Tropi-Ties™: Swimwear & bikinis, resort clothing and bikini contest.

If you love exotic tropical islands, Caye Caulker may be your place. Don't expect a fancy hotel. It's not like that at all. The thatch roof houses are built on stilts and there is no traffic. It's a bit rough around the edges-famous for its reefs.

Caye Caulker is, a five mile long island where people always say hello. They stand ready to take people out to the reefs for snorkeling or fishing in their boats fitted with Yamaha motors. All we had to do was put on our bathing suits, bring our own masks, snorkels and flippers and walk down the waterfront to hire a boat and driver.

For experienced divers, there are a honeycomb of caves under the Caye to explore. We passed on that. It was enough to know we were on top of a labyrinth.

There is a rich abundance of life in the sea surrounding the small caye, 430 species of fish as well as corals and shellfish. Natives set lobster traps-- we had the best lobster and other sorts of fresh seafood that we have ever had while staying there. People on the Caye know dozens of delicious ways to prepare lobster.

For a day trip, we hired a guide named Lulu to take us to Hol Chan, the marine reserve near San Pedro Island. He looked like carved ebony and pointed out dolphins swimming very close as our craft bounced over the incredibly blue water. He stopped the boat at a reef and I jumped in.

"Shark" I yelled.

"Nurse Shark" Lulu answered.

Well o.k. then. I'm not afraid of nurse sharks. The warm sea was full of spectacular reef fish: paired gray angel fish, parrot fish, fishes of bright colors not found in the northern hemisphere: lemon yellow, luminous blues, red, pink, orange.

After this dive, our guide took us to San Pedro and seated us at a table overlooking the sea for lunch. Afterwards we strolled around a bit before trying to find our boat on the beach-and we walked right past it. Lulu sprinted after us on his long legs. He had found a couple from Denver to go back with us so we all climbed onto the boat.

"Now you will see big fish," Lulu said as we slid into the water again.

On the reef , I was amazed to see a long chartreuse green moray eel waving through the water like a silk banner in the wind or a Chinese dragon. We peered at huge groupers who peered back at us calmly. It was a wonderful spot.

The next day we took a day trip with another guide who had skin the color of mahogany, white hair, white mustache and strong white teeth. He took our group to Belize City and after breakfast, up the Belize River. He turned on a five mile long canal that ran through the jungle as straight as a needle. It had been made by the ancient Maya. who inhabited Belize centuries ago. A luminous blue morpho butterfly floated before our eyes and disappeared into the thick foliage. At the end of the canal we found ourselves in a lagoon filled with tarpon and we saw a manatee swimming behind our boat. We traveled on to an island filled with orchids, and another island filled with birds.

Another day, another adventure. Our guide this day was a Mayan named Chuba. He stood about five feet tall and we were amused because he chatted with someone on the dock while holding his heavy outboard motor on his shoulder as if it were no heavier than a landing net.. He could hold his breath under water while spearing fish for many minutes. Chuba took us fishing. But first he and my husband used a throw net to get sprats for bait. Then we headed out to sea and our able guide threw a rock tied to a rope for an anchor.

We fished near the bottom and pulled up multi-colored fish: a big red dog snapper, dotted red rock hinds, yellow tails. I even caught a grouper. Chuba used only a hand line wrapped around a stick while saying, "Come on fish." He caught queen trigger fish. Later we trolled past the reef for barracuda and we caught five in the clear water, deep blue to medium turquoise. Chuba said he was starved (I was too) so we cruised back to the Caye to dinner. We told him how we fish though the ice at home in Michigan. He was really surprised.

Another day, another adventure. Our guide this day was a Mayan named Chuba. He stood about five feet tall and we were amused because he chatted with someone on the dock while holding his heavy outboard motor on his shoulder as if it were no heavier than a landing net.. He could hold his breath under water while spearing fish for many minutes. Chuba took us fishing. But first he and my husband used a throw net to get sprats for bait. Then we headed out to sea and our able guide threw a rock tied to a rope for an anchor. We fished near the bottom and pulled up multi-colored fish: a big red dog snapper, dotted red rock hinds, yellow tails. I even caught a grouper.

Chuba used only a hand line wrapped around a stick while saying, "Come on fish."

He caught queen trigger fish. Later we trolled past the reef for barracuda and we caught five in the clear water, deep blue to medium turquoise. Chuba said he was starved (I was too) so we cruised back to the Caye to dinner. We told him how we fish though the ice at home in Michigan. He was really surprised.

On Caye Caulker the people speak a language only they themselves understand: it is a mixture, like themselves of Mayan, Creole, Garfuna, (African and Caribe Indian) Ketchi, Spanish, and English. Happily for us, English is the official language.

We enjoyed the people we met, especially the sweet children who came by in the afternoon after school to sell snacks their mothers had made. We bought piping hot lobster pies and cocoanut cakes carried in a basket, in a clean fresh napkin. The children looked clean and fresh too in their school uniforms.

Caye Caulker may not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy fishing, snorkeling reefs, good food and chatting with the natives, this may be your spot.