I’ve been traveling for
fifty-five days now. I’ve stayed in a lot of different hostels thus
far. Never before have I been so gutted about leaving a place.
When I booked my ten day stay in
Caye Caulker way back on the first of December, my reasoning was really quite
simple – I wanted to stay put during the busy Christmas/New Year’s tourist
season. It would be too much hassle to find accommodations and I didn’t
really want to deal with chaos over the holidays. I figured chilling out
in the Caribbean sun would be a good break between all the hiking and exploring
I’m doing for the majority of the trip. I didn’t come to Caye Caulker
with lofty expectations of what my stay would or should be like. The
first day I arrived on the island, I took a walk around most of it in about an
hour. Caye Caulker is a pretty small place. This immediately
concerned me; what the heck was I going to do on a tiny island for a week and a
half? I’m a backpacker on a budget, equipped with the attention span of a
gnat. At this point, I figured I’d stay til Christmas and then maybe head
somewhere else for New Year’s as there was no way I could possibly just hang
out in one place for that long… Well, I left the island yesterday (after
fourteen nights at Yuma’s). I ended up finding so much more than I ever
thought I would. This is in big part thanks to owner/operator
extraordinaire, Susanne.
Susanne took over Tina’s
Backpacker’s and created Yuma’s House, just over two years ago. In a very
short period of time she turned a worn-down party hostel into a welcoming,
relaxing place that attracts a specific type of traveler. Yuma’s House is
hands down the best-run hostel I’ve ever stayed at. However, even
though it’s operated with such efficiency and organization, it also has a charm
like nowhere else I’ve been. I could quite easily write a thousand words
about how good Susanne is at what she does, but I’ll keep it short and sweet –
she’s pretty darn good.
In addition to Susanne’s
awesomeness, the fellow travelers I encountered at Yuma’s over the last two
weeks have been pretty spectacular as well. In a short amount of time, I
met so many unique people from all corners of the world. I learned
something different from every person that I befriended at Yuma’s. I
decided on two separate occasions to extend my time on the island because I was
having way too much fun with my new friends. More than any other place
I’ve been, Yuma’s truly felt (and still feels) like home. Thanks to
Christine, Gert, Jeff, Brie, Emily, Emiliano, Katie, Elizabeth, Josh, Carmen,
Kerry, Emily, Angela, Amanda, Art, Bjoern, Fabienne, Pat and everyone else who
I met over the last two weeks at this special place. You’ve all got a
place in my heart.
I can’t forget to mention the the
top notch staff Susanne has employed. Vely and Consuela keep the place
spotless from top to bottom. Every detail is attended to. They’re
always smiling, day in day out and their efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Sheena works the desk like a pro when Susanne isn’t around. She keeps
things running smoothly as they should. Carlos the night guard is a
gem. So pleasant and friendly, he’s “the angel of the night” who keeps us
feeling safe and secure. Additional props go to Lady, the experienced
guard dog. She’s small but mighty and has been a great companion. I
always appreciate having a good dog around. If I had a couple more weeks
with her, I’d have her doing tricks for sure.
Yuma, Susanne’s son is
quick as a whip and a master in the kitchen. I cannot thank him enough
for the impromptu fettuccine alfredo (complete with bacon) he made for our girl’s
night. It definitely saved me from a nasty hangover. I have no
doubt this kid is going places. Susanne herself was a most
excellent host. She was always there with useful advice, good
conversation and supported what could be the beginnings of a career in baking
for me (but that’s a story for another post).
Up until this point, I haven’t
seen a purpose in returning anywhere I’ve been on my travels. I typically
stand by the “everywhere once” philosophy. However I’ve done a 180 on
that stance after my stay at Yuma’s. I will most definitely, without a
shadow of a doubt, be booking a week (or four) when I’m back in this part of
the world next year.
Saying goodbye was tough (those
of you that were there know). But after my stay, I feel recharged.
As much as I’d love two more weeks of hammock bliss, pot-lucking nights, epic
card games and all the rest – it’s time to set off exploring new places,
climbing more mountains and meeting new people. The last two weeks have
been truly wonderful. Thank you all so much for the kindness and
hospitality you’ve shown me. Much love to you all.
Tash.
http://firebirdtash.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/a-big-thank-you-to-everyone-at-yumas-house-belize/
