A couple of days on the Belizean flats

Just got back last week from two weeks in Belize with the wife. It was by far one of the most beautiful vacations I've been on. The people, food, sights, and price were all fantastic. We spent a week in the jungle, visiting Mayan sites and bumping our way down old logging roads outside San Ignacio. Everywhere you looked was a new species of plant or animal that I had never encountered before. Sunrise canoe trips on the river, surrounded by howler monkeys, toucans, and iguanas is an experience I won't soon forget.

Then we traded in the jungle for the beaches of San Pedro and Ambergris Caye. The Caye is a great mix of local and tourist culture. Stay on the main street and stare east and it's all tourism. Skip a block or two west to see the people who live the island life full time. Great food and experiences are to be found all over, just watch out for the muffler-less hordes of gas-powered golf carts. We spent one day with a couple local guides chasing bonefish in the mangroves south of Ambergris and the massive flats to the west. George and his cousin Jose did a fantastic job getting us on the fish all day long despite a steady breeze and passing clouds. They were some of the best guides I've gone with, would highly recommend. At one stop they took us to, there were tailing fish to hand every cast until the wind blew us off. Had a couple shots at some permit as well but the bones took the fly first each time.

Also snuck off for a couple days on my own. There was easy access to flats along both sides of the Caye via a short bike ride headed south out of town. Most of the beaches are public access and many beachside lots are vacant and offer great vantage points to watch for feeding fish. I caught dozens of bonefish and plenty of other species that I don't know the name of. It was one of the best fishing experiences I've had and I am already thinking of ways to go back.

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