A Double Dip Day

Yesterday was an extremely hot day - probably our hottest so far. Given that we are on a small island, we were not able to get an official temperature reading (the closest location we can find is Belize City), but you know it's bad when even the locals were complaining! One of the things that I've noticed here is that there are not many old people wandering about (we found out that 60% of the population on Caye Caulker is under the age of 12). When we were in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico, there were dozens of little old ladies, all probably 100 years old or more, lining the streets. My guess is that it isn't a matter of old people not being on the island, they probably just know better than to come out into the heat!

Bill got up early and rode down to Glenda's to pick up some hot rolls to eat with our eggs. After breakfast, we rode to The Split to swim and cool off in the ocean breeze. There were quite a few swimmers this time, as I am sure others had the same idea. Though I am not a lover of the ocean, I did get in the water and swim with the kids. Caroline was thrilled! The sun was blazing, and even with diligent sunscreen application, the kids got pink so we only swam for about an hour. After picking up some groceries for the day, we headed home to rest.

I think Henry and Caroline may be getting a bit hungry for companionship. Today, they made 'buddies' out of a couple of coconuts that they found in the yard (glad we brought the Sharpies). Caroline calls her's 'Little Miss Coco' and Henry named his 'Coco Bro.' Henry seems especially attached to Coco Bro - I guess he really misses his real bro'! He wanted to sleep with his coconut, but Bill nixed that idea. As Bill pointed out, it is akin to Tom Hanks' volleyball friend in the movie, 'Castaway.' They are enjoying each other's company, though, and seem to be learning how to work together more.

We decided to treat ourselves to dinner at one of the nicer restaurants on The Caye - Don Corleone's, a favorite of Kim's that specializes in Italian food with a Caribbean twist. Since it is located on Front Street, close to The Split, we went early so we could squeeze in another swim before we ate. There was a storm rolling in, and the water was much choppier and murkier than it had been in the morning. I decided to sit this one out (I know, I'm a wimp). Henry was over the moon about finding a live starfish in the water! He took some time to examine it and share it with anyone else around that was interested, and then threw it back in the ocean. It has been so much fun to watch the kids learn about all of these different kinds of wildlife in their natural habitat, rather than at the aquarium or zoo. I hope they are building memories that will last a lifetime!