The Southern Cross

“My love is an anchor tied to you with a silver chain.”

When I am on island at Royal Belize, I am typically the last one to leave the Grand Palapa each evening. This habit is part of the job of the host and part a love of the quiet that comes to the island late at night. Sleep tends to come fast on Royal Belize. Most people linger a while after dinner and then the weariness borne of the day’s activities catch up with them. The tropical sun will do that to you. I don’t mind being alone. I cherish the moments of quiet contemplation that come after everyone else has gone to bed.

The magic of the island works on me as guests slumber.

As I walk from the palapa to Noshi-Na (aka the Big House), the Southern Cross hangs above the horizon for a few hours in the winter and spring. If I swing a bit to the left around the palm trees I can see it straight ahead. A constant in a rapidly changing universe. The ancient Greeks knew of “The Crux” and my Australian and Samoan friends can speak of its cultural significance. I feel connected to them when I see the constellation on my short walk to bed.

This is one of those little things about the island that I love.

If you are a fan of the Crosby, Stills and Nash original or the popular Jimmy Buffett cover, “The Southern Cross” is a part of your life. I saw the Southern Cross for the first time on Royal Belize. I now understand why I came this way. The truth is as big as the promise, the promise of the coming day.