It was a miracle of transfers: airport shuttles, planes, ferries, taxis and a golf cart. The water taxi from Belize City to Ambergris Caye, San Pedro, Belize, was perhaps the most hair raising, as the boat resembled a large canoe rather than a catamaran. We were hip to hip with giddy, travel-weary strangers, all our suitcases and backpacks piled unrealistically high. With safety paramount for the 45-minute ride northeast, to the largest island of Belize, we were issued questionable life-jackets that appeared to have been stowed since 1942.
This was pre-pandemic, of course, when my wife and I were free to whisk ourselves away from Ontario’s frozen landscape for most of February. We had just missed avocado and mango season, but we were arriving during the bounty of the cantaloupe, watermelon and plum harvest, and the spring lobster season was closing February 15, so our timing was impeccable.
The natural smelling salts of the sea revived our winter-dulled senses. Spirited birdsong, boats burning oil, and the waft of charcoal grills set the mood as neon-pink rummy “welcome drinks” were placed in our hands when we arrived at Mata Rocks Beachfront Hotel on Ambergris Caye.
It’s easy to relax into the hum of Belize. Everyone slows down a notch in the blanket of heat. Although the neighbouring Caye Caulker is a completely car-free island, there are a few vehicles on San Pedro. The roads, however, are dominated by golf carts, beach cruisers and flip-flop traffic. With a population of 30,000, San Pedro has over 15,000 golf carts to keep tourists and locals alike moving to and fro. While the mammoth carbon footprint of air travel is undeniable, Kim and I felt
