Thursday, November 11, 2010 - Renewing the Visa in Independence

Thursday, November 11, 2010:

Up and at ‘em for breakfast at DeTatch, and our big trip to Independence to renew our visas.

Everyone got the “Jacks” and they must have liked them, because the plates were clean! Either way, even without food, the view was great. You just can’t beat breakfast and/or coffee on the beach!

We get done in time to catch the 10am Hokey Pokey.  We see Tony and MaryAnn at the dock. Tony is going to Guatemala to get a car part (it’s actually cheaper for him to travel that far and spend the night than to get one here!).  MaryAnn is also getting her visa extended.  We get our tickets and wait around till it’s time to go, then some guy just hollers, and Tony says that’s the signal to board the boat!  You gotta pay attention and learn the rules!

 (Hokey Pokey dock in Placencia)

The boat ride to Independence is not bad.  They weave through the mangos in the boat and take us across the main channel. Boy, you better know where you are going in here, because it’s like a maze! 

It’s only about a 10 minute ride over there, and we get to the Independence dock. Wow. We thought Placencia was small!  

Patty and Jane came over a few days ago and luckily gave us instructions on where the Immigration office is so we start our walk up the road.  They told us to look for the yellow building on the left, and not to go past the “big” grocery store.  Still…we have to stop and ask anyway – it’s just hard to imagine.  Here is the immigration office! It's a 10x12 room in the back of a building!

 (Immigration Office is behind building on left)

(Gerald and Bob in front of Immigration Office)

We get done quickly enough and have time to spare…lots of time.  We thought we would need a couple hours to look around, but there is nothing over there that we can see…except the Immigration Office. (Although there is a nice looking clinic.)  We head towards the “big” store in town to see if they have anything that we can’t get in Placencia.  Their stores are quite different over there.  It’s like the old time stores where you stood at the counter and pointed to things on the shelf. You don’t get to walk the isles to pick anything yourself. Guess they have problems with theft over there.

 (big grocery store last building on right)

 (immigration building on right)

 (glass edges to keep the monkeys out?)

(Nice clinic)

We notice a couple of houses with what appears to be running water…on the outside of a window! You wonder if that is done on purpose to clean fish, or if that is their running water! There are a couple other buildings that look like they are pretty new or recently painted.  Perhaps business is picking up with the traffic coming to Immigration!

 (indoor/outdoor plumbing?)

 (for rent!)

That’s about it…so we just all head back. Luckily it didn’t take us long and we can catch the 11:00am boat back instead of waiting until 2:30.

(waiting in Independence for the ride back to Placencia)

The ride back is a little rougher. Rain is coming and the wind is picking up, which means the water is getting a little choppy and this guy is in a hurry! He runs it full-bore right out of the dock! By the time we got back to the Placencia dock, Judy’s hair was slicked back and standing up from the boat ride! Poor Judy! It looked like she was still in a wind tunnel! I was able to roll mine up with a hair clip but I still have tangles like you wouldn’t believe!  I would recommend a headscarf next time.

But, we get back safely and as a treat, head to Tuti Fruti since we have missed it a couple of days in a row. They have new flavors today – but still have the yummy coconut, mango, pineapple, banana, caramel, Bailey’s, yellow & white vanilla to name a few! All made with fresh ingredients. IT’S SO YUMMY!

We see Dan and MaryLou there, have some gelato and talk about doing the Monkey River tour and maybe a snorkel trip together with Alfred so it will be cheaper. The girls (Patty, Jane & Linda) drive by. They have just eaten breakfast at DeTatch and are headed back to the condo. They are laying tile in Patty’s condo today, so they can’t do much in there. Since it’s rainy, we can’t play outside by the pool, and we don’t have a big table in our place, so we decide to meet up at Paradise to play an epic game of Sousand.

Linda, who swears she has never played the game before, beats the snot out of us the first two games, and gives us a good run in the remaining games! I think she is a ringer and Patty and Jane must have tutored her before she came down!  She is sitting next to Bob and he is giving her advice. She doesn’t listen, which is most likely a contributing factor in why she won the first two games. Poor Patty can’t catch a break, and keeps rolling bones.  Between she and Bob – they’ve got one heck of a slab of ribs going! 

 (Bob is showing Linda how to talk to the dice - she doesn't buy his bull)

But we have a really good time! The girls tell us of their adventure to pick up Linda in Belize City and the trip back in the dark. Many hilarious phrases were uttered during the games, most of which I cannot remember (but trust me they were funny).  The most important of these uttered words were Bob admitting he was wrong – that part I DO remember! (I know, I know, it’s selective memory, but it’s my memory and I can remember what I want! =).

The no-see-ums are out again.  It hasn’t been too bad with the cool weather, but they are out again and they are bold enough to land on the score card! Jane is trying to kill them all with her bare hands! Go Jane Go!  Let the stinky bug spray war begin!  I’m beginning to think this stuff attracts them…not repels them!

It starts to rain – actually pour. But we continue playing. We actually end up playing till about 7pm then decide to skip our chicken and rice leftovers and head to Tipsy Tuna for happy hours and dinner with the girls. There won’t be a sunset today – since it is behind the rain and clouds! The pouring rain lets up a little – and now it’s just drizzling. The golf cart ride to the Tipsy Tuna will be interesting. Judy thinks the top will protect us, but there is not a windshield, and once we start driving, the rain comes in sideways. Judy is NOT thrilled! It’s coming right at us. I can’t help but get the giggles. I give her my hat to cover her hair and hope it will help but she just holds it in front of her to block the rain. Bob and Gerald are riding on the back –standing up! You know they aren’t dry. And of course, before we even get parked, it starts to pour again.  Now all of us are running down the Sidewalk in the pouring rain, trying not to slip and fall because all the bug spray is like oil on the rubber shoes! We finally make it to the Tipsy Tuna – and we are just dripping wet (a little déjà vu from a couple weeks ago! Sound familiar Jan/Bobby?)

(Gerald and Bob want to judge the wet t-shirt contest! But the girls say Fat Chance!)

We laugh and try to dry off with the paper towels the bartender gives us! Fat chance! It is a neat place, and if it were daylight, it would have an awesome view.  The inside part even has a sand floor! Cool! The outside bar didn’t have coconut rum, but he went and got a bottle from the inside and we were all happy! The food was good and company fantastic!

Today is the opening day at Tipsy Tuna. It’s so new they are still finishing the construction, and the paint is still wet and sticky on the tables and chairs. And it’s not drying anytime soon in this wet weather.  I’m pretty sure Jane left a couple layers of skin on her chair when she got up, I have aqua paint on my arms, nails and hand, Bob has it all over his shirt and Patty has a blue knee!

We discuss hitting the hot tub, but I just want to take a good hot shower so we pass.  Bob and Gerald try fishing, but it starts pouring rain again so they come back in. Babies. They were talking earlier that they might go out with Alfred again tomorrow if the weather permits.  I hope they get more barracuda – that was so good! 

Bob and Judy only have one more day left!

Till tomorrow's saga...