Sun 31 Jan
the last day of the month ! slow down, go slow, .... but you can't stop time ! we fed the cats, and did all the chores ... we were quite proud of ourselves :) it rained really hard a few times early this morning. all the locals have been telling us for a couple days that the weather was going to change and it was going to get cooler :( today wasn't very nice ... it was mostly cloudy and sprinkled off and on all day.
before i leave Caye Caulker, it was a perfect day to do something that i've wanted to do since the first day i got here .... rent a bicycle and tour the island. so.... finally, on one of my last days ... i rented the bike. Why didn't i do this earlier ?????? i had a great day, and it was nice that it wasn't sunny, coz i was on a nature trail in a kind-of-jungle, .... well, certainly more jungle that i have seen so far.
i saw some nice homes in this remote part of the island, ..totally different from the main 'town'. a lot of the homes look vacant. i was told that they people that own them can't afford to come down here now and they can't sell them.....
the tide was out, and i saw these boys playing in the soft sand by the mangroves. they were having so much fun jumping from the dock and sinking in up to their knees. it was Sunday and it looked like a family outing.
back in town, i also saw some of the homes where the locals live. they don't have much; but they seem happy.
i went to the Leeward side of the island and took these photos of the storm that was coming in ... it looked real scary ... (but never amounted to much but a little more rain)
i thought my time was about up, so i headed back, but found out that i had 10 more minutes. a quick ride down the beach sounded like fun (yes, it's allowed here ... ). i hadn't gotten far when i saw a sign at a Cuban Bar for Mojitos. Mojitos originated from Cuba (i think). they are made by pulverizing limes and mint leaves in the bottom of a glass, adding simple syrup, some ice, rum, and usually soda water or sprite. they are expensive down here, and i didn't know why; and they are hard to find down here because of the shortage of ... all things ... MINT! i can't get rid of it in my yard! note to self: if you move down here, you could grow mint and sell it to the bars! Anyway, i screeched to a halt and ordered a Mojito, even though it was out of my budget price range. they didn't have a to-go-cup and i had to get the bike back. the bartender gave me a glass mug with a handle, so i could ride my bike and drink at the same time :) ... i could return the glass later. i guess it's ok to 'drink and drive' here :) i went home, Madi was back, i grabbed Eddi and we headed back to the Cuban Bar so Eddi could get a Mojito, and return the glass. the Mojito was good, but not as good as the ones that Friz and i had in Bonita this fall.... they were, by far, the best i've ever had! ...thank you Friz!
i needed to do some more uploading of photos, so i went to the Sports Bar to use their internet. a guy that Eddi had introduced me to stopped by and wanted me to play Trivia with them. i declined, i was on a roll with my photos. i kept working and working, 2 rum n cokes later, i'm tired and about ready to leave. a guy sits down next to me ... and pulls up his chair really close to me. you know me, i'm not real happy about this..... so i try to discourage him. he kept talking, i kept typing, and trying to respond. he had a German accent and was from Switzerland. eventually he said the magic words. he was sad and worried because he had to leave his cat at home while he was on vacation. and he had spent over $1,000 and hired 3 people to come in and entertain and take care of his cat. so, since i had my laptop and i had all the photos of the cats on it, i started pulling them up and showing him. oh, he liked that one, and that one, wasn't that one cute; maybe he would take some home with him. (he had consumed a few beers). anyway, i kept the photos rolling, i was enjoying myself now, with a man that liked cats. he kept telling me that he thought i was a nice person :) i still wanted to go, so was trying to wrap up the conversation; when he says, i want to show you something. i look to my side, as he started taking his belt off ......... i watched with intrigue ... what was he doing ??? he had a money belt on. he unzipped the inside of the belt, took out a US$100 bill and handed it to me; with a serious comment that this was not for me, but for the cats ! i tried to refuse since i knew he had been drinking, but he wouldn't hear of it. i encouraged him to come by Madi's the next day; but he said it wasn't necessary. isn't that nice? some people just have big hearts for the animals! i went back happy for the cats.
i saw some nice homes in this remote part of the island, ..totally different from the main 'town'. a lot of the homes look vacant. i was told that they people that own them can't afford to come down here now and they can't sell them.....
the tide was out, and i saw these boys playing in the soft sand by the mangroves. they were having so much fun jumping from the dock and sinking in up to their knees. it was Sunday and it looked like a family outing.
back in town, i also saw some of the homes where the locals live. they don't have much; but they seem happy.
i went to the Leeward side of the island and took these photos of the storm that was coming in ... it looked real scary ... (but never amounted to much but a little more rain)
i thought my time was about up, so i headed back, but found out that i had 10 more minutes. a quick ride down the beach sounded like fun (yes, it's allowed here ... ). i hadn't gotten far when i saw a sign at a Cuban Bar for Mojitos. Mojitos originated from Cuba (i think). they are made by pulverizing limes and mint leaves in the bottom of a glass, adding simple syrup, some ice, rum, and usually soda water or sprite. they are expensive down here, and i didn't know why; and they are hard to find down here because of the shortage of ... all things ... MINT! i can't get rid of it in my yard! note to self: if you move down here, you could grow mint and sell it to the bars! Anyway, i screeched to a halt and ordered a Mojito, even though it was out of my budget price range. they didn't have a to-go-cup and i had to get the bike back. the bartender gave me a glass mug with a handle, so i could ride my bike and drink at the same time :) ... i could return the glass later. i guess it's ok to 'drink and drive' here :) i went home, Madi was back, i grabbed Eddi and we headed back to the Cuban Bar so Eddi could get a Mojito, and return the glass. the Mojito was good, but not as good as the ones that Friz and i had in Bonita this fall.... they were, by far, the best i've ever had! ...thank you Friz!
i needed to do some more uploading of photos, so i went to the Sports Bar to use their internet. a guy that Eddi had introduced me to stopped by and wanted me to play Trivia with them. i declined, i was on a roll with my photos. i kept working and working, 2 rum n cokes later, i'm tired and about ready to leave. a guy sits down next to me ... and pulls up his chair really close to me. you know me, i'm not real happy about this..... so i try to discourage him. he kept talking, i kept typing, and trying to respond. he had a German accent and was from Switzerland. eventually he said the magic words. he was sad and worried because he had to leave his cat at home while he was on vacation. and he had spent over $1,000 and hired 3 people to come in and entertain and take care of his cat. so, since i had my laptop and i had all the photos of the cats on it, i started pulling them up and showing him. oh, he liked that one, and that one, wasn't that one cute; maybe he would take some home with him. (he had consumed a few beers). anyway, i kept the photos rolling, i was enjoying myself now, with a man that liked cats. he kept telling me that he thought i was a nice person :) i still wanted to go, so was trying to wrap up the conversation; when he says, i want to show you something. i look to my side, as he started taking his belt off ......... i watched with intrigue ... what was he doing ??? he had a money belt on. he unzipped the inside of the belt, took out a US$100 bill and handed it to me; with a serious comment that this was not for me, but for the cats ! i tried to refuse since i knew he had been drinking, but he wouldn't hear of it. i encouraged him to come by Madi's the next day; but he said it wasn't necessary. isn't that nice? some people just have big hearts for the animals! i went back happy for the cats.
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