When we left off, we had fished the morning, catching our lunch, so Medz and Beru navigated us to a little island in the distance, Bread and Butter Caye (pronounced KEY).

We could hardly believe it as we pulled up.  It was jaw-droppingly gorgeous – like from a movie.

Bread and Butter Caye is a private island owned by a family from Minnesota. Dwayne, a retired firefighter, bought the island (he says for a good price) several years ago and developed it.  He spends half the year in Minnesota working his farm and spends the winter on Bread and Butter Caye.

He has a deal with Happy Go Luckie tours to let guests visit and cook up their catch, so we had the place to ourselves.

Beru cut up a fresh pineapple for us, and Frank and I explored with big grins on our faces – while pineapple juice dribbled down our chins.

But it was time to get down to work.   There was a make-shift table set right in the water, where Medz sliced and diced the fish, pulled conch meat out of the big shells and broke apart the crab.

The pelicans waited eagerly in the water for any scraps. (We also spied stingray and a nurse shark swimming around waiting for left-overs.)

Medz wrapped the catch in foil packets with some seasoning and turned them over to Beru to grill.

We set the table and all ate together – a feast of snapper, tuna, conch, and crab – just pulled out of the ocean.  (They saved the barracuda to take home –- we didn’t object!)

After our amazing lunch, the four of us headed to the hammocks that were scattered around and just soaked in the views.

I briefly considered a little snorkeling, but laid my head back down in the hammock, very content to just be there.

Eventually, we lazily packed up, boarded the boat, did a little sightseeing around a few more cayes, and set off back for the mainland.

What a truly remarkable day!

When we return home, Frank will have hip replacement surgery. When we have tough days at the hospital or in recovery, we will look back on this day and remember the spray on our faces as we pounded through the waves, lying in the hammock watching the turquoise sea, and the taste of just-caught buttery conch.

THIS is what travel is all about.