Belize

My route: Belize City-->Caye Caulker-->San Ignacio & Tikal-->Belize City

Time spent: 1 Week

I found a $150 flight to Belize from Denver, (with a connection in DFW,) so I couldn't *not* go. I spent 1 week there and then hopped over to Guatemala for a week. The best thing to know about Belize: It's easy. English is spoken. American dollars are taken. Outlets are the same, (as the US.) Tons of information is online. Prices are pretty fixed, (i.e. not as much haggling as you'd expect elsewhere,) etc.

Belize City--> Caye Caulker (Caye is pronounced 'key,' fyi)

Upon arriving in Belize City, I grabbed a $25 cab, (again, this is the standard price for the cab ride, not per person. Not a lot of haggling to be done here,) to the Belize Water Taxi that took me to Caye Caulker. My ticket was $18 and I bought online in advance, though I believe you can just turn up and buy at the counter. The water taxi, (or, ferry, as most call it,) drops off other places, too, like San Pedro, which, actually, I was supposed to go to after Caye Caulker, but I liked Caye Caulker so much, I skipped it altogether and just stayed at Caye Caulker. It's absolutely stunning.

A fisherman pulls his boat into Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker's motto is "go slow." You can walk the whole island or rent a bike, but there are no cars. If you're walking too fast, you may even hear the locals tell you to "go sloooow."

Something I could and did get used to. San Pedro is much bigger with more people, traffic, nightlife, etc. I just wasn't ready to go fast quite yet. So I didn't. I moseyed around, read books, rode bikes, took pictures, did yoga, had drinks at the bars, ate *all* the food, (think lobster paella, ceviche, piña coladas, coffee, ice cream, and all things delicious,) and embraced every minute of my newfound, slow life.

What to do on Caye Caulker:

Stay at Sophie's Guest House. It's a fantastic location right near the split (after the hurricane, the island is "split" into two, (look at any map and you'll see what I'm talking about,) with all the accommodation and happenings on the southern part. For ~$30USD I got a private room on the balcony with hammocks and the best view. Bathrooms are shared but clean with hot showers. The staff were wonderful. Also, it's one of the only guesthouses with direct beach access that you can actually lay on, (see top right picture above and pictures below for a sense of how great the location is..)

Sophie's balcony- I read many pages from this hammock

When you're not taking in the hammock swings at Sophie's, rent a bike from one of the many shops on the island and explore.

Drop in for rooftop yoga at RandOM. Better yet, it's donation-based and they have everything you need, so just turn up. I loved the teacher I had and the other yogis were super sweet, too. Downstairs they have a nice little coffee stand with delicious treats.

Stop by the animal shelter because..puppies. Seriously. Go there.

Very good boi at the Caye Caulker Animal shelter

Take the 2 minute boat ride over to Koko King- a pristine beach with hammocks, swings, beach loungers, and a pretty good restaurant/bar on the north part of the island. The boat ride is free, (ask around about where it takes off- I don't have good directions but almost anyone can point you to the pier,) as long as you purchase something from the restaurant/bar.

Koko King Swing

EAT FRY JACKS at the fry jack stand. Don't just do this on Caye Caulker- do it everywhere you go in Belize. A word on fry jacks: They're essentially a breakfast item of deep fried dough and from there the possibilities are endless. I discovered the magic of ordering them stuffed with scrambled eggs, local cheese, and refried beans with salsa and sour cream on the side

In addition to fry jacks, eat all the fresh seafood in the form of tacos, ceviche, paella, and however else your little heart desires. Just eat it. Then wash it down with a piña colada from fresh coconut.

Next stop, San Ignacio...

Caye Caulker-->San Ignacio

From Caye Caulker, I took the water taxi back to Belize City and a shuttle to San Ignacio. San Ignacio is the ultimate hub for day trips from kayaking, caving, horseback riding, visiting Mayan ruins, caving, zip-lining, canoeing, visiting nature reserves, chocolate making tours, and more.

In typical Daytona fashion, I didn't have a room booked when I got there, and it proved more difficult than I thought it'd be. After checking at a few places around town, I ended up finding a place that was just a few simple rooms attached to a family's house that they rented out. My room was a private- very bare bones but clean, with a mediocre shared bathroom. Not for the high maintenance, that's for sure, but for me, it was perfect. And cheap. And right in the main part of town.

I'm always truthfully confused what more anyone might need and why they'd be spending much time in their room anyway..

From San Ignacio, at one of the 25 travel agents, I booked a day tip to Tikal (which is a long shuttle ride and requires crossing the Guatemalan border,) but they were my favorite Mayan ruins I saw so I'm glad I did. Additionally, our guide was awesome and taught me a cool pano-picture trick..

In two places at once at Tikal ;)

I also booked a horseback ride to Xunantunich- more Mayan ruins, but no crossing of the border required. A much shorter trek, in fact. Also super fun and I recommend it. Do note that my ass felt bruised for approximately 48 hours after.

My trusty steed on the way to Xunantunich

To be honest, the town of San Ignacio on it's own is nothing to write home about, but it's main purpose is a hub for jumping off to other places. That said ,there is an *amazing* restaurant called Guava Limb- relatively pricey, but so worth it. I ate in their gorgeous garden and had wine there while I read almost every day or evening.

Coconut Cheesecake and a Latte from Guava Limb

After San Ignacio, I headed back to Belize City where I hopped on a flight to Guatemala, just one country over, but quite different.