Central America: The Final Chapter

So we're sitting at that restaurant, eating, awkwardly, and suddenly I feel like I'm going to shit my pants. Lol. My stomach had been feeling a little weird. So I excuse myself, and set out in search of the bathroom, very hurriedly! Of course, when I find it, I need a key, so I'm farting as silently as possible as I run to the bar to get it. When I finally made it to the bathroom, I discovered that I had, in actuality, shat my pants! Never trust a fart. Ugh. Thank god I was in a bathing suit and wearing a loose cover up. And thank god it was a private, one-stall bathroom and no one else was at that restaurant! I whisked off my bikini bottoms and ran them under the faucet, added a little soap and scrubbed. It was like, a turd in my pants, just a little shart, haha. Sorry if that's TMI, but THIS is how my morning started, guys! And because I was fighting with my sister, I couldn't even tell her and then share a laugh about it. But it was fine, and I felt a lot better after using the bathroom, and no one was any the wiser!
So after breakfast, we meet John and our snorkel guide, Kirk, at the dock. Kirk was so nice, he bought us giant bottles of water and gatorade, both of which we all needed after our night of drinking. And, best of all, he showed up with Sophie's clothes. The embarrassed look on her face when he gave them to her was almost worth all the shit she put me through.
I was trying so hard on our 1 hour trip out to the Cayes to play it cool, and not let on how pissed I was, because I didn't want John to pick up on anything. The less explaining I had to do, the better. Once we got there though, it was easy to just forget everything that had happened the night before, because it was SOOO BEAUTIFUL. The water was as clear as glass, and turquoise everywhere! It was a tropical paradise in every sense of the word and I was just soaking in the sights and wishing I had my Mark IV to take photos! But of course, I didn't bring that because it would have gotten wet. And the snorkeling was so much fun! We saw tons of beautiful corals and fish, and we swam with sea turtles and touched nurse sharks, and searched for conch shells! It was amazing. Around lunch time we took the boat to a PRIVATE ISLAND for lunch! It's own by a fancy resort, but anyone can eat there. It had the most amazing view. Since I wasn't feeling very conversational, I went and sat in the hammock and watched the pelicans diving, while Sophie, John and Kirk were drinking and talking. We went out for more snorkeling after that, and by the time we headed back, we were all exhausted. Kirk dropped Sophie and I off first, and we walked down the boardwalk in mostly tired silence, but my heart was pounding, because I knew I wasn't just going to let this all go.
By the time we got back to the hostel, it was threatening to boil over and all it took was Sophie making some casual small talk for me to lose it. I can't even remember what she said to me, but I'll try to recall the conversation as best I can.
Me: You know, I spent the whole day trying not to think about last night so that your SLUTFEST last night wouldn't ruin this trip, but if you think I'm just going to forget about this, you're delusional.
Sophie: ((Stunned silence))
Me: Do you even know WHY I'm mad at you?!
Sophie: Actually...no. I mean I have some ideas, but could you tell me exactly why?
Me: You spent the whole night flirting with a guy I told you I was going for! We AGREED on this! I made it very clear to you! And then, as if to prove something to me, you proceed to FUCK HIM right in front of FUCKING EVERYONE in the bar! And did you even notice that I left?? NO! You decide once isn't enough and you need to rub it in my face and fuck him right in front of me A SECOND TIME! It's not even about the guy, Sophie, I don't give a shit about him, but you KNOW ME, and you should have known how much of a betrayal that would be! If you weren't my sister, I would literally NEVER speak to you again! That would be it! Friendship over!

I said other things in the heat of the moment, and I felt really good about it too, just letting her have it. Oh yea, now I remember. She asked me if she could borrow my shampoo. During and after I screamed at her, she just had this completely blank look on her face. Maybe it was shock, because I have never, EVER yelled at my sister like that. Granted, I'd never been so hurt, betrayed or angry at her before, so I guess there's a first for everything. I didn't give her a chance to say anything though, I turned around and stormed into the bathroom, and slammed the door. I don't think she would have had anything to say right then though, because honestly, it was like all those things I had said to her, were only just occurring to her when I said them. But I was only seeing red at the time. When I got out of the shower, she was gone. That was around the time I noticed the HORRIBLE sunburn I'd gotten on my back, from being facedown in the water all day. ((sigh)) I made myself as comfortable as I could (considering my sunburn) in a hammock outside and settled in to read Drums of Autumn. I'd only been there a little while, when John approached.
He had run into Sophie on her way to buy some shampoo and she told him I was here. So he got in the hammock next to me and we chatted for a bit.
"So right after you and Sophie got off the boat, Kirk asked me if we were dating." He said.
I almost laughed out loud and sarcastically said, "Why, cuz we were so touchy-feely today on his boat?" (We didn't even sit next to each other!)
He laughed at that, and gave me a sideways glance, which was unreadable, as usual.
"Well I think he likes you."
"Hmm." Just what I need. Another complication! I ended up telling John that I was mad at Sophie, but I didn't go into the specifics. I just told him I was embarrassed and annoyed about her behavior the night before. He seemed to understand, maybe even more than he let on, but he didn't force the issue.
She returned shortly after and went inside to shower, then John left when I said I was thinking about taking a nap. But I didn't take a nap, I stayed in the hammock and read some more. Then Sophie came out.
"Peyton...?"
I looked up from my book.
"I understand why you're mad, and you have every right to be, and I just wanted to say I'm really sorry. I know it's no excuse, but I was really drunk, and I wasn't thinking about what I was doing, or how it might affect you, or me. I was just wasted. And I know I hurt you, and I'm just really, really sorry."
I couldn't look at her or say anything, I just nodded. I could feel her sincerity and her remorse, and it was validating my hurt feelings and making me want to cry, so I just didn't say anything. She went away.
About a half hour after that, I went in.
"Do you wanna go get something to eat?" I asked her.
She smiled and agreed.
I wasn't ready to forgive her, and I was still hurting, but I was ready to stop being mad. And I really DIDN'T want the short remainder of the trip to be sullied. I just wanted to move on, and have fun again. So I made the decision to make the best of it. And she's my sister. I love her. I knew eventually we'd get through it.
We went to one of the places we hadn't been to yet for dinner, and ran into none other than Kirk! I whined at him a little about my sunburn, but we told him we had a great time, and he asked if we wanted to join him for dinner tomorrow night at this "Great little place" he knew about, so we agreed. Then he disappeared for a bit, and he came back with fresh aloe for me! It was seriously a lifesaver too. I milked Sophie's guilt and made her slather my whole back with it when we got back to the hostel and then we both collapsed into bed.
The next day, I was in so much pain from my sunburn, and so physically exhausted that we really didn't do anything except lay around. John went on another dive, so he was gone the whole day. But we were supposed to go out to dinner with Kirk that night. I ended up getting talked out of that by John though, because he informed me that the restaurant Kirk wanted to take us to was expensive and romantic, and that he probably expected something from me. So I told him I was sunburned and miserable and we couldn't go. Lol. So we decided the 3 of us would go somewhere to dinner, sans Kirk, since it was mine and Sophie's last night in Belize.
So John texted me shortly after he came back from his dive, and this is how this convo went... He was Air B&Bing it there, and had roommates of sorts, sharing a beach with him, from Portland. And he had invited me to go skinny dipping at his place with them. Just in case you're wondering who the "hippies" are that we keep referring to, lol.

So that's what we did. We went to dinner, and didn't say anything else about it. It was still kinda weird though, for me at least. I told Sophie about it of course, and she told me she liked him, a lot, and she thought I should go for it, but I wasn't so sure. MONTHS and months of back and forth, and him being flaky, and the fact that I'd pretty much moved on from the idea of anything ever coming of all that... It was like reopening a door that I had shut and locked a while ago, ya know? And I was feeling so emotionally raw after everything with Sophie and I, I just couldn't deal. I wasn't equipped at the time, and there wasn't really a good way for me to explain that to John. ((Sigh)) But I sent him this message after we got back to the hostel that night.

The rest of our Central America trip was pretty bland. Just a lot of traveling, and being stuck in bus stations and on boat docks, waiting around. And most of that time was spent vacillating between my 2 options for what to do about John. Should I go for it? Or should I move on? ((Sigh)) We did go to a MidSommer Festival party with some of Sophie's Swedish friends who work with her in Guatemala. That was fun. I even danced and flirted with a cute guy, who chatted with me about journalism and photography for the better part of an hour. He got me drinks too!  I was hoping for a just a little bit of making out, but then I found out his ex was also at the party, and he seemed like he might still be into her, so I left it alone. I was heading back to the States the next day anyway.

All in all, my trip was an adventure. Like a rollercoaster with it's ups and downs. And you haven't heard the last of the drama with Sophie OR with John.

Misadventures in Central America: Part 3

I have literally been having the month from hell, and circumstances have kept me from blogging the last week. I've just been so...ugh. I'll get into that later though. I know you guys are dying to hear what happened with me and Sophie in Belize. So, here goes.

I set my alarm for extra early the next morning, hoping I could slip out for snorkeling without even waking Sophie up. The guys were all gone already. They must have left at like 5am or something. I was still really angry, but most of that anger was already dissolving into hurt. But I wasn't just angry about what happened, I was mad because I thought this was going to ruin the whole vacation for me, and I was mad because I still hadn't had a chance to yell at Sophie about it. And I just couldn't stand to look at her stupid face. Then just as I was making my escape, Sophie rolled over and looked at me with that sleepy, hangover, confused face and said, "Where are you going?"
"Snorkeling."
She hesitated, then said, "Can I come?"
"I don't care what you do, but I'm leaving." And I did.
I still had like an hour before we were supposed to meet our guide, so I walked down the beach in search of a place for some solitary breakfast. However, that was not to be, cuz some random native I passed by started walking and talking with me, and I was just too tired and upset to shake him off, so I just let him walk with me. He ended up coming with me to this breakfast place, and I somehow ended up telling him I was fighting with my sister. I didn't get into specifics, but it came up in conversation when he asked how I came to be in Belize and why I was breakfasting alone. Shortly after I ordered breakfast, my stomach started bothering me. Could have been from alcohol the night before, or drinking unfiltered water, I dunno. I didn't have time to wonder, because Sophie was approaching from the beach.
"Can I join you?" She was still acting like a dog with it's tail between it's legs.
"Sure."
I had decided to make the most of the day, and try and put aside my feelings until later. I mean when would I be in Belize again?? Plus, I didn't wanna be fighting with my sister in front of John. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but it was worth a shot.
To be continued...

Misadventures in Central America: Part 2

Before I forget, Sophie and Brent got a legal divorce just before she moved to Guatemala. They were never a traditional couple with a traditional marriage, and I guess they both felt that a divorce was for the best. They're still like best friends, and Sophie still goes to Chicago to visit Brent whenever she comes to the states, so that's good. They respect and care for each other a lot, and I will always think of Brent as my brother-in-law. They're just not in love anymore I guess. I know somebody asked about that, so I felt the need to clarify. It just hadn't come up in any of my previous posts. Well, moving on...

So we arrived in Belize, FINALLY. I couldn't wait to just not travel for a couple days, and I had yet to even get tipsy on this trip! Placencia is like the Stars Hollow of Belize. For real. It's a small, quaint little town that relies a lot on tourism (obviously), but it's like everybody there knows each other. There is a long sidewalk (it was called the Boardwalk, but really I dunno why. It was just a sidewalk) that runs parallel to the beach. Between the sidewalk and the beach are tons of bars, restaurants, hostels, shops, and residences. So we started walking down it until we found our hostel. Some of Sophie's friends had recommended a place, and it was great. The proprietor lived above it, and it was basically just a huge room full of bunkbeds. There was a separate kitchen and bathroom, and a porch filled with hammocks. Luckily for us, there were only 2 other people staying there. A lady who came over on the boat with us, and one guy whose friends had already left. So we chose our beds, threw our stuff in a locker, and headed out exploring. I was in desperate need of a drink. Hauling 2 roller bags through sand is the literal worst.
We stopped at the first open restaurant/bar and sat down. Basically everything is outside there. So we were sitting on a covered patio, overlooking the beach. It was awesome. Now John had arrived in Belize a few days before, and had been working on his Master Divers Cert. So I sent him an iMessage from the restaurant wifi letting him know we had arrived and where we were so he could meet us later. But he was out on a dive that day and wouldn't be back for some time. I think it was like 5 o'clock when we got to the restaurant.
Now before I go any further, just a little bit of background. Prior to this trip, I hadn't seen John in...years. I'm not even sure how long, but years. And after he invited me to Belize and then flaked out on me like he usually does, I eventually got fed up and basically let him have it. I can't remember if I blogged about this or not, but we didn't speak for like months after that. This is how that conversation went:

September 12, 2014
Me: You know what's weird? Despite the fact that we are often in the same place at the same time, I often wonder if I will actually ever see you again.

John: Valid point. I swing in different circles now so it's getting harder. Truth is when I'm in Houston I spend a lot of time with my  brother.

Me: Well it's a shame we're not going to Belize....I guess you'll never see my boobs in person. ;)

John: I really wanted to go, but I haven't been as productive with work as I could've been. Procrastination is inevitable.
John: And damn. That does bring a tear to my eyes.

Me: Aren't you on vacation?? I don't think procrastination is your problem.

John: That's the thing. I am on vacation whilst trying to accomplish a few tasks for work. I had to take time off in order to actually get stuff done.

Me: You're a workaholic. Among other things...

John: Haha, true, and it's not quite the balance I would like. They're two extremes. Nothing is close to middle.

John: It kinda hurts having the idea in my head that it could be possible that I might see you.

John: I don't want that to happen

Me: Well then stop being so flaky and quit jerking me around all the time. Your fickleness is giving me whiplash. I don't like it. It's frustrating.

September 13, 2014

Me: Sorry if I came off bitchy last night, but I don't think you realize how exasperating you can be. Our relationship obviously crosses over the line of friendship, and sort of has for years now, so it's hard not to attach some sort of expectations to that. And I don't think me wanting to actually see you once in a while is expecting much, but what do I know? I guess what I'm saying is, you drive me crazy with your unwitting indifference, and...sorrynotsorry.

 I didn't talk to him again till January of this year. He never really responded to what I said either, he just went radio silent. So when he messaged me in January, it was to ask if I'd be willing to rent out half of my house for a weekend for him and some coworkers. No small talk really, and I was kind of cold towards him. Not rude, just not really open like normal. I couldn't rent him the house either because that was the weekend Jenna came to town, but whatever.

So after all that, I was willing to bury the hatchet when I found out I was going to Belize, so I invited him. But I wasn't really sure what to expect. I mean I basically assumed that whatever it was that had been between us at one time, was over. I mean I told him how I felt, and he didn't say or do anything to change that, so I figured that was it! We were just friends. And even though I was mad and frustrated about it for while, I got over it. I honestly did think/hope he might try to change my mind back then, or apologize, or I dunno, something. But he didn't. And I moved on. I stopped entertaining ideas of him in my mind, or thinking about how it might work out if we ever got the timing right. I just got off that train and didn't look back.

So now here we are in Belize. Sophie and I, at this restaurant/bar, on the patio, in front of a beautiful white sand beach, azure water sparkling in front of us, and margaritas in our hands. And there's a table across from us with 4 dudes sitting at it. And a couple of them are pretty attractive. It didn't take long for one of them to approach us. I can't even remember what farce they used as an excuse to talk to us, but before long, we were all sitting together. And we were having fun! They were all from the UK, and in medical school. I guess to get through medical school in the UK you have to travel somewhere, sort of like a sabbatical or something, and they chose Belize. There were girls with them too, but they weren't at the bar. Sophie was hanging all over this one guy, Chase. And I was sitting next to a guy named Ian. They were the 2 hot ones. Right away I texted Sophie to determine which guy she was gonna go for, and she said probably Chase, but sort of shrugged. So I texted back, "Ok, well I want Ian." And she said ok. So we did shots with them, and played games, and watched the NBA playoffs, cuz that was happening that week. Steph Curry vs. Lebron James. Unbeknownst to me, Sophie was getting hammered. Although, I was pretty buzzed myself so I guess I just didn't notice. Well finally one of the guys cops up to the fact that Chase has a girlfriend, which I found pretty disgusting considering how hard he was hitting on Sophie. But whatever.
Then, finally, John shows up. And it was a little awkward, because here I was flirting with this guy, and I didn't wanna totally neglect John. I don't think he was expecting to meet Sophie and I and 4 dudes. Lol. It was a total sausage fest. So I tried to split my attention between him and Ian, but it was hard. For one thing, Ian was drunk and all over the place, I was less drunk, but still obviously under the influence, and John was completely sober. I was trying so hard to NOT give Ian the impression that John was my boyfriend or something, while also trying to include John in the games and conversation. And that's really hard to do when you've been drinking. And during all this, I sort of lost track of Sophie. I mean she was still there, but we had moved to a bigger table, and like I said, all over the place. So when she came back to the table, I noticed she'd been talking to Ian, so I sent her another message, reinforcing the fact that I had dibs on Ian, and she had Chase! She nodded in acknowledgment. Then John and I walked over to the bar to get drinks and we started discussing plans for a snorkeling trip to the Cayes the next morning. Me and Sophie been having trouble finding somebody that would book us with just 3 people, and of course the British boys were leaving early in the morning. Lucky for us, a guy in the bar who has a boat and does tours overheard me, and offered to take us out! So we exchanged email addresses and planned to meet him at 7am (yikes!) the next morning.
So I go back to the table to tell Sophie the good news and I see that she's holding hands with Ian.

WTF??

I must have had a look on my face or something, because then John mentioned he saw them making out while we were at the bar talking to the tour guide. I must've had a rage blackout at this point, because I think I called Sophie a cunt. I mean, quietly, in her ear. I just remember hissing something like that in her ear when I got back to the table. Obviously I was pissed, and drunk. And wtf she's my goddamn sister! This isn't supposed to happen!

I was trying really hard to keep my cool, and I sent her another message that said something like, "WTF are you doing!? I told you I was going for Ian!" and she didn't respond. Chase had been begging everyone to run into the water with him for last 2 hours and finally I decided that sounded like a good idea. So I said let's do it, and all of us went in, with the exception of John. I think I just wanted to get away, or maybe I was looking for an opportunity to talk to Sophie away from everyone, I don't really remember what I was thinking. I was seeing red. But I ran into the water, with all of my clothes on, and when I got out, Sophie and Ian were fucking in the water. Yes, fucking. Fornicating, Smashing. Bumping Uglies. In front of everyone. It was not only a hurtful betrayal, but it was terribly fucking embarrassing!!! Everyone in the restaurant could see them, and they left their clothes on the beach. And remember how I said everyone knows everyone in Placencia?? UGhhhhh... By that point, I had had it. I was soaking wet, and cold, and pissed. So I said I was gonna call it a night, and I closed the tab. John offered to walk me back to the hostel. I said, "No, it's ok, you don't have to do that." But he pretty much insisted, so I let him, even though all I wanted was to be alone.
Then I had to walk all the way back with him trying to carry on a normal conversation, which was not easy. He came in and checked out the place, and then I pretty much told him I was going to bed and I'd see him in the morning for snorkeling.
"Do you think your sister's still going?" he asked me with a chuckle.
"NO." I said, "I really doubt it."

When I finally got in bed, it took me at least an hour to fall asleep, even though I was so tired. I just couldn't stop thinking about Sophie and Ian. I mean, it's not even about the guy, it's about her! She finds out the dude she likes has a girlfriend so she just nabs my dude!? WTF?! She knows how much I value loyalty in my relationships, almost above all other things, and she should have known how much that would hurt me. I was really angry on the surface, but deep down, I was crushed. It made me feel like I was in 7th grade again, when Sophie was "The Pretty One" and she was super popular, and I wasn't, and people were always comparing us. And the fact that Ian chose her over me was just salt in the wound. What a great way to start our visit to Belize.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I hear knocking on the door. Luckily I was the only one there at the time, or they would've woken up everybody! It was Sophie of course, loudly "whispering" my name from the door. She had locked herself out. Well I refused to get out of bed to let her in, because fuck her! That's why! She had 4 dudes who she could sleep with!
Well she got in anyway, I dunno how, and she had all 4 guys with her!! UGhhh... I pretended to be asleep and ignored them while they all got into beds. Until I was woken up by the sounds of Ian and Sophie fucking AGAIN!!!! FROM THE BED RIGHT NEXT TO ME!!!
I completely and totally lost my shit. I rolled over and screamed, "Are you seriously going to fuck in the bed right next to me?!?! If you're gonna act like animals, go outside and do it! No, you know what, never mind. I'LL leave!" And I stormed out in my pajamas and slammed the door as loudly as I could.
Funnily enough, I was sitting in one of the hammocks, fuming, when these 2 guys walked up smoking weed. So I smoked with them on the beach, and vented about my "slut sister" and then I felt much better. Lol. I don't remember going back inside or going to bed, but I do remember that 2 of the guys were asleep in one bottom bunk. Lol. There were like 5 open top bunks! I took a picture.
I guess this is gonna have to be a 3 part story, maybe even 4, cuz I have so much more to tell, but I'm tired of typing. So,

To Be Continued...

Misadventures in Central America: Part I

Alright, I know I said my next post would be about my 2nd Tinder date, but because it's been a while since I've blogged regularly, I realized that there are some things I should probably catch you guys up on. The first being my trip to Central America. Sophie has been living in Guatemala for the past year, doing social work with a local youth program. She loves it there, and had been begging me to visit, and finally I had the time and the money (sort of) to go. Sophie is a Type A Personality and therefore likes to be in control and have a plan for everything, so I gave her my dates and let her plan the trip.
This was the itinerary: Louisiana > Houston > Guatemala City > Lago Atitlan > Antigua > Rio Dulce > Livingston > Belize > Guatemala City > Home

So do you guys remember when John invited me to go to Belize with him a while back, but then (as per usual) it ended up not happening? Well I got a bit tipsy one night and told him I was going to Belize finally, and that he should come! And he said he would. I didn't actually believe that he would though, because he's not the most dependable person. But he did! I'll get to that later...

So I drove to Houston first because flights were way cheaper and that way I could fly direct. I spent an evening with my dad and then he drove me to the airport the next morning on his way to work.
I'm not gonna go into ALL the details of every day, but let's just say there was a lot of rain, a lot of boat travel, and not a lot of sleep. The first night we stayed on the lake at Jim's house. Jim is this American guy who's retired in Guatemala and has a huge fancy house on the lake with its own private dock. He is currently dating a 21 year old from Texas and apparently regularly invites American girls to move in with him. Sophie moved in with him on a part time basis because it was free, and nice, obviously, but they don't have any kind of romantic relationship. So, other than the horrific boat ride across the lake in the driving rain, it was nice and peaceful at Jim's. I woke up at like 5am to take photos of the sunrise on the lake too. It was beautiful.
The next day we took another boat to the other side of the lake and spent the day sight seeing sort of. On day 3, we drove to Antigua with Jim and his child bride. Sophie and I stayed in a hostel, while Jim and his gf went to a fancy hotel. The hostel was decent, and we had our own room, but it literally poured rain the whole time we were there too.
Keep in mind, I didn't bring any rain appropriate clothing, or even a light sweater, because it was June and I was going to Central America and I thought it would be hot. But 80% of the trip was spent soaking wet and freezing.

So Antigua was fun, but also exhausting. We ate in some cool little boutique cafes and did some shopping. Then we hopped a bus at 4am to Rio Dulce, a little town on the river (obviously).
We stayed at the most amazing place!! It was like a bungalow village in the middle of the jungle. We got our own little hut, and there were hammocks everywhere, and the couple that runs the place had a dog and a cat who were super cool, and they cooked a communal dinner for us. We were the only ones staying there so really it was just like family dinner, but it was awesome! I spent a lot of time taking photos and laying around reading, which was nice. In the morning we went swimming and kayaking with the dog (who loved kayaking but hated actually getting in the river, lol).
Then the next afternoon we took a private boat to Livingston, which was the last stop before Belize.

Livingston sucked. Well, the hostel sucked. There were thousands of like genetically modified mosquitos everywhere, and we were surrounded by tons of 20 year old hipsters, who just wanted to sit around in the hostel and get wasted, instead of actually going out and doing/seeing things. Also it was hot as FUCK. I should clarify though, NOWHERE that we stayed had air conditioning, but this place was just awful. And we couldn't get out of there soon enough. And of course with all the boats and traveling, and lugging my bags around everywhere, I was just ready for some actual vacation time on my vacation. I had one bag just full of camera equipment and one rollerbag for all my other stuff. Sophie had her backpacking bag, but since I have back problems, I can't carry backpacks. :/ We did eat at an awesome restaurant and I had a boozy drink in a hollowed out coconut, and we took a really informative tour of the Garifuna village. So that was cool. But I couldn't wait to get to Belize!

So we had to go through customs before we could get on our boat to Belize, and they had to take a photo, so of course I made a stupid face. Hahaha. The boat ride was the worst yet. It was about an hour and a half of really, really choppy water, scary boat driving, and being slammed back and forth and up and down, and the luggage was all piled in the front, and I was so sure we were all just gonna tip over and spill into the ocean never to be seen again! I was also really sore and wet by the end of it. It was like riding one of those watery boat rollercoasters at an amusement park that NEVER ENDS.
But when it did finally end, we were in Placencia, Belize. An island paradise!!

More on that in my next post or 2...