Cap'n Bart, XO and Chief Mechanic Adam, and official photographer Nicole
My 'vacation' blogs always seem to bring out the worst in my dear friends and readers. Yes...we have beautiful weather most everyday. No...we don't have to get up and punch the clock or shovel the snow. Some might even say we live in a little corner of paradise (me included!) but yes, we still take vacations! The difference is now our vacations are usually much closer to home (why leave?) and they take much less planning. We've been talking with friends, Nicole and Bart, for a while about making a trip to the coast and yes, that does mean the Caribbean! It's so cool to plan a quick little overnight trip to the Caribbean on a Thursday just because we can!
The Hopkins Marina
So on a Tuesday a couple of weeks ago, we checked the weather forecast. It all looked good so we were Caribbean bound on Thursday early, early in the morning. Bart and Nicole have a boat and Bart has been anxious to get it into the water again. He had some mods made to it last year and hasn't had the chance try it out. And we were more than happy to be the crew on the test run.
We drove down to Hopkins. That's a little village on the south-central coast of Belize. Adam and I have only been there once before and it's charm was kind of lost on us. When we visited with friends, Judi and Duane, a few years ago we were very new to Belize and we had only just heard of Hopkins so we didn't have any plan or idea of what to expect. Well, it turns out that we missed most of what was there...if we had just gone a little further down the road!! This time we had a couple of guides with us and I have a much better appreciation for Hopkins.
We drove down to Hopkins. That's a little village on the south-central coast of Belize. Adam and I have only been there once before and it's charm was kind of lost on us. When we visited with friends, Judi and Duane, a few years ago we were very new to Belize and we had only just heard of Hopkins so we didn't have any plan or idea of what to expect. Well, it turns out that we missed most of what was there...if we had just gone a little further down the road!! This time we had a couple of guides with us and I have a much better appreciation for Hopkins.
We've gotten to that stage when it's easy to fall into a rut. We settle into a routine and forget what an amazing place this is. That's why it's such a treat to vacation and check out a new area. It's a reminder of what brought us here in the first place. We got into Sittee River, Hopkins and Sanctuary Belize and all of these were pretty much new to us. I was particularly impressed with Sittee River. Such a pretty little village on the river with a fair bit more development than I expected. But as pretty as it was, I don't think that I could handle the bugs. People say that you get used to them or they quit biting after a time. I am very skeptical! I lived almost my whole life in the wilds of northern Canada and the bugs never quit chewing on me!
Anyway, back to our boating adventure. Our original plan was to leave here early, get the boat in the water, and head out to snorkel at a small island that Bart and Nicole have enjoyed on past trips. But as plans will do (especially in Belize)...they changed! The boat engine was acting up a bit. Adam's mechanic ear didn't like what he was hearing so we decided to stay a little closer to land and we just toured along the coast and up the Sittee river a bit. No complaints from me. For starters, the idea of heading out into the open water with a questionable engine is down right terrifying to me and the river was great. No shortage of things to keep me amused.
We saw a monster crocodile (about eight feet long!) a couple of times. I guess he lives around the marina. Lots of great birds, iguanas, and fish all along the shore. We even took a little shortcut through the mangroves that looked like a magical tunnel. And yes, I was very watchful for snakes falling out of the trees!
We cruised about 20 minutes to a development called Sanctuary Belize. It was the first time that Adam and I have been there. Not a whole lot there yet but I can see the potential. There are a few very nice homes and the start of a beach house/restaurant and a few high end cabanas right on the beach that look like they will be for rent. We parked on their beach and Nicole and I walked over to check out some of the buildings. We were totally surprised by a beautiful free-form swimming pool surrounded by palapas. No guests but we did talk to a few workers and got an idea from them of what was being built. Like I said, lots of potential. One day this will be a very nice resort/community.
The next morning the weather was crap! Whitecaps on the water and rain moving in. Oh well. Adam and Bart went back to the marina to tuck the boat in and Nicole and I took advantage of a break in the rain and we went for a bike ride. It didn't turn out to be quite what we expected but it was a wonderful mini-vacation. New experiences in the company of good friends, great food and surroundings....how can that possibly be a disappointment?
We saw a monster crocodile (about eight feet long!) a couple of times. I guess he lives around the marina. Lots of great birds, iguanas, and fish all along the shore. We even took a little shortcut through the mangroves that looked like a magical tunnel. And yes, I was very watchful for snakes falling out of the trees!
We cruised about 20 minutes to a development called Sanctuary Belize. It was the first time that Adam and I have been there. Not a whole lot there yet but I can see the potential. There are a few very nice homes and the start of a beach house/restaurant and a few high end cabanas right on the beach that look like they will be for rent. We parked on their beach and Nicole and I walked over to check out some of the buildings. We were totally surprised by a beautiful free-form swimming pool surrounded by palapas. No guests but we did talk to a few workers and got an idea from them of what was being built. Like I said, lots of potential. One day this will be a very nice resort/community.
The next morning the weather was crap! Whitecaps on the water and rain moving in. Oh well. Adam and Bart went back to the marina to tuck the boat in and Nicole and I took advantage of a break in the rain and we went for a bike ride. It didn't turn out to be quite what we expected but it was a wonderful mini-vacation. New experiences in the company of good friends, great food and surroundings....how can that possibly be a disappointment?