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!