Kayaking and Beach Weekend

After a hot, dusty week, we were excited for the weekend. The clinical half of our group is done on Fridays at noon, so we had the afternoon to spend together, all 8 students. We went to TIDE, an eco-tourism group in Punta Gorda who rents kayaks by the hour. There are a number of small estuaries (places where freshwater rivers or streams meet the ocean), and left the TIDE dock in one of these small rivers. We first paddled inland through the mangroves. I was too worried about tipping my kayak to bring my camera (a legitimate concern- although I managed to stay upright, not everyone did), but I wished I could have. We navigated through the narrow mangrove passages with the graceful plants winding on all sides. When fallen trees and low water meant we couldn't go any further, we turned around and traveled toward the ocean. Kayaking along shore, we found a small place to beach our kayaks and go for a quick ocean swim. On Friday, the heat index was 120F, and we were all dying for a cool dip. However, the ocean temperature right off shore was like bathwater, had to have been mid-80s water temperature. Although it still felt good to get wet.

On Saturday morning, our favorite taxi driver, Hermando, picked us up at 7am to meet our boat, the B-nice. We planned a one night stay on Lime Key. It is an island owned by Denis, the divemaster and water adventure tour guide in Punta Gorda. (Yep, Kyle, he owns his own island.) Lime Key was nothing less than paradise. Clear turquoise water, palm trees, and a white sand beach. Denis's mother and aunt live on the island and cook fantastic Belizean meals for those visiting. 

On Saturday, we arrived at the island and set up our tents near the beach. Then Denis took us out on the boat for a quick dive before lunch. Katie, Ryan, and I are PADI certified open water SCUBA divers, so the three of us enjoyed a fantastic dive down the outer wall of the southern Belize barrier reef. The entire group then went snorkeling later in the day. The fish life was diverse, including various parrot fish, spiny lobsters, eels, and an array of corals. As the sun went down, we started a bonfire on the beach and were joined by (according to Katie) about 2 billion hermit crabs. I have never even imagined that so many could exist in one place. They were everywhere, and some huge- in shells as big as my hand.

The night sleeping on the sand was not as wonderful as it sounds. It turns out that sand is incredibly hard, but I suppose if I had to wake up uncomfortable at 5:30 am, the best place to do it is on a tropical island.

Our second day was a repeat of the first with more snorkeling and another dive down the outer wall. By the end of that day, we were all satisfied with an amazing weekend, pretty tired, sun-toasted, and very ready for our mattresses back at the Hillside Clinic.