Belize Day #5

Stayed our last night in Caye Caulker at Lily's.  We ate breakfast at Lily's Treasure Chest....fruit plate, meat lover's omelet, johnny cakes, thick cut banana bread.  Stopped for an internet break at Pelican internet shop and headed to the beach for drinks out front of Cholo's Sports Bar. Nice place minus the annoying american woman and her million dogs.  We had a burger from The Butcher and watched as the made a "Monster Burger"...bigger than my appetite at the time and maybe ever. Jumped on the Caye Caulker Water Taxi to the next destination.
Stopped in at "Roses's" Grill and Bar to eat and read about where we might stay for the night. Stopped there mostly due to it's immediate proximity from the water taxi dock. Jes had the chicken burrito and rum & coke, I had chicken quesidilla and beliken. We hated the music but enjoyed the food. Had a Rainforest blended drink while Jes went to look for accommodation. We had decided on Leeside on the west side of the caye after reading the book. This didn't work however, and we wound up staying at Popeye's beach resort right on the water. Our sliding glass door opened (or closed) to an aqua-marine view with cresting white waves crashing over the reef where the sea met the sky. 

I immediately jumped into our patio hammock and crashed for a while, swimming from the effects of the previous meal and drinks.  I got up a short while later, Jes was still passed out in the room, so I took it upon myself to acquire some supplies. 

We had paid for a couple nights already, so we knew where we'd be, plus we had an unreal patio with hammock, perfect for enjoying some tasty beverages while reading or whatever your pleasure is. I picked up a bottle of 1 barrel rum, some coke and some ice from a local convenience store. Scored some home-made tortilla chips and salsa to go with our liquid concoction as well. We hung out on the patio for some time before venturing out to find a snorkel tour for the next day. We were undecided whether to dive or snorkel the Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley, but were actually persuaded by a dive shop that snorkeling was the way to go for what we wanted. We popped into a few places offering trips and later decided on Hicaco Tours. I got a good vibe from the shop guy.  

 I figured out the wifi on my blackberry later in the evening and spent some time BBM'ing with Paul, my uncle, while Jes crushed her eBook. We were chatting about the coming days, sketching out a semi-sorta-plan in our minds when I spotted in my peripheral a canteloupe-sized crab who decided to join us on our patio. After some pictures, videos and laughter, I showed him the way out. We both sipped rum and coke until we were hungry again, at which point we mosied over to the Havana Nights restaurant in front of our pad for a buffet dinner replete with a whole roast pig (BZ$48). The meal was excellent despite Jes being perturbed with the chef apparently trying to force rice and dinner rolls on her. I needed no such convincing, indulging in seconds of my own accord. Jes did, however, enjoy the caulker plums forced upon her by the chef. I wasn't as big a fan, having to spit out the inedible, crunchy insides. We ate our meal on a dockside boat-table completely open to the sea air. The garlic-habanero sauce was leaving a sting on the tongue that could only be soothed with more rum, so back to the hotel we went spend more time on the patio, me in the hammock, drink at my side for some more chill out time.