Christmas Day was a pretty chill day. After a leisurely breakfast, we alternated between sitting on the lounge chairs on pontoons in the water, kayaking, and watching Ian and Wyatt snorkel.
An afternoon stroll up the beach helped us gain a better sense of our surroundings. Ambergris Caye is an odd spot of land. It’s an island that is separated from Mexico by just a small canal, and the majority of the island is protected by a massive barrier reef. We can see the waves crashing over the reef out at sea, and the water is pretty calm here since the surf gets broken up before coming to shore.
Anyway, as we walked along the beach, we were struck by the plentiful bits of trash – especially plastic – that washes up on shore. I wager this is actually what beaches would look like all over the place if folks didn’t go out and clean them up. The trash really saddened me, and I plan on doubling down on my efforts to reduce as much plastic waste from my life as possible.
We planned a quiet evening since the next morning was a really early one. At dinner, we saw dozens of eagle rays in the water outside the hotel restaurant. They are hard to capture on camera, but they are pretty magical to watch. Once in a while one will launch itself out of the water, but usually, they just flap their wings and seem to glide slowly through the water. I find them captivating and peaceful to watch.
Vacation Days 