The road travelling to the north end of the island isn’t a viable road; it’s a bumpy, often swampy track. Riding our bikes today, with civilization far behind us, we didn’t pass much other than the odd resort that is only accessed by boat. But then on the lagoon side we came to an abandoned overgrown resort. Naturally, we explored.

Walking through debris in a small ground floor room, suddenly a Belizean man appeared coming in from a balcony overhanging the water.  I think we surprised him as much as he surprised us. We all smiled. He was looking at the fish, he said. We went to the balcony where he pointed out the fish and told us how he would feed them and then catch them. He didn’t have a fishing rod but he’d rigged up something with a pail and a line. Half a pail full in half an hour, he told us. I was excited. I find fish unexpectedly expensive here and eagerly anticipate catching our own dinner (and by that I mean mostly Jim and Max catching our dinner). He also told us about how there were lots of big crocs in the lagoon, one small one (only a few feet long) lived right under where we were standing.

The fish he feeds are barracuda’s and sometimes the big ones come and eat the little ones, he said. He tries to shoot the big ones but they always get away. Apparently they are good eating. We will see. I suggested we come back another day and fish together. We will bring the rods and he will bring the feed and expertize. It’s a long laborious ride back made all the more so by my broken bike seat but if we score a saddle bag full of fish, it will be worth it.