Explore Belize on Two Wheels
Back in May we took a little trip to central America.
One of our stop offs was the small island of Caye Calker in Belize. We took something like 2 buses, 3 boats and crossed a border by foot to get there but when we did get there oh my was it worth it. It was like nothing we had seen before.
We got off the boat and were greeted by a couple of the local rastas, after a few days of not understanding much Spanish in Mexico I was pleased to hear some English with a West Indian accent. After finding a random guy who was waiting to direct us to where we needed to go we hobbled along with our gigantic rucksacks down dusty paths towards our hostel. Most of the locals were bare foot and one thing we noticed was...
There were no roads! No pavements no nothing.
This is an island where no cars are allowed. No buses, no lorries, no white vans, no taxis. Locals roll on bikes and electric powered golf buggies with sound systems blaring bashment hanging off of the back and guys hanging off of the side. Caye Calker's motto is "go slow" and literally that is how life is there... Slooooow. Everyone seems to own a bike and all generations use it as mode of transport, it seems like not one person is breaking 10mph.
So obvs we got the bike gang together on this trip and cycled the island. It was hot so going slow was a must. Cooling off wasn't a problem though, the beach was just a stones throw away so jumping in was always an option.
It was sheer bliss cycling Caye Calker and perfect for beginners. Imagine London was shut down for a week and no cars were allowed. Everyone would have to travel by bike, golf buggy or boat. No fumes, less pollution and generally happier and more alive people. Just good vibes.
NB: Can you spot me? I'm the one who's been bumped with the kid's bike!
We fell in love with Caye Caulker as soon as we stepped on the island. It's the perfect place to just chill, eat good food and cycle. The sea is warm and the parties are good if you like a bit of bashment. If you're ever in central America give Caye Caulker a chance, you will love it!
In true Food & Lycra style I couldn't end this post here just talking about the cycling in Caye Caulker. I of course had to give the food a mention! The food here is a like a fusion of Carribean and Central American influences. No doubt you will find Jerk everything on the menu and refried beans so expect a mix up. But if you ever get the chance to go please put minced pies and fried jacks at the top of your list- SO GOOD! We ate so much I'm surprised we could even cycle.
This guy traveled around on his bike selling minced pies and pineapple cake made by his wife. His wife's chef game was on point! We need more of him, his wife and his bike in London.
Fried jacks for breakfast- I wasn't too excited about these when I saw them but I understand the hype now. They are so good! Either just eat them with butter and jam or fill them with refried beans, eggs, sausages or whatever else you're having for breakfast- it's a must!
And here are the girls, begrudgingly posing for probably the 5th picture of us on multiple cameras. Torture when you're hungry and have all that yummy food in front of you.
