Bella Thinks about Parasailing

It's February 29th. Happy Leap Year! 

Thinking about Parasailing

Today the workmen come back to continue whipping our apartment into shape. Our first guests, Holly, Honey, Taylor, and Katelyn, arrive on March 7th, and it's got to be looking good. Prince Harry arrives in Belize on March 3rd, but he won't be staying at our house. Poor Harry. 


Shelley had an offer to go shopping today in Chetumal, Mexico, but thought it best to stay here and supervise. Chetumal is about two hours from here by water taxi, and the deal was almost too good to pass up: water taxi and overnight accomodations for two--$125 USD. Add a third person for $25. And why, you may ask, would you want to go to Chetumal, Mexico, from San Pedro? Because the hotel is right across the street from Sam's Club, darling! We take our shopping seriously here.

Passing Through the Cut

In the meantime, Tom and I are going fishing on a real boat. Yeah, yeah, I know we've said that before, but this time it's really going to happen. We're meeting Steven and Obby at two o'clock and heading out to sea. I've been invited for color commentary; Tom's only job is to bring the cooler. The boat is docked over on the lagoon side of the island, so we have to head north to the cut, then under the bridge to the Caribbean side. Now that I've overcome seasickness, it should be a blast.


Welcome back, Mimi! We've missed you! I know grandmothering can be a full time job, but I need your attention, too.

Can you watch parasailing from your front yard? (I didn't think so.) Here's a picture from our beach. The actual sail lasts about 25 minutes. Someone told me, "It's freaky at first, but, in the end, it's AWESOME!" If you're brave enough to try, you can get more information from Extreme Adventures Belize here in San Pedro.

Y'all come visit. We can go boating, parasailing, or shopping. You choose. You're gonna love Belize.

Technical Alert: This may be a bit boring, but bear with me. If you've bookmarked my website but keep getting the same post over and over, make sure your bookmark is set to "bellainbelize.com" or bellainbelize.blogspot.com". Otherwise, you'll keep returning to the same old story day after day! And if you haven't bookmarked "Bella in Belize," you should. End of Technical Alert.

Bella Likes Parties

I just love kids. Right!

Just in case you don't read the comments following each post, here's one from "HoustonHoney" who lives in (you guessed it) Houston:

Thanks for more interesting facts! We have a few more questions about containers

1. was $800 the total price including import taxes?
2. was it a full container load?
3. how do get your things from the dock/barge to your home or building site?
4. Is it possible to transport an entire container from dock to your building site, not just your belongings? If so, what does this cost and is it easy to coordinate? 

C'mon, "HoustonHoney." Do you really think I'm going to take a month trying to answer complicated questions like that? I'm just a dog. Give me a break. (Okay, Okay! I'll try to track down Tyler and get some answers. Man! This is becoming work.)

Tom is still checking out diving information and, catch this, is even interested in learning to dive himself--at least until we saw this sign and realized the danger of head shrinking. It's becoming harder and harder to find these Flash Gordon helmets anymore.  Gee, I wonder why?

The dive shop right behind our house, literally in our backyard, is called "Belize Adventure Diving." And we've also spent some time with Eddie, another dive master with his own deal, who owns a Maltese named Poochie. Personally, I'm leaning toward Captain Eddie.

Casper, who heads up the music at Fido's, celebrated his 60th birthday last night and, I'm told, the party was a blast. That's right, I was left home--alone. Shelley and Tom left our phone number with all of the neighbors and, at about 9:00 pm, I was busted for barking and they had to come back. Seriously, I'm trying to deal with my separation anxiety syndrome. I really am.

Anyway, they tell me they met tons of interesting people at the party and have lots of invitations to see new things. Thanks to Lisa Colby Anderson, a teacher at the Island Academy for the offer to visit the school (and for the real scoop about San Pedro life), and also to guitarist Gino DeFalco for the invitation to Lola's on Wednesday night where he will be headlining. That should be great fun--if dogs can get in. You may remember Gino from his earlier appearances as "Gino and the Shack Shakers."

The Beach at Dusk

Y'all come visit! It's fun in San Pedro. You're gonna love Belize.

Bella Does Lily's

Calendar Alert: Only 11 days 'til "Baron Bliss Day."


Yesterday we stopped by a unique condo to visit a young couple, Rysha and Tyler, from Australia, Colorado, Chile, and other interesting spots around the world. The apartment is only 400 square feet, but it's amazing what TWO architects can do with a space that small. Living area/kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom were totally gutted and the changes are terrific! The slide out storage units are especially clever. They bought everything in Colorado and drove it to Miami to save moving charges (savings of over $4,000 USD). There the ceramic tiles, fixtures (including the kitchen sink, literally), and furniture were placed in a container and shipped to San Pedro for $800 USD. What a deal! And what a great designer bachelor pad. Oh wait, they're married!


When Tom commented on how much work they had done themselves, Tyler said, "Well, what good is a man if he's not handy?" Tom, whose only construction project was making a nut bowl in a seventh grade shop class, visibly flinched. (The nut bowl, I'm told, was only an inch and a half deep because he was afraid of the lathe.)

Later, Shelley, Tom and I walked to Lily's Treasure Chest  for dinner. Lily's is right on the beach where you sit outside overlooking the water. We had snapper stuffed with shrimp and cheese, steamed carrots, onions, and zucchini, and local, golden, mashed potatoes. It was good, but, frankly, not our favorite place. Oh well, someone has to do these restaurant reviews. Our server, Vivian, was delightful. It was fun sitting and staring at the water and watching the tourists, but mostly I sat on Shelley's lap and stared at her plate. No one is in much of a rush around here.

 

On the way to Lily's we passed the place where the barges come in. Good chance, that is where Rysha and Tyler's container landed. Pretty much all the supply to the island, including gasoline, comes through here, although on the other side of the island, the lagoon side, you can buy fresh fish and vegetables every Tuesday morning. That, of course, involves getting up early--not my favorite thing to do. Hope we don't need any more sunrise pictures soon.

After dinner we went home to join a billion other people on the planet to watch the Oscars. I was plenty happy to see Uggie, the doggy scene stealer in The Artist, on stage with the rest of the "Best Picture" winners. Yeah, dogs!

At Lily's Treasure Chest

Y'all come visit! We'll find amazing places to make memories. You're gonna love Belize.

Bella Gives Sound Advice

Yet another gorgeous day in San Pedro. 

Ah, the joy of waking up to the smells of freshly brewed Belizean coffee--and varnish! That's right. All the insides of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets had new plywood installed yesterday and, frankly, it's a bit overwhelming. When the guys sprung a plumbing leak under the sink, that was the worst.  Water everywhere! And, now, I'm wondering, where did they put my food and water? Here's a picture of a new friend Agostino working hard inside, literally. Shelley kept everyone happy with cokes and pizza, and things are starting to look good!

Here's some packing advice for your visit: Don't overpack! Pretty much everyone wears shorts here pretty much all of the time. No long pants, guys, no fancy dresses, ladies. (I should add that dresses and long pants are appropriate for church, but shorts and capri pants work just as well.) And that reminds me, it was interesting seeing a baptism service in the Caribbean yesterday. Turns out it was the Seventh Day Adventist Church doing the service. About 45 people were on the beach singing hymns, and one person was in the water being baptized with a few more waiting their turn to be dunked. (No sprinkling here.) The church has a great location on one of the best parts of the beach.

Tom's Flip Flop Tan Line

I go barefoot, of course, but most locals and non-locals wear flip flops or tennis shoes. I overheard a great new measure of distance the other day: "We're staying about a 20 minute, blistered-toe, flip flop walk from here!"


Don't forget your suntan products, sunglasses, floppy hats, etc. Belize is "subtropical" and the sun can be fierce. No sense in ruining a perfectly good trip because you turned lobster red and can't stand to be touched!


Mosquitoes aren't a problem on the beach front where it's breezy, but even the locals have mosquito spray handy even though it's very expensive to buy it here. Actually, a lot of things are costly here in San Pedro. Since we're on an island, most things are brought in by barge. The good news is there's not all that much to buy! But there are lots of things to do, so plan on staying busy. Although, I must add, I passed by a place called "The S&M Gaming Spot" on my walk downtown yesterday and added it to my "You can try it if you want, but not me" list.

Things are pretty laid back here.

We'll probably be watching the Oscars tonight. I'm rooting for anyone with a dog or cat name, except for Brad Pitt.  Anything with pit in it (like pit bull) makes me nervous! By the way, I'm putting my money on "Uggie," top dog in The Artist.


Y'all come visit. Lie back and enjoy the sun and sea. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Entertains

I'm also a Hostess

I hosted our very first guests in the new condo last evening, Abby and David Moss from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Check out their wedding photography galleries at www.abigaildavid.com. Spectacular! (And don't get testy on me. I know you come here to read about Belize and not some Canadian wedding site, but, hey, for $25 USD I'll give you a plug, too!)

That the condo was ready for guests was a minor miracle. Beginning at 9:00 in the morning, workmen started showing up. Closets were re-fitted, mirrors replaced, lighting fixtures installed, touch-up painting, screens repaired, you name it. Shelley and I like to have things nice.

Afternoon snack at Wine De Vine

The guys left at 5:30, and Abby and Dave arrived at 6:00! Whew! We served assorted fruit, cold cuts, and cheese from Wine De Vine, a provider of gourmet food and fine wines right down the street from us, and had a great time laughing and talking and hanging out on the dock. Later we took a brisk walk to Fido's (FEE-doze) to hear "Dennis Wolfe and the Usual Suspects" and dance. Bit of an older crowd (picture out-of-shape former hippies dancing in the style of their youth) but it was fun. (You younger pups may want to go to Jaguar's where the DJ's play amazingly loud music with blinding flashing lights.) Soon enough it was time to go back home to get ready for the return of the workers in the morning! 

When you come to visit, you may want to check out some of the attractions on the mainland. Leaving from San Pedro in the morning, you can get in a zip line canopy tour, cave tubing, and an excursion to the Mayan ruins all in the same day (if you have the energy). Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks are included! I can't do the zip line because I don't have opposable thumbs, but I can sure do breakfast and lunch. No problem. For a great list of fun things to do, check out http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/todo.html. Be advised that the good folks in Belize don't get involved in frivolous law suits just because people fall off zip lines or Mayan temples or get stuck in underwater caves. They figure you should just be careful.

Shout out to new follower Kim Larson from Houston, Texas. Yee-HAW!

Y'all come visit. Dance, eat, and zip. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Goes Shopping

Start making your travel plans now! Only fourteen days until "Baron Bliss Day." (Details later.)

Shelley and I went shopping today. You know, hop in the car and run to the mall. Oh, wait! This is San Pedro. Instead of hopping in a car, we walked to the dock and caught the 11:30am water taxi to Belize City with a short stop at Caye Caulker. (Round trip cost: $27.50 USD. Dogs ride free and it takes an hour and a half one-way.) The water was rougher than usual and, frankly, I got just a little queasy, but I was fine when we met  our friends, Conchita and Angela, for lunch at the Wet Lizard (not to be confused with the Lazy Lizard in Caye Caulker or Angel Fire, New Mexico).

The Wet Lizard

We sat upstairs overlooking the water and ate delicious fish sandwiches and street tacos, four to a plate. Know in advance that lettuce is very hard to come by in Belize and is therefore very expensive, so just about all lunch and dinner items are served with coleslaw--made without mayonnaise. (It's not my favorite, but, then, I don't eat coleslaw.) The bill was $36 USD for everyone, but after we told them we were local, the price dropped to $48 BZ (or $24 USD!) Not bad, huh?

After lunch, it was time to SHOP! Tote bags in hands and paws, we walked a short distance to Mirab's. Shelley was looking for just a few basics. You know, like pots, pans, a blender, glasses, lamps, dish towels, a mirror for the bathroom, et cetera. In fact, we bought so much, the good folks at Mirab's loaded it up on a dolly and took it down to the dock for us. Shelley and I guarded the goods while Conchita and Angela ran to two more stores before the last water taxi left for the return trip at 5:30pm.  By the way, Shelley found a few dog treats for me in the big city!

Today should be fun as we try to unpack everything and find a suitable place to put it and/or store it. But we're up for it. We're getting settled in and preparing for visitors, right?  Oh yeah, and we're having company tonight. Yikes! Time to clean this place again.

For those who have no immediate plans to visit Belize, you may welcome the following breaking news: According to a company press release, Old Spice has "captured the scent of Belize" in their new Belizean line of Fresh Collection Products which includes deodorants, antiperspirants, body wash, and body spray. The company describes these products as  smelling like fresh air, guitar solos, and triumph. (I'm not making this up.) You may not have to come visit after all. Just buy some Old Spice. "Hmm, does anyone else smell triumph in the air?"

The evening ended with pizza since everyone was too tired to cook. However, and as I have stated before, PepperOni's has the best pizza in the world. This one was half vegetarian and half "Greek." Sounds yucky, but it was delicious.


Y'all come visit. We gals will hop on a water taxi and go shopping while the guys go fishing, diving, swimming, or hanging around in hammocks. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Gets Adventurous

Man, you guys get vicious when I miss a day telling you about Belize. I told you we wouldn't have an Internet connection for a few days! For those more than a little concerned, we are healthy and happy. The 911 calls are unnecessary.

Okay, adventure guys, get ready for the Belize River Canoe Challenge held this year from March 9th to12th. This is serious business. Imagine sliding into a 20 foot canoe every morning for four days and paddling at 70 strokes a minute for six hours at a stretch for a total of 180 miles. The second day is the most grueling: a 65 miles journey across Class II rapids and a strong current. Or you could just sit and watch.

Personally, I do not paddle. I leave that to my buddies on the "Mad River" team shown here. For more details on La Ruta Maya River Challenge, go to  www.belizeanjourneys.com

Speaking of over-the-top athletic people, Tom talked to a guy on the beach yesterday after seeing his unusual tattoo the second day in a row. (Yes, that is a picture of a human leg.) When asked what it signified, he (almost) haughtily informed us that he had completed an Ironman Triathlon. We let it go at that, not wanting to tell him my Aunt Allison runs triathlon competitions just about every day. She's really good, although I don't think she's gotten the tattoo yet.

Here's a shout out to faithful follower Anita Campanella who is receiving her bachelor's degree in graphic design in March. Tom, Shelley, and I are so proud of her! Way to go, Anita! 


Shelley and I had our hair done yesterday. Here I am lying on the veranda ever so artfully posing next to a conch shell and freshly picked bougainvillea flowers from the garden. Sure beats canoeing. 

Y'all come visit. We'll book some Belizean adventure tours on the mainland--or not. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Watches the Sunrise

Lexy and Shelley

I'm exhausted.

First, I have an entire new territory to defend. Just when I figured out the other place where the standard poodle, the labradoodle, and the crocodiles lived, we moved. Now it's a whole new ball game.

There is a dive shop just behind my new backyard, so, let me assure you, there's lots of coming and going around there. Then the front yard is on the beach with total strangers walking up and down. And then, there are two other dogs who live here. Lexy is a Whippet next doors to us and Joy is a little Yorkshire Terrier who lives upstairs. Back and forth I march, guarding the homestead. I find out later Lexy likes to sit in Shelley's lap trying to take over my job. I'm going to the groomer's today to see if I can do something with my hair. I'm frazzled.


Next, more reasons for exhaustion. Tom woke me up before dawn this morning to take pictures of the sunrise. I've never even seen a sunrise before, but it involves going outside way too early in the morning. It turns out Tom is the worst sunrise photographer in the world (apparently he's never seen a sunrise before either), so he took like 50 shots of the same location in various degrees of brightness only to find out that the sun had already come up behind some clouds. If you want to see pictures of the sunrise in the future, just Google it.


Tuck away this bit of information: Our upstairs neighbor Ken just told us of "The Green Flash" phenomenon. Just as the sun rises or sets (assuming you don't miss it like Tom did), you may happen to see, albeit rarely, a very, very brief green flash of color.
 
Or, as I like to put it:







A bit of a bonanza today: Ken's wife, Jennie, gave Tom a wooden toilet paper holder, and Ken gave him a "Ross Perot for President" bright yellow ball cap, presumably because they like him. Previously they invited Tom and Shelley for cocktails at five o'clock every day at a neighboring apartment at the Belize Yacht Club overlooking the pool and Caribbean. I don't know why the person who actually owns that apartment didn't invite them, but I'm sure we're going to find out soon.

Tom's Picture. No Green Flash.

Shout out to new followers Joanna Boulton and Natasha.

Y'all come visit. If you want to see the sunrise, go for it. And fix your own breakfast. I'll be asleep. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Goes to Carnival

Not about to be left behind.

The move to the new condo is complete. Tom and Shelley got everything packed up while I sat in a suitcase.  It seems to have worked, because I am now a beach-front dog living the good life. I have a lawn, a garden, a beach, a dock, and a wonderful new home. Also, after a three-day wait, we again have Internet! Yay! Funny how two days without it makes you more appreciative. Oh yeah, and yesterday there was no electricity, but that's another story. Anyway, I'm back in business filling you in about life in San Pedro. You may wish to take notes.

This week is Carnival. Historically, that meant it was the week before Lent when anything that could remotely be considered "fun" was prohibited for 40 days until Easter where you got to start all over again. Consequently, everyone got in as much partying as possible. Now hardly anyone here observes Lent, so everyone gets in as much partying as possible

Carnival has two main aspects. First, the children get ready for a full-blown paint war! The kids start by painting themselves before taking off to terrorize the countryside. Eggs are mixed with paint, then dumped on everything and anything that gets in the way. All the shops cover their storefronts with plastic, and even the town clock and the statue of St. Peter himself get covered up. 

Then we have the adult version. Picking up on the transgender theme of Mardi Gras, men dress as women and take themselves quite seriously. Women dress as they always do and laugh hysterically at the men. Big yucks. Really big yucks. 

NOT a picture of David and Abby

Well, it's good to be back with you again. Thanks for your support and comments. 

Here's a shout out to our new friends David and Abby from Calgary, Canada, who were ready to party even before they figured out the price of things here were posted in Belizean dollars, not U.S. dollars! They were really happy when they suddenly realized food and drinks were half of what they had thought!

And another shout out to CRAIG GINGLES, a Maltese lover and my most ardent admirer/follower. Thank you, Craig!

 

Y'all come visit. We'll pretend it's Carnival time even if it really isn't! You're gonna love Belize.

Bella Gets "Royal Fever"

Please forgive the strange double-spaced format today. I've spent WAY too much time trying to fix it, and the good folks at "Blogspot" just say, "Huh?"

It's official! His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David aka "Prince Harry" is coming to Belize on March 2nd in honor of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. He'll fly into Belize City by private jet, of course, then visit with the Prime Minister in the VIP lounge.  I am a VIP (or VID) myself, but since we don't have a real address, I'm still waiting on my engraved invitation to catch up with me.  Later, Prince Harry will travel to Belmopan, the capital, where they'll celebrate with a street festival and a renaming of Main Street to "Queen Elizabeth Boulevard." Pretty catchy, huh? According to the press release, "The entire Belizean population, country-wide, is invited to that event." Whew! Those Brits know how to party down. I've never been to a street renaming, and I am pumped!

Students Posing with Crocodile

The headline in the San Pedro Sun says it all: "First Crocodile Rescue of the Year by Isla Bonita Elementary Students." That's right. While your kids are whining about not having enough Zingers and Twinkies in the school cafeteria, our kids are out wrangling crocodiles. 

The newspaper said not to worry though, that the crocodile was "only" three feet long. Have you ever tried to pick up a three-foot-long croc? I mean, I'm only a foot long and I can be pretty snarly.  

In the meantime, today is moving day. Again. This makes the umpteenth time I've moved to a new house with Tom and Shelley. They say it has nothing to do with the witness protection program, but it does seem odd. This time, though, we're moving to the beach. Right on the water. Oh, yeah. We stopped by yesterday to test drive the hammock on the front porch. Island life is just fine with me.

(Double spacing mysteriously ends.) 
I don't know if you're keeping up with the Maya "Long Count" calendar or not, but December 21, 2012, as predicted thousands of years ago, is supposed to be the end of the world. We suggest you plan your Belizean vacation now to avoid any unnecessary hassle. I may just stay in the hammock.


Y'all come visit. Maybe we'll hang out with royalty and pick up some crocodile souvenirs. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Goes to the Phone Company

Here's a big woof to new follower "Taylor Swift." (That's what it says!) Whoo-hoo!

Today was errand day. The rule of thumb in San Pedro is not to have more than two errands in one day since it is considered all but impossible to get two things done. We tried for two. We accomplished one. The rule of thumb rules.

Putting my lipstick on.

First, we went to pay the electric bill. All in all, that shouldn't be a big deal, but then anything is easy once you know how to do it. (I'm quoting Shelley here. Now she adds, "Or if you can find someone else to do it!") We had a choice of paying the bill at a local bank, but the bank we generally use for the ATM doesn't allow you to make utility payments unless you have an account there. And you can't get an account there. Seriously. I suppose if you're born in Belize and can prove ancestry back to the mahogany cutters, you can get a local account. But gringos just have to keep working on their residency qualifications, which takes one year of living in the country with only 14 days outside of their borders. Oh well.

The second choice was going directly to the electric company office. The directions were as follows: 

"Do you know where 'The Greenhouse' produce store is on Middle Street?"
"Yeah."
"Well it's across from that."
"Across the street from 'The Greenhouse' is the liquor store with the big whiskey bottle sign."
"Uh, right, but sorta next to that."
"Oh, okay."

The electric company was located in a non-descript building not nearly as noticeable as the huge whiskey bottle. There we presented the bill, paid, received a receipt, and voila, we were done. Piece of cake. Running errands? Big deal.

On to errand number two, getting Internet services for the new apartment from Belize Telecommunications Limited located in the purple building next to the police station near the bridge.

The first question, understandably, was, "Where do you live?" Well, let's stop right there. There are no addresses around here. Tom's answer was, and this is pretty verbatim:

"Uh, we're in the middle apartment, number 3, next to BYC (the Belize Yacht Club) on the water in front of 'Changes in Latitude Patio Bar' near La Isla Grocery." 
"I thought that was part of BYC."
"No, they pulled out of the homeowner's association about five years ago."
"They did?"
"That's what we were told."
"Is that the building right on the water where David Mitchell lives?"
"Yeah, he's our neighbor."
"Oh, okay."


Then we got down to which plan." The dreaded Internet PLAN. 128K? 256K? 512K? 1 MB, 2 MB, 4MB? Standard HSI Plan? Home Fone Plan? HSI Plan? (Yes, phone is spelled "fone" here, even by the telephone company. I could care less, but Tom is an editor, and he visibly cringes.)

After half an hour or so we had the plan in place. Then it was time to total everything up. Uh, let's see, installation charges for Internet, installation charges for the fone, charges to get the special plan where you can call mobile phones from the fone at 15 cents instead of 85 cents a minute. (Yeah, you read that right.)

And then we got to the deposit: "Are you a resident?" 

"No, we've only been here a couple of months."

"No, problem. The deposit will be a thousand dollars."

"WHAT!"

I've bored you with enough details. Suffice it to say we hustled out of there, got in the golf cart, rounded up the landlady, went back with her to the telephone company, and put everything under her name! Internet should be installed on Monday--if they find the house.*

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. My new hometown.

Y'all come visit. You can use the Internet at our house and tell everyone back home how beautiful it is here. You're gonna love Belize! 

* No Internet means no blog. Bear with me if I can't talk to you for a couple of days. 

Bella Joins a Parade

I thought you might want an overview of my island. 

Ambergris Caye is as far north as you can go in Belize and not be in Mexico (notice the dotted lines), and that little red spot to the south is our town, San Pedro. The town is only three blocks wide (okay, four blocks in some parts) because of the way the lagoon cuts in from the west. And my house is right on the water on the Caribbean side. Gorgeous! I may tell you more about Shelley trying to get out of the hammock on our new front porch, but, for now, just use your imagination. 


Well, I got all caught up in the political spirit yesterday. I thought I was cheering for the People's United Party (PUP) and was very excited when Tom was given a red shirt to wear with candidate Danny Guerro's picture on it. I mean, of course I'm for the PUP party although I would call it the "Puppy Party."

My Almost Friend Danny

Alas, I had my colors all wrong. PUP is the blue party, and I was mistakenly supporting the red party, the United Democratic Party. My friends actually yelled at us and made Tom take off the shirt. By the way, the VIP party wears yellow shirts, but they're independents and nobody really cares what they wear. If anybody wants a red tee shirt with Danny's picture on it, I'll save it for you!

Fresh Fish in Front Yard

We went over to the new apartment last evening although we won't officially be moving there until Saturday morning. We immediately had a gang of people enjoying the view. Our good friend Angie (aka "the landlady") was there with Zavier, her 16-year-old grandson visiting from Panama. Then Anna dropped in. Then a couple walking down the beach from North Carolina asked if they could borrow a flashlight. (They had stopped to take a picture of a huge barracuda that a local fisherman had caught and was filleting, and had dropped something in the sand when it was getting dark.) Before long, we had a party going eating gigantic burritos from "Micky's," which are only sold on Wednesdays. (We locals know things like that.) Our new North Carolinian friend pulled out his guitar and started playing. Kumbaya, but better! He was really good.

Here's a shout out to new followers Allison and Jess from Park City, Utah. And thanks to Evan for his congratulatory comment.

Y'all come visit where the fish is fresh and the burritos are big! You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Meets the Backpackers

Well, I don't want to bore you with a lot of statistics, but yesterday we hit a milestone: 1,000 page views! Tom, Shelley, and I were dancing around doing high fives as only an older white couple and a small white dog can. It wasn't pretty, but it was enthusiastic. Thanks, faithful followers. Hit that Facebook button on the left side of the blog and tell your friends!

Eric and Corrin have reported in from Minnesota! What a shocker the snow must be for them after a week of diving in sunny San Pedro. Face it, folks, a week in Belize just isn't long enough. Here's what they told me about some of their adventures:

"Our last few days we dove a lot!  The night diving was great out at Hol Chan.  Lots of sting rays!  The Blue Hole dive was amazing, too.  If you haven't been out to Half Moon Caye, it's beautiful!  Well worth the 2½ hour boat ride." 

Valentine's Day Portrait

Yesterday, we had our traditional Valentine's Day dinner of roast turkey with stuffing, ham, rice and beans, cranberry jelly, plantains, and potato salad with fresh limeade. Oh, yeah, and a cupcake. Marabella started cooking at 5 am, and everything was delicious. Dianita's, across from Tropic Air is the place to go. They always have a special bowl under the counter for my water.


Unsettling News: A Pekingese won Best in Show last night at the 136th Annual Westminster dog show in New York City. Give me a break! Am I the only one who thinks Pekingese are ugly? Oh, wait. Shelley used to have a Pekingese. To each her own.

We met new friends from Ireland, London, Austin, and Chicago.  They're not traveling together, but they're all staying at Pedro’s Hotel and Inn.  It's a Hotel and Backpacker's Hostel, probably the cheapest accommodation in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and probably in all of Belize! (About $10 USD a night.) Pedro's is designed for backpackers who prefer to spend their money on important things like partying, scuba diving, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, swimming, snorkeling, drinking and generally having a great time rather than paying a fortune to sleep. New friend Bob from Chicago has offered to help us move on Saturday. How cool is that! He told Shelley she knows so many people, she ought to run for mayor!

This sign is in front of Jambel's, also across from Tropic Air, where Tom and I always walk/get carried. (By the way, the prices are in Belizean dollars, so five local Belikin beers here is $12.50 USD Looks like a no-brainer!)

Y'all come visit. We'll hang out and go partying, scuba diving, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, swimming, snorkeling, drinking and generally having a great time. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Takes a Trek

Happy Valentine's Day *

First things first:  HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, everyone! I feel like you are part of my family. (Of course, some of you are.) But anyway, happy Valentine's Day to all. Love you!

Tom and I took a five mile walk today for health reasons. With legs like mine, it may as well have been a marathon. Both of us are whiny and exhausted. We looked for some of those Guatemalan sling bags that perhaps I could ride in without getting so sweaty. Shelley says she saw a chihuahua in a sling the other day, but she'll have to buy fabric and get someone to sew it. Like that's really going to happen. I may as well get used to sweaty. 

Tom does have prior experience with carriers. This is grand-niece Annabelle from the Chicago area. I think that carrier just might cripple me for life, so perhaps you can make some other suggestions.

That reminds me. When you come to visit, please bring "Pup-peroni" and "Snausages in a Blanket" treats for me. (No, that is not a misspelling.) I adore them, and they cannot be found on the island.

 
I've been meaning to show you this sign in the window of the bank here. For those of you who absolutely must do Saturday banking, know that it is a mystery as to which Saturday the bank is open. 50/50, I guess!



We all sat around Monday night to watch "The Bachelor" on ABC which was filmed on Ambergris Caye. I don't know about you, but that little hussy Courtney has to go. (I'm not allowed to use the B word.) We would have been content just looking at the scenery without having to listen to those gals yammering, but I guess producers of so-called reality shows know what they're doing.

Scene from "The Bachelor"

We tried to do some quick figuring: Let's see, rent the entire Victoria House five-star dining room, put up the cast and crew at pricey Coco Beach Resort, go shark fishing, rent out the entire Mayan Temple for the day so Ben and his girl of choice for the day could chat about being vulnerable, go swimming with the sharks, jump into the world-famous "Blue Hole" from a helicopter, and shut down the airport while you dance over the runways. What do you think? $400,000? Half a million? Whatever, it was beyond the budget of most of the tourists who come here for a week or two. But guess what? It doesn't matter. Everybody has fun here! We met some guys staying at the local hostel, Pedro's, and they were having a LOT more fun than the bachelorettes!


We went over to the new apartment which is being cleaned in anticipation of our move and took some pictures. Here's one showing my new front yard. Oh, yes! We can definitely handle this!

Y'all come visit. We'll jump out of a helicopter into the Blue Hole. You're gonna love Belize! 

* Thanks to faithful reader Jane Kirk for the valentine photos. She's Annabelle's (and Bella's) grandma.