Around Ambergris

Last day on Ambergris Caye

Today I left Ambergris Caye so here are a few scenes from the place:











Dennis, the woodcarver. "Sit down, you ain't got no place to go"



The school. Note the cart with the parasol nearby the fence to sell candy to the kids.







One the whole, Ambergris is a charming place. I can see how people end up moving or retiring here. Downstairs from where I stayed is a bar. Most of the 'locals' (i.e. people who have moved to the caye) hang out at that bar. I went down to meet them one night. They are a mix of British/Canadian/American people. Charming, cheerful, gregarious, and friendly, it was good to meet them all. The bar was outfitted with a bell at the corner. Whenever someone would ring it, they would buy shots of Jaeger for everyone in the bar.

The bar is owned by an English gentleman who by the end of the night was singing along to Beetle songs in the back corner. Joining him was a Scotish gentleman who was rallying fans for a big Glasgow soccer match. "THARTY SIX YARRS OF HISTREEY" he bellowed, adding weight to the impending match. Click for photos and coverage from the night at the bar

The really nice thing is that you run into these people, and other people you meet, quite often on the caye. The place only has three main streets: front, back, and middle. It becomes almost like a Northern Exposure, or MASH episode or something. Interest is built simply by coincidence. "Oh, I just bumped into so and so" or "there goes such and such, must be on his way to so and so's." It is very nice and certainly a feature missing from Cary. There you are lucky to bump into anyone you know maybe once a year.
The small town effect doesn't just create interest, but it creates a kind of charm. You can just bump into someone, and then decide to join them for coffee. This happened to me today when I bumped into Laurie, a full time blogger for the caye. (see her blog) I always think a good lithmus for a place being a nice place to live is the ability to bump into someone and then have a coffee with them at a sheik outdoor place. In that regard, Ambergris passes the test.

As I am leaving I want to talk a little about how it was coming to this place and how it was those first few days backpacking alone. For one thing, I was pretty home sick (still am), I missed the comfort of home, I missed my usual activities and routines...but on the other hand, each day the caye grew on me more and more. Now that I am leaving, I find that I will really miss it. I will miss the new routines and activities I have for myself here. Strange how people are like that, eh?

I kind of feel torn, like I should stay on, even if just for a week. It will let me get to know the place more, I could have time to volunteer at the school...but, that would be the easier way out...right now, more adventure awaits...or if it doesn't, then I can always return! :)