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.