Caye Caulker – Day 2: From Sea Life to Love Life
CAYE CAULKER
Day 2: From Sea Life to Love Life
September 10, 2022
The following day was one I had been looking forward to ever since I started snorkelling again. I’d be going on a snorkelling tour at the marine reserve of Hol Chan – a protected sealife sanctuary that draws in millions of tourists annually!
At 9 AM sharp, I was to be found at one of the tour companies’ stalls I had reserved my activity with. At 9:25 AM sharp, they duly informed me that time on this island is nothing but a relative concept. And so, at whatever-AM, I set out to sea on a tiny boat along with a few other tourists. Minutes into our ride, we somehow found ourselves at a standstill – all of us looking at each other helplessly, assuming we had run out of fuel or something. The guide, Mike, told us that the spot we were in was usually where they find West Indian manatees, and that we should keep our eyes peeled. My eyes were peeled like peeled potatoes, but try as we might, there was nothing. The horizon, unbroken, mocked us as we stared – and then stared some more.
He took us to a different spot, yet more of the same took place. Another spot, another disappointment. Another spot, and… BAM – a manatee! Having already seen one in Chetumal didn’t take away any of the awe and wonder I felt upon seeing this one’s head pop out of the water. As fast as was humanly possible, we all put on our masks and jumped straight into the sea — only to be welcomed by something quite unexpected.
It wasn’t just one manatee, but four! We swam close but admired from a distance. While two of them were grazing on seaweed at the bottom of the sea, the other two were busying themselves doing the nasty-nasty, if you know what I mean. Mike did tell us it was mating season, after all – though it was mostly a warning, as sometimes manatees have been known to hug divers when in heat. Not that it’s been associated with any injuries or deaths though… just near drownings.
Underwater Paradise...
The next stop would be at Hol Chan, meaning ‘little channel’ in Mayan. The reserve spans around eighteen square kilometres and contains coral reefs that are popular for snorkelling and diving, as well as mangroves and seagrass beds that are excellent for fishing.
In the reserve, Mark explained, there are some 160 different species of fish, as well as tons of different types of coral and other animal species. Amongst these, we got to see a huge variety of grunts, yellowtails, parrotfish, and even a scorpionfish! The main highlights, to most, were the octopus, the lobster, the green turtle, and the spotted eagle ray – a splendid creature that glides with such elegance and grace it left me stunned. And coral. So much coral – of all shapes and sizes! Brain and finger coral, barrel and fan coral, orange and red, lavender and green!
After this, it was time to visit Shark Ray Alley, where our boat was surrounded by tens of nurse sharks and all kinds of fish the second Mike threw some bait in the water. Swimming with the sharks, I couldn’t help but lay my hands on one of them, to feel their thick yet smooth skin. It was there and then that Mike bit my head off. He had warned us not to touch the coral but, as far as I could recall, he never mentioned anything about the nurse sharks. Turns out, the simple act of touching them can lead to the transfer of infectious agents like bacteria and viruses that could be fatal to them. Ashamed and guilty though I felt, I can definitely say I’ve learnt my lesson. A warning before the incident happened would have been nice though. Also, in hindsight, someone should have bit his head off for feeding the sharks!
We had a few more stops lined up. First up was the Coral Garden — which, I’m able to testify, fully lives up to its name. Then it was a shipwreck overrun by coral and anemones. Having never seen a sunken ship, I have to admit it was a friggin’ awesome experience. Then it was the Conch Cemetery, which, as you can imagine, is an area where the entire seafloor is covered by the remains of dead conch shells. So, so cool!
Right at the end, we also stopped by a pier on the west side of the island, where an underwater cave opens directly into the seafloor, giving rise to brackish water. This is where tarpons — silver fish that can grow up to two and a half metres — live. We got to handfeed the beasts, which, as soon as they’d see our bait, would leap out of the water and snatch the fish right from our hands. They did draw some blood from my hand too, just in case anyone’s wondering whether it’s 100% safe.
Caribbean Romance
After the tour was over, I was once again left to mind my own business back in Caye Caulker. And business to mind I had plenty of. I wanted to chill some more at Iguana Reef, having fallen in love with the place ever since I first set foot there.
I was crouching down by the pier, trying to see if I could spot another seahorse, when this random guy comes up to me and just blurts out, “Man, you’re handsome!” I’m normally someone who knows no shame and is used to feeling and being awkward 99% of the time, but the second he said that, I turned red and found myself at a complete loss for words. I had no idea if that had just happened, maybe I’d misheard him, maybe he was saying that to someone else, or maybe it was a hallucination brought about by a few days of celibacy.
“Uhm, what?” I asked, and he repeated himself again. There’s this incredibly handsome, tall, well-built guy who’s complimenting… me. It was only up until the day before that I’d been browsing Tinder looking for someone to hang out with, but I couldn’t find anyone who was quite my type. And suddenly this guy just showed up out of nowhere! I reciprocated the compliment, and then he went off complimenting me some more, insisting that he had never seen anyone so handsome. He said that he had seen me walking down the road the day before, and that he couldn’t quite get me off his mind. I was both flattered and creeped out at the same time. Still speechless, I let him go on with a list of my virtues.
He introduced himself as Roy, and shortly after, as the owner of one of the fanciest resorts on the island. He asked me where I was staying, and the second I mentioned the name, he kinda winced. “Come stay at my place. I’ll book you in for a suite, all for free of course!” he goes. “Uhm, what?” I went again.
Pretty sure by then, he must’ve thought those two words made up like 75% of my vocabulary. “Come, I won’t take no for an answer!” he insisted. “You know you can’t buy me, right?” I retorted, swatting away all my previous hopes and dreams of marrying rich. To that, he said that kindness is akin to an ethos, that he’d been brought up to pay it forward, and that he does this all the time. I couldn’t seriously accept his offer. I had my accommodation all set and paid for – it’d be such a waste! Plus, I don’t like to change my plans on a whim.
He showed me some photos of his resort, and suddenly the don’t wanna change my plans card seemed very flimsy. “It’s low season, so I’ve got plenty of free rooms,” he asserted. I told him I’d think about it, mostly to get him off my back. He then introduced me to some of his friends, whom he referred to as family. They all commended him for being so brave and for walking up to me, and commended me for being so handsome. Again, what the hell was happening?! I’m a solid 6.5 on most days, and during my travels, I felt like I had devolved to a 4.8 – especially with my now unruly, Israeli-like hair!
But that didn’t seem to be their opinion anyhow. He invited me for a drink and led me to the beach bar. We had a seat and, after some small talk, he got me a margarita (not what I’d usually go for, but hey, it was on the house and it tasted pretty damn good!). Then… Then he just kissed me – right there and then, in front of the bar. Before that, I had figured that none of this would pan out if he wasn’t a good kisser. Well, he was. And that… That was the start of a whirlwind romance I never thought I’d get to experience whilst travelling.
Feelings?
The more he spoke, the more I grew interested in him. Roy, a Belizean through and through, was born in the city of Placencia, down south on the mainland. He had been a teacher, a bank manager, a political campaign manager – and now, he had come to Caye Caulker on a new venture as a resort manager.
He had seven siblings from his mother’s side and another seven from his father’s, with whom he has a close relationship. One of his oldest brothers, a second father figure to Roy, had died in a terrible motor vehicle accident fifteen years ago – something that still affects him deeply to this day.
After a couple of drinks and some small talk, I remember thinking to myself that it had been way too long since I had felt that comfortable with someone – since I had felt so seen! I knew my time in Caye Caulker would be very limited, but still, I weighed the odds and decided to go for it. I told him I’d move out of my humble abode and into his fancy one – on one condition: that this wouldn’t, in any way, shape, or form, mean that I was either selling myself or using him. I had everything already sorted out, after all!
And boy, was it a good idea! The resort is like a piece of heaven. I’m not gonna mention names or describe it, mostly cause I wanna keep his identity a secret, but it truly is one of the best ones on the island. And the rooms – my god, the rooms! I had a master suite with two double beds and a kitchen, all to myself. I could’ve probably afforded to stay there a couple of days, but that would’ve also meant having to give up on visiting an entire country or two with that budget! And yet, there I was – bathing in luxury.
Once I settled in, we agreed to meet for dinner. Only his work kept him from joining me – something I could totally understand, given the crazy long hours I used to work back home. Much like myself, he was always on top of things, always making sure his guests were happy and satisfied. He worked most days, throughout the entire day, and lived on the premises just in case something popped up at night. Talk about dedication!
Later that night, he showed up at my door – well, his door – his head hung low. He apologised for standing me up and brought us some food from the rooftop restaurant – a mouth-watering red snapper. We laid in bed and ate there, watching TV. I remember lying next to him, feeling so comfortable, so safe, so happy. “This is the kind of affection I deserve,” I remember thinking to myself, after so many failed attempts at dating. He was handsome, kind, intelligent, humble, resourceful, passionate and, let’s face it, he had the moolah. And the way he kissed! I was smitten. And he was too. He was confused about all of it – how serendipitous it all was. How he hadn’t felt that way about anyone in so long.
It all felt too good to be true. I usually fall quickly for people I feel a connection with, but never this quickly! We had known each other for five hours. That’s it – just five hours! It all felt so unreal, so different. But those five hours, in all truth, were much better than countless others I’d spent dating around. Be it affection, warmth or fondness, I just gave in and let myself enjoy it without thinking too much about it.