My final days in San Pedro...

Sunday morning I slept in a bit and had the Belizean breakfast at El Divino, the wonderful on-site restaurant at Banana Beach.  It was a simple but delicious meal of black bean mash, watermelon, eggs, fry jacks, orange juice and dark Belize coffee.   Mike was originally supposed to meet me at 10:00 but emailed me that he was running late so I went for a swim in the warm Caribbean and just laid on a lounge chair looking out over the sea and the waves breaking on reef in a white, frothy line about three-quarters mile off shore.  The beach at Banana Beach is much better than I remembered.  Yes, there is turtle grass in places but the dock for the hotel next door (Mata Rocks Resort) is easily accessible and runs about 80 feet into the ocean.  It was a very pleasant time just soaking in the ambience of the ocean lapping against the sea  wall.

The Cloisters and golf cart parking lot

Mike showed up at 11:00 and we spent a relaxing afternoon with no real plan in mind other than to wander the North end on the other side of the bridge and stopping many places for a beer (so much Belikin and so little time).   First stop was a beach bar before you reach the bridge.  Mike introduced me to the proprietor  and we spent some time talking about the general state of real estate on Ambergris Caye.  Once we hit the road our first stop was at the Cloisters where Mike lives and, of course, had to get another beer  at the Funky Monkey Bar and Grill.  The Cloisters is fairly new and needs some landscaping, but the units themselves look nice and appear to be of quality construction.

Next stop was Captain Morgan's, which I was curious about because they routinely have units for sale.  It is a nice property and very large.  Parts of the resort are probably in the neighborhood of 20 years old and they are still building.  There were a fair number of folks in the pool and at the bar.  We went into their little casino where they have a good variety of table games and slots.  There was not a lot of action going on but it was in the middle of the day on a Sunday so I was not expecting large crowds of people fighting for the chance to throw money away. 

Yeah... It would be tough to look at this every day.

Finally, we got to Coco Beach Resort.  Mike and his partner  Daniel Hartin have an office at Coco Beach (the ReMax Property Center)  and are the official agents for the property.  This is a high end property built by developers who know quality.  The bar staff are great (yes, we had another beer or two) and the new three-level restaurant that is nearing completion is gorgeous.  The units have custom-made Belize mahogany cabinetry and plans that make good use of light and high ceilings.   A lot of the landscaping is in place and I look forward to seeing the resort in a year or so… plants grow so quickly in the tropics that I imagine it will have a whole new feel to it when I go back.

All good days must come to an end and after Mike dropped me off back at the Banana Beach, I took a dip in the pool and then walked towards town to have dinner at  the Blue Water Grill.  I had an excellent grilled grouper with sauce of sautéed tropical fruit that was out of this world. 

On Monday I again walked into town and had breakfast at a Cuban place, mainly for the coffee.  The breakfast was just OK and was overpriced.  But that's what you get in the center of town.  I had fun feeding the resident iguana who was partial to watermelon and bits of toast.  I walked around town to check out the signs in the banks -- all of which confirmed that they were closed for Pan-American day but would be open tomorrow.  Back to Banana Beach for some time on the beach.  I caught a nap between beers and listened to the breeze rustling through the palm fronds.  After a suitable chill out period I rented a golf cart and headed to the South end.  Last time I was there I walked quite a ways south, but having a cart made it possible to cover a long distance in a short time.  The roads in the South are in much better shape than the North. 

A croc in the lagoon south of San Pedro.

I continued past condo developments like La Brisas, Hol Chan Reef Resort and Miramar Villas until I just couldn't go any further without a swamp boat.  There are quite a few nice single family homes in the South and many small condo projects with 4-8 units. 

Tuesday  morning finally arrived.  I checked out of Banana Beach and had myself dropped off at Scotia Bank at 8:15.  The young lady at the desk had no clue I was arriving but didn't let that fluster her.  She got ahold of my contact in Belize City and we got the paperwork done so it can all be forwarded to the Central Bank for review.  The main thing was getting the signature card done because that had to be signed in front of witnesses in a branch location.  With the business part of the trip finally done, I dropped my bag at Tropic Air across the street and set out for a last hour of exploring.  Although I did not go in, I noticed that there is a big store aimed at the hotel and restaurant business.  I'm sure many good things can be had there.  I also stopped by British Caribbean Bank and Belize Bank just to pick up brochures and business cards -- just in case.

My flight to Belize City was uneventful and I bought the obligatory trinkets with the last of my Belize dollars.  I finally arrived home in St. Petersburg around 11:00 p.m. to a band of hungry cats who welcomed me home.