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We walk easily to Hotel Anchorage; the island is only 5 miles long and 1.2 miles wide. En route along the sand path, huge black iguanas scramble around my feet. Hammocks hang from almost every palm tree lining the white sand beach. Locals amble along in bare feet – there is no rush for anything here. The only vehicles that pass us are golf carts. I feel as if we’ve been plunked down into a much simpler way of life. I’m already more relaxed. Hotel Anchorage sits just off the palm fringed powdery white sand. Several docks extend out over the clear blue Caribbean. The only thing on the agenda for that day is curling up in a beachside hammock with a good book – interrupted only by the occasional dip in the refreshing sea. It’s so easy to get caught up in the island way of life – the next day we walk to our day tour in our bare feet. We don’t hurry; if we’re late, we’re late. As expected, we don’t leave on time anyway. Belize is famous for its extraordinary diving. The Blue Hole, one of the world’s most amazing dive sites, is accessible from Caye Caulker – along with plenty of other incredible dive opportunities. We decided to take advantage of the many snorkeling tours offered nearer to the island. We soon find that you don’t have to go far to see abundant and colorful wildlife. Our first stop on the snorkeling tour, about ten minutes from the shore by speedboat, is probably one of the best. As soon as we climb down the ladder into the clear water, we see that the sandy sea floor is practically obscured by the sheer number of sting rays. Undeniably one of the sea’s most remarkable creatures, every snorkeler is awed by the rays’ flat gray bodies, long skinny tails and the manner in which they dart through the water. The shallow water allows for an up close and personal encounter with the many rays. The second stop, at a coral garden, provides us with views of a variety of vibrant fishes. Blue green parrotfish nibble at the living reef with their painted lips. Dark blue angelfish swim in groups along the reef’s edge, oblivious to our presence. As if we hadn’t
seen enough marvelous sea life in one day, the last stop proves to be just
as wondrous. Close to Ambergris Caye, another of Belize’s tropical islands,
Hol Chan Marine Park is full of more vivid grazing fishes and striking
coral. We even see several nurse sharks swimming in the distance. For once
in my life, I’m reluctant to return to the white sandy beaches waiting
for me on the island…..
On our second day, we decided to rent a “jeep” and drive around the perimeter of the small island. Our “jeep”, a small blue topless vehicle resembling a go-kart, allows us to explore parts of the island on our own. We don’t actually have our driver’s licenses with us, but that doesn’t seem to bother the shop owner. Our first stop is the island’s blow. The ground here is composed of coral and we tread carefully on the once delicate sea life. A hole not much bigger than one meter in diameter, the blow hole does exactly what its name implies. Every few seconds, a huge gust of air blows straight up. The force is enough to make my braided and beaded hair stand straight on its end. If you come at high tide, air isn’t the only thing you’ll see being pushed up into the sky. At certain times, water shoots high into the air, spraying everyone in its path. Getting back in our rickety jeep, we travel for less than a mile before we slowly putt to a stop. Luckily, we’re directly across from a local home. Three men come running out, arms waving and yelling in rapid Spanish. My friend and I aren’t sure whether to be alarmed or relieved. When they all rush to the back of our jeep and start pushing, we laugh and yell our thanks. It takes several tries before we’re off again, and the men run after us, still waving their hands, and making sure we don’t stall again. We’re touched. A few miles later, we see some other cars pulled over and decide to stop again. The coral rock dips down to the sea, creating natural pools where people swim and snorkel. We climb down a man-made ladder and marvel at new shades of blue. There are so many fish here that I can hardly swim without feeling as if I’m going to kick one. Miraculously, even though the water beneath me is dark from the amount of fish, not a single one touches my skin. Back on the road, we drive for only a few minutes before our rental gives out on us again. A few minutes later, a police car pulls up next to us. I am overcome by fear when I realize that we’re driving a vehicle in Colombia without a driver’s license. But my fear was unnecessary. The only question the young policemen have for us is if they can have our hand in marriage. They help get us going again, and we head straight back to the rental shop. We’ve had enough close calls for one day! The next day, we rely on public transportation to take us to Johnny Cay. A popular tourist destination, the tiny island of Johnny Cay can be seen from San Andres. En route, we stop at The Aquarium –a solitary strip of sand in the middle of the sea. Hundreds of boats stop here while their passengers explore this miniature sand island. Snorkeling equipment is available for rent and you can walk out to the water and jump right in. Johnny Cay
is the ultimate relaxation paradise. Caribbean music plays in the background,
huge waves crash on the beach and there isn’t much more to do than lie
on the soft sand and eat and drink your way to contentment..
Pubs line the streets advertising fish and chips and nightly showings of everyone’s favorite British soap opera – EastEnders. Our buffet breakfast was typically English; mushrooms, tomatoes and baked beans filled our plates. But it didn’t bother me in the least; just surprised me slightly to find a Spanish island so British in so many ways. The modern British influence is limited mainly to the resort areas. The city of Palma de Mallorca boasts Gothic architecture, palaces, a 14th century church and the famous Cathedral La Seo, whose interior was designed by the very Spanish Gaudi. The majority of tourists can be found lounging on the beaches. In Mallorca, a calm Mediterranean meets brown sandy beaches. Rainbow umbrellas cover the sand and you have to get there early if you want to rent one of the many lounge chairs. Most of the hotels are set several streets away from the beach, but some of the more prestigious ones sit directly on the waterfront and boast their own private beaches. Lying on the beach here, you know you’re in Europe. Topless women lay sprawled on their chairs, swim in the sea and saunter along the beach. It’s something you don’t see on public beaches in North America. There is no shortage of duty free shops on the island, and excellent deals can be found - especially on fragrances. Endless souvenir shops sell towels, t-shirts, hats and other island paraphernalia. Mallorca is famous for its pearls and jewelry stores are in no short supply. Both genuine Mallorca pearls and imitation are available. There are plenty
of day trip opportunities from Palma Nova. One option is a boat tour that
takes you along the coast. The island’s varied shoreline – from sandy beaches
to rocky cliffs – makes a great view. You can descend to the bottom level
of the boat to the glass observatory which allows you to see the sea floor,
the edge of the island and the occasional fish. If you have small children,
you might want to skip this particular trip as the boat also passes by
a completely nudist beach.
We got up early the next morning, walked ten meters to the deserted beach and basked in the sun. We had almost the entire stretch of white sand and blue water to ourselves. As we’d booked our trip rather last minute (same day, actually – things are rarely planned far ahead in Turkey!) we didn’t have much information as to what attractions this part of the island offered. The staff informed us that our hotel was within walking distance of some ruins farther down the beach, at Salamis. After lunch we grabbed our cameras and walked down the beach to check out the ruins in our bare feet and swimming suits. We found them easily enough, but hadn’t thought to bring any money. We’d assumed that the ruins were just in plain view from the beach; we hadn’t expected an entrance fee. The man at the ticket desk looked very confused when we turned around and walked away. “Ticket?” he asked. “Para yok. Yarn geleceiz,” (Money absent. Tomorrow we will return) “You know Turkish!” He was surprised. “Yes. We’re teachers in Istanbul,” I told him. “Really! Okay, you can go. Free. No ticket.” Our long hours of studying Turkish had finally paid off. (Maybe the bikinis helped?) Not that we would have minded paying the money to see the ruins, but it was a long hot walk back. The ruins of Salamis, set just back from the gorgeous turquoise water, are stunning. Marble columns and headless statues are scattered among the wild grass on the beach. An ancient stone theater provided us with unbeatable views of the ruins, the white sand beach and the blue water in the distance. At dinner our waiter told us that we were the first Canadians to visit the Park Hotel. We weren’t sure whether or not to believe him; Cyprus is a popular tourist destination, but again, mainly for the British, so it was possible. That night we met Oktan, a friend of a Turkish friend, at the hotel. He took us to Famagusta, a university town near our hotel. He drove us around the city, pointed out its historic walls, a Turkish Bath that had been turned into a coffee house and Nestorian Church of St. George the Exiler. I asked Oktan how he felt about the recent opening of the border. “It’s good. Now I can meet more friends and see new places. I am happy.” Somehow it wasn’t the answer I was expecting, but it was a good answer. “Have you ever met any Canadians before?” I asked. “No. You are the first.” “Really? Don’t that many Canadians come here?” “We have mostly people from Britain.” So maybe we were the first Canadians to stay at the Park Hotel. The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
To contact
Dawnelle Click Here
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Western
Canada Part One ~ 