were greeted by a ranger who registered our boat and
issued us each a wristband. The Reserve is a fascinat-
ing snorkeling location. There’s an amazing variety of
fish and coral everywhere. After about an hour at the
Reserve we motored over to Shark/Sting Ray Alley.
Nurse sharks, sting rays and fish mobbed the stern of
the catamaran as they competed for bait tossed by the
crew—and we were allowed to snorkel among them!
From there we went over to J. Chris’s favorite island,
Caye Caulker. The average elevation of the Caye and
islands like San Pedro is six to nine feet above sea level!
After a great lunch at KoKo King Beach we walked
around Caye Caulker and an area known as The Split,
a channel opening between the two sides of Caye
Caulker. Ron describes Caye Caulker as how San Pedro
Island was 30 years ago. Dirt streets, friendly people,
limited accommodations and idyllic ocean conditions.
From Caye Caulker, we made our way back to San
Pedro Island as the sun set. During the whole trip
the crew served rum punch, beer and water and on
the homeward leg, they served us some outstanding
ceviche. After a little rest at the Villas, a few of the
heartier crew ventured out to some of the clubs that
dot the island. J. Chris and I opted to call it a night.
Thursday, we took it easy, not venturing out until
late morning when we wandered into town to get
some cash and do a little shopping. At lunch time, we
stopped at a great little restaurant, Waruguma, and
enjoyed some outstanding food. Where else can one
order lobster tacos for $9.00 US? Just as we were about
to leave, we got caught in a downpour and decided to
just wait it out. During our wait, I reflected on some of
the great signs we had seen around. One said, “Dear
Customer: Our Food is prepared at the moment of your
order. Everything is FRESH. Thanks for waiting.
Thanks for choosing us.” I particularly liked the Belikin
beer sign that said, “no working during drinking
hours.” We all got a kick out of the sign outside a gift
and fragrance shop that said: “Smelly People Wanted.”
J. Chris had hoped to have the opportunity to para-
sail and that afternoon we boarded a boat on the Cove
pier and headed out. The weather was a little glummy
and the boat and crew questionable, but we didn’t let
that keep us from taking to the air. One of our fellow
thrill seekers, Marcella, soared high first and when she
came back with a full grin, J.Chris and I were good to
go. What a great experience! What we did not know
was that while we were 200 feet up in the air, the com-
puter which controls speed, direction, and height failed.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Can you see the igwana in the
mangroves?
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
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