Belize

This year for my birthday, Michael and I went to Belize.  We dropped the boys off with my dad on Friday evening and then left very early on Saturday morning.  Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:00 a.m. so we left our house around 3:30 - and it was really cold.  We landed in Fort Lauderdale a little after breakfast time.  I hate the Fort Lauderdale airport.  It is a major hub for cruises leaving out of Fort Lauderdale and is always teeming with people.   We walked to the other side of the airport and found a quiet hamburger joint.  Then we boarded our flight for Belize City.   The flights were nice. Michael read his new David Platt book while I spent my flight feeling like a heel for reading a secular book - which I loved by the way! 

When we arrived at the Belize City Airport we were given instructions for getting through customs.  We were told that we could not - under any circumstances - get our phones out.  Even though I can't remember all of the specific rules, I recall that they were very strict and I was a little nervous that they would not let me in the country.  Customs took a long time to clear which caused us to miss our flight to the Ambergris Cayes air field.  Luckily we were able to catch the next flight out.  They are so laid back in Belize.

This was the plane that we took to the island were we stayed (Ambergris Caye).  It was tiny! It held about 20 passengers and you couldn't stand up at all.







This little flight was beautiful.  This was our view from the window of the Caribbean below.





We stayed at a Curio Hilton Property called Mahogany Bay Village.  MBV staff picked us up at the airport and drove us to the property.  The entire island is only five (5) miles so the main source of transportation was by golf cart.  There were golf carts everywhere!

This was our suite at Mahogany Bay. The rooms were incredible.  The pictures do not do it justice.















MBV sat on a canal.



We arrived at our hotel around 4:00.  We decided not to go to the beach club that night, but instead spend our time checking out the grounds.  We also walked into the town and bought groceries for the room. That night we ate dinner at the "great house" out on the porch.  It was dark and quiet and wonderful.



This next morning we went for breakfast at the "great house" and then went out to the beach club.  The beach club wasn't on the main property.  Instead we were taxied over to a private island out in the Caribbean.  The boat ride took about 10 minutes.  I loved the boat ride - the scenery was so pretty.



The beach is very different from what we are used to in the gulf.  I now understand why people love the white sandy beaches of the gulf so much.  We had plenty of sand, but it wasn't soft and smooth like out at the gulf.  Regardless, the beach was beautiful.  It was only for people that stayed at MBV so it was really empty.  The first day we were out at the beach, there were probably about 10 other people present.  The water was teal blue and so clean.  The water was very shallow for about 50 yards and the water was calm.  Michael and I agreed that it would be the perfect place to bring the boys.  We could sit in our beach chairs and let the boys play without having to be right on top of them.





These were our chairs for most of the trip.  We just sat and read for hours.  Their was plenty of breeze so it never got too hot.





They also had water beds that you could rent for $40.00.  We didn't rent them.







This is where we ate most of our dinners.



On the second day of our trip we slept in and then spent time at the pool.



On day three we booked a snorkeling trip at the Hol chan Marine Reserve.  It was incredible!  It was as if we stepped right into the coral reef on Finding Nemo.  We did a guided snorkeling tour that took about two hours total.  We saw colorful fish, sea turtles and eels. At the fed and swam with nurse sharks at "Shark Ray Alley."  I bet there were about 25 sharks around us.











Snorkeling was my favorite thing that we did the whole time. I did burn pretty badly on my back.  When we got back to the room we showered and took a nap- between the swimming and the sun were drained.  We had a bit of a storm in the late afternoon so I wrapped up in warm clothes and watched a a movie in bed. (We have never had a TV in our bedroom - by intentional choice - so it is always neat for me to get to watch TV in bed).

We spent our last day at the beach club.  Both Michael and I tested our balance and skill at paddle boarding.  Its a bit harder than it looks.  I was able to get the hang of it after  few minutes, but I still had to concentrate pretty hard on staying upright.










Later than evening, much like every other evening, we bought coffee and the Rum and Bean Coffee Shop - with no rum, of course. They had great coffee.



This was the dining room where we ate breakfast every morning.



This is a picture of my bug bites.  On the first day of our trip I was eaten alive by something.  It was miserable.  I spent the rest of the trip slathered in bug spray.

I want to thank Michael for such a special trip.  He put a lot of time and thought into planning a new and fun vacation for us. We are a really laid back couple - in that way we are perfectly matched.  We like to visit and experience new places, but we also try to be very intentional on slowing down and enjoying a restful time with each other.  I know that planning vacations can be very stressful - so I want Michael to know how much I appreciate his time and effort.  Also a big thank you to Grandad, Gigi, Nana, Papa, and Gran for keeping the boys while we were away.  We love you guys.



These were all little shops.  We bought chocolate at one of them.



They used purple lighting to make the pool look great at night.



Aerial view of the beach club.



The lobby.