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...
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