A River Ran Through It - 06-21-2007

Okay so that last tequila was likely not such a good idea. Waking up was difficult today and we were glad that we hadn’t planned any excursions for the morning. I awoke around 7:30 and listened to the wind and heavy rainfall outside. The rain was so heavy that I feared it would ruin our day, but almost as quickly as I thought it, the rain was gone. Once the rain stopped the birds came back out, the sun shone its way back through the jungle cover and we headed to breakfast.

After breakfast we lounged by the pool enjoying the sun and our audio books. Real life never affords us the opportunity to just sit around like this, but we did it all the way to lunch time.

For lunch I had a steak pita with rosemary mayonnaise and fires with spicy ketchup. Mike had Belizian Shrimp Garnaches and I stole a bunch of yummy, grilled shrimp from his plate as he stole my fries.

We strolled down to the beach where a woman and two small children had spread out some wares for the tourists. We talked with the kids who just smiled back at us, and looked over masks, bags, jewelry and the like. Mike bought a bracelet and we went back to our tree house to prepare our bag for kayaking.

Mike and I paddled down the Sittee River in a two-seater kayak with a guide named Pedro and a small group of other Hamanasi guests. Kayakers often see pelicans, boa constrictors, alligators, iguanas and parrots on this trip, but we did not. We saw a great deal of vegetation, which Mike and I are enthralled by. The pink Mayflower blossoms floated down the river, it was so beautiful. The river was lined with hundreds of wild mango trees. We spotted tiny crabs along the banks and bats clinging to a tree stump protruding from the river. A young tiger heron squawked and fluttered around before flying away and we saw two yellow, down-covered chicks of a species of bird we did not know. We touched the rubbery vines which jutted out of the water and Pedro took a leaf off a tree and stuck it to my shirt. It stayed on as though it were attached with Velcro and could be removed and attached repeatedly with the same effect. It seems like such a simple thing to be fascinated by, but it was cool.

After the 2 hour kayak trip we snacked on some cookies while waiting for the van to come and get us. We arrived back to Hamanasi just in time for happy hour. We got to name the drink tonight. We called the slushy rum drink “Smooth Sailing” and it really caught on! In no time we were snaking on freshly made nachos and salsa and chatting it up with the other newlywed couple from the States, Paula and Chris. Chris is ex-military and is now contracted by the military on a military pension for a double-dipping salary. Paula is studying to be a massage therapist and Paula is a woman! She drinks bourbon and smokes cigars and they were great company over a few drinks. After tying one on with them we headed to the water for a nice and refreshing swim in the sea.

We finally had a need to apply bug spray. I got about 10 bites in a matter of minutes.

At dinner we sat at a table beside Paula and Chris. Mike had a roasted garlic soup started and I had a roasted eggplant salad. We both decided to have the snapper fritters which were alot like crab cakes with an incredible tartar sauce, black bean salad and white rice. We finished the meal, sharing a crème brulee like Belizean custard, warm and light and delicious.

In a resort full of divers who have to take it easy on the booze, we seem like the house drunks and I’m really okay with that. Fack it, I’m on vacation!