And I swear to you...this is where we were! They look like fake pictures - but I swear they are not!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Halloween Lunch on the Beach
We went to the beach with Bobby and Jan to have lunch at the Cozy Corner. It was really good food! And they had fresh squeezed juice (lime, pineapple, orange, watermelon). I, of course, fortified mine with coconut rum. YUMMY! The fresh lime juice with coconut rum is also very delicious!
And I swear to you...this is where we were! They look like fake pictures - but I swear they are not!
I had to share!
And I swear to you...this is where we were! They look like fake pictures - but I swear they are not!
The Big Halloween Party at BBB! October 30, 2010:
The Big Halloween Party at BBB! October 30, 2010 :
Out till again! Us old folks can’t take much of this! =) We had a blast!
First Bobby, Jan, Gerald and I ended up going to the Pickled Parrot for a bite to eat. What a cute little place tucked away off the main street and great food! Lucky for us that Bobby and Jan have tested most of the restaurants here and we can rely on their recommendations! After dinner, we headed over to Paradise Resort. There was only supposed to be a few of us, but ended up several people showing up and a party was born! Gerald played his backpacker guitar and it sounded pretty good. Everyone had a great time! I think Alan is looking forward to Monday when Gerald is supposed to play officially (unofficially). There may even be a couple other people show up we heard – don’t know who – but it sounds like it’s going to be a jam session!. (any of you guys want to come down and join?)
Then we headed over to the BBB and saw Patty and Jane (more of our neighbors) and other people we have met here! Sandy was dressed as a “Bird of Paradise”!
(Sandy)
(Patty & Jane)
(Us!)
(Brenda)
FUN! FUN! FUN! It even poured for a while, but everyone crammed on the dance floor so it was all good! We finally wore ourselves out and headed back home. You know you’re getting old when you leave and the young ones are just coming in! =)
Gosh, I slept in till ! Better get up to finish my Rice-N-Beans! The beans are definitely done, but without having Minute Rice, I need to check on the proper way to cook the rice! For this recipe, you cook the rice in coconut milk. Sounds strange, but good. So I gotta try it! I’ll post the recipe in case you want to try too! (See Tips & Things to Do page) But the locals say you have to get the dried coconut milk, not liquid, it's better.
Gerald learns a new song this morning (Where the Boat Leaves From, Zach Brown Band) as requested by Sandy
We’re going to relax and pool-it today and then go into town this afternoon with Bobby and Jan. They have to leave tomorrow =( so they want to pick up some last minute stuff! We will miss them and wish they could stay to meet Bob and Judy – but I don’t know that the little town of Placencia
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Halloween Eve! October 30, 2010
Ok…what in the world? I wake up with a bite on the bottom of my foot! THE BOTTOM OF MY FOOT! Really? Seriously? What do I have to do to keep these critters away? Catch my self on fire? I look like I have a bizarre skin disease with all these little red bumps! We are going into town later this morning and I’m going to find something…like tar if I have to… to put on to keep these darned things off me!
Gerald wants a haircut too, so we head into town to Karel’s Barbershop. $5 for a haircut. Excellent! We then head to the pharmacy (which closes at ) to see if they have anything. She talks me into some homemade concoction called “Sand Fly Bye-Bye.” It’s $11 usd for about 2.0 ounces , but I don’t care as long as it works, plus it’s made here in Belize – they probably know what they are talking about – either that or it is a ruse to sucker tourists... I’ll let you know how it works tonight! It smells like I fell into one of the vats at a citronella oil factory! It’s not gonna mix well with my Chanel No. 5, but again, I don’t care as long as it works!
We go into Wallen’s Grocery to get dried Coconut Milk (I’m going to make me some of the Belizean Rice and Beans that sound so good). Some very nice lady helped me find it and gave me some good pointers on making it! (Wish me luck!) We also got some Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters. Kenny (the caretaker’s son) may stop by…that’s 1 more than we get at our house! (start the betting on how much candy I bought!) We go to the Chinese store to get shrimp for Gerald to fish, and then stop at the veggie van to get eggs and potatoes.
We come back to the condo and Percy and Alan are there charging the bedroom air conditioners. They get to talking and Gerald asks if he can play music one night. Of course he agrees (it’s free) and we decide to set something up for next week and maybe even have a jam session with some of the locals that Percy knows too. We understand that one of the members of Three Dog Night stays here in Placencia. Wouldn’t that be fun if he stopped by?!
We decide to head out to the pool and I quick rinse and throw the black beans in the crock pot for tomorrow’s dinner (I can't wait).
Barefoot Beach Bar is having a big Halloween party tonight, and we are going with Bobby and Jan to have dinner and fun. But Gerald brought his guitar out at the pool this afternoon and sang a few songs, so now Bobby wants to set up something tonight!
(Francisco, Gerald & Bobby at the pool)
So, we’ll head to the Paradise Resort for dinner and a few songs and then maybe head to the BBB. I’ll try to video some and post – but I didn’t have good luck with that the other day! I’ll let you know how it goes tonight. (with the anti-bug juice and otherwise!)
Also...keeping an eye out on "Tomas." That's gonna be a BIG one! ...everybody blow really really hard and long at the same time towards the south/southwest to keep that big sucker down in the Atlantic and away from us here! (my purse supplies are running low! =)
LOVE YA ALL AND THANKS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS! I LOVE READING THEM AND KNOWING SOMEONE BESIDES ME IS READING THEM!
October 29, 2010 - Post #2
Bobby came by this afternoon to see if Gerald could come out to play, but he was taking a nap…so he couldn’t! =) Ok. What he really wanted was to tell Gerald that there was a poker game down the road tonight, and to see if he wanted to play. We ate dinner and got ready to go. As we left the condo, a “limo” came to pick us up. And by limo, I mean Bobby and Jan in their golf cart! (Yay! We didn’t have to walk in the dark!) We headed down the road to
Before we left to come back home, it started to rain again! Unfortunately we had left the windows down in the back seat of the golf cart (har!)…needless to say, Gerald and I got soaked! We were standing on the back, faced forward, riding down the lane water pouring from the top of the cart, and out of the sky! It felt like we were water skiing! Bobby and Jan got soaked too because there is no windshield on this cart! Of course, we laughed until it started to lightning! Then, as if it weren’t bad enough, apparently we were out past curfew, because the gate to the condos was closed and locked! Luckily Gerald remembered the combination but it was a strange lock and not easy to figure out where to line up the numbers. So there we were standing in the pouring rain fumbling around trying to get the lock open! Plus it was dark, and even though there was a street light, you couldn’t see (mostly because of the rain pouring down our faces). Guess who had a flashlight? THAT’S RIGHT! ME! IN MY PURSE! =) It seemed like it took forever, but we finally got home, and were just dripping wet!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Another Day in Paradise ... Again!
Nothing much to report this morning. Got up early – as has become usual lately. (What is it about sand, palm trees and humidity that make you want to get up early?) Slathered some anti-itch cream on the bug bites, and doused myself with Deet to try and keep the new ones at bay. Anyway, it started to rain last night, and has rained off and on until now (). So no doin' the Hokey Pokey till the weather clears!
A strange thing happened. I got a visit from some ladies this morning. They came down all the way to the point and moseyed up to the fence. Obviously we could see each other. Then she started to walk up and said hello. She asked for a drink of water. So I gave it to her. When I brought it outside, her mother was there too. So I gave a glass of water to her as well. So after some conversation it seems they are "vendors" trying to hock their wears. They are from Punta Gorda! That is WAY south of here! They make jewelry, baskets etc. Broke my heart. But I didn't buy anything. (yeah...go ahead and pick yourself up off the floor...I didn't buy anything!) I've never had anyone come to my house to hock anything like that (except Tupperware and Candlelight and those companies). They can snif a sucker out! Boy am I in trouble!
Currently I’m trying to upload some pictures, listening to Jimmy Buffet and making potato salad. What else do you do in paradise? =)
A strange thing happened. I got a visit from some ladies this morning. They came down all the way to the point and moseyed up to the fence. Obviously we could see each other. Then she started to walk up and said hello. She asked for a drink of water. So I gave it to her. When I brought it outside, her mother was there too. So I gave a glass of water to her as well. So after some conversation it seems they are "vendors" trying to hock their wears. They are from Punta Gorda! That is WAY south of here! They make jewelry, baskets etc. Broke my heart. But I didn't buy anything. (yeah...go ahead and pick yourself up off the floor...I didn't buy anything!) I've never had anyone come to my house to hock anything like that (except Tupperware and Candlelight and those companies). They can snif a sucker out! Boy am I in trouble!
Currently I’m trying to upload some pictures, listening to Jimmy Buffet and making potato salad. What else do you do in paradise? =)
Oh…and I think I found a place for Stupy’s! YEAH GIRLS!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Exploring the Town of Placencia - Updated
We tooled around town…in a golf cart! How big do you think this town is? Exactly…not very. And it’s spread out! We could have walked it I suppose, but I wanted to be able to have a “speedy” get away if we got someplace we didn’t want to be. (I run like a sissy, but like this golf cart would outrun a 2 year old?!) Plus, I’m not in shape, and I worried more about getting back than getting there!
Anyway, it was interesting. As you can imagine, there are a lot of poor people living in box shaped wooden houses – which is pretty much indicative of the tropics/Caribbean. You don’t need much, and who cares when you have this view!? Most are high off the ground (on stilts/piers) and it reminds me of the river cabin we used to have. So if you want to know what it’s like here, go up to Foley in August, make a right at the flashing red light (careful of your speed and make a FULL stop) and head to the little river town at the Mississippi. Then imagine some palm trees, tropical plants, sand (not mud) and beautiful clear water that you can see through and …. LOOK you’re in Belize
Gerald is hungry so we stop off at the Barefoot Beach Bar. Looks like a cute little place and we’ve been told they have music. We stop in to get a bite to eat and a drink. I bet it would be a fun place, and Gerald’s burger was not bad. (Remember, beef in the Caribbean is not like beef at home).
We drive almost all the way up to the airport. It feels strange driving (legally) on a paved road with a golf cart! We head down side roads to look at the “For Sale” properties. (I feel kinda creepy snooping around like this!) Some places need a little work, some need lots of work. Hard to say where the best place is at this point. You could have a multi-million dollar place next to a $2,000 shack or mobile home. And yes, there is an Airstream camper down the street from us. Plus we’ve seen a Winnebago and few mobile homes. A real estate agent was here the other day showing a couple the condo’s at Sunset Pointe to rent long term, and he gave us his business card. Might be worth it to talk to him and have him show us around.
We also figure we would stop at the other grocery stores to see what they have. They are a little bigger than Wallen’s Store, and we are on a quest to find ranch dressing. We had made a salad the other night and could only find French dressing, which is not our favorite and it sucked. I’m going to start carrying Ranch dressing packets in my purse…
We drive by the Post Office and Social Security Office. This is what they all should look like! No wasting government money here!
I’m taking pictures with my water camera and when we get out of the cart to go into the grocery store, I notice that I don’t see the micro-disk adapter that was in the case. I look around and discover I’ve dropped it somewhere! Oh no! We go back a few streets, and give up. I brought another one with me (did you have doubts?)
We want to take a look at the main street we’ve read about here which is by the beach. We park the cart and head in. It’s basically a sidewalk with shops on either side of it with small hotels, hostels, rooms to rent, bars, restaurants and little shops selling local items. It’s pretty vacant because it’s the slow season and most just close down. It should pick up the first of November. There is some neat homemade jewelry (of course you know I spotted that!) and a young man wants to sell me some conch shells. They are actually beautiful, in perfect shape and I would love to buy them, but I don’t think you are supposed to bring them home…so I pass (you know difficult that was for me?). We walk all the way down to the end, then back up to the cart. My hips are killing me and I’m glad we got the cart!
I was looking forward to stopping by the veggie/fruit stand on the way back to pick up some more kiwi, papaya and bananas…but they aren’t there! BUMMER! =(
Gerald wants to stop and get some ice cream before we head home, and some shrimp for fishing. It ain’t Baskin Robbins, but it’s pretty good – made with Soy milk. A little boy picked up his sister at daycare and wants to know if we can give him a ride. I suppose this is one hitchhiker we shouldn’t worry about. Home James…..
I’m up. !! What tha…? Oh well. I did go to bed at 7 last night! =) (couldn’t keep my eyes open!) Gerald and I are going to go grocery shopping this morning before we have to take the golf cart back. Then we are going to take a trip on the Hokey Pokey across the lagoon (you keep your right arm in, you keep your left arm in….) hehe… We have to check out the immigration office over there to get an extension on our visa’s since we will be here more than 30 days. Gotta line the pockets of the bureaucrats you know…just like home!
Gerald is complaining to me that I’m not posting any of the pictures of me that he takes. Really? Well, if he would stop taking awful pictures of me at the most inopportune times…maybe I would! Seriously! I realize those moments are few and far between (if ever actually) but there are a few seconds right after I shower and dress that might be good! Because within about 3 seconds of hitting the humidity and slapping on the skeeter repellent (that rarely works) it’s all out the window!
Speaking of skeeter repellent, I found a container of Cutter Backwoods Mosquito Wipes (…in my purse). I used it yesterday and don’t think I got bothered! They stink awful, although they are supposed to be unscented, but who cares if the bugs are staying off me! They have the highest amount of Deet than the others so I’m on another quest today to find more! Those other nice smelling repellents (Off) just don’t cut the mustard – and in fact, I’m pretty sure they draw them in! Probably got some sort of skeeter pheromones in it! My only other alternative is to not bathe for a week or two and build up a good crust that the bugs can’t penetrate. Bob and Judy, you may want to bring air freshener.
Since Gerald can’t e-mail…he wants me to tell everyone at Pundmann Ford and the guys (& Barb) in the body shop a big HELLO!!
Have pictures to post, but it takes a long time, so I’ll try to get them up tonight.
UPDATE:
Off to the “big” grocery store! Disappointment. It’s not big at all. (except it has full bags of potato chips – my favorite vegetable). In fact, we end up stopping at 4 different stores to get all the stuff we want. Keeping in mind that things are local, so they are sold in plastic bags, not hermetically sealed. It’s something you just have to get used to, or starve I guess. I figure if I fry it, it should kill any germs. And you know I love the fried stuff!
Luckily the veggie/fruit market (van) is there…so we also stop by and pick up some cabbage, a papaya more nanners (6 for .50 cents) and a celery stalk (you can buy just a stalk!!!) so I can make some potato salad. The meat … well…I think we’ll have to live here a little longer to acquire a taste for it. We’re going vegetarian for now! (except the chicken is ok – Gerald hasn’t caught enough fish to try that yet)
We drop our things off and get ready to head to the Hokey Pokey for the trip to Independence Paradise to return the cart and Shelton
We met the neighbors for dinner. The one-man-band (which consisted of 2 guys) was not very good. We just came back home…and Gerald and Bobby went fishing again…it rained on them.
Oh…and in classic Tina style…I’ve had to hide things in the condo, because there is no safe here. Once again, I hid some of it from myself. I know, I know. Call me MAMAW! (I did find it fairly quickly though! – thank gawd!)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Just Another Day in Paradise
I’m eaten up with bites. I’m surprised I have blood left. Will nothing stop them? Do I really want to live here?!?!?! At least we have electric again…so we can run the fans and blow them away.
Nothing new to report so far today. I bought a coconut cake last night (didn't turnout to be what I thought or wanted). Gerald is going to loose 50 lbs and I’m going to gain it! How is that fair? =)
Played at the pool a little while (don’t want to get burned…have plenty of time to tan). Got a nap in too. A little bit of fishing! It was a good day!
Good morning! We’ve been here a week and haven’t done much yet really. Of course 3 of that was preparing and recovering from “Richard” and 1-2 was cleaning. Seems like we have been here longer. Gerald and I are talking about renting a golf cart today and tooling around town.
I’ll try to post more pictures today. Happy Wednesday!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Riding the Storm Out
Riding the Storm out.
NOTE: Since I couldn’t post, this one will consist of a litany of thoughts and happenings over the course of the last couple of days. I just wrote as it happened. Hopefully you can follow.
Sunday - October 24, 2010
They came early to board up the outside French doors – about . It’s dark in here! I think Gerald and I will be catching up on the napping for sure! It looks now as if the worst of it is going to be northern Belize
The locals are pulling their boats up on shore so it sort of looks like a storm has been here pushing everything on land already! It will be interesting to see how they push these big ones back into the water!
Last night coming home from town, we stopped at Yoli’s a little palapa bar that sits over the water. There is some great furniture that looks like it has been made from wood remnants found after a storm. But there is concern it may not last if the water is rough. The last storm that came through already sucked some of the sand out from underneath one of the concrete pillars, so it tilts on the one end. I thought they did it on purpose…to let the rain drain off…or to mess with the drunks! (it’s an idea I’m putting on the list for Stupies!) We sat and ordered a pineapple juice and coconut rum drink…which they call “Ponti Rippah”. The way they make them there…I’d say it’s more of a “Head Rippah”…cause you are going to fall down and bust your noggin if you drink a few of these! (or they may just make them strong for the girls!) hmmmm?
After the 1 Ponti Rippah, we head back. We meet a lady that we had seen while we were going into Yoli’s and she was leaving. Her name is Brenda. She was very friendly and apparently fixes food and sells it – sort of a street vendor out of her house (very common here for the locals to cook for tourists and even some of the locals). She gave us 2 chicken tamales. They were very tasty – made with the whole chicken wing inside! Good thing I didn’t just chomp into it! She also makes macaroons, lemon and coconut tarts and cakes. We’re going back later this morning to pick up some macaroons. Might as well have some sweets to ride out this storm!
I forgot to mention yesterday that when we were in town to get shrimp for Gerald to fish with, a little boy came riding his bike by the golf cart, and made a quick left turn - racing around in a circle showing off a little. The seat of his bike fell off…the seat was a coconut husk! Ride careful young man!
We also found out that Royal Caribbean wants to come into Placencia and build a large dock etc. The locals don’t want it at all. And they are probably right in saying so. They had a big meeting in the open ball field and I hear it was not pretty. Some wanted to go see the fireworks…but we stayed home.
Waiting for this storm to pass is boring! We’ve walked (not biked) to town twice. It’s only a little breezy and rains occasionally. I suppose it will wait until to do the worst! Figures.
We visited the neighbors, Bobby and Jan, this afternoon. Their place is very nicely decorated. I wanted to rent their place initially, but it wasn’t available for the full time we are here.
But I got the macaroons! They aren’t exactly like what I envisioned, more like a soft granola…but yummy! They are made with fresh coconut and raw sugar. Just like candy. Perfect for me! =)
Gerald is fishing again. Guess I’ll make another Rippah and take a nap!
Didn’t get a nap. The wind is picking up, but not much, and the electricity went out. Reminds me of when we first moved to Winfield in 1987…anytime the wind blew…we lost power! No internet either…so no contact to the outside world. I have my phone…so I can use it if I need to.
We go to bed at . What else are you going to do? I had a candle burning…which only made heat, and I didn’t want to waste the flashlight batteries…god knows how long we will be without power!
Monday - October 25, 2010 – :
It was a restless night. Not because of the noise…there was hardly any. It was because it was so hot since we had the doors closed, so there was no air movement, and the mosquitoes and no-see-ums were looking for a place to shelter (which unfortunately was in our condo) and they were in full force!
We took a look outside. If you didn’t know there was a hurricane that came through last night…you wouldn’t know anything happened at all. It’s a beautiful morning. No debris anywhere here. The only sign of something odd is we have no electricity…which means no running water. But you can have that at any given time in the tropics. Luckily, the water is from a cistern which is gravity fed from the main line. We can get water from the spigot if we run out of what we have in the condo. We also have a gas stove…so I was able to make coffee this morning. It was camp style, but if you’re a coffee drinker, you don’t care as long as you get coffee. It’s so strong it can walk to you, but hey, it’s coffee!
Gerald ate a banana for breakfast. I could cook on the stove, but I don’t want to open the fridge so we can keep the food cold longer. I told you he would lose weight. I also brought those Wisp toothbrush things, so we are able to brush the mung off our teeth without using water. The fridge doesn’t seem to want to shut and everything is sweating. Nice.
We sit and enjoy (sort of) our coffee and take in the scenery. The only noise is the generator running from the house down the street. Should have put one of those in my purse before I left…
Gerald’s gone fishing again. They actually caught several last night in the rain. We’ve seen several jumping in the water this morning so I’m sure he got the itch to fish! They were calling to him I’m sure!
I got a feeling it’s going to be a long hot day. There is NO wind at all right now...and the sun is shining bright as can be. Better put another layer of deodorant on!
The guys are trying to get the boat back in the water. 9 men and a boy. Comedy!
I’ve worn a blister in my hand from sweeping. Just what I need … a place to invite infection. Bandaid and Polysporin to the rescue…which you know I have in my purse. But I’m sweating too much and my bandages won’t stick! ARGH!
Gerald heard that the entire country of Belize
My phone is low on power, so I think I’ll turn it off to conserve it for an emergency. I’ll text Judy so she can let everyone know we’re ok.
Guess I’ll help Francisco get out the pool furniture and straighten up. We all help and it goes fast. We contemplate that there is no water in the lines to the condos, so no baths…and the pool looks inviting…especially since it is so hot. Everyone agrees, except there is no electricity, which means the pump isn’t on, which means it’s just a bunch of people soaking in a large tub. EW! I can’t get in, so I guess I’ll just sit here and sweat. Maybe if I stop moving I’ll cool off, so I decide I’ll sit and read my book. I now understand why they move slowly in the tropics!
Gerald comes in and says he is starving (told ya!) but I don’t want to heat up the kitchen anymore than I have to. So I wrap a couple of tortillas and cheese in foil and set them in the sun – it’s hot enough to melt it for sure! I could probably fry an egg! It gives me another idea for dinner…so I clean some potatoes, slice them with onion, garlic, a little butter, S&P and seal them in foil. Sounds good anyway. Wonder if I’ll have cooked food by the end of the week?
Gerald is having fun with all the neighbors in the giant “tub.” He comes over looking for the cheese tortillas I made to take back with him. I only made a couple. So…I get the skillets out and make a couple dozen more. He takes them to the tub party…I mean pool party, along with the guacamole I made, and they apparently enjoy them. None came back anyway!
Have to keep an eye out on my potatoes…the birds are pecking on the foil trying to get in it! SHOO BIRDS! OR YOU WILL BE NEXT ON MY DINNER PLATE!
I start thinking about things I should do to get ready in case we don’t get power back on for a few days. How to conserve water, what to cook, how to preserve the food we have. I realize I’m a lot more like my brother than I thought! Be prepared. Think ahead. (but I’m not hiding in any bushes…I can tell you that right now! =)
4:36pm.... YAY!!!!! THE ELECTRIC IS ON!!!! ALL IS GOOD WITH THE WORLD NOW! I CAN BATHE AND SHAVE MY LEGS!
Electricity off again. =(
Electricity on! =)
Electricity off. =(
Electricity on! =)
Common! Really?
Off.
On. And for an extended time. I take advantage and take a shower. Ah…to be clean and smell the wonderful scent of Dove soap…which is quickly overpowered by the smell of Deep Woods Off! (with Deet of course)
My potatoes aren’t done yet…go figure…so I throw them in a frying pan. I’m sure they will taste just as good. But it was a fun idea!
Gerald is back. He's done playing at the pool party and says everyone wants to go out to eat…(sigh…)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
October 23, 2010 - Post #2
Great. Richard is most likely going to be a hurricane when it hits – probably just a category #1 though. You would hardly know it now…except for the hammering you hear from some of the locals putting up plywood over windows. Gerald and I decided we would take a walk up town to look at the scenery – which may not be there on Monday! We stopped for a beverage at Paradise Resort and discuss water levels, the building structure etc.!
We (meaning I) decide it might be fun to ride bikes instead of walk – but I have a skirt on. I think it might be ok…but I’m wrong. So I tell Gerald we have to go back to the condo so I can put some shorts on.
Ok. It’s been about a hundred years since I have been on a bike. Plus the bike is huge – made for tall people…not short people, and I can barely get my leg flung over the seat without showing everything to everybody! Truly a U-Tube moment. But I get started and I look like a drunken sailor riding a bike down the road. I hear groaning behind me. It’s Gerald. He’s having “fun” too. Mind you, the roads are not flat or paved, they are dirt roads with big rocks and monster holes. My legs are killing me and I’ve barely peddled 10 feet . A little boy flies past me on his tiny bike, and I want to push him over for being so agile and showing me up, but I resist. It’s not his fault I’m a sloth and have no coordination to ride this bike semi-normally. Blast.
We get to the room, I change shorts, Gerald and I exchange bikes…his is too tall. I definitely can’t get my leg over this one. Good thing I changed, or my skirt would have been up around my neck! This one is so tall, I can’t even touch the ground and have to start by standing on the pedals. But I get going again – and it feels a little better now, but my legs are killing me again. I hear groaning behind me. It’s Gerald. He is not having fun. We drop the bikes back off at Paradise …and decide to walk. Next time we go to town, we’ll get a golf cart.
Will keep you posted on the hurricane. If internet goes down, you may not hear from us for a couple of days. We have our cell phones and can call. Love to everyone!
October 21 - 23
I bought fruit as well, so I should be fine. Gerald is another story. If you know him, he is picky. Hard to shop here for him. Although, he did eat lobster and shrimp ceviche last night. I told him it was chicken! =)
It was delicious Рbut a little too spicy for us. Sheldon said he would lighten up on the jalape̱os next time! Next time? HA!
The caretaker here, Francisco, said he would take Gerald fishing soon so maybe we’ll have some fresh fish to eat! Pictures of the big “whale” he hopes to catch will be posted of course!
Today promises to be a good day. The sun is actually shining. Hopefully Tropical Storm Richard will just keep to himself over by Honduras
Out on the Palapa it’s absolutely gorgeous. Sun shinning. Quiet. A nice steady breeze. I’m looking forward to taking a nap out here! On the way back to the condo, we spot a stingray in the mangroves. He must have found something, because he was stirring up the bottom. (hope you can see him in the pictures!)
Gerald makes breakfast. Bacon, egg and cheese sa’mich. Mmmm. I have to remind him to break the eggs in a cup first. These are brown country eggs…I don’t want a fried chicken sa’mich. I cut up the papaya and kiwi we got at the roadside stand and eyeball the pineapple. I’ll cut it up tomorrow. Unfortunately, we just missed the mango season, but the avocados are huge… and I can’t wait to eat my first one!
We decide to take advantage of the sun today and head out to the pool. We meet another couple, Jan & Bobby) who have been here for a few weeks. They have already done a lot of the touristy things, so we soak up the information. Bob and Judy are coming in November, and we will try to do some of those things with them. Always better to do things with friends than alone!
Bobby says that he and Francisco are going fishing tonight and invite Gerald. (He’s in heaven!). After a few hours in the sun, we head back in to clean up. We have to walk up to Paradise to get Gerald a fishing pole for tonight! (The owners of our condo also own Paradise Resort. We get to use all their facilities, including fishing poles, equipment and boats. For our first time here I thought it was a good idea to have the extra amenities). Luckily Sheldon and Alan are down this way working on a boat and they give us a ride on their golf cart to the resort to get the fishing equipment.
We get to the equipment shack and most of these lures are gi-normous! What size fish are we talking about here? We better tie the rod to the dock or we’ll be yanked and drug out to sea! (a scene from Jaws enters my mind! da-dun…da-dun…da-dun…da-da-dun!) Sheldon doesn’t set us up with the big stuff though (thank gawd!) but it’s still a large hook. He also takes us to get shrimp for bait. Apparently the fish love it. If nothing, we can have shrimp scampi for dinner!
We saw some big moon jellyfish in the canal too. They are as big around as a large dinner plate…really cool to watch them waft in the water looking for food! I see a little crab that got a hold of one and he is having a feast! Guess we won’t be swimming in the water there!
Threats of Richard becoming a hurricane have everyone on alert. Most times these pass by, so they will pay close attention to the forecast and plan accordingly. Either way, it doesn’t seem as if it will turn out to be a big one.
Fishing was fun. A steady breeze kept the skeeters at bay. Francisco fished for bait with a spool of string and a hook (no pole). And Bobby and Gerald mostly fed the shrimp to the fish with their jousting pole sized fishing rods. There were lots of bites…but the fish here don’t act like the ones back home! Gerald didn’t catch the “big one” but he did catch some sort of sea slug or conch. No one has ever heard of catching one that way! But he sure didn’t want to let go of that little piece of shrimp. We couldn’t figure out how to get the hook out of him, but as we were pondering the dilemma, he let go! Weird! No fish for dinner tonight!
The company was great and we’ve made plans to get a poker game together! Better get busy on uploading the pictures for everyone to see.
Gerald heads out fishing again this morning – hoping today he will catch the “big one.” He forgets his coffee so I take it to him. I notice hundreds of dragonflies hovering above the mangrove on the ocean side of the condo. Strange. So I take a stroll out to the palapa. There are MILLIONS of them, and they seem to be flying in from the ocean! Fascinating! Are they coming inland for shelter because they sense the storm coming? Or are they just feasting on all the darned mosquitoes! Hopefully, the mosquitoes. MOSQUITOES! HOLY COW! I forgot…I gotta head back in and spray down! Because, despite the fact that I wear “eu de Off” in layer upon layer, I’ve still been bitten by the skeeters and no-see-ums. Guess you can’t avoid it – better get used to it.
So I stroll back toward the condo and I spy a cute little crab in the mangroves and stop to observe him. Mostly camouflaged with browns and grays, but his legs and claws have this beautiful striking blue color. A bigger version of the one I saw eating the jellyfish yesterday. He actually raises his body and looks up at me … then waives his little blue claws around (as if to curse at me for bothering him) and scurries off. He then stops abruptly when his eyes become hidden behind a mangrove root. I laugh out loud…just like a little child who believes if they can’t see you…you can’t see them. Thanks for the chuckle this morning little fella, but you better do better than that, or that stingray I saw hanging out here yesterday will have you for lunch!
It’s cloudy and sprinkling this morning. I think it will be a good day to take a nap and catch up on my sleep! =)
All the locals are taking their boats inland. Guess we better get ready too. Sheldon came and told us the American Embassy has called them to ask us if we want to evacuate. No one else has, and since it’s not supposed to be bad (now only supposed to be a tropical storm or maybe a category 1), we’ll probably stay. We shouldn’t have any crashing waves since we have the reef to protect us and the building is totally concrete - floor to ceiling. Besides, we can go up to Paradise or shelter in one of the upper condos if it gets too bad or the water gets too high. All standard stuff in the life of living in the tropics I suppose. If the locals evacuate... I'm definitely leaving!
Sheldon and a couple of guys bring in the furniture from the veranda and store it in the second bedroom. They’ll come tomorrow and strap the doors down. Right now the weather is ok and you would not know anything was happening. The sun even occasionally peeks through. But I’ve told my brother Greg that I’m prepared. I have memories of when we went through these in Okinawa when I was a kid, and I’ve tried to tell Gerald what to expect. We have plenty of water, food, flashlights, batteries, candles, matches/lighter, first aid kit, my handy-dandy Swiss Army Knife, rum, ice and lime (I had all that in my purse!). We should be fine. Still waiting for that attachment Greg! =)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
We're Here!
Day 1 - October 20, 2010: It started at The alarm is set for 6. But who can sleep? We’re getting ready to leave for 2 months in Belize 30 lbs . I have to bring my entire house with me! My Chiropractor hates it.
But we made it through the flights ok – except for the brief period in Houston
We land in Belize City
So then we catch the itty bitty plane to Placencia. Make one quick stop in Dangriga, then finally landed at the shed…err… “Airport” in Placencia. Nice. But clean.
We were picked up by Sheldon, who was sent by the owners of the condo. He was very nice, helpful and didn’t blink or complain about my suitcases. I love Sheldon…he is my new best friend! Sheldon brings us to the condo, we unload the “cargo,” go get a bite to eat, then come back to the condo. It’s only , but we’ve had a long day. Not one suitcase was touched or unpacked. We crashed. And slept well.
Day 2 - October 21, 2010: It started at . AM! The alarm is not set, but who can sleep? We’re in Belize
Eventually I slow down unpacking and cleaning so I can figure out how to set up my computer here. I discover what I forgot. Drat! No wireless mouse or webcam! Luckily I have my iPhone and it saves the day.
The east and west doors to the condo are open and a wonderful breeze is blowing through the condo – helping me to clear the stuffy air in here and chase out those darn dust-bunnies! I even have all the ceiling fans going (at jet speed Machelle!). So I sit at the kitchen island, and begin working on the computer. I look up to grab my (clean) cup of coffee to take a sip and the view catches my eye. Even on a cloudy day … it’s beautiful, and peaceful and I think I might like it here. I smile and it’s a good feeling.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Final Day
Call me "Mamaw"....we're eating everything out of the fridge before we leave, so it won't go to waste! ...bucket of cold water please!
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Countdown
37.25 hours till takeoff, but who's counting! Panic has been overtaken by shock. Is this really happening? It must be - because I have a list a mile long of things that we have to do yet and a pile of things just as tall to pack. As Gerald would say, I'm going to put 10 gallons of "stuff" in a 5 gallon bag. Good thing I am a strategic packer! (A skill learned from my mother! Thanks Mom!)
Besides...Gerald has got his wardrobe ready now!
Bye for now...next time we talk, will be from a beach! (albeit a potentially rainy one!)
Besides...Gerald has got his wardrobe ready now!
Bye for now...next time we talk, will be from a beach! (albeit a potentially rainy one!)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
OMG...
Really. That's all I have to say. OMG! So far this "retirement" thing is for the birds. It's been a crazy race since my last day of work! I thought I had a pretty good handle on everything, but naturally things got missed and everything snowballs. So far we have been lucky that it is falling into place despite our best efforts to forget something. Remind me to put "planning" on my list of things to do! (feeling sorry for us yet?)
Otherwise the general panic has set in and we are frantically getting things together. Of course, Gerald is playing golf and I'm having dinners and lunches with friends and family...we do have priorities you know! Besides, there will be time for relaxation next week! (right?) And if I forget something ... I can always buy it there! =) (darn the luck!)
Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure! Right now I have to go... I'm having lunch and dinner with friends!
Tina
Otherwise the general panic has set in and we are frantically getting things together. Of course, Gerald is playing golf and I'm having dinners and lunches with friends and family...we do have priorities you know! Besides, there will be time for relaxation next week! (right?) And if I forget something ... I can always buy it there! =) (darn the luck!)
Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure! Right now I have to go... I'm having lunch and dinner with friends!
Tina
Sunday, October 10, 2010
In the beginning...
... Adam helped Tina set up her blog. And it was good! All hail Adam. Now the rest is up to me. Help us all!
Lots of love to all our family and friends who have encouraged and supported us. We wish you could all come with us!
Lots of love to all our family and friends who have encouraged and supported us. We wish you could all come with us!
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| Tina Flamingo: I love this place....where's the jewelry stores? Gerald Flamingo: ....Goodie! |
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