California

Friday 3 May

Despite the late night we wake up relatively early and ready to get going.  First stop is the supermarket, and it’s a vegetarian’s dream.  I’m swooning over the fresh produce section, overflowing with local peaches, apricots, strawberries – and lots of mangoes from Mexico.  (I can’t resist the mangoes and end up eating them as I did when I was a child: ripping the skin off with my fingers and letting the juice run down my chin).

We’re driving south to do a hike in Big Basin Redwood State Park.  It’s a beautiful drive on slow, winding roads through hills and towering redwood forest.  I’m deep in a daydream, finding perfect spots to build my house and plant my vegetable garden.

We find the park and set off walking through the forest.  The giant trees tower up over us and the ground is lined with gentle, green ferns.  It’s wonderfully quiet and the air hangs heavy, but soft. 

We stop for lunch at the picturesque Berry Creek Falls. 

Pushing on we pass more falls before briefing breaking through the trees for some lovely views.  The last few miles are back through the forest and for these last few miles I am enduring the wrath of Nick.  I’ve picked the hike and it’s possibly not the best way to ease us in - it is about 11 miles long and not entirely easy going. 

We stay the night in Santa Cruz, and once we get checked into our motel we head out for a walk.  We’ve stayed in Santa Cruz once before about 7 years ago.  Our impressions this time are not entirely favourable.  There are lots of drop-out types playing drums and far too many street performers for our liking.  Nevertheless, we find a good brewpub for a few beers and tasty burgers.

Saturday 4 May

We give Santa Cruz a 2^nd chance this morning and it doesn’t let us down.  Yes, the beachfront boardwalk is very tacky, but the beach is gorgeous and echoing with the barks of the local sea lions, which provide hours of entertainment.

We’re heading over to Yosemite, but we’ve got all day to get there, so we take the drive slowly, stopping off for some shopping along the way.

We hit Oakhurst later in the afternoon and take care of the boring stuff (Laundromat to do some washing; supermarket to get some food).

Janet adds: just found out that the weird fruit trees I was admiring in Belize are in fact cashew nut trees.  Did I mention that it was pretty easy to buy property out there?

Sunday 5 May

It takes us an hour and a half to make the drive into Yosemite today.  Yosemite has a strange, larger than life kind of beauty to it.  Everything is over the top and doesn’t quite look real.

Instead of tackling something sensible, I persuade Nick to, once again, bite off just about more than we can chew.  We start off with the 4-mile trail.  As the name suggests, this trail takes 4 and a bit miles to climb from the valley floor to the valley rim, 3200 feet above, offering some gob-smacking views of Yosemite Valley along the way.

Glacier Point is our destination, and we stop here for more astounding views and some lunch. 

Taking the short way down would be too easy – instead, we decide to take the 8.5-mile Panorama trail back down to the valley floor.  All of this would be a heck of a lot more manageable if our legs weren’t already shot from Friday’s hike.  Still, it’s another spectacular hike, taking in 3 thundering waterfalls along the way.

By the time we make it (limping) back to the car, we’ve covered near enough 15 miles and our shattered legs are feeling it.  We’ll be crashing out early tonight.

Janet adds: Happy birthday Bronwen!  Wish I could celebrate with you.

Monday 6 May

We’re not too sure what we fancy doing today, especially as our legs are feeling it from yesterday.  We start off by heading back to Yosemite, this time to check out the giant Sequoias at Mariposa Grove.  The lower grove is crowded with people and while the trees are big, they’re not a scratch on the Sequoia giants.  Luckily, for those willing to put in a little more legwork, the upper grove offers solitude and some really big trees. 

The air echoes with the noise of woodpeckers and we even manage to get a glimpse of one (but we’re not quick enough for a picture).

We spend a lovely couple of hours with the big trees and then head back to the interstate.

We’ve decided that while we’re here, we may as well check out some wine-country.  We head north, arriving in Napa late afternoon.  It’s a lovely little city, with a charming main street running along the river.  We find a good brewpub for some drinks (drinking beer in wine country, I know…) and then an excellent Mexican.  

Janet adds: Gutted our timing is out and we're going to miss the Bottle Rock festival.

Tuesday 7 May

We’re having a lazy today and so take it slow this morning.  We start with another wander around Napa.  It’s just as charming this morning as it was last night.

Then we head up scenic highway 12 through Napa Valley.  Our first stop is Yountsville – a sleepy, scenic town with some good shopping.  We treat ourselves to a fancy chocolate from Kollars (http://www.kollarchocolates.com/Photo_Gallery.php) – it looks like a jewel and comes in it’s own fancy box. 

Next up comes St Helena, were we stop at a lovely café for more delicious Mexican food.  In the afternoon we pull into Krug wineries (not that Krug) for some wine-tasting.  On the whole I find the wine a little fruity for my liking, but Art, our charming assistant, provides good conversation and a few sneaky tastes of some ‘proper’ wines.

Our last stop is a quick walk around Calistoga, before heading down to Santa Rosa, where we’re spending the night.  Once again, it’s a great town and we find not 1 but 2 brewpubs. 

Add that to good weather and beautiful scenery – what more could you ask for?

Janet adds: we found out today that a man died in Yosemite on Sunday on the trail we were hiking back down L Looks like he slipped into a waterfall.

Wednesday 8 May

We’re on our way to San Francisco today, but first we drive over to the coast to do a bit of hiking.  We’ve picked a fairly gentle hike that winds its way along the cliff-tops, through some wooded areas and passed some lakes.  The last section is a bit of a scramble down an eroded cliff to reach the beach.  There we’re rewarded with views of the Alamere Falls cascading down on to the beach itself.

We’ve got the place to ourselves, and we spend a bit of time taking in the views, eating our lunch and watching a curious sea lion.

Once we feel rested we reverse the 4 miles or so back to the car.  The drive down to San Francisco is beautiful – sometimes following the water’s edge and sometimes winding it’s way far up above. 

To top it all, we enter the city by the Golden Gate Bridge.

We’re staying in a (relatively) city-centre motel.  It’s nothing fancy, but will do the job.  We’re pretty fed up with Mexican food (never thought I’d say that) and burgers, but Nick has found an Indian with a good reputation within walking distance.  It doesn’t disappoint.

Thursday 9 April

We start the day with a walk over to Fisherman’s Wharf.  We’ve decided to take the ferry out to Angel Island – it is, as the name suggests, an island that has been preserved as a state park.  It sits behind Alcatraz and the cruise out there is wonderfully scenic, taking in views of the Golden Gate Bridge,

the city

Alcatraz

and Angel Island itself.

Once on the island, we hire a couple of bikes for an hour.  There’s a 5-mile trail around the island, which offers more outstanding views.  Once we’ve dropped off our bikes we buy an early lunch and wander off a mile or so in search of a good picnic spot.  It’s sunny today and gorgeous when you’re sheltered, but chilly in the breeze.

Our return cruise takes us even closer to Alcatraz before depositing us back in town.  We’re in our hiking gear, so walk back to the hotel to put on something a bit more civilized.

We spend the rest of the afternoon walking the hills of San Francisco and taking in the sights.  We take the historic cable car around the waterfront and then make our way to Cow Hollow for supremely yummy Thai food.

Friday 10 May

We don’t really have much planned for today.  We start with breakfast in a nearby diner and then take a drive to Haight-Ashbury.  It’s not the tastiest of neighbourhoods, so we don’t linger for too long.  Next we drive over to Berkley and spend a couple of hours wandering the streets.

We’re flying out of Oakland airport early tomorrow morning, so we’ve booked ourselves into a non-descript airport motel.  We get checked in early so that we can get ourselves a bit sorted.  Once we’ve taken care of a few odds and ends we take a walk to the nearby Holiday Inn – it’s got a sports bar and is showing the basketball playoffs.  A few beers and some sandwiches, then it’s time for bed.

Miami

Sunday 28 April

We’re up and off to the airport early this morning.  We get there about 45 minutes before our flight to find the airport deserted.  Apart from one other patiently waiting passenger, there is no one about.   Everything is unlocked though, so we go in and make ourselves comfortable.  15 to 20 minutes later a couple of members of staff turn up and check us in (a process that consists of checking our names off a list).  We’re in another little plane and do the same double hop back to Belize International Airport.  The most surreal moment of the flight comes when the gentleman seated behind me takes a phone call mid-flight: ‘Hello, yes, I’m just in the air right now…’.

We’ve got some time to kill before we can check-in for our flight back to Miami and find a spot for an unintentionally leisurely breakfast (nothing happens too quickly in Belize).  We get checked in and go through security.  Immediately we’re hit by the smell of smoke and it doesn’t take long to work out why – the airport bar burnt down this morning.  No one seems too bothered by this, but apparently if Duty Free (just next door) had taken then the whole airport would have gone.    

We land in Miami late afternoon – I have to say that Miami airport is one of the most cheerful I’ve seen.  You’re greeted by ‘All you need is love’ spelt out in flowers and colourful windows, with piped in birdsong. 

We take the bus to South Beach ($2.35 each to get from the airport to South Beach, bargain!) and get checked in.  Nick’s picked the hotel, so it’s a decent one – we’re spoilt with free breakfast, free happy hour drinks and beach loungers.  Ahh.

We have a few drinks at the bar and then walk down the street to a diner we discovered when we were last here (about 6 years ago?).  It’s called the Big Pink, and the oversized burgers served with buckets of sweet potato fries don’t disappoint.

Janet adds: I love going on little planes, but I’m not entirely sure I like being able to see the pilot – especially when he’s busy filling out his paperwork while we’re flying.  Keep your eyes on the clouds man.

Monday 29 April

The sun is shining this morning, so we head to the beach for a few hours.  Miami Beach is all you could want in a beach – it’s wide with white sands and gently lapping waves and stretches as far as the eye can see.

By lunchtime we’ve had enough sun so dump off our beach stuff and grab a sandwich from a nearby deli.  We spend the afternoon wandering about the shops, dodging the odd rain shower and admiring the art deco architecture.

In the evening it’s happy hour drinks followed by Italian food on Española Way (surely that can’t be right?).

Janet adds: I didn’t realize how much of an Italian influence there was in Miami Beach.

Tuesday 30 April

Today was meant to go pretty much as yesterday, except that we just get settled on the beach when we notice this:

It doesn’t take long to blow our way and we abandon the beach for cover.  Before we know it, it’s raining torrentially.  The rest of the day is spent huddling under a flimsy umbrella and wading through ankle deep puddles as we dash between various forms of cover (shops, cafés, diners).  Still, by late afternoon it’s cleared up enough for us to have a few beers outside.  You’ve got to love Miami.

Wednesday 1 May

We’re not sure what the weather is doing this morning, so instead of heading to the beach we grab some bikes and go for a ride.  Miami has a Boris Bike type scheme where you use your credit card to get a bike and can then drop it off at any docking station.  We ride until we run out of bike lanes.  Surprisingly, the sun is still out, so once we’ve dropped off the bikes we head the beach for a few hours after all.

We’ve got a few odds and ends to sort out in the afternoon, much aided by the happy hour cocktails and then head out for some more oversized portions of food at another charming diner.

Janet adds: Ouch American Airlines, your customer service agents just don’t have a clue.

Thursday 2 May

We’re flying over to San Francisco today, but have a few hours spare before we need to be at the airport.  We fill the time with a long walk around Miami Beach.

At the airport, everything is going swimmingly until the changeable weather pulls in.  They’re diverting planes away from Miami and we find out we’re delayed 40 minutes, which then turns to an hour, then two…  We eventually take to the air about 5 hours later than anticipated.  It’s no real inconvenience, but means we don’t land until midnight San Francisco time (which is 3 in the morning Miami time).  With bleary eyes we pick up our car, find our motel and then crash.

Janet adds: looking forward to getting the hiking boots on tomorrow (later today?) – Miami has not been good for the waist- or thigh-line. 

Placencia, Belize

Wednesday 24 April

We bid Caye Caulker a fond farewell and take the water taxi to Belize City.  I’m apprehensive about the taxi ride back to the airport, especially as none of the seatbelts in the car work.  Luckily, the suspension in the car is so shot that the driver has no choice but to potter along steadily, so we arrive in one piece. 

The internal flights are something of a casual affair.  Flight schedules seem to change with the number of passengers that are there and where they want to go.  Our flight is on a 14-seater plane – that’s one seat for the pilot and 13 passengers. 

We’re full, so one girl gets to play co-pilot.  We fly down to Dangriga (a 15 minute flight), where we wait for 5 minutes for some passengers to unload, then take off again for the remaining 20 minutes to Placencia.  It’s like being on a sightseeing fight and we get lovely views along the coast and of the Placencia peninsula.

 Placencia village is right on the tip of a 16-mile peninsula.  Its east side is lined with a long beach, and the west side backs onto mangroves and a lagoon.  Once again, it’s an airy, laidback place.  There’s one road into town and then a separate pedestrian high street – a narrow raised pavement that weaves its way past houses, curio shops, tour companies, bars and restaurants. 

We’re staying at the Manatee Inn at the top end of town.  It’s simple, but comfortable.  As we pull up outside, the first thing I notice is the giant mango tree and the piles of mangoes heaped up on the ground.  There are mangoes everywhere.

As we’re checking in, the owner hands us a handful of mangoes – he says there are so many that he just can’t eat them all.  I tuck into one straightaway and it is the sweetest, juiciest mango I have ever tasted.

We walk down to a nearly sports bar, the Tipsy Tuna, for a late lunch.  It’s a nice spot right on the beach and we notice that it’s got a cracking happy hour – with beers cheaper than we can get them in the shop, this is where we’ll be heading later.  

We spend the afternoon having a walk around and getting our bearings, finishing up with a quick dip in the sea.  We’ve got a supermarket just over the road for everything we need and grab some basics before heading back to the Tipsy Tuna.  We have a few beers and then walk over to the Barefoot Bar for some food – Mexican seems to be the food of choice around here, and we’re happy with that.

Janet adds: Placencia seems cheaper than Caye Caulker – both in restaurants and shops.

Thursday 25 April

We have a day at our leisure today, and don’t do much with it in a nice kind of way.  We’re up early and have a breakfast of mango and banana bread.  Before it gets too hot, we walk over to the other side of the peninsula and hire a kayak to explore. 

The lagoon is meant to be teeming with dolphins and manatees.  If it is, they’re keeping themselves well hidden.  Still, it’s a beautiful and relaxing way to spend a couple of hours.

Most of the rest of the day is spent on the beach reading in the shade.  We find a lovely calm spot for a swim, but that’s about as taxing as it gets. 

Occasionally very polite people approach us wanting to sell us everything from woven baskets to illegal substances - something we didn’t get in Caye Caulker - but we’re never really hassled.

In the evening we have a few beers and some food on the beach admiring the full moon – which is one of the reasons why we’re here.  Tomorrow we’ve booked a tour to try to snorkel with whale sharks.  It’s the right season for them and they love the full moon, so we just might get lucky…

Friday 26 April

We’re up early today to get checked in for our tour.   We’re assigned to a boat called the Deep Blue.  We’re the only snorkelers on board, joining 7 divers.  It takes close to an hour and a half to power over to Gladden Spit, our snorkel spot.  Before we know it we’re being told to jump in.  Unluckily for us, some divers aren’t ready yet and are still messing about with their equipment.  As their dive master has gone, our snorkel guide gets stuck sorting them out, which means we’re left bobbing in the open ocean.  It’s the first time I’ve snorkeled in water this deep.  It has been referred to as blue water, and we soon know why: the clarity of the water is amazing, but once you jump in and put your face under, all you see is blue in every direction.  It’s quiet disorientating and we both get a bit of vertigo. 

The divers are about 75 feet below us, and they say the fish are another 50 feet or so below them.  There’s not much to see except divers and bubbles (with are strangely beautiful).  Unluckily for us no whale sharks turn up, and when the dive time is over we retreat to the nearby reef for lunch.

I don’t generally get seasick, but we’ve been snorkeling in quite a stiff swell and the constant bobbing up and down is getting to me a bit.  Luckily a bit of food and a kwells seems to sort me out.  After lunch we take a leisurely snorkel over the reef.  There’s beautiful coral, lots of fish and a few barracudas following us about.

We’ve got one more go at the whale sharks and before we know it our next slot is up.  We have no luck with the whale sharks this time either, but we do get to see some big shoals of fish and I enjoy the crazy snorkeling anyway.

Before we know it we’re back on the boat and heading for Placencia.  This time we find a cushy spot on the front of the boat so that we can take in the sights on the way back.

Back on dry land an ice cream helps to distract us from our disappointment.  We spend a few hours relaxing and then head out to spend the night in our two new locals: the Tipsy Tuna and the Barefoot Bar.

Janet adds: despite not seeing whale sharks we’ve had a fun day

Saturday 27 April

We have a lazy start and take ourselves to De Tatch for a proper breakfast of eggs and toast.  The rest of the morning is spent under a tree on the beach.

We grab some toasted sandwiches for lunch and then resume our spot under the tree.

We’re flying early tomorrow morning and take some time in the afternoon to get packed up and ready, before heading out for our happy hour beers.  Unfortunately the Tipsy Tuna (our favourite so far) decide to try and screw us on our drinks, so we march off in disgust to our new favourite (Barefoot Bar), which doesn’t let us down.

Janet adds: Placencia has everything going for it, yet doesn’t quite have the same charm as Caye Caulker.