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Live the adventures of Dan Walker's travels through reading his travel journal. The travel journals are listed below in descending order of date. To search the travel journals, use the keyword search at the bottom of the page.

Journal Entry:

Friday, March 30, 2012 12:34:40

Belize 2012: 4 - Placencia

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

We left the lodge at Caves Branch right after breakfast heading for Dangriga, 10 mile (16 Km) off the main highway. We drove around the area and through the centre of the village, but there was absolutely nothing of interest - it seems a very poor community. The Pelican Beach Resort looks great on the Internet but was not in good shape. It is the jumping off point for an island resort with the same name and owners. The price is $367.50 per day with park fee plus $68 pp boat fare to get there. The boat each way is more than the price of a full day snorkelling trip including lunch!

We turned off the Southern Highway onto the road down a long peninsula to Placencia to find Robert's Grove resort, which we had booked on line. Our large ground floor room in front of the beach had a good-sized porch and wifi. The bar and restaurant are right on the beach and the food good. The beach has washed up seaweed but is sandy and the water is warm. The staff is great - friendly and helpful. We laid back and took it easy.

Wednesday we drove into the Village of Placencia. Where the road took a loop around the airport there is a large sign saying vehicles must yield to aircraft. The road passes between the end of the runway and the ocean.

Placencia was a let down. We had expected to see a thriving village, but businesses are spaced out along the road. Pacencia claims it is in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's narrowest main street, but I'd dispute this, as it is the same width as the highway and there is nowhere two buses could not pass. I've been in a lot of villages in my travels where on the main street two mules would be hard pressed to pass! The road ends in a parking area on the tip of the peninsula.

The oceanfront has no walkway, but there was a cement sidewalk one property in from the beach with some houses on each side and a few small businesses. We stopped to book a snorkelling tour for tomorrow morning.

The screw fell out of my glasses (yes, the same ones that were repaired) and so I stopped at a tiny shop that advertised hand made jewellery. The friendly proprietress replaced the scotch tape I had used with silver wire. There was no charge, but her jewellery was original and inexpensive, so Marilynn bought some.

She recommended a basic looking restaurant across the street where we had delicious BBQ lamb. We then booked a sailing charter from a nearby tour company and headed back to the hotel for a swim and a lazy afternoon. We extended our stay two nights as the plan was to stay in Dangriga or Hopkins for our last two nights, but with nothing in Dangriga and Hopkins prohibited due to rough road there were few options.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Today things went wrong. The morning dive trip was cancelled, something we didn't know until we had waited on the wharf for an hour. We rescheduled for a half-day trip leaving at 1 PM but when Marilynn phoned it was cancelled as well as no one else booked. That was followed by a morning without Internet, and when I decided to take a Hobby Cat sailboat out we broke one of the rudders off launching. I spent half an hour pacing the murky water trying to find it, but no luck. At least they didn't charge us for it.

In the afternoon we drove back to Placencia Village to get a refund for the snorkel trip from Ocean Motion, and book another trip for Saturday. Ocean Motion is a mom & pop operation, where dad (Bernard Leslie) drives the boat and mum (Laverne Paarham) looks after the office with help from their son. It cost less with them to pay for 3 people and get a private trip ($55 pp) than booking for just Marilynn & I through other outlets at $85 -$90 pp. We would recommend them - tel 501-523-3363, email: oceanmotion@btl.net.

We walked down the sidewalk that serves as the other street in town and then along the beach, stopping for a beer (or 2) at a beach bar. Dinner was at Rumfish & Vino, a restaurant owned by John, an expat from California. The meal was excellent.

Friday, March 23, 2012

We had to move this morning. When we booked the extra two nights we got the last available room - it is in the back of the building. If you book this resort, ensure you specify a beach front room, as the "garden view" rooms are the same price but quite inferior.

Our sailing trip left at 9 AM from the lagoon marina across the road. The boat was a comfortable, well-equipped 42-foot (13 meter) catamaran. After brief introductions to the other two couples and crew, plus a short familiarisation talk, we were on our way. There was a brisk wind blowing and the boat rode beautifully under full sail.

It took about 3 hours to tack out to the Caye where we would snorkel. Cold drinks and a big variety of fruit were served en route. The ocean was warm, the coral healthy, and a considerable number of fish were around, but the visibility was about 70%. This was the first place in Belize we saw starfish - there were a couple of types in browns and yellows. An excellent lunch of BBQ chicken was served with rum punch on board before we headed back. It was a super-relaxing day.

Back at our room, I could hear blues music from down the beach. Marilynn thought it was someone's DVD player, but I suggested we search for it. After walking along the beach past a couple of buildings we spotted a place outlined in lights where a live band was playing. They were good, and so was the food!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Our tour to Laughing Bird Caye (Caye is pronounced "KEY") was confirmed, but as no one else signed on Bernard brought his wife, Laverne, plus their daughter and young son. The older son was watching the store.

It was a rough ride of about an hour, but well worth it. Laughing Bird Caye is a national park, and part of a World Heritage Site. It was the perfect desert island with pristine white sand, clear warm water and palm trees. There were BBQ pits, washrooms and picnic tables. Two park rangers live on the tiny island.

.The snorkelling was great, with healthy coral, super clear water and lots of sea life. Barnard was good guide with a keen eye. We got close to a big lobster (out of season until June 15), red snapper, all kinds of tropical fish, huge barracuda, stingrays and a shark. Large jellyfish had small, brightly coloured cleaner fish living inside them. Because no fishing is permitted in the marine park the fish were much larger than at other sites.

When we got back to the island Laverne had cold drinks waiting, fruit laid out and chicken on the wood fire. Corn, baked beans, and potatoes accompanied the feast. After a couple of helpings of everything we relaxed for a while before one more short snorkel trip. The return trip was in calmer seas. Tonight's dinner was appetizers at the Mexican Restaurant Habana across the road at the Marina - neither of us was very hungry after the huge lunch. The same group that owns the hotel and marina owns it. The food was great, and the view from the patio over the water beautiful. It brought a great day to a perfect close.