My return trip caps off six awesome days in Placencia with Megan's family. I hope to get pictures up soon, but the highlights included a trip to the Monkey River, where we found ourselves surrounded by trees bearing screaming howler monkeys. As impressive as the howlers were the many crocodiles we spotted up and down the river. Yesterday we took a snorkel trip to Laughing Bird Caye, a small strip of beach surrounded by gorgeous reefs teeming with fish.
Perhaps the best part of the trip was the food. The food quality was greatly improved at every meal by the availability of Marie Sharp's hot sauces. The company is apparently a national treasure, and I am convinced that Marie Sharp should receive a Nobel nomination for her contribution to the science of salsa. Her habanero sauces turned the Belizean staple of chicken, beans, and rice into some of the best food around. Our own culinary experiments turned out delicious (with the prize going to Megan for a mango salsa she added to chicken marinaded in Belizean spice rub . . . another amazing product), but my trip was capped off with a meal cooked by Natasha, manager of Los Porticos Villas. She steamed grouper on the grill, and I can't remember better tasting fish. Of course, the One Barrel rum was a great accompaniment to every meal.
Megan and the crew get a few more days down here. I'm told they will be taking a sunset sailing trip this evening before enjoying the first day of lobster season. I'm a bit jealous.
