Belizan It - days 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

Wow! It has been busy as heck the last few days. Meant to update each night, but the internet is hit and miss and when I have had time, it hadn't been playing nice. I'll probably update about today (project day), tomorrow (free day) and the next day (travel day) when I get home.

Monday:

We visited a section of reef called coral gardens and one other place, can't remember the name now.

Tuesday:

We took a break from the water and headed to the mainland. Took about 45 min by boat to get there, then we went about an hour up the river, took a hour 15 min bus ride to a small villiage, then took another hour plus boat ride further inland. But it was all worth it - because our destination was Laminai. There is Mayan ruins there, and we got to climb one of the temples, which was 112 feet high

My hubby made it 102 feet up, but the top platform was so crowded he didn't go the rest. I made it about 33-40 feet up on the steep as hell steps, and gave up. To make it up, you have to hold on to a rope and step up these very narrow steps that have been worn down over time. Um ... no. I am way too afraid of heights.

Wednesday:

I don't remember exactly where we went on Wednesday. I was medicated on Benadryl due to a food allergy. Whole swelling of the hands, face (it wasn't too bad), hives, etc. Most of the day was a haze.

I do remember we went by Caye Caulker for lunch and some shopping. Lunch was really good. They had french fries. Oh yeah, my arteries LOVED it.

Thursday:

Thursday morning sucked. We went to the mangroves, which was cool. But in the water around the mangroves are these little isopods which evidently love sunbrunt flesh, because those of us that got bit the most were the ones with sunburns. Cool area to see, but I will NEVER snorkel it again.

Was a learning experience for the professor too.

The afternoon though MORE than made up for it. Oh my god. We went on a dive and while we were just floating along, a manatee came up under us. It was so absolutly COOL!!!

The instructors caught our attention and motioned for us to just float. They got us to poke our heads out of the water where we could listen, and told us that as long as we didn't crowd the manatee, they would explore us, due to their curiosity. It was so absolutely kick-ass. We floated there for a good while, and it swam right under me at one point in time.

Friday:

Yesterday was another GREAT day. : )

We went to a conch grave-yard. The conch fishermen in this area are only those who predated the marine sanctuary designation, and when they die, that's it for that section of the sea.

Where we went was a marine sanctuary, which had one remaining conch fisherman, and he was out. What was so cool about it is that there is a huge Loggerhead Sea Turtle that lives in the area that had grown used to the fisherman, and allow him to feed him. So tourists can actually swim with it, provided there is no touching. The fisherman is very protective of this creature.

Rays also gather in the area, because as the fisherman emptys the shells, he tosses the not prime pieces overboard and feeds the critters. There was a spotted eagle ray, horseshoe rays and southern stingrays there. The horseshoe rays would let you touch them, and often floated right under us.

After that we went to Shark-Ray Alley where we saw lots more rays and some students saw sharks. Unfortunatly the only nurse shark I saw was at a distance as someone else scared it off. : ( But the rays were cool. : )

After dinner we headed out for a night snorkel. I preferred to stay in the boat, but hubby went out and had a blast. He saw squid, octopuses, and a ton of nocternal fish. I stargazed. : ) It's really breathtaking at night here, out on the water, without the lights of the city. I could actually see all of Scorpio, because we are further south than normal.