Many pictures were taken, much good barbeque was enjoyed, and we even got to see a couple of crocs this time! We had never managed to see a croc when we'd dined here in the past. Barry and I topped off our barbequed chicken sandwiches and baked beans with a (shared) piece of Cheri's amazing homemade pecan pie. Yum! This is a dangerous place to live right next door to, and not only because of the crocs!
We had fun today at lunchtime when new friends Robert and Maureen introduced us to friends of theirs, Sharon and Richard. The four of them made their way north on their bicycles to have lunch with us at the Lazy Croc, our next-door neighbor restaurant. Both couples hail from Vancouver and have condos at Royal Palm Villas, south of San Pedro, while we live approximately two miles north of town.
Many pictures were taken, much good barbeque was enjoyed, and we even got to see a couple of crocs this time! We had never managed to see a croc when we'd dined here in the past. Barry and I topped off our barbequed chicken sandwiches and baked beans with a (shared) piece of Cheri's amazing homemade pecan pie. Yum! This is a dangerous place to live right next door to, and not only because of the crocs!
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Although Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Belize, many restaurants cater to the large number of American tourists and expats in the San Pedro area by preparing a special Thanksgiving meal. We examined the list of offerings and decided to dine at Elvi's Kitchen, a restaurant where we've had a couple of delicious meals before, in large part because they were offering a Thanksgiving lunch until 4pm, in addition to dinner later that night. We thought it would be nice to eat a late lunch as we often did in the US, rather than waiting so late to eat a big Thanksgiving feast. We invited David, who owns a house on the beach less than a mile north of us, to come along. David is from Virginia, and although he lives here on Ambergris Caye full-time now, like us, this was also his first Thanksgiving here. We splurged by catching the water taxi into town rather than walking. It was nice to arrive in town and not be hot and sweaty as we are when we walk. Unfortunately, when we were ready to order, the waitress told us that they were only going to be serving the Thanksgiving meal for dinner -- not lunchtime. We were disappointed as that was one of our main reasons for choosing Elvi's. She didn't give any reason for the change; perhaps they just didn't get enough people in for lunch to bother with it. After contemplating what to do for a few moments, we decided to enjoy drinks and appetizers instead, since we were all hungry, then come back at 5 pm for dinner. After taking the edge off our appetites with some delicious conch ceviche and chips, chicken fingers, and empanadas, we left and strolled around town for awhile. David has been coming to San Pedro for decades so was able to point out some places that had been around for many years, and even took us into the town cemetery. It is right on the beach and surrounded by a high fence. He told us that the fence was added only after some of the graves washed into the sea. Oops! Like cemeteries we'd seen in the Florida Keys, this one also had the graves raised up above-ground since the water table is so high. Our "virtual" friends and soon-to-be San Pedro residents Bill and Debra did an interesting entry about this cemetery on their Taking Belize blog, with plenty of photos, since we didn't get any. Eventually we ended up at the Hangover Bar at the Holiday Hotel, which Barry and I had never been to. David was a great guide as he knows all the good spots to go. Happy Hour had just started since it was a few minutes after 4pm, so we got some more local rum-n-juice drinks and headed to the nice outdoor seating right on the beach. David was a great storyteller, sharing many experiences he had working for the Dept. of Social Services in Virginia, and before we knew it, it was time to head back to Elvi's for our Thanksgiving dinner. And what a dinner it was! Just check out this menu: We all chose the butternut squash soup as our appetizer. It was creamy and wonderfully flavored. The cran-apple relish added a delicious sweetness. I could have made a meal on this soup and the basket of delicious homemade rolls (wheat, white, and sweet potato) with chipotle butter. Yum! Surprisingly, Barry decided to go with the lobster entree, while David and I stuck to the traditional turkey. This is the second time Barry has chosen a lobster dish recently, much to my surprise, but it was gorgeous and delicious as well. The turkey was wonderful, though, as tender as any I've ever had, and all the side dishes were yummy too. It was so much food that I brought back half my plate in a box for tonight. Lucky me! For dessert, we all chose the pumpkin pudding, which was actually more like a moist cake with cream cheese frosting, but we weren't complaining. It was delicious! In fact, we'd already dived in before Barry remembered to take a photo! After we'd paid the bill and rolled away from the table, we realized we had about a 45-minute wait until the next hourly water taxi north, so David suggested that we stop in at Cholo's sports bar for a nightcap. The water taxi terminal is just a stone's throw away from this open-air place that was filled with locals, so it was a good place to have one more libation (that we certainly didn't need!) before catching the taxi home. Barry and I had spent all the cash we'd brought, not expecting to eat lunch AND dinner out, so David kindly treated us. While at Cholo's, we met "Fish Johnson", a well-known local who sells fish and shrimp from a cooler on his bike he rides up and down the beach, and we placed an order for two pounds of shrimp to be delivered this afternoon (Friday). As of 2 pm he has not yet shown up. He had definitely indulged in a few Belikins by the time we met him, but we did write our name in his little book, so we shall see. We had heard about him, and our neighbor Mike had purchased shrimp from him before, but we didn't know what he looked like -- now we do. It was a clear night with a star-filled dark sky, a perfect evening to ride the water taxi back to the Grand Caribe dock. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are thankful to live in such a beautiful place, for new friends here on Ambergris Caye; and for old friends and loving, supportive families back in the US. We are truly blessed!
Yesterday we joined Mike and Myra from Grand Caribe on their boat for a trip around Ambergris Caye. Jerry, who owns a unit in our building (Chico Caribe) also joined the crew. We were delighted to be invited because it sounded like a fun and interesting trip. A side benefit was a day out of Chico would provide a much-needed break from the constant hammering and other construction noise in the unit immediately above us, which currently seems to be stuck in change order hell. With Mike at the helm, we took off in mid-morning south to San Pedro to pick up Marco, who would be our boat captain and guide for the day. Since we'd have to go outside the reef to get to the cut between Belize and Mexico, having a captain with local knowledge of this area was a must, and Marco had made the trip many times. We first landed at Tranquility Bay, the northernmost resort on Ambergris Caye. It is located approximately 12.5 miles north of San Pedro Town. This place was absolutely adorable, with its ice-cream colors and relaxed Caribbean charm. The delicious lunch, which Jerry generously picked up for the entire table, was most enjoyable. I think their fresh fish tacos were the best I've ever had. As we were leaving Tranquility Bay to continue heading north, a light sprinkle slowly picked up into a full-blown torrential rain. Thank goodness Barry and I had brought our rain jackets, but everything not covered by them was soaked. The temperature was in the 70s if not low 80s, but on the water in the rain, the air felt cooler. We all huddled together under the bimini, though by the time it was drenched, that really made no difference. Since the reef gets closer and closer to land as you head north, and eventually touches land at Rocky Point, it is necessary to go through a small cut in the reef to continue to the channel between Belize and Mexico. The reef then goes farther back out to sea if you were to continue north towards Mexico. Marco expertly guided the boat through a narrow gap in the reef. When we were outside the reef, we were really rocking and rolling in five-foot waves during the storm. Despite Jerry's suggestion that we turn around and head back to town (he had not brought a rain jacket), we forged onward. Before long, as is very typical in Belize, the rain had stopped, the sun came out, and everyone warmed up again. From this point on, we had perfect weather for the rest of the day. Soon we were heading through the Bacalar Chico channel (directly north of the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve), a totally undeveloped cut through mangroves on either side with Belize on the left and Mexico on the right. I read online that this narrow channel between Mexico and Belize was dug by the Maya to provide a trade route from the Bay of Chetumal to the Caribbean. It was a go-slow manatee zone, and it was interesting to see signs in English on the Belize side and Spanish on the Mexican side. Unfortunately, we saw no manatees, but the scenery was gorgeous nonetheless. Marco told us that there would be orchids blooming here if we came back in June. As we rounded the northern tip of Ambergris Caye, Marco told us that we were in the largest lagoon on the Caye. He pointed out a large mound of foliage that was an unexcavated Maya site. I'm glad he told us as I would have never recognized it as such otherwise. Next we reached Iguana Caye, where many birds nest. Beautiful! I had hoped we would go all the way around to the southernmost point of Ambergris Caye, but I guess that would have made for too long a day (not to mention the extra fuel usage), so we came back through the western side of San Pedro and under the bridge separating the area north of San Pedro (where we live) with the San Pedro Town proper. We have been over this bridge countless times as it is the only way to town, but we'd never been under it. After dropping Marco off at a dock in town, Mike once again took the helm, and we headed back to Grand Caribe. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing more of the island, the good company, and being out on the water. Many thanks to Mike and Myra for inviting us along on this adventure!
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