Time has been flying super fast for me since 2013 actually and this year has been a whirlwind literally. Around October I realized that unless I do something I will be just stay-actioning my entire vacation days. So did some research and settled on an overwater bungalow in Thatch Caye, Belize. And it wasn’t until I started packing the day before I realized that I WAS going on a vacation.

Thatch Caye is a small island about one tenth of a mile in length and 100 feet in width, A tiny island really. We got up in the morning and our first connection took us to Atlanta. From there it was a 3 hours flight to Belize City, which turned into three and a half hours as we were waiting for a few honeymooners to make this connection. The last 30-40 minutes of the flight was really bumpy because it was over the coast. I still hadn’t got into the holiday mood – the cynic that I am.

Once we landed in Belize international airport – and passed through immigration – we entered the domestic part of the airport which had about five small airlines all going to different parts of Belize. Our airline was Maya Airline and it would take us to Dangriga – a 15 minute commuter flight. They were definitely on island time as we waited 45 minutes after departure time to depart. It was fun though, first of all – the shops there were very local like the ones you would find on a street – there were about 4-5 of those shops. It was fun to just sit there and people watch who were primarily all tourists. People watching is one of my favorite hobbies – looking at them and guessing at their stories. I was beginning to feel silly which is my true self – so holiday mood beginning to kick in.

The lady at our counter announced that our flight was boarding and about dozen people formed a queue. We were in group one so we headed the charge. It was really cute – to see a plane with three wheels standing like a little sparrow in the airfield. We made our way to it- climb up the stairs and it’s so tiny that I cannot even stand straight. It has about four rows with room for two on one side and one on the other. We sat right behind the pilot in a two seater seat and we could watch everything that the pilot does. I fumble with my seat belts as they are more shoulder straps. Everybody settles in and one passenger actually sits in the seat next to the pilot.

Pilot says something about emergency exits and we take off. I could feel the tires heaving up and down as the plane started running on the runway. It took off and tt felt like we were all sitting in a big van and flying through the air. The windows were big like a van’s windows. I wanted to just open them so that I could look outside. Everything was so green and lush. It reminded me of India – the tropics. And on the way it started raining. We could hear and see the rain pattering and streaking through the windows. The holiday mood was beginning to sink in.

The pilot took a U-turn from the fields we were flying and we saw a runway. A black strip with a small whitewashed building in the midst of green fields.

We landed and were immediately transferred to the ocean side in a small car. And once we reached the oceanside there was a dock with a motor boat and a few out our fellow passengers were swinging in the hammock with drinks in their hands. The humid air reminded me of home, my body is made for tropical weathers after all. As I walked on the dock I made the transition to the holiday mood finally – the sound of the waves lapping against the dock – the gentle sea breeze.

The boat ride was about 30 minutes and we arrive at our little island with nothing in sight except just water all around. We were welcomed by a lovely retriever Duey and watermelon juices. We were shown to our rooms where the first sound I heard was the sound of water lapping against the stilts. Water was the only thing we could see from everywhere and anywhere.I had arrived in both mind and body and spirit.

Curious to know what happens next, subscribe and watch out for the other Belize posts.