this isn't new, but....

here are some pictures of a couple of environmental art projects that we have been doing (mostly red)with found objects and natural materials----the musicians are from washington before we left and the little guy was made in mexico--- jared and some people also made a sweet bride and groom for his friend's wedding this summer but i dont have the pictures here.....

the sun rising and dolpins swimmin under our boat

Sunrise after a night on the sailboat

on the third day, we had the most sunshine as well as the best snorkeling. on that evening we reaching the small town of Plancencia--halfway down the coast of Belize. this is where the tour was to end, but since we needed to meet up with my dad and sister on the island next to Caye Caulker we actually rode back with the crew of the sailboat on a 12 hr trip straight through the night!

this was definitely one of the best nights of my life---statting out with the almost full moon lighting up the sea with gazillions of stars complete with numerous shooting stars that would break off into two and skip along. jared and i set ourselves up at the very front top of the boat and huddled together for the night, occasionally catching some shut eye but not too very much at all.

at one point i woke up just in time to see the giant orange orb of the moon setting into the sea and the rest of the world slowly illuminating in other soft purples and peaches. flying fish skipped along the water, spotted eagle rays leapt out in the corner of our eyes and fog hovered over the tiny islands we would past.
the first rays of sunlight... i even saw the tail of a manatee as we passed over it

but the most magical part of all had to be when dolphins surfaced nearby at two different times, and then proceeded to swim right up to the boat and glide along in the water directly under the front of it! red and i hung our heads right over the edge just feet away from it and one even tilted up to look at us too! the first set that came over even had a baby with it that jumped out right before swimming off!

completely amazing...

nature on Tobacco Caye

our first sting ray encounter, more pelicans and other sea birds...

Tobacco Caye

under the influence of clouds (and rum punch) aka day 2 of the sailing trip

the next day was cloudy and even kind of chilly rainy when we started out. therefore the crew busted out several bottles of local rum which we shared around to "keep warm"-- things got a little silly with some drumming on a big empty water bottle, funny convos--- soon enough the sun came out and we arrived at a slightly bigger than tiny island Tobacco Caye. then more snorkeling and some soccor with local kids and more punch and another yummy dinner!

Rendevous Caye

Holy moly guacamole! this trip was one of the coolest things i have ever done! we had a lovely sailboat, a three man rastafarian crew (Kymani: the captain, and Dice and Mario) blasted reggae cds for hours on end as ten other travelers -- 3 of whom were from portland, OR and i soaked in the stunning views. although the day started out cloudy, sure enough the sparkling sun came out and we were able to do some pretty cool snorkeling.

i could hardly believe the size of the island we stayed at that first night! we were the only ones on this tiny island that was maybe 50 yards long and 20 yards across. those who like fish were supposed to attempt to fish for their dinners while we were sailing and once we arrived, the crew made us rum punch, fresh salsa and a great meal---what a life!

Raggamuffin Sailing Tours

So after plenty of hanging out and chilling out and not doing nothing for days on end, we decided to splurge on this fabulous trip! Here is the description from the website: www.raggamuffintours.com

Sailing to Placencia
- 2 nights camping and 3 days sailing


In the south of Belize there is the coastal town of Placencia. Belizeans and visitors alike agree that the finest beaches in the country are along the 11 mile slender strip. The informality and relaxed atmosphere are very special and highly contagious. Nature provides white sand fringed with waving green palms and the azure sea. The water is clear enough to watch fish through the glasslike surface.

Raggamuffin Tours offer the ideal style of traveling from Caye Caulker down to Placencia - sailing!!! This trip is designed as an island hopping adventure for all those who want to experience this uninhabited paradise whilst snorkeling and fishing along the way. Gently cruise through Belize’s crystal clear waters and picture postcard scenery during the day, and at night, eat your ‘catch of the day’. Enjoy the open fire, star gaze and camp in spaceous tents on the beach. The trip is a truly magical one with caye upon caye of idilic beauty.

The adventure will take three days of sailing and two nights spent on the beautiful Rendezvous and Tobacco Cayes whilst visiting Goff Caye and South Water Caye.

more on Caye Caulker, Belize

more on Caye Caulker, Belize

our 5 days that we spent on this melllllow little island consisted of this routine:
1. sleep in
2. eat breakfast
3. sit on our favorite pier for hours on end
4. intermix reading and swimming with playing guitar and sunbathing (on pier)
5. eat lunch
6. take nap
7. walk 3 minutes to other side of the island to watch sunset
8. eat dinner
8. take a walk