Settling In

Here it is day three. It actually feels like longer. I think that is because I can easily be "retired" and do next to nothing.

I have spent my days in town, grocery shopping, getting a little bit of fresh fruit from a fruit/vegetable stand and basically learning my way around.

The Belizean people I have met are lovely, welcoming and nice. I have begun to meet several ex-pats, it seems that many of the businesses here are owned by ex-pats and then they have Belizean employees.

There is likely a book in there somewhere, everyone has a story, what brought them to Belize to begin with, why they left their home country (often-times the US), and what they do now.

I mentioned earlier that the day I arrived I met a neighbor who said he and his wife owned a coffee shop/bakery. I stopped there today. I'll be back, often, the cinnamon roll was to die for.

And did I mention, they are HUGE!! Just have to be sure not to come back too often or I'll end up as big as a house.

Johnny, the owner is from Wisconsin, said he has lived here for two years. When he said to me he got out of prison and came here I bit my tongue. Then he followed up with, "I was a prison guard and decided I had  enough of that". I inwardly laughed. His wife (I think that is who she was) was baking in the kitchen. I think she is Belizean.

Last night I met Brian from the UK, lived here in the 90's when he volunteered for an organization from theUK similar the peace corps. Left here in 2003 and returned last year.

I also met Brad, he and his wife own the SeaGlass Inn in Placencia. Not sure if he said where he was from, but somewhere in the US.

And I met Olive, a woman from Punta Gorda, Belize, south of here, a Mayan Village. She comes to Placencia a couple times a week to try and sell her handmade goods, handwoven baskets, beaded jewelry, handwoven purses, and had carved masks and other wood pieces that her son makes and she helps him doing the sanding etc., before they are stained or painted. There are just along the main road several women with a blanket laid out and similar crafts displayed asking you to buy their Mayan crafts. But just a peak inside some of the  gift shops here, it appears they may have many similar things, so I'm not sure if they gift shops are getting their things from the Mayan village or if all of them are getting things from elsewhere and selling them as Mayan crafts. That is the skeptical and mistrusting part of me, the part I want to let go of.

Haven't been in the water yet, seems there is not much shore diving here, but soon I hope. It is warm and sunny, temps in the mid 80's during the day.

This weekend is the Placencia Sidewalk Arts & Music Festival, so I'm certain I'll have pictures and a post about that.  As it turns out artists from all over the country come here to display their art work and perform. See more here. I know that the elementary school kids will be selling calendars for $5 BZD ($2.50 USD), each month with a picture one of the school children has drawn. Proceeds go directly to the school.

There are several art galleries and shops carrying handmade jewelry and gift items that I have not yet visited. I'm certain I'll see some of that artwork this weekend.

Just can't find a thing that I could or would complain about.