Tobacco Caye

I was lucky to get a room on Tobacco Caye as most of the places were still closed - dealing with the big clean up and most of the staff were still not back after the evacuation. Dean who owns the Paradise, where I stayed, was reluctant to let me in but looking sick and pitiful he agreed to clean a room up for me.

Tobacco Caye is a very small island, only five acres. In the storm the water rose several feet and washed up all sorts of rubbish and debris and the place was covered with fallen palm leaves, coconuts, dirt and shells. It was a really big clean up with only a few there to get it done. I told Dean if I felt better I'd give him a hand but all I could manage was to lay in my hammock and read.

The accommodations on the Caye include all meals so I felt quite spoiled coming to dinner to see two lobster tails on my plate. Dean also decided to give me some medicine for whatever it is I have. He is after all the island doctor he told me, qualified because his girlfriend is a nurse!

The next morning there was a knock at my door - the only other tourist on the island was Leanne, an Aussie. She arrived the day before me and heard there was another tourist here. Sadly I wasn't up to joining her for a day out on a boat with snorkelling but I did promise to catch up with her in the bar that night for a quiet rum - it would be good for my cough.

I didn't do much that day either although I did pop out for a little snorkel which you can do right off the island as the reef is just there. I also went for a walk to circumnavigate the island - that took about ten minutes. It was slightly embarrassing when people who I'd never met before were asking me how I was feeling. With only about 10 locals on the island and two tourists - there's no secrets here.

Tobacco Caye is lovely although I didn't get to see it in its usual beauty and the weather was just okay. Although if I'm feeling like crap I think I'd rather be in an overwater cabin, laying in a hammock reading a book, than anywhere else...