Bella Stays Busy

Douglas Penland and Jimmy Poloni, the Belizean Shores team, won the 8th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco Challenge out of 27 teams participating. (No ladies entered the competition this year.) Forty-five MILES of kayaking!  First prize was $3,000 BZ and a gift certificate to Wine de Vine. I imagine that gift certificate has already been cashed in. Great job, guys, and congratulations!

(I tried out the kayaking, strictly non-competitively, of course. I found the hardest part was keeping my hair dry.)

By the way, if you're interested in what our little town looks like, here's a link to a golf cart ride through San Pedro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqx5gw6jSs&feature=player_embedded#!   

If you imagine the golf cart going five times faster, you'll have some idea what it was like riding with Aunt Honey's daughter, Taylor. We thought of her a couple of nights ago when we were stopped at a checkpoint where the police were checking drivers' licenses. You got lucky, Taylor!

To follow up on an earlier post, Belize’s Celia Mahung, the Executive Director of the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, was the recipient of the MAPFRE Foundation Environmental award presented recently in Madrid, Spain. 300 applicants vied for the prize of 30,000 euros! I told you before it was a big deal!

Conroy and the Scout Rangers

And here's a shout out to the Scout Rangers of San Pedrito neighborhood. These boys stay plenty busy and out of trouble under the care of Conroy Campbell. Thanks, Conroy, for all your hard work, also. 

We said goodbye to the Larson's on Saturday and are preparing for Grandma Jane to return this Thursday. Her daughter Allison joins us for Memorial Day. And faithful reader Velvet is still trying to find bunk space with us, but the calendar seems to be filled up for the near future. Hang in there, Velvet!  For whatever reasons, we just didn't seem to be so popular until we got the house right ON the Caribbean.

View from Belizean Shores Resort

Y'all come visit. We'll hang out at Belizean Shores with Doug and Jimmy and Celia and Conroy, then spend our gift certificate at Wine de Vine. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Says "Happy Mother's Day"

I, too, have maternal instincts.

Only mothers were allowed to attend the San Pedro City Council Mother's Day Extravaganza held last night at Saca Chispas, the old futbol (soccer) field. Upon entering the gate, every mother received a rose and a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of several prizes. Out of more than 500 people, Shelley Fay won a $25 gift certificate from a local bank. Pretty amazing. Dinner was also served to all the guests: sliced turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, dressing, and sweet potatoes. Plus chocolate flan. Sounds like Thanksgiving in the United States--except for the flan!

Tom not having fun.

Tom was not allowed to go to Saca Chispas, so he went to Pedro's to say goodbye to Stajin Van Huffel, aka Stan, who is returning home to Belgium. Tom did not have turkey and did not have fun. Tom was sad.

Today was the final day of the Lagoon-Reef Eco Challenge from Ambergris Caye, Belize. It was a 42 mile kayak race through lagoons, creeks, mud, and the Caribbean Sea next to the largest reef in the northern hemisphere. Check it out on YouTube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQkq5-y11Qw

Here's a shout out to all our faithful followers in UKRAINE! Thanks, everyone.

Finally, here's a picture of Shelley snorkeling off the front yard! Happy Mother's Day, Shelley. We love you!

Go, Momma Shelley, go!

Y'all come visit. We'll do some kayaking or snorkeling, then eat a big turkey dinner--Belizean style. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Prepares for "Reef Week"

May 12-18

Well, it's "Reef Week" again in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize! (The poster says it begins on May 14th, but trust your intrepid reporter. It really begins May 12th.) The primary objective is to have students learn about the coastal and marine resources "in a fun and rewarding manner," but there's always room for a party around San Pedro.

Everyone needs a puppy

The Healthy Reefs Swim Challenge will be held on May 12 and 13. Competitors swim from St. George Caye to Caye Caulker Village, then, the next day, from Caye Caulker to San Pedro Town Central Park. May 14th is “Mangrove Rehabilitation Day” at Boca del Rio Beach. May 15th is “Tour Guides Career Day.” May 16th, “Trivia Competition” at the Lion’s Den. May 17th, "Marine Reserves Open Day" at Hol Chan Marine Park, a photography competition, and the “Arts from Trash” competition. And May 18th, yet another Mangrove Rehabilitation Day, this time at Caye Caulker. We need faithful follower Allison to get down here for the swimming competition, and faithful follower Holly to get in on the Arts from Trash competition. Both of them would be ringers!

Captain Chito

Some of my local buddies thought you might enjoy a picture of our fishing guide, Captain Chito, wearing his terrorist/sun blocking garb. I assure you, he didn't look like the friendliest guy on the planet when we first met him!

I'd like to give a plug for Portofino Beach Resort owned by our new friends Jan and  Sandra van Noord who moved from Belgium to Belize in 2001. Let's face it, not everybody can stay with Tom and Shelley.

Luxury Accommodations at Portofino Beach Resort

Portofino is located on four and a half acres, including 330 feet of private beach, about six miles north of San Pedro. At the back of the property you will find the lagoon with mangroves, many different types of birds, and the occasional crocodile. Even if you're not staying there, you can enjoy the Green Parrot Beach Bar or their restaurant located on the second floor. From your table on the spacious balcony you can see the freshwater pool, Caribbean Sea and the Barrier Reef. It really is spectacular.

Future Basketball Star

From the By-The-Way Desk: Jan and Sandra's son is only four years old. But because Daddy Jan is 6'7" tall and because the son is on track to be 7' tall, he is already being followed by Belizean basketball coaches. I can tell you this: If that boy does make the Belize National Team, he will be the most easily-recognized player in the league! He is a Belizean citizen with very fair skin!

Y'all come visit. We'll swim to St. George Caye or maybe just rehabilitate the mangroves, then go for dinner at Portofino. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Goes for the BIG Fish

We're goin' fishin'!

It was another day to go fishing in the Caribbean. Jim Larson, our houseguest, was the guy who put the trip together, and Captain Chito Guerrero was our most able guide. Ironically, Jim had booked the trip online from Texas, not knowing that Cpt. Chito ties up his boat, Bianca Michelle, at the dock in front of our house! Anyway, if you tend to be bored with fishing stories, just chill for a while, okay?


The sea had swells of about three feet, so it was a little rough as we headed toward Caye Caulker to the south. "A little rough" translates as, "I will not puke, I will not puke!" Chito took us to at least five places past Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley known for good fishing. At first. Early on, we caught four good-size snapper, but we switched to the heavy-duty reels and went for the big boys. And big boys they were! 

Tom with Strawberry Grouper

Jim with "Big Boy" Snapper

We didn't have a scale, and there's no sense bragging anyway, but Tom pulled up a beautiful strawberry grouper and Jim briought in a fine red snapper. With them and the little snapper, let's just say we have enough fish fillets in the refrigerator to eat for a week! (And let's get this out of the way: In the picture of the grouper, that's a distended air bladder, not an additional nose!)

Jim, who strongly resembles Ernest Hemingway in Hemingway's latter Key West days, is as close to a professional fisherman as you can be without making any money at it. Tom's only known skill is playing the piano, but at least he knows when to stay quiet. That's not a bad skill for fishing.

Dinner Is Served

The fishermen and their wives took Herman, the grouper, with them to Blue Water Grill this evening where he was magically transformed into the best fish dinner ever.  He was served grilled, pan fried, and blackened with a butter sauce, orange mango salsa, and/or a curry sauce accompanied with home-made bread, mashed potatoes or rice and fresh vegetables. (Jim ordered Key Lime pie for dessert, presumably in honor of Hemingway.)

Kim and Shelley

Dinner was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous, or so I'm told. Blue Water Grill is one of those uppity uppity restaurants that doesn't allow dogs, if you can believe that. Kim and Shelley were allowed at the restaurant, and they assured me that dinner was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Judging by the extremely small leftover portions, I believe them. 

By the way, Captain Chito is not available as a fishing guide for the next couple of weeks. He will be attending his daughter's graduation from the University of Wisconsin. She went on a lacrosse scholarship!

They call me fearless.

Y'all come visit. We'll fish and eat fish, and then maybe knock some lacrosse sticks together. You're gonna love Belize!

 

Bella Attends a Fundraiser

Kim and Jim in San Pedro!

Kim and Jim Larson have arrived in San Pedro. Finally. Although they are veteran travelers, they took the advice of United Airlines to check in one hour before their flight to Belize only to be told that they should have been there TWO hours in advance. United Airlines personnel told them that despite what their paperwork said, they should have known better. Don't worry. The next flight was only another four hours later. (My, oh my, how we miss Continental Airlines already!) Welcome, Kim and Jim.

Island Academy Fundraiser 2012

After the obligatory brunch the next morning at "Estel's on the Sea" and an even more obligatory after-brunch nap, it was time to go to the Island Academy Fundraiser held this year at Caribbean Villas Resort. 

Judges Reviewing Beer Contest!

What a beautiful setting, and what a blast! Lots of people came out to enjoy the prize giveaways, the beer drinking contest, and great food, just to mention a few things. And who won the $50 Bingo prize to Estel's on the Sea? Our friend Kim, of course! That was a quick payback!

At the same time as the fundraiser, a children's sailing regatta was being held off the Caribbean Villas dock. Kids ages 11-14 were handling 16 foot sailing dinghies with amazing ease. Very impressive, indeed.

The Dining Room

Time for another nap, then off to the Palmilla Restaurant at Victoria House for Kim and Jim's anniversary dinner. The food doesn't get any better than this, folks!  Fish taco appetizers, Caesar salad followed by cashew crusted grouper, pan seared, and served with mashed potatoes, zucchini, sautéed shrimp and roasted corn-green chili butter. For dessert, molten chocolate cake with bruleed bananas and vanilla ice cream and caye lime brulee garnished with a pineapple-guava sauce. And after that, a stroll on the beach under a full moon! Now there are some memories. Happy 17th, Jim and Kim. 
 
I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted!

From the Ain't That Amazing Department: The San Pedro Town Council is sponsoring a huge Mother's Day event this weekend. For $15 BZ per person, each guest receives a gourmet dinner, dessert, complimentary drink, and souvenir. So, what's so unusual about that? This Mother's Day event is for an "Adult audience only. NO children allowed." I have to agree. I always thought children ruined Mother's Day! And the same thing is probably true about Disney World, come to think about it.



Y'all come visit. We don't need an anniversary to have a beer drinking contest or eat caye lime brulee. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Meets a Go-Getter

This just in today from "techworld.com":

McAfee Founder John McAfee

McAfee antivirus founder John McAfee is reportedly taking legal advice after a raid on his Belize home by police resulted in the software entrepreneur's arrest and the death of his pet dog.

The raid in the early morning of 1 May by the country's armed 'Gang Suppression Unit' (GSU) allegedly involved the doors to McAfee's house being smashed down, his property ransacked, and his dog shot.

After searching the house for drugs and firearms and handcuffing him and his 12 employees, the police detained McAfee for a number of hours before releasing him at 2am the following morning.

The police haven't given a reason for the raid but did reportedly find a cache of weapons including 12 gauge shotguns, handguns, rifles with scopes and ammunition. McAfee said he'd presented permits for all but one of the weapons which were for his company's security.

As you can imagine, I don't like that part about shooting the dog. McAfee lives in Orange Walk, a town in northwestern Belize close to Mexico.

We met a remarkable woman at Wine de Vine's Friday evening social last night, Dianne Lawrence, an amazing entrepreneur originally from Canada. When we asked her how we could get contact information, she smiled and lifted her shirt a few inches revealing FOUR electronic  devices!

Why four cell phones? Dianne's first business here was Quicksilver Messenger Service, then expanded the services she offers to post office boxes, errand services, mail services,  cellular phone rentals, and yard services.

After traveling extensively, in Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand, St. Croix, and Malaysia, she then decided to sail the Pacific for 10 months as a crew member on a 37 foot  sailboat. THEN she obtained a doctorate degree in Canada in business administration and education. And THEN she stepped foot on Ambergris Caye. Dianne said she fell in love with the place the first step she took! (I keep telling you, "you're gonna love Belize!")

Dianne Lawrence, Entrepreneur

Dianne says she can't keep up this pace forever, and then we found out she has just researched and written a manual on Belize immigration policies!

I had to go back to the vet's today. As a result, I now have to supply a urine sample--which means Tom has to follow me around the yard with a Tupperware bowl. I think it will be great sport. I just love these games!

In the meantime, Grandma Jane has offered to trade me cashews, presumably from the Crooked Tree Cashew Festival, for dog food. That is hard-core "mean-spirited." C'mon, I'm already down to six pounds nine ounces. I'll be even lighter than that after I give body samples for medical research. 

Ready for Company!

Jim and Kim arrive in just a few hours. The house is spic and span, and we're ready to sit down and visit! We just have to pick one of the 53 restaurants on the island!

 
Y'all come visit! We'll introduce you to Dianne and run around on her motor bike for awhile before chilling out at a beachfront restaurant. (We can get you a sweet deal on a cell phone!) You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Craves Cashews

It's that time again, kids! The annual Crooked Tree Village Cashew Festival, May 12th & 13th, 2012!

I'm not sure how the cashew tree, indigenous to Brazil, came to be a permanent resident in Crooked Tree Village, Belize, but everyone there agrees that it is a gift from God. For three things, it doesn't have to be planted, watered or fertilized. The wild cashew grows where the seed falls, survives droughts, and grows in the sandy soils of Crooked Tree , making it ideal for cultivation. What I do know is that the cashew is a fruit, not a nut. The "nut" part is on the bottom of the fruit.

So what do you do at a cashew festival on the mainland in Belize? Well, you eat, of course, and party. Darn right, there's a party!

Cashews? Pshaw, you say? Well, check it out, dawg. Every part of the cashew tree has a use. The root is a cleanser. The light, water resistant bark is used to make canoes. The fruit juice,  also rich in vitamin C, cures symptoms of the common cold, sore throat, flu and dysentery. The fruit treats premature aging of the skin. The nut alleviates cough, hiccup, and depression, and lowers blood cholesterol. The gum from the fruit stems is a natural repellent against insects and ants. The oil in the shell of the nut is used commercially for varnish, paints, shampoos and conditioners. And, finally, medicinal properties of cashew have been evident against diabetes, tumors, and kidney problems.

Our day here in San Pedro started bright and early, before 8am, when "new" friend Emma came by to measure for cushions for the porch furniture. This is yet another upgrade in anticipation of "old" friends, Jim and Kim, coming to visit this weekend. You'd better have a good time, Jim and Kim!

Henrik Larsson

Jock McPake

This Just In: Jock McPake, our Scottish friend and Celtic-Football-Team-lover informed me that his dog is named Henrik, not Heinrich as I stated in a recent post. Henrik was named after Henrik Larsson, a Swedish football player who played seven years for Celtic scoring an amazing 242 goals! Sorry, Jock. Sorry, Henrik. Sorry, "Henrik." Gee, what a coincidence those two guys are wearing the same shirt! Well, except the shirt on the right is clean.

I get asked this a lot, so let me tell you some of the boring stuff about bringing a pet with you to Belize. You need a veterinary certificate issued by a registered veterinarian in your home country plus an import permit issued by BAHA, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority. (I'm no grammarian, but it sounds to me as though the Belize government thinks pets are vegetables.) To get the permit, contact BAHA at 501-224-5230 or email baha@btl.net. And the vet's certificate has to be signed no more than ten days before the arrival date. There is no quarantine, thank goodness! I mean, I'd just die!

Y'all come visit. Emma can sew us some cashew costumes for the Festival, or we can just wear our green and white Celtics shirts. You're gonna love Belize.

Bella Makes Honeymoon Plans

Wedding season is nigh upon us, and I thought you might be interested in the "Romance Honeymoon Package" being offered by The Grand Caribe Belize Resort located on Ambergris Caye. The $550 USD package includes transfer fees from the San Pedro airport or water taxi to the resort where you are gifted with a honeymoon basket with chocolate, fruit, crackers & cheese. A full day catamaran sail and snorkel trip to Caye Caulker includes snacks, snorkel gear, and the marine park fee. Finally, you are treated to a romantic candlelight dinner on your honeymoon patio or the gazebo on the pier. (Dinner includes an appetizer, seafood combination dinner, and dessert.)

The Grand Caribe

When making your honeymoon plans, be sure to use caution and common sense. Belize Family Holidays, a new company advertising it has been "in the field since April 2012," gives the following warning regarding honeymoons in general:

"A newly married couple would be in a position to understand more about their companions specifically during the honeymoon trips as hence the Honeymoon Getaways can support in bringing in an unity between the newly married to couples. A few also has to be careful in getting out the best kind of Honeymoon Getaways as they should be in a position to absolutely enjoy by themselves when they are within their honeymoon period.”

To which we add, Amen!

Sports Alert: The San Pedro Belize Express Football Tournament is drawing to an end. On April 29, games will start as of noon and will culminate with the final matchup of TuffENuff and Juventus. Who will walk away with the trophy? Head to the Old Football Field in the center of San Pedro to find out. I'll be pulling for Juventus,  the "Sugar Boyz" from Orange Walk Town managed by Salvador "Juice" Leiva. (I do not make these things up.)


As to the exact location of San Pedro's "New Football Stadium," that's another question. After getting directions from several people, I think you go down toward Marina's store on Coconut Drive, then take a right, then bear left and keep heading south. We haven't seen it yet, but it's somewhere out there. That may also explain the lack of ticket sales for the Seadogs' games.

Electric Rainbow Squid

This Just In: A team of scientists from Belize have successfully harvested electricity from Belize rainbow squid. The invertebrates have been discharging enough bioelectricity to run the lighting and air-conditioning units at the research center on Glover’s Reef Caye. Dr. Dino Vanidici insisted the squid were not being harmed by constantly discharging their electric shocks through the use of radio signals:

 “They use their shocks all the time in nature to navigate and capture prey and even to attract a mate. As they discharge, they often change color, hence their name. Animal rights people can say its cruel, but its just like a dog barking. The squid do this anyway all the time. We are just harnessing mother nature’s gift. Besides they don’t taste good so they are not caught for food here and we have plenty of them that can be used by the fishermen as a source of income.” 

Electric Rainbow Maltese

I don't like that part about barking dogs and animal cruelty, but, "besides, they don't taste good" seems to keep it in perspective.

Y'all come visit. We'll eat chocolate, then go snorkeling at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley (although you may want to stay away from the rainbow squid discharging electricity to attract mates). You're gonna love Belize!  

Bella Joins the Ladies Luncheon

Wayo's Beachside Beernet

Right next door to Seven Seas Resort is Wayo's Beachside Beernet. (Cold beer plus the Internet: a winning combination.) It's right on Beach Road south of Boca del Rio where bicycles, golf carts, and taxis drive on the sand. (You can also drive on the sand at Daytona Beach, Florida, but that is the only similarity.) And what better place for the First-Tuesday-of-Every-Month ladies get-together?

Always ready to eat!

About 20 of us gals met for the monthly potluck luncheon to visit, talk, and mostly to get to know one another. We sat at the two picnic tables right on the beach with the overflow sitting on the sea wall. Wayo's provided the beverages, but there's nothing better than the food the ladies brought themselves. (When men have get-togethers, they bring a two-litre bottle of Coke and potato chips!)  We feasted on chicken wings, meatballs, pulled pork on toast triangles with dill pickle, chicken fingers, fish cakes with lime, pasta salad with olives, guacamole, artichoke poppers, and deviled eggs. There were also a few desserts, but, honestly, even I was too full to try them!

We had a good time visiting with Gwen from Maryland, LaDonna from Crested Butte, Colorado, Cherie with ACES Crocodile Refuge (here on the island), and Emma, a seamstress from Wyandotte County, Kansas. (Emma went to the same high school that Shelley's father went to 80 years ago!) Later this week Emma is coming to our house to take measurements for the front porch cushions. The porch furniture is being repainted, and the master bedroom has just been repainted, all in preparation for Kim and Jim who are coming to visit next week. We hope you guys like it at our house!

A big shout-out and howdy to Pam and Michael who have just arrived on Ambergris Caye for seven months and are learning how to chill out! We can't give too many details, but Homeland Security is now obviously understaffed.

This just in from the Hey-I-Feel-Safer-Now Department:
In their continuing efforts to protect the Belizean government's monopoly on phone services, the national phone system mistakenly added DNS, the international "Domain Naming Service" to their list of blocked services which also includes Skype, MagicJack, and other "voice over Internet protocol domains". The result was, every single domain on the Internet was blocked for several hours this past Monday! Oops. Take that, you guys who should still be using dial-up connections! 

Sunset on the Lagoon

Y'all come visit. We'll eat pulled pork and artichoke poppers and maybe try to get on the Internet. You're gonna love Belize!