Fri, 15 Jan

Fri, 15 Jan Today was a Belize kind of a day. Windy, warm, and sunny ... now, ... was that so hard? i hope this is the beginning of my 'winter' weather! i went to the Sports Bar to get 'free' wireless service. it cost me USD7 for something to eat and i wasn't able to upload any photos :( came back here and Wilbur was cleaning yet another crate of lobsters. Me, with one of them ! He's a big one ! they were also raking some sea weed from our beach so we could go swimming. Wilbur found a Toad Fish ... strangest animal i've seen yet. it had a long nose and bright red lips or mouth. he was triangle shaped like a stingray. his underside was red and had 2 legs. he was kind of leathery feeling. WOW ! here are some pics ! have you ever ????????????????????? After that i went in the water. today was my first day swimming ... i have arrived! i am happy dinner tonite at the 'famous' Habanera with Peter, at least we had heard a lot about it, however they didn't tell us.... it's rather expensive .. no, it's very expensive by Caye Caulker standards. but, it had all the elements of haute cuisine ... the presentation was impressive .. sorry i didn't have my camera with me ! back to the Reggae bar for much cheaper rum and cokes. .. that place could be my 'hang out' ... i like the bartender :)

Thurs, 14 Jan

Thurs, 14 Jan: Still rather cloudy, cool, and windy. Chores, cats in and out. i got Cloudy, the sick one, set up in a large cage outside so he could enjoy the fresh air. then i took a nap, went for a walk to take some photos. i saw a fisherman w/catch of the day: here he is cutting conch, you can see the quite large 12-13 pound snapper, a cooler full of lobster, and many other fish. there was a couple there buying lobster. US$13/pound for a whole lobster; or US$5/pound for just the tail. the frigit birds were dive-bombing the pelicans ... all fighting for the 'remains' the fishers were throwing to them. and they were flying dangerously close to my head ! it's really been nice having Peter here to have dinner with and go out in the evening. i believe he will be leaving soon to continue south through Central America. So tonight we were going to try Habanara's, since many people talk about it. but, they were closed on Thurs, so we ate at the Sand Box and stopped at the Sports Bar for a couple of rum and cokes before heading home. we were both tired from last night.

Wed, 13 Jan

Wed, 13 Jan: Chores as usual. it was actually sunny today and a little warmer. but by the time chores were done and i was ready to enjoy it, the clouds came in and looked like rain. the cat i mentioned, Cloudy, who has urinary blockage is not doing well, hasn't eaten for a week and is not responding to meds. i went to a bait shop and got a fish for him. he actually at a little bit, very little. when i got back from my walk, Wilber, Madi's brother, was out in the water. i walked out on the dock to see him 'cleaning' his lobsters. he continued to entertain us with his lobster-slaying and lobster education for several hours. he showed us the difference between the male and female, also how to get the meat out of the head. quite a lot of meat is in there, but it's time consuming an most people don't bother. it tastes a little different and has a different consistency. i haven't tried it yet. Wilbur with 2 lobsters: This is Wilbur with a 5 gal bucket FULL of lobster tails, 71 i think he said .....anyone hungry ? Female, stores her eggs in the 'fins'. Male, has 2 penis's ... eat your heart out guys .. one on each side .... pre-sunset lighting the palms in the yard. tonite, i enjoyed my first sunset, right from our dock. it was beautiful ! Peter and i went to Rainbow Grill for dinner, and ate out over the water, then on to explore and find a fun bar. ended up at a Reggae bar south of 'town' ... really awesome place, it just kept going up and up, from one platform/terrace to another, with hammocks and lounge chairs on each level. we met another couple from Holland and enjoyed talking with them . drank more run and cokes than necessary and stayed out until midnight ... late for us !

Tues, 12 Jan

Tuesday, 12 Jan every day starts and finishes the same way. separating and feeding the cats, as well as changing their water and scooping the litter boxes. then, all dishes need to be washed and ready for the next feeding. During the day, they take turns going out, but i haven't gotten that all down yet. Madi's brother, Wilbur, traps lobster and stone crabs ... i don't know what else, but i'll find out. he said they sell them to the processing facility 'just there' pointing to the dock just south. they carry 2,000 pounds of lobster to the mainland. that is 2,000 pounds of just tails, 4oz, the minimum legal size. that just astounds me! that is a lot of lobster! a nice young coupled arrived today and set up their tent at Madi's. Anna and Mikko are from Finland, and like most people here, are 'travelling around'. as we were leaving for dinner tonight we got a 'news flash' from Madi, .... sometimes Crocodiles climb up on our shore! .... this is not something she disclosed on her web page! ....nor did she mention the fact that we have no hot water here -- ever :( ... quote: "it's usually so hot, that a cold shower feels good" :) Peter and i weren't sure where we were going for dinner. he had met another couple from Holland when he was travelling here, and the met them again when he got here. so, we walked to their place and ended up sitting with them, having a few drinks at their place, then the guys went next door and got Chinese take out and we sat at their picnic table and ate. Anna and Henk are a really nice and interesting couple and very easy to talk with. They have been 'travelling' together for 40 years. And i mean doing a lot of travelling for lengthy periods of time. She always packs her suitcase with clothes, towels, lotions, etc., and school supplies, ... and goes home with an empty suitcases. it was a very nice evening.

Monday, 11 Jan

Monday, 11 January: Cloudy, cold, and windy, especially on this side of the island. Awake at 6am to help Madi get the cats fed and settled before she left for work. She left at 8am for Belize City. it was incredibly cold. the wind is blowing from the north (USA, thank you very much) and west. not only is the USA blamed for a lot of political 'stuff', they are now responsible for the weather here in Belize as well! we are on the leeward side of the island, which is West. i know i'm not going to get any sympathy from any of you; but if it's any consolation, the weather here is cold, cloudy, and windy, with patches of rain and drizzle. :) it's been that way since Sat and should remain through the forecasted future :) my porch is on the other side of the house and away from the wind, so it was comfortable to be there. i was able to access someone's Wireless, but it is undependable and very slow uploading anything. Me on my porch I already have some 'favorites'. This is Swiper, he likes to sit by my chair. i think it's pretty obvious why i'm drawn to him ! that evening Peter and i went to Rose's .... a little place where you can pick out your lobster and they grill it on the street, while you sit inside and have a drink. finally, there were lots of people there :) this is lobster season and it runs until mid-Feb. after that time, you'll find no lobster on the menu in any restaurant nor homes. huge fines if you get caught! i think it wise to take advantage of this time to eat all the lobster i can :) tonight i had the best grilled lobster i've had. it was moist, tasty, and not chewy or tough ..... US$15 Dorothy, am i in Kansas?

Sunday

Sunday, 10 Jan: Still cool, cloudy, and windy. my first 'day-on-the-job', we literally spent ALL DAY taking care of the cats! Madi is doing an amazing job with so many cats and so few resources. it's a 2hr process, twice a day to feed and clean boxes for about 70 cats, i still need get a definite count; plus the 10 across the street that she feeds twice a day. as you can imagine, not all the cats get along. she also wants all of them to be able to enjoy some 'real outdoor' time in her enclosed palm tree yard. although in my opinion, their assigned areas are quite spacious with lots of things to climb on. so she has it all worked out, these cats go here, while these go there, then switch them for other ones; and this one eats everyones food, so he goes in here to eat by himself; that one starts fights, so has to be here while others are there .... it's going to take me awhile to learn the routine! that afternoon, Peter arrived from The Netherlands to help Madi out as well. he found Madi's place through the 'couch-surfing' network. something unknown to me until now. he is an attorney and is travelling around the world, at his own pace ... making it up as he goes. Sunday, before i collapsed, Peter and i went to Bamboo, a little restaurant on the beach that Madi recommended ... we were the only ones there .... all the tourists must have gone further south!

Arriving in Caye Caulker

Sat, 9 Jan: At Ruby's hotel the morning was cool and drizzling. i walked around San Pedro. i needed to find a pharmacy where i could buy a case for my contact lenses. IF i had gone to bed before i left Kzoo; in the morning, the last thing i would have packed was my contact lens case and my nighttime 'bite-guard'. since i never went to bed, and left in such a hurry, i left both behind. i bought a case, but my grinding will have to continue until i get back. ...maybe i'll stop grinding while i'm here because i'm so relaxed ? i took the 1pm water taxi to Caye Caulker, which will be my new 'home' for several weeks. oh by the way, it was cold, windy, and drizzling :( and by the time i arrived it had gone from bad to worse. it was miserable ! After having to ask twice, i finally got my bag off the boat. Note to self: don't just assume they will take your bag off the boat and deliver it to the dock! i "hailed" a taxi, and i was able to tell the taxi driver exactly where i needed to go. and it's a good thing because he just moved there from Toledo ... (no, not Ohio), and had no idea where anything was. by the way .... definition of taxi: golf cart. there are no cars on Caye Caulker, nor are there ANY paved streets and obviously no traffic lights, nor stop signs. why would there be ? Photo of typical Caye Caulker street i will be staying with Madi Collins here in Caye Caulker. When i arrived she was in Belize City at the vets with Cloudy, a cat who had a blockage in his uriary tract. her Mother welcomed me and showed me my new 'home'. a nice clean room, large enough to hold a dance; and my own bathroom. :) i had met Madi briefly when i visited here in Dec. she makes me look like a giant, she comes up to my shoulders! Also a photo of Madi and her Mother. when Madi arrived, she told me to 'rest up', since i still had not caught up on my loss of sleep. she said that we would start on Sunday, when she would have time to explain things to me, since she wouldn't be working. she takes the water taxi into Belize City every day to work. she manages the local water taxi company, which she is trying to 'save' from going out of business. after a nice nap, i headed out to find some wireless internet service .... Madi recommended a 'Sports Bar' with wireless and i also had dinner. my first dinner in Caye Caulker, i had chicken alfredo pasta, not exactly Belizean cuisine, but it was good. i also had my first glass of wine, and .. at US$7 a glass, it will be my last. Madi was born here on Caye Caulker, moved to NYC and returned to her home country. she saw all the abused and homeless cats, felt compassion, and started taking them in one by one, or more accurately, in two's or five's or more. that was 6 years ago. she has organized TNR (trap neuter release) programs and is working to pass legislation to give animals protection and rights. if you haven't yet, she/we would really appreciate it if you would go her web site and sign her petition: www.pawanimalsanctuarybelize.com. She has a lot of cats, a few dogs, and a duck. so, this is what i knew before coming, .... but was totally unprepared for what i am now seeing!

Getting Here - Part 4 - Leaving Mexico

Leaving Mexico: 5 hrs later, at 6am, 8 January, we arrived at the Chetumal bus station, the last city in Mexico before you cross over into Belize. of course i knew i had to clear immigration from Mexico, customs, then the same thing for Belize. But, it's not as easy as that .... because you don't do it there! i had been having an email dialogue with Gwyn from the Seabreeze Hotel in Corozal. Corozal is the first town in Belize after you leave Mexico. she was the most helpful in sorting out this part of my journey. according to Gwyn, you take a taxi to the little local bus station in Chetumal; and that bus will take you through immigration/customs for Mexico and Belize. This is the bus station, the bus and the street. i didn't really understand how it was all going to work, but i did it anyway, because i trusted her, and she was exactly right. This old beat up American Bluebird School Bus took me and 5 others exactly where i needed to go, covering 14 miles and 3 stops at immigrations and customs, where they waited for me to go through each process of red tape, climbed back into the bus, drove a ways, then out again, then back in, about a 1/2 hours worth ..... all for USD 1.75 ... Amazing! i should mention that it is possible to do this with a taxi driver, for around US$50, just make sure the driver has a passport. ... but then you are missing the 'experience'. so, the bus delivered me in the border town of Corozal, Belize at 7:20am. My water taxi left without me at 7am :( but Gwyn had told me i had a 'Plan B', ....i could fly there at 10:30am! so, i asked a taxi to take me to the ATM and then to Gwyn's. it was early, not sure if they were up yet, but eventually this man appeared. i asked for Gwyn .... he said 'i'm Gywn' .... only, he pronounced it differently. i laughed and told him right out that i thought he was a woman all this time! he laughed too. he was from Wales, and had moved and bought this hotel in Corozal 2 yrs ago. I had a nice visit with him and then he took me to the airport, where i flew to San Pedro for USD38 in 20min, rather than the water taxi that i missed for USD23 and 2hrs. For once, i was glad that 'i missed the boat'. i really love flying in those small planes, it is so cool to see the reef and islands from the air Check out the Baggage Claim area for Mayan Air in San Pedro ! This guy was 'weed wacking' the grass to keep it nice and short. i arrived in San Pedro, it was sunny and hot.... i was quite pleased with myself :) it was now late Fri morning. i had not slept since Tues night, and my contact lenses had been in my eyes since Wed am! i spent the night in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, at Ruby's, nice little budget hotel, right in town, right on the water, no frills but clean. since i had just been in San Pedro in Dec, it felt really nice and comfortable to be there again ... something familiar! Ruby's Hotel: View of Room and View from Room to the Sea.

Getting Here - Part 3

An Evening in Playa: So at 5:30pm i arrived at the bus depot in Playa, i still hadn't decided what i was going to do; other than whatever it was, it was not going to include my luggage. Which i have failed to mention, contained enough pills, sunscreen, moisturizer, contact lense solutions, shampoo, conditioner, pepto (200 tablets), and meds for a lot of possible catastrophies, for 2 months; in addition to 2 wetsuits, fins, snorkel, mask. There wasn't much room left for clothing. ok, so, i found the lockers, upstairs of course, with no elevator/escalator, as i was dragging that bag up those stairs 2 nice young girls helped me and an attendant stuffed it into a locker. now, with only a backpack, a heavy backpack; i headed out. i had contacted a hotel, but didn't know how far it was; so i got a taxi, (i could have walked). i cancelled my reservation for the night; but booked one for the return trip. in doing this, i had finally made my decision. i would 'hang around' Playa and take the 1:30am bus to Chetumal, at the Mexico-Belize border. A 4.5hr first class luxury bus ride would get me there at 6am. and i could sleep on the way! with my good travel karma in my pocket, i could make the 7am water taxi to San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, an island on the Belize Barrier Reef; from there i knew i could take a water taxi to Caye Caulker. 'hanging around' Playa was fun awhile, walking the busy streets with shops. there are lots of restaurants there, but i couldn't help notice, that there were very few people in any of them. the tourist trade is still down; and January should be one of their busier months. around 8pm, i stopped for a cocktail. i dont' know why i ordered a margarita, but i did. in my condition, it went right to my head, and i poured out the last half. i had to remain alert for the rest of the journey. aren't you impressed at how responsible i was? Finally around 9:30pm i decided to sit down and have a slow dinner. how long could i make this last? i had Amberjack fish, sauteed in garlic butter with very nice crisp tasty veggies and whole grain bread, no alcohol. a good healthy meal, i needed that. This place had a cool waterfall with fresh fruit all over it. Photo isn't that good, but i think you get the idea. it was refreshing looking. by 11:30pm, the streets were getting sparce, and the wait staff at the restaurant were ready to go home. so i left, knowing i still had 2 grueling hours to wait for the bus. i went back to the bus depot to collect my luggage from the locker. i recalled how the attendant had trouble with the lock when she closed it. i momentarily panicked wondering what i would do if it malfunctioned; it opened just as it was supposed to :) the pay toilets were up there, i put some pesos in the slot, started through the turnstyle, with my luggage, and got stuck. Eventually a guy had to pick up my large bag and throw it over the gate. then, clunk clunk clunk down the stairs again and i sat. 2 young Mexican guys wanted to visit with me while they waited for their bus. i welcomed the company to keep me awake. neither of them spoke English, but that was not going to deter them. they kept trying. i think they were asking why i was going to Chetumal, ......alone? Not speaking much Spanish is exhausting, especially when you're exhausted. i eventually waved them away, and rolled my luggage out to the taxi stand, because my bus was leaving from the 'other' bus station. i split my time, 1 hr at each station. finally i board the luxury bus, my big bag goes in the compartment under the bus; my 'never-let-it-out-of-your-sight' backpack went with me. as soon as i sat down, i realized i had switched my blanket out of my backpack for the Playa stroll, and it was under the bus. i had been warned that those bus drivers like to keep the temperature cold enough to hang meat. i was so tired, and had really looked forward to a 5hr nap; but it doesn't come easily when you are very cold. i did the best i could.

Getting Here - Part 2

Detroit to Cancun: i was lucky to have a decent seat assigned to me; but when i checked in, i was able to get an 'even better seat' :) this 'better' seat, however, happened to be in front of a woman with 2 small children. she tried her best to explain to them that kicking the seat in front of them, and slamming the tray up and down and pounding on it while playing their video game, would disturb the person in front of them. i'm sure you've all had this experience. since i had been up all night, it was important to me to be able to sleep. i had a long journey ahead of me. i asked the flight attendant if there was vacant seat i might switch to. ah yes, a exit row, window seat ... perfect. even tho we boarded early, we were delayed by a burned out light bulb. but eventually left, and pretty much made up the time with a favorable jet stream. i did sleep about an hour, but i was contemplating my still yet undetermined journey from the Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen in Mexico and to Belize through the maze of bus systems available. Landing in Cancun at 2:30pm, walking through the jet way, into a shiny new A/C terminal, i couldn't help but recall the many other times i landed at the Cancun airport with Jamers and friends. Years ago, in the olden days, when they smashed as many passengers as possible into a little hot sticky bus, to take you out to the plane, where you walked in the heat up the stairs of the plane to board. ah yes, time had changed for the better. well, that was what i thought, until we rounded the corner to view a sea of people, hundreds of them, all smashed together, with no lines or order, waiting to clear immigration. ok, this is the Cancun i remembered! (where is my Fine Young Canibals tape?) but, quite quickly and impressively, they did install cattle dividers/mergers and we all got into lines. Over an hour later, i was through immigration and customs, in the bathroom changing clothes and at the ATM machine getting pesos. the departure area was very organized, easy to locate an info desk to find out where i should go to get the bus to Playa del Carmen. Lots of uniformed/official help outside to direct me to Platform 1, where i could buy my US$8 ticket for an hour long A/C plush bus ride to Playa. about the time i was settling back to catch a few more zzzzzz's, i felt this trickle of liquid run down the inside of my nose, ending in 2 spats of bright red blood on my leg. i had a bloody nose! Great, remember the drill; head back, sqweezing the bridge of my nose .... now, do i have a tissue or something? where? ...and how was i going to get to it with my head tilted back? well, i wasn't. so just keep the position and kept swallowing ... Edward would have been proud! it would eventually stop. i'd had a similar experience from the dry air in the plane before. i was very cool, i don't think the guy next to me knew what had happened. it stopped by the time we arrived in Playa, but so much for my nap. Photo of Playa del Carmen

Getting Here - Part 1

Tag Line: It's the getting there, that's the adventure. My journey started out eventful. I started my final packing on Wed, ......at 3:30am Thurs, i was almost finished and was ready for a few hours sleep, and decided to check my flight which was to depart Kzoo at 8am. the flight was delayed to the point where i would miss my connection. other than delaying the trip until who knows when, (after the artic freeze?), the option was to catch the 5:30am flight. so much for the few hours of sleep i thought i might get. i simultaneously threw the 'rest' of my stuff in my bags, and made a surprise phone call to my wonderful sister, who picked me up immediately and we head for the airport in record time. she said i have questionable travel 'karma', she may be right. it is interesting to see how things unfold. i had a complimentary pass to Delta Sky Lounge, which expired on 1 Feb. i was not going to be able to use it, since i had a very short connection in Detroit; and it would be expired when i made my return trip. damn, isn't that the way it always works? but, because of my questionable travel karma, i got into Detroit early, i was able to rub shoulders with the rich and famous in the lounge. here i enjoyed complimentary bagels, muffins, yogurt, juices, and oh, did i mention bloody marys? sitting by the fireplace ... i felt very special, thinking that things happen for a reason; and it's important to be flexible.

Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my first 'blog' experience. i've set up this web page so anyone that is interested can follow my adventures in Belize. Since someone asked me 'what state is that in?'. i'll start with this: Belize is in Central America, the next country just south of the eastern part of Mexico, i.e., Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula. Prior to Belize, it was known as British Honduras, it gained it's independence from Britian 21 Sep 1981. i'll do my best to keep this up to date.

Why I Left