tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56292850133272631802024-02-18T17:35:10.433-08:00Don's New Travel Adventures - or, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-54464448037170398672013-03-07T13:37:00.000-08:002013-08-03T18:37:38.935-07:00From Belize's island beaches to Peru's Andes Mountains.
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I left Belize City around 5pm Sunday Feb 24th. The one hour flight to San Salvador (SS) went
well. Off to the Taca lounge in SS for
about a 90 minute layover. I don’t mind
the wait when you can relax in comfortable sofas, have a few drinks and snacks,
and a good Internet connection. I know
the lounge well as SS is the stopover from LAX to Belize.<br />
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Next leg – the flight from SS to Lima was only about 4+
hours+, a bit shorter than I expected – just can’t keep track of my schedule
well. Also, right after take-off we got served
dinner. Nice caprese salad, filet mignon
with mashed potatoes, red wine, and some type of luscious chocolate
desert. The flight attendants speak English
but sometimes their accents make it hard for me to understand fully so not sure
what it was.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then for a nap - which ended up being only about 90 minutes
before they start announcing to prepare for landing in Lima. Not a bad flight but now the ‘troubles’
begin. Customs and immigration go fine. Then I went looking for the Taca lounge (which
they didn't have). I followed the
Spanish signs to domestic flights (not much here is in English) but a lady
guard stopped me and kept saying something and indicating I couldn't go in there. Finally got a guy who was bi-lingual who
informed me the gate area was closed from 130-230am for cleaning. Sigghhh.</div>
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I wander around trying to find the Taca
lounge (which didn't exist) and for some reason looked at my tickets. Seems my boarding pass to Cuzco showed departure
about 3 hours later than I originally thought.
I went looking for a Taca counter.
I saw it 20 feet away from the railing in the arrival area but the guard
wouldn’t let me go in – I had to go outside, down the walk and then back inside
to the departure counter area. Over to
Taca which was the afore-mentioned 20 feet from the guard. Sighhh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Talked to the agent and yes my original flight had been
delayed for 3 hours - something about no equipment (plane?). Hmmm. However, she could
get me on an earlier flight. OK…but what
about my luggage? She made a quick call
and located my bag. She sent me past the
not-so-friendly guard who refused me entry earlier. Over to the luggage area and got my bag, no
problem. Back to the Taca counter, this
time Mr. Friendly Guard let me pass without walking clear around. Abundance is finally mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The agent had it all figured out for me and changed my
boarding pass. Ironically, this flight
arrived in Cusco only about 30 minutes before my original flight. Oh well.
She also advised me they had no lounge.
Sigghhh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Off to my gate – which was now available after the cleaning
was done. I’m like 2 hours early so
found an area where the seats had no arms making for a nice couch-like place to
try to sleep. Dozed off for maybe an
hour and then the people started arriving for the flight. I heard an announcement in Spanish but had
no idea what was said – even when it is made in English the speakers are so bad
and the accent so strong I still had idea what was happening. The people started standing up and going to
the gate so I got up too. They then all
lined up in the Executive Class line which was odd since I know they didn't have that many Business Class seats. I
went around them to the agent and she let me go by and board first (which I pay
for) and then she asked the rest to move to the peasants, err…..coach line.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The flight was short – less than an hour and one drink. Cusco is a small airport in the
mountains. As we came in low over the city I could see us pass the airstrip. Hey, you missed it. Nope. A
hard bank to the left, around a tall mountain and down to the strip. Wow.
Yep, welcome to Cusco, like maybe 12,000 feet elevation? Got my luggage quickly and out past all the
tour desks hawking their packages.
Outside to the cold air. Brrrrr.
We’re not in Belize anymore.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My new friend and tour guide Lynda was to meet me around 8am
as she had no idea my flight had been changed.
But, I was only a half hour early.
I found a seat outside in the chilly air and waited. Fortunately I put a sweatshirt in the outside
section of my luggage. She arrived on
time and had a taxi waiting. All was
well. I didn't have to fend for myself
in a non-English speaking country. Yayy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Off to Urubamba where she lived and had me booked at the
Amaru Valle Hotel (B&B). About a 45 minute ride through beautiful
mountains, and then down about 2000 feet.
Great views all the way and helpful narration by Lynda of this new (to me)
land. The hotel was up the street about 6 blocks from the cute
town square. Very interesting buildings
and locals everywhere. Remnants of hundreds of years past with upgrades keeping
mostly in the old traditional styles. Up
the hill and onto a (very) rough narrow street for about 2 blocks. The taxi shook and rattled all over. But we made it fine.</div>
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Amaru is very cute and exudes a feeling of peace and
relaxation with its beautiful A-frame yellowish cottages and gorgeous gardens
in between. Quiet too, since I was one
of only a few guests who came and went. It was, of course, off season. </div>
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I forget the first day in Peru since I was sooooo tired and the high
altitude was starting to affect me, even though I didn't realize it. Sea level to over 10k in 14 hours with little sleep is no fun. I do recall I slept around 11 hours straight
that first night. Then a slight
headache, minor stomach discomfort, and hard shallow breathing. Weird feeling. Was this a sign of the way it would be for 2
weeks? Nahhhhh…..</div>
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I’ll update this later with Lynda’s help to refresh my memory. Then next comes the Inca ruins...wowww.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-78247671257569383922013-03-07T11:24:00.001-08:002013-04-08T17:04:17.090-07:00Slickrock Island Adventure, Long Caye, Glover's Reef, BelizeI'm doing this blog post while in Peru since we had no Internet out on the island. I've been busy in Peru and the Internet here at this hotel is very slow but it is raining and cool today so it's a rest day. It will be a short post and hopefully will be edited when I get a better connection. I will post a few pictures here but you can see all the pictures of Slickrock and Peru on the link to Shutterfly via my web site:<a href="http://www.skiver.us/"> http://www.skiver.us</a> There was a professional photographer in our group on the island so when I get home to Calif I will borrow some of his pics which he sent to the whole group.<br />
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Slickrock was a super great time. I flew into Belize City from San Salvador on Friday Feb 15th. Our group met that evening at the Biltmore Hotel for a briefing and then we stayed there overnight. The Biltmore is on the NE edge of the Belize City on the Northern Highway not far from the airport. It was a very nice hotel....nice pool, very comfortable beds, etc. I got lucky and had my own room. They usually try to pair up same sex single people but I guess I was the odd number. There were 3 families of 4, 2 married couples, and 3 single guys. Never a single woman...drat.<br />
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The next day Saturday we loaded up a van with our luggage (I left my big bag at the hotel since we were coming back in a week) and we walked across the road where the boat was waiting for us at a house on a canal that went to the sea. <br />
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A northerly front was moving in so the sea was rough. The first couple hours we were inside the reef so the ride wasn't too bad. Then we made the cut through the reef and into the open sea. What should have taken 30 minutes probably took 3x that time. The seas were following so it wasn't a lot of spray but the roiling waves made for an unpleasant slow ride. Most people were feeling a bit queasy but only one boy actually got sick. Fortunately his mother was a dr who was prepared. A bag of fresh cut up ginger helped the rest of us. <br />
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Finally, inside the atoll - what a relief. Long Caye was in sight so everyone was excited. The trip was usually 2-1/2 hours but we took probably close to 4.. ugghh.<br />
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Long Caye is a small private island in the Glover's reef atol - actually owned in 3 parts. The largest area is Slickrock, then a small dive operation area, and at the end is bare land not developed yet. Here is what Slicrock says about the island: "<span style="background-color: #ffffcc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">Our place is an adventure eco-resort. We have our own island, we never have more than 34 guests at a time. We don't use generators, therefore we don't have standard electricity. We are powered by the sun and wind with a little bit of propane to chill the beer. We don't have flush toilets or heated showers.</span><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffffcc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">Our cabanas sit right on the beach, very very private, very exclusive, but not fancy at all. You have to walk to your shared bathroom. No maid stops by your room, ever. At the end of the week when you leave, the boss cleans it for the next person. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffffcc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">We have the best collection, without any competition at all, of sports gear in the country. We have expert, enthusiastic guides and we teach and guide sea kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, kayak surfing, kayak fishing, paddleboarding, kitesurfing, and board surfing."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibI1MqD8b7PEFOySuwfJV0pqk9kA95vV13Iw-MWV7RBbIw9uAoguJrso2_NRU54bhHqZCV-g8Zo1AzeAXoFrV4XkVe-oAcLVUODaYLK2ERFFhv38Y5e7xYmvnhFpLOTAKSm-1bc44fzbN0/s1600/20130218_063016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibI1MqD8b7PEFOySuwfJV0pqk9kA95vV13Iw-MWV7RBbIw9uAoguJrso2_NRU54bhHqZCV-g8Zo1AzeAXoFrV4XkVe-oAcLVUODaYLK2ERFFhv38Y5e7xYmvnhFpLOTAKSm-1bc44fzbN0/s320/20130218_063016.jpg" width="320" /></a>All that is true. It takes awhile to get used to the system out there but it works well. The most important thing was all the cold Belikin (local Belizean) beer and Fanta drinks. Lucky for me my cabana was right at the edge of the water so I could pee off the deck. </div>
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The week was great. After a short intro to each sport we could pretty much use them with buddy system. I did some windsurfing on the first day but the storm created too many waves so I gave up. A few days later when the wind shifted to SE I could do much better. The kayaking was great. After a short lesson we headed out to the small surf break. It was a bit rough timing the waves and getting back into the kayak while being pummeled by surf but was lots of fun. I had bruises all over my legs and sides.</div>
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At 430 every evening it was happy hour and sand volleyball. Some of the staff joined in and made it fun and competitive My mind played like I was 20-30 years old again but my body suffered dearly. I had abrasions all over my feet and legs. But the fun made it all worthwhile.</div>
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The week ended too fast and on Saturday Feb 23d we headed back to the Belizean mainland and to hot showers and soft beds again at the Biltmore. </div>
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After a great night's sleep I had a few hours Sunday to hang out by the pool and review the week's events with my fellow islanders. I even met 2 young ladies from Chicago who were going on a 10-day Nat Geo tour of Belize. They loved hearing my stories about Belize and I think my enthusiasm generated even more anticipation for them. One of the many fun things about travel is meeting new people and sharing our life stories.</div>
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About 3pm Sunday Feb 24th I was off to the airport and my flights to Peru. More posts later on that whole ordeal. Stay thirsty my friends.</div>
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Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-85512821649061582072013-02-15T10:35:00.002-08:002013-02-15T10:35:44.903-08:00Adios El SalvadorWow...cant believe the week is over already. I'm at the San Salvador airport now waiting for my one-hour flight to Belize. I was 3 hours early because Michael's flight was earlier I sweet talked the desk to let him join me in the Taca Lounge so we had another drink before he left All in all, a great time. Too much drink and food - which will continue out on the Belize Island week. I might turn into a real drunk. :)<br />
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I'm getting tired of posting pics on Facebook, Shutterfly and here - so if you read this and are bored, this is the link to see the 2 pictures albums of El Salv. <br />
<a href="http://skiver.shutterfly.com/">http://skiver.shutterfly.com/</a><br />
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OK, short nap now - the Johnny Walker is kicking in. Ciao.<br />
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<br />Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-31801506620724012312013-02-11T15:53:00.001-08:002013-02-11T15:53:43.137-08:00El SalvadorI arrived in San Salvador Friday morning after a 5-hour non-stop red-eye from LAX. Nice flight but hard for me to sleep. Probably got 2-3 hours is all. All went well at airport, my luggage came out first and through immigration and customs quickly. Over to Budget rental car booth. I pulled out my pre-paid agreement from online rentalcars.com Looked good so far, even though he said my reservation wasn't until noon but they had a car for me. Then to insurance. "That will be $15/day more." No, my agreement said "optional". I showed him on the form. "No senor, it is mandatory here in El Salvador". Ok, but why does my form say Optional? Isn't that what optional means, not mandatory? I felt I was in a Seinfeld episode where they don't have a car for Jerry even though he had a reservation. After confirming this policy with the Avis booth I reluctantly agreed to another $15/day PLUS more tax on the insurance. Sighhhh.....<br />
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Go out with another guy to the car. It's an OK older Corolla - missing one hubcap but not much damage. Stick shift which was fine. Gave me the keys and left. No instructions, directions, etc. Just go.<br />
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RCI had some basic instructions to the hotel on their fact sheet so off I went. No clue what the hell most signs meant. Bottom line - got lost twice because they didn't tell me about one right turn, and it was not 12 miles away, it was 25..!!!!! sigghhhhhh Maybe 50 after being lost. Asked people along the road 3x but all I get was hand signals telling me to go back and turn left - somewhere. Stupid gringos.<br />
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This country was quite a shock. So much poverty. Coconut stands all along the road - selling whatever they can to make a buck. People walking, riding bikes and old rickety 3-wheeled taxis. And many trucks, mostly hauling sugar cane. I saw a couple loads I just knew were going to roll off onto my car and I'd be dead in the middle of nowhere.
Found the hotel at the end of the costa del sol (sun coast where several resorts were. Many were deserted - a sign of the times? Showed the guard my reservation forms, signed in, and he lifted up the red cone. The guard with an automatic rifle in fatigues across the narrow road at another resort was a bit un-nerving but all felt safe.<br />
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Got to reception desk and lovely young Sarah greeted me. I started showing her my RCI forms and then she got on the phone. She spoke little English so brought in the guy who did. He showed me my 3-br condo but all BRs were up stairs, one had queen bed and the other two only had singles. Not gonna work for me and Michael. Option was 2 hotels room with adjoining door. I checked in but had to go get Michael at airport so he could have input. We looked at the rooms and both had bigger beds and separate baths so it worked out fine.<br />
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One issue is the resort is only about 50yds wide and 3/4 miles long, from marina to the beach. Michael was ok walking to the beach a couple times but it was not easy for either of us old guys. Haaa..
Has been pretty nice so far. Way too much to eat and drink. It's all-inclusive so one seems to have to get their money worth? Resort was very busy over the weekend (200+) with mostly El Salvadorans. They all left last night (Sunday) so there are only about 10-12 people here in the entire resort. More staff than guests so we talk to the staff a lot. Did meet a few American boaters at the marina bar. This is a customs port for boaters to enter the country. Nice to share stories.
Tomorrow we are off to an all-day tour to see part of the country - the flower route. A lone sailor was going so we agreed to share the van and costs. more later....it's happy hour...!!!!
Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-25655451779848551572013-02-11T15:01:00.001-08:002013-08-03T18:33:09.299-07:00<div id="google_translate_element"></div><script type="text/javascript">
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Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-66080193518239504402013-02-07T17:21:00.000-08:002013-02-07T17:21:29.173-08:00My next adventureLeaving today for my next adventure. Plan is 6 weeks. I had a chance to use one of my timeshare weeks at a beach resort in El Salvador. It was 3br so I tried to get some friends to join me. Only one guy from Indiana could go so I am meeting him there. Feb 8-15th. He's a great friend and will be a chance to catch up and just hang out.
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Then on Feb 15th I fly on to Belize City and join a group of 15 to spend 8 days with Slickrock Island Adventures on a small atoll resort off the coast along the barrier reef. Basic living but with all beer, food and water sports included. Can't wait.
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Then Feb 24th fly from Belize City to Cuzco, Peru. Friend of a friend lives in village of Urubamba and she will act as tour guide. Called the Sacred Valley of the Incas or the Urubamba Valley - it's a valley in the Andes Mts. of Peru, close to the Inca capital of Cusco and below the ancient city of Machu Picchu. On my bucket list.
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Then plan is to go back to Belize from Mar 11-21 to see friends in Placencia. Flight back home to LAX is Mar 21st but I will see how things are going then. Who knows? :) Maybe Galapagos? - It's close and it's on my bucket list...hmmmmmmmDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-33430682885262333252012-12-20T08:59:00.000-08:002012-12-20T08:59:52.404-08:00Goodbye RioWell, I'm back home in California. Got home Sunday the 16th. Not too bad on the 2 flights back. Two 7-hours flights with a 5 hour layover in Panama. Nice to be able to hang out in the club room. Lots of free drinks and snacks. And, I gained the 6 hours I lost going so that's good. I rested up at home a couple days, letting my back relax from all the sitting and walking.
Went to my back Dr Tuesday the 18th. She said I should have gotten an injection just before any trip, duhhhhh, lesson learned. :) She upped the dosage of Gabapentin, my med that calms the nerves. It helps for my neck injury so she thinks upping the dosage may work on the lower back. I've been trying it the past 2 days but the med makes me a bit tired and sluggish, not what a slug like me needs. Good thing I don't have anything I have to do so I have been chilling (literally and figuratively). I feel much better but I'm not all that active which irritates the back. I'm slowly walking more, doing my exercises, and getting out with some friends.
My Dr. is super busy with many people trying to get treatments in before EOY for insurance purposes. I said I'm in no hurry and not going anywhere so she scheduled me for an injection the first week of January. She wants to do localized injections on the problem facet joints. It's more involved since it is 4 injections on each side. I had it done once last year and I recall it wasn't all that fun but I can take one of her happy pills to make it more tolerable. Just need someone to drive me home.
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So, back to Rio and some thoughts on my trip. Rio is an interesting place. Way more people and cars than I expected. Busy all the time. Taxis, buses and the Metro are used by most people. Streets are narrow and a bit rough. Many buildings are quite old and a couple of the hotels I stayed in showed it. But they all were clean and complete. Many of the old historic buildings are quite beautiful and are being rebuilt all around the city. Here is one in the Lapa district where I spent the last few days.
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This is the famous Arcos de Lapa, an impressive aqueduct constructed in the mid-18th century by colonial authorities. I think there are plans to totally renovate this historic landmark.
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The whole city will be undergoing a major facelift with the soccer World Cup coming in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The language was very hard for me to get used to. As I've said before, I think it's a mix of French, German, Spanish, and Dutch. I can understand some Spanish but there's not a lot of similarities with Portuguese. When they talk fast it's almost impossible to follow any conversation. It was easy when my friend was with me to translate but when I was on my own it was a bit difficult. I enjoy talking at length to people when I travel and that's rarely possible in Rio. I struggled at times just trying to order food. With some pointing and other hand gestures I got by. Maybe others enjoy and can handle the language difference but I feel like I'm missing out on talking to and learning from the local people there. That's probably why I enjoy Belize so much. English is the official language and I can fit in with all the locals and talk at length with them.
Overall I enjoyed most of my time. No regrets. Yes, having back problems didn't make all the walking and bus and boat rides much fun. Poor planning, again duhhh.
Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-55912597747513703242012-12-13T15:00:00.000-08:002013-03-07T13:43:02.983-08:00Catching up - Ilha GrandeHaven't posted anything lately. Been kinda busy and Internet sucks most places, especially out on the island. I checked out of my timeshare at Copacabana Beach on Thur so we could go to Ilha Grande (Big Island) on Frid for 5 nights. It's an island about 2 hours south of Rio. Frid a.m took taxi to downtown Rio bus station to get the bus to IG. Great beaches and relaxing natural setting down there. Well, the trip down not so good. The 2-hour+ bus ride and then the 40min+ boat ride took a toll on my back. The beaches are not very close so you have to hike to them. Saturday wasn't too bad but my back really started acting up and I couldn't walk very far or very fast without stopping to rest. <br />
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Then Sunday morning we woke up to rain. Luci wanted me to go to the small town on the mainland to a free clinic to see about my back. I really didn't think they could do anything for me especially on a Sunday. I guess Luci didn't like that I didn't follow her suggestion about the clinic and with the rain she wanted to go back to Rio. I checked with the owner and he said we had paid for 5 nights and no refunds. She said too bad and left. Wow. I stayed since I had the room for 3 more nights. Crazy to just let it go.
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I enjoyed just hanging out in the small island town of Abrao. It was a small bed and breakfast called a pousada. Cute place...simple accommodations and nice for the price of $60/night including decent breakfast. I met a couple from London and had some nice chats about their trips around South America on their way to Australia. And then another couple from Germany who spoke English. A pleasant change from most people only speaking Portuguese. Most of the people coming to the island are Brazil tourists. Again, they really don't seem to cater to English-speaking people but you get by. Weather wasn't all that great so I just used the time to walk around the town, relax my back and do nothing.
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I checked out on Wed morning and took the boat to the mainland to a van. It was called the "Speed Connection" to Rio but it wasn't what they advertised. Not much is down here. The boat ride was fine but the van was a junky 15-passenger van which we crammed in 14 people plus luggage. And, no a/c as they said. I tolerated it and was first off for some reason at the airport since it was close to Luci's place. I took a taxi to her house to get the rest of my luggage and went to a small hotel in central Rio.
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Rio's Nice Hotel. Kinda a nice place in an area that is being redeveloped. Lots of people, small streets and numerous cars and buses. I got used to it. A girl at the front desk spoke good English (rare) and helped me call Copa to change my flight home. I got the only seat left over the weekend - leaving late Frid night.
Today, Thur, I wandered slowly around the area toward a small marina, seeing all the interesting buildings old and new. My back and feet hurt but I stopped and rested enough so I made it OK. Back to the hotel early and up to the roof to splash in the 8x10 pool – woohooo. Then I found the sauna room and used it with turns in the cool pool. A big storm front was coming across the city and it was pretty neat to see it come over us on the roof.
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At one point I just sat up there and let the rain wash me off. Really was an amazing experience. Back to the room to dry off and decide what to eat. Still raining out so I just walked next door to Bob’s Burgers. Haaa. Had like a big mac for dinner in my room with beer. Woo hooo.
Tomorrow I'll rest up for the trip home. Leave 230am Sat and get into LAX around 330pm. Gain the 6 hours back. Great, I need it.
Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-73631441794218779692012-12-03T12:49:00.000-08:002012-12-03T12:55:12.646-08:00Where'd my Karma go?OK, I was being positive and so far everything has been working fine. This afternoon I decided to see if I could get my Galaxy S3 smart phone to work down here. My friend Luci loaned me an old phone of hers and I bought a cheap chip at a news stand and we finally got it to work. Buy time as you go. It's good to be able to call her but I wanted to see if I could get my new phone to work here.
In the US I couldn't get ATT to unlock my phone before I left. I tried online to do it unsuccessfully and the local stores won't do it. Sigghhhhhh. So I thought I'd try down here since I did figure out the unlock code. Just needed a sim card from another carrier. The S3 uses a smaller chip than other do. Sigghh.. Went to one of their carrier stores here and finally got a guy who spoke English. Of course when you walk in and don't have any idea where to go then everyone looks at you like you're crazy. Kinda am and getting over my fear of looking stupid. Well, the guy says they cant do it. I guess just like ATT in US. But he says there is a place "just down the street" that can do it. He said 2 blocks down the same street. Well I walked like 4 blocks and couldn't find it. Asked someone on street and of course got the whole "stupid American" look. Went back and asked guy again. Now he says it at Santa Clara St which is like 5 blocks. So, off again and finally found it. My back was killing me and my feet were partially numb but I tried to stay positive. In the store the guy spoke English but said he had no sim cards to fit my phone and didn't know who did. sighhhhh. I said screw it and stopped at a small grocery store to buy something for dinner. Nope. Rush hour time and like 10-12 people in every line. So, came back to hotel for a beer and let my back relax. 6pm now - think I'll go down to the bar for happy hour. TGFB. Thank goodness for beer. Trying to get my positiveness back. Ciao.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-52780920439378099792012-12-03T09:51:00.004-08:002012-12-03T09:51:44.454-08:00Rio - day 3 or 4 or 5 or ????. It is so easy to lose track of time and days. Not complaining, it's pretty nice to be able to do it. I am so fortunate to have the universe's abundance that is mine for the asking. I know it sounds crazy to some but the meditation series on abundance by Depak Copra that I took before I left really seems to work. I don't fret over what will happen, I just imagine the best possible outcome and almost always things work out great.
For example - just before I left home, my friend Luci in Rio, had asked me to find a backpack for her 10yo neighbor girl. She showed me one online with an owl on it. Or something about Justin Bieber. I went to a Ross store and on the way in I suddenly thought, wouldn't it be nice to find a combination - a backpack with Justin's face on it. I went to where they had kids' backpacks and right on the top corner peg facing me was a backpack with his face on it. It seemed to jump out at me. It was freaky, I swear. I asked an employee if they had any more Bieber stuff and she said no, that went as fast as they got it. She was surprised to see me holding the backpack as they sell even faster. Coincidence? Or karma and my abundance meditations? Who knows? :-)
Anyhow - After 2 nights in the Hotel Debret I am now in my timeshare-traded hotel, the Rio Othon Palace. It's one of the nicer hotels and the tallest on Copacabana Beach (30 floors). My room is the 21st floor with a great side view of the beach from a 2-foot wide balcony with a 3-foot tall glass wall. Freaky for me but I adjust.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1B2RSqJIkVeSJBVAD1DqYOBFwdsFMnOQ-cz0IKVt-Nk1AAlrebxROPOI7YXvvvW_B2D5U5kkjyBircsildJwh_oL55eIh-fnhZ5YoHRhX8KONHk2vvolmqjIckuSZeuAge81_2-bST_2s/s1600/CopaFromRoom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1B2RSqJIkVeSJBVAD1DqYOBFwdsFMnOQ-cz0IKVt-Nk1AAlrebxROPOI7YXvvvW_B2D5U5kkjyBircsildJwh_oL55eIh-fnhZ5YoHRhX8KONHk2vvolmqjIckuSZeuAge81_2-bST_2s/s200/CopaFromRoom.JPG" /></a></div>
The room seems to be one of their older ones that hasn't been remodeled - probably why I got it through RCI, where my timeshare weeks are banked. It's quite nice though - roomy, clean, big king bed, quality linens, etc. Carpet has some fraying and TV is older but who cares.
Saturday noon-ish I checked in with Luci's help dragging my stuff from the other hotel 2 blocks away. I had 2 suitcases since one was full of old clothes I was bringing for her to take to those less fortunate. I got quickly checked in around 1pm which was surprising since they said RCI check-in was 4pm. He said he had an open room he could give me but was on a high floor. I said sure. So, I settled in and we took a quick tour of the hotel. Amazing view from the 30th floor bar/pool. She had to go home before rush hour traffic via the bus so I just walked around the area exploring. It is a bit hard trying to figure things out since rarely is there anything in English. And Portuguese is a whole other language than the few things I know in Spanish. But I am slowly adapting. I just say what I want in English and point to it. Somehow we get there. Still, it'd be nice to converse with people better. I doubt I can learn Portuguese.
Sunday Luci calls and do I want to go to Ipanema Beach for the day to meet her son's girlfriend. Sure. She brings the bus in, about 2 hours trip. Ughhh. But she's used to it and doesn't need a car. We get our beach bags filled and walk to Ipanema. About 1-1/2 miles but I make it OK. My back has been acting up so walking aggravates it. But I survive.
The beach is literally packed with people. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXW5nMTawJwbMvWP9W6guZc0UyTft-Fh43ULTzqdCirUafwH6czxnK9vdVILLycpH6TfmK4RBDanULF2ZiIvUZTJy-iA9BocRZCUrlUfdlr8QoF-mh9UM84LyfOQ8L9RAQO9cmHTha7vN/s1600/Ipanema.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXW5nMTawJwbMvWP9W6guZc0UyTft-Fh43ULTzqdCirUafwH6czxnK9vdVILLycpH6TfmK4RBDanULF2ZiIvUZTJy-iA9BocRZCUrlUfdlr8QoF-mh9UM84LyfOQ8L9RAQO9cmHTha7vN/s200/Ipanema.jpg" /></a></div>
There are little stands along the beach that rent umbrellas and chairs for the day. Almost everyone does it since it's easier than lugging your own. It's on the honor system which blew me away. They have numbers on the items and a guy takes them down to a vacant spot - about 3 feet away from someone else in every direction. Crazy. I rarely enjoy just "going to the beach" but quickly acclimated. It was fun actually
You sit around and talk awhile. When you get hot you weave through the people to the water and jump around in the surf like everyone else. Then back to the umbrella and vendors bring beverages and food around. Almost whatever you want. Ice-cold Heineken beer was only $2, some meat pie thingy $1.50, etc. - delivered to your umbrella.
It looked like rain around sunset 7pm so we walked back to hotel to shower and go out to eat. Little place down the street - had great dinner - fresh fish w/shrimp sauce, mashed potatoes, and rice. With drinks it was around $40. Not bad.
Back to the room and collapsed from busy day at beach. She had to go home to attend to some business this morning (Monday?) so I walked around some shops, then back for a nap to recover from the beach day. Now I am trying to figure out how to register for the bike rental system here. It only costs $5US for whole month. You sign up with credit card, go get a bike from the closest rack where they are locked up, ride for an hour, and take it to whatever station you want. You can only use it for an hour at a time with 15-minute breaks or they charge extra. Kinda weird system but it make sense. Can't get the online system to work so off to find some help. Ciao.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-8675756739540552422012-11-30T16:09:00.002-08:002012-11-30T16:09:33.957-08:00Rio1st day in Rio. Actually I'm writing on the second day. Wow. What a shock. Way different culture, etc. here. Not a lot of 'rules' here but it works. Life is "like, whatever". No worry, be happy. Oh, there are traffic rules but at times some lane lines and traffic lights are merely suggestions. The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel in morning rush hour traffic was crazy. It's a mad house. My friend Luci met me at the airport and interpreted for me. I'd never made it very well without her.
Most cars are small 4-door sedans so they will squeeze in between lanes when the chance comes. You stick the nose of the car in front of someone and they let you in that lane. They miss each other by inches but there rarely is any accidents or much horn honking. It's the way they drive. And the small motorcycles and scooters swerving in and out are everywhere. Again, never saw an accident and they miss cars by inches. I know how to ride cycles but it'd take a lot of courage and quick decision-making skills to ride here.
And the people. OMG what a lot of people. It's a BIG city. And they walk like they drive...left, right, down the middle of the sidewalk, slow, fast - it doesn't matter. You look ahead and find your place to avoid walking into someone. Pedestrians have no rights until the light changes. Even then you have to watch.
And their language - Portuguese. Wow. Not like anything I've heard. Not close to Spanish. Sounds at times like German, Spanish, and French mixed. I was a total loss at first but after a day I just spoke English and pointed to what I wanted. They don't care and we seem to work it out. Very few signs, menus, etc. are in English. They just don't seem to cater to Americans. I suppose as I get more confident it will get better.
My hotel for the first 2 nights was fine. Great location - 6th floor, corner room, super view of Copacabana Beach. Very old hotel needing some cosmetics but they have everything a person needs.
Moving to my timeshare-trade tomorrow at Rio Othon Palace, just a couple blocks up the beach. Looks like a very nice place. I guess this is day two also, but, more later. Walked probably 7-8 miles today. Tired.....more later.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-88872363951761506282012-11-28T15:36:00.003-08:002012-11-28T15:36:47.607-08:00Hello RioI suppose I should change this blog's name since I'm not going to Belize this time. But Google has taken over and I'm not sure how to edit Blogger. Besides, I'm at the Panama airport, tired, and using their slow-ass wifi.
This entry is "heading to Rio". Counting 4hr+ layover, 2 flights and 6 time zones, I will get into Rio at 745am Thur - about 24 hours after leaving LAX. Actually, the trip has been rather smooth, so far. My friend Roger dropped me off at LAX around 530am and check-in with Copa was a breeze. (Not bragging, but it does help to be part of their Premier Club for preferential treatment and clubs along the way.) No lines through TSA security but did have to take everything out of pockets to go through their new machine. Just feels weird undressing and dressing, so to speak, in public. Oh well. It's what we have to do.
I'm at the Panama airport Copa lounge and starting to feel zombied. Didn't sleep well last night anticipating trip and up at 345am. Slept some on plane but still not nearly the same. Eating and drinking too much in the lounges and on the plane doesn't help but it's free so why not. This lounge was crazy busy when I got here around 6 their time (3hrs ahead of LA) but now has settled down. One more rum drink and try to nap. Johnny Walker doesn't seem to be as popular here as in San Salvador but they like their rums, which are pretty darn good.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-91374949137782589552012-03-11T12:46:00.000-07:002012-03-11T12:46:48.507-07:00Day-sail on Moorings 46ft cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkCU7beq1hujh6loYM4XDKyvP8YXzqi3oAXgcfwx61YWTidioZJNeFpbkYa02O1s1kRUxEWIAoQtgyRip5P3E5Ii4ZzbCUXwJLjhRqcIVfZF7OargD7KPFFQEmlBo3VRJ4W3_XsxboB40/s1600/GOPR0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkCU7beq1hujh6loYM4XDKyvP8YXzqi3oAXgcfwx61YWTidioZJNeFpbkYa02O1s1kRUxEWIAoQtgyRip5P3E5Ii4ZzbCUXwJLjhRqcIVfZF7OargD7KPFFQEmlBo3VRJ4W3_XsxboB40/s200/GOPR0160.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Had a super day on this sailboat. It was a day-trip out to 3 of the local cayes (islands) for snorkeling, swimming, walking on beach, and attempts at fishing. A good friend (Cindy)'s mother (Vickie) was visiting and had won this trip for 8 (with a case of beer) last year while she was here for lobster fest. Along was Vickie's husband and his friend; Cindy's good friend Wanda; Cindy's boyfriend Dwayne and his brother Garrel; and Cindy's daughter Layla and her friend Amy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsyccmQr3RHbhiWZwd2zSE4MPDXWYXdXy4ig9QtiIG_SG1_tqzPzxDIuAJbs6z8u_bRv5IfU564jY6EzpWR0sUq3u7gCuzy6xH86es_tpkNzpujYG7UW_nL3p6IkVRAM37499NfYN8AJr/s1600/Don4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsyccmQr3RHbhiWZwd2zSE4MPDXWYXdXy4ig9QtiIG_SG1_tqzPzxDIuAJbs6z8u_bRv5IfU564jY6EzpWR0sUq3u7gCuzy6xH86es_tpkNzpujYG7UW_nL3p6IkVRAM37499NfYN8AJr/s200/Don4.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4R_f1T_Axdd5iVsh6hvc4ast-sFEufWhhK5SWwOd08lVZtXjgiNpg0rVOkYIUHNBCVqhR185BO4Bq-2WbINXfO6Jo0jPMfHYeiib2wKt997n6hutCgaYrLXrFotJHOH6kPJJcTKM-goyb/s1600/Don2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4R_f1T_Axdd5iVsh6hvc4ast-sFEufWhhK5SWwOd08lVZtXjgiNpg0rVOkYIUHNBCVqhR185BO4Bq-2WbINXfO6Jo0jPMfHYeiib2wKt997n6hutCgaYrLXrFotJHOH6kPJJcTKM-goyb/s200/Don2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
There wasn't much wind but we still had a great day. Dwayne made some great shrimp ceviche which tasted super - I saved some shrimp out for bait but didn't have much luck. I had brought the 2 girls Barbie fishing rods but they ended up to be more problems than good. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTq66u8UNyAaNM-XxdQn2WV16vdZW6zCEfDdplAN9SwX8Xt-XpYlPBmLWdhd6AST_p6lfNr8SJL6S9nCoigRXvDScIh4JwnTnlOYofKIcr3N1wFATC0trx5firECJnq2Y75MDsrej3KIO/s1600/LaylaFishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTq66u8UNyAaNM-XxdQn2WV16vdZW6zCEfDdplAN9SwX8Xt-XpYlPBmLWdhd6AST_p6lfNr8SJL6S9nCoigRXvDScIh4JwnTnlOYofKIcr3N1wFATC0trx5firECJnq2Y75MDsrej3KIO/s200/LaylaFishing.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Barbie doesn't make the best fishing equipment but we all gave it a good try. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFenGygiOWppDhmglCq0CWuF9Ef9_-yTEcl-VlYimKuWSielrSAESzEJqAZzLO5zJvgsooeyYP9W1vY0U_5tYSlFndzWt7hlRA6JfBk_PjuZhNvfgiunSnEMhGaMZUt-Lv38cogFuBc0By/s1600/DonFishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFenGygiOWppDhmglCq0CWuF9Ef9_-yTEcl-VlYimKuWSielrSAESzEJqAZzLO5zJvgsooeyYP9W1vY0U_5tYSlFndzWt7hlRA6JfBk_PjuZhNvfgiunSnEMhGaMZUt-Lv38cogFuBc0By/s200/DonFishing.jpg" /></a></div>Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-21632461013134613402012-03-03T19:26:00.019-08:002012-03-05T12:19:41.602-08:00Catching up - Mar 3d.The past week or so has been a whirlwind. After being in Calif only a few weeks I returned to Placencia on Feb 22d. My friend John from Indianapolis came down the next day. We each had a room at One World, the cute resort in town where I had stayed 3 weeks in Jan. I picked him up at the Placencia airstrip. There was a cool ultralight plane there so we talked with the pilot some. It is something I'd like to pursue down here some time.<br />
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I showed him various resorts and properties I have been looking at. It helps to have a second opinion, especially his since they have lake property in southern Ind and a condo in Florida.<br />
I showed him around Placencia more on Thur the 23d. <br />
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On Frid the 24th we went on the Monkey River boat tour. I had done it before but it is such fun I didn't mind doing it again. Each guide makes it a bit different. Ours gave us much more info on the trees and vegetation. We didn't see any crocs along the river but when we got on shore we immediately saw several monkeys about half way up the trees. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivImAib2af_0zb7K5S4FyBQdf7RxBssywEMMFNnpZnD9E1dagZTMvThFxY4CabkL2pN-rZtc3oOoMSlOJEqVB5BwDro_Ghbiv79SVczsSA_Ua0QbpHdqfBgkW8C2hK1O_8azygXRGa0bCN/s1600/howlermonkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="156" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivImAib2af_0zb7K5S4FyBQdf7RxBssywEMMFNnpZnD9E1dagZTMvThFxY4CabkL2pN-rZtc3oOoMSlOJEqVB5BwDro_Ghbiv79SVczsSA_Ua0QbpHdqfBgkW8C2hK1O_8azygXRGa0bCN/s200/howlermonkey.jpg" /></a></div><br />
They are so interesting and make such loud noises - especially with the guides knocking on the tree they are in and imitating their howls.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8qn7yQZYYEqQ6aIlgr9bBLgf0Gd-AYKOJHV_8t3R2kCK0VBFS7PiV4g6jJzjIP2c9SYq5NQds_R0h28I-Mt9sd5TvGsS7JCeeWnKbNKBGWqGPbm3-UlisHPhCv3PRFgfRerpS7QmHQ1H/s1600/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8qn7yQZYYEqQ6aIlgr9bBLgf0Gd-AYKOJHV_8t3R2kCK0VBFS7PiV4g6jJzjIP2c9SYq5NQds_R0h28I-Mt9sd5TvGsS7JCeeWnKbNKBGWqGPbm3-UlisHPhCv3PRFgfRerpS7QmHQ1H/s200/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" /></a></div>(Pics courtesy of my Canadian friend who took them the last trip I went on)<br />
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On this trip we swam in the river some. It was so refreshing...clear cool rain water from up in the jungle. Of course the guide has to run up the bank and say he saw a croc. Didn't bother me but freaked out some of the others. <br />
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Sat. the 25th we headed west in my truck for the Cayo District. You have to drive past Belmopan the capital so we decided to find the zip line place just north of there that I had heard about. What a great stop. We were the only 2 with 2 guides. I think we had 8 or 9 runs on the zip lines. What a rush. Our guides joined in with our craziness and we had an amazing time. Here's John on the platform: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-KX8JKx9TCGOWX_NbWjZEeGKetTqpdXvX46y5ZaJCHFIIJTrM8_GAS_6q400u2VvSJk2QN32F1ttMpxzjPGodM2vRmoZT8UK36X_fFEwb1ry31zTE0cAFyvqtvD1bZip9t_yOJWl5zlW/s1600/ZipJohnGuides.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-KX8JKx9TCGOWX_NbWjZEeGKetTqpdXvX46y5ZaJCHFIIJTrM8_GAS_6q400u2VvSJk2QN32F1ttMpxzjPGodM2vRmoZT8UK36X_fFEwb1ry31zTE0cAFyvqtvD1bZip9t_yOJWl5zlW/s200/ZipJohnGuides.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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And here's Don: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z6VCcFg_bozywSwwtwMFNFYHr50gZQM9UU2M2VgdbAgTyedvPWGzQeTYgaINR5mrVtT4my2MUkqOVVrz0KGw4E36mYsMdjokStNUdZ50t8EeRmqGOeC17pBFfTZy8CFZYKGdF0iRt0e-/s1600/ZipDonUp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z6VCcFg_bozywSwwtwMFNFYHr50gZQM9UU2M2VgdbAgTyedvPWGzQeTYgaINR5mrVtT4my2MUkqOVVrz0KGw4E36mYsMdjokStNUdZ50t8EeRmqGOeC17pBFfTZy8CFZYKGdF0iRt0e-/s200/ZipDonUp.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I have some great videos but can't post them here so will add a link soon. This was the most fun I've had in a long time. <br />
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We had to move on since our plan was to get to San Ignacio for the night. I had emailed a jungle resort for availability so we stopped at the Cahal Pech Resort where I had stayed before so I could check my email. It is high on the hill next to a Maya ruins and has an amazing view of the city. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY073yVQdULlsj2z84z5el2Yhyphenhyphen3vXCF_yBTulg7WG_N9zoDyozDJK0mT65f35MnK0Y7K2CLM_7hT4WqRiLKY_80Z9xDmoYzMwMKsYX-vPTedkG7mHiH9932QNNiVFG_CVWGtgSeL6IGw1A/s1600/Cahal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY073yVQdULlsj2z84z5el2Yhyphenhyphen3vXCF_yBTulg7WG_N9zoDyozDJK0mT65f35MnK0Y7K2CLM_7hT4WqRiLKY_80Z9xDmoYzMwMKsYX-vPTedkG7mHiH9932QNNiVFG_CVWGtgSeL6IGw1A/s200/Cahal.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The jungle resort had no availability so we were lucky to get a 2BR balcony suite at the Cahal Pech Resort. Another great bargain for the room we got.<br />
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We booked the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave tour through them that eve. Another amazing adventure. After a mile hike through the jungle and across 2 knee deep streams with slippery rocks we made it...then a brief swim in a pool to reach the entrance of the cave. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpitxkNBGrH4UdBCuRDedYXle43nuP1GNWN44s9lojTumK5gsshurfgMhIUAfVdh9nJ1d6ObHl-dH_wvT4KeKG-ginBS_LYbwbsTGty18JcCzIUVZGOJCwxx_9BrWSqaYch4XVKXizPIuJ/s1600/cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpitxkNBGrH4UdBCuRDedYXle43nuP1GNWN44s9lojTumK5gsshurfgMhIUAfVdh9nJ1d6ObHl-dH_wvT4KeKG-ginBS_LYbwbsTGty18JcCzIUVZGOJCwxx_9BrWSqaYch4XVKXizPIuJ/s200/cave.jpg" /></a></div><br />
From there it was complete darkness other than from the lights on our helmets. Hiking through narrow passages, sloshing through water up to your chest at times and soaking in the amazing history there was a truly spiritual experience.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-XKwJR6LXePdbVxyoyKFkqbW0jI_SPt4zeSj8cLeyGWbPP-mRDK-TTMy6ahvyV3Xs-ebiZyqDaVy_CzkT531rSTFH98HVgvN9XZB8zi8bQQa86kVF6MQ3s4ihLYpPqxsQNIsCloLQ8g2/s1600/cave2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-XKwJR6LXePdbVxyoyKFkqbW0jI_SPt4zeSj8cLeyGWbPP-mRDK-TTMy6ahvyV3Xs-ebiZyqDaVy_CzkT531rSTFH98HVgvN9XZB8zi8bQQa86kVF6MQ3s4ihLYpPqxsQNIsCloLQ8g2/s200/cave2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Just inches away we saw 3,000-year-old untouched relics of Mayan ceremonies inside the cave. Pottery that you would only see behind glass in a museum. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5hbbBM-s7BRplIk-ru2qF55BaHt28kPJrfKZMa0xcGRkZpA1OEcoEyy_IIVXr-eEU8HgCqbYaDgktLBuxjyrrMTxcQ3OgVGTS0GJlokexJ41V316FJerjzspBw7bcLb_TQWt5VgGyNjZ/s1600/cave3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5hbbBM-s7BRplIk-ru2qF55BaHt28kPJrfKZMa0xcGRkZpA1OEcoEyy_IIVXr-eEU8HgCqbYaDgktLBuxjyrrMTxcQ3OgVGTS0GJlokexJ41V316FJerjzspBw7bcLb_TQWt5VgGyNjZ/s200/cave3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Culminating in an actual full skeleton of a person laid out as a offering to the gods. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEslJM3XaCPuuquzhx0jcjz0xoprKBKpKipxD3pcALxDKYmlwbJGu1x0a2dotSdSk4pt3qC__ThJiN2aodcQP0pPqfA6YkdLkFOGbf4qqDoneTzw31cfYoqwo27jpGNB9QyIZS9465N_P/s1600/skeleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEslJM3XaCPuuquzhx0jcjz0xoprKBKpKipxD3pcALxDKYmlwbJGu1x0a2dotSdSk4pt3qC__ThJiN2aodcQP0pPqfA6YkdLkFOGbf4qqDoneTzw31cfYoqwo27jpGNB9QyIZS9465N_P/s200/skeleton.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The ATM is a must-see tour...if you can handle the darkness, squeezing through tight spaces, and hiking in water at times up to your chest. Kinda freaky for some. The one lady in our group of four was a bit apprehensive at times but was a real trooper and made it all. John and I totally loved it.<br />
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We stayed another night at Cahal Pech and Tues the 28th we were off to Caye Caulker, an small laid-back island off the coast near Belize City. In that area the barrier reef is just a mile or so away so is a great place for snorkeling and scuba diving.<br />
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We parked the truck at the Municipal airport and took a 20-minute hop to Caulker. Beautiful views in the small plane - a tour itself. On landing, a golf cart taxi was awaiting us. We explained what type of hotel we wanted and gave him some recommendations a friend had given me. We drove around the tiny island looking at several places. None met out wants or had availability. The driver saw a real estate person he knew and they showed us a super 2BR, 3d floor, beach-front condo for another great price. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWmDdtwaa4ZiWYo9kBuq5w1xarnlsUHQuDVOkPgg1AGuq-ZpJYFpiNJwqJMMB6HIOP6R-JACjl34aWBN8nG-JwMMPcXTBlVCAHVXSiHuaWMOfKrOBGa4kqPi9eMxCZMxp_-d3C4Z47337/s1600/P2290034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWmDdtwaa4ZiWYo9kBuq5w1xarnlsUHQuDVOkPgg1AGuq-ZpJYFpiNJwqJMMB6HIOP6R-JACjl34aWBN8nG-JwMMPcXTBlVCAHVXSiHuaWMOfKrOBGa4kqPi9eMxCZMxp_-d3C4Z47337/s200/P2290034.JPG" /></a></div><br />
We were on such a streak we should have bought lottery tickets.<br />
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We stayed there 2 nights and went on a snorkeling trip on Wed the 29th, to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. My pictures don't do it justice but I borrowed some that does show what we did and saw: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVAcTxaQcTPOC0wffDNQEOkApGXYAUZC7U69jg9JddUn22ktixclhcOOskJ6ab9hou-Eb4Q_cKGwj8lH6nvC2pgNw6zQWdp6qUiQOB7KP6mKotnh3sqADZD_czjjf_GDULvOGbOo7VUBm/s1600/sharks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVAcTxaQcTPOC0wffDNQEOkApGXYAUZC7U69jg9JddUn22ktixclhcOOskJ6ab9hou-Eb4Q_cKGwj8lH6nvC2pgNw6zQWdp6qUiQOB7KP6mKotnh3sqADZD_czjjf_GDULvOGbOo7VUBm/s200/sharks.jpg" /></a></div><br />
John helped the guide throw the chum into the water and as he was leaning over to wash his hands one of the fast-moving jack nipped him and cut his finger. Bled pretty bad so we stayed away from him while we snorkeled (not really, the cut wasn't all that bad). I'm sure the story he tells back in Indy will be it was an 8-foot great white shark that he had to hit with his hand to scare it away. <br />
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Caulker is a small island with only golf carts and bikes so we toured the whole place in no time in our rented bikes. John had to fly out of Caulker Thur morning Mar 1st but I decided to stay another night. They gave me an even better rate since I was only using 1BR. I hung out at the pool and toured the island more, checking out the water sports, e.g., paddle boarding, windsurfing, etc. The next morning the wind had blown up very strong so I wasn't about to fight it. I decided to check out and fly back to Belize City the morning of Frid the 2d.<br />
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I drove around the city a bit and decided to head north to the Orange Walk and Corozal districts. Areas I had not been to before. I didn't miss much. Being close to Mexico I stayed in Corozal which is near the Mexico border. I found an intersting place to stay, La Palmas: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgepQGIaqQ2SjpUOJZoUm5fbUysOE6QOd27rVYijrupe1zDfPHKTirFHUcjOPYBce9sBKfzbYZbnGZkATfYxNq1aYsazHFn1-XdsH6u0eb-dec6lv4VLNDo2QNX-0hYNAr745ZeB6Crfw/s1600/palmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgepQGIaqQ2SjpUOJZoUm5fbUysOE6QOd27rVYijrupe1zDfPHKTirFHUcjOPYBce9sBKfzbYZbnGZkATfYxNq1aYsazHFn1-XdsH6u0eb-dec6lv4VLNDo2QNX-0hYNAr745ZeB6Crfw/s200/palmas.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It is owned by a chiropractor from Texas who flew planes in Alaska and met his wife of 20 years in Columbia. They had done missionary work in Corozal area years ago and liked it so much they bought the resort and remodeled it. You hear some interesting stories while traveling. Everyone has a story...my new slogan.<br />
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Today I drove back 'home' to Placencia. I left at 9am and arrived around 4pm. long day...long drive. I did stop several times and even took some short side trips. That's what a road trip is about. Now I've been to every district in Belize. <br />
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John and I had a super time, we got along just great and the last-minute itineraries and accommodations happened better than we could have planned it. Come on down, I'll be your tour guide.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-53128713317300727942012-02-15T19:51:00.000-08:002012-02-15T19:51:22.952-08:00End of the tripJan 25th was the end of this trip and I returned to Calif. I haven't been keeping up with the Blog as well as I should. Mostly because my laptop was acting up while in Belize. The video card is going bad. There are vertical lines that appear for no good reason. But I discovered inadvertently that putting the laptop in it's case while running heats it up and makes the video card work. It's just a matter of time before it will crash so I've been looking at new laptops now I'm back in the states. The tech guy says it'd cost more to put a new video card than it's worth. It has served me well so maybe it's time.<br />
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I'm about caught up on things here...doing taxes, etc. A friend has been collecting my mail minus the grocery ads etc. It's amazing how I can be gone for 10 weeks and only a few pieces of mail are meaningful. Almost everything's online...Bank of America's Bill Pay is great.<br />
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Last week an old friend from Indiana called. He had recently retired and wanted to go somewhere together (his wife is still working). We had been roommates in Indianapolis after college and have been in touch here and there over the many years. We get along well so I thought it'd be a great idea. I get tired of traveling alone.<br />
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I sent him some info about Belize and he got the bug to visit. So, next week we'll be meeting in Belize and I'll show him some of the country...in Placencia and visiting some areas I haven't been to, e.g. Cayo jungles and Caye Caulker maybe. He only has a week but I'll probably stay another 3 weeks. Maybe invite someone else down to show them around too. I enjoy it there more than here most of the time. The weather is colder than I like here...yes, I know it's all relative.<br />
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The end for now, more later..........Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-91926892093319980712012-01-07T21:35:00.000-08:002012-01-07T21:35:14.251-08:00I moved into the village Jan. 1st, to see yet another area of Placencia and how it would be to live there. I liked the small One World resort/hotel <br />
<a href="http://www.oneworldplacencia.com/accomodations.html"></a><br />
in the heart of town and made a deal with the Swiss owner Claudia for the rest of my trip. It's smaller than my apt before but has real hot water and a/c. 10X10' living area with nice bath and kitchenette. Claudia keeps it meticulously cleaned and maintained. It's pretty quiet but you soon get to know the other tenants. That's been a good thing as most fellow travelers have interesting stories.<br />
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A single Canadian lady was next door and we soon engaged in nicely flowing conversations about our lives and travels. We had dinner a couple times and took the Monkey River tour together with 4 other people. Had a super time. Then her last day here I drove us up to Cockscomb Nature Preserve. Another great day. Hiking isn't my thing but with her encouragement and drive I made a 5-6 miles hike up a 2000' mountain. Great fun. Stopped and swam in a creek-fed waterfall. Amazing. Made me realize I need to get out and do more. I CAN do it.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-20009545941840452162012-01-07T21:16:00.001-08:002012-01-07T21:16:38.591-08:00New Year 2012New Year<br />
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The main New Year's Eve celebration is outdoors at the basketball court in the south part of the village next to the soccer field. It's a fund raiser for one of the local business organizations. They serve beer, local rum drinks and a few other liquors too, although they are much higher priced due to heavy import duty. Of course it involves a very loud band playing the local reggae-style music on 5-foot tall speakers. I say music because they call it that but it is so heavily loaded with bass I rarely can hear much of the vocals. The locals like it that way so who am I to knock it. I listened to it for a short while but there's no way to converse with anyone so I went to check out the celebration up the street at the Barefoot Bar. They had a live band too but it wasn't quite as loud. It is an open-air bar and was totally packed with an overflow tent. I still couldn't converse with anyone so I came home early. They had a fireworks display at the soccer field at midnight and I heard they were small but still nicely done.<br />
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I decided I wanted to see how it would be to live right in the heart of the village so I found a pretty good deal at a cute garden-hotel about a block from the beach and right off the main road. It has 5 small one-bed apartments downstairs in 3 buildings with a center courtyard. The three 2d floor apts are 2 bedroom. It's fairly new, concrete construction and the Swedish owner keeps them meticulously cleaned and maintained. Simple, fully furnished, and a real bargain.<br />
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The apt is small at 10x10ft sleeping/dining area with full bath and small kitchenette. Everything one needs. It's fairly quiet and each unit has an a/c for when it gets hot. I've been here 3 days and it's been rainy and cool. The rains have stopped today but it is still a bit cool...uppers 60s at night and 70s days. I've heard a couple locals this morning say it's 'freezin' . I guess it's all relative, but apparently this is rare.<br />
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Each of the 3 buildings have tin-roofed patios with a nice chair and hammock hooks for each apt. It's relaxing sitting outside hearing the rain hit the tin. They have free wifi for guests with both cable and DSL connections assuring service from one if the other is down. Best wifi service I've seen. With cable Internet one can use Skype or other audio/video conversations. The DSL has it blocked as they want a monopoly on phone calls.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-15921392423231214762011-12-30T16:28:00.000-08:002011-12-30T16:28:11.958-08:00Christmas Season 2011Christmas 2011<br />
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I was here at Easter 2011 and thought that week was crowded...wow, Christmas was worse. It's the busiest tourist week of the year, and of course the highest rates at resorts, some as much as 3x the regular rate. In my opinion, at Easter there are more locals' relatives and the inland Belizeans that come to the beach areas. At Christmas the crowds are mostly N. American and European tourists on 'holiday' (in the USA we call it vacation). You can easily spot the tourists – white-skin with the partial sunburns, designer beach wear, and guide book and maps in hand. They're a welcome sight for those who depend on them for their living though. This is when many locals make their money – souvenir and art shops, tour operators, restaurants and snackeries, and even selling food and 'junk' (err...I mean souvenirs) on the street. No license needed.<br />
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There is only one street into Placencia and with all the pedestrians, bicycles, and golf carts, there isn't much room for cars. I've never seen the street so busy. I drove into town once and it was crazy. I could have walked faster. And with delivery trucks parked on the side of the street it is crazy. There;s no loading docks, no back entrances, etc., they just stop in front of the restaurant or store. <br />
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Then there is the famous Placencia 'sidewalk' – it parallels the road about a block east. The sidewalk was supposedly constructed many years ago out of crushed conch shells and a homemade concrete. It was how the fishermen moved their catch thru the village, so I've heard. Now it's a tourist attraction and an alternative walkway through town. Tourists walk less than a mile on the road and then back along the sidewalk. You've seen it all by then. There's no side 'streets'. Yes, there are some narrow concrete sidewalks and some wide dirt paths connecting the road and sidewalk but only a few of them are maneuverable by cars. Most beach hotels and restaurants/bars have signs on the main road directing you down the right path.<br />
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It's not just Christmas season, they also celebrate Boxing Day here. That's a whole other deal started by those nutty Brits and celebrated by most former British colonies like Canada and Belize. It's a national holiday normally celebrated Dec 26th - but since Christmas fell on Sunday the official Christmas Holiday is the 26th so Boxing Day is moved to the 27th. Bottom line – they have 3 days of 'holidays' – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Not much to do in town, although many restaurants and shops stay open some of those 3 days since the tourists are here. They have to make their money somehow. But the banks, phone company, and some grocery stores are closed. There are 'rules' on alcohol sales too but few know what they are, and besides, who's going to 'enforce' them. There's not much of a police department let alone an ATF-like or liquor-board presence in town. There's not even vendor or health dept permits needed to sell anything, just roll out a blanket on the side of the street.<br />
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Of course, kids are out of school for a couple weeks so they're everywhere every day. When they're riding their new Christmas scooters, bikes, skateboards, etc. down the middle of the street they have the right-away. It is, to be sure, their town. The neighbors' 5 grand kids, all under 8, got a small 2-foot high pool and were out in it early the next 2 days after Christmas. They never got it filled up since there was so much commotion in the pool they kept knocking the thin aluminum walls down which let all the water out. It now sits collapsed in the yard probably never to be used again. The birds and dogs drink up what little water is left in it.<br />
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I drove into town today (Wednesday) (yeh, I know, it's not that far but it was hot and my truck has a/c.) The street wasn't too crowded. I guess some of those damn tourists are gone.<br />
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The phone company (BTL, Belize Telemedia Limited) has been closed 3 days and I had to buy a new chip (SIM card) for my lost phone (yes, the 2d one I've lost this trip). The new phone must have fallen out of my shorts on the beach Christmas morning after I tried calling Kelly and my mom and dad. And we all know that no one would ever try to return it somehow. This chip I had 'registered' with the phone company when I bought it in November but there was no way to contact BTL for 3 days. Remember, the 3 days of holiday closures. <br />
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So, I bought a new chip (replacement is only $11) and they deleted the old one – but not until someone had used up $15 worth of my credit on it. Sighhhh. Then I had to go through the hassle of ordering another cheap cell phone from the same company in Belize City, go to the local bank and pay into their account, then call them back for them to check online for the deposit after which they will put it on the next flight out. Another $30 for the cheap phone but only $1.50 for delivery. (The only ones for sale here locally are $150-200 ones.) I got the same guy in Belize City and the price had gone up after Christmas but he gave it to me for the same $30 price, but not without a good chuckle. I can't blame him. <br />
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Oooppps...I just heard the plane coming in (airport only a mile away). Better hurry to get my new phone – they close 10 minutes after the last plane lands. Then it's too dark...our little airport has no lights. Sighhhh. But it is quaint here.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-16574012416576162962011-12-15T09:09:00.000-08:002011-12-15T09:09:41.357-08:00RainI'm not complaining but I thought this was the 'dry' season. I guess weather is never predictable and every place in the world has its inconsistencies no matter what season it is. The past few days have actually been quite nice. 80ish. Partly cloudy most of the time and then a cloud comes across the peninsula and drops some light rain and then it's over.<br />
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Today looks to be a soaker. Light rain but has been steady most of the morning so far. No clearing in sight. Is this Indiana? Haaa. There is no wind again so the rain comes straight down. It just seems odd since I'm not used to it. In So Calif we usually have wind with the rain.<br />
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Without a car it's a bit boring. I can't ride my bike into town without getting soaked. Yes, I could wear rain jacket but there's really nothing I need to do. Guess I'll just hang out here on the screened in porch and watch the rain. It is peaceful and I love the sound of it hitting the metal carport roof.<br />
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Maybe take a nap. Didn't sleep well last night. The neighbor's dog is now chained up so he barks a lot. Barked constantly from 2-3am so I got up and yelled at him. Seemed to shut him up. I guess his owners don't hear him. Weird. I have my shutters closed and my noise machine on and I still hear it clearly. Guess it's my HSP hearing. I think my landlady might say something because she's noticed it too. She's known them for years so is like part of the family. <br />
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When it's so quiet at night the dogs hear everything. I could hear a dog in the distance howling for some reason and that just sets off the next one. The neighbor's dog nipped at someone so he has to be tied up. He can run on a line but he still barks at everything, and is not used to being restricted. <br />
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Oh well...and so it goesDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-10561874198369068532011-12-12T20:44:00.000-08:002011-12-12T20:44:15.080-08:00House fire - Placencia BelizeHouse fire tonight about a block away down dirt road near beach. One house totaled but no on hurt. Volunteer firefighters helped prevent spreading.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRPHskxnmAIl-Lar7CAZG1-kGFMaGqyJug_28Lu_6G6YiNxuLpc-DINS5jah8_2duESPS-CnIj55Oq29LVDAtDNhDMcoqRoN3FAZyLNRMv0cCvSpOmkiOR-PYrhk4wNARCgqMDHSbkJXa/s1600/PC120019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRPHskxnmAIl-Lar7CAZG1-kGFMaGqyJug_28Lu_6G6YiNxuLpc-DINS5jah8_2duESPS-CnIj55Oq29LVDAtDNhDMcoqRoN3FAZyLNRMv0cCvSpOmkiOR-PYrhk4wNARCgqMDHSbkJXa/s200/PC120019.JPG" /></a></div>Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-84776583793525509182011-12-11T15:48:00.000-08:002011-12-12T20:36:47.636-08:00Mistletoe Ball 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWs4BizIQH5J1zu1ZoEzvE9ODT-XPZFkyS8v5i6yEDGf1RLSK4d-dinaCtvdma-8-PMvJb3sshp9-bv6ltVIpdlDrMdcRUpQvIhLW7etdm7Udnvpu5IjgNemW23AKA0kiko-McQTA7CpwZ/s1600/Mistletoe+Ball+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="189" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWs4BizIQH5J1zu1ZoEzvE9ODT-XPZFkyS8v5i6yEDGf1RLSK4d-dinaCtvdma-8-PMvJb3sshp9-bv6ltVIpdlDrMdcRUpQvIhLW7etdm7Udnvpu5IjgNemW23AKA0kiko-McQTA7CpwZ/s200/Mistletoe+Ball+2011.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Last night was the annual Mistletoe Ball. It's held at different places along the peninsula each year... usually the nicer, larger resorts. It's the party of the year for the area. And when they party here, they REALLY party. It's a fund raiser but I'm not sure for what. I think for the Placencia Tourist Office. The band sponsor was the national Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) but the rest of the event and prizes were sponsored by local businesses. Most of the locals and expats go. At least ones who can afford the modest $20US fee. Well worth it.<br />
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Most people dress up, at least the women do. Beach-side casual I guess you call it. Not the overly done, show-offish look that is so common in the states but very tastefully, elegant, simple dresses with some of the jewelry locally made. I met a talented young lady who has a kids clothing store and locally made jewelry shop. You can see her work at: https://www.facebook.com/Kajexpressions<br />
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The Ball is divided into two parts - the dinner from 7-10pm, and then the band from 8 until who knows when. I heard it is usually 3-4am before the last ones stagger out. This year's event was at Roberts Grove Resort, one of the nicer, well established resorts about 5 miles out of town. It's the place where I've been looking at condos to buy. <br />
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The meal was outside on the deck on the beach-side of the resort. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyghXwoXeF-GYGGIl2oq2IvPUMpstBfVbmNQ18oGN6-_WZlv2ObvyZHGuBi3UIcwJZquL45jrUCf4knt7TVIgFwTlrmmpOW_GBYCCHy1hyphenhyphenklA0LW2d98D9vcGx6_WcXe72Hc8qY5CKNGcA/s1600/Ball2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyghXwoXeF-GYGGIl2oq2IvPUMpstBfVbmNQ18oGN6-_WZlv2ObvyZHGuBi3UIcwJZquL45jrUCf4knt7TVIgFwTlrmmpOW_GBYCCHy1hyphenhyphenklA0LW2d98D9vcGx6_WcXe72Hc8qY5CKNGcA/s200/Ball2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Very nicely decorated and quite the beach view during a full moon with only a few clouds. It was a very tasty buffet-style menu of 'traditional' Christmas fare. Turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and to make it 'local', of course, beans and rice. Or it may have been rice and beans. The two dishes are slightly different but I can never remember which is which. I had the server pour lots of gravy on them anyhow. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dyTPqDVPXFNO06SHrAPzVsdawKYSGCZaLMlpRqAqjoZ7nfg_x4oZ_EJ3QcMTJIPbCAgvn9FGymgwQO62psduVSn4zaTbZn3d3bh0giKNdCHx3grDhIkQZqHNsEO-6yQHIeAMZ7S2oteU/s1600/ball4+plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dyTPqDVPXFNO06SHrAPzVsdawKYSGCZaLMlpRqAqjoZ7nfg_x4oZ_EJ3QcMTJIPbCAgvn9FGymgwQO62psduVSn4zaTbZn3d3bh0giKNdCHx3grDhIkQZqHNsEO-6yQHIeAMZ7S2oteU/s200/ball4+plate.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A super delicious coconut creme pie topped off the meal. Yum.<br />
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Then across the road to the lagoon-side restaurant/marina for the partying. (The peninsula is only about 1/3 mi wide in this area so the resort spans both sides of the road.) One of the best bands in the country, great sound, but loud. Wow! That's the style here. Nonstop, reggae music with lots of bass from 5-ft speakers. I couldn't even stand being within 50-ft of the stage but many were right up there dancing the night away. <br />
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I wanted to see what it was like but it's not my thing so I left early. Just as many of the locals started coming in. And they were having fun. I guess I'm too old now for all that. I really never did enjoy it even when younger.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-11675923263476937032011-12-10T13:31:00.000-08:002011-12-10T21:27:06.179-08:00Belize - The 4th trip - the journey continuesNov 21, 2011. <br />
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This is my 4th trip to Belize in a little more than a year. Staying ten weeks this time. Previously, the flights have gone smoothly all the way to Placencia...this one not so much. I fly Taca from LAX to BZE via San Salvador, and once again they did a great job. Their Business Class is cheaper than most and well worth it as the flights are usually very crowded, and usually a bunch of kids and babies. The layover in San Salvador is only an hour but using their air conditioned lounge with wifi is great for relaxing with a few free drinks and snacks.<br />
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Getting through and out of Belize City International Airport this time was the problem – big time. There was a large United flight that had just landed ahead of us so the lines through Immigration were the longest I've seen. Normally I'm one of the first off the plane and into Immigration first. This time I was barely inside the doors. Ugghhh. My Taca flights in the past were the all-niters. This one left LAX at 630am which put it in to Belize in the afternoon 'rush'.<br />
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Immigration went slowly but steadily. Their people do a great job. But then you get your bags from the carousel and in line again through Customs. That's worse as it is more involved with them checking inside many suitcases. The line was wrapped around the baggage carousel so I decided a quick trip to the duty-free shop was in order. Two bottles of GlenLivet - a bit high at $33 each but way cheaper than in-country. Two bottle of nice red Chilean wine at $6 each was a steal . I thought 4 bottles was the limit but after reading the rules later I discovered it was 4 LITRES of booze. Thus, I could have bought 5 of the 750ml. Each trip you learn.<br />
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So, then I grab a cart for my 2 big bags, 1 carry on, and 1 duty free bag, and get in the long Customs line. Quickly the duty free employee came over and told me I didn't have to wait in the long line. It was for those who had nothing to declare. Even though I don't have to pay duty on the liquor I had to 'declare it' and could use the very short 'declaration' line. But my good luck didn't last long.<br />
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They usually check every bag so the 22” TV I was bringing in for a friend was easily found. Even under bubble warp and a mattress pad she also wanted. I said it was on old used TV and I had no receipt. I had the receipt, but I wanted to see what they'd do. Off the top of his head he quickly valued it at $200, which is less than the receipt. I said OK and went to the cashier window to pay $37.50 duty. Not bad. The duty rate on TVs is 20% and then there's usually a 9% sales tax rate and then an environmental 2% rate. Not sure how they figure it all but it was fair so I agreed. Not much rhyme or reason at Customs. Depends on who you ask, and their mood for the day.<br />
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Out to find the porter with my bags to head over for my short hop to Placencia on Maya Island Air. My reservation was for 4:40pm and it was 5. The guy at the Maya counter took my bags and said he might still be able to get me on 'a' flight. Hmmmm. Got to the gate and found out what was going on. Their computer system had been down all day so everything was backed up and being done the old fashion way...pencil and paper. She looked at my boarding pass and put me on her list - #12. It was a 12 passenger prop plane so that was some relief, but short lived.<br />
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They were loading up the last 2 planes quickly. I soon learned why. The airport in Placencia has no lights so they had to take off by 5:30pm. The one plane loading first made it but not mine. Ugghhhh. We had to land in Dangriga, an lighted airport half-way. They would have a van take us the rest of the way. That didn't work well either.<br />
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It took them 90 minutes to find a local van and trailer to take all 12 of us with luggage. Then a 2 hour ride on the pitch black highways. I was traveling by myself so quickly jumped up in the front seat. There were several 'large' tourists in the group and I did not want to sit 3-across in the bench seats. Sitting up front I could direct him on using the a/c so the windshield didn't keep fogging up on outside. He hadn't a clue why, and it was his van. Hmmmm... <br />
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Anyhow, finally get to Placencia airport almost 10pm. Go to call my friend to come get me and can't find my phone. Ahhgggg. The phone I use in the US and just change the SIM card to my previous # in Belize. The one to which my friend had added $25US credit the previous week on triple minutes day, so there was $75 credit on it (it's pay as you go down here). All lost and never to be found by anyone. At least by anyone who reported it. Fat chance there. Calling the # went straight to voice mail. Apparently someone took SIM card out (yes, the card with $75 credit) and sold or used the nice phone. Oh well.<br />
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The Maya Air agents at Placencia were very helpful and called my friend for me. She lives only a few minutes away so I got to my apt around 10pm. I had left my condo in CA via Shuttle van at 2:30am. See why it was not a fun trip down this time.<br />
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It takes several days to acclimate to Belize, e.g. weather, pace, etc. Things happen much slower and even less efficiently. I know that but it still takes awhile to get used to it again. Take a deep breath. Check your attitude at the border.<br />
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The weather was hot the first couple days but then a 'cold' front came thru and it got into the 60s at night. Brrrr..... A couple people in town had heavy coats on...shorts and sandals tho. That front seemed to kick off 'winter' here. We had heavy rains a couple times but it clears up quickly. Most of the puddles drain away quickly, duhhh, everything is on sand here on the peninsula.<br />
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The weather since has been quite nice. Not too hot, not too cool. Rain once or twice but who cares. Sunny all day a couple days but usually only partly sunny the rest. I love it. The locals don't. “It's freezin”. All relative. <br />
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Road trip to Cayo – Fri-Sat Dec 2-3<br />
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A couple friends were going to the 'markets' in Belmopan and San Ignacio out west in Cayo District. I was invited and eagerly went so I could see the area again, and primarily to see for the first time the Spanish Lookout (Mennonite) area. They told me they wanted to leave at 5am so I was up and ready. We left at 630am. Hmmm... It's a 2-hour+ drive on paved roads to Belmopan on Hummingbird Highway. Undeniable the most scenic road in the country. Through the hills and valleys of lush vegetation, winding across small streams on one-lane bridges, and past large citrus groves and small villages. One should drive the Hummingbird slowly and stop many times along the way. Someday soon I will.<br />
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Not this time. My friends wanted to hit Belmopan early for the open air market. Interesting. Lots of fresh produce, hand made goods, clothing both new and used. I think some of the clothes were from compressed bundles of excess clothing from Goodwill, et al in US. Fresh juices and made on-the-spot tacos/burritos, etc. for brunch. I didn't need my Metamucil anymore.<br />
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A few hours at that market and then we headed south and west to Spanish Lookout. It's a large area of pastures and fields that the Mennonites bought up years ago. They started large cattle ranches and a huge dairy operation along with several crops. Now they supply much of the country's beef, chicken, pork and dairy products. They also make a lot of furniture from the native wood. They even build pre-fab homes and bring them to your site and life them onto your pilings. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHrPMzEdTZsFPsjwVnE-y3BgNSaeCuSaX38FgYZaFB6pvRiRpD5HnQqnvxHjBQJHXlSq9yKUcF2nPGVPYQYZ_wyZ7SfHYKFlOc1i9X9vbTvGrDAjGd4AmuJBAuSI-K6z-PHN1YSR_Y24C/s1600/Spanish+Lookout+prefab+houses+by+Mennonites.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHrPMzEdTZsFPsjwVnE-y3BgNSaeCuSaX38FgYZaFB6pvRiRpD5HnQqnvxHjBQJHXlSq9yKUcF2nPGVPYQYZ_wyZ7SfHYKFlOc1i9X9vbTvGrDAjGd4AmuJBAuSI-K6z-PHN1YSR_Y24C/s200/Spanish+Lookout+prefab+houses+by+Mennonites.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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The Mennonites somehow found oil a few years ago so several oil wells seem a bit out of place right in the middle of hay fields. <br />
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On the narrow roads you pass numerous oil tanker trucks hauling the crude oil. You have to watch out for them. They know all the curves and bridges and they take the right-away. There is a temporary, very narrow, flat wooden bridge across one river while they put in a new permanent bridge. The semis' wheels just fit on the wooden beams making up the bridge but I swear the tank is outside the width of the bridge. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMsqfdTuwvwVZX6jCFFpSO8xXX5GtdfskSsPjZfTdvuxCOjbmwc3ZNs_9I5L5DHXuMkPX_UYR99YDY4ywOHa2eUG57l9PWi2zRofzOUMP79tR_b0OMGUn_mcKPzm3-o2fGM4yebuwCkZy/s1600/Belize+Nov+2010+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMsqfdTuwvwVZX6jCFFpSO8xXX5GtdfskSsPjZfTdvuxCOjbmwc3ZNs_9I5L5DHXuMkPX_UYR99YDY4ywOHa2eUG57l9PWi2zRofzOUMP79tR_b0OMGUn_mcKPzm3-o2fGM4yebuwCkZy/s200/Belize+Nov+2010+033.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I saw one picture when the river was just a bit higher than the bridge, with a semi going over it. It looked like it was driving on the water. They apparently had just opened the bridge after heavy rains made it impassable earlier. The car and semis were backed up in both directions so once the water was about level with the bridge it was opened. Quite a sight I'm sure.<br />
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They haul the crude oil out to the coast to Big Creek, the only deep water port in the southern part of Belize. The other port is up north in Belize City. Big Creek is just a small one-ship port where the tanker ships take the oil off to Guatemala or somewhere to be refined to gas and then shipped back to Belize and distributed around the country. What a cycle. No wonder gas is $5.18US/gal. There is talk of building a refinery in Belize but since it is a major expense it may take awhile. Many of the original people of Belize don't want all this modernization but there is a large influx of North Americans and their money talks down here.<br />
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Day Trip to Hatchet Caye – Tue, Dec 6th (aerial pic from their web site) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93l9Y2DhR59EpZ8dmnpccfY1LD3ZXGTgseScxR2VgiACLMadxdtMe7JE2PpeJEHfVeMiHNCgmf5LW0pdaH5txNqGp0XwcnBtWNYZrLCyBnO97B6OqLmLlVT8benFBbmhpDmyAUJAZ6EOo/s1600/Hatchet+Caye+aerial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="133" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93l9Y2DhR59EpZ8dmnpccfY1LD3ZXGTgseScxR2VgiACLMadxdtMe7JE2PpeJEHfVeMiHNCgmf5LW0pdaH5txNqGp0XwcnBtWNYZrLCyBnO97B6OqLmLlVT8benFBbmhpDmyAUJAZ6EOo/s200/Hatchet+Caye+aerial.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Hatchet Caye (usually pronounced key here) is a fairly new, small, all-inclusive resort on a private island 18 miles out on the reef. The Aussie who owns it has pumped millions into it and it is quite impressive. The trip was mostly a way of making local people aware of the resort to use as word of mouth advertising.<br />
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The trip was a super bargain. $25US for the boat ride out/back, 1 rum drink and BBQ chicken lunch, and use of all their facilities. They had all new kayaks, Hobie Cats, paddle boats, and a small pool, etc. You could even use their fishing equipment. All free. I was in heaven with the water sports. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxa94_Byi6zdEulf7PDcpnzKA_mb9SOQ4FpZ5oWl9bIzq-uUojth6gfDY_IE40dZ8MFbsQ9ZGh1eQe8KTRuxrCSlOd4F0qBcnATotIAbnemHJIsiFxYf_QOSeXT7jlKtzXoP5RW6ztMoZ/s1600/Hatchet+Caye+sailing+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxa94_Byi6zdEulf7PDcpnzKA_mb9SOQ4FpZ5oWl9bIzq-uUojth6gfDY_IE40dZ8MFbsQ9ZGh1eQe8KTRuxrCSlOd4F0qBcnATotIAbnemHJIsiFxYf_QOSeXT7jlKtzXoP5RW6ztMoZ/s200/Hatchet+Caye+sailing+2.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Took Hobie Cat out awhile with one of their employees and a young kid whose sister worked at the resort. Then kayaking with a fishing pole. A couple of the local kids who came out with their parents brought a seine net and caught some bait fish. They let me use some but I only caught one nice mackerel. I was mostly out there just for the fun of it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W3vbGpHlFwmqfRR_OVaklp8pB-MG1NXs88N9Sn6aYMI2o_hDbgaJndDn4ppssPPd_KpPrRhyphenhyphenm2bXdf_OakHI-xLvUMjzSAHccr-kxNdHftVX2LBXG7njq_jRzr3diRS_vWvmUIYMFsVX/s1600/Hatchet+Caye+Canoe+fishing+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W3vbGpHlFwmqfRR_OVaklp8pB-MG1NXs88N9Sn6aYMI2o_hDbgaJndDn4ppssPPd_KpPrRhyphenhyphenm2bXdf_OakHI-xLvUMjzSAHccr-kxNdHftVX2LBXG7njq_jRzr3diRS_vWvmUIYMFsVX/s200/Hatchet+Caye+Canoe+fishing+2.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnXEn2VjcA4F6p8elnLFnj2WPBxhRNiQogNP6kTaWHVa3xJG65_hVPkKG5utqBJejA5KQyz6MwNNovspvtlMeb-Ezb65oaw9coVfdcVVnANHY0CmX1g4qf6015i3G2ZEbUMlvglQZEgMi/s1600/Hatchet+Caye+tower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnXEn2VjcA4F6p8elnLFnj2WPBxhRNiQogNP6kTaWHVa3xJG65_hVPkKG5utqBJejA5KQyz6MwNNovspvtlMeb-Ezb65oaw9coVfdcVVnANHY0CmX1g4qf6015i3G2ZEbUMlvglQZEgMi/s200/Hatchet+Caye+tower.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The caye has several beach front cabanas and several rooms in a 3-story building with a roof top deck which offers amazing 360-degree views. They have a small open-air restaurant and bar that has decent basic food and drinks. Not bad prices either. The loud Creole music was nice but it never stopped and the heavy bass from the 5-foot high speakers got old. You couldn't even talk in the bar area. But that's what the locals enjoy so you can't complain. You buy a beer and hang out of the other parts of the island.<br />
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The caye is a self-sufficient island, of course. The head maintenance guy gave three of us a tour of the solar power system, backup generators, and desalination system. Wow. So impressive with all the new equipment they had to have for operations. Not sure what they do about toilet sewage...hated to ask. Everything to build it had to be boat-barged out. Can't imagine the amount of work that it took to build it all. Wow.<br />
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It was a bit cloudy but no rain so it was a great day. Their 42-foot boat made the comfortable trip in around 45 minutes. Since there were no guests staying on the island this week they offered anyone in our group the cabanas for $100/night which 2 US couples took advantage of. I hadn't taken much money with me so staying over will have to wait until the next trip. If they offer this trip again I'm going for a couple days. Can't wait.<br />
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Friday, December 9th. <br />
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It's an all-day light rain day. Peaceful and quiet with the only sound of the rain. With no wind it's interesting to see rain come straight down. Temperatures have fallen more and it is the coolest evening so far. May have to close the shutter windows tonight. <br />
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No city water this morning. Apparently they are working on pipes somewhere so it's a slight annoyance that is not all that uncommon. It is a small village. The water tastes great and is safe. I think it comes from underground wells down from the mountains. A few hours later the water is back ...and so it goesDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0Stann Creek, Belize16.522011891868541 -88.368187325683616.21465689186854 -88.6467883256836 16.829366891868542 -88.089586325683612tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-36317691580223262002011-04-29T16:20:00.001-07:002011-04-29T16:41:27.321-07:00Eastereaster is a very big 4-day holiday in Belize. many stores and offices closed down on thursday evening and reopened again on tuesday after easter. they party very hard on thursday evening and then on good friday they don't sell any alcohol anywhere. saturday is another party day and then on sunday easter it seems to slow down again. this is the big vacation holiday where everybody comes from inland to the beaches. it's also a big holiday where all the families comes to visit their relatives who live near the beach. they even have a big bikini contest on the beach on easter sunday. even though it is a big family occasion apparently the girls get up on stage and get a little wild with their dances. I missed it because we went out fishing that day. Darn. <br />
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In all the trips I've taken to placencia I've never seen so many people in the village. it seems to be a bigger holiday than christmas. it is something that I don't really enjoy so I can see now why people stay away from the beach areas this time of the year. it seems to be the time of the yeat when all the locals get together with their relatives. I remember seeing pictures of huatulco mexico that this holiday was a day when the beaches were so packed it was hard to find a place to even sit.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-20449147415112803012011-04-29T15:52:00.000-07:002011-04-29T16:20:07.132-07:00San Salvador airportI'm sitting in the Taca lounge at the san salvador airport drinking johnny walker. johnny must be a national hero here because it's all the scotch they have in the duty free shops. I stopped at 1 of the shops because they were giving away free samples. But I quickly learned there is a language barrier when I tried to talk with the lovely young ladies working in the shop. even when I got a lady that spoke some english it seems that my accent or something must be some kind of a barrier since we were not able to communicate very well. so I had to walk out without buying anything. the prices are pretty good but it's not worth the hassle hauling around the bottles.<br />
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For some strange reason I booked a 7 hour layover here in san salvador so what else is there to do but sit around and drink. at least it's nice to have a lounge for business class passengersh. They also have free sandwiches but they're like a mini croissant with a small chunk of turkey in them. it will take probably 6 or 7 of them to fill me up for lunch. with the johnny walker to wash them down I may be able to take a nap. well shit they ran out of the little croissants and they will not get any more food until 6<br />
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I enjoy flying with taca airlines because their business class service is not as expensive as most airlines and they have fairly new airplanes and facilities. taca airlines is a conglomerate of several central american airlines. they have excellent customer service and are evolving into quite the airlines for the area.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629285013327263180.post-24185776586673790902011-04-06T17:41:00.000-07:002011-04-06T17:41:32.552-07:00Week 3 - Weather breakWe've finally had a nice break in the weather. It was pretty brutal for almost a week. Wind shifted around to the north and it's a bit cooler and less humid. Nice breeze most of the day too, and part of the night. High clouds block sun most of the time so it is quite pleasant. <br />
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Went down to the end of the peninsula and fished from the beach last night with a young local guy I know. It's where the Caribbean Sea meets the Placencia Bay. A bit windy but nice evening. We caught several snapper but all too small to eat - other than the largest one he kept for his cousin to make soup. But it was fun. <br />
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Got my fresh fruit and eggs again today. I go about every 2-3 days. So cheap I almost feel guilty - $3-4US for a basket full. My biggest chore some days is cleaning the fruit - papaya, pineapples, cantaloupe, mango, banana, coconuts, watermelon, and sometimes things they sell me I've never seen or heard of. I buy oranges at $1/dozen and squeeze fresh juice daily - although it can be a bit tedious with the cheap juicer I have. But I have plenty of time.<br />
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Most of the dairy, meat, chicken and eggs come from the Mennonite farmers inland. They also make a lot of the furniture. They've added a lot to the economy of Belize. The fruit is grown everywhere. Bananas and citrus are major exports so they are usually quite cheap. Several small trucks bring produce in from the outlying areas and set up stands around town.<br />
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Oddly there are 5 "grocery" stores in the village of Placencia - and a 6th being built on the north edge of town. That seems unusual to me since there are only around 700-800 local people in the village - but with visitors and ex-pats up the peninsula they all seem to have a good following. The oldest store, Wallen's, was started by an American ex-pat about 25 years ago. He and his wife live next to where I'm stayting and they have 4 grown kids who help in the businesses. They have expanded to a pharmacy, a hardware store, and the distributorship for Coke products and the local beers Beliken and Lighthouse. All using returnable bottles.<br />
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The other groceries are owned mostly by Chinese. No one seems to know why but most of the groceries stores in Belize are owned by Chinese. They've also started up "Chinese" restaurants in most larger towns which provide a nice change from the local Belizean fare. Belize is quite the United Nation.Donaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277266800466025511noreply@blogger.com0