Thanksgiving on Ambergris Caye? Yes! Here’s How I Did Mine

In New Jersey, TGE (or Thanksgiving Eve) is a holiday when it is very popular to re-unite with your high school class.  Many reunions take place at the local town bar and some more formally – as an organized party. This year I missed my 25th Ridgewood HS reunion!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instead, I was crafting for Cayo Frances Farm & Fly’s first Christmas tree.  And I was more than fine with the trade-off.

Especially when I went for a walk Thanksgiving morning.

The ornaments that they sell here in San Pedro are great.  LOTS of glitter and for my own tree?  Nothing could make me happier.  Last year I had a silver 5 footer with pink lights and lots of pink glitter.  But for a fly fishing camp I thought a bit more subdued would be better…

So shells, rubber starfish and lots of flyfishing flies.

We drove to town to pack up and head to the leeward side.

Under the bridge and thru the lagoon behind town…

we passed some fishermen feeding the scraps to the birds.

Up about 10 miles on the west side of the island and thru a small cut to the Cayo Frances Lagoon.

The cut is quite deep and that is where the swim platform is…

and then super shallow water…and so beautiful.

First priority – Thanksgiving “Turkey Dinner Lunch”.  That is really what it’s called here.  For $15bzd ($7.50US) we got a few plates from Annie’s Pastries.  They had done over 200 for those who pre-ordered.  A taste of just about everything – from yams with marshmallows to delicious stuffing.

Second priority – assembling the tree.

Three legged dog ornament for Elsie…

and another view.  (I was quite pleased with the results)

We then planted a small bunch of small spider lily bulbs that I had gathered on the beach…in the back of an area that had TONS of mature lilies.  I took a few of the offshoots.

It’s a HARDY plant that does well with lots of salt.  Perfect around the little marsh area on the property.

We assembled some of rock collections (from rivers and lakes recently visited) in beautiful bowls from Graniel’s Dreamland.  It’s one of my favorite shops in San Pedro.

Hung some paintings that my friend Chuy painted.  He has a small shop in Sarteneja, Belize and his prices are EXTREMELY reasonable.

This beautiful paint of Sartenega fishing boats for the one of the bathrooms…

A few smaller ones in the cabanas.

And then I located my favorite spot on the property.

A beautiful Thanksgiving in Belize.  Later in the afternoon, I headed back through the mangroves of Cayo Frances Lagoon.

The water is no more than 3 feet deep back here…and sometimes just a few inches.  The trip must be done by a micro-skiff like this one…or by kayak.

Today, on Black Friday in the States, or just Friday here in Belize, it is pouring rain on Ambergris Caye.  The cisterns are overflowing.  A good thing.  I hope you all had an excellent holiday and ate to your hearts content.

Happy Thanksgiving.