While Steve and Leo knew what they were going to see there, they were still amazed and thrilled.
http://www.pbase.com/sweetjane/image/103669397I could see it in their faces as we got back onboard. Wide eyes and huge smiles, and we sped off to Hol Chan. Again, there was just one other boat there.
My hope was to see Spotted Eagle Rays - my favorites. Miguel took us out, and led us around. There was a bit of current, so he said to follow closely. We did, until we got around to the calmer side and then spread out a bit. Miguel and I pointed out some pretty, little butterfly fish and interesting things to the guys. He & I saw a very large and beautiful Black Angel, but the boys missed it. He pointed a smaller one out to them a minute later. We swam and hovered, seeing all sorts of small creatures in the cracks & crevices. Never any disappointments at Hol Chan; it's a wonderful snorkel each and every time.
I still kept watching out of the corners of my eyes, and thought I saw an eagle ray, but it was only a small stingray. My hope was dwindling. Then I saw something." BRUCE! HEY GUYS!! THERE'S A TURTLE OVER HERE!!" everyone swam over as fast as they could. Now, you should know Bruce (an animal lover anyway) has a thing for turtles. He wears a wooden one from Costa Rica around his neck. We had only ever seen 2 before - one on land, and one swimming. I knew he'd be absolutely delighted, and he was. Yay! This one seemed kinda small. Fascinating.
The boys and I went back to the reef while Bruce swam off following the turtle. Then Miguel saw another one! Wow! This one was also small, but so peaceful and graceful in the water. I called Bruce back over. He had followed the other one kind of far. He swam back, and as they were checking that one out, I saw yet another! 3 in one day! This was great! The boys were thrilled and Bruce was ecstatic! This was an easy swap for my hope of the kids seeing eagle rays.
We'd been out there for a while now, and hadn't eaten in hours. The boys were getting tired, and we headed back to the boat. Later, Bruce told me that Miguel asked him not to follow the turtles; they get tired easily. We both sniffed and made puppy dog eyes, and he made a mental note not to do it again.
Ok, bbq time! You guys saw the pics. Capt Bobby chopped onions peppers & tomatoes, made a sauce of mayo, butter & seasonings, and threw the haul of the day into foil packets to steam over the fire.
http://www.pbase.com/image/103669403On the side were tortillas, and potatoes in butter & herbs, also steamed in foil. A little Marie Sharp's and OH MAN, it was soooooooooooooooooo good. OMG. Maybe we were just really hungry, but the flavor was just great. We scarfed it down, dribbling happily. We'd never had barracuda before, and we all agreed it was better than the snapper. Too bad Steve didn't want his lobster tail, so I forced myself to have 2! Ha ha ha!
Now the other side: the bbq was at Lion's Club Park down south, and the beach there was a mess. Busted up palapas and random trash all over. A family lived in a shack on the lot.
http://www.pbase.com/image/103669402 They had a dog tied up in the sun with no water, and just a broken billboard for shade. He looked very, very sad. Bruce grabbed a bottle of water and a small tub, and gave some to the dog - who slurped it up in one second. A young boy was watching, shyly.
http://www.pbase.com/image/103669404Bruce quietly went over and told the boy that dogs need water just like people do, Bruce pet the dog and gave it some more, and came back to sit with me. I looked over and said 'look'. The boy was gingerly carrying a larger bowl of water out to the dog. I put my arm on Bruce's, smiled, and told him he did good. He then told me he just saw the captain take the leftovers to the family in the shack. Pay it forward - I hate that line, but I adore the idea.
by now it was after 4; we were stuffed and ready for naps. Back in the boat, and back to the Palms. Showers were in immediate order. We were all roasty-toasty and exhausted. We slept, woke up, snacked on leftover chicken & ceviche, stared at the ocean for a little, reviewed the day, and went back to bed. Tomorrow would be our last full day on this jewel of an island. (snif)
Bumping the link:
http://www.pbase.com/sweetjane/ambergris_with_boys_aug_08
AmbergrisCaye.com 
