Belize: Papayas, Eels, and Corn Rows

I'm still here in Belize and have decided that I am going to take up residence for the month of January in the beautiful small town of San Ignacio, located in the country next to the Guatemalan border. It's one of the ideal locations to stay in if you want to see what this area of the country has to offer -- the Mayan monuments (like Cahal Pech and Xunantunich), the caves, if you want to float down the Mopan River on an inner tube. And I think this town is a great place to stay in general. Not only does it have cheap internet access and phone use, a farmer's market EVERYDAY a half mile up the road where I can buy, like five pounds of Papayas for only a couple bucks, but almost everyone smiles at me in passing. People here are happy and mellow. I can have my own furnished and serviced cabin, in a small little village among the locals (3/4 mile from town), utilities included for $150.00 US. Honestly, most of my days here so far have been spent lounging around with my friend Ilana and her Belizean man Steven in her cabana in between eating Ital food, going to the soccer field with all of the Belizean boys who have been playing the sport their whole lives, and strolling around town. I like to take it REALLY easy sometimes. That's one reason why I am going to spend another month here -- to get to know the place better. Right now I'm just sinking into it, and learning how to understand creole.
We spent a few days in San Pedro (an island among the cayes) and did some amazing snorkeling. We got a private tour (the three of us), a half day for $35.00 US. I held a shark. At first it resisted, but once I started rubbing its white belly, it became a little more subdued. It just kind of laid back onto my other hand (it was sandwiched in between the both of them) which was holding its sandpaper like brown back, and hesitantly enjoyed. Then it squirmed away. I never thought of sharks as cute until that day. There were also sting rays. One of the tour guides from another boat picked one up from the ocean floor and lifted it up to the surface of the water, and put it on his head for all to see. Then a few of the surrounding people who were also on tours pet it. At one point, our guide took me to a part of the reef where a green, grinch like eel was hiding. He started to approach it, but as he got closer, the eel angrily emerged from its hole, threatening to attack. My heart got a chill of a fear, but luckily, my guide backed away soon enough for the eel to be satisfied and retreat back to its home. We also encountered a school of huge silver colored fish, probably weighing about forty pounds, with huge, thick lips and yellow tails. They swam past my head and I'm surprised they didn't ram me.
Later in the day, Steven and Ilana took me to get my hair braided in corn rows by a mother and daughter who live on the island. It took about a couple hours. We conversed the entire time, mostly about how hard it was to find a good man in Belize (she was telling Ilana how lucky she was to find Steven, who is extraordinarily sweet, intelligent and trustworthy) and she invited me to stay in her home in a small village with her family for a couple months in April/May. She told me I wouldn't need to worry about paying money for a hotel or food -- that I would be taken care of, and could have my own room. I told her I'd give her a call next year if/when I was ready to come, upon which her 15 year old daughter clapped her hands and said I was going to be her big sister. A part of me thinks the mother wants to set me up with her 23 year old son, who according to her is one of the "good ones" -- intelligent and very artistic, but who has no interest in Belizean women --who only wants a "special girl he can trust." Well, I don't know if that's going to happen, but I think I may just take up her offer.