Ouch!  No Pura Vida in our tightened backs. Up early again, 5 am.  The fourth night in a row on a hard hotel bed is a bit much to take. We call this particular “traveler occupational hazard “ a “massage booker” because you wake up to thinking “boy, do I need to book a massage today!”  Of note, we do find that hotels with spas are much more likely to have these concrete back-breaking beds. Coincidence?  We think not.  Don’t feel sorry for us but note that neither of our backs are in ideal lumber shape right now. 

Must admit something.  We do miss your home comforts like your own pillow, sheets, bed and favorite stuffed, dog-eared stuffed sea turtle sometimes. (Leanne: sorry Kyle for disclosing your special friend to others!)

Today is a long travel day. Once again, we pray for “boring!”  Nothing eventful that will warrant a blogpost.  Boring — defined by on-time departures, short immigration lines and superb baggage handling — is quite welcome on air travel days.  

Today we sojourn from La Fortuna via a 2.5 hour van ride to San Jose then a flight to San Salvador then a flight to Belize City then the capital of Belize then to a flight to Ambergris Caye, an island in Belize. We are spending five beach days here to R&R and scuba in some of the best diving in the world. 

Here we are the closest to the farm at a time when we definitely need it the most. Leanne and Kyle have been researching new doctors for her mother’s care which will mean that at least part of all (or all of the group) will split towards the US very soon. This untimely diagnosis was one of the big risks we faced when we booked this year. Life happens. Family first. Moms matter most. 

The teens get squeamish at the sight of the second flight from San Salvador to Belize city. It’s a propeller plan and it’s noticeably smaller than the jets we normally take. Just 100 seats. 

 The flight is a little rocky, swaying back and forth and bouncing up and down, but that’s nothing compared to the touchdown.  The small plane comes down for the landing. BAM!!!! The plane wheels slam down into the tarmac and the passengers go flying up from their seats and are yanked back down by their seat belts. The plane bounces a good 10 feet back up in the air and slams back onto the runway jolting the passengers once again.  The small plane is going way too fast as it hurls toward the end of the runway.  `

 The plane jerks hard and the next thing we know we are heading up back into the sky in a steep ascent. 

There is a collective gasp from the passengers and Leanne and Kyle share a glance that basically says “Oh F***!” 

 “I wonder if this was his first flight,” Kyle jokes. “Kyle, sssshh!” Leanne responds.  

 “Anyone have any duct tape?  We’ll have to tape the wheels back on the plane after that train wreck of a landing,” Kyle says apparently thinking a near fatal landing is a source of amusement. “Kyle!!! Stop!!!” Leanne smacks him on the arm.  The passenger across the aisle has turned gone another shade paler listening to Kyle.

The plane circles around and begins to descend. “I have this weird sense of Déjà vu, anyone else feel like we were just doing this a little while ago?” the jokester says. “Kyle!!!” this time followed by an arm punch.

 “Maybe he should try a landing on different runway, you know, one that’s a lot loooonger,” Kyle suggests.

 “Everyone assume the crash landing position,” Kyle goes on.  

Kyle’s fellow passengers seem less than amused with his humor although a few actually do assume the crash landing position.  The pilot manages to land the plane without having to do an emergency pull-up ascent and the plane explodes into applause.  Do you see why we like boring now? 

We land in Belize City and have to clear immigration and customs and then get a domestic flight to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye.  When we go through passport control, we usually fan out and get on different lines.  Lot faster to have each one of us go through a different check point vs all 7 of us waiting for the same check-point.  Kyle arms everyone with the info they might ask such as how many days we are staying, our hotel, where we are going next, etc.

Kyle is at the check-in window when a guard materialized with Ashlynn.  “We need proof that you’re her parent,” she says.  Kyle explains we are the legal guardian and they ask for proof.  Kyle produces a court order and hands it to the guard. She is looking quizzically at it, tells us to wait over there and disappears.  While we are waiting another guard materializes with Justin.  “We need proof that you’re his parent,” she says.  Kyle shows his passport with the same last name.  “Where is the mother?” she asks accusingly as Leanne and Ashley walks up.  John and Corey managed to get through without getting flagged and walk up.  The original guard returns with three more guards. 

“Wait, you are all together?” one guard says finally piecing it together. “Yes, one big happy family,” Kyle answers.  There are now more guards than there were attendees at the Geneva Convention.  After five more minutes of discussion between us, they clear us to leave.  

“What was THAT all about?” Leanne asks.  Kyle thinks he knows.  He has read the Belize City is basically run by a drug cartel and that aside from violent crime, they have a huge human trafficking problem. They likely have people trying to smuggle minors into the country for this purpose. So the guards are high alert for minors entering without both parents. We certainly tripped that alarm bell.   

The third and final flight, if you can call it a flight, is on Tropic Air, with only 14 seats.  The flight only 13 minutes long from Belize City to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.  Given this near miss we just experienced, Leanne is none too thrilled to see this “puddle jumper” plane that looks like it could have come out of a cracker jacks box.   We split the group into two and fill up the available seats on two Tropic Air mini-planes.  The front row passengers are practically sitting in the pilot’s lap. 

Here, we are definitely hoping for boring.  Hoping for boring.  Hoping for boring.  Fingers crossed. Prayers said.  And we whiz over numerous uninhabited or barely inhabited islands nestled in stunning blue green turquoise Caribbean waters.  Thankfully, the landing is way smoother than the last flight.

Our drivers arrive quickly to whisk us to paradise.  The Pelican Villas is already shaping up to be Hotel Heaven. Why you ask?  Oceanfront, small complex of 24 apartments, pool, pool bar, quiet, hammocks, its own pier, comfy beds, super blazing Fast WiFi and yes, the most important luxury amenity of all is here: a washer and dryer.  A working washer and dryer IN the unit.  Ah, heaven. 

Ooooh. This WILL surely be a good week.  We get to settle in for a full six days here.  Six days straight in one place represents stability when you live the nomadic life like we have been. Leanne finds a hammock with her name on it well away from the world enjoying sunset with a light breeze.  And this is their winter?  

Justin starts stargazing in the darkening sky, armed with apps to find the constellations. Kyle starts chatting with the American property manager Steve who owns one of the units here.  Steve is a US Navy veteran originally from Southern California who moved here a year and half ago and is loving every minute of living here.

And the rest of the clan just get on WIFI feeling that infectious Caribbean relaxed flow. We order in pizza and fall asleep fast.  Blessed and thankful that the plane landing didn’t actually result in detached airplane pieces strewn over the runway.