It’s been a fun week in Boston, celebrating success and learning to better serve customers at Delta’s annual Global Sales Conference. Landing in Atlanta, thoughts of a Charleston visit are interrupted by texts from my best travel buddy Cooper: “Bough a last minute ticket to Belize. Care to join?”
Box check travel? Don’t have to ask me twice. I run home to swap out clothes and twelve hours later we are landing in Belize City.
What’s so un-Belize-able??
It’s an easy weekend getaway. A quick two hour flight takes you from Atlanta to Belize City, then a 45 minute water taxi ride gets you to the islands. Some Belize islands are overrun with tourists, but Caye Caulker is the place to be. No cars — only golf carts, bicycles and boats — like North Captiva Island, but dirtier. It’s a backpacker’s haven; we meet several groups of nomads, drifting from place to place freely until their wanderlust or funds are exhausted.
Looking for a workout? Swim across The Split, fighting the current of this narrow waterway that divides the island in two. Seeking entertainment? Observe the local Rastafarian culture from a stool at the Lazy Lizard. (Mind your belongings. During our brief stay, a Brit was robbed at gunpoint and an Aussie’s wallet was stolen.) Interested in a fabulous backdrop for a little reflection on life? For old time’s sake, take a few Belikin beers to the end of your private dock and stargaze with Ludovico Einaudi’s Divernire playing softly in the background.
Snorkeling and diving are sure to provide an underwater show, especially in Shark Alley, but I’ve always been more of an aerial kind of girl. The best way to see the Great Blue Hole is by air. The view from a small charter plane is well worth the cost (~200 USD / person). The exchange rate is very favorable and this may cost more than the rest of your stay altogether — so enjoy!
