June 23, 2000 (cont.)
Belize City
After a quick drive-through tour of Belize City, we arrive at the municipal airport to check in and move our scheduled flight up one hour. Hopping on a 7-passenger prop plane, we take a 20-minute ride to Ambergris Caye, where it's bright, sunny, and hot. A phone call to Captain Morgan's Retreat and a short wait, then we were greeted by Jesus. He took our bags and drove us the short distance to the dock, where Blanca and Tacio were waiting with a boat. Ten minutes in the boat, and we were at Captain Morgan's. This resort is a bit isolated from the relatively built-up San Pedro town, separated from the South end of the island by a small channel. Blanca, the activity coordinator/hospitality manager, gave us an in-depth briefing, and we signed up for a fishing trip while enjoying a complimentary rum punch. The grounds were kept neat, and there were people raking the seaweed from the beach. The pool (turned out to be saltwater, but we never did get to it) was by the bar and restaurant. Then it was off to the honeymoon suite, a nice cabana on the beach with no phone or television (but air conditioning and electricity), named after Captain Francis Spriggs. The furniture was locally-made from Belizean hardwoods, and decorations were distinctly Belizean/Guatemalan with flowers and palm fronds here and there. Morgan, the cat, was waiting for us there. He ended up hanging out in our cabana when we were there - leaving on his own. A walk down the crushed coral and limestone beach found us at the bar. Marlon made us his specialty - the 'Stress Captain'. We went back to the activity center to sign up for a two tank dive and a snorkeling trip before going back to the cabana to clean up for dinner. Dinner was nice: red salsa with tortillas and fry-jacks, rock crab claws, lobster tails, and cioppino. We then crawled into hammocks tied between two palm trees on the beach and just did nothing.
on the way to Captain Morgan's
San Pedro
poolside view
Morgan at our cabana door