Crooked Tree
Monday March 31
After a final dinner in Caye Caulker Sunday night, some of us headed back to the mainland, others stayed a while. The Old Farts were all going to be in Belize for the full day so we hired a taxi to take us out to Crooked Tree, a village on a large lagoon and bird sanctuary - yes Bill suggested this.
When we arrived in the village, our taxi got a flat tire. While he fixed the tire, we went ahead on foot - not sure what we were looking for but eventually getting hungry. Looking for a place to have lunch, we were told to 'ask any child'. We found some kids and they pointed us to a dirt track into a farm yard. Sure enough there was a small house with a veranda and a bunch of kids on it . We found a table and one of the kids went to tell the owner that he had customers.
Seven very cold Belikins arrived in pretty short order then we ordered $1 of either panadas (3) (a sort of deep fried turnover made with a corn tortilla and filled with a fish mixture) or sabutes (2) (a corn tortilla topped with a chicken mix and some salad and salsa).
After some had some ice cream, either chocolate or craboo (or crapoo), a sort of yellow cherry thing that grows on trees but has multiple seeds and then Rich chatted with some of the kids and took their pictures. They were cute kids and loved to have their pictures taken (and look at them on the digital)
Three boys, who had lots of time yet from school, took Barb, Bill and Lorna off to see a Jabiru Stork nest. This is one of the largest birds of the Americas, and once we did, finally, reach the nest, it was quite impressive
Meanwhile, Carol chatted with the owner-cook. Maria's Kitchen has been open for 4 months. They have karaoke every Saturday night. Maria and her husband were from California, or had lived there a while and moved to Belize to escape the rat race.
They were cute lads - but they were late for school - they told us it went back in at 2 pm but we found out when we returned that the other kids went back for 1 pm.
We then went to the Visitors' Centre, paid our $8 each and walked along the shore of the lagoon. Very enjoyable. Saw Egrets, Wood Storks, Blue Herons, Ospreys Jicanas, Snail Kites, Vermilion Flycatcher and Jabiru Storks.
