Today is our last day in Placencia. Tomorrow we board a boat to Puerto Cortez, Honduras. It's been a good time here. We did some kayaking, road bikes up the peninsula, and read books. while all the activities have been interesting, none so much as the kayaking adventure. We rented a two-person kayak to paddle out to Bugle Caye to do some snorkeling. Dave, the Belizian who set us up in the kayak, said this was about a 1.5 hour trip to the Caye. He said, "you can't see the Caye from here, but once you paddle up this canal, head east and you will see the caye with the lighthouse on it. That is where you need to go." So, we load up our gear, Brian gets in the back, me in the front; we put the skirts (to keep the water out of the boat) and take off. Approximately 20 feet off the shore I hear a loud crack. Brian had popped the pedal off for the rudder. Dave is laughing and calling us back to the shore. He fixes us up again, only for the same thing to happen several hundred yards from the shore. (He can't help it, these kayaks aren't built for his long dancer legs!)

Now, if you have never kayaked in a two-person kayak before, you might not appreciate how much a rudder can improve the kayaking experience. For non-expert kayakers (like us), kayaking is a true test of marital stability, requiring communication, patience, and compromise. This should truly be the first course in premarital counseling. ("So, you guys wanna get hitched? Get in this here kayak and go to that Caye 3 miles away and back. If you both return with no battle scars or blood, we shall proceed with this process to matrimonial bliss.")

Without the rudder, paddles are flying everywhere - one person trying to turn one way while the other is trying to turn the other - people being whacked in the head and fingers. Not pretty. Finally, we found a new place to dock and switched places - so I was in the back controlling the rudder. Then, the true fun began. As we headed east from the end of the canal, we saw Bugle Caye - very, very, far away with a long distance of choppy turquoise water in between.

It was a long ride, and we finally made it. The snorkeling was exquisite. By far the best I have done without the aid of a motorized boat. We even made the trip back to the peninsula. I'm not sure an ice-cold Belikin ever tasted so good. Now, some pictures for your viewing pleasure...