I caught the local bus to Belize City and loved the experience.

Cruising along with the window down, the Carribean tunes playing over the buses speakers top volume and me the only white girl on a bus full of people mostly black folks of African decent, and 100% Carribean cool!

It was great to also be able to understand most conversations (although that Creole stuff is a bit funky!) and to watch the locals interact.

We arrived in Belize City to a gated bus station.

I realise I'm sick if stressing out about scary cities and over zealous touts, so just stroll out and take the first cab as he gives me a good price.

He's a nice fella and now that we're speaking English it's so much easier to have a decent conversation with my cabbie!  

He acts as my tour guide on the short trip to the port - telling me about the history of Belize and how it came to speak English and be under the monarchy, and also pointing out places of interest.

Once inside the terminal I purchase my ticket and go to sit down but immediately bump into Aussie couple from the guest house I just left, Gabbi and Daniel.

We're all on the same boat and they offer to mind my backpack while I grab a bite to eat and see if I can buy a camera (mine has mysteriously stopped working after the ATM cave tour!!!).

They warn me off going out of the terminal as apparently it is a very dangerous place, they also tell me a story about some cabbie that was killed their last night - but Im not a cabbie I tell them?!

I go off defiant and come back 10 minutes later with just a burrito ... It was scary outside and looked more like a warzone then somewhere I'd find a camera ...

The ferry departed on time and used the one hour to have a sneaky nap sitting up with my sunnies on ... Hopefully there was no snoring and only remember one time that my head snapped back and woke myself up!

We arrive at the Caye Caulker pier and the day was overcast. I'm still grumpy as haven't fully recovered from the food poisoning, so my first impression of the Caribbean was not as I expected ... I think I even turned up my nose a bit in disappointment!  

Fortunately with the coming days though both my mood and weather improved and left thinking the place was paradise!

As per my new solo traveller trick, I follow Gabbi and Daniel to their hostel.

They'd been recommended it by a traveler they'd met a few days previous and then bumped into him on the ferry over again.

His name is too diffucult to remember! He says call him 'E' and he is from Delaware in the states.

The first night we all get a dorm room together at Yuma's which is a nice looking place and beachside!

We all head out for a walk and by the time I've walked to the main road and back, I've run into the other 3 Aussies I also met in San Ignacio and the Kiwis that I'd parted ways with at the border!

That night we have a quiet one down at the funky looking Bamboo bar, enjoying the 2 for 1 drinks whilst swinging on a seat in front of our bar table with Gabbi!

I still wasn't feeling 100% So glad to stop when we did as drinking and swinging was making me ill!!!

The next day the weather was worst than the first!  The sky still overcast and threatening rain but the breeze was blowing a gale!  When's hurricane season again?!

I was forced to do nothing and moped around town realising it's not big and really all in that one street!

I stop for breakfast at a cafe and I catch the 3 Amigo Aussies walking by ... They're also bored and listless with not much to do on such a small island - they tell me the best suggestion they had for things to do was from the local drug dealer who's tip was it was a good day to get high! 

I instead catch up on my 'To Do List Items' - dropping clothes at the laundromat, updating my blog and uploading my photos.

The highlight of my day being when an incredibly sexy big black man passes me in the street and says, 'Hey woman you are beautiful, and that smile is as sweet as sugar!'.

Wow! Usually its just unattractive and / or old men handing out these compliments so very chuffed it was from a hottie!  But what does one say in return if interested when he's passed by?

Nothing!  

I caught up with Gabbi and Daniel for another quiet drink at the Bamboo Bar that evening and then a drink with a German, American and Danish couple back at the hostel.

The third day the weather was the same deal - gale force wind although at least the sun came
out occasionally!

I spent the morning reading a book down on the pier beside the split and having a sneaky Piña Colada at the Iguana Bar once the clock struck midday.

Not all excited about the food there, I stopped at a place where some local guys called me over & told me the food was good.

At that point I thought he was a restaurant tout as even walked me upstairs and told me what was good on the menu ... It was when he offered to keep me company at lunch that I realised he was just another one of the local rastas who hangs out on the street and watches the ladies go by ...

I thanked him but said no and headed out the back for a lunch of creole prawns ocean side followed down by a couple of mango daiquiris - hey it was 2 for 1!

Nap time after lunch!

I woke up and chatted with Gabbi and Daniel and we decided to head back down to the Iguana Bar to find out why people raved about their Lizard Juice cocktails.

Gabbi played matchmaker and asked a cute guy sitting alone at the hostel to join us later, and I ran into the three Aussie amigos who were also already heading that way - I mean what else do you do on an island on a day like that but drink!

We all got a table together outside with views of the gorgeous water, and watched folk swimming, snorkelling and kite boarding while we sipped on our Lizard Juices and got tanked off one drink!

By 7.30 we were a group of 8 with English Matt and Dutch Marloes from our hostel also joining us.

We had dinner at what was probably the most expensive restaurant in town ($22 USD a plate) but also one of the best seafood meals I'd had in a long time!

We all headed to bed after as we were flat out from drinking lizard juice and had all talked about booking into snorkelling tours the next day - all with separate companies though!

The next morning the wind had stopped but it was still overcast.

I'd been spending the last 3 days being talked into doing the 3 day Ragamuffin sailing trip to Caye Caulker along with Gabbi and Daniel, and after checking out the weather forecasts I'd decided I was keen! (Due to leave the following day).

Matt and Marloes were doing a one day snorkelling trip to Holchan also with Ragamuffin and were heading down to confirm their place so went with them.

At the office I find that the 3 day trip is booked out! Usually numbers are lower so this is a surprise and I ask to go on a waitlist in case there is a no show.

I instead join Matt and Marloes for an amazing day on the reef, which Matt advises is better snorkellig then what he saw when he went on the 3 day sail!

We stop at 3 stops and see some gorgeous coral, big beautiful fish, a turtle and get to swim with and pat nurse sharks and sting rays!

There's also a great bunch of people on board who are doing the Intrepid trip (which whilst chatting with them I remember that's where I stole the itinerary from that I'm following!!!).

The crew are also good fun, Captain James looking after us with good food and good rum punch and guide Kim?? (something!), flirting with the girls and keeping us entertained!

I stagger off the pier still in my bikini with sarong tied round my waist, freshly filled rum punch in hand and bump into Gabbi and Daniel who are waiting outside the Ragamuffin office with many others for their briefing on the 3 day trip.

They say they thought it was me they could see getting off the boat but weren't sure when rather then just holding my hand and helping from the boat to the pier, they saw our guide pick me up and swing me onto the deck and give me a kiss goodbye (Caribbean hospitality?!).

They say and I confirm shortly after that the boat is full :-( probably for the best I can't go when I'd already spent half that day on the sailing boat feeling a bit sea sick - the rum punch helped me feel better though - I swear!!!

I decide instead to book a boat ticket to Chetumal, Mexico the next morning instead and pull myself together to organise that before meeting up with all for more drinks!

At 7pm we all meet at the Bamboo bar!  Matt and Marloes, the three Aussie amigos, Gabbi & Daniel and some of the gang from the Intepid group!

I love it when this happens - you've been in a place long enough to get a great little group together and have a fun night out!

So good times ensued although all but the intrepid guys needed to be up early for onward travel plans, so we left at a decent time exchanging details to all meet up again in Playa Del Carmen!

The next morning I headed off with Matt and the three Aussie amigos for the boat to Chetumal.

At Chetumal we were met at the pier by customs who made our whole boat stand back and wait while the sniffer doggy checked our backpacks.  Cute little fella he was and perhaps a little green - he sniffed our bags, chewed on them a little and licked our water bottles!  As serious as it was we were all giggling by the end and no one got busted!

At Chetumal bus station we farewelled Matt who headed for Cancun and I headed on with the three Amigos (Tom, Caroline and Benny) to Tulum!