Bye Belize - Top Ten and Superlatives!

Can't belize two weeks have gone by... Alas it's time to say goodbye! Nikita and Florence are snugly sleeping on their flight back to the US (napping is something we've all become good at) and I am en route to Chile for the next weeks... The last touching fairy standing. 

As is tradition, our top ten for Belize, in no particular order include:

1. Off road and overloaded golf carting as an efficient and questionable tranportation method. 

2. Snorkeling the pristine waters of Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley

3. Family dinner time hangouts at caves branch. 

4. Caving adventures... Bouldering, climbing, and squeezing between spectacular formations. The glittery underworld. 

5. Marie sharps hot sauce on everything. All. The. Time. 

6. Never knowing what day it was.

7. The moonset so close to the equator. 

8.  Nighttime jungle soundtracks, including the roars of howler monkeys at 3am, and bird wake up calls. 

9. The Belizean need to make puns all the time. ("My kinda country" -Verna) and how incredibly relaxed, kind, trusting, and familial everyone genuinely is here. 

10. The beans. Dear god, the beans. How the heck are they so good here?!?!

Superlatives!

Best Cooking: Ms Jen on Glover's Reef

Best New Friend: Milo, our island puppy

Best New Skill: Belizean dominoes!

Best Medicine for insect bites: Lime wedge

Most Accident Prone: Nikita

Strangest Injuries: Nikita

Most dramatic stories of the ocean: Krisna

Number of boats / water taxi rides: 27

Most questionable bug bites: Verna

Winner of the Mayan Ruins: Florence 

Number of Deet bottles consumed: 4 

Best Creole inspired phrases:

Mine yo head

Sandy feet? Dig dem deep

Relax it up!

Pump up de boat! 

Are you off the calendar?

And finally, a brief list of Nikita's injuries:

1. Bloody knee

2. Scraped and bloody thigh and calf from unnecessary dock clinging

3. 1-2 gnarly splinters

4. Bruised back from tripping on stairs 

5. Landing on recently recovered ankle at least twice

6. Swollen eyelid 

7. Phantom and real insect attacks 

8. Decreased lung capacity for diving 

9. Monkey bite on face (kidding)

10. Too much hot sauce