We Have to Return to the Island!

Carol Cashion and her family joined us on the island twice recently – in January of 2016 and then again a year later. Carol wrote this blog post for us about how great is it is return to the island for a second trip. All photos are by her, or by other members of her family. Thanks Carol!

Top Ten Things We Loved about Going Back to the Island

1. We already had all the snorkeling gear. No shopping! Huge savings!

Snorkeling at a nearby patch reef

2. It felt like coming home. We were greeted at the dock by familiar faces – both guests (Shaver-Watts!) and guides (Carlos and Luis!) and the unchanging beautiful sites and sounds of the island. Bob and I even got the “Love Shack” again!

Sumo Love Shack, Long Caye, Glover’s Reef, Belize

3. Widening the circle. We loved watching the first time guests discover the island, especially the Warren kids and our own addition, Jack’s girlfriend Anne.

4. Flattening out the learning curve. When you have the time to work on your kayak surf skills under the watchful eye of Carlos or Luis day after day, you slowly shift the capsize-to-ride ratio in your favor!

One of the most popular island sports – kayak surfing!

5. Night snorkel. Made impossible last year by a poorly timed “Northerly” storm. Amazing experience. Go Team Octopus!

Common Octopus, Glover’s Reef, Belize

6. Low tide walk (see “Northerly” above). The Slate Pencil Urchin. Wow! So strange and so cool!

7. Paddle to Middle Caye (see “Northerly” above). So fun. But don’t believe MJ when he describes it as a “15 minute paddle”!

On the way to Middle Caye

8. Enough time to learn something not very easy and entirely new. Luis spent hours teaching Anne how to roll a kayak. Just before sunset on their second day at it, she flipped that boat and then popped right back up. A great moment!

Long Caye is a great place to learn to roll a kayak – 80 degree water!

9. Hermit crab races. Not only were we there for this weekly event this year, we had the inside track on where to find the most energetic, best fed hermit crabs – down at the “West End dump”!

10. A chance to dance. We spent our last night dancing-‘til-we-dropped in the kitchen with our family and the always-game staff, who even re-hung the New Year’s Eve disco ball to add to the fun. A perfect ending to a perfect week.

The Cashion family with Luis Gonzales, Slickrock guide