DEPARTURE
It was 20°and snowing when we packed up and left Vermont yesterday. A new Moon and one of the shortest days of the year I stood on the frozen pond admits the swirling flakes surrounded by white; snow covered ice and trees the winter home half-done and awaiting spring to be completed. The girls have their own backpacks this time and it promises to be a full on backpacking trip through Belize. shopping solo as we idled out front.
We rushed through last minute errands in Montpelier crowded with shoppers and slush covered streets. At the bank we learned that no one does traveler’s checks anymore were also learned our flight out of Burlington is ½ hour earlier than we thought. The coop parking lot was full, so Colleen did the last-minute
Then it was 35 miles of snow covered highway to Burlington and the days inn where we are leaving our car and staying upon our return in 26 days. We changed out of our winter and caught a taxi to the where our flight was now delayed a half hour
and it was after dark by the time we took off into the snowy skies. Ambiana was on the right side of plane and got the glorious view as a plane emerged from the clouds revealing a strip of sunset ski beneath the black dome of stars that is the universe. Jakobi and I on the other side of the plane saw clouds lit from below by the lights as we flew over New England we landed in Charlotte North Carolina around 9:00 PM and found a nook of the airport to call our own. The girls were restless, and Colleen went off with a friend from college and I lay down to get what sleep I could. After a night on the Airport floor our tent will seem like a feather bed.
ARRIVAL
Our hour flight out of Miami was delayed. We sat on the plane for an hour before we took off. Ambiana and Jakobi did not care because the plane had screens. We landed in Belize around 12:30 PM and proceeded through customs. Jakobi almost lost her passport in the bathroom and customs took my custom a $30.00 bag of granola. I was devastated, it was my comfort. Very sad.
BELIZE CITY
We then took a U.S. $35.00 car ride into Belize city to the more expensive of the ferries to the cayes. I hate the money rush of the locals the minute we land but can’t blame them. just be polite and firm. Colleen went off to the grocery store while Jakobi passed out on the bench and Ambiana and I hung out with the bags.
When Colleen came back I went to both ferry ticket offices and the one we were at was twice as expensive as the other. I met a local spice woman who had a shop near our bench and bought a bottle of hot sauce from her and she told Colleen where the local produce markets was. We woke Jakobi up and moved up the street to the less expensive Ocean ferry and Colleen and Ambiana left for the produce market while I watched over the bags and a passed-out Jakobi. Colleen and Ambiana soon returned with a bag of fruit and veggies and Ambiana carrying a watermelon.
Our ferry was a slightly bigger version of the one we took in Fiji 10 years ago. 40 plus people packed into boat we sat out front and Ambiana spent the superfast ride with their head out the window and air blowing straight back.
