We spent the last few days with Larissa and Kyle at Placencia. Had to have some beach time. All my pleading and crossing of my fingers and toes paid off and the weather turned beautiful! I was a little unsure on the drive down and it absolutely poured during our first night in the hotel. But the next morning the rain stopped and it just got better and better. We stayed at the Ranguana resort. Adam and I rented a garden cabin and the kids were directly on the beach. I stayed here last year with my brother Doug and his family and I really liked it. It's a little pricier than some of the places we've stayed at but well worth it. Our cabin probably had the best equipped kitchenette that I've ever seen. I could have made panini's if the mood had struck me! I didn't but it was nice to know that I could have. Because it was raining so hard our first night there, we actually did cook a simple supper in our room. Too wet to go out.
Our first day was just spent hanging on the beach at the hotel. January in Placencia is weird for us. There are actually people there! Not crowded like Hawaii or Florida but still more than we are used to. Our last trip was in October...very low season and we had most of the beach to ourselves almost all day. But despite the massive crowds we managed to stake a claim to a few beach chairs and enjoy the warm water. One of the huge advantages of having a cabana right on the beach is the super easy access to ice and the 'kuknut' rum and pineapple juice in the fridge! Kyle assigned himself to the very important job of bartender and everyone was happy! And that was pretty much Day #1.
Day #2....see Day #1. I think we ventured out a bit farther in search of food but Day #2 was very much like Day #1. The water was clearer off the beach so Adam and I snorkelled a bit. We didn't really see much, just a starfish and a few fish, but it was still fun. Any day spent paddling around in the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean is a good day. Kyle spotted a dolphin and a stingray right off shore but we missed them.
Adam and I also got a chance to visit with friends in Placencia. Donna and John are friends from Corozal that are now living in Placencia. They are running a sweets bakery called 2-Can B-Sweet...
2-Can (Toucan)...get it?? Donna's mom, Jeanne was there too so it was really nice to catch up with them all. Donna was our landlady in Corozal when we first moved to Belize so she and Jeanne were some of the first people that we met. Now they are both very good friends.
2-Can (Toucan)...get it?? Donna's mom, Jeanne was there too so it was really nice to catch up with them all. Donna was our landlady in Corozal when we first moved to Belize so she and Jeanne were some of the first people that we met. Now they are both very good friends.
For the next couple of nights Adam and I moved to stay in a friends house in Maya Beach. That's just a few miles outside of Placencia. We did a house swap with friends, Sharon and Nigel. They moved up to our house in Cayo to look after things and visit with their family. It sure makes it much easier on our budget to not have to stay in hotels for the whole time with the added bonus of knowing our home is well cared for. |
Larissa and Kyle stayed at the Ranguana when we moved to Maya Beach. Apparently they wanted a little 'alone time' on their vacation. Hard to believe when you have two such delightful and humerous parents. I would have thought they'd want to spend every waking moment with us!
Adam and I even got in a day snorkelling at Silk Caye, a little island about 50 minutes off shore. The kids actually opted to not go with us. They decided that they were happy on the beach at the hotel. Too bad...I would have loved to share the day with them. It was about as perfect as it gets. Absolutely clear skies, light breeze, and the most beautiful clear water. Exactly like the Caribbean should be. We snorkelled in the morning, had an amazing BBQ lunch on the beach and just enjoyed the sun and surf for the rest of the day.
Adam and I even got in a day snorkelling at Silk Caye, a little island about 50 minutes off shore. The kids actually opted to not go with us. They decided that they were happy on the beach at the hotel. Too bad...I would have loved to share the day with them. It was about as perfect as it gets. Absolutely clear skies, light breeze, and the most beautiful clear water. Exactly like the Caribbean should be. We snorkelled in the morning, had an amazing BBQ lunch on the beach and just enjoyed the sun and surf for the rest of the day.
Right at the end of the day, on our last snorkel, we stopped the boat at a spot known to have giant sea turtles. I've seen them before but it's pretty hard for something like that to get old. So we are swimming along and we spot a turtle. I got pretty excited. And then directly to the right of the turtle a massive spotted eagle ray glided by. I went nuts! It was so exciting and so beautiful. It's funny how things like that aren't scary in the water. I used to be so afraid of the idea of so much life in the ocean sharing the same waters with me. But now I find myself reaching out for them (not the turtles...they bite). It's a magical world. I watch Finding Nemo in a whole different way!
And that brings us to the end of our visit with Kyle and Larissa. The next morning we picked them up at their cabana and took them to the Placencia airport. They took a TropicAir flight to Belize City and then on the big plane to head back north. Love you guys!
To quote my favourite funny lady of all time, Carol Burnett...
I'm so glad we had this time together, Just to have a laugh, or sing a song. Seems we just get started and before you know it comes the time we have to say, "So long".
There's a time you wanna sigh for dreamin. And a time for things you have to do. The time I love the best is any evening I can spend a moment here with you.
When the time comes and I'm feelin' lonely And I'm feelin' oh so blue. I just sit back and think of you only And the happiness still comes through.
That's why I'm glad we had this time together. Cause it makes me feel like I'm along. Seems we just get started and before you know it comes the time we have to say, "So Long".
To quote my favourite funny lady of all time, Carol Burnett...
I'm so glad we had this time together, Just to have a laugh, or sing a song. Seems we just get started and before you know it comes the time we have to say, "So long".
There's a time you wanna sigh for dreamin. And a time for things you have to do. The time I love the best is any evening I can spend a moment here with you.
When the time comes and I'm feelin' lonely And I'm feelin' oh so blue. I just sit back and think of you only And the happiness still comes through.
That's why I'm glad we had this time together. Cause it makes me feel like I'm along. Seems we just get started and before you know it comes the time we have to say, "So Long".