Belize - Day 5: Farewell Jungle, Hello Beach!

Last morning waking up to the Chan Chich birdcalls! I can see why birding appeals to people as their mobility decreases -- I swear I see more of the birds (and get better looks at them) just sitting still and waiting for the birds to come to the trees outside my window. 

One last breakfast as well -- review of the food here: it had some ups (burger was so juicy, shrimp curry was delish, shrimp tostado was better than Sanchos, fries were really well done) and some more mehs (fish was a bit dry, flauta was under seasoned), but one note remained true always -- there was SO much of it. And the avocados were so flavorful. I liked them so much I had them bring me a whole one...and then they told me we had a tree outside our villa -- picked one for the road!

Parting thought: upgrade to the villa really made for a much more pleasant stay. Note to self for future travel: if area has mosquitos, only book rooms with A/C.

One last safari drive...to the airport! 

Smallest airport we've ever traveled to.

Also the smallest plane we've ever boarded! 

I'm not sure I love the small plane feel...there's a lot more of a direct realization that there's very little between you and...the world. 

Crazy looking at the dark patches on the ground and realizing they are the shadows from the clouds above!

But then skies parted and we saw the blue green waters of the islands. We were quickly picked up by a nice man in a golf cart from Matachica (the number of golf carts running up and down the streets in San Pedro was pretty amazing -- don't think I've been anywhere else with that many golf carts as main transportation vehicle, tourists and locals alike!) and transported to a speed boat to get to our resort. Much fewer mosquitos when traveling by speed boat!

We soon arrived at Matachica, where we would be staying for the next 4 nights. 

Quickly snapped a shot of our cabana before Ian could explode his things all over the place. 

Initiating beach relaxation mode!

The pool is considerably more crowded, so I get too embarrassed to do my very bad swim form laps. (Ian says I don't look bad per se, I just look like I'm intentionally trying to swim very slowly 😆).  Luckily, the beach by the resort seems to connect to other beaches all along the shore, so aerobic exercise can change back to nighttime walks. 

Check out the little creatures we caught keeping us company!

Okay, maybe you need a closer look:

We had to keep our flashlights on to avoid stepping on them. They're not exactly the fastest moving...

Ian reports that Ambergris Caye is much more of a "you're in vacation" vibe place. I have to agree, the jungle is peaceful...but almost TOO peaceful. You have more of a "I'm here for introspection and mindfulness and self-learning" feel. 

Tomorrow: we go snorkeling at Shark Alley, part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. The departure time is 1pm...when the UV index is estimated to be 10. I am heavily considering wearing yoga pants to save my legs from sunburn. Wish us luck!