A Report from Captain Lester and First Mate Diana

It's official!  Lester is a bonafide Belizean Boat Captain with a 3 year certificate to back it up.  The boat is 99% registered and licensed.  All that remains is a trip to the Port Authority in Belize City to pick up the papers.

And this is how it all went down (remember when that was such a frequently used phrase on TV.  Now, of course, it is all about talking points!)  Anyway, Lester gathered up required safety equipment and transported all out to the marina and into the boat.  He made a nice gangplank to allow the inspector easy access and armed with the required papers, gathered over the past two years, we were first in line on the first day the inspectors were at the village council office.  As it turned out they were not particularly interested in seeing the boat and were content to take his word about required items being aboard.  They did give him the written Captain's test, which he passed with flying colors, but opted not to have him demonstrate his sailing skills.  It all came down to making contributions to the inspectors upcoming personal Christmas funds.  (Our landlord had suggested that might speed things along.)  Our friend, Richard, showed up and after a similar contribution to said fund, was granted a license as well, based on the inspection of his boat.  Pretty nifty, considering his boat is still down in Guatemala as he hasn't even brought it up here this year yet.

We are enjoying some early morning bicycle rides out to the marina and also to my property.  I am strengthening leg muscles that have enjoyed significant and noticeable lack of use lately, developing calluses on behind areas that make painful contact with the bicycle seat, and practicing deep breathing, all at the same time.  With all this physical activity I will either come home robust and healthy or slumped over in a wheelchair.

But we won't come home skinny.  There is a woman from Oregon who spends her winters here and is a gourmet cook, She prepares and  sells these gourmet lunches, delivering them by bicycle each day.   We enjoy them with a lunchtime rum and coke (diet rum and coke! Ha!)  Besides her great food I have put out a few tasty dinners as well.  Grilled lobster, Vegetable and shrimp curry. and eggplant parmisan, just to mention a few.  Served with wine, of course (diet wine, that is!

Ah yes, life is good!