Odyssey Fall Excursion Port of Call: A Visit to Caye Caulker
Editor's Note: Caroline Rucker was a guest on the Odyssey Fall Excursion cruise to the Caribbean in October 2009. Here, she describes her experience during our stop in Belize.
We have zip lined in Antigua, ridden horses all over the Caribbean; gone cave tubing in Mexico; visited the rain forest in Puerto Rico; and were at a complete loss of what to do in Belize.
With limited time and a two hour time difference…ship time vs. Belizean time, we did not want an excursion where we felt like herded cattle trying to see it ALL in 6 hours.
After a little research on various cruise boards, we decided on trip to Caye Caulker a small Belizean Island located about 4 miles off the coast of Belize City. Not knowing exactly what to expect, we checked the water taxi fares and companies and planned to take a chance on a self guided excursion. If you are looking for the life of luxury, white sandy beaches with spa like service, then this not the excursion for you. But if you are looking to learn about the Belizean culture, environment and a great meal, then give Caye Caulker a try.
Caye Caulker is approximately 45 minutes by high speed water taxi. The water taxi is the preferred method of travel for the residents. While we had a few other cruise passengers on the taxi, it was primarily residents of the island and those who work on the island. Upon our arrival in Caye Caulker we were greeted by a friendly taxi driver who offered us an Island Tour.
Since we did not have any set plans, we took him up on his offer and were whisked off in his modern day open air golf cart. Only five miles long and 1.5 miles wide, we quickly learned that there are only four cars on Caye Caulker and most people use golf carts, bicycles or walked to their destinations.
One thing that we noticed immediately on this casual island was that no one seemed in a rush and most people worked barefoot. From our cab driver to the restaurant staff, “barefoot and relaxed” is a way of life.
The population of Caye Caulker is approximately 2800 and is made up of Belizeans, Mestizo, Creole, Mayans and is sprinkled with American snowbirds. The island is known for snorkeling and scuba excursions to the Belizean reef. Their main source of income is tourism and exporting lobster to the mainland.
Most of the homes and buildings in Caye Caulker are built on stilts. Our first thoughts were, the island must be in a hurricane prone area, but we learned that the island in many places is below sea level and is under water twice a day when the tide comes in. An interesting concept for us pampered Americans. Imagine planning your life so that during the peak of high tide you are forced to stay inside. But of course there is always some sort of sacrifice one must make to live in paradise.
Peaceful, quiet and friendly are all words used to describe Caye Caulker, but it is not without its modern day conveniences: Cable, cell phones, computer cafes, churches, hair salons, public and private schools all make up the diverse culture on Caye Caulker. Interesting fact about the schools, at 12 noon the schools close for an hour and students actually go home for lunch. It brought back memories of our childhood when you went walked to school and went home for lunch.
After a lunch of huge Belizean lobster tails and a game of scrabble on the water, we boarded our water taxi for the trip back to Belize City. We left refreshed and rejuvenated by a simple yet full lifestyle.
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