Trip to Roatan was much fun!  We stayed the first 3 nights in West End at the Arco Iris (Rainbow) hotel. on Half Moon Bay.  A pretty area and many good places to eat.  Too many good places to eat, in fact.  And I took full advantage of them all, to the point of developing a distinct waddle to my walk. There is a great place to snorkel  on the east end of the bay.  You can go in right off the rocks (nice stairs going into the water) and enjoy a small reef there with very little effort.  My kind of snorkeling these days.
We had a lucky encounter with a local man named Edgar who offered to take us on a day long island tour.  We decided to abandon our original plan to rent a car and let Edgar be our driver and guide.  An excellent decision as Edgar took us to places we would never have found on our own.  Among them were the monkey park where we got up close and personal with the wildlife, a Garifuna showplace where we listened to the drumming for which this culture is well known and watched them dance, even stomping out a few steps ourselves, and taking a canoe trip along the coast and through the mangroves.  On the way back we stopped at Cal's Cantina, an eatery we enjoyed last year with Carol and Frank.  This restaurant sits on a hill overlooking the water and, among other tasty dishes, has the best hamburger in the western hemisphere.  I want to go back to Roatan next year, if only for the food there!
WE spent the last three nights over in West Bay, the neighboring vacation area to West End.  It is slightly more upscale with a long beautiful curving stretch of beach.  Nice but West End has a more cozy and friendly feel.  There is a water taxi system between the two places (only $3) so you can stay in West End and go over to West Bsy for a day whenever you want.
Rob and Linda left for their trip back home (Goodby!!!) and Les and I spent one more night back in West End before an early morning flight on Tropic Air back to Belize City.

Belize 2014/15

We have been here for 2 and 1/2 months and, other than the few pictures of our new place, I am yet to  post anything about our  2014/15 winter trip to Belize. I have grown so lazy.  I am content to sit on this balcony and watch the world go by.  My view from here is so perfect.  Palm trees, turquoise water, water taxi boats, paddle boarders, wind surfers, kayaks, etc. all pass by (wind surfers and kayakers seldom share the same days. And if they do, it's not pretty.)
The sailboat has suffered a series of mishaps, mistakes and mis-whatevers.  It took a long time to get the engine working and then, after finding a nearby dock where we could keep it, when Les went to take friends, Rob and Dennis, for a sail he discovered that it was too shallow for the 4 foot keel to get away from the dock except at the highest tide.  We got it out one time before they came and had a beautiful sail that afternoon until the return leg during which the weather and wind turned wild and we came back heeled over on our side with me clutching  desperately onto the boat in a total panic. I believe there may also have been some crying and cursing!
I have compensated for the lack of activities by eating and the combination of abundant and outstanding food and lack of exercise has resulted in a middle so thick I soon will not have any clothes that fit.  Buttons and buttonholes are straining to remain serviceable as I speak.
We have really enjoyed our time here with Linda and Rob and new friends, Dennis and Barbara. Probably our best adventure was renting golf carts and traveling the no man's land of northern Ambergris Island.  We will be going to Roatan for a week in a few days with Rob and Linda.  Dennis and Barbara left for Gridley this morning.

PIctures of new Caye Caulker beach house.

It is an overcast, slightly rainy, kind of a grey day.  Not so much like a Panama rainy day, which  usually affords a  more vigorous downpour and a display of lightening with accompanying thunder.  It's more like an Oregon coast rainy day, just drizzly and dreary

Thought I might like to look back some day and remember how we passed a stay-at-home day here in Tierra Oscura.  So here goes:  We get up early and put on the pot to heat water for coffee.  It is still dark so we go out on the deck to watch the sky lighten and listen to the morning sounds.  Lots of birds.  Howler monkeys behind the house, lately coming closer.  Two troops of them.  I suppose they are calling back and forth to establish their territories
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We both check our computers to see if we have any interesting news from home.  (Not often enough!) and I feed Turbo who is most appreciative and affectionate!  Soon after that I feed Lester who is also appreciative and affectionate but indicates his pleasure verbally rather than by  touching my hand with a cold wet nose.

About 7:30 the short wave radio fires up announcing that Bocas Net will begin its morning announcements in 15 minutes.  When it does begin, various home owners and cruisers in the area call in to indicate they are listening.  Lester does that for us as I am radio shy!  "Ben 64", he says. (That is the call signal for this address.) I guess I could say that.  But I'd rather not.  Anyway, what follows are announcements about items for sale, trade, or wanted to buy, community events, and the weather report, etc.  So far as I can tell the weather report is pretty much the same every day.  40-50% chance of rain and thunder showers.  Apparently the usual for this time of year and so the report is accurate and probably could be delivered by recording. But this Bocas Net event is a highlight of our day and makes us feel a part of the community even though we are all pretty isolated.

Lester is a three meals per day kind of guy so it isn't too long after breakfast and breakfast cleanup that it is time to do lunch and lunch cleanup.  I usually read in the afternoon, check the computer again for any messages and then get started on dinner and dinner cleanup. (I usually cook with wine, and by that I mean, with a glass of wine in my hand while cooking.It is my reward for being a good girl all day)    Lester will spend the afternoon on computer games.  Occasionally we play a game of  Cribbage. Today I vacuumed and cleaned the humming bird feeder and refilled it.  I keep a wary eye on the solar power indicator on the wall here.  If there is plenty of power I will plug in the heater in the linen closet to prevent mildew there.  If not, I will skip that day.  Decisions, decisions!

I put together a jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table.  Spent some time on it each day for about a week
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After dinner we may play another card game, spend some time relaxing on the deck enjoying the evening sounds (Like the whoop, whoop of the frogs) before Lester goes back to his computer as do I.  But he plays games while I look for something on NetFlix before going to bed.  And that is a typical day at home. ( I am really looking forward to going to town tomorrow!!!)

Apologies due to the floating restaurant in Bocas!  In previous post I said that the food was not that great.  I should have said that breakfast was not that great.  But lunch!  Now there is a real winner.  We arrived in town later yesterday so ordered the beer batter fish and chips and, I want to tell you,  that was awesome.  Can't wait to go back!

Lester came down with some kind of flu bug about a week ago and was sick for most of 4 days.  Fever, aches and pains, he slept through most of it and finally came out on the other side about Tuesday.  Wednesday turned out to be a really gorgeous day.  Hardly a cloud in the sky and the water was as smooth as glass all the way into Bocas town and almost that smooth on the way back.  Finding a dock that is open and the business is willing to let you tie up is a bit of a problem.  But at the far end of town is a big boat that is a floating restaurant and has a dock we can use while in town.  Of course, they expect you to eat there as well, which is too bad as the food was not that great. Probably the quality of food offered there  is the reason for the abundance of docking space.  That's my guess anyway.We spent several hours in town.  Had lunch, shopped for groceries.  It was good to get out after so many days at home.

Yesterday we hit the water again, this time making a trip to visit our former neighbors from when we house sat here 2 years ago.  Carl and Mary live on the next bay, Dolphin Bay.  This house is on Almirante Bay.  There are small islands and mangrove mazes everywhere you go.  Easy to get lost here although we remembered some of the routes from the last time we were here (and were often lost back then!) While we were sitting out on their wrap around deck the howler monkeys arrived in the tree tops at the back.  So entertaining to watch them.  Such nice people! Carl and Mary, that is.  I suppose the monkeys are nice too though.

One note of interest, before I forget to mention it, is the short wave radio(single side band, Les calls it) that we have in the house.  Many of the people in the area have one and it is the major means of communication here.  Every morning about 8:00 they make announcements and share  bits of news and  advice.  Throughout the day people contact each other on this radio.  Jan and Brent (home owners here) are Ben 64.

We saw a dolphin out in front of the house this morning. Loved that.  Am watching for a sloth!

June 26, 2014
Today is day 6 of our Bocas del Toro adventure 2014.  Since my memory tends to fail me from time to time these days will try to get this blog up and running while I am still able to do so.
Day 1- Was, of course, the flight down.  Uneventful.  No delays, missing luggage, etc.  We took a cab from the Panama City airport to the Milan hotel which proved to be quite comfortable.  ($66) Had a nightcap in the bar before heading to bed.
Day 2 -.  A cab to the bus terminal where we purchased tickets to David (pronounced Dah- Veed) $15 each, 7 hour trip.  Double Decker bus and we had the premier seats up top in front!  The route to David (Dah-Veed) is surprisingly straight, passing through a wide valley of what appears to be mostly farmland.  From the bus terminal we took a taxi to the Alcalar Hotel. Again quite comfortable. ($41)  Another nightcap before bed.
Day 3- A small bus to Almirante this a.m.  The scenery over the mountains and across the continental divide was spectacular.  An interesting trip became even more so when we realized that we qualified for chicken bus status with chickens in a cardboard box across the aisle from us and a potato sack with what must have been a couple of wiggling piglets flung on top of the bus as we left the terminal.  Along the way we picked up and left off many travelers , some of whom were firmly pressed, one against the other, in the aisle leaving the bus helper hanging off the side of the bus. It was an even more interesting  trip than the day before.
We were met at the terminal in Almirante by the people for whom we are house sitting and taken by boat to their home (lovely home!)Pictures to follow! Dinner at Rana Azul. More details to follow on Rana Azul as well.
Day 4- We followed Jan and Brent around trying to learn the dos and don'ts of off grid living.  Dinner included  an incredible meatloaf that I will have a recipe for at a future date.
Day 5- We took  Jan and Brent to Almirante to catch a bus and then back to the house where we did nothing.  Stayed home and enjoyed the absence of anything that needed to be done!
Day 6- Off to Bocas del Toro for a shopping trip early this a.m.  Had some difficulty figuring out the GPS but made it into town fine and bought supplies for the next week.  Only forgot a few things!Heavy rain coming back but as an Oregonian, that is never a problem!

It occurred to me the other day that I have not yet posted a final report from the Spring 2014 Central America Adventure Log. Some day, when I am really old, (not just sort of old, as I now am) I expect to read all this and smile with fond remembrance of these good times. Better get it down before I forget. So here goes:  Carol and Frank came down and spent our last few days on Caye Caulker with us.  From there we went to Roatan, Utila, Copan, Antigua, and San Marcos on Lake Atitlan.  We had a great time.  Well, I can do better than just that so here are some of the details.
We flew from Belize City to Roatan on the new Tropic Air service offered there.  Our destination was West End where most of the little hotels are located.  We stayed at Arco Iris, each with our own little kitchen and a large shared balcony where we enjoyed many a game of cribbage after spending time on the beach in front of the hotel.  We rented a car for a day and toured the island, stopping at a little eatery (Cal's Cantina) with a magnificent view and the best cheeseburger I have ever had!  We drove over to West Beach for breakfast before turning the car back in.
It had been our plan to go by boat directly from Roatan to Utila but the trip was cancelled due to weather (my guess is the boat captain came up with an alternate plan for that day, but okay).  So we went by ferry to the mainland and then from there by ferry out to Utila.where we had a house on the shore rented for a few days.  The place turned out to be outstanding.  Right over the water with a view of town and boat traffic coming  and going in the harbor between.  A wrap around balcony and well supplied kitchen completed the setup.  We took a tuktuk tour of the island and were especially impressed with The Jade Seahorse, a fairy tale like place where the owner has spent years creating an intriguing scene from bits of broken tiles and glass and various other oddments. From Utila we took the ferry back to the mainland (La Ceiba) and made our way to the bus depot where we learned that we could take the bus to San Pedro Sula but the bus on to Copan from there was sold out.
San Pedro Sula is hailed as the murder capitol of the world.  But we were welcomed and treated so nicely, staying in a small hotel down town with our only hint of violence a caution from the hotel about not walking the streets after dark.  No problem there as I can't keep my eyes open after dark anyway.
In Copan we stayed at ViaVia, a cute little hotel attached to a rather noisy restaurant.  But also the headquarters for many interesting tours. The hotel was reasonably priced at $18 per night! Carol and Frank went to the ruins at Copan (where we went last year) and we went to the hot springs.  Lester and I each had a great massage!
Next on our trip was Antigua for Semana Santa (Easter Week). We stayed at a small hotel (Pasada San Vicente) with a lovely courtyard and pleasant rooms.  Carol's cousin and his wife  who are in the area waiting to begin a Peace Corp assignment joined us in Antigua.  The Easter celebration there is impressive.  Amazing, actually.  We believe that at least 3,000 people , in costumes, took part in the processions.  We later learned that they all had to pay to participate, with the more expensive parts going to those who start out walking from the church.  The floats were carried on the shoulders over the cobblestone streets and over the flower carpets arranged daily on the parade routes.  The crowds were unbelievable.  At times they were pressed so tightly together it was difficult to move other than inching along and hoping not to lose your footing on the rough street.  Frank and I each got caught up in the crunch at which time he was relieved of his wallet and I lost my camera.
From Antigua we traveled up into the mountains to Panajachel and Lake Atitlan, left by a long ago  volcano  eruption.  It is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful lakes situated as it is between three remaining volcanoes. We went by launch to the village of San Marcos where we had rented a house for the week.  The house was lovely and the surrounding garden awesome.  But the rough and rocky trail up to the house was an unwelcome development.  Especially as yearly (or maybe even daily) I become less sure footed and less able to climb. Which speaking of climbing, Carol and Frank climbed up the volcano at San Pedro.  Pretty impressive! (We, instead, went for another massage.)  Hey, we know how to have a good time too!
At the end of the week back down the hill to Guatemala City airport and a homeward bound flight.  Another fine adventure.







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RAIN!  (part two)
Our trip to Guatemala!
But first a report on Gypsy Wind, our poor sailboat.  She has been waiting and waiting to go back in the water.  Lester had left it out this year so he could sand the bottom and apply an anti-fouling paint to protect it for the next couple of years.  Unfortunately the boat must be dry before application and dry is not in our vocabulary at the moment.  Also he had to wait for the motor parts we shipped down to arrive so he could repair the motor (needed to motor the boat out to where it can be sailed.) The motor is now ready but Gypsy Wind is still waiting to be sanded and painted.  Not to mention that it is extremely difficult to reach the marina where she waits due to so much water on the roads.  I will be going back to California the last week of Jan.to take care of some necessary business and we are hoping she will be ready to sail when I get back!

Now, about Guatemala!  The good news is that making the circle through Florence and Tikal, Rio Dulce and Finca Tatin, Livingston and Placencia is an amazing trip.  From majestic Mayan ruins to overgrown jungle retreat, to the Garifuna town at the mouth of the Rio Dulce, to a lounge chair on the lovely beach at Placencia  is truly an adventure to remember.  The bad news is that doing it during the cold front that moved in and in the rain that persisted even after leaving Belize did  take the edge off  some of the joy.  But not for long!  We are all tough! We were joined on most of the trip by an Alaskan named Kurt who had been staying in the same housing complex with us here on CC.  Kurt bailed in Livingston, choosing not to return to Belize now but instead to remain there renting a place, studying Spanish by day and cavorting with the locals by night!  Just kidding, he seemed like a nice enough guy.
Of all the Mayan sites I've visited, Tikal is  (to me anyway) the most impressive.  With pyramids rising out of the jungle and the call of howler monkeys, and amazing tropical birds on the wing, it has a real otherwordly feel to it.  Flores, the little island town reached by causeway is picturesque and inviting.  Although not quite so attractive  in a howling rainstorm (We had nice accommodations with a balcony overlooking the lake.  It was by far our splurge as far as rooms went. But weather prevented us from taking advantage.)
Finca Tatin is a favorite of mine.  Ever since I saw a pen and ink drawing made by my Italian friend, Fabrizio, of the thick jungle entrance to the retreat I had wanted to go there.  And it has never disappointed!  From there we kayaked down river to Livingston.  It is about a 2 1/2 hour trip, most of it a leisurely paddle.  We were so lucky to have one perfect sunny day to enjoy this adventure.  We arrived at the dock of the small hotel where we planned to stay and that is where the real fun began..  All I can say is, too bad we did not have a video of that event to enter in some funniest video contest!  I got to climb out of the kayak first and, while there is never a way to do this gracefully, my exit was a total disaster.  Even with the help of the hotel manager, I fought and wobbled, and huffed and puffed and was finally able to get out only by somehow getting my butt on the dock and crawling on my belly from there.  Gail was next and she did better but only by a little.  The guys, after seeing our problems came out more easily with Tim even scrambling up that wooden ladder in record time.
The worst of the cold front hit us that night and remained with us throughout the next day. It was so cold I considered taking the rug off the floor to cover the blanket on my bed.  But managed by wrapping my feet and legs in a towel under the blanket.
We left Livingston early the next morning in what had to be the ultimate hair raising experience of our trip.  We went by boat (small launch) from Livingston to Punta Gorda, Belize bouncing over and through  5 foot swells in open water, no land in sight.  I don't know about the others but I was praying.   Gail says she now knows how it would be to ride a bucking bull.  ..But we survived.  Like I said, we are tough!
The skies cleared for a good part of our last day which we spent on the beach at Placencia.  It was perfect to be able to relax on the beach at the end.  The next morning Tim and Gail headed for the airport and the homeward bound series of flights and we took the bus back to Belize City.  It was a great trip!  
  

RAIN!  In all of my winters here this is most definitely the wettest.  The streets have been constantly flooded.  Sandbags lining some of the streets allow walkers to make their way along the edges without wading. .  Bicycles plow through the puddles, their riders in constant jeopardy of falling into a teeth jarring hole.  It has been a different kind of adventure!
Fortunately our neighbors, Tim and Gail, are the best sports.  Our enthusiastic descriptions of sun and snorkeling have fallen short of the mark this year.  And that's putting it mildly! But they have managed to swim, snorkel and sail with Ragamuffin between cloudbursts.  And have spent many an hour reading and relaxing on their porch in between. We have made the rounds of all the best eateries on the island, although we had to settle for home cooked meals whenever the heavens opened up right at dinner time.
As always, The Wish Willy has been our favorite.  For those of you who have never experienced Maurice's fine foods served in a rustic outdoor environment this is the ultimate in Caye Caulker dining.  Granted, there are places more upscale, but none with better food.  It has become our habit of letting him choose our meal.  We just say, "Whatever you have please!" and he brings a platter of various meats and seafood (usually lobster, shrimp kabobs, fish, pork chops or steak, etc) and we each get a plate of rice and vegetables to go with that.  Dinner and a couple of rum and cokes to wash it down usually runs about $10.
Almost immediately upon arriving we learned that this will be our last year in this sweet little house as the property is being sold to the big fancy hotel next door.  This is sad in a way as we have (or I should say, Lester has..)  made many improvements to the place and it has become, in our hearts and minds, our second home.  We have enjoyed the perfect sunsets from the back yard and made friends with the owners and neighbors.  The downstairs storage was perfect and having the boat right out back, as well as a great kayak launching area, was an additional convenience.  But life is change.  And sometimes it is good for us to be prodded into action by change!  So I began the search for a new home and found a sweet little beach house on the front side of the island which we have already  reserved for next year.  Before we leave this year I will be transferring small appliances, and other items that have been brought down over the years to the new place.  No storage there but will just leave it all to be enjoyed by other renters who are here while we are gone.
An interesting coincidence concerning our new landlady.  It turns out that I remember her from our first visit to Caye Caulker approximately 20 years ago.  That was in a time before the regularly scheduled water taxis.  In those days you went to the Texaco station on the river in Belize City and asked for Chocolate's boat.  There was no particular departure schedule. The boat just left when it was full.  While waiting we noticed a woman and her small son, who it turned out to be, was a fellow Californian, marine biologist, graduated from Humbolt, living on Caye Caulker.  We visited the little souvenir shop in her home, Frank (Rosa) and I each purchasing a matamosquito, which, as the name implies, is a tool (long natural broom made from native bush) used to kill mosquitoes.  I still have mine hanging by the wall in the living room, ready for duty!  The lady  is still here,and is our new landlady!  Her son is now in his 20's.
I had better quit for now as I am feeling uneasy about this suddenly disappearing.  It has been known to do just that on excruciatingly painful  occasions!  Back soon with tales from our Guatemala adventure with Tim and Gail!        .

As we approach the end of our time here at Casa Alegria it occurs to me that I should post a final report.

We have enjoyed house sitting here.  It was especially fun to have Carol and Frank visit with us.  And having a car available made all the difference as to sampling so many great lunches at various restaurants.  The pool has been delightful and when we are alone and I am quite sure no one is coming over I have been known to go skinny dipping.  74 years old and this is my first skinny dipping experience.  Kind of wish I'd done it sooner when my body was in better shape and I didn't have to creep, fully covered, to the swimming pool's edge and look furtively around once more to make sure there was no one in sight before going into the water.  I have learned one interesting fact though.  Fat floats.  And even at 74 some fat filled parts can take on an unaccustomed perkiness while unencumbered in the pool. And that's all I'll say about that!

The animals have been fun.  And especially so since our travel schedule does not allow us to have pets. The orange cat, Ruby, remains aloof although she occasionally, and grudgingly, allows a small amount of stroking on her back.  The fluffy and mischievous Tiki delights in pouncing on me at unexpected moments (usually while I am asleep) at which time she declares her affection by sharpening her claws on thinly covered or unprotected parts of my anatomy.  Because it is such an affectionate gesture I grit my teeth and bear it, for a while.  She like to nap in various baskets some of them far to small to be comfortable and requiring much maneuvering to finally settle in.  And she can not be trusted with open cupboard doors.

Blackie is a sweetheart.  One would hardly expect it at first meeting (and maybe even 2nd and 3rd)  She is fiercely protective but once you come under her  protection and one of her accepted people she becomes your best friend.  She guards the house (and the furniture - just let one of the cats start to sharpen claws and she is immediately there with a reprimand.) She loves to dig for crabs on the beach and one night I woke to find her tossing a rather large one in the air in the bedroom.  I was concerned that she might manage to toss it in the bedwith me  but Les got it outside before that could happen.  She likes to catch other critters as well and for several days we kept smelling something dead in the bedroom.  I checked and Lester and I were still alive so it wasn't us.  Finally we found a dead lizard in her bed next to the wall where she was obviously enjoying the tantalizing aroma!

Yes, it has been another grand adventure in our already much blessed life.  A big thank you to Jon and Cathy for allowing us to stay here.  I wonder, what next?

Carol and Frank arrived and just in time for the great turtle search.  It seems that this is the time of year when the turtles come ashore to lay their eggs and this is a popular egg laying site.  Unfortunately this is an activity that occurs in the wee hours of the night which is not convenient for me (I like to sleep then!).  I made it one night and have since mumbled my regrets and rolled over in bed and back to sleep.   Carol and Frank, however,  are soldiering on and should a sudden influx of turtles appear on the beach  we will be alerted.

I am enjoying the cats, Tiki may suddenly drop into my lap or snuggle next to me in bed.  Ruby continues to be aloof but if I happen upon on her, resting on the couch for example, she will reluctantly allow me to pet her.  She tries to pretend she does not like it but that paw reaching out to knead is a dead give away.  I have fallen in love though with Blackie.  Once we got past the initial period of adjustment (the barking) she became the most loving dog.  Now she is my shadow and I am becoming more attached to her every day.

The house is awesome! We are enjoying the pool, playing games and dining out!  Couldn't ask for any more!

Mexico Adventure

A report from our latest adventure here in Isla Navidad, Colima, Mexico.  We flew into Manzanillo on Saturday, August 17, and are about 20 minutes from the airport near the towns of Barra de Navidad and Melaque.  The house we are watching  is called Casa Alegria and is about a block off the ocean.  WE are near enough to hear the waves breaking on the shore and can see the water from the third floor crow's nest viewpoint as well as from the balcony off one of the upstairs bedrooms.

In addition to watching the house we are caring for three pets( Blackie, a Labrador mix, and the cats, Ruby and Tiki)  This is an awesome house and the pets are becoming more comfortable and affectionate with us every day. Lester has started Spanish lessons with a young man in Barra.  He is learning the language as they stroll around the streets and go into shops, etc.

We spent the first few days with the owners of the house (Jon and Cathy). They were our tour guides, driving us around the area where we enjoyed the sights, all the while pointing out the best places to eat (many of which we have already visited.) and where to shop.  We have been on our own since they left on Tuesday  for Seattle.  The maids (three of them) came on Tuesday and swept, dusted, changed beds, etc.)  The pool guy/gardener was also here..

We had a pretty spectacular storm Wednesday night with lots of wind and rain and lightening strikes close enough to make the hair on your arms stand up.  It was this storm that began the bonding process with the animals.  They wanted to be close during that time!  It rained again on Thursday and this all really cooled things off.

We made a practice run to the   airport this morning to make sure we would not get lost tomorrow when we go to pick up Carol and Frank Rosa who will be joining us here for a while. Also stopped at the Bodega (grocery store) again and stocked up on more supplies.  The restaurant food here is so good I originally announced my plan to eat out every day but have since decided that is not exactly practical.  Besides I do enjoy learning to cook some of the local products.  Lester came home with a recipe to cook chayote and we had it with our dinner last night.  This is a very good thing as they have these in Belize as well and I never knew what to do with them.  This afternoon we went swimming in the pool (a skinny dip!!) and we are going to drive down the beach a little later to a place called Coco Cabanas for a margarita before coming back here for dinner.  (Life is so hard!)


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Oh dear!  Here we are in April and I am way behind in posting to this again.  We only have a week left before we leave Caye Caulker and start our sightseeing travels on the way home.  WE will be going home through Guatemala and Honduras, leaving from Guatemala City for Sacramento on April 30.

But for now a report on the activities here at our second-home base.  Les is getting ready to pull Gypsy Wind  up out of the water for this year's absence.  He has some work he wants to do, one of which is painting the bottom when we come back. In preparation for this he has been building a cradle for her to rest in and the other day we rode our bicycles out to inspect the site and make final arrangements with the manager of the marina.  On the way out we stopped to see Gilbert  (the resident crocodile)at the pool where he hangs out.  Well, Lester saw him.  I never have seen him as my eyesight is so bad.  But, according to Lester he was on the other side, resting in the shade.  I am scheduled to have my cataracts removed this summer so expect I too will be seeing Gilbert next year.  Or, I will find out someone has been pulling my leg and that dark form over there in the shade is a log.  (Gilbert seems to have the same level of activity as a log.)

On the way back we stopped to visit with Carlos (of Carlos Snorkeling Tours) and that made my day as Carlos is cute and charming and a bit of a swashbuckler (obviously descended from pirates).  Then we went over to have breakfast at Amor Y Cafe and that made Lester's day as the owner, Micah (Dutch lady) is very attractive and also possessed of her share of charm.  A further bonus - they serve the best breakfast on Caye Caulker.

Today we went over to San Pedro on the water taxi to renew our visas.  They run out on the 6th and we won't be leaving until the 11th.  You are supposed to get 30 days whenever you renew but they only give you 29 days so at the end you are always short and have to pay another $25 for a few more days.  Some people refer to that as being "Belized". We came right back on the return water taxi as we are not great fans of San Pedro.  Too busy for us!

The other day we had a perfect sail.  The water was so beautiful, the breeze just right.  It was a good way to end the season. One more thing about the boat.  Because of maintenance problems (like the motor mount breaking and the motor falling in the salt water, etc.) we have not been able to sail as much as we wanted and while waiting for parts to arrive Lester has concentrated on installing and renewing the woodwork in the cabin with really awesome results.  I am proud of the amount and quality of work he has put into the boat. Now we have to just keep our fingers crossed that no hgurricanes pass over Caye Caulker this year!

Last night we went to Habaneros for dinner and I swear that  is the best place to eat in the entire world.  Granted, I don't really have the expertise nor even the experience  to claim that honor for them but instinct tells me it is so.  I have a new favorite there.  My old favorite was the Brazilian Pork (and those who have tried it will back me up as to how good that is!)  However, hard as it is to believe, there is another dish there that edges it out for first place.  It is a seafood stuffed pasta with a sweet coconut sauce.  Oh my, to die for!!

And then there is my story about the fish I caught.  I like to go riding on the bicycle early in the morning when there is hardly anyone out yet.  Rules of the road here seem to be based on whim and you never know when you will round a corner and find someone smack dab in your face on your side of the street,  To make matters worse, people here often carry their babies  in the bicycle basket and I have nightmares about running into someone and knocking their baby flying.  But anyway, I rode down to the split and watched a fellow fishing there with just a hand line, a hook and sinker, and a piece of sardine for bait.  It looked like so much fun I went and bought the same equipment and the next morning tried it myself.  Guess what!  I caught a nice yellow tail snapper!  I brought it home (stopping to show off my catch to some of my friends on the way, and, okay, I admit it, even to a few people I'd  never met before)  I took the fish out back, scraped off the scales, cleaned it, and brought it in and wrapped it in foil with veggies and seasoning, cooked it in my mini nu-wave oven,  and we had it for lunch!  It was delicious!

So that's some of what has been happening here with us.  We are torn between wanting to stay on forever and wanting to get home and see everyone there.  But it is time! So goodbye Caye Caulker.  See you in November!

Well, shame on me!  My last post was at Christmas!  Guess I'd better get busy and get in a few more reports before it is time to go home.

One problem was that my computer was on the fritz.  All of a sudden a portion of the keyboard was frozen and it is very difficult to find words that do not contain e,r,t,d,f,g,h,c,v,b,and n.  And then, since the space bar also did not work, what few words you might be able to make would all be run together. Example- sixisquizjoy.  Not only is that hard to read but it doesn't make any sense and certainly does not pertain to nor describe our adventures here in Belize.  But that is still no excuse.

Anyway, the quick trip back to Northern California to take care of business enabled me to take the computer in for repairs and for only $71.00 I again have the use of all of those letters plus the space bar.  The time in Live Oak was busy but well spent.  Went through mail, paid bills ahead again for next three months, closed out Mr.S. books, did taxes, went to Dr.appt and Eye appt and renewed drivers license (missed one on written test), and was able to spend precious moments in between chores with friends and family. Main focus- Grandchildren!!

But I was ready to return to Belize and had a wonderful homecoming when I arrived.  Lester at the airport with golf cart taxi waiting!  Brought my friend, Lee, and her son back with me.  They are renting #3 house in front of us for the month.  Lee and I have already made a trip out to south end by my property to take a yoga class, eaten dinner at the Wish Willy, and are making plans for Habaneros and the ultimate in fine dining, their Brazilian Pork Chops! They have taken the Lamini (Mayan Ruins) trip today and probably in a couple of days we will don our bullet proof vests and venture into Belize City to visit the museum, the culture center and the farmers market. Oh yes, and we did go out snorkeling which consisted of Lee and I bobbing about in somewhat choppy water and finally climbing back in the boat to have a nice visit while the other two passengers went off with the guide.  (I really could not see the guide managing two flailing women while trying to take the other two on a tour.)  But the sun was warm, the water was beautiful and it was worth the trip just to be out next to the reef!

I'm in a cooking mood so today will be making a curried shrimp and vegetable dish for dinner and chili for tomorrow.  A local lady makes the best flour tortillas so will pick those up to have with the chili.  At the same time I am going to experiment with making an earthquake cake (recipe from neighbor Mary in Panama) in that little round express cooker that I use to bake corn bread, etc. It will only make about a third of a cake. We'll see how that works out.

And finally, one of the best things about Belize and especially Caye Caulker is the local children.  Besides being so very beautiful and sweet, they play outside at all the old games I played as a child.  hide and seek, marbles , rolling tires down the road, building things in the sand and dirt.  Very simple entertainments.  Brings back good memories to watch them.  Of course, soccer is very popular and living by the soccer field, as we do, gives us the chance to see what talented, agile and determined ball players they are.  And they start young.  You hear very little crying or whining here and on the rare occasion that you do, you'll probably look around and find it is coming from a tourist kid.  Children wear white shirts and blue shorts or skirts to school and most ride bicycles, often older siblings with the younger ones on the handlebars.  They are extremely well groomed.  The families seem to take great pride in their young ones being well dressed and  tidy.  A local once told me some years ago that the children here belong to everyone and everyone watches out for them.  This has proved to be so very true.

More later.....

Merry Christmas!

We are enjoying a very quiet Christmas.  Yesterday, Christmas Eve was our big busy and eventful day. It started out with a nice sail on the boat.  I needed to be back no later than #:00 p.m. to do my part of the cooking for our shared dinner with the landlady and her family.  My contributions were to be dressing, sweet potatoes, gravy, mashed potatoes to go with the turkey that she was baking and whatever else she decided to make.  It was the first time I ever attempted to make dressing in the slow cooker.  (It turned out to be successful enough although not my best.)

Anyway, it was a perfect day and we sailed down to Caye Chapel and back in water that was brilliant turquoise.  As we were coming back in to tie up we commented on what a special day it had been.  That's when all hell broke loose.  We came in a bit too fast and when Les grabbed for the post to tie up the dinghie caught on something on the back and swung us into the post and caught his arm.  Almost broke it but he managed to move fast enough that he got away Unfortunately, leaving a chunk of arm behind.  I grabbed the first aid kit and we managed to staunch the flow and get tied up.  He took me ashore so I could cook but when we got there I did not follow instructions ("Sit still until I can help you out.") and decided to hop out on my own. Halfway through that maneuver I discovered that my "hop" is no longer functional and did some kind of wild split that pulled some muscle in my back.  By the time I got up to the house to start my share of cooking  I was shaking so hard I could hardly get up the stairs.  Lester went back to the boat to close it all up and (drum roll) that was when the finale occurred.  He was pulling the motor up in the lock position when the motor mount broke and the motor fell off in the water.  What a day!

So now he is drying out and cleaning up the motor and waiting to see how much damage was done.  But the dinner was good We are about to partake of leftovers today.  Expect better news next posting

Exactly one month since we arrived back in Belize.  Yesterday we had to go over to San Pedro and renew our visas.  As usual we were ready to come back to Caye Caulker as soon as we finished at the Immigration office and stopped off at Captain Shark's for boat parts and supplies.  It is so busy over there, a complete different world from laid back Caye Caulker.  This suits us well!

We finally have the sailboat moored out back and Les is doing a few more repairs before we start sailing. As those of you who have been or are involved with boats will know, a lot of boating is getting ready to use the boat! We are still in the getting ready phase.  But gaining on the actual doing it phase!

Other pastimes here include Thursday afternoon jam sessions at the sports bar on the beach which we finally attended this last week.  We enjoyed it very much . From that  get down and party atmosphere  we went down the street to the outdoor basketball court to attend the elementary school Christmas program that turned out to be every bit as lively with music blasting (loud music is popular here and apparently necessary for any public function.)  and young people dancing to the Jingel House Rock.  Then there was a nativity play and an emphasis on the religious aspect of Christmas which we no longer seem to acknowledge back in the US.   Tuesday is Taco and margarita night at the Dive Shop Bar  next door.  That's tonight.  We're going! Our adopted son, Fredrick, is bringing my kayak from a friends stotage for me today so I expect to be exploring coves out back in the morning.

We have a new neighbor, Sam, a New England retiree who has taken the house in front of us for three months.  Hr has taken on the project of cleaning the soccer field out front early each motning and has an appointment to talk to the village council about organizing some clean up events in the future.  I plan to go with him as this is a cause dear to my heart as well.

We are planning Christmas dinner with the landlady and family.  (She has the oven) So I have ordered a turkey and am gathering other ingredients for a traditional holiday dinner.

All is well except for a few aches and pains, a slight hearing loss, diminished eyesight, shortness of breath when experiencing even minor exertion, a tendancy to bruise at the least bump, memory lapses, an inability to get up unaided from a seated position on the ground or sand, and a general bedraggled and bewildered appearance that could be taken as symptoms of aging, except that, of course, we all know better!

More later. . . 

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!

Caye Caulker 2012/13 Season

After only a few days we have slipped easily back into our comfortable Caye Caulker island lifestyle.  There are few tourists here now, allowing us to fully enjoy our cast of local characters and friends.  Among them are Chocolate, the legendary protector of manatees, bandy legged, trademark white moustache leading the way, we pass him on his early morning dog walking excursion. "Mornin" he calls.  Fredrick, our gap toothed 40 something adopted son, delivering cargo to various businesses with his bicycle cart,  "Mom! - Dad"  he greets us.  Maurice, the dredlocked owner/cook of "The Wish Willy" a  backyard eatery where the lack of ambiance is more than made up for by the generous helpings of  delicious local cuisine.  Lucianna, our darling transplanted 95 lb(soaking wet)  bundle of Italian energy and the best darn snorkeling guide in Belize.  Ras Creek, the owner of a palm frond decorated, brightly colored boat that he uses to transfer tourists to the reef where they may swim with the sting rays. Marie, the "Laundry Mat" lady.  Mark, the internet cafe guy.  Raena, the meat pie lady, To mention just a few.

Two new acquaintances.  A man somewhat worse from over indulgence in local rum crawled up into a boat stored next to our place and remained there for so long without evidence of movement that we asked the local police to check and see if he were still alive.  Yep! and happy to stagger off for another go at the bottle.  Also a large iguana, one of the group that lives under the house and comes out daily to sunbathe below suddenly bounded up our stairs onto the porch and demanded to be fed.  (At least, that was our guess).  Apparently a correct one as she allowed Les to hand feed her chunks of banana.  This after never being able to get near any of the iguanas before.

I am happy to report that the nu wave cooker that I smuggled into the country on Sunday works like a charm.  Our first time use?  Broiled lobster tails drenched in garlic butter. (Notice how cleverly I worked in that part about already having lobster for dinner!)  Subtle, right?  Today eggplant parmesan is bubbling gently in the crock pot.  Looking forward to cooking a pot of the local red beans with the "Better Than Bullion" ham flavoring, a seasoning trick passed on to me by neighbor Mary in Panama.  Life is good!

Okay, there is one fly in the ointment.  No internet in the house.  For that reason I am here at the internet cafe pecking away and posting the first report of this new season on Caye Caulker.  Wish you were all here!

Oh yes, about the boat.  It is trapped in the marina behind several others that came in later.  We expect to get it free in a few days.  The inspector is expected later this month.  We must be ready!