ext212 > americas > belize 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 Caye Caulker: - Beautiful Caye - Joe of the Daily Grind, our pedicab driver - De Real Macaw, our sleeping quarters for three nights - Me and the beach public transporation if you can't afford to rent your own golf cart - What they call hot sauce looks more like salsa - Refuge from the sun under the Lazy Lizard Bar 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

We waited for an hour for our boat to leave at its scheduled departure time of 12:30pm. I still haven't eaten and all I did the rest of the wait was sleep on one of the benches in the terminal while the boy walked out to look for an Internet cafe. During the forty-minute ride, we slathered ourselves with sunblock. The sun was so intense. We could only imagine how it would feel to dip our feet for the first time in the Carribean Sea. The water changed from dark blue to turquiose as we neared the island of Caye Caulker. This was our destination for the next three days with a day trip to the other islands in between. It felt like our vacation was only beginning. Caye Caulker is one of the 200 small islands or cayes (pronounced keys) surrounding Belize's coral reef. It's a small village with residents who lead regular lives while running resorts for tourists. We preferred to stop here over Ambergris Caye because of its relaxed atmosphere and the slow pace at which Belizeans there lived. Joe, a pedicab driver offered us a ride to our guest house, De Real Macaw. We slowly followed the sand and watched faster golf carts breeze past us. De Real Macaw was only a five-minute walk but the ride was very pleasant. Joe even stayed with us to chat while we waited for our room to be cleaned. He let me ride his bike, The Daily Grind, and advised us on where to eat and hang out at night. After checking in, we walked to the east tip of the caye to have lunch at the Lazy Lizard's open bar. We had our first taste of the hot sauce that accompanies most barbequed dishes on the island. It looked more like salsa than sauce but whoa, it was hot. Nothing is more evocative of the flavor of Caribbean food than the Scotch bonnet or habañero pepper. After roasting, the peppers are added to chopped onions, salt and vinegar. I was feeling a little bit better but still not strong enough to go in the water and swim. My legs were still tired from the hikes and I opted for a long nap under a small tree on the sand while the boy enjoyed the warm water of the sea. For dinner, we stopped by one of the small restaurants on the main strip when we saw live lobsters being prepared for the grill. We were already three bottles of beer deep and we could not find the heart to leave even after we waited two hours for our dinner to be served. The owner was nice enough to chat with us while he managed the grill -- he used to live in Las Piñas with his then-wife, where I grew up in the Philippines. It was a small world indeed. We forgot all about the lobsters and they came out overdone and tasteless after long minutes on the grill. This is typical tropical "cuisine" -- if seafood is not deep-fried in hot oil, they are well-done. We were so hungry that by the time we paid our bill, we walked straight to the lady on the street selling stewed chicken with rice and beans on her bike. When in doubt, always go to the street vendors. That night, the boy gave my tired legs a massage that was so good I dozed off before midnight. Our room was air-conditioned, but the breeze from the trade winds outside our house was comfortable enough to just use our ceiling fan. Joe, The Daily Grind You have to get a pedicab ride from the docks to your guest house for the hell of it! Look for Joe, the husband of the canoe champion in Caye Caulker. De Real Macaw, Caye Caulker E-mail: derealmacaw@yahoo.com Web: www.derealmacaw.com We rented a double room with A/C for three nights for $50 per night. We never got to use the A/C because the breeze was just perfect. You have your own private bathroom. You also get a small fridge which was very useful to keep our own water and beers cold. There is maid service and you can pay to have your laundry done. Lazy Lizard Bar & Grill We went here twice for lunch because of the open bar and the view of the Split. The boys who work here are really nice and made us feel welcomed. The lady who served us her hot sauce loved us! The Iron Man A few yards away from De Real Macaw. The owner is really nice but he over-grilled our lobsters.