Last day in Belize

Well, guess this is it....last day in Belize.

Did laundry today (the old fashioned way - pail and faucet and hand). Hope they dry because it's been cloudy today. 6 hours before sleep time, 7 if we stay up late (and that would be 10:37). We tend to sleep early here and wake up with the sun. And that's another flower in bloom. I'd better get my coconuts cracked open so I can drink some coconut water before we go.

Project #3 - Path thru Bush is now complete and a success. Nothing a chain saw and perseverance couldn't remedy. I took a walk thru it to make sure it was indeed a success and I must say, although it was hard work and very good work, I didn't get much enjoyment walking thru. I was too stubborn to put on my long pants so was worried about poison wood branches and leaves. Am waiting to see if I start itching soon! I was confident enough that Jacques was scaring any snakes off the track. Had to fight off little flying insects that swarm your face (thankfully only at the last stretch), and the ants were still managing to climb onto my feet and bite me. I was so happy to know I didn't have to backtrack and ended up almost at the top of our road. Jacques says it goes further but I'll just trust him. However, I'm sure if dressed appropriately, it will be a nice nature walk for some.

Well off to Mexico tomorrow and will spend a night in Playa. We're happy to be leaving because it means we're that much closer to returning. It is so nice here on the lagoon...we couldn't ask for anything more. So, now to anxiously await OUR house!!!

Signing off now. Thanks for tuning in. It's been a blast!

Just another great day

Took a drive with John out to Finca Solana to see Lou's house. Boy, it is going to be massive and gorgeous. He's a bit secluded (long road to get to his place) but nice property on the sea. We then drove out to Consejo and Mayan Seaside. Stopped by Perry and Mischelle's place and the boys were busy working.

Stopped into Miss June's for lunch and Victor was asking about his dance partner. Mom, he's waiting for you so better brush up on the dance moves.

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Check out my flower already in bloom!

This is an orchid found in our bushes.

Beware of the “Paper” hustle.

We can’t stop laughing about this one. Yesterday we stopped by a Chinese restaurant to buy take-out. While sitting in the car, a young man approached Jacques on his bicycle and started talking him up (first admiring his cowboy hat, then telling him he knows Bill from Four Mile lagoon and that he’s done work for Bill etc). So, he proceeds to say that he coaches a girl’s soccer team and that he plays for the Belize team and not only that, there is a big game tonight, Belize against Mexico, at the stadium. Then came the “can you donate $10 for a ball, Bill donated one too, and you absolutely must come to the game tonight, Bill’s coming too”. Also, he’d have my name printed on his jersey because of the donation. Jacques was very impressed that the team from Cancun (who were really good) were coming down to play. Gotta be an awesome game! So, yes we donated and off he rode on his bicycle. I must admit that when I saw him riding away with his jeans half off his bottom, I had my doubts (not to be stereotypical in any way though).

So, happy for a night out, we got up from our nap and dressed for a night of sucker (I mean, soccer). We drove past what we thought was the stadium and there were no lights on, so we asked for directions to any ball field. Again, lights are out. Well, yes we’re feeling duped now but let’s give Jose (as he calls himself) one more chance so we stopped and asked a local. At his confused and skeptical look at our big soccer game inquiry, Belize against Mexico!, it finally dawned on us so we just laughed, gave Jose a quick curse at his broad-face lie and drove away quickly before embarrassing ourselves any further.

So since it was Monday night (poker night at Jam Rock), we stopped by. We started to tell John, Dan and Rocky (bar owner) our story. The first thing John said was “is he a small guy riding a bicycle?” “That’s Paper!!!”. Apparently Paper as they nickname him is a well-known con man around town, and many have had their experience with him. And the stories they shared from Paper selling lobsters to another inmate while in jail (just a con, no lobster supplier), claiming rights to some coconut trees and selling the coconuts (these are the coconut trees infront of Jam Rock), promising to do mowing because he owned 4 lawn mowers (guy gave him a deposit and sat waiting and waiting for him to return with at least one lawn mower), and I’m sure there are many more. It was totally hilarious. But you gotta say, this Paper is ingenious. Rocky says if he used his talent to do something legitimate, he’d be very successful. Anyway, that was good $10 entertainment value if nothing else.

So, beware of Paper while in Corozal Town and if you’ve already been had, don’t worry, so have a lot of others. Just part of the Corozal initiation.

Would have had a pic to share, had there been a game! Forgot to ask what number he would be, but of course we'd recognize him because my name would have been on his jersey!

Happy Valentine's Day

Went to Jim's for a Valentine's get-together. Jacques I think, found his niche. It was a great time and great music! The guitar will definitely be coming down.

Fruit trees and flowers planting

Carlos and Jose came by to plant our trees and flowers. We have boganvillas (sp?) and hibuscus plants, mango, avocado, banana and almost trees. Oh yes, and an orchid on our tree. Sorry, Deb, no lychee tree to be found. And Mom, no scotch bonnet pepper plant yet. Lime tree to come.

Project #3 - Path thru Bush, has come to a halt. Carlos and Jacques took down a dead tree with the chain saw and it fell blocking the entrance to the bush. And it's a poison wood tree. So it's a defiinite project in distress.

But on to Project #4 - Clearing and burning dead trees etc around the property. Jose will come by tomorrow to assist for a day's pay. Jacques got a head start today. Here's a pic of him hauling the branches into the truck to cart them off to the other side of the property for burning. Do you notice how my little almond tree is trying to stay out of his way? Hmmm.....

Last purchase for this trip

We happened upon a store called Aventura Furniture while in town today. Although we weren't going to bother buying a sofa now (with one week to go), we just couldn't resist. The price was right and they fit the space perfectly.

Status update on Project #3 - Path thru bushes. Progressing well given resourcing limitations and constraints, short workdays, and anticipated interruptions (like time for breakfast). Difficult to assess work completed due to lack of markers (one tree looks like another). Project will be considered a success upon sight of any road other than the entrance to path. Estimated completion time is still to be determined due to lack of necessary tools (ie compass). No cost overruns.

Where the crowds are

Jacques spotted a store where there were line-ups of people (locals) so of course, this meant this was the place to check out. It turns out it is a tortilla factory. $1.25 BZD for 1 pound. There's no way we can eat a pound before tiring of it but we're going at it anyway.





Here is a pic of Jacques' Project #2. He said he had to give me instructions on how to operate it because it was a pretty sophisticated security system. I think it's pretty cool (and the sign is nicely centered too).

A 3 week vacation is not enough

I can't believe we'll be leaving next week. This feels like much too short a vacation.

Loreta and Bill invited us for dinner yesterday, and Earl and Gail. It was a wonderful meal (egg plant dip, crackers and cheese appetizers, green salad, shrimp risotto (sp?) and peaches, ice cream and brownie for dessert). Loreta is a good cook. See, you don't have to live on bully beef and cabbage here in Belize, although that dish is coming up real soon for Jacques and I.

Jacques is out doing his man-chore. He is putting up a chain out by the road. Not sure how much it will be used because the house build will be happening pretty soon after we leave. He is also going into the bush to carve out a walkway. Hmm..... how useful is that I wonder, but he's happy doing his man-chore so we'll leave it at that.

Jack is back!!!

Jacques is feeling much better today. First thing this morning he was walking around the property with a machette and shovel.....guess he was looking for some manly chores to do.

We went to Corozal Car Rentals to check the prices. It costs $75 USD/day (one day free if you rent for a week). For the more hardy trucks/SUVs it is $100. Chatted with Angel, the owner, for quite a while. It's always interesting to get info from the locals.

Did some exploring into the bushes trying to get to the other side of the lagoon. Not sure how far we got but I started to feel that the one-way road into the dense bushes was getting a bit too long . Would have taken a pic but my camera died.

We finally reached consensus with the house plans and John drew it up. I think it's going to look really nice. John had some lobster tails that Ena barbequed so we partook in that too. Was very delicious.

Hot day today

No breeze blowing today so it's hot. Swung in my hammock for a while but it was not nice without the breeze. Jacques is a bit under the weather....got an intestinal bug of some sort. Bought him some medicine at the pharmacy. It cost $3.50 BZD for 10 pills. Cheap eh?

Was sitting at the kitchen table this morning and heard some rustling in the tree by the window. Here was the view. Pretty awesome. If you love nature and being one with the earth, this is like heaven.

Someone who was visiting our place spotted this in the lagoon so she told us what to do with it and here it is. Ready to bloom too. I stuck it on the tree right beside the front door.

As a matter of fact she also spotted an orchid so I have to get someone to retrieve it but they will have to chainsaw it from the rest of the tree (which is dead anyway). It's called "lady of the night". She also showed us that we had some lillies growing also. Nice when you know what to look for.

Pics

Our truck. Getting insurance in town.

Bedroom view.

Our new patio set.

Drawing the house plan.

Project #1 - bridge to Earl and Gail. Carlos, Jose and Foreman Jacques.

One big blog entry

Not my usual blogging style but had internet limitations. So here is one big blog for the first week in Belize.

Sat Jan 30 - Our first day

Full day of travel

Brief synopsis to keep you from getting bored:

Flight from Toronto 6am

1 ½ hour layover in Washington DC

Flight from Washington 9am

Bus from Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen 1:05 pm - approx 1 hour (106 pesos each)

Taxi to north bus terminal – 5 minutes (30 pesos)

2 hr layover in Playa

Bus to Chetumal 4:35 pm – 4 ½ hours (214 pesos each)

Taxi to Princess Casino in Belize – 20 minutes with stop at border to depart Mexico - 150 pesos (12.5 pesos to 1 USD). Mexico exit & entry fee (can't recall how much).

Belize transfers shuttle (Henry) to Corozal 9:30 pm - $25 USD

Arrive 10pm (11 pm Toronto time) at Jim and Melanie’s house

John told us that there is a small plane that will take you from Cancun to Chetumal for USD $100 so that is a consideration if the above seems too long and complicated. They only fly Tues and Thurs.

Sunday

Got handed the keys to our new truck. It’s a silver Nissan Frontier and it drives nicely. We’re very happy with it and our decision to buy it so we’d have our own transportation on this trip.

We visited our neighbours Gail and Earl and got the keys to our house (I call it our house from now on until Mom decides to come down and claim rights and until we get our own house built). It is bigger and nicer than the pictures show, so we’re very pleased with the size and finishings. It is definitely a success especially considering that it was all done without us being here.

Prepare for your first time learning experience. Here's mine.

I had an old cell phone which I unlocked in Canada to prepare for use in Belize. So, getting ready to go buy a SIM card for it, I realized it wasn't there. My guess is that it got stolen in Mexico at the bus terminal because we checked our luggage so we could go have lunch at HC, the best beef place in Playa. Anyway, I also carried my regular cell phone with me so figured I might as well unlock it and use it here. That cost me $44 USD at White Saffire. The alternative was to buy a phone for $60 USD. So I figured I made a wise decision. Well, not long after I realize I didn’t bring a charger for that phone (didn’t think I’d need it). So, down to one bar of battery life, I decided to buy a charger in town. Well, no chargers to be found for that phone, so I ended up having to rent a phone! Lucky for us and because Carlos took us to this shop, Dave the owner offered to rent us a phone for $15 USD for the remainder of our stay. We could also have bought a used phone for $30 USD from Dave. But all’s well that ends well ....then we stepped outside to see our parking ticket ($25 BZD) for parking too close to the corner. So off to the Civic Centre again (some may recall our parking ticket in May - but in our defense it was a different parking violation). I pleaded foreigner ignorance again but this time I threw in my most innocent look. Neither worked. Third time might be the charm.

Monday

Bought some essentials like a bed, fridge, stove, dining table, microwave and a toaster from Courts which will be delivered on Wed. So that’s the first night in our new place.

Tuesday

Drove to Orange walk to do some shopping (about an hour away). Had some really good curry chicken at a chinese restaurant. Oh, and picked up a few household items but nothing major.

Wednesday

Our appliances and furniture got delivered 4 hours later than promised but at least it arrived because we had already moved out of Jim’s place. They were nice enough to set up our bed because we have no tools.

Bought a hammock from a vendor who drove up to Jim’s house and was selling out of his van. We got him down from $200 BZD to $140 BZD and it’s a good, well made hammock. We got some hammock hooks set up under our house so already enjoyed the swinging. The hooks are a little too low so when Jacques and I get in together we’re about a foot off the ground. Oh well, guess we’ll do one at a time.

Thursday

Our first night here was wonderful…..gentle breeze all night….and nice, quiet and peaceful. When we woke up, we sat up in bed and saw the sun rise over the lagoon. Truly magnificent.

Took care of all the necessary steps to put the truck in our name and get insurance. Third party liability insurance is $270 BZD a year. Sure beats car insurance rates in Canada. We can also suspend the insurance while we’re not here.

Painted our electrical post up by the road a blue stripe so people can find us. Hope BEL does not object. Went over to John to draw up a new design for our house (again). We think this one is finally it! John loaned us his ipod stereo which was really a god-send because it is very quiet without a TV or radio. We also borrowed some DVDs that we can watch on the computer. We’re saving that for another day. Tonight was a night for music.

Bought one frying pan today so I cooked my first meal, chicken with sweet potatoes (not together).

Friday

Drove into Belize City to shop for a fouton. Nowhere seems to have any at the moment so it seems it might be best just to have one built. Instead though, we picked up a plastic wicker patio set which will eventually be moved to our real house. We got it from Mirab’s but I think we overpaid. However, it is very nice so it is what it is.

Saturday

Carlos and Jose are building a bridge and gate to Gail and Earl’s house today. They cut down trees on the property and in the adjoining property deep into the bushes which was difficult. It looks good and fits with the terrain. Jacques’ first project and he’s in his element.

Jacques and I painted some signs – one for the poison wood tree that is just beside the house. The locals tell us to cut it down because if you’re allergic it’s a pretty awful burn/rash. We’ll leave it unless it becomes a problem for anyone. It should only cause a problem if you get the sap on your skin.

Took John and Ena to dinner at RD’s then went to Jam Rock then Hailey’s (both are bars and Jam Rock was playing Bob Marley music as tribute to his birthday). On Sunday Jam Rock will be showing the superbowl using John’s projector and big screen on the wall. Maybe we will invest on one of these projectors. Had a great night!

Sunday

Carlos and Jose were here before we were up this morning, hammering away. The bridge and gate are finished so the next project is the gate the roadway so people don’t come in to fish in the lagoon. We’ve turned away 3 vehicles since we’ve been here.

We’ve made a decision to start our house build. See what happens when you get here and the excitement gets to you. I know if you’ve been following our plans we have changed the plan a million times in regards to house design, schedule of the build, guesthouses, restaurant etc. So stay tuned lol. After seeing Pip and Jason’s house, we were going to go with an adobe style house but were cautioned against a flat roof because of the heat. So we came up with another house design! Poor John….but this one is it! John can start in March and finish by July. We will choose the tiles, the roof and house colour while we’re here. We will also visit the cabinet maker and decide on a cupboard style and colour. So, we’ll be here sooner than originally planned!

It truly is lovely here. We love waking up and looking at the lagoon and the trees and the sunrise before we even get out of bed or laying in bed and looking up at the stars at night. It is serene and beautiful! Priceless! Mom is going to love it here (I’m going to work on getting her here sooner).

Tomorrow, Gail and Earl are having the plant vendors over at their place so I’ve ordered a mango tree. Will buy a lime tree, banana trees and avocado trees from Carlos and get them all planed before we leave.

Introducing Paloma Pacifica

Mom named her little blue house, Paloma Pacifica, which means Peaceful Dove. So like her eh?
And she calls it her castle so please be mindful lol.

John did a great job choosing our tiles and cabinets. We love it!

I have to say, everything went smoothly....and we're VERY happy that all this could have been done without us being there. Much thanks to John and the boys!!!! See ya soon!

The time has finally come for us to return

On Jan 30th, we'll be on our way to Corozal. It will be an all day journey as we're going through Cancun. Just hope the bus schedules, taxis, and transportation to Corozal all work together to get us there before nightfall.

We have a little blue house to furnish. Will post a pic when I get one.

We hope to see everyone again!