Belize Day 2 - We be jammin' on Caye Caulker

I was surprised how much I noticed the traffic noise when I went to bed, but in the end I slept well with the fan going strong, and woke around 8am.
First task was to go to the Post Office as it wouldn’t be open on the weekend, to post my parcel. That task completed I checked out some breakfast options and settled on The Bakery, where a flat white, a chocolate croissant which wasn’t far off foot-long, and a pineapple and coconut juice set me back less than $B10. I gave the croissant my best shot but couldn’t quite manage it all, although it certainly kept hunger pains away for many hours.
I decided to go over the Caye Caulker to swim, snorkel and check out the village. The boat left at San Pedro at 11.30am with the last return at 6.15, so I figured that would give me plenty of time to explore. It took only about 35 minutes and I headed down to the Split where I’d heard the snorkelling was good off the beach. Most of the “beaches” on both islands have a healthy grass growth near the shore so most swimming is done from piers. I found schools of very tiny fish and also some yellow and blue stripey ones in quite shallow water near some grass. I sat down on the sand to adjust my mask and got the shock of my life when I felt something move and grab my leg; I had sat on a crab about as big as my hand! I moved awfully fast and the crab scuttled off, no damage to anyone except my pride! He found himself another suitable spot and burrowed back under the sand for another unsuspecting swimmer to find!
I enjoyed relaxing under a palm tree near the water’s edge, my back against the tree to read for a while. By about 2.30 my stomach was starting to notice being empty again and I headed back towards the centre of town and then onto middle street to check out the offerings. I found Los Arcos serving $B9 Lobster Burritos, and pineapple juices with coconut rum at 2 for $B5, the food was prepared fresh and was delicious, and the drinks (called a panty ripper) were just what was needed for a hot Caribbean day. My young waitress told me about her dream to study tourism, now she travels to San Pedro on the 7am boat every day for school, returning at 5pm, because the school is bigger and better equipped.
I kept walking north on middle street until it ended, returning to front street. The sound of salsa music brought me to a beach bar where a 3-piece band were performing to a deserted room. I noticed several people swimming next door and decided to join them, the water was so hot it wasn’t really refreshing but when I got out the cool breeze on my wet skin was lovely. How delightful it is to swim with a musical accompaniment! I read for a while and watched kids play at the water’s edge. A craving for coffee had me on my feet again around 5.30, then I ambled back, checking out a few shops on the way, to the Police Station which is where the boat had docked. At 6.12 (3 minutes before the boat was due to leave) the dock was deserted; 2 other people wandered up around 6.20, but the boat didn’t appear until after 6.30 and the sky was already darkening by the time the passengers alighted and I climbed on board. The moon was almost full and I watched it shine across the sea as we returned to San Pedro. It was good to shower off the salty water, then I did a pleasant circuit around town to check out the jewellery and food stalls in the centre and some of the souvenir shops. Home by 9am where I added some vodka to the pineapple and coconut juice and nibbled on some peanuts, rinsed out swimmers ready for tomorrow. It’s really tiring doing nothing - lights out at 10.30!
I'm hoping to go out on the reef tomorrow afternoon to hug a nurse shark and touch a stingray!