belize!!!! {part 1}

{warning:  this is going to be a long post because i have so much to share.}

as most of you know my family has all been preparing for my brother's big destination wedding in belize.  well it finally happened.  wow! what a trip!  we decided not to take the kids for many reasons, of which i will not bore you with now.  so jason & i had a mini-vacation.  after our flight to belize city, we boarded a puddle jumper flight to the ambergris caye.

{this part made me a little nervous. when are we ever that close to flying a plane?!}

{but how amazing is that! past the bright blue water is a white line. that is the edge of the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world!}

{our casita at the victoria house}

the next day we headed out for a little zip lining and cave tubing through the jungle.  after a 1-hour boat ride and then a 1-hour car ride we were finally there. we learned a lot about the culture of belize on the way thanks to our super fun guide.

{we all look so ridiculous in the helmets that are 2 sizes too small.}

{an elementary school}

{cashew fruit}

the actual cashew is under the fruit where his hand is.  none of us realized cashews came from a fruit on a tree.  we stopped at the side of the rode and jason and melissa tried the fruit, which they say tasted like wine.  after seeing their faces i was not willing to try it.

some of the boys enjoyed snorkeling right off our dock and they picked up a few empty conch shells.  along the way they found this inhabited one, as well as the starfish below.  {we put them right back, don't worry.}

the next day we took a 10-minute boat ride to the edge of the barrier reef and snorkeled.  look at all the neat things we saw...

{the long, greenish thing in between the 2 fish is a moray eel. we were told not to panic and move a lot or he will think we are fish. oh, great!}

then we headed over to swim with sharks and sting rays.  ok, now i was very nervous.  but the guide assured us these were only nurse sharks, which would only give you a hickey type injury at the most.

{the guide holding a shark upside down and petting his belly.}

{jason petting a ray.}

we did a lot of hanging by the pool, which was steps from the beach.  the place was just amazing.

paradise!

to be continued....