It was late in the day by the time we left the pine ridge area, and it was a long drive to Placencia where the boat was at anchor.
We ended up driving in the dark, and it was not fun. The roads are narrow and winding in places and have no shoulder in most places. There are frequently people and biycles on the road, and the same dog seemed to keep showing up around every few curves. We were relieved to finally roll into Placencia.
We stopped by Yoli's, and Yoli's daughter Shri gave us a ride out to the boat. After a good night's sleep on Malakii, we sailed out to Laughingbird Caye for an afternoon of snorkeling.
Malakii on the Buoy at Laughingbird Caye | Malakii |
Dona and Sid, Lunch |
Sid | Sid |
Sid
Photo by Dona |
We didn't know it at the time, but Dona was having a severe reaction to the anti-malarial medications she was taking. That medicine was Mefloquine Hydrochloride (Mefloquine HCL, aka Lariam, Mephaquin, or Mefliam), and we would highly NOT recommend it. Since then, we have had all sorts of bad reports from friends who have had bad experiences with it. People going blind, permanently losing memory... So Sid and I did some snorkeling while Dona hung out.
Laughing Bird | Dona and Sid |
We had a great sail back from Laughingbird Caye, as the wind had picked up a bit. Sid liked the "bigger waves," although they weren't very big. But they were just right for a good sail, and Dona could relax on deck since she wasn't feeling great.
Dona | Sailing Back to Placencia |
Yoli and Regan | Sunset from Yoli's Place |
The next day we hopped back in the car and started our return to Belize City where we would drop Sid off at the airport. But we still had stuff to see along the way. Our first stop was at Cockscomb, also known as the Jaguar Preserve.