Take it easy on Caye Caulker

At 8 AM, we were ready at the harbor, eager to leave this city behind. Our destination was Caye Caulker, which is about an hour away from Belize City. A ticket costs 15 Belize dollars. It’s just so hot here! We were really looking forward to getting out to the island where there’s a bit more breeze. When you step off the boat, you walk past a sign that says "Go slow," which is the motto of this island. Everything in its own time. If you walk too fast, the locals will call out to you: "You are on Caye Caulker, go slow! :)" We’re now staying at Tina's Backpacker Hostel, right by the water. A double room costs 40 Belize dollars. There’s a little front yard with hammocks hanging up, perfect for relaxing and gazing out at the water. For the first time in ages, we’ve met some fellow Danes! There are two girls from Copenhagen staying at the same hostel as us. Things are quite pricey here. While it’s not too expensive to stay, eating out is definitely more costly than in other places. Internet is especially expensive; 20 minutes costs 5 Belize dollars. A drink, like the rum punch, which is their national drink, goes for 7 Belize dollars. The cheapest dishes, like a burger, start at 15 Belize dollars, and banana pancakes are about 8 Belize dollars. It adds up quickly. We rented a bike (5 Belize dollars per bike for an hour) to explore the island. You could easily walk it too, since you can see both sides of the island. It’s only 600 meters wide at its widest point and about 6.5 km long. There’s not much beach here, partly because the houses are built so close to the water that they sit right on the beach. If they moved the buildings back by 2-3 meters, there would be a beautiful beach. There’s also a small runway on the island that isn’t fenced off. We had to bike down the runway to get back home! :) I haven’t been able to use my hair trimmer in any of the countries, so Honny’s hair is getting pretty long. For 10 Belize dollars, he got most of it chopped off, which meant his scalp got a bit sunburned after a diving trip. There’s a really big, hefty guy who has set up a grill with lots of tables and benches. During the day, he goes fishing, and in the evening, he grills and sells his catch. His menu includes lobster, barracuda, and shrimp. Every evening, people gather here because he’s “world-famous” for his grilled lobsters. There are no fancy settings or nice furniture; you sit under the open sky by the water. Still, it’s packed every night. For 25 Belize dollars, you get lobster, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, one drink with rum/cola, and cheesecake for dessert. It’s really delicious. You end up chatting with all sorts of people when you’re sitting at the same long table. We struck up a conversation with a couple from Canada who met here two years ago and are now getting married. We ended up hanging out with them quite a bit over the next few days. In fact, you get to know a lot of people since the island is so small; you keep running into each other on tours, at restaurants, and at the hostel. After dinner, we went on a pub crawl with the Canadian couple and a crazy guy named Don from the USA! :)