boat until the guides came back….
Our second stop was for lunch. All of the snorkeling today was at Snake Cays, a group of four islands, so named, it turns out, for their snake inhabitants, mostly pythons. One of the guides found a couple, and a few of the girls went to look. Spiders and snakes -- not my thing.
But it was beautiful! Turquoise waters, warm waters. In which we all stood and ate lunch (which included this incredible curried heart of palm salad and a local biscuit full of cinnamon and known as powder bun) because none of us was prepared for the sand flies! They were everywhere. And they were vicious. Apparently they were hungry too. It took a day or two before we realized the damaged. None of us missed out, and their bites are quite spectacular. Weeks later, I can still see them.
And hermit crabs! I love these guys. Most of the girls gave them a wide berth, but I wanted to pick them all up and let them crawl across my hands. They appreciated the lunch scraps we left behind.
Several of us stayed on the boat at the next stop, on the other side of the island. Some stayed on this side and sunbathed. Some snorkeled, but didn't see very much. We then came back to this side of the island and walked out to the reef. There was some beautiful snorkeling here. I didn't get to do much because this time I'd forgotten my life jacket on the boat! And my camera too. Seriously not my best snorkeling day. Still, it was a lovely day to be out on the water and my headache had finally gone. And I did have a wonderful chat with one of our instructors, played with a sand dollar I pulled off the bottom, and saw some sergeant majors in a small section of coral in the shallows.
Not everyday can be perfect. But in Belize, even bad days are good days.
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