Laughing Bird Caye

Almost thirty of us from the Weekend Wanderers FB group traveled by Catamaran to a small island that serves as a Sea Turtle sanctuary and is home to a nice flock of Seagulls, hence the name of the island. I recently updated this video to include photos from others on this adventure! Enjoy!

Laughing Bird Caye Video

Red Bank Picnic and Swim 10/3/2015

Here is my video of our Red Bank picnic with the FB Group, Weekend Wanderers Belize. It's a three minute video of my clips edited and stitched together. I certainly had a great time, especially trying to swim across the river in a heavy current...I thought I had traveled ten feet only to look up and see I only progressed about one!  I did not add a sound track as the natural sounds of the water rushing over the rocks and the laughs in the background added enough ambiance. The weather was perfect and the water temps were cool and pleasant. Enjoy! (The date on the video is incorrect...it was Saturday 10/3, rather than 10/4)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pm88xb1liqd5cin/Red%20Bank.mp4…

The Lunar Eclipse from Belize

On September 27th, I created a video of the lunar eclipse...some explanation needed. Unfortunately, the Blood Moon did not show up here, However, I did catch it to the total eclipse. There is considerable motion due to using a telephoto lens with the camera mounted on a tripod. The moon kept moving on me so I had to constantly reset the position. I took over 50 minutes of video and ended up with a four minute video set to Van Morrison's "Moondance." I hope you enjoy it! (I upload now to Dropbox.com)

Click here to watch the video

"The Pirates of Frigate Caye!"

The local Weekend Wanderers - Belize FB group went sailing on a 40 foot Catamaran on 9/19/2015. Frigate Caye is a 1.4 acre island 8 miles off shore from Placencia, Belize. Nineteen of us motored out to the Caye ( pronounced "key") and spent the day snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing, eating, and just lounging around.  The "Pirates"  were all expats, save one.  Oh! One more thing...the Caye is for sale for $350,000!

Here is a composite video that should make you jealous that you are missing such amazing adventures!

FRIGATE CAYE

Blue Hole National Park 8/21/15

I had a very relaxing day with several Belize friends last Friday as we took a day trip to the Blue Hole in the mountains. and took about a mile hike through the jungle. Instead of writing a big narrative, I'll let this video I put together express the beauty of the day. It was a very humid day, and of course hot, but in the cold waters and shade of the blue hole. It was a special treat.

Blue Hole Video

Moho Caye

A few days ago, last Thursday to be exact, I traveled with the local "Thrill Seeker" group of about 18 by boat to the Moho Caye about 11 miles SE of Placencia and about a 40 minute ride. As you will see from the video (click here to see it on Dropbox,) the ride over was a rough one, reminding me of a really rough roller coaster ride! Once to this small spit of land, we spent the day swimming , snorkeling and eating BBQ chicken and side eats prepared by our boat Captain and his assistant. It turned out to be such a serene day, that my video reflects the general mood most of us experienced. It was such a beautiful day!
Here are two photos, one a view of the island, the other a map of the caye's general location

"WelcomeTo Placencia": Poet Bob

The Poet of Placencia: Poet Bob

Over the next few months, I am going to video Bob reciting his favorite poems. In fact, he is working on a digital version of his collection of written works to be available for sale at a future time. His entire videography will be available on Youtube, as a friend in the States has a site already created, devoted to Bob's poetry. He also has three poems in card format, this one of them.

We were talking up at the Above Grounds coffee shop last week and I offered to video him reciting.This is the first of many to come; filmed in the backyard of the coffee shop. For now though here is his "Welcome to Placencia" poem, spoken by the author himself...one he usually recites at local outdoor venues here in Placencia for tourists...enjoy Poet Bob! (Hint: Bob has well over one hundred original poems devoted to memory! Not bad for 70!)

"Welcome To Placencia!" by Poet Bob

Lobsterfest June 19-21, 2015

 Click here to go to the Photo Journal page to read about the Lobsterfest and additional links to pics and videos. I still have more videos to upload. I'll do an additional post when ready.

New Mayan Jade Discovery in Belize

Wow!! A new Jade discovery in Belize and an expanded understanding of the Mayan culture.

Read the article and watch the video

Mayan Sclupture, Poet Bob, and Whispering Willow Healing Arts

Belize is steeped in various cultures. One of the oldest is Mayan. I had the good fortune to meet a Shamanic Practitioner at the end of April. She was here to learn more about Mayan healing arts. As a token of our friendship, I commissioned  the local poet and artist, Bob, to carve a Mayan head out of pumice stone.

Here are pictures of the Mayan Head and Poet Bob. Bob calls it, "Hear No Evil." If anyone is interested in a carving let me know and I'll put you in touch with Poet Bob. He also sells cards of his poetry, does local poetry readings and is in the process of putting together an eBook of his poetry.

In case anyone is in need of a Healer and lives in the Boulder or Seattle areas, here is the webpage of Heather of Whispering Willow Healing Arts.  I certainly don't mind making referrals to her. She has a contact page on her site, or I can contact her for you.
 

Heather Boreske

The Hokey Pokey and Monthly Visit to Immigration

Good morning from Paradise friends! It's a balmy morning, a healthy breeze with cloudy skies. It's 74 degrees at 5:30.

Going to ride the Hokey Pokey to Independence this morning about 8 am, catch a taxi to the Immigration Office, pay my $25US to stay another month. I should be back by noon.
Here's a picture of the Hokey Pokey. It is a 15 minute ride across the harbor, passing islands of Mangos (where the lobsters reside and I'm sure a few crocodiles!) The ride over and back costs $16BZ/$8US. The boat holds 30 people and it's usually full. Students cross to get to high school and adults to get to and from work. It's a fast rough ride, especially when the waves are kicking up. Everyone must have a life vest. 

All kinds of boats, in all conditions, even a few sunk, are along the shore in close to Placencia. You ride a canal out to the bay, passing shacks next to expensive vacation homes. The disparity between poverty and wealth is obvious, but I have not experienced much hostility...these people are a kind and generous lot on the whole. Hispanics, Mayans and Garifuna seem to mix well. It's more like a tossed salad, rather than a melting pot, implying the mix of separate cultures is more than it's individual ingredients.

Belize Chocolate Festival 5/21-24/2015

Please follow this link to photos and narrative related to the Belize Chocolate Festival held 5/21-24/2015 in Punta Gorda and Mopan

Placencia Lobsterfest 2015 Winning Art Work

While eating breakfast on 5/15 at Wendy's I met the woman who won the local art competition for the official image for the 2015 Lobsterfest here in Placencia on June 19-21. Her name is Jessea Gay Marie. Jessea is retired from Santa Barbara (too expensive to live there anymore) so she moved "lock, stock and barrel" to Placenica several months ago. So I've rubbed shoulders with yet another "famous" person in the village , Poet Bob being the first.. Here is her winning painting from among 14 entries, being printed on T-shirts and announcements.

 This is a mock up of the T-shirt with five open spots for sponsors.

Poet Bob, Placencia's Resident Poet

Well now...this morning at the Above Grounds coffee shop in Placencia I had a conversation with the man who is known locally as Poet Bob, the resident poet of this quaint village. I've seen him on the back deck most mornings I go for coffee, but today I sat and talked with the poet and the owner of the shop.

He turned 70 in February, looks like an old wrinkled bum with long hair, but I found him charming and very comfortable with his life here. He's lived in Belize for over 30 years and came from the US.

He celebrated his birthday by getting tanked and smoking some weed. Apparently weed is a staple and the drinking he just does on his birthday. "After all you have to have some vice," he said. It apparent that more than a few people drink "weed tea" here to treat ailments like arthritis. or rub DSMO on joints (illegal in the states for human use but you can get it in Spanish Lookout at  feed stores in gel form. It's made from tree bark.)

He said he developed the first postcards for Placenica for the tourists and recited from memory a lengthy poem he wrote on that first card.

Yes, there are some real characters here that can become what I refer to as "Unforgettable Characters" and I think he will become one on this adventure.

Everybody have a great afternoon!

From Paradise...

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, I've been in Placencia, Belize for 40 days today. Time to update my selfie. I'm more tan than the first one I took and more relaxed. The weather in Paradise is beautiful and mild today with a nice breeze.

My novel is slowly coming to form...I decided on a working title to help focus my story line, "The Little Girl Who Stopped a War." It will be a first person account of a young girl of seven who is now in her twenties looking back at the events she found herself in and the impact she had inadvertently on key characters that transformed the nature and character of a drug war and a national boundary dispute between Belize and Guatemala. (I know, that's a long sentence.)

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends who hold that title! I trust your day has been great one with your families!

Moonlight in Belize

I took these pictures from my deck last night...thought you might like the play of light, darkness and clouds.

Einstein...Protector of the Island!

Here is the little dog who acts like the protector of the island I live on. His owner lives down the canal from me. Einstein roams the island, chasing whatever moves...he is fearless. He also will bark at almost everything and I've watched him swim the canal, about 60 feet across, to play with dogs out walking a human. He's my bud. I put out a bowl of water whenever he comes to pay me a visit on my deck. I pet and rub his chest to make him feel welcomed. Here are a few pictures I took of him this morning.

 He wants to go inside and checkout my place...

 Waiting for a chest rub...

Taking a few obligatory drinks...

Garifuna Music

Wednesday night, I had the great experience to listen to a Garifuna group play and sing at the hotspot in town called Tipsy Tuna. Tipsy is a nice place. They have one building that is a Sports Bar complete with big screen TV's and an outside seating area and bar with a small stage. This group, consisting of five men and four dancers, played for a solid hour. Throughout the performance they changed songs without missing a beat. Three men shake gourd rattles, with one man beating a bass drum and a second man beating a rhythm drum in perfect syncopation, never missing a beat. There were two women and a young girl, all in brightly colored Garifuna garb, and a boy of about 12 looking like he really didn't want to be there, singing and dancing in place, sometimes pairing up for a song. It's quite high intensity music with a very fast beat.

Before the event began at seven I was waiting for a beautiful woman who agreed to accompany me.  While sitting on the boardwalk, this guy came up to try to sell me a CD of Garifuna music for $20.00 BZ. I refused and so he changed tactics and tried to sell me a gourd shaker. Again I said no thanks, so they he whispered softly (into my bad ear) if I wanted to buy some, I suppose, weed. Again,  I declined. So he returned to the CD and said he would give me a 2 for 1 deal. One CD of just drums and the other a CD of the group itself. I decided to take him up on his 2 for 1 offer. Afterward, I asked him if he was a Garifuna and if he could tell me where the Garifuna came from. Unfortunately, I don't remember  all the influences, but West Indies, Africa (including slaves), and a few other countries in South America totaling eight different geographic locations. (here is a link to wikipedia for more accurate info on the Garifuna people)

Then he told me he was part of the group. Quite a spirited fellow and a hustler! He was actually quite pleasant and gracious. When Heather arrived, I gave the CD's to her as a parting remembrance as she left for the States the following morning.

We went in and I introduced Heather to the 'hustler' (I use that term endearingly, he really was a nice guy.) The place has a several rows of picnic tables and there were a good number of folks there. I attempted to take a few pictures with my new little phone and did not get a good one out of the bunch. I tried to take a video and I needed a memory card, so Heather took out her phone and took at least a ten minute video and said she would email a copy to me. I completely forgot to bring my good camera. I was able to audio record several snippets of the performance.

(Heather, when you read this: thank you for an enjoyable couple of days. You are such a sweet and lovely person, inside and out. I wish you the best as your journey unfolds.)

One month down...eleven to go!

Today was my visit to the Immigration Office in the little town of Independence. I climbed aboard the Hoochie Koochie Water taxi with 29 others and set off on my first adventure outside Placencia since arriving here 4/1. $6 BZ/$3US. It's about a fifteen mile ride that took about 20 minutes. The water taxi left at 7:45 am. I could not get anyone around me, all locals, to engage me in ny chit chat. I was the only white guy there.

It was like riding a roller coaster ride. Everyone had to at least slip a life preserver over their head. We navigated around a couple of dozen small islands. Once away from Placenica coast every island was a mango tree paradise void of any development. After cutting across an open body of water in the bay, we arrived at Mango Creek about 8:05.

Immediately after debarking, I waved down one of the taxi drivers sitting around. We then took off in a old beat up van with ripped seat cushions, broken front window and generally beat up inside and out. My driver was Nelson, with four kids. For $20BZ/$10US round trip, he drove me about the four mile route to the Immigration Office, a small one person operation that opened at 9 am and stayed with me until I finished at the office, which turned about it be about 9:15. I was the first one of about 5 people waiting there. I paid my $50BZ, to the Immigration Officer who stamped my passport and entered some minimal info in a log book I did not have to produce any documentation. I just gave him the address on my place here. I did not have to show I had a way out of the country, or show I had sufficient income to support the stated $60.00/day, the official policy said I had to prove.

I got Nelson's name and phone # and told him I would contact him before I came back next month and wanted to use his services again.

The road from the dock to the hardtop road that led to the Immigration Office was a dirt rutted road that took you past numerous old Belizean housing and a few stores. Nelson said he was not going to get a new car until they paved this dirt road. His van sounded like it was running on half its cylinders.

The trip back was uneventful. The water taxi runs on the hour starting at 10, 11, then noon. I chatted with a nice local man who was the only one who would engage me in conversation. There was a young kid of 18 from Honduras who also was at the Immigration Office. He was clean cut and a really nice young man who spoke perfect English. As we talked waiting for the Hoochie Koochie, he shared he had interviewed for a job in Placencia, but needed a work permit to actually get the job.

After debarking back in Placenica, I gave him my name, phone number and my email and encouraged him to let me know if he got the job at the Dive Shop in town and join me for lunch one day in the future. He said he would. He expressed appreciation for taking an interest in him. I sensed he was here all alone. My guess was that he was wanting to get to a place with jobs so he could begin life anew. He said he has two younger sisters, a mother and grandmother back in an urban center someplace in the center of Honduras.

Finally a phone number that works?

Try this new phone number. I bought a phone locally today so we should not have a problem communicating. From the US dial: 011 501 634-5144!

Descripive Scene of Placencia Village

Descriptive Scene of Placencia Village

(I have decide to try my hand at writing a novel while here. This is my attempt at exercising one piece of this art by doing a detailed description of a setting as one might be asked to do in a creative writing class. If this seems like a laborious description, it's for the purpose of cultivating my ability to turn what I see into written language. I make no apologies for this effort. In otherwords, if you don't like this...take a flying leap off a short pier!) In any event, I trust it will give you a flavor as to what this small village looks like to a novice writer intent on spending a year here.

Placencia Village has a concrete pier at the very end of the southward tip of the pennisula before it bends westward toward the harbour and the Belizean shoreline of its mainland.. From the air, it looks like a backward “L.”

As one comes down Main St, the pier sits about 100 feet or so from the end of Main St. As you approach this centerpiece of downtown Placencia, you walk past many small gift shops, a coffee house called Above Grounds on the left, that is literally a Belizean styled house on stilts. Many such buildings are along this main avenue of narrow streets and speed bumps, such speedbumps are unbiqitous in Belize, designed to keep speeders from running over the many people that walk the roads.

On the right side from about ¼ mile out are makeshift buildings and open areas for parking. These buildings are shack-like and seem to house mainly tour operators. On the left side at this point, moving into town is Walden's Hardware, a larger concrete warehouse containing a wide variety of hardware for the builders in the area. Walden's, owned by an American, also has a two story older rustic building adjacent to the hardware store, that contains a grocery store on the first floor. Going up the steps leads you to the Pharmacy, where a woman named Nina is the licensed Pharmacist. To the front of this Pharmacy and above the grocery store, is an Italian Restaurant that opens at 5:30 daily. Stepping in the restaurant by mistake, as Iws in the mood for Italian for lunch, I noticed it has about dozen nicely appointed tables with actual cloth spreads. It's a classy place with a menu to die for and prices a bit above the average fare for the Village. The Walden complex looks like it is going to collapse as there is very little of its original paint, so it's looks rather shabby, but then again, most places in town look this way.

Behind Walden's and I guess adjascent to it is a divine little restaurant called, “The Secret Garden.”They have their own vine covered archway with their sign above the arch. This is mostly an outdoor eatery with a nice lunch menu of sandwiches at a reasonable price, about $10-$17 BZ. The seating area has perhaps a dozen tables mostly with umbrellas, and a hand washing fountain by the main entrance to the building. Also part of this operation is a massage parlor and a Spa. It was a lovely setting in which to enjoy yet another of the wonderful hand squeezed juices popular in Belize. I enjoyed a sandwich called the Roasted Cuban, a mix of chicken and hot sauces. I will frequent this place as I want to try more of thier lunch menu.

Next to this building still on the left is a combination building with a resturant called “Vino and something” eatery and a commercial business on top. To the right at this point is a soccer field, where kid teams play usually after school after the heat of the day. Toward the end of the soccer field is a fruit and veggie stand, a common place to stop at daily to pick up fresh fruit and veggies. This stand is just a small open front building wit usually three ladies working the place. One usually weighs and gives the price to another, probably a daughter, who calculates your order. The husband is usually hustling a fresh shipment of meons or bananas.

On the left side of the street, across from the veggie stand is a Gelato store on the first floor of a newer styled building that also houses the Belize Bank loan department on the top floor. This modern appearing building is fully air conditioned. The owner of the Gelato stand is a French woman.

Moving further closer to the pier is a new realty building modern in all respects. Next to it are a couple of older style Belizean stilt houses converted into gift shops. These are brightly colored affairs. Across the road is the Sunset Point road I live off of. Next to them, proceeding into town, is the Above Grounds coffee shop. They import organic beans from Guatamala and grind them on the premises and bag it for sale. Thier lot is about twice the size of the others filled with nice shade trees. Across the street from the Above Grounds, to the right side of Main St is a couple more eateries and gift shops, To the right of these buildings, and on the corner of Main and Sunset Point, is a Chinese restaurant. To the other side of the gift shop and directly in front of Above Grounds is a nice creole restaurant called Wendy's. It is a two story building, much more modern that most other structure there and appears to have apartments above it. It stands out as it is a freshly painted white building with a peach trim with an inviting porch on which to eat. It's on my list of places to try breakfast, lunch and dnner.

Past the Above Grounds property is a narrow dirt side street with the Plcencia Office Supply. It too is a two story affair with apartments above. It is another of those buildings that could use a paint job. This is where you recharge your WiFi time and the D'Tab offices of Eric are located. He is the electronics whiz-kid in the Village. A really nice friendly fella, who after three days gave up trying to unlock my phone, even with my usual positive encouragement.

Directly across from this dirt side street is the Nang Nu Chinese run grocery store. The next building back to the right appears to be a closed thrift store. These old and dry looking buildings could go up in flames if the conditions were right. This grocery store is not air conditioned and is a miserable place to spend much time inside. It is a very popular place however and does a booming buisness morning till night.

At this point we are about one block away from the Village pier.

Main St. snakes down toward the pier. Once past the Chinese run grocery store, on the right is a series of small shops, including a barber shop, usually with a line of guys waiting for their cuts. On the left side is another series of connected shops. The first one is a marketing location for one of the larger resorts up the pennisula. As a resident at the resort, you can catch a ride in a corporate van free of charge.

This brings up an important reality in the Village. There are a lot of people who run independent taxi services. With the influx of resorts in the area means, not more work for the independents, but less work, as the resorts buy and hire their own vans and drivers to service their resort clientele. This is having a negative effect on local taxi services. I talked with a woman down by the pier for whom this has an negative effect. She has a loan on her van and some days only can get two fares a day. She cannot get enough business to make her van payments. The market is changing. My observation is that this woman needs to join a resort as an employee or as a contractor to make ends meet. This perception is based on economic reality. As much as she wants to run her own life, if the marketplace is changing, she needs to adapt to the change. She has two children in college, one who is working on a degree, ironically, in resort management. Is this a result of not being aggressive enough in securing fares, a problem in figuring out a way to market her services more efficiently, or an unwillingness to see and understand the market as it is changing and to change to accommodate the market? Major change is definantely coming to this quiet Village.

Back to the description of the Village. Still on the left is a Belize Bank with an ATM (where I withdraw my funds) and an another building, a two story, that workmen are doing some intensive work on the top, which is an open space, I assume will be a restaurant. It faces directly into the harbour. To the right is a vacant gas station that now serves as parking for people coming to the pier.

At this point in our journey, we are now 50 or 60 feet from the water in the harbour with the pier another 100 feet to the left. Right on the edge of the water are two tent/wooden structures. This belongs to Brenda, a sparkling black woman who took to me right away (for business of course!)

I asked about her connection to a retire Colonel nurse who does a lot of giving back to this community. She apparently sponsors all kinds of groups to help the locals deal with the usual dyfunctions of life. Brenda, did not give me a referral to Diane, but did give me a referral to a man, named Stephen, who is known as an AA speaker, and is also an insurance man in the area. Her cohorts tracked down his name and number for me. I also like to connect with this Colonel as her work sounds like it parallels my life work as a social worker. Both of these people may be the ones I need to connect with to fulfill part of my mission while in Belize.

Brenda fixed me up with this delicious mix of fried coconut chunk, absolutely delicious, with some banana slices and orange slices, plus a lime drink ($10BZ) I asked her what else she served from her stand, and she was marinating chicken and pork in a BBQ sauce. I will stop by again to feast on her cooking! She cooks over coals and her helper a funny black guy was grating coconuts for their menu.

Another side story here. Brenda used to have a place further down the pennisula, but was burnedout by a fire. The village gave her the right to this harbour side location temporarily. Unfortunately, as the cruise ship industry is coming to Placencia, she will find her location taken over by a harbour redesign plan that will necessitate her losing her favored spot.

To the right of Brenda's stand is a small clump of trees underwhich serveral locals just hang around and drink and smoke. This is next to a fairly large bar that sits right on the edge of the harbour, with water splashing up on the concrete pilings at the edge of the covered deck. From here, you look out onto a small wooden pier wit a boat anchored on the left side and a small shack, that is a diving excursion office.

I sat on this deck for about ten minutes, observing the harbour. Out in the water I counted 10 sailing ships anchored at different spots in the harbour, some really nice catamaran sailing ships. In the sky were a dozen or so sea gulls some diving into the water to snatch a morsal, others coming in swooping close to the water checking for a morsal to catch their next flight over. Over by the concrete pier was a seagull sitting majestically on the top of a sailboats main mast, looking relaxed and in no apparent hurry to go anywhere. To the left further is the concrete pier. The pier design is very modern, with sweeping curves streching out into the bay. On the pier are four small shacks used to sell tourist trinkets and drinks. For the time I sat there no one was manning those shacks.

Tourists and small kids dive off the pier on its left side to swim, and there is a small beach area for swimmers and sunbathers to congregate. This small beach area is fairly well protected from the winds. Once you go to the far point, the winds coming off the Caribbean are quite strong and the winds blow up kelp and other material that looks like tree mulch. Also, once past the point, bags of litter are being pulled out of the shoreline. Yes, human litter is here in Paradise, but the Village employees do their best to keep up with it.

Back from the beach area, is a small place, an open air cabana called “The Shack.” Here you can purchase cold drinks and meals. It's a very comfortable place to sit and harbour watch. Fans are strategiclly placed to create a nice breeze. What is their most popular menu items can be decerned from the 26 varieties of smoothies. I've started at the top of their list and plan to try each and every one of them! Here as elsewhere the juices are flowing, from lime to watermeon to Papayra and one that tastes like grapefruit. This small shack has perhaps a dozen tables in it. This place sets right to the left of the base of the pier. Along side the Shack is the beginning of a mile and a quarter long, four foot wide boardwalk that separates the coastal frontage properties from the rest of the Village. No bikes allowed, it is for pedestrian foot traffic. It is a concrete formed boardwalk with 3 inch wide slates covering the entire distance of it stretching back north through Placencia Village.

The bordwalk has many more shops, some sell wood carvings and hammocks, another eatery called “The Village” yet another outdoor cabana styled restaurant. On the right, diagnonally acroos the board walk is a two story place called the “Swiss Cafe” with a more Americanized menu with Pizza! I haven't stopped there yet, but they also serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This boardwalk is also lined with palm trees and other more leafy trees giving one a break from the intense heat of the day. A lot of locals who still live in Belizean styled homes offer a laundry service right along the boardwalk from their homes.

A good ways further on is a beach complex called, “Tipsy's Tuna.” Tipsy's is the drinking capital of the Village area, with wide open beach vollyball courts and the ever unbiquitous bars. They have a lot of humorous signs posted, all about drunks. This is obviously the hangout of young tourists, here to drink and have fun.

Further up the boardwalk you come across a small resort called Seaspray motel with rooms facing the beach and side. Right next to this is the DeTatch seafood restaurant, which is probably the best and most expensive eatery on this part of the shoreline. It is also a cabana style eatery. This is where I had a delicious Coconut Curry Snapper dinner. I visited this place as part of an early evening walk I took to take in the early evening life of the Village.

Well, that's enough of the sightseeing tour of Placencia Village. Perhaps you can tell it is a mix of old and new, richly culturally diverse, with ordinary Belizeans living juxtaposed mostly white tourists, but also many from Guatamala as well. As is usual, poor locals living amongst a growing wealtier tourist population with many foreigners buying up property for development and living.

Coming next. My description of the road I live off of, Sunset Point and the canal I talk so much about.

I've got major phone issues here in Belize. Ignore my earlier message about a new phone number. I need to get a new phone here.

New Phone # in Belize

I now have  new phone number in Belize. Those of you in the States dial 011 501 650-4030.
For local Belize calls 650-4030

This is a pay as you go plan on my end. You can call me (on your dime and whatever your rate is) and it will not cost me. If I call you it, it is $.55/min. After 7pm Belize time, its $.26/min

Thanks
The Management

Belize Chocolate Festival! May 2015

Look what you guys are going to miss out on! Hat tip to Gayle and Mike for sending me this. Link included below.
Gayle,Michael and I will be attending this festival this year (and perhaps taking in a snorkeling outng to boot!) Note: some of us will not be partaking of the wine and beer festivities! I will repost this under my Excellent Advrnture page and on my blog!

Chocolate Festival of Belize: A Festival to Attend Before You Die
By Belize Hub on Apr 11, 2015 11:15 am
The ninth annual Chocolate Festival of Belize and Toledo will take place on 22nd, 23rd, and 24th May 2015. The event kicks off with the Gala event, Wine and Chocolate on the Friday night from 7pm to 11:30pm. The event is being held for the second year at Garbutt’s gorgeous marina on Joe Taylor Creek. Surrounded by both the lagoon and the ocean this night brings you nothing but good times, good friends and live music from the Caribbean Roots Band all the way from Corozal, an array of delectable hors d’oeuvres including deep fried lion fish and shrimp and, of course, how could we forget – Chocolate from Belizean chocolatiers!

The Taste of Toledo Street Fair is held on Front Street in Punta Gorda town, from the Uno gas station all the way down to the Punta Gorda library. The pedestrian-only street fair features cultural displays and areas showcasing Toledo’s five main ethnic groups: Kriol, Maya, Garifuna, Mestizo and East Indian. Each area displays art, food and music from their culture. It is like passing from a Maya town to a Garifuna town in just a few steps. Barbecued food, chocolate making, kayak trips, chocolate farm trips, there’s something for everyone. Live local music will play in the fair, on stage as well in the streets. Taste exciting new chocolate flavours, watch local dance groups, buy local food, crafts, and relax with a cold beer while enjoying live music on stage outside the court building. Cacao for Kids will be at the Punta Gorda Methodist School grounds, where there will be tons of fun for the kids.

The Festival Finale on Sunday will take place for the first time on the shaded campus of Julian Cho Technical High School. There will be live performances throughout the day under the school’s covered auditorium. This will feature musical performances from Mayan harp groups to Garifuna drumming as well as dances by the Baaktun 13 group from Maya Centre in Stann Creek. There will be a range of drinks made from cacao combined with corn or pepper and other ingredients and food stalls will offer ethnic Mayan dishes. Local crafts from hammocks and tie tie baskets to slate and calabash carvings will be on sale and visitors will have the chance to try their own hand at craft making and appreciate the skill that goes into their creation. The new location provides plenty of on site car parking and is right on the southern highway making it convenient for visitors travelling up north at the end of the day.

CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL OF BELIZE
TOURISM INFORMATION CENTRE
FRONT STREET
PUNTA GORDA
BELIZE
t: (+501) 722-2531
e: info@ChocolateFestivalOfBelize.com
http://www.belizehub.com/…/9…/chocolate-festival-of-belize/…

Evening out to eat at De Tatch...

First evening out to eat. Crossed the canal about 5:30 pm and walked about 20 minutes to De Tatch restaurant on the beach (next to the Seaspray motel) in an open cabana. Enjoyed Coconut Curry Snapper with rice and Watermelon juice (juices are big down here). About $17.50US. Great food and service. Such a gentle breeze blowing this evening with low humidity. Crossed the canal in the dark...no crock waiting for me!

Oh Woody! What do you think you're doing?

Here's the little fella that's been waking me up! He's managed to pick a hole in the house...repair guy coming Monday to patch the hole and repair the dock. Caught him sitting calmly in a tree off my deck.

A Day in the Life in Placencia Village

Tuesday April 7, 2015

Morning trip to the Village. 8:45 – 10:30 (Will post a few pics from the Village)

Longest walk to date. Comfortable walk to, uncomfortable back. Cool in morning, by 10 it's almost too hot for me. Five of my fav spots are within about 8 min from home (once I cross canal.) Above Grounds (coffee and juice), Hang Hu Groceries, Placencia Office Supplies (MiFi recharge), Dawn's (eats), Walden's Hardware/grocery store)

I've learned to always take a small bottle of water with me. Stopped at Above Grounds and got a small

watermeon juice drink and a large coffee (don't need the coffee.) A bunch of old white guys with beards hang out there apparently in the early morning.

Next, I walked a few blocks to the Police Station and asked about an AA meeting (nobody had a clue as to what I ws talking about.) I asked about a local church and a guy in fatigues said a church was further down on the right. I started walking that way and realized I was entering Indian territory. I felt unease and turned around. I'll try another avenue for finding/starting a meeting. There is no listing for AA at all in the local directory.

Stopped at the gas station by a pier where the water taxi is located. Found out its $12BZ/$6US round trip. And roughly its schedule to Indepedence where the Immigration Office is located to renew my Tourist Card.

Came back down to the Walden'ss Hardware and picked up a second steel cable and lock for $7US for the boat. They sell bikes there ($285BZ/$142.50US) I'll look into it in May as I need to walk his month for my endurance/stamina! I'm so out of shape it's pathetic!

My last stop was the Office Supply store and recharged my MiFi account. Rather than 5g for $70US I went ahead and got 10G for $90. The guy said it would take about half an hour for the system to reactivate, so I left and came back home. It is now an hour later and still no service! UGH!!!

I must admit this...there are virtually no bugs, creepy things flying or crawling round! I sat on the porch from about 2:30 am for a couple of hours. It was so pleasant. At around 4 am the obligatory rain comes for just a few minutes.

Once back home this morning, I was soaking wet from prespiring. I took a quick shower...that was Nirvana!! I am beginning to feel my skin starting to get sun. Just chilling in the shade on my deck seems to help tan up slowly.

Went back to the Village...my MiFi wasn't on...fixed. Ate at a lovely outdoor place called, “The Secret Garden.” Had a lunch sandwich special called a something Cuban ($10US) Introduced myself to the owner, a woman from Reno. She's been here four years. Don't know much more than that. Bought a loaf of home made bread at the veggie stand I stop at daily now.

The waitress got me a copy of the local rag. There is a big brew haha over a deal to bring the Norweigen Cruise ships into an off shore island called Harvest Caye for an overnight stop. The firm has been developing a port and it apparently is destroying more of the coral reef there. As usual, some want the business, others say it's destroying the place. Many locals want the jobs it will bring and the additional business. Looking at the # ships to come in here, starting in November, it looks like over 12,000 passengers from 5 cruise ships in December alone will mob the island with fair number making their way to Placencia a little village of 3,000. The first ship in November will have about 2,700 people on board.

Happy Easter Sunday from Paradise!

Happy Easter to all of you...

These two pics I took from my deck about 6 am this morning. The sun can be seen in one image, just breaking through the branches of a tree. Breezy morning, mild temps and humidity.

Saturday, 4/4/2015 “The Walk”

Time has come to settle into something of a routine. Daily entries will become weekly entries unless something extraordinary occurs. I will not do the Day 4, Day 5 routine anymore.

As I go to the Village to eat or shop, I will highlight “Bill's Favs” on a new tab. Today I took my first trip to the Village since I arrived on Wednesday. I have been settling in and getting comfortable once again with my own company and allowing myself to adjust to the new pace. I do take one day at a time. I went to the Above Grounds Coffee Shop and rather than have coffee, I opted for a large lime juice ($7 BZ/$4.50 US) which I needed!

I left my place around 10 am, crossed the canal aainst a strong head wind, tied my boat up on the other side. I made a mistake and wore a pair of slide on sandals that I could not keep on my feet! It took me probably twic as long to get to the main street as it should have! I'll give that pair to a thrift store in the Village next trip in. I wanted to get a second steel cable to use on one side of the canal or the other to lock the boat up.

I was exhausted just getting to the main pier in town. The temps were heating up. Fortunately, Above Grounds is almost right at the intersection of my road to the main drag, hence my choice of a Lime juice! Yum...

I took a walk around down by the main pier in town, found only one market open (Chinese run) and picked up a couple of items. The nearest hardware store was closed. Most small shops (hell, they are all small private shops! Entrepenurial spirit is alive and well here!) seem to be open and a fair number of beach goers were mulling about.

There is a famous 4 foot wide boardwalk (no bike allowed) that stretches for I think a mile starting at the pier and heading north, providing easy access to many resorts along the shore line. I took it for a stretch, but quite honestly, I was tired, tired of screwing around with my sandals! I took a short cut back through a neighborhood and stopped at the market to get my items, including a coconut water, which I sorely needed. So my excursion was about an hour and quite honestly I was glad to return home.

The heat of the day is not my best time. I will probably adjust my walks to go try the many eateries earlier in the day for breakfast, or late in the afternoon for dinner. One I will get to again was Dawn's Walk N' Go, small outside place run by a charming black woman. Mike and Gayle met her on their trip down last year and recommended the place to me. We ate there on Weds but I was feeling the heat and the trip down and let Gayle and Mike have my chicken meal. Well, actually, I was to take Gayle's half of hers and my own with me, but I left it and my two new pairs of shorts in their car!

There are a reasonable spectrum of places to eat, including Mexican, creole, Chinese, Italian, and I read about a Austrian restaurant. The major resorts also have top end eats as well.

So far, I seem to sleep fine and awake about 5:30 or so, grab another shower (finish the day with a shower as well), and make coffee. I read my morning devotionals and meditate on the porch. I have a good selection of novels here, so I am working my way through the collection and read a few pages. Read an old classic by Steinbeck, “Of Mice and Men” and I started on T.S. Eliot's play entitled, “Murder in the Catherdral.”

Still spend way to much time on the internet, but that pattern is also beginning to morph into self limiting behavior.

The bedroom has a door and there is a small AC unit that I tried out the second night. It seems under powered or inefficient as there is really no way to truly close windows here! The windows are a typical Belizean style with slats that close, but not tightly (no glass windows, just screens)...just one of the many small differences between here and the comforts we take for granted in the states. I woke up sweating about 4 am and just opened the windows again and caught the breeze. Looks like the average electric bill for this house is about $15-$25/ month. Well, you just adjust...no sense complaining! A nice breeze blows almost constantly, and a rain shower hits usually in the middle of the night for a few minutes and maybe mid afternoon. To hear the sound of rain falling on a tin roof is a comfortable sensation.

Besides the Iguana, nothing has appeared to attck me in the night.

Happy Easter Sunday from Paradise everyone!

Iquana for dinner anyone?

Update: My landlady says that Iguana is one of many "girlfriends" of a big orange male Iguana, nicknamed "Gerald."The girls are very friendly and like fruit, plants and flowers!

Well now...I was just sitting on my deck here in Belize about 10 am wondering if I'd ever see a Crock in the wild. Well, I've seen them in the Belizean Zoo eating a whole chicken at night in one gulp. I looked up and saw this rather large creature down by my boat dock heading from left to right. It looked to be about 5 feet in length. So I ran for my camera and took two pics. I've post both so you can get perspective. It looks like....an Iguana! This ain't Kansas! Wonder what else is lurking in the shadows....humm.

Day 4 and 5, March 31 and April 1

Day 4 - Tuesday, March 31, 2015

We all took a day to run errands...M&G did their own thing (not my place to say) but they did take me to this really great restaurant in San Ingacio, called Hode's Place. We also traveled to Spanish Lookout, which looks more American than anyplace else I've seen so far, with rolling hills, lots of pastures and cattle. This is the center of the Minnonite community here in Belize. Some 5-6,000 out of about 8,000 in the whole of Belize. Very industrious people judging from the contruction and level of energy. Yes, many still ride in horse pulled wagons, and wear their traditional garb. We stopped and ate ice cream in the middle of a rain storm at a Minnonite run store. We also shopped at a general merchandise store with a full grocery store in a well designed and clean warehouse. I picked up a new beach chair and some kitchen cleaners along with a second set of sheets. The tab was only $200! (That's Belizean dollars...it was $100 US.)

I tell ya...it's a trip driving on the roads here; people pass any ole place they feel like it and sometimes you are almost three abreast! Spanish Lookout is only about 15 miles from G&M's place, so it made for a nice drive. We also stopped at a corner store in San Ignacio and I picked up a couple pair of shorts (which I managed to leave in their car!). I only brought a few items of clothing with me and decided it was going to be cheaper to buy a few things before I get to the beach.

I also called the caretaker of my Placencia home and we have made arrangements to meet tomorrow mid morning and catch my ride across the canal and get the key. I am still somewhat confused about whether I need to go and get the electric turned on, but it will all get straightened out tomorrow. Just living the Belizean lifestyle! It's starting to rain at M&G's place, and I'm writing this on their front porch listening to Steely Dan. Winds picking up...more later before I get drenched!

Day 5 – Weds, April 1, 2015

G&M drove me down to Placencia today (April 1). On the way we stopped at “The Orange Gallery, which is not far from their place. Exquisite handcrated goods and art work. Everything from custom knifes to some amazing wood working and Mayan clothing, etc. Pottery and earings as well. Mike is making arrangements to sell some his craftware here.

Much of the country is more like an african savanna, with palms, stubbly trees with larger trees interspered. They have teak and mahogany farms so you pass groves of well manicured groves of trees. Palms also are farmed. The prettiest are fan palms.

As we got closer to the coast and toward the south we drove through beautiful mountain ranges where the Jaguar reserve is located. These mountains are really a series of very steep mountains, something like you might find in Vietnam or elsewhere in SE Asia. Absolutely beautiful. We stopped at a small roadside ice cream shop, a nice modern structure, that has been built by Christian missionaries. They are wating to get certified by the country to provide vocational training for teenagers, but until they do they are set up to only serve adults.

Once out of the mountains (I took several videos that I will post when I get a broader bandwidth) and the accompanying orange, banana and pineapple groves. Very desolate area though with some of the poorest of the poor. Reminded me of the backcountry hollers of West Virginia.

Bus routes are everywhere...you realize that as you drive across the country, as everyplace there is a congregation of homes there is a damned speed bump! The bump allows people to cross the road to wait for a bus. Although it is understandable why do do it this way, they will destroy a cars suspension and tires in no time if you are not constantly aware of the signs (either look like two boobs or people crossing signs) Sometimes the sign is not there and there are very few that have paint stripes on them and you slam on your breaks and slide over the bump! It's wild.

Road pavement is hit and miss. The road surfaces in general are pretty coarse, many, especially close in to towns have a lot of deteriorating edges. People pass whenever they want, most roads have no lines. The irony is that they have stop signs but everybody does California stops for fear of being rear ended! They have a helment requirement for the thousands of Chinese branded motorbikes, but no one wears a helment! We did come across a National Defense road stop and they had four guys in fatigues carrying M16 rifles. They just waved us through and gave us the now familiar broad smile and greeting.

The roads improved dramatically once were were close to the pennisula. Heading down to Placecnia we drive through two smaller old villages, Mayan Beach and Siene Bight. The homes look like those I have seen elsewhere...object poverty. These are typical Belizean homes, like mine, but picture them with bare wood, some leaning almost to the point of collapsing, gaping spaces between boards. I am constantly amazed how people begin to build some fairly nice reinforced concrete homes and commercial property and have apparently remain only partially finished. Now, interspesered on this Pennisula are now mega resorts and I assume multi million dollar homes. Slowly but surely the developments will take over what is left of the local villages.

Once we arrived in Placencia, we met up with the caretaker with his small pontoon boat, load us and my stuff, and crossed over. He and I put my boat in the water and found the oar. He showed us around and said he and his wife would be by Saturday to do a weekly cleaning and raking. Relly nice guy who has lived here five years (p.s. He has never seen any Crocks!) and lives at the end of the canal.

We ate lunch, bought a few staples, got my MiFi up and running and Mike dropped me off at the dock. I spent the rest of the day enjoying the breeze and unpacking.

Paradise...at last!

I've also finally got few pictures posted under the “Photo Journal” tab. Click the Flickr link.

The adventure has begun!

Finally, an opportunity to make a first posting from Belize! I have been writing a journal of the experience off line so this first one will be lengthy. Hopefully the first pictures will get posted tonight.

Day 1 March 28, 2015 – Flight, Arrival, Eats, Zoo, Savanna Guest House

What a wonderful world despite and in spite of all the political and ecomomic turmoil. At this moment, I do not wish to talk or listen about politics. It is time for a magical interlude with an encounter with Belize.

I spent my last night in NC wide awake, having moved as many things as I could and making final arrangements for accessing bank and mail delivery to Belize. My son, Will and his wife, Laura accompanied me to RDU and helped prep me for what was coming. I must admit to some stress reaction due to the fact that the last time I had flown ws 30 years before. Now, the experience of flying ws not my main concern, it was getting through all the TSA and baggage check in. The only worldly possessions I took fit into my backpack (not a small one either) and a elongaded vinyl job I has purchased for the Miata, and a foam box containing three months worth of meds and insulin that had to be maintained at a certain temperature.

I had changed from purchasing my meds from CVS to Humana's mailing system. I honestly did not think I would get them much before mid April, but as it turned out they were delivered to my son on Friday! We made sure the insulin was cold and I decided I might as well take the box with me. So that made three rather awkward bags/box to maneuver. I checked the big black vinyl bag and went through TSA inspection with the other two. Surprisngly no one asked me to open the insulated box, instead just asked me what was inside. Of course, I told them. While waiting at the gate to board, thay asked for volunteers to allow any carry on bags to be checked and sent on to their final destination (for free---hint hint for your travelers...wait until your get to the gate to have another bag checked and you will save $25.) Now my travel was manageble as I checked my backpack and left me with a reasonably size box to carry on board.

The flight down

Packed...both legs of the flight were packed. Met interesting folks next to me. Just nice people, with interesting stories. First leg to Atlanta was about 1.5 hours, Atlanta to Belize City was 3 hours. That was tough as you are packed in like sardines and the seat backs do not recline!!! (Delta Airbus)

Belize Customs and Immigration

Besides just the awkwardness of maneuvering three pieces of luggage, no problem.

Gayle and Mike met me at airport. We drove out of the small airport and drove a few miles ad stopped at a roadside vendor to eat. Chicken, sausage and pork BBQ. Just an old shack. The owner was from California, a fifteen year resident here. Black fella and his two sons 14 and 16 run the joint.

The drive to the Zoo was through what I would describe as an african savanna with low palms and most vegetation thinly spread. Roads are a trip, so are the drivers! People pass whenever they feel like it, seldom if ever see a cop. Road signage looks like US signage. Everything is written in English. Everybody I've met speaks English.

 Savanna Guest House and the Belizean Zoo

We drove about an hour to the Savanna Guest House run by an English couple called Foster. Richard has an incredible life story. We did not get to meet his wife as she is suffering a relapse of MS and cannot move around much. They are wildlife film makers with many expeditions around the world. If you have seen the Planet Earth and Life series, you have seen some of their work. They have a studio setup to film animal behavior for other filmmakers now. Fascinating sets he has created on his property of 20 acres. It sits in the middle of 900 acres owned by a friend. They have been here 30 years. Every June they hold a class for aspiring nature film students to teach them filming techniques. The stories this modest man tells are amazing.

So Google them and see what you find on line. They are Carol and Richard Foster. Let me know what you find out. He was telling us about a film shot he did involving Vampire bats, He was approched to set up a replica of a prison cell from the famous Hell's Prison in Equador as there were stories of bats sucking blood of prisoners. Richard spent three months preparing a set including a replica of the cell., brought in Vampire Bats to aclimate them to the evirons. Then he laid down in the cell with only his leg exposed, One bat finally landed on him and felt him tear a piece of flesh off his leg. They secrete an anti collagulant, that keeps the blood flowing. By the end of his “practice run” he had a pool of blood under his cot. The film crew came in with the survival actor for this series, and they had the scene shot in two days. Richard was saying the filming equipment is so expensive now ($200,000 just for the camera) that they half to do more and more set up staged shots to reduce the cost.

The Zoo was actually started by the Rogers and was setup and moved down the road a few miles and is independently run. It sits on 50 acres. All animals and birds housed there are either found or injured and brought there. Those that can be returned to the wild are done so.

We went back for a night tour at the zoo and had a really interesting time with a great guide. It was to cost us about $20 US apiece but Richard never pushed it. I gave him an extra tip on top of the $65 US.

Money is interesting here. It's a straight 2 to 1 conversion, so most places/eateries post their prices in BZ $. So you just cut it in half! There is a 12.5% tax and gratuity added on to the bill and it is customary, it appears to added a few percent as an extra tip. Some places will not accept the extra gratuity.

People here really are friendly though. Even though most live in what would appear to be abject poverty, they seem to have a joyful spirit about them. Gayle and Mike indicated that they have had a bout a 40% increase in petty crime over last year, with most of that in Belize City.

Day 2 – Sunday, March 29, 2015 – Studio Walk through

Observations for the day. Richard Foster gave us about an hour tour of his studio and sets he uses for filming. Facinating operation. I had to cease taking pictures in one active set where they had trained a small cat to leap between branches. There is a platform in place for the visiting film crew to use and lots of high powered lamps to illuminate the scene.

After saying our goodbyes, we drove on up to San Ignacio which sits in what appear to be foothill mountain ranges. Its a beautiful setting. The town itself looks hobbled together with really odd arrangements for streets. We stopped and ate at this strange sounding place that locals just refer to as “Nam's” It's official name is really a Mayan name. Small place, but they use all free range chickens and beef...very good.

Gayle and Mike do have cable and yes you can get all our usual channels and a few extra movie channels...all cheaper by the way than in the states.

Day 3 – Monday, March 30, 2015

The Mayan ruins nearby San Ignacio called Xunantunich, or “Stone Lady.”

We got up early and went to a nearby Mayan ruin called, Xunantunich. Our guide was Oscar, a 10^th generation Mayan in the region. He is 33 and a well versed guide. The walk to the ruins was too much for Mike's hip so Gayle and I went on the tour. Even we had to call it quits when we attempted to climb the steps to the main temple. We made about a third of the climb up these really steep steps. The steps are made strategically high to force people to bow before the High Priest on their way up. This main temple is about 500 ft high. There were three classes of people in this village of some 15,000 people. The High Priest, the upper class, were the only groups permitted to go up the temple, and the common people who lived beyond the boundaries of the temple grounds were not allowed.

The grounds have large plaza areas for gatherings and markets, and modern archeologists have dug down to identify a lower level plaza under the one now visible, which must have been an incredible feat over centuries, as there were no tools not the wheel. They have dated that level to 1500 BC. The part now visible is dated to around 950 BC. The size of this ruin is almost overwhelming given the short stature of the people and the absence of tools implements. The mortar was made from limestone, sea shells and water...and it is still holding up over a thousand years later.

Geopolitics, economics and drought helped to drive people out of this area. There is a lot more info on this temple of course and I'll try to provide a link for you to explore this particular temple closely. Fascinating people and life and societal structure. There is at least two ball courts where people would play a Mayan ball game that would last five days. These games were played by four men, two men on a team, using a 9 inch rubber ball. These games served a ceremonial and political purposes among the group or between two villages. Over one million people lived in this sector of Mayan culture at their heighth.

The Butterfly Farm

After the Mayan ruins, we traveled back toward Gayle and Mike's and stopped by the Butterfly Farm. The owner, a young man well versed in butterflies, gave our tour. There are over 500 varieties of butterflies in Belize and they have cultivated several species. The enclosed space was awash with several beautiful varieties. The owner said he had taken over the Farm about 18 months ago and is working to bring back the farm to a more prosperous and enriched collection. I did my best to capture them through pictures, but they are illusive.

Clarissa Falls

Clarissa Falls , is a resort area almost across the road from Gayle and Mike's and is an operating cattle ranch as well.. The outdoor sitting was very comfortable and the spaghetti and garlic dish, one of Gayle and Mike's favorites was delicious. The owner is fast becoming one of their favorite people in this area.

I am getting my pictures organized and will post them in the blog under the “Photo Journal” tb, when I get it all figured out. This is the first real workout for my camera, so I am going through a learning curve. My pics will improve as time comes on.

We are two hours behind NC time.

Wednesday, Gayle and Mike are bringing me the three hours down to Placencia, and I am sure they will give me a good orientation. I certainly can expect the temps and humidity to be higher on the coast. They are going to take a snorkeling trip out of Hopkins, north of my place, on Weds and stay overnight before returning to the quaint town and area of San Ignacio.

This is starting out as one incredible “Bill's Excellent Adventure!” due to the friendship and guidance of my hosts, Mike and Gayle. I am slowing alclimating to the activity and culture of this unique country. There are a lot of Canadians here, especially with Spring vacation upon us. I imagine Placencia will be a beehive this week!

Tomorrow, we all havel ocal errands to run. I want to pick up a few extra shorts and shirsts, maybe a folding lounge chair since I started out light to save space and I wanted to buy what the locals wear that is seasonal. I also need to call Edwin, the caretaker for my Placencia home to make arrangements to haul me to the house by boat and guide me about getting power on, etc.

Wednesday G&M drive me to Placencia by mid morning, meet Edwin then go have lunch. G&M decided to go to Hopkins to snorkle and I have decided to get adjusted to my new place first. They will spend the night in Hopkins, go snorkeling then return home. The snorkeling trip is about $65 US with group to an dive location about 40 miles off shore.

M&G and my path will cross again around April 22 to go to the Chocolate Festival in Punta Gorda. This will be a three day event. By April 27^th, I will need to get to Independence to renew my Tourist Card for another month. (Costs $25 US per month for the first 6 months, then $50 US per month for the next 6 months. After 1 year on a Tourist Card you can apply for Belizean Residency for $1,000.)

BEA continues....!

The Countdown Begins in Ernest!

A lazy Sunday afternoon with six days to go...

I am living out of a backpack with most everything else is in storage. My son and daughter in law have taken my dining room table and chairs this morning and later in the week they will have my TV, Home Theater system and my lounge chair. The few remaining scraps of possessions I'll move to  storage by Friday.

I'm not actually stressed about it all, which is a tribute to the way I look at life these days, I just do what needs to be done today. Called my friends today in Belize to double check how and what I need to prepare for getting into the country through customs, as this is a really unfamiliar process for me. Gayle and Mike have several months experience in Belize now and help me tremendously to understand the "Belizean Way".

My son, Will, will take care of returning my Dish Network receiver, and receive all my meds mail order and ship them to me once every three months. So, just a few other minor loose ends which will work themselves out organically.

My two sons and my daughter in law treated me to one awesome dinner at Fleming's at Crabtree Valley Mall last night as a farewell send off. My youngest birthday will be April 17th, my other son and wife celebrate their third wedding anniversary on April 15th, so we just made it about celebrating our lives and the paths we each are on. The three of them were nicely dressed with Laura outdoing us guys of course (I only had blue jeans and a collared shirt and sweatshirt as everything else is in storage! Who really needs a nice suit in Belize anyway!) Fleming's is, well kind of expensive and most people dress really uptown. Instead of tearing into a $50+ steak, I chose a delicious lobster for half that. BTW, Placencia Village just finished their Lobsterfest. Darn. Well, there is next year's celebration to look forward to.

I will probably see most of you a year from now, but if you and/or a friend want to visit my area, I'll get to know the local tourist accommodations and eateries across from my canal and can advise you better as time goes on. So, just keep in touch! My place is going to be a little tight with one bedroom, but we can certainly have a cookout and sit a spell and talk, take in local snorkeling and charter a boat ride or two and see some amazing sites. I personally want to see The Great Blue Hole. For those more adventurous, there are a few small islands that lend themselves to backpackers, and a variety of Mayan Ruins to explore and diving with whale sharks.


P.S.  If any of my friends know of someone responsible to take over my spot in Clark's place just let him know. He decided to stay here and is looking for a new housemate.

The Chocolate Festival and Ordering and Shipping Medications

Medications
Well now...one of the biggest challenges I have had with this move has been how to keep myself stocked in my prescription medications. (Some may say I look younger than I am but my body says otherwise!)

First as a baseline, understand that Medicare nor the Humana supplement can work in Belize. Everybody recommends obtaining Traveler Medical Insurance so you can at least be evacuated from the country back to the US if I have a medical emergency, you know, if I decide to wrestle a Crocodile and lose.

First, the challenge of getting my meds at some reasonable cost:

I have talked to  the Placencia Pharmacy. Making substitutions for certain drugs to versions I can get there, my out of pocket cost (no prescription med coverage) was going to be almost $400/month! (choke) and this was not a perfect match to what my doc prescribed. For example, my siezure meds would cost me over $180/mo alone and the insulin would be a different type and dosage.

I had checked with  a couple of insurance companies about prescription coverage and only one would do it under a general travelers policy at $350/mo. (this would have provided for emergency evacuation back to the states for a medical emergency which could run as much as $10,000 to $25,000 (another ouch!)  Humana offered a policy that would only cover me for 60 days and it was not for meds, but outpatient and Inpatient care up to certain dollar limits.

So, I thought about mail order for my meds. Well, as it turns out Humana mail order service is only valid for in-US shipment...but, they can ship to my son who can then ship to me via USPS. Now were on to something...

So I signed up for their service and they will send me a three month supply for just shy of $200. I will reorder again every three months. My son will then have to ship it to Belize, which I estimate will be between $50 and $70.  So this will work. This will mean my monthly outlay will still be about what I pay now here in the US. (Yea!) Is there a downside? Yeap. My insulin will need to be shipped cold but they are not sure how long the cold bag is good for, so my son may have to repackage the insulin.

One other catch...if I read the USPS material correctly, they will only ship to one of about seven towns in Belize and, of course, Placencia is not one of them! The nearest one to me will be about an hour away (road trip!)

This was starting to worry me and it was one of the last major hurdles and reservations I had about making this trip. I will still be looking into medical evacuation coverage.

Chocolate Festival!
On a lighter note, my friends Gayle and Michael who live in Belize called me yesterday to see if I want to join them in a side trip to Punta Gorda for the annual Chocolate Festival!  You bet ya! So, they are making reservations in PG for the three day event in mid April! This is a real bonus for we are going to stop at the Belizean Zoo after they pick me up at Belize City on the 28th of March! We'll spend a night there and on to their place for a day or two before dropping me off at my place in Placencia.

(I love it when a plan comes together!)

Four weeks and counting!

My Dr. Wednesday reviewed the CDC recommendations for vaccines and immunizations. Took blood for checking my antibodies and got a Tetanus shot. He gave me two prescriptions for drugs to take orally for Typhoid and Malaria the entire time in Belize. The Malaria drug I start two weeks before leaving and continue taking four weeks upon return. Checking me for Hepatitis A & B antibodies. 

I have one more appointment scheduled about a week before leaving for a routine checkup.

The CDC has a neat app called Travwell for overseas travelers. Most of their medical data will download to phone, by the countries you plan on traveling to so you don't have to be connected to the cloud to see info. You can also keep a digital copy of your passport on the app as well as a variety of checklists and reminders useful while traveling.

Also, my rental agreement is final and I transferred the Security Deposit via bank transfer today.

Picked up a bunch of storage containers to begin the job of packing and moving things to storage.  Just need the snow to go away so I can get on with the move!


Now...about those crocodiles... :)

2/23/15 Wildlife in Placencia

Well...this is the reason I consider my trips "Bill's Excellent Adventure!" I asked my new landlady about reports I've read on crocodiles in the Placencia Lagoon. Now, you see this area is becoming quite a tourist area, and as you might expect, being in the tropics in Central America, there is going to be strange and wonderful creatures to behold.

Here is what she wrote to me...

"Yes, there are crocks in the canal and the lagoon but they are rarely seen, I have never seen one yet. I hear about them but would love to see one, not too close though! There are boa’s in the mangroves but there are no poisonous snakes on the Peninsula. There are scorpions and tarantulas, neither is too harmful, just give you a good sting. The tarantulas we do not kill, they are very docile and eat the scorpions which we do kill if we see them."

So, I would suppose if you have some romantic notion of watching sunsets or sunrises on a beach, or sitting on your dock at the edge of the canal, well, you might want to think twice and look thrice where you step or sit, especially while you get acclimated to the new surroundings! Thousands of people vacation these islands during the year and many live year round. If they were that problematic...

I have encountered both tarantulas (camp grounds near Jemez Pueblo, NM) and scorpions (white ones in the White Sands National Park in New Mexico) but BOA's and crocks will be a new experience!   

(P.S. reminder to self...travel the canal during day light hours! This is called situational awareness!)

Yes...it's going to be quite the adventure!