Feet on solid ground

Megan:
We just stepped foot back on land yesterday after six days of sailing from Rio Dulce, Guatemala up to the southern reef islands of Belize. After weathering about three days of a slow moving storm, we finally saw the sun - and what a glorious sight it was! The timing could not have been better because that was the day we set anchor at the most beautiful reef of the trip. I have never seen such interesting coral and beautifully colored fish. We were also able to swim with sea turtles, eagle rays, nurse sharks, barracudas and a massive wall of jellyfish that were luckily not the stinging type. The sailboat was surrounded by crystal clear water and white sand on all sides which meant we could begin snorkeling right off the boat in all directions.

Those of you who know me well realize that I had a little apprehension going into this trip. The idea of snorkeling has always been pretty intimidating - I mean who knows what's lurking in that endless expanse of salty water. During the course of this trip I was able to relax and genuinely appreciate all of the beauty that this part of the Caribbean Sea had to offer. And it was truly spectacular.

Jon and I felt very lucky to have spent our time with such a great group of people on this trip. Eight other travelers from Holland, Denmark, Australia and England - each with their own perspective on life and different motives for being in Central America. We enjoyed sharing stories during meals (which were always quite impressive considering the size of the kitchen the crew was working with), playing an innovative homemade Dutch card game in the evenings, and splashing around in the water every time the boat stopped. We had assumed that the interesting cultural connections on this trip would be with local people, but we've been pleasantly surprised by how much we have gained by getting to know other travelers from around the world.

We spent our day yesterday waiting by roadsides and transferring from one bus to the next, making our way to Copán Ruinas in Honduras. This morning we experienced our first real shower in eight days - it's amazing how the simple things can make all the difference in the world.