Nurse Shark Puppys
Where is Belize, you might ask? This is the first question I asked myself when my father walked into the living room informing me that we were signed up for a trip next February. Next stop was a quick web search for Belize, with a click on Wikipedia. Typically, I make and effort to read up on the the basic details of the countries we visit. The standard questions apply: Where is it? Is it safe? What language do they use? What money works there? And most importantly, do I require an electrical adapter to charge things? Because I’m going to need to charge my camera….
As the web informed me, Belize is a Caribbean country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It borders Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It was a British colony until it achieved its independence in 1981. They speak the queen’s english officially but also speak Belizean Creole. This sounds like a mix of Spanish and English with a Louisiana creole bayou drawl, leaving anyone not familiar completely clueless as to what is being said. The currency is the Belize dollar (BZD) but having a large tourism economy they also use the USD. Concerning safety, Belize City our planned port of entry, which is the largest city in the country, has major crime issues like any large city. But our travel was taking us to the Ambergris Caye, a peninsular shaped island finger of land along the north eastern coast, just a thirty minute plane ride away to a city called San Pedro. As a tourist destination, San Pedro is filled with resorts, restaurants and bars supporting the beach goers, deep sea fishing and diving. The biggest safety concern walking outside the resort would be getting run over by the packs of high speed golf-carts, the main mode of island transportation. And thankfully there is no risk of electrocution with those silly travel adapters, so plug away!
Once packing was completed, COVID test results printed, we were off to the airport soon to be away from the freezing Ohio temperatures, with the sand in our toes, sun in our faces and the tropical warmth surrounding us. The worlds second largest barrier reef awaiting our bubbles. Despite, some rather annoying travel delays at DFW, last minute standby seating to Miami and delayed baggage we arrived via a single prop plane to the island. Our scuba gear would arrive a day later, even with all these complications we were soon on the dive boat geared up and in the water. So how was the the worlds second largest great barrier reef?…. Well, unfortunately it was not healthy.