To my beautiful new wife,
Wow. What a trip! Although a bit more relaxed than we're used to, we did manage to get in some adventure and into some trouble :) We also should probably make note of a few things, including do not eat green mango from a street vendor and that sitting under trees with pelicans on them can be a dangerous location. Thank goodness it wasn't us! Lastly, we learned that "all-inclusive" and "secluded and peaceful" may not be up our alley and that our down and rest time should be limited to three days.
I'd say we can add this to this list of our other enjoyable travels, like Italy, Hawaii, Los Angeles and soon to be Madagascar. But this trip was different, our first as husband and wife and I can honestly say I enjoyed every stinking minute of it. Of course the highlights were amazing, the ziplining and the ruins, the monkey sightings and the quiet dinners :) But the times when things weren't going well, our desire for more variety in food and something to do other than explore an island (for the 18th time) were the times we shined. Tired, bored, wary from traveling, our love continued to shine and even brighten and I love that about us. On day seven, after hours of car, boat and then taxi riding without food, you knew my every thought, pointed me in the direction of kindness and happiness (and probably saved our taxi driver's life). We've got a really good starting line-up for our team and we only continue to add to our bench support.
You are an amazing woman, an amazing travel partner, and an even more amazing spouse. I love traveling with you so much, and can't even begin to imagine doing it without you now. I have very high aspirations for what we will become as travelers, parents, spouses and a family. I simply cannot wait to load you, Spencer and our new family members onto a plane for the unknown, knowing that as a team, we'll return with so many stories. If I could, I'd shout to the world to come along with us and enjoy the amazing things we've seen and done.
So, it's on a high note that we now begin our lives together at home with no doubt in my mind that our marriage will be as adventurous as our vacations. I'll never forget the looks and questions from the other couples when we changed our best laid plans and adapted to a new plan that worked better for both of us. They were scared for us, but neither you or I questioned our changes for a second. I'm excited to take that walk with you in marriage and life, and never be afraid to take that change in plans when needed to find our adventure, love and happiness.
I love you, Allysha. Here's to a wonderful life together and many more of these trips!
Love,
Kenny
Monday, February 20, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Day 8 - A couple of firsts......
I'm going to start this entry out by suggesting that someone contact the Guinness folks. I'm not talking walked on the moon, or crawled across the US or anything. I'm pretty sure though, I might be due an entry. See, I hit an iguana on a golf cart. Then, I hit a man on a bright pink bicycle in a golf cart. Yep. You can stop laughing now, and no, there was no alcohol involved. :)
Our cart came this morning before we woke up, and was ready to roll when we rolled out of bed (time not needed, but we'll say it had four digits in it). We took a wild ride into town, and it turns out that "full" throttle on a golf cart on a seriously bumpy road isn't too smooth. Bounding along the dirt road, I attempted to dodge a baby iguana that jumped out in front of me, missing most of him and sending him rolling along the dirt. We stopped, and watched him stumble off into the woods, obviously not his first rodeo ride with an American driving a golf cart.
We paid the five dollar toll to cross the bridge into town, and made our way into the CHAOS that is downtown San Pedro. Coming into a stop sign, the cart in front of me came to a stop, as did I. A nice gentleman on a bright pink bicycle pulled up on our right, and decided to skirt between the front of our cart and the one in front of me. Since the front cart made a left, I began to roll forward, and was no where near fast enough to step on the brakes, lightly tapping (and yes knocking the gentleman to the side of his bike). He hopped back on his pedals without saying a word, and rode away unphased. Must get hit all the time. Stupid golf cart drivers.
We had a very nice post collision lunch at a small cafe. We spent the afternoon walking through town, shopping and buying all sorts of good stuff. We came back to the estates :) and spent some nice time in the sunshine by the pool. We walked around the property and enjoyed the very nice warmth. On the way back from town, we stopped at a really nice store to buy stuff for dinner. We had some nice pork chops, some really good rice, corn and apples. It was really nice.
Before dinner, we took a ride on the golf cart north from our resort, where the road narrows and widens, including pits of dispare. At one point, the road goes right next to the ocean and is amazing. We finally stopped at a store about 30 minutes in, and the gal said you could travel up to 15 miles more (which is mind boggling on this small island). On the way back, we stopped at a gal's small hut to buy some trinkets, which ended up costing us WAY more than it should have.
Allysha wants me to let everyone know how bad it smells here near the ocean. It's an odd mixture of rotting weeds, fish, musty nastiness and yuck. It can be very overtaking at times, not want you want in paradise.
We tried to call Spencer tonight, but are unable to operate the phone. Sorry, Spencer, we love you and can't wait to see you!
Last day tomorrow! We plan to live it up, enjoy some more of the city and relax one last day. See everyone soon!
Our cart came this morning before we woke up, and was ready to roll when we rolled out of bed (time not needed, but we'll say it had four digits in it). We took a wild ride into town, and it turns out that "full" throttle on a golf cart on a seriously bumpy road isn't too smooth. Bounding along the dirt road, I attempted to dodge a baby iguana that jumped out in front of me, missing most of him and sending him rolling along the dirt. We stopped, and watched him stumble off into the woods, obviously not his first rodeo ride with an American driving a golf cart.
We paid the five dollar toll to cross the bridge into town, and made our way into the CHAOS that is downtown San Pedro. Coming into a stop sign, the cart in front of me came to a stop, as did I. A nice gentleman on a bright pink bicycle pulled up on our right, and decided to skirt between the front of our cart and the one in front of me. Since the front cart made a left, I began to roll forward, and was no where near fast enough to step on the brakes, lightly tapping (and yes knocking the gentleman to the side of his bike). He hopped back on his pedals without saying a word, and rode away unphased. Must get hit all the time. Stupid golf cart drivers.
We had a very nice post collision lunch at a small cafe. We spent the afternoon walking through town, shopping and buying all sorts of good stuff. We came back to the estates :) and spent some nice time in the sunshine by the pool. We walked around the property and enjoyed the very nice warmth. On the way back from town, we stopped at a really nice store to buy stuff for dinner. We had some nice pork chops, some really good rice, corn and apples. It was really nice.
Before dinner, we took a ride on the golf cart north from our resort, where the road narrows and widens, including pits of dispare. At one point, the road goes right next to the ocean and is amazing. We finally stopped at a store about 30 minutes in, and the gal said you could travel up to 15 miles more (which is mind boggling on this small island). On the way back, we stopped at a gal's small hut to buy some trinkets, which ended up costing us WAY more than it should have.
Allysha wants me to let everyone know how bad it smells here near the ocean. It's an odd mixture of rotting weeds, fish, musty nastiness and yuck. It can be very overtaking at times, not want you want in paradise.
We tried to call Spencer tonight, but are unable to operate the phone. Sorry, Spencer, we love you and can't wait to see you!
Last day tomorrow! We plan to live it up, enjoy some more of the city and relax one last day. See everyone soon!
Day 8 - Pictures
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| All the carts in downtown San Pedro! |
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| Allysha shopping at a local street vendor for a necklace |
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| Allysha loved all the different shades of blue in the water! |
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| By the pool at our hotel |
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| The pier at our hotel |
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| I got a little creative to show the inscription Allysha had engraved on my ring! |
Thoughts on Belize
Allysha is taking a nap, and I decided to come in out of the sun, so it seemed like a good opportunity to share our often unsolicited opinions on the country of Belize. I know no one asked, but I'd be negligent in my duties if I didn't share :)
FOREIGN TRAVEL:
Although a country far from the US, this country is very much US oriented and very much like being at home. There are some slight cultural differences, but being an English speaking country and having a currency pegged to the US dollar, this is so much like being at home. This can be a wonderful thing for people interested in traveling to a foreign country, but feeling safe and comfortable like you do at home. This, however, can be a major downfall for people who are looking for something more (not that Allysha and I are world travelers, but it's pretty boring here). Even the Kardashians are on TV!
OCEAN/BEACHES:
The water here is very beautiful, with so many hughes of blue and green that the camera cannot do it justice. I have no doubt that the on water snorkeling and diving is amazing. Unfortunately, most of the beaches are covered in thick seaweed and lots of garbage, making swimming from the shore impossible. The sand is much more like crushed coral, making it rough and a bit sharp. If you come expecting beaches in Hawaii like we did, it will be a disappointment.
FOOD/WATER:
We have found both the food here, and access to good water, to be very easy to find. Most of the cafes and restaurants have American style food, and even the local Belizian food is tasty and would be find for most people. I'm actually craving rice and beans as I type this :) BTW Belkin is the local brewery and it is pretty darn good!
San Pedro, on Ambergis Caye, has by far been the best location of the trip, with lots of stores, lots of places to eat and a million places to stay. It's very much like American, or a small town in Hawaii. There are carts to rent to get around, and lots of nice stores. Again, a great place to be but not much of an adventure (unless your taxi driver gets lost like ours did!)
As I said, no one asked but we had to tell!
FOREIGN TRAVEL:
Although a country far from the US, this country is very much US oriented and very much like being at home. There are some slight cultural differences, but being an English speaking country and having a currency pegged to the US dollar, this is so much like being at home. This can be a wonderful thing for people interested in traveling to a foreign country, but feeling safe and comfortable like you do at home. This, however, can be a major downfall for people who are looking for something more (not that Allysha and I are world travelers, but it's pretty boring here). Even the Kardashians are on TV!
OCEAN/BEACHES:
The water here is very beautiful, with so many hughes of blue and green that the camera cannot do it justice. I have no doubt that the on water snorkeling and diving is amazing. Unfortunately, most of the beaches are covered in thick seaweed and lots of garbage, making swimming from the shore impossible. The sand is much more like crushed coral, making it rough and a bit sharp. If you come expecting beaches in Hawaii like we did, it will be a disappointment.
FOOD/WATER:
We have found both the food here, and access to good water, to be very easy to find. Most of the cafes and restaurants have American style food, and even the local Belizian food is tasty and would be find for most people. I'm actually craving rice and beans as I type this :) BTW Belkin is the local brewery and it is pretty darn good!
San Pedro, on Ambergis Caye, has by far been the best location of the trip, with lots of stores, lots of places to eat and a million places to stay. It's very much like American, or a small town in Hawaii. There are carts to rent to get around, and lots of nice stores. Again, a great place to be but not much of an adventure (unless your taxi driver gets lost like ours did!)
As I said, no one asked but we had to tell!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Day 7 - Move to San Pedro, Ambergis Caye
Happy Monday from San Pedro on Ambergis Caye in Belize. This will most likely be a short posting, as its been a long day and bed looks very welcoming! Our trip here was nice, but long. The drive was a little over 1 1/2 hours long, and mostly uneventful. Ted, Allysh and I again enjoyed conversation covering almost anything ("what would make your economy better"). Some I could answer, some I couldn't!
We then boarded the 12:00 noon boat from Belize City to San Pedro, with a quick stop in Calker Caye. Having left the hotel at ten, boarded the boat shortly after arriving, we had only had a couple of snacks and drinks. The boat ride was longer than I thought, a little over an hour, putting us in San Pedro around 1:30. We grabbed a taxi, and proceeded to travel all over the island since our driver didn't know where the hotel was. We went up and down one road three or four times. We finally located our place around 2:30 pm, very tired and very hungry.
We went next door for lunch at another resort, where they had bar snacks and not much else. We then came back to our hotel, and lounged by the pool for a while. The hotel room is amazing, possibly one of the nicest I've ever stayed in. Its set up like a condominium, and has an amazing kitchen, bathroom and master suite. If you walk out the back door, you're right on a private patio and have access to the gorgeous levels of infinity pools. The place is amazing, but was horrible to find.
We went to a different resort this evening for dinner, and shared a nice seafood platter. One of the items was a claw from a Stone Crab. The thing was almost as large as my palm. It was very good meat, and when I asked the waitress how big the crab was, she said they only catch the crabs, take a claw and release them. I would have loved to have known how big that sucker was!
We asked the attendant to get us a cart for the next two days, as we're about 2 1/2 miles out of town. Tomorrow we'll head in to explore, shop and enjoy lunch.
We then boarded the 12:00 noon boat from Belize City to San Pedro, with a quick stop in Calker Caye. Having left the hotel at ten, boarded the boat shortly after arriving, we had only had a couple of snacks and drinks. The boat ride was longer than I thought, a little over an hour, putting us in San Pedro around 1:30. We grabbed a taxi, and proceeded to travel all over the island since our driver didn't know where the hotel was. We went up and down one road three or four times. We finally located our place around 2:30 pm, very tired and very hungry.
We went next door for lunch at another resort, where they had bar snacks and not much else. We then came back to our hotel, and lounged by the pool for a while. The hotel room is amazing, possibly one of the nicest I've ever stayed in. Its set up like a condominium, and has an amazing kitchen, bathroom and master suite. If you walk out the back door, you're right on a private patio and have access to the gorgeous levels of infinity pools. The place is amazing, but was horrible to find.
We went to a different resort this evening for dinner, and shared a nice seafood platter. One of the items was a claw from a Stone Crab. The thing was almost as large as my palm. It was very good meat, and when I asked the waitress how big the crab was, she said they only catch the crabs, take a claw and release them. I would have loved to have known how big that sucker was!
We asked the attendant to get us a cart for the next two days, as we're about 2 1/2 miles out of town. Tomorrow we'll head in to explore, shop and enjoy lunch.
Day 7 - Pictures
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| Dona would have had a chat with this gal! :) |
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| The kitchen in our GORGEOUS hotel room! |
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| The dining room and entry door! |
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| The living area, and enrty to the private patio and pool entrance! |
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| The bathroom and tub in the master suite |
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| The bathroom in the master suite |
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| The master bedroom (with Allysha already trying out the napping space!) |
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| The view of the beach and pool from the patio |
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| Allysha relaxing on our private patio next to the pool |
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| Ahhhh, the sweet feat (feet) of relaxation! |
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Day 6 - Pictures
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| Our zipline through the jungle! |
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| Kenny on the zipline! |
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| Allysha on the zipline |
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| Us standing on the tallest of the platforms, the view was awesome! |
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| The Bird of Paradise outside our hotel (I tried to shoo it away, but it didn't fly) |
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| The city of San Ignacio from the neighborhood |
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| I absolutely LOVE the name of this place! |
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