We woke up early today after we fell into bed exhausted last night. We had no plans for today, we had not been able to think past the Lionfish Derby, so after we got dressed we headed out in search of breakfast. Many restaurants are closed on Sunday so we checked several places before we found one open. Amore y Cafe is a quaint wood frame restaurant on front street with brightly colored tables and mismatched chairs and stools. We sat on the front porch to take advantage of the breeze and to people watch while we ate delicious homemade waffles with fresh fruit.
After breakfast we returned home and spent some time talking with John and Susan. We had hoped to do a night dive today but the gusting wind and scattered clouds were going to make that an impossibility. At midday, we all four rode our bikes through town and stopped at a little Mediterranean restaurant with an ocean view down near the split. The wind was howling as we ate at one of the outdoor tables and keeping up with my napkin became my main objective at lunch. A few errands after lunch and back home again.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and talking and laughing. We’ve had more fun with John and Susan than I ever could have even expected. They pulled meat out of their freezer they’d gotten when they were inland from one of the cattle farms, and we feasted on steak, pork loin, corn and potatoes for dinner. We’d even made a strawberry cake in celebration of Valentines Day.
As I look back at this blog, I think it looks pretty typical of social media these days- stories of what we are eating. But the real story in every one of these meals is the experience with the culture of the island and with good friends. One of our favorite parts of Belize is the people. Whether old friends, new friends, other tourists we talk to for only a few minutes, or Belizeans we’ve had the pleasure to get to know, every experience for me is framed by the people we were with. There is a different brand of camaraderie here. With people who are vacationing here, expats who live here, or locals who are doing their jobs, there is a more casual atmosphere that puts everyone at ease and makes conversation easier and conflict less conflicting. So while we love the adventure of exploring a cave, or kayaking, or scuba diving- it’s the prevailing attitude of friendliness and the willingness to stop and invest in relationship that draws me in. The 10 minute conversation we had with a young couple from Wisconsin last night to the hours spent this week getting to know the divemasters, to the days visiting with John and Susan- I just can’t get enough of the joy of getting to know the people.
