Bella Goes to Market

Okay, okay. Poke fun if you want, but today is the day in Belize. Prince Harry arrives to help celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. Although I am an American Dog, I shall be wearing an appropriate hat for the occasion. (For those few people who are still unaware, hats are quite the rage in England whilst attending royal functions.)

You can view Prince Harry's visit live or on-demand at www.belizetelemedia.net/princeharry. Wear a hat, please.

We went to the supermarket yesterday to pick up a few things. (This subject may sound a bit boring, I know, but you need to be aware of these things when you come to visit.) "La Isla" market is right across the street, but that's like going to a convenience store. They have just about everything you might need, but it's pricey. Then there's the big, very nice grocery store just a short walk to the north, but you must never, never go there! The tip-off is, it's air conditioned. Never go to air conditioned grocery stores here. They are only for tourists, and the prices go through the roof. Things are already expensive enough because it is an island, but you don't have to pay $3.50 USD for a loaf of bread or $14.00 USD for a ten ounce can of coffee.  The locals know to avoid air-conditioning at all costs. So we walked to SuperBuy on Middle Street which is almost to the bridge (the dividing line between the north and south parts of the island).

Checking Out the Checker Outer

Once there, Shelley decided to get more than a "few things." We were preparing for company last night, and then you see things you forgot you needed, and so forth. Well, the whole point of going there was to save a few bucks, right? So when Shelley suggested we get a taxi  home, Tom stubbornly refused. You should have seen that poor, pathetic man walking the one-and-a-half miles back home clutching four heavy bags. I think each of his arms is now about two inches longer than before, but at least they don't scrape the ground. Shelley carried me! I should have walked.

New friends Rysha and Tyler came for pizza last night, and, as promised, we got the scoop on sending large quantities of "stuff" to Belize. Tyler did a ton of research, and decided, even though he was living in Colorado at the time, that it was most cost-effective to drive a U-Haul to the Hyde Shipping facility in Miami, Florida. (Houston, they determined, wasn't a good option.) Hyde, out of Miami, specializes in shipping to Belize and sends containers twice a week (which eliminates any upfront hard deadlines. If you miss them one week, no big deal. Send your items the following week.) You can fill  a 10x20 container for $1,350 USD or half a container for $800 USD. The larger one is better if you are sending me treats. And, also, a full container, unlike a half container, can be delivered directly to San Pedro. Once the container arrives in  Belize City, it's transferred to a barge for shipment to the Island, then transported by truck to your door. Custom officials will meet you at your final destination and take inventory. You also need to hire a broker to facilitate the customs requirements. But we do have to check on that further (the customs charge can be stiff, like 35%!) As far as I know, only one faithful reader is interested in container shipping, but if you want to know more, email me or just leave a comment. Or do your own research!

Tyler, an expert in fly fishing, and Rysha are some of the most fascinating people in the whole world, and, I assure you, we talked about a lot of things besides container shipping. They leave for Colorado tomorrow, but their real destination within a month or two, is Australia. A shout out to Tyler's mother, brother and Rysha's family who all live "down under."

Y'all come visit. We'll walk downtown, hang out with the locals, and have a good old time. You're gonna love Belize!