Sunday, 6/3
Slept in a little (wonder why). Woke up to the sun, breeze, surf and little kids playing. Suppose to have been snorkeling in the a.m. OOPS! Went to the dive shop to check in (Blue Hole Dive). Ended up being able to snorkel in the afternoon at Hol-Chan/Shark Ray Alley. Good trip! The water was bluer than I remember. We were both already so caught up in the mood of AC it was hard to stop smiling. The current was a little strong. I guess it had been since the rains a couple weeks back. Saw lots. Sebron fell in love at that moment, I think. He had been diving and snorkeling numerous times, but never saw a shark. Especially up that close! We were feeding & playing with the nurse sharks and rays. To be able to do that all the time.....WOW!
I think we went to Emerald for dinner that night. Not sure. Good food, but not my favorite. We were pretty wiped out so went to bed early (after sitting out on the dock for a bit). Our first dive tomorrow!
Monday, 6/4
Got up early. Went to Papi's for breakfast. Yum! Great food, great prices. Talked to some of the kids on their way to school. They're all so cute in their uniforms.
Scheduled for a 2-tank dive that day; one inside the reef and one out. Dove Hol-chan. Good orientation dive. I had just gotten certified and Sebron and I had never dived together. When we got there, there was a dive boat up on the reef. Yes, ON the reef (the lower part on the inside). The waves were pretty high. A guy was trying to push it off. Found out that a couple divers had gotten hurt due to the current at the cut. Another boat had taken them back to shore for medical attention. The driver of the boat they were on had tried to get as close to them as possible when they were in the water and the current took him up on the reef. Our guide, as well as another man, helped get the boat off the reef. We dove anyway, but our guide explained what we would have to do to avoid the current. The dive was OK, but the current was so strong we had to stay on the bottom with our knives dug in the whole time so didn't see too much. Did see an eagle ray. They're so graceful and FAST. Lots of sand was being kicked up so there's was lots of little fish (including parrot) feeding off the floating sediment. Challenging dive, eve if it was only 35' or so. Pretty weird for my first "official" dive.
Couldn't do the outside dive; current just too strong. So went snorkeling at Shark Ray again. No problem! Another chance to play with the sharks and rays. Got pictures this time! We were laughing so much underwater that our masks kept leaking.
Went to Mango's for lunch. Great food and even better smoothies! Rented a golf cart for the afternoon. What a blast! Like an obstacle course going through town between the dogs, cats, kids and people. Thought we'd get places quicker. No such luck. Guess we take a long time because we talk to everyone! Driving just gives us even more time to stop and talk. The people are so nice! Kept picking up "hitchhikers", too. No wonder we never get anywhere!
Drove up to the cut and took the hand ferry across to take a look at "the other side". Didn't go very far. Lots of construction as soon as you cross. Still pretty flooded from the previous rains. Didn't want to get the cart stuck. Got as far as Basil's and turned around. Drove around a bit and did some grocery shopping and stuff.
Had made plans to meet up with the Brits again at Fido's for a couple of beers. They were on their way back to the mainland. Afterwards, just hung around town talking to people and exploring. Tried the street vendors for the first time. If you're looking for a trip report on food, this isn't it. The vendors were our favorite and we ate their food quite often for a quick, inexpensive dinner. It's nice to sit by the church or on the street while you're eating and mingle with the locals. I thought I was bad talking to everybody. Sebron is worse! We had the best times just sitting and goofing around with folks.
It's a nice beach walk from town back to del Rio. Turned in early again (what's up with that?!). Guess it was a combo of the sun, warm air, drinks and friendly chats. On our way to the mainland the next day for a couple days at Cave's Branch Jungle Lodge in Belmopan! Once again, wind & surf rocked up to sleep.