Happy in Hopkins

Packing up our things to leave the jungle was pretty tough for all of us.  We had an incredible few days there and would go back in a heartbeat!  However, it was time to move on and explore another part of Belize.  So we traded in our jungle-chic accommodations for a small, rustic stilt house in Hopkins ... a tiny coastal village 1 and 1/2 hrs south of our previous stop.

arriving in Hopkins  ... our driver took this shot ;)

our Airbnb rental

the view from our front porch - the beach was just across the road :)

Hopkins stretches about 1.5 miles along the coast and is set off the main hwy by about 5 miles.  You don't just happen upon this place ... you definitely have to plan to go there.  Until only 3 yrs ago, the main road into the village was unpaved.  Before then, we were told that you needed a PhD to drive to Hopkins ... a Pot-hole Dodger 😉   Now that it is more accessible, tourists have started to discover it.  Thankfully they have not arrived in droves like they have to other neighboring beach towns.  We actually chose Hopkins because we heard it was more off-the-beaten-path, less touristed and had a more laid back feel.  And Hopkins is all those things and more!  It is a friendly, slightly scruffy and very dusty village (no paved roads) or more accurately ... Garifuna settlement.  The Garifuna people are of African descent and are beautiful, hospitable and incredibly chill people.  Their skin is ultra black which helps to show off some big smiles.  With our fair skin, light hair and lack of dreadlocks, we didn't exactly blend in...lol!   "Don't worry mun, evree'ting will be awright" and "reelax mun, no worry, be happy!" are expressions we heard on a daily basis.  It goes without saying ... no shirt, no shoes, no helmets ... NO PROBLEM!

Picture large groups of locals sitting outside their homes, playing cards, children playing on the road, reggae music filtering from open doors and windows and you start to get a feel for the vibe of Hopkins.

When doing research for this trip, I read about the Garifuna culture and was drawn in particular to the descriptions of their music ... particularly drumming.  Morning, noon and night, whenever we rode our bikes through the village, we could hear locals drumming.  Last Saturday, we stopped at a local restaurant to sit down and really enjoy the local entertainment.  Here's a clip for you:

One afternoon, Jeff and the kids went out looking for seashells, and came across a sweet little guy living with his family a ways down the beach.  His name was Norman.   Stella really wanted to find some particular shells and he told us where we might find them.  Max and Norman kicked around a soccer ball and made plans to hang out again the next day.  We picked Norman up on our way to a resort down the beach from us. He joined us for a day of drinks and snacks by the pool.  He and the kids went snorkeling and saw some barracudas, needle fish, and even found a beautiful starfish.     

 We spent our 5 days in Hopkins traveling around on foot, by bike (our Airbnb provided 4 bikes for us to use) and by golf cart. 

rope!... a speed bump in Hopkins

Sad that this will all be a collection of fond memories soon.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to travel and explore new places on this beautiful planet of ours and am particularly thankful that I get to share these experiences and make these memories WITH my family.  It wasn't a long trip ... but it was a great one ...