Beach Bumming in Belize and Living it up in Livingston

After my Guatemalan adventures I was certainly ready for some serious beach action. And where better than the Caribbean?

My first stop was a tiny Island called Caye Caulker, about a half an hour boat ride from Belize City. There are no roads and therefore no cars there, just sandy paths and golf carts. Bliss! This place is so chilled out that if you walk to fast, some big dredlocked Garifuna guy will stop you in your tracks and say 'hey, what da rush girl? chill out, go slow, dis is Belize man, lemme get you some rum punch'

After the hectic markets and chaotic chicken buses of Guate, I didn't need telling twice. Is was like another world. Broken English, Bob Marley, Baggy shorts, Boxfresh trainers, Basketball vests, Beany hats, bandanas and Big fat spiffs. Unpronouncable mayan names were replaced with Lucky, Rocky, Bunny and {my favourite of all} Major

Days were spent snorkling at the reef, surrounded my sharks and Sting Rays, Octopus and Lobster, all set in beautiful colourful coral gardens. I have never seen so many fish in my life. Pink ones, yellow ones, blue green and purple ones, stripey ones and spotty ones, tiny ones and absolutely enormous ones. At sunset everyone would retire to he Lazy Lizard to watch the sunset, where you could dangle your feet in the warm sea, while sitting at the bar sipping panty rippers. Evening ended eating fresh fish from Big Mamas BBQ and succumbing to the sounds of reggaeton.

If that place hadn't broken the bank, I would still be there, but with only $2 Belize to the $1US, it was time to move on. 1 watertaxi, 2 boats, 3 buses and 2 days later and I was back in Guatemala, though not the Guatemala I was used to! Livingston, through friendly enough, was pretty sketchy when you scratched the surface. One night hanging out with the local gangs at Longbeach Bar was enough for me, so when I was offered the last place on a bus to The Bay Islands in Honduras leaving the next morning, I was in.

Granted, the subsequent Tapado (traditional soup with pretty myuch everything sea-dwelling in it) followed by an night bender avec flaming Sambuca, was not the best of ideas, but then again impromptu parties are always the best. When my newly found travel buddies came to ´wake me up´ the following morning I was still propping up the bar and declaring that the full days traveling we had to come, with no sleep whatsoever would be 'no problem at all'.

Thankfully managed to firm the first boatride to Puerto Barrios at sunrise, before passing out on the back of the bus for some well deserved shut eye. I don't remember going through immigration at the Guatemala, Honduras border, though my passport says that I did. With two hours to kill in La Ceiba before the Ferry across to the Island, we found ourselves in a huge US style Mall, sheltering from the pouring rain, succumbing to the temptation of Burger King and Pizza Hut, which I don't mind admitting was absolutely f**king delicious!

Almost there, and pretty much on my last legs, we boarded the Ferry. We should have taken note of the fact that sick bags were being handed out in hand quantities before me had even left the port. 5 minutes later and we all knew why. It was like being on a rollercoaster, but without the safety straps! The boat listed and lurched across the straight, sending people flying across the deck as they puked uncontrollably into their laps.

How I managed not to lose my lunch and decorate the place I have no idea. I put it down to shear determination and willpower, but I was certainly rather green by the time we arrived at Utila dock. We had made it! The next task was to learn how to breath underwater. Joy!