Wednesday, May 27, 2015

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.


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