We arrived at The Turtle Inn yesterday afternoon and settled into Villa # 7 King Fish. After a good nights sleep ( about 12 hours 🤪) we went to Mare the main restaurant in a beautiful thatched roof palapya and enjoyed a delicious watermelon salad and local shrimp tacos. Topped that off with fresh coxonut and chocolate gelato! Ssh- dont tell anyone.

We have had a relaxing day by the beachside pool. Sipping Virgin Mojohitos and reading. It is a balmy 82 degrees with 10 to 20 mph tropical breezes keeping any insects at bay!

Our Villa Kingfish

It is a traditiinal thatched roof bungalow with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a lovely dining and lounging porch. It is only a few steps through the sand from the ocean and has a beautiful shade tree with a hammock. The back of the villa has a walled garden with an out door table and 2 outdoor showers!

This evening we walked through the sand past a beach fire where the chef was \240cooking a Belizean seafood boil for dinner. We joined 6 other guests from Maryland, Princeton, New Jersey and Toronto Canada at a long table under the thatched palapya. The table was set with a large paper cover and giant palm leaves in the center topped by oil lanterns.

We soon lesrned the readon for the paper table cover as they spread the seagood boil out on it in front of us which we were instructed to eat with our hands. Shrimp, clams, sausage, chicken, mussels, potatoes snd corn. It was very tasty and were happily dined away as we enjoyed fun conversations with pur tablemates about travel adventures they have had. We concluded the meal with a fresh piece of key lime pie.

Today is Sunday. We awoke to a nice pot of coffee ( for Irv) and tea ( for me). Next we strolled over to the dining palapa and had a delicious breakfast of chiliquiles, tropical fruits and fresh baked pastries. Yum!

Our next stop was the private starfish pool by our Villa. We had it all to ourself as we relaxed on chaises in the shade, cooled by the warm tropical breeze.

Before you know it, there was a freshed baked peppetroni pizza from the puzza oven that arrived for our lunch, and virgin pina coladas.

We were thoroughly entertained all afternoon by a family of exquisite iguanas that climbed a tree in front of us, munching on the leaves and syrolling \240along the fence top basking in the sun. Oh, to be an iguana in Belize!

Time was upon us to get showered and dressed for out sunset lagoon tour. We went across the road to the boathouse where we met up with Bertran and the \240beautiful 1951 wooden motorboat called La Dolce Vita ( The Sweet Life). We cruised the lagoon mangroves while sipping fresh watermelon juice and eating fresh tomatoes andcchips and tropical fruit. It was a very plessnt 1.5 hour tour until the sun finally set and we returned to the boathouse.

Right next door is the Inn’s Belizian cuisine restaurant called Auntie Luba’s. We dined on the deck there overlooking the lagoon watching a heron strutting along the waters edge. First we had conch fritters and then a local slaw, beans and rice and curty chicken and shrimp.

We decided to top our meal off with a molten chocolate cake and a sidecar of fresh coconut gelato in Mare restaurant on pur walk back to the \240villa. A pot of mint tea was a perfect ending to our evening. Time to sleep as we rise esrly to head off scuba diving tomorrow.

Monday 7am time to rise and shine. \240At 8am they advise us if the winds are calm enough to make our scuba trip. All systems go!

we set off in a big beautiful power boat called the Miss Ellie. We had Captain Uncle Dean and 2 dive masters Bertran and Zane. It was a nice cruise out of the dive dock through the lagoon to the sea and about an hour run out to Salt Water Caye. A gorgeous stretch of tiny islands right on the barrier reef. We made our first dive at \240______ where we descended ro a max depth of about 80 feet and the total dive time lasted about 45 miutes We saw a magnificient coral forest, nurse sharks, spotted eagle ray, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles. Shrimp and a sleeping Nassau Grouper.

We worked up a pretty healthy appetite and the guys were ready for us. They landed on the island and there was a lovely covered deck to have our feast. The traditional Belizean picnic they had packed for us with fresh watermelon juice, curry chicken, potato salad, rice and beans, fresh tropical fruits and cookies.

Irv couldnt resist casting a fly line into the hundreds of huge bonefish just hanging out around the docks in 2 feet of of crystal clear water. Yipee- he caught a large one and then gently released it. Go fishman !

I got to see a beautiful black spotted seahorse hanging onto a rope from the dock just at waterlevel. \240After scounting the little bungalows on the Island, we boarded the boat and took off.

Our \2402nd dive at _______, \240 was equally stunning with lots of corals, sponges, schools of small tropical fish and a couple queen angel fish, more nurse sharks and turtles. One huge loggerhead had 3 giant remores riding on his back as he swam around. On this dive we hit a max septh of 60 feet and stayed approximately 45 minutes. The water temperature was a comfortable 80 degrees. Afterwards we headed back in returning about 3:30pm

After a rest and shower, \240we ate dinner in Mare and it was Indonesian cuisine night. They served us a delightful meal with lots of tasting plates on a lazy susan. It was an interesting culinary experience.

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Tuesday was adventure day. \240After breakfast we took a golf cart into town. It was only about a 15 minute ride. We cruised around main street looking at the shops ( not much there).

We happened upon Tutti Frutti which is a gelato stand run by a delightful lively woman from Italy. \240Nothing made sense but have some and delicious it was!

After our treat we crossed over to the sidewalk that runs parallel to the beach which is filled with cafes and souvenir shops. We located a lunch restaurant right on the beach called”Cozy Corner”. \240Following a tasty shrimp lunch, it was getting pretty warm in town so we decided to head back to Turtle Inn and get in the pool and shade for some R & R.

This evening we took a golf cart and headed north on the peninsula in the dark searching for a resort on \240the ocean side called Singing Sands. We had heard about it from our fellow Inn mates who recommended the restaurant there and especially the Koren bbq on your table. We had to order it a day ahead but it was well worth it delicious and we had fun cooking it on the grill in the center of our table. \240Afterwards, we made the 25 minute srive back to our hotel and it was time to rest after a lovely day.

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Wednesday started early with Irv getting ready to depart around 7am to go fly fishing on the sand \240flats for bonefish, tarpon and the elusive permit. Heres to hoping for a grand slam!

I stayed at the villa and took it easy. First I had a Thai massage under the palapya by the starfish pool and afterwards continued \240my R & R program. I love watching the Iguanas run across the wooden fence and climb up a tree where they feast on its leaves!

Thursday is departure day so we got up and did our final organization, \240then went to eat breakfast. We are digging the Chiliquilies every morning!

About 9:15am we headed the whole 5 minute drive to the airport to catch our charter flight on Maya Air. It is only a 30 minute flight to Belize City where we will board our United flight home via Houston.

Feels a little sad to leave we have had a truly delightful stay in fact it was unbelizeable! We hope to have the good fortune to return again before too long.