Belize it or not...Bear & Em in Belize!
  • BeBelize Blog
  • How we got here (2010)
    • Work
    • Play
  • Construction
  • July 2-8, 2011
  • July 9-16, 2011

A lovely day on the Lady Leslie

6/19/2012

8 Comments

 
Today we had the pleasure of attending a very special celebration for Jana and CJ, who are visiting San Pedro from Texas for a month of vacation.  They both recently celebrated a milestone birthday (we won't say which one!) and invited a group of folks to join them for a day on the Lady Leslie catamaran to snorkel and sail to Caye Caulker.  We were lucky enough to be included, and we had a blast!  

After all the rain we've been getting lately on the island, it was touch-and-go up until the last minute, and Jana had warned us they might have to postpone the trip.  When I woke up just before 6 am to a heavy downpour, I feared the worst, but it passed over quickly, and Jana informed us on Facebook that the sail was on.  Fortunately, no more rain fell, and the day turned out to be just right -- mostly sunny but with enough shade to keep us from getting completely fried.

Since there was no water taxi at the appropriate time this morning, Barry and I loaded up our backpacks with towels, sunscreen, and other necessary items, and hiked into town after our breakfast.  We'd worked up a good sweat by the time we made it to the dock near Wet Willy's, but with all the food we ended up eating during the day, we were very glad we'd gotten our exercise in early.
Picture
Lady Leslie
Picture
Captain Martin
Barry and I had taken this same trip on the Lady Leslie on our first visit to San Pedro in May 2010, and we had great memories of it.  In addition to Captain Martin and his son Jody, another crew member, Ricky, was aboard today.  These guys are the best and really know their stuff.  We have recommended them to a lot of people.  Jody's sister Jessie also cuts my hair at Leslie's Salon in town.  They're just a super nice local family.
Picture
Jody Leslie
Picture
Barry on board
Picture
Jody briefing the whole gang on where we'd be going and the rules onboard
Picture
A perfect day for a sail after so much rain
Picture
This is the life
After leaving San Pedro, our first stop was Hol Chan Marine Reserve.  Snorkeling was optional, but I wouldn't have missed it.  There were a ton of fish of all sizes, a couple of sea turtles, a moray eel, and much beautiful coral.  It was the best snorkeling experience I've ever had, in part because my mask stayed on and didn't keep filling with water as I've had problems with in the past.  It was a nice long snorkel as well, with Ricky as the guide for our part of the group, and we got to see so much.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself, despite a few foot cramps and turning into a prune by the end!  Barry is not as crazy about snorkeling as I am so stayed behind along with some of the others to take some photos and just enjoy hanging out on the deck of the Lady Leslie.  I do wish he'd joined me, but he has problems with foot cramps as well, so he might not have enjoyed himself too much.
Picture
The water looked like a swimming pool today
Picture
Our group with Ricky before heading out
Picture
Lots of other groups were in the reserve as well
Picture
Here we are snorkeling close to the reef
When we got back to the boat, we were swimming among a school of large horse-eye jacks, and a couple of HUGE groupers were right in there too.  You can see the dark gray forms of the fish in this photo.  It was surreal!
Picture
Huge grouper to the right and forward of me
I wish I had taken my waterproof camera along for some underwater shots, but I was too afraid of dropping it.  I am hoping that Debra (Taking Belize blog) got some good shots of the many sights we saw as she was snapping away under water.

After drying off, we enjoyed fresh pineapple slices Jody brought around.  Nothing like snorkeling to help you work up an appetite.  A bit more sunscreen was in order as well.
Picture
Very refreshing!


Our next stop, much briefer, was Shark Ray Alley.  I didn't get in this time, but we enjoyed watching the nurse sharks come eat the chum behind the stern of the boat.  I never get tired of watching them go after it.  Ricky also held a sting ray up for a few brave folks to touch.  
Picture
Picture
Nurse sharks at Shark Ray Alley
Finally it was full-steam ahead to Caye Caulker.
Picture
Caye Caulker
Picture
Debra, me, Laurie, Bill, and Tim on the dock at Caye Caulker
A few of us misunderstood and thought our lunch was at the Lazy Lizard at the Split, so we headed down there. 
Picture
The sandy streets of Caye Caulker
Picture
A Caye Caulker character with a very creative headdress
Picture
But where is the rest of our party?
Picture
A few lost souls...
About this time, Laurie got a text that we were supposed to be at Wish Willy's!  Not sure how we got confused, but perhaps it was the rum punches and panty rippas we had after snorkeling....  Fortunately, it was only a short walk back down the road.
Picture
It was right across the way from the Humane Society, where this sweet pooch took a liking to Barry.  Wish we could have played with him and his bone!
Picture
Picture
Our table at Wish Willy's
Picture
Picture
Veggies fresh off the grill
Our meal was wonderful -- a lobster tail (my first of the newly opened season), shrimp skewer, chicken, veggies, rice and beans.  Yum!
Picture
Picture
Our hosts with the most...CJ and Jana flashing some serious Belize dinero
After the fine lunch, we had a bit of extra time before we had to be back on the boat, so we wandered around, and I bought a beaded ankle bracelet from a lady Debra liked.  Debra had one on one ankle already but bought another for her second ankle!
Picture
This one seems to fit just right...sold!
Picture
Laurie and me
Picture
Laurie took this funny photo of Barry and me
At last we had to board the boat again and make our way back to Ambergris Caye.  But not without a bit more food.  The crew made us fresh sushi, which was absolutely delicious, and we had melt-in-your-mouth orange cake (aka "crack cake" said Jana) made by Casa Pan Dulce.  Could we possible eat any more today!?  
Picture
Birthday cake
Picture
Like I really need this...but did I eat it? But of course!
Picture
Barry took so many photos of me I felt bad and took this one of him
Picture
Girls gone wild
Picture
Chillin' on the Lady Leslie on the way back to San Pedro
Picture
An attractive ketch at anchor - the color of the sea
Sadly, all too soon we were pulling into the dock and saying goodbye to everyone.  What a wonderful day it was, though. Many thanks to Jana and CJ for their generosity in arranging such a memorable event and for inviting us along!
Picture
What a great day
Picture
Thanks Jana and CJ -- you guys rock!
8 Comments

Bird-watching paradise found in Crooked Tree, Belize - Day 2

4/30/2012

3 Comments

 
Because the sun rises early over the lagoon, the birds start singing, and the dogs start barking, it is easy to get up early at Crooked Tree Lodge.  We rolled out of bed at exactly 5:42 am, having just missed the sunrise by a few lazy minutes.  This is at least an hour or more earlier than we usually rise.  We were excited to start what we expected would be an excellent full day of birding.

After grabbing a cup of coffee in the lodge, we took a morning walk before breakfast and checked out the birds along the road. Of course we saw many, as birds are most active in the morning and again at dusk.  It was a beautiful morning, and the sun was already getting hot -- it gets hot early in Belize.   
Picture
A morning cuppa joe in a lovely setting
Breakfast was served at 7, and what a spread it was -- scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, johnny cakes, toast, homemade jam, and freshly squeezed orange juice.  The perfect way to start a big day.  

After breakfast, we took the two touring kayaks out on the lagoon to try to find some Jabiru Storks.  We had seen them on the far side of the lagoon through our binoculars in the late afternoon of the day before, but they were too far off to photograph.  It was a gorgeous day for paddling, and so much fun to be out on the water again.  We used to own touring kayaks but sold them on Craigslist before we sold our house in 2010, and hadn't paddled for a long time.  The water was very shallow in the lagoon.  By the end of May, it might be dried up totally until the rains come again.  We were glad we made it here while we could still enjoy a paddle.
Picture
The water was very glassy as we started out as there was very little wind, so the paddling was easy
Picture
Observation deck at Crooked Tree lodge
Picture
Picture
Picture
Paddling towards the far bank of the lagoon, we spotted many Snail Kites in bushes and on tree branches.  We'd first seen one of these large birds on our trip to Lamanai Maya site back in January, but there were so many here on the lagoon bank it was astonishing.  There were also some large bulls along the banks checking us out.  I was hoping they wouldn't come charging into the shallow water to get a closer look, but of course, they did not.  I do have an active imagination!
Picture
Snail Kite
Picture
Cattle along the lagoon bank -- those horns look, uh, SHARP!
Picture
From the far side of the lagoon -- the lodge is just visible across the glassy water
As we traveled farther up the lagoon, we eventually came upon a bank of large shorebirds in HUGE numbers.  Huge!  It took quite awhile to paddle closer to the "bird convention", but on the way there, we were rewarded by seeing a couple of Jabirus in flight, so we knew there were likely more along the bank, mixed in among the many egrets, herons, terns, and others.   
Picture
Jabiru Storks
Picture
A magnificent sight
Much to our delight, our suspicions were confirmed as we drew closer to the bank of birds.  There were Jabiru Storks here and there, just a few, mixed in with the many Wood Storks and other shorebirds.  We couldn't have been more delighted at seeing these massive, odd-looking birds so close.  Some of the other guests at the lodge had paid a guide to take them out in a motorboat earlier that morning, but we were hoping that we could see the same birds for free under kayak power.  And we did!
Picture
Shorebirds a-plenty
The White Pelican is very rare for Belize, so we were excited to see this flock here.
Picture
White Pelicans
Picture
Egrets and Wood Storks, drying their wings
Picture
Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, and bull
Picture
Mostly Caspian Terns
Picture
Barry is happy at seeing so many birds
Picture
Barry photographing a lone Jabiru Stork along the lagoon bank
Picture
Here's the Jabiru he was photographing
Picture
Takeoff!
After we'd satisfied our birding urges on the lagoon, we headed back to the lodge so that we'd be back in time for lunch.  We definitely didn't want to miss one of the wonderful meals here! 
Picture
Not long after pulling the kayaks back up on shore, it was time for lunch.  Angie served us a delicious baked tilapia with fresh vegetables, a green salad, wheat rolls, a banana (which we saved for an afternoon snack), and the leftover bread pudding from the night before.  It was as delicious as it looked!
Picture
Lunch
After lunch we spent some time relaxing on our cabana's veranda.  I mentioned before that there were a lot of dogs on the property.  A lovely Doberman belonged to a young couple from the UK vacationing at the lodge (after adopting the dog in Louisiana and driving from Texas through Mexico to Belize -- now that's adventurous!), and many other dogs apparently belonging to Mick and Angie.  All the dogs were sweet and friendly, and we had fun watching them romp and play on the grounds.  One even had puppies under the lodge stairs.  They were 2.5 weeks old and just adorable!  Check out all these cute pooches (and this isn't even all of 'em)....
Picture
A sweet little female who took a liking to me -- never did find out her name
Picture
Friendly boy on our veranda
Picture
Mama and her five pups
Picture
Two precious pups
Picture
Nursing puppies
Picture
Another with this friendly girl
Picture
Gentle Dolly the Dobie (with uncut ears, so she looks a bit different)
In the afternoon we took another walk up the road.  The original reason for the walk was to determine how long it would take us to walk to the bus stop the next morning, but we were having so much fun we walked all the way into the village (which is tiny, consisting of only a fruit stand and a couple of other small buildings).  Barry was interested in this hurricane shelter because the Occupancy level hadn't even been filled in.  He surmised that in Belize, the right answer is "as many as can be packed in"...
Picture
Picture
We saw quite a few loose cattle along the way...
Picture
Picture
And more cashew trees....
Picture
Cashew nut
When we returned to the lodge, we continued bird-watching around in the back.  We discovered couple of pigs in a pen and some additional short trails we hadn't known were back there.  Turns out our friend David, who lives just up the beach from us on Ambergris Caye, stayed here with the cast and crew while filming a movie he was in, and the movie was mostly filmed right in this part of the lodge's property!  We had no idea until after we returned home and Barry told David about our stay.  Pretty incredible!
Picture
This cutie lives at the lodge
Picture
Pig pen
Picture
Dog, meet Pig
After the mosquitoes drove us from the trails, we retreated back to the lodge.  We discovered this cache of drying cashew nuts in back.  Very cool!
Picture
I decided a cold Belikin would taste really good, so we hit the honor bar, then watched the beautiful sunset from the lodge deck.
Picture
Picture
In Belize, it's not Miller time, it's Belikin time -- very few other beers are allowed in the country
Picture
Lovely sunset in a perfect pastoral setting
Dinner was once again delicious and bountiful.  On the menu was tomato soup, shepherd's pie, sauteed fruits and vegetables, salad, beans and rice, and cheese bread.  Dessert was coconut turnovers and mini chocolate cakes.  Needless to say, we ate until we were stuffed.  Good thing we got so much exercise during the day!
Picture
Healthy and delicious
To be continued...
3 Comments

Festive Friday night at Caliente

4/14/2012

5 Comments

 
Last night we rode our bikes into town and met our friend David for taco night and half-price margarita night at Caliente.  We got a great table on the deck and enjoyed the breezes, company, fantastic food, and potent margaritas.  
Picture
Getting ready to take off on this lovely early evening
On our ride into town, we passed a few golf carts.  Some friendly folks on one of them yelled out "We read your blog!"  They also said that they really liked our food photos, so we've made sure to include plenty in this posting.
Picture
Barry securing our bikes

There is a wonderful view from Caliente's deck, and the clouds over the sea had a pink glow from the sunset over the lagoon side of the island.  There was a great breeze as well.  Ahhhhhhh....
Picture
Picture
Picture
The view
Picture
Enjoying a margarita and chips
Picture
Chips with homemade salsa - yum
Just when we were wondering if David missed the Coastal Express water taxi to town, he showed up.  Turns out they did almost miss stopping at the dock near his house north of the bridge and had to double back around to pick him up, as he furiously waved his arms!
Picture
David and Emily
I got my favorite dish here -- fish tacos.  These are only available at lunchtime normally, but also on Friday nights.  Barry and David both got chicken dishes.  Everything looked really nice and tasted great too!
Picture
Barry's Jalisco chicken, served with rice and plantain
Picture
David's coconut chicken (he'd already eaten one piece), served with dipping sauce, rice, and plantain
Picture
My fish tacos and refried beans
Picture
Barry about to chow down -- no wonder he's smiling!
David decided to splurge with some dessert -- he tried the flan, which looked really good.  I am definitely getting it next time.  Barry and I split a bowl of coconut ice cream that was delicious.  So good we forgot to take a photo -- or was that the margaritas talking?  
Picture
Flan -- yum!
We sipped margaritas and chatted it up until about 9:15, much to my surprise as this is quite late for us, but David has a lot of funny stories to tell.  He then had to skedaddle to catch the 9:30 water taxi, so Barry and I hit the road on our bikes.

Once we got north of the bridge, we fired up our headlamps.  The headlamp I brought to Belize had died on me, so I recently got a new one and was trying it out for the first time.  The new one (Black Diamond Sprinter) is really cool as it has a red blinky light in back, and the front LED is seriously bright.  No one will miss seeing us when I'm using it!
Picture
Blinded by the light
It was a nice quiet ride back to our condo on a dark, starry night.  We are happy that the "high season" here on Ambergris Caye is now behind us.  It makes going into town so much more pleasant! 
5 Comments

My favorite easy, healthy supper to make in Belize

4/13/2012

5 Comments

 
I started making these Veggie Bean Soft Tacos when we were visiting Belize prior to moving here, because they are healthy, easy to whip up, and use many fresh ingredients easily found at the fruit and vegetable stands around town.  We also ate a lot of these when we first moved into our new condo last August before we'd finished stocking up our pantry, since we didn't have a lot of dinner options until we got the "larder" filled up with basics like condiments, spices, baking essentials, and so on.  I don't make them quite as often now since we have more options, but they are still one of my favorite easy things to make, taking only about 30 minutes from start to finish, and we both enjoy them, so I thought I'd share them with our friends and families.

There are a lot of different vegetable options for these, but I always use onions, bell peppers (any color, 1-2 peppers total depending on size), beans, tomato, and chipotle chile in adobo sauce, which gives them a nice smoky flavor (plus some heat!)  If I have a zucchini, which I often do, I add that, and normally I'll add grated cheddar or jack cheese, but neither are required. The cheese does help the other ingredients meld together so they don't fall out of the tortilla, though; plus, cheese just plain tastes good; but if you're avoiding dairy, feel free to leave it out. Cilantro is an optional ingredient as well.

For the beans, you can use canned, but since Barry cooks dried beans for us in the crockpot, a small Tupperware container's worth works for this recipe. I'd guesstimate that this is equivalent to a typical (15.5 oz?) can of beans.  Any beans will work -- black, pinto, kidney, or a blend.  This is the ultimate in made-up, flexible recipe!

I use whole wheat tortillas, but you can use regular flour ones if whole wheat are not available.  We usually eat two of these apiece.  If you have the plate-sized tortillas typically found in the US, one per person will suffice, but the tortillas here in Belize are typically smaller.  We've been buying these in large batches from Domingo's Popular Tortilla on Back Street, but I've recently seen them in Marina's and Casa Pan Dulce up on the front counter as well, if you only want a four-pack.
Picture
whole-wheat tortillas
This recipe serves two people generously, with some of the filling left over.  If you're serving more than two, you'll need to adjust the quantities accordingly.
I usually start with these veggies, chopped fairly fine. 
Picture
Zucchini (1), onion (1/2), bell pepper (1-2)
Picture
First, I saute onion in 2 T. olive oil over medium heat until it is fairly soft and translucent, then I add the peppers and zucchini to the pan and turn the heat down a bit, to medium-low.  The veggies will only need occasional stirring at this temperature.  You can use higher heat, but keep a much closer eye on the pan and stir frequently.
Picture
Picture
While those are cooking (about 5-7 minutes), I chop the next group of veggies.  I always use one tomato, and this time I used two small chipotle chiles from an original can, plus just a little of the adobo sauce that comes in the can with the chiles.  This stuff is hot, so don't go overboard unless you really like to sweat!  If you don't have chipotle chiles or don't want any heat, add maybe 1/4 c. of mild salsa instead.  And if you like things super hot, feel free to add a minced habanero pepper, or whatever makes you -- and your dinner companion -- happy!

I had lovely fresh cilantro this time, so chopped up about 1/4 c. of it -- but I didn't add it until the very end.
Picture
chopped tomato (1), cilantro (1/4 c.), and chipotle chiles (2 small)
Picture
Add the tomato & chipotle chiles to the pan
Give everything a good stir and continue sauteeing for another five minutes or so.  You can put a lid on the pan now and check/stir every couple of minutes until the veggies are the way you like 'em -- from fairly crisp to quite soft.  I like mine kind of in the middle -- not mushy, but definitely cooked.
Picture
Let 'em cook for a few minutes
Picture
Just right!
Once the vegetables are done to your liking, add the already cooked beans, salt to taste, and give everything in the pan a stir.  This time I had pinto beans on hand so used those.  Put the lid on the pan on again for a couple of minutes, just to heat the beans through.
Picture
This was about the equivalent of one can of beans
Picture
Add beans to the pan and stir
Picture
Lid back on until beans are heated through
Once the beans have heated through, I sprinkle the cheese over top of the entire pan.  I usually use about 1/2 c. grated cheese here, but since I only had about 1 T. this time, that had to suffice.  I then sprinkle the cilantro, when I'm using it, over the cheese.
Picture
It's almost done!
I then replace the lid over the pan for about another minute or two, just until the cheese gets nice and gooey.  While that's happening, I get the tortillas ready to go.  I use a damp paper towel on top of them and microwave 'em for 30 seconds.   

Once the cheese has melted, fill half of each tortilla with a goodly amount of the bean-veggie mix, fold over, and chow down.  These are meant to be eaten with the hands, but you'll probably need a fork as well to catch any fallout! Oh, and these go really well with an ice-cold Belikin (the national beer of Belize), chips, and salsa.  Enjoy!
Picture
One last time to let the cheese melt
Picture
Heat the tortillas under a damp paper towel or microwave cover
Picture
The finished product before folding
5 Comments

Two very different birthday celebrations

4/8/2012

5 Comments

 
Picture
My birthday was yesterday, and I chose one of my very favorite places to go for dinner here on Ambergris Caye, Aji.  Neither Barry nor I had any desire to go into town, since we knew it would be packed with tourists and locals partying like crazy for Easter weekend.  Every now and then we enjoy that type of atmosphere, but those times are few and far between as we've gotten older.  Normally we prefer quiet and peaceful to noisy and rowdy -- maybe we get that from living in the woods on acreage for so many years.  

Aji definitely provided the quiet and peaceful setting we craved, and it was a perfect night with gentle ocean breezes and no bugs.  An added plus is that we can so easily walk there as it's just a couple hundred yards up the beach from our condo.  And since I didn't have to ride my bike to get there, I could wear a dress. 

I started with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, one of my favorite wines.  Barry had a Panty Ripper (coconut rum and pineapple juice).  Our server then brought out a plate of lovely homemade bread with some tomato sauce and cilantro for us to enjoy while awaiting our dinners.  Yum!

For our entrees, I choose the curried coconut conch with veggies and coconut rice, and Barry had pasta with spicy tomato sauce and chicken.  Both dishes were delicious and beautifully presented.

Picture
Picture
My curried conch, veggies, & rice
Picture
Bread with tomato sauce & cilantro
Picture
Barry's pasta
Picture
I was a happy birthday girl
Since it was a special occasion, we splurged and got dessert -- not just one, but two!  We tried the chocolate rum cake and the coconut pie.  The key lime pie is amazing too, but since we'd tried that before, we wanted to try the two we hadn't had.  Both were scrumptious!  Barry liked the chocolate rum cake best.  It was deliciously moist, very rummy, and delicious.  However, the coconut pie blew me away because it was absolutely packed with fresh coconut, unlike any coconut pie I've ever had before, since they are usually made with dried, sweetened "angel flake" coconut and more "cream" than coconut.  The crust also seemed to have a lime syrup on the outside.  Manna of the gods!  Chef Hugo is truly a talent.
Picture
We forgot to take a photo until we'd had the first bite of each delicious dessert!
After dinner as we were taking the short walk down the beach home, the full moon was rising over the ocean, amid clouds.  It was a dramatic and beautiful sight to see and a lovely ending to my birthday evening.
Picture

A birthday bash on the beach

Picture
The previous Sunday, our condo neighbor Danny threw a surprise birthday party on the beach for his wife Judy.  It was a spirited celebration with plenty of food, a band, and plenty of adult beverages.  Just the right size for a party, I thought, and a good mix of locals, snowbirds, expats, and visitors to the island.
Picture
Party just getting started with some ceviche and the early arrivals
Picture
Our host Danny in the purple bandanna
Picture
Talking to Jim (the second wine glass is Barry's!)
Picture
Plenty of ceviche and chips
Picture
Even Zeke came to the party!
Picture
Danny talking with our neighbors John and Caitlyn
Picture
The band
Picture
Our building, Jim and I still chatting it up, Sammy hoping from a handout from the birthday girl Judy (in the multi-colored top)
Picture
Flor in pretty floral dress contemplating her beverage selection
Picture
More food kept appearing...
Picture
...and I kept eating!
Picture
Picture
Someone gave Sammy a snack!
After sunset, Barry brought Paisley out but kept a tight hold on her.  She would have gone bonkers for all the finger food!
Picture
Barry and Paisley
Turns out that Danny is quite the musician and singer and joined the band for several numbers.  Even Cowboy Doug got in on the action!  
Picture
Danny at the mike!
Picture
Go, Cowboy!
Picture
Cowboy Doug and Danny collaborate
Judy, the birthday girl, was getting into the spirit of the evening by now and was bustin' a move with a friend!
Picture
Picture
Danny with our internet guy Mr. Norman and his wife
Picture
Emily and Leisa enjoying the music
Picture
Judy gets some assistance with cutting the cake
Picture
Danny, Judy, and friends
We enjoyed hanging out with our Grand Caribe friends, tapping our feet to the music; and since the party was right on the beach behind our building, the trip back home was an easy one.  
5 Comments

Birding, brunch, a goodbye, and good food

3/18/2012

2 Comments

 
We started this morning as we usually do on Sunday, with a bird walk.  We saw many of the usual suspects, but we did manage to add a new hummingbird to our life lists -- a female Green-Breasted Mango.  The distinctive stripe down her throat, breast, and belly made her easy to identify with the help of our Birds of Belize book.
Picture
We also caught sight of this Snowy Egret and a Greater Yellowlegs hunting for breakfast in a swampy area near the roadside.
Picture
Picture
After birding, we strolled down to Ak'Bol for breakfast.  Unfortunately, it seemed like just about every tourist staying north of the bridge had the same idea, so we had a long wait for our food, and our breakfast turned into brunch.
Picture
While we were waiting, Barry took a quick walk down to the Osprey nest down the beach a ways and caught the (large!) nestling feeding, while Mom and Dad stood guard. 
Picture
Picture
The nestling is in the center but appeared nearly full-grown
When the food did come, it was delicious.  I had a spinach omelet, one of the specials of the day; and Barry had a huge breakfast burrito. 
Picture
Breakfast burrito, fresh salsa, and OJ
Picture
He ate it all, plus my beans!
Earlier this week, we had to say goodbye to Paula, who was leaving San Pedro to move back to the US.  Although we hadn't known her for very long, I'd been Facebook friends with her before we met in person, so I felt like I had known her for longer.  We ate lunch at Blue Water Grill on Monday to say goodbye.  Paula, you are already missed, but I wish you all the best for your new life in Tennessee.
Picture
Paula and me
I can highly recommend the Shrimp Po'Boy sandwich we both ordered.  It was delicious!  And speaking of delicious, Barry and I made this veggie pizza mid-week.  Toppings were onions, zucchini, red and green bell pepper, snippets of fresh basil and oregano from our tiny container garden, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.  Barry made the crust with seven-grain cereal from GoNature.  
Picture
2 Comments

Saga Humane Society Appetizer Cook-Off

3/15/2012

5 Comments

 
Last night we attended the Saga Humane Society cook-off.  These cook-offs feature a different food "theme" each month and through food and raffle ticket sales serve to raise much-needed funds for this worthy organization.  This month's theme was appetizers, and the cook-off was once again held at Mojito's Bar and Grill, right on the beach in San Pedro.  We had previously attended a pasta cook-off in this same venue, and it proved to be a great setting with plenty of seating, a fine breeze, and a good bar.  The bar was offering $5 BZD ($2.50 US) "Meow-itos" (mojitos) all night in honor of the occasion, a fantastic deal that we took advantage of, of course!

We had the pleasure of meeting and sitting with Jana and CJ, who were visiting San Pedro from Texas.  Our friend Bill was volunteering this evening and did a great job.  There was a great turnout from the community, locals, tourists, and expats alike, and we recognized quite a few of the faces.  
Picture
Jana, CJ, Emily, and Barry
Picture
Bill working the volunteer table
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Hi Bill!
Picture
Picture
There were twelve appetizer entries to sample, which may have been a record.  The other cook-offs we have been to featured six to eight food choices, so our palates were a bit overwhelmed with all the choices last night.   
The entries were delicious, though it is always a little disconcerting to me to bite into something without knowing in advance whether to expect seafood, chicken, pork, or something completely different.  I am a person who likes just about everything (except olives!), but I enjoy reading a menu with description of the dish first to prepare my tastebuds for what I am about to eat.  These cook-offs are a bit of an adventure since many dishes are a mystery when judged by appearance only.  There was only one item I didn't care for all that much (must have been the olives!) that I passed over to Barry, and he passed his Scotch egg to me -- he is not an egg lover.  I had never had a Scotch egg before and liked it quite a bit.  I googled the recipe this morning and was surprised to discover that the outer coating contained sausage.  I had no idea.  But hey, it was fried.  Anything fried tastes good, if not good for you!
Picture
My plate
Picture
Barry's plate -- Scotch egg already banished!
It was nearly impossible to choose a favorite as I'd forgotten so many by the time I got to the end, but ultimately I cast my vote for the Fish Cake with Chipotle Sauce (upper left of right side of plate above).  Barry chose the Garnache, which is the large corn tortilla with toppings on the right side of the plate.  He really liked its spicy flavors and also its large size!  The Garnache was a close second for me, and I also liked the Honey-Garlic wings and the Scotch egg.  

The sign below helped us remember what we'd eaten and how to vote.  However, it was put up after we'd eaten so it didn't help much in knowing what we were eating as we chowed down.  I truly don't remember eating a ham and cheese roll up!
Picture
Picture
Bill carefully guarding against any voting irregularities
Picture
Attendees trying to figure out their vote
Picture
Bill with the vote bin
Picture
"Shhhhhhh...the votes are supposed to be made by secret ballot"
Picture
There was an excellent turnout -- good for Saga
Picture
Bill chatting with Jana and CJ
When the winners were announced, there was a tie for second place between two restaurants, Mojito's for the Garnaches (Barry and CJ's choice) and Crave, for the Fish Cakes (my choice!)  First place went The Hotel for the Potato Skins.
Picture
Mojito's restaurant gracefully accepted the 3rd place prize, even though they tied for 2nd
Picture
Crave restaurant accepting the 2nd place prize
There were five prizes up for grabs in the raffle tonight, mostly lunches at local restaurants.  No one from our table won, though at the next table over, one lady won two, and another won one!  Must have been a serious case of stuffing the raffle box, but in this case, we certainly don't mind as each raffle ticket benefits Saga in their worthy quest to care for the dogs and cats of San Pedro.  Thanks for all you do, Saga!
5 Comments

Saturday Fundraiser

3/3/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Today we rode into town for a fundraiser lunch for Uziel Meza, a baby needing medical care after being born prematurely to an employee at Belize Bank.  We had bought the tickets earlier in the week while we were doing our banking and had been looking forward to some authentic Belizean rice and beans and stew chicken.  So after my morning yoga at Ak'Bol, we pulled out the bikes.  Fortunately, the wind had died down some from the morning's peak, when it was gusting to 39 mph(!), so we enjoyed our ride into town.  This is the peak tourist season in San Pedro, so town was really hopping today!
Picture
What a sweet little boy -- we hope he will be able to get the medical care he needs
Picture
I guess these qualify as "small vehicles"!
Picture
Local entertainment provided a festive touch
Picture
I'm trying to figure out where the line starts...it was still early.
Picture
The ladies were busy putting together takeout boxes of rice and beans and stew chicken
Picture
We didn't realize there would also be delicious cakes available as well.  Of course we had to purchase a couple of slices of the chocolate cake with caramel icing, but they all looked great.  Slices were just $3 BZD ($1.50 US) each, and for such a good cause.   
Picture
Picture
Picture
We were really not hungry when we got the food and there weren't any tables or chairs there, so we wrapped it up and brought it back home.  After a dip in the pool to cool off, we were ready to eat lunch.  It was delicious!  I had enough of my rice and beans left over for Barry to eat with his dinner, and even so, I've been full ever since.  
Picture
Picture
I'll say that's plenty rice & beans!
It's wonderful the way so many people are able to get a helping hand by utilitizing community fundraisers here in Belize.  It's kind of like small-town America was a few decades ago.  Thanks to the wonderful ladies who made and donated the delicious food to help baby Uziel Meza!
1 Comment

Guatemala Cruise Day 3, Part 2: A long day in Rio Dulce (continued...)

2/28/2012

8 Comments

 
Picture
When you last left our intrepid crew, we had just left our morning tour of the Castillo de San Felipe.  After that, it was time to venture into town for more exploring.  Simon had advised us to catch one of the vans that rides through the area picking up passengers to go to town.  This area is not populated enough to support full-size buses, I guess, so the vans stood in, and it was amazing how many people they managed to pack into these utilitarian vehicles.  

We were able to catch one fairly quickly and hop aboard along with several locals.  More stops were made to pick up additional locals along the way as well.  The ride to town was approximately 10 minutes and cost 35 Quetzales for the five of us (just under $5 total).
Picture
Ruthie, Bruce, and Chunky in the van in front of us
The town of Rio Dulce (aka Fronteras) was bustling and definitely a new experience for us.  This was not a tourist town, so it was populated with locals going about their daily marketing and business.  All the signs were in Spanish.  There were fruit markets, clothing markets, hardware stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, and street vendors.  And traffic.  Although I sometimes complain about the traffic in San Pedro, there was much more here, and as pedestrians, we really had to watch our step to avoid all the motor bikes and vehicles zipping along, not to mention the large trucks.    It seemed that the town was just this one long road, so all the traffic had to share this road with the vendors and pedestrians.

Right as we got out of the van, we ran into Clive, who had come to town on an earlier van to buy a few items.  We immediately grabbed him and appointed him our guide, since he'd been here before and spoke Spanish, an excellent and handy combination.
Picture
Clive leads the motley crew down the busy street
Picture
Emily and Clive, with Bruce, Ruthie, and Chunky not far behind
Picture
I would love to see fruit stands like these in San Pedro -- they had it all!
Picture
MANGOES! Can't buy them in Belize this time of year, so we were happy to find this fruit market and planned to return
Picture
Street food vendors
Picture
The vendor in the pink apron did not look like she was having a very good day
Clive suggested we walk over the big bridge that we'd seen from the boat, and that sounded like a good plan to us.  It was a warm day, but we badly needed to take advantage of the opportunity to get some exercise after so much time onboard s/v Hope.  And we knew the views would be fantastic.
Picture
Clive leading the way
Picture
Flamboyant tree
Picture
Views of valleys and mountains...
Picture
...and the river below
We noticed that the unmistakable smell of cows (and cow manure) in the air as we began walking up the bridge sidewalk.  We soon figured out that this smell came from cow trucks that drove over the bridge loaded down with their bovine cargo.  The trucks had slats on the side through which the cows frequently "let the shit fly", and it was deposited on the road.  This was a truck you would not want to get too close to! 
Picture
Cow truck
Picture
Going back the other way - for some reason the sidewalk on this side was only half the width of the other side
Picture
More views from the bridge
After finishing walking over the bridge and back, our crew was getting pretty peckish for a bite of lunch.  Clive thought he knew a good place to take us, so we trekked back down the road to get there.
Picture
Though the town was interesting, I couldn't live with this much traffic on a day-to-day basis.
Picture
We did like these little cabs that zipped around
Picture
Bulk food market -- love it!
Picture
Another interesting store, especially if you needed rope
Picture
The colors of Rio Dulce -- I love the plants along the shelf of the apartment on the third floor!
To get to the restaurant on the waterfront we had to walk right past this large supermercado (supermarket), so we stopped in to have a look at prices.  We decided we'd stop in again on the way out so we wouldn't have to carry any packages with us.  When we did return, Barry and I bought a bottle of 12-year old aged rum at the stunning price of $10 US and some sensitivity toothpaste.  Ruthie and Chunky bought a couple of bottles of the rum and some more eggs for the boat.  Belize allows bringing in one liter of spirits per person duty-free, so we figured we'd take advantage.
Picture
Supermercado
Picture
Onward to the restaurant
Picture
Guatemalan currency: Quetzales
We were the only customers in the restaurant, but we were still a little early for lunch (i.e., before noon).  We sat down and ordered beverages and were a bit surprised to see the young waitress leave the restaurant to go purchase them.  At the time, we didn't really think too much of it, since this was a different country, and we weren't really sure what was "normal".  We enjoyed the great view and good conversation while she was gone.
Picture
(L to R): Ruthie, Chunky, Clive, Bruce, and Barry
Picture
Lovely view from our table
Picture
Boats and water hyacinths
Before too long, she came back with our beverages, and we asked her about a couple of items on the menu.  One Mexican choice sounded really good, so most of us ordered it.  She left the restaurant again, and we joked that she was off buying the ingredients.  At some point not long after this, someone noticed that she was back, and I believe that Clive went over to talk to her.  It turned out that she really wasn't prepared to serve lunch and the owners weren't there.  I am not sure why she even took our order, but since it was now apparent we were not going to be eating there, we paid for our drinks and left. Fortunately, this entire process didn't take too long, and Clive knew of another waterfront place we could eat.  We laughed off our Guatemalan "lunch" experience and proceeded on our way.
Picture
No, we didn't break down and take one of these...we continued on foot
Our next stop, just a few blocks down, was Bruno's Hotel & Marina.  Bruno's had a restaurant, bar, and swimming pool, and was a pretty cool spot.
Picture
Picture
They had this cool canoe sink to wash up before or after eating
Picture
Picture
(L to R): Clive, Bruce, Chunky, Ruthie, and me -- hoping to get fed this time!
Picture
Another beautiful view from our table

We first ordered drinks from their extensive menu.  Barry and several others ordered mojitos, but I saw a Caipirinha on the menu and remembered that it had been recommended by Rebecca on her SanPedroScoop blog, so I had to try one (and it was so good, I ended up having another!)  This is now my new favorite drink, but since it requires a special kind of rum that is not widely available in Belize, who knows when I will find one again.  Since it's the national drink of Brazil, I guess we'll just have to visit there one day -- hopefully when our Spanish is a bit better!

We had Mexican food on the brain since our first attempt at lunch was foiled, so Barry and I both ordered the chicken quesadillas with black beans and fresh salsa.  By this time, it was getting close to 1pm, and considering that we had eaten breakfast before 7, we were starved.  The food couldn't have been more tasty.
Picture
Picture
After lunch, we bought some fruit, which was amazingly cheap.  Barry and I got two small mangoes, two bananas, and a lime for 2 Q (approximately 27 cents -- are you kidding me?!?!)  Chunky also bought some mangoes.
Picture
An embarrassment of mangoes
Picture
Clive helping Chunky buy fruit
Picture

The sundress incident.

Our group decided we'd had enough sun, fun, and walking, but the next van back to Abelle's was not leaving town for about 30 minutes, so Ruthie and I decided to do a little "window" shopping while we waited.  I happened to see a cute gauzy Indian sundress (used, certainly, but I'm an ebay shopper, so that kind of thing doesn't bother me) hanging at one of the open-air shops and was wondering if it would fit and how much it was (no prices are marked in these little shops).

Ruthie encouraged me to ask how much it was, saying that it would look great on me, so I finally asked the lady how much it was.  "Veinticinco quetzales" (25 Q) was her reply.  I knew this was a really low price, under $4, so I ran back over to where Barry was standing to get some money from him.  When I got back to the shop, I immediately handed the lady the 25 Q, before Ruthie could say "Wait!"  Turns out, she had already given 20 Q to the young man also working there, and was looking for the other 5 Q in her wallet.  Now we had a problem.  We'd overpaid, and they would not return Ruthie's money!  Of course, the language barrier was a bit of an issue, but we knew that they knew that we'd overpaid.  They kept pointing at the other clothing hanging up, indicating, I suppose, that Ruthie could pick another item.  But our money had disappeared into their pockets, and they just smiled when we tried to explain (in English) that she should be given her money back since I had paid in full.  
Turns out that Ruthie was trying to buy me the dress as a gift, which was super sweet of her, but because we didn't communicate, we got burned.  The amount lost was less than $3 US, truly insignificant in the big picture, and Ruthie was quick to forget it, but I was angry because of the principle of the thing.  But there you have it: a lesson learned; fortunately, not an expensive one.  It would have been much worse if the little boy hadn't brought Ruthie her forgotten camera that morning, so putting it into perspective, it really wasn't a big deal, it just offended my sense of fairness.  
Picture
Yelling about how the little shop behind me ripped us off!
Picture
Back at home, I do like the dress
Ruthie had a bit of fun at my expense on the van ride back to the boat, talking about how I was about to punch the guy for taking her money, but of course I wasn't really.  Really I wasn't!  I might have a sharp tongue at times, but violence is not in my repertoire.  :-)

Back at the boat yard, s/v Hope was at anchor.  The transducer had already been repaired on the hard, and she'd been put back into the water.  After picking us up in the dinghy, Simon told us he'd had a problem with one of the engines after they splashed the boat, but they were able to find the appropriate part and get it fixed quickly, so we were still on schedule for a Tuesday morning departure.  I am sure he and Clive were really relieved, but the rest of us probably wouldn't have minded another day aboard.  We were having fun!
Picture
s/v Hope at anchor, and Simon speeding over to us in the dinghy
Picture
Local ladies doing laundry in the river
Picture
Simon picking up Clive and the motley crew...er...tagalongs
Picture
Nice view of the fort we'd visited that morning from s/v Hope at anchor
Once the engine repair was complete, Simon informed us that we'd be pulling up to the other dock for the night, since the dock we'd stayed the previous night was now full.  
Picture
Clive weighing the anchor -- it had a remote control!
Picture
Bruce assisting with docking
Picture
Bruce swabbing the decks to clean up after the workers left
Picture
After everyone relaxed for awhile and had showers, we got ready to head out to dinner at Rosita's at a nearby marina to meet Lori and Peter, who were friends of Simon, Chunky, and Ruthie.  I guess they used to live in San Pedro but were now cruising on their boat in the area.  We got to ride in the dinghy to the restaurant.
Picture
Simon, Emily, and Chunky on the dinghy ride
Picture
Bar at Restaurante Rosita's
In addition to Lori and Peter, Captain Roberto from the Winnie Estelle came and joined us. He had some really great stories.
Picture
(L to R): Lori, Peter, Simon, Bruce, Clive, Roberto, Barry, Chunky
Picture
We were having our usual difficult time with the Spanish menu, and Clive was trying to help our end of the table, while Lori helped the other end.  Barry wanted what he thought was baked fish with salsa, but ended up with what looked like pan-fried fish with no salsa.  When Clive reminded the waitress of the salsa, he ended up with a big bowl of tartar sauce, which was perhaps correct, but not the type of "salsa" we had imagined.  Also, one of the side dishes that could be substituted for French fries was rice and beans, which Barry thought Clive ordered for him, but he ended up with fries anyway.  Barry really never eats fried food, so this was not the meal he was hoping for at all.  After the chicken soup fiasco the night before, I felt so bad that he was having yet another dinner disaster.  He did say it tasted good, but just wasn't what he expected.
Picture
Barry's dinner
My meal, on the other hand, was perfect.  I had the shrimp and conch platter.  Yum!
Picture
In retrospect, Barry and I really wished we'd just stayed onboard s/v Hope, made our own dinner, and let the others go hang out with their friends.  As introverts, we need more recharge time than we had been getting, and we were over tired from our long and busy day.  This made the dinner seem to go on forever. Then trying to deal with dividing the check and the currency exchange rate took much longer and became far more complicated than it should have.  We just wanted to get out of there and get some much-needed shut-eye.  Simon wanted to leave the dock by 4:30 am, and by the time we got ready for bed, it was already 11 o'clock, when we would have liked to be in bed by 9-ish.  If we'd known what the next day had in store for us, we might all have done things a bit differently.

Stay tuned for Guatemala Cruise Day 4:  The sea was angry that day, my friends
8 Comments

Guatemala Cruise Day 2, Part 2: Boatyard Days in Rio Dulce, Guatemala

2/26/2012

6 Comments

 
Picture
When we left off last time, we were just about to arrive at Abelle's boatyard on the Rio Dulce (and near the town of Fronteras, also known as Rio Dulce), Guatemala.  And whaddaya know?  Here it is, our ultimate destination straight ahead!  We arrived there just a little after noon.
Picture
Abelle's
Picture
We tied up to the dock since all three of the "big boat" spaces were already in use
We docked right next to some buildings and homes (top of photo above), and locals were bathing and washing dishes in the water very close to our boat.
Picture
The shore power connection was a bit primitive, but it gave us the current we needed
Picture
Looking back towards the bridge, we got lucky and caught the sight of a sailboat flying its spinnaker
Barry and I decided to take a walk to check out the boatyard and local area.  Before we'd even gotten off the dock, we met a friendly couple cruising on s/v Mistral, the large catamaran on the far left in the photo below, and had a nice chat with them before they took off in their dinghy for a late lunch.  They had been stuck at Abelle's waiting for a part for longer than they expected and were more than ready to continue their cruise up to Belize as soon as possible.  

We also noted that the well-known buyboat Winnie Estelle was at the yard having repairs.  We had no idea of this boat's illustrious history until we got home and did some googling, but it is quite fascinating.  We later got to meet her owner, Captain Robert(o), who told us that he has sold her and will be delivering her to Key West later in the season.  Sounds like she will eventually be taken back home to Annapolis, where she was built in 1920, as these folks were hoping.  What a great story!
Picture
(L to R): Mistral, Winnie Estelle, and a Moorings catamaran whose spot we'd be taking the next morning
It was interesting to see how this Guatemalan boatyard compared to Sailcraft in Oriental, NC.  When we'd purchased our Catalina 30, Logos, in 2007, we'd taken delivery of her at Sailcraft.  In 2009, we had her hauled out there and did our own bottom painting.  Abelle's was a bit different: hillier, muddier, smaller, and the unisex bathroom wasn't nearly as nice as the large bath house with separate facilities for men and women at Sailcraft.  But Abelle's did have wi-fi, so Simon and Ruthie were happy as they could play with their gadgets.  
Picture
Monohulls in the boatyard
Picture
This car was dead in the boat yard. I didn't happen to notice if the license plates had changed since 2004 when we walked around the local roads.
Picture
Local road in this rural area -- quiet with little traffic
Picture
Pig in someone's yard -- yep, I mentioned it was rural!
We discovered a beautiful park on our walk, but since there was an entry fee, we decided to wait and tell the others about it so that we could all go the next day, since we'd have a day of freedom while the work was being done on s/v Hope.  We also tried to find some paper plates at a couple of local stores, both to save water and dish-washing labor on the boat, but all they had were huge stacks of styrofoam plates for sale, so we passed.

After our walk, I elected to take a shower in the boatyard restroom to save water on s/v Hope.  When I got into the stall, I realized there was only one handle and immediately knew what that meant:  no hot water.  Fortunately,  it was a warm afternoon with temperature around 86F and heat index of 93.  Not much breeze once you got off the water, either.  So, a cold shower, while a bit brisk for my usual taste, was actually tolerable and very refreshing.   
Picture
Sign on bathroom: "Only customers please"
After the shower, we hung out on the boat for awhile before leaving for dinner.  Bruce, Barry, and I did some bird watching in nearby trees with our binoculars, and a few adult beverages may have been consumed.  
Picture
Cap't Simon telling Chunky, Ruthie, and me something important, I'm sure. Barry was showering so missed whatever it was.
Picture
Picture
Clive, Bruce, and Barry all showered and relaxing
Simon suggested we walk over to a nearby hotel and restaurant for dinner.  It was a nice walk over and great setting, save for the mosquitoes, who came after us with a vengeance once we sat down.
Picture
Where we ate
Picture
Nice outdoor setting, but the mozzies found us
The menu was entirely in Spanish.  Fortunately we had Clive to help, plus our rudimentary skills, but Barry gave up and ordered chicken soup (sopa de pollo) since he could tell what it was, and he claimed not to be very hungry.  I ordered curried chicken.
Picture
Example menu page in Spanish and currency in Quetzales
Picture
My curried chicken

The parmesan cheese incident.

Barry started eating his chicken soup and proclaimed it delicious.  He noticed a small plate next to his soup bowl, and exclaiming "hey, cheese!", proceeded to scrape most of the contents into his soup.  At the same moment, Chunky was looking around for the salt he'd ordered for his burger.  You can definitely see where this one is going.  Apparently, they serve salt on plates in this restaurant since humidity that would cause it to be sticky in a shaker.  Chunky was sitting right next to Barry, and when the waiter delivered his salt, Barry mistook it for parmesan.  An honest mistake, especially considering the yellow lighting over our table.  This incident, while unfortunate, provided a lot of fodder for jokes and laughs for the remainder of our trip, but I am not sure it was worth it for Barry.  Fortunately the chicken and veggies in the soup were still edible, but the lovely broth was a no go after the dousing with el sal.
Picture
Barry's chicken soup and Chunky's plate close by to the right, which caused the salty confusion.
Since Barry didn't have much to eat, he was able to snap this photo of the rest of us.
Picture
(L to R): Emily, Clive, Simon, Bruce, Ruthie, Chunky
After dinner, we were pretty tired and ready to head back to the boat to get some sleep, but Simon (aka party animal) was hankering for a bit of pool and a couple more beers, so we walked over to the local pool hall.  It was closed, probably because it was Sunday, but there was a young woman bartender inside.  Simon called to her through the windows, and asked her if she would open up if we'd drink a bunch of beers.  She called her manager and agreed to open up.   

Simon suggested a tournament, and since most of the folks hadn't played since high school, we all figured he was a shoe-in to win.  Since we had an odd number of people, and since I have deep-seated grade school anxiety involving any game involving a ball, I sat out of the fun, which meant that I could snap a few photos.  

Much to his surprise, Barry came in second only to Simon, due to a few lucky breaks (and a few good shots).  I think he was as surprised as I was because he was one of the ones who hadn't played in decades.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Barry had better luck with pool than with soup!
After the tournament, we walked back to the boat to crash.  Simon told us that we needed to have our breakfast and be ready to get off the boat at 7 am the next morning, as the Moorings catamaran would be splashing then, and s/v Hope going up onto the hard in her place.  

Stay tuned for Guatemala Cruise Day 3:  A long day in Rio Dulce 
6 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    UPDATE!
    Traveling Twosome

    If you're interested in following along on our post-Belize travels, please visit our blog:
    http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/

    Subscribe

    RSS Feed

    living in Belize

    Emily & Barry

    We're an adventurous couple, married 27 years, who decided to move to Ambergris Caye, Belize from Chapel Hill, North Carolina for retirement.  We built a condo on the beach  north of San Pedro Town and moved in with our Boston Terrier Paisley in August 2011 and lived there until March 2013.  Ultimately, we decided to return to the US, but we have no regrets and MANY good memories of our time in Belize.  We hope our blog might prove helpful to anyone interested in this lovely country.

    Archives      

    March 2014
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    ©2013 by Barry & Emily. All rights reserved.       

    Categories  

    All
    Airline
    Architecture
    Beach
    Beer
    Belize City
    Bikes
    Biking
    Birding
    Birds
    Birthday
    Boating
    Boats
    Bridge
    Budget
    Bugs
    Caving
    Caye Caulker
    Celebration
    Chetumal
    Christmas
    Churches
    Cleanup
    Coconuts
    Color
    Cooking
    Cook-off
    Crime
    Curtains
    Daily Living
    Dinner
    Doctor
    Dog
    Dogs
    Expenses
    Ferry
    Film
    Flowers
    Food
    Friends
    Fruit
    Fun
    Fundraiser
    Guatemala
    Haircut
    Health
    Health Issues
    Healthy Eating
    Hiking
    History
    Holiday
    Holidays
    Home Improvement
    Home Improvements
    Hopkins
    Independence Day
    Insects
    Kayaking
    Lamanai
    Library
    Living In Belize
    Logging
    Maya
    Medical
    Mexico
    Moon
    Movie
    Moving In
    Music
    Nature
    Paisley
    Palapa Bar
    Parade
    Parks
    Parties
    Pets
    Photos
    Placencia
    Pool
    Pool Time
    Projects
    Punta Gorda
    Race
    Rain
    Rainbows
    Rainy Season
    Recipes
    Reef
    Restaurant
    Restaurants
    Road
    Running
    Saga
    Sailing
    San Ignacio
    Shipping To Belize
    Shopping
    Storms
    Sunset
    Thanksgiving
    Tourist Visa
    Traffic
    Transportation
    Travel
    Vendors
    Walks
    Waterfalls
    Water Taxi
    Weather
    Wildlife
    Yoga

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.