Diving ...... Finally.

I’m quickly approaching having been in Belize for 7 weeks, and I finally got to go diving.

Back home, my friend Greg had a student for open water training that was coincidentally already planning a trip to Placencia with a group of friends. Greg was kind enough to refer him to me. Although I can’t teach myself I was happy to the hook Harlin and Will and their wives and another couple up with Andre from Paradise Resort. Harlin was hoping to complete the first two of his four open water dives and Will, a certified diver, wanted to go  along just for fun. The other four in their group wanted to snorkel. It was only later that I learned that two of the women in the snorkeling group had wanted to learn to dive but both are pregnant so are putting off  their own dive adventure for a bit. Congratulations to both couples!

On Tuesday, another couple of relatively new divers from Canada, Carol and David, also joined our group as well as another two women snorkelers.

We set off at about 9 a.m. for Silk Cayes. We were told by Kenley and Max, our divemasters that the Cayes (pronounced keyes) consisted of 3 separate little islands. They were formerly called Queen Cayes but at some point the name was changed to Silk Cayes because of the silky sand on the cayes. (I can’t confirm any of this but it was a lovely story.)

The boat ride out was just over an hour, but went fairly quickly. We were lucky with relatively flat seas. I was hoping to see dolpins on the way out but no such luck. We stopped at Middle Caye which had a barbecue pit on it and an outbuildings which were the" facilities" (no it isn’t plumbed, no running water). There are a couple of “rangers” on the caye who gave us a briefing bout the caye and mostly the conservation efforts of the Gladden Spit/Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, the rules for diving and snorkeling there and their effort to raise money to pay for the rangers etc. This is also who you pay your marine park tax to ($10 US per day).

The cayes (North Silk, Middle Silk, and South Silk)  are part of the larger Southern Environmental Association (An NGO that co-manages three important marine-protected areas in Southern Belize ) and is closely protected. We were reminded that NOTHING can be taken from the Caye, alive or dead. No fishing, no lobstering, no taking conch, and no collecting shells. One side of the island was sandy while the other side had no beach to speak of and lead to shallow coral area. They warned snorkelers to only enter the water from the sandy beach side and do not step on any of the coral or they would damage and kill it

We dropped the snorkelers off, Harlin and Will both did a couple of skills in the shallow “confined water” area of the island before heading out to the dive site.

We did a back roll off  the side of the boat. Harlin and Will stayed with Andre, while Carol, David and I went with Kenley. We dove at a site called Silk Cayes North Wall.

It didn’t take long for Kenley to point out a huge Cubera Snapper and an enormous Goliath Grouper. The Cubera are the snapper that while spawning attract the whalesharks. We continued on and saw more large grouper, several really big lobsters and crabs and I was taken by surprise by a free-swimming green moray that was pretty big too.

The lobsters are huge.

This Green Moray surprised me a bit. I think at least 5 ft. long.

A Cubera Snapper, hard to tell from this picture but huge, at least 3 ft long.

Grouper. The underwater sign is to rub your stomach, like mmmm, mmmmm good.

As with many other areas in the Caribbean, in order to try and “train” some species to be a predator of the dreaded lion fish (an invasive species in the Caribbean), many divemasters have fed just speared lion fish to morays. Some have seen a moray actually eat a live lion fish so the training is working. But, this tends to also train morays and other predators that when there are divers near there is a possibility of an easy meal so they are more likely to be free swimming rather than in their usual hole. I have heard although not confirmed that they have done the same, feeding lionfish to barracuda, although the way the story is told the barracuda just saw an easy opportunity and struck while the lionfish was still on the spear. Hearing the teeth of the barracuda hit that metal shaft will give even the heartiest spearfisher pause. Barracuda can be very fast and have very sharp teeth

.

Note, in areas that can be fished, nothing can be taken while on scuba except for lionfish. Everything else must be taken while freediving.

After the first dive we rode back to the caye where the crew provided us with a wonderful Belizean lunch of stew chicken, rice and beans, and  coleslaw. We watched a baby lemon shark swim in the shallow coral area and watched some pelicans diving for fish, well it looked more like they were “bobbing” for fish since it was a bit too shallow for them to dive. There were several frigate birds harassing other sea birds to the point of giving up theier catch to the frigates … bullies.

After lunch the divers got back on the boat and headed to the second dive site while the snorkelers stayed with Max for another snorkel tour just off the caye.

I dove this time with Harlin, Will and Andre and Carol and David stayed with Kenley. On this dive I saw more huge lobsters (they must know that lobster season is over and they are relatively safe), but boy when one of them is frightened they can move like a shot. After Harlin did his required skills for the dive, Andre pointed out a couple toad fish, one of my favorite fish. I got a picture of a toadfish completely out of his usual hole, usually all you see is the head and face of the fish as it lies in holes under ledges in sandy areas. This one was spotted although Andre says they do have the Splendid Toadfish in these waters as well. They are really amazing looking with the yellow “beard”.

A Toadfish, maybe the first one I've seen completely out of his hole.

The usual view of a toadfish.

The French Angelfish, one of my favorite subjects

The lionfish looked very well fed, would have been nice if thre had been a speargun.

Smooth Trunkfish, another favorite. I especially love the "fish face".

We were a bit shallower on this dive and saw more juvenile fish, and some gorgeous French Angelfish. Also a lot of really big fat lionfish. Unfortunately no one with a speargun around, have to get them another day.

We rode back to the caye and picked up the snorkelers and rode a little ways away where we got to a snorkeling site. In my last post I posted this picture of a sailboat with all these other smaller boats stacked on it. I didn’t get it at the time but it all became clear.

Now I understand the sailboat is the hub and the fishermen each use their own smaller
boat and row out to their spots for fishing then return to the sailboat for cleaning and icing their catch.

Can hardly describe how huge the larger of these loggerhead turtles was. Just beautiful.

This area is known for the place where the fishermen come. They arrive on the sailboat and each fisherman then takes his smaller boat out and they spread out from the sailboat, and freedive for fish then return to the sailboat which has on board ice and an area for them to clean and store their catch. When they come back to the sailboat after fishing and clean the catch it attracts nurse sharks, stingrays, spotted eagle rays and turtles to the area. It is shallow, only about 10 feet deep and so we all snorkeled here. The turtles, loggerheads are humongous and known to be a little aggressive – it is feeding time mind you. Max was very careful to keep himself between each of the snorkelers and the turtles. It was a great opportunity for the snorkelers to see some of the larger animals usually only seen by divers.

The boat ride back was another hour or so, a little bumpy but those boats can move.

Our boat for the day, a back roll into the water, and then to get back on we took our gear
off and handed it up then climbed the laddre on the side.

All in all an outstanding day of diving. I wasn’t there but he report from the snorkelers was that it was great as well and that Max did an outstanding job as their guide. I know that we were all really happy with Andre and Kenley as our guides on our dives.

Congratulations to Harlin on finishing the first two dives towards his Open Water Certification. He plans to finish with Greg and the folks at Island Hoppers Scuba in Nashville when he returns. I don’t know, diving at Pennyroyal Quarry is just not quite the same as diving the Caribbean and a tad colder as well. Water temps for our dives was about 82F. I wore neoprene shorts and a rash guard. I’m a wimp and I got a little cold on the second dive, would have been happier probably in my 3mm shorty but live and learn.

Can’t wait to go again, I wasn't thrilled with my pictures this time but I find after some time off it feels almost like starting over when I get in the water with my camera. More reason to just go diving more often!

So when are you coming down to go diving with me?

Reality vs. The Fantasy

Reality is often not as great as the fantasy.

And so I must face the reality of what my life is like at this very moment.

There are many moments and hours and days when I wonder how I ever got so lucky, here I am in paradise, the Caribbean, living the life I’ve dreamed of. It is warm and sunny every day and even when it rains it stays warm outside it rains for a short time and stops. And for a person, me, who doesn’t do winter anymore, at least not well, it should be perfect.

But there are cracks in the perfection.

I have worked, always. Since I was about 15 I think I’ve always had a job. When I retired from the Sheriff’s Office I was at a terrible place, mostly emotionally and I spent way too many days cooped up in my house, doing nothing,  hiding from the world and hoping it would go away. Finally, with plenty of prodding, I moved to Tennessee to start over and be nearer my children.

The problem, and I know to many this will not seem like it should be that big of a problem, the problem with retiring when you are just 50 is that almost none of your contemporaries are also retired. It tends to make for a lonely kind of life. When you think, a trip somewhere is what I need, there is no one available to go along, they all have to work or don’t have enough vacation time for a trip with you and their annual vacation with family and friends.

So when I moved to Tennessee, not only did I jump into diving with both feet (pun intended),  but I also got two part time jobs. I don’t really do that well sitting around alone with nothing to do. I didn’t necessarily need the income, although I’ll certainly live my lifestyle equal to my income. What I needed was the social interaction that work provides, and something to fill my days.

Now that I am in Belize I find myself in the same predicament. I don’t really have that much to do. I can already hear most of my writer friends screaming at me, if only they had days on end with nothing else to do but sit and write. But, at least for me, it doesn’t work that way, what spurs the creativity and the words on the page is the everyday world around me, conversation – either my own or overheard – the ability to observe people as they go about their lives and watch and listen to relationships and dialogue, and staying busy, being useful.

But in Belize I cannot work. I’m confused because it seems like every other expat here for longer than a couple months has found a way to work. I’ll admit, many have started businesses here, something I don’t have the money to do.

And then there is this other reality. I found this little house to rent, the size is perfect for me, one small bedroom, a small kitchen and living area combined, and a bathroom. And it seems that every day I notice something new, a starfish right next to the little dock in front of my house where I climb in that rickety little dingy to row across the lagoon, a beautiful bird some type of crane I think, walking in my yard, a gorgeous full moon that makes the evening seem almost like daytime. But there is also this, I have been eaten alive by bugs on this side of the lagoon, something I didn’t have happen while in the little cabana on the other side. I think I look like I have some terrible disease, all the bites and welts on my arms, but my Belizean friends tell me no, all the white people look that way. I’m also told that it is likely that because  this house backs up to a heavily “forested” (mangroves) area there are likely many more bugs of different types on this side.

In my yard outside my house.

Full moon from my front porch.

Starfish off the little dock in front of my house.

I was willing to accept that there are bugs outside and I have to keep bug spray on at all times outside. But then I started getting bites even inside. So now I am constantly burning these coils that act like incense to ward off bugs, and I keep bug spray on even at night inside. Fortunately the bug spray I am using is an oil from several natural plants, no chemicals but to constantly be covered in some kind of oily substance … well, you get the idea.

Then there were the other bugs. Larger, not necessarily biting bugs but big, disgusting roach type, and beetle type and they are in my house .

You can thank me later, I was going to insert a picture here but decided not to, yuck. Just take my word for it, they are cockroaches and they are large (and to me they look gargantuan). Apparently they aren't like a sign of a dirty house but more a fact of life in the caribbean.

Were you one of those kids who loved bugs, picket them all up, pulled the wings off flying insects, studied them? I wasn’t. I don’t’ do bugs. I’m not happy to kill them but I can’t have them on me, or around me. So I have done what feels like my only solution, poison, and lots of it. I am using stuff that has about 8 ingredients, all chemicals that I cannot even pronounce.  It seems so environmentally un-friendly.

And some of these bugs are hearty buggers, they get sprayed with the stuff, it looks like they are dead and about 10 minutes later they start moving again. Oh, I have nightmares that are worse than any horror movies I’ve seen having to do with bugs. Ugh.

I’m fortunate, I have made a couple very nice Belizean friends who have offered to come over and help me de-bug the house. Do you know how silly I feel? Think of the scene in Annie Hall with the spider. I’m trying not to be a whiny baby but I just can’t get past this bug problem.

 Not to sound like a complainer but there is a problem here as well. These friends I speak of, they are the nicest people in the world, one has helped me move, has invited me to his home just to hang out, the  he and another friend and I have talked of just going fishing or out to the reef or something. But in Belize plans are fluid, which is fine. But, here people don’t have that sense of urgency that we as Americans are so used to. You know;  being connected – always, calling, texting, and facebooking. When they say, hey I’ll stop by this evening, that is a  definite …. maybe.  And there isn’t necessarily a call to let you know they can’t or aren’t coming. Its much more laid back than that. Takes some getting used to.

I swear it has almost reached a breaking point. A thought of giving up and returning to my cushy life in the U.S., where if you have a bug problem you call the apartment manager and tell them to take care of it.  If you make plans with someone, you set specific times and if you are going to be 5 minutes late you call and text. But I like being laid back and not always connected and  I refuse to give up on what should be the perfect life.

And as soon as those thoughts of giving up intrude, I see things like a gorgeous crane walking along the shore,  a spotted eagle ray in the shallows, dolphins breaching in the water less than 50 yards from where I sit, pelicans fishing, needlefish darting in the water, a local fisherman coming in to shore with two huge barracuda  or this man on his sailboat with boats stacked on his sailboat …. Well you have to see the picture, there just are no words.  And once again I am in love with this life as a traveler, and adventurer, an ex-pat and can’t imagine going back to the life I lived before.

Small spotted eagle ray in the shallows right off the dock at Paradise Resort.

So this is how it is ...

It has now been over a month that I have been in Placencia. Several people both locals and tourists have asked me what I think now that I've been here a while, so I have spent some time thinking about it.

Part of that time was a little forced because I've had some computer problems. Someone told me recently that electronics get eaten up down here, I am assuming from the humidity etc. I take my computer everywhere and the easiest places to get internet while out and about is the bars and restaurants, open air, near the ocean. The other day I was minding my own business as they say and my computer quit working. Could have been humidity or it might have been something else. There is a rumor that someone sitting next to me, while I was in the restroom, had their plastic cup of soda blown over by the wind and come of it may have gotten on my computer. I didn't notice it when I came back except things stopped working.

It was an accident and no one said anything to me at the time and I didn't confront anyone. I took my computer home and cleaned it all. It started to work again while at home then quit again. It seems the computer is actually kind of working but the usb port and the power port on one side may have been affected.

Ugh.

I went to the phone company, BTL and purchased a netbook which they were selling really cheap. I'll take my computer to Apple when I get back to the states. I'm not willing to turn it over to someone in Belize to ry and get it fixed.  I still can't be sure if something got spilled on it or if it isjust the humidity. I have noticed a few things about my iPhone which seem a little sticky about it, makes me more concerned about humidity. I have now begun to carry my electronics in sealed plastic, a dry pouch for my phones and a heavy duty zip lock bag for my netbook. When I come back to the states, I will purchase some better dry bags for anything electronic.

Okay, back to life in Placencia. I moved. Out of the small (very small) cabana to the one bedroom house across the lagoon. Good timing, the cabana was seeming really really small. BUT, it did have internet,not always real reliable internet, but it had it.

I was lucky, a friend came over to help me move. The boat, I have to get me back and forth across the lagoon is, how should I put this ..... well let me just show you ...

So you can see the seat in the back of the boat is broken, to get across you stand up in the boat, a foot on each side and row across, kind of like stand up paddleboard but not. I was imagining me in the boat with my two 50+ pound suitcases and my carry ons and the extras I've bought since being here. I was starting to panic. But a new friend came to the rescue, said he would help, then also introduced me to my next door neighbors who brought over their bigger boat and hauled my luggage over.

The house is bigger, I have my own bedroom now separate from the rest of the living space which is nice. But no internet. When I moved in I was told internet would cost about $50 US per month. When I went to get it it would cost at least that, more if I wanted any speed at all but they wanted a $500 US deposit because I am not a Belize resident. Um, no. I decided it wasn't that important and having to go somewhere for internet assures me that I will get out of the house and be social. It has been good for my reading though, two novels in the last three days.

Otherwise, life in Placencia is good. Relaxed, sunny lovely people. I sometimes have to remind myself that being laid back is a good thing, there is no need to rush.

I had lunch the other day at a llittle stand along the main road. A chicken burrito and a soda. Cost? $4 Belize.That is $2 US. I could get used to this. It was plenty of food and really good.

So in wandering around Belize I've taken a few snapshots.

There is a concrete wall where an artist has done these murals.
The artist's last name is Garcia, his first initial is S.  One of the pictures
is done by someone named Omar Garcia, I only assume they are related.

You gotta love the sentiment.

Sorry about the shadows but this Whaleshark is pretty cool.

The one in the middle is the one done by Omar. I've seen  this same
picture as a photograph on a postcard in town.

I looked at this "scaffolding" and I thought there is no way I
would climb on or stand on this stuff, but they do ... amazing.

As I find myself adjusting to the Belizean way of life, I am learning quite a lot about myself, about what is really important to me, and what is "necessary". I miss having more regular contact with family and friends but I am enjoying finding myself and learning about living on my own in another country.

Oh and I had a visitor yesterday, a hummingbird flew into my house. I'm certain it means something but I'm not yet sure what.It was cool, nonetheless.

Hey! Look what you can do now!!

I am a worrier. And extremely insecure. No, really. And so as I started this adventure and this blog I worried, about whether anyone would realize I was gone, if they would read the blog, or if they (you) would like it. Don't worry, you don't have to answer that question.

But, so far, I have gotten really nice feedback, thank you very much (even if that means there is 10 of you out there, you are a wonderful ten).

So I have this blog and some people just type the address into their web browser and voila! Others, wait and see when I put a link to it on Facebook and get to it that way. Whatever way you choose to get here I'm glad you're here and I hope you'll stick around, and maybe invite some friends.

Facebook, my best friend and the bane of my existence. When I look at the statistics (I just said I looked, didn't say I always understand them), most of you get here through Facebook. So that's a good thing, right? But then I noticed that Facebook in all of it's weirdness sometimes shows you that I've posted something, and then for no apparent reason sometimes it doesn't.

I know from my own experience, if you don't know I've put up a new post, you won't go look either, we all need a gentle nudge now and again. I did a little testing and can't figure out how to fix that problem, or get Facebook to fix it. I think what they would really like is if I made my page more like a business page that you like, then I paid Facebook to put my link on more people's timelines and new feeds. Sorry,  there is diving to be done, i can't pay Facebook for doing what should be pretty simple.

But, I have the solution!

Yep, you can now follow by e-mail and each time I put up a new post, you'll get it in your e-mail. Easy as pie. So all you have to do, after you finish reading this wonderful post, is scroll down to the bottom just above my profile, and there is a box that says, amazingly "Follow by e-mail" with a box to put your e-mail address in, click submit and .....Ta-dah!

So what are you waiting for, start scrolling and enter your e-mail address! And make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when lots of you start following. And hey, you can always leave a comment on the blog too, show a little love.

Or, you can just wait of when I suddenly pop up unexpectedly on your Facebook newsfeed. But you might miss a really good post in the meantime.

And if I forgot to say so already, thanks.

You just can't beat caribbean sunsets. Cool breeze, dolphins lazily swimming by, a cold drink, no complaints here.

A Visit to Immigration

Here I am, just 5 days shy of having been here a month. That means it was time for me to go and get my passport stamped for another month's stay. People had told me it wasn't too hard to do, so I walked to the dock for the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi:

Behind this sign is a picnic table, that serves as the office for the Water Taxi
where you can buy your ticket $6 BZD one way.

This is the boat we travel in. No safety briefing here but it was obvious where
the life jackets were kept.

Would have liked to show how fast we were going but I was more worried
I would drop my phone in the water.

Our boat captain/driver -- also a ticket taker.
And we're off to Independence

The water taxi I was on was full. Several of the people on it were people who sailed (for real, on sailboats) to Belize from other places and either needed to get their travel documents extended, like I did, or were checking out and needed to pay the exit fee from Belize and visit customs. Several of them have been living on their boats for the past 5-8 years. One guy I met had sailed with his wife to Belize from England in a 41 ft. sailboat. I have decided, despite my initial assessment of myself as maybe a little bit brave or at least adventurous, I don't hold a candle to some of these folks. I just don't see doing an Atlantic crossing in a 41 ft. sailboat. Another had originally sailed here from New Orleans, encountered a couple of groundings of the boat, a tropical storm and a few other "mishaps" along the way but doesn't complain. These people are serious adventurers.

So we arrived in Independence, which is also known as Mango Creek. 7 of us shared a cab which took us through town and on past to a little building that houses Belize Immigration. I went in, paid my $50 BZD and now have anew stamp in my passport.

The taxi waited for those of us only renewing our passport stamps and took us back to the Water Taxi. He then went back to get those who had to go through their exit proceedings and see customs. The taxi ride cost $10 BZD ($5 US) per person round trip.

The "station" for the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi. Inside there are signs posted,
No Smoking" and "No Loafers" they have their standards.

While waiting for the boat ride back I watched this local guy, he was fishing ... with a long bit of fishing line with a hook tied to the end and maybe a little tiny sinker tied on. No pole, no reel, just throw that line out there and slowly pull it back in. Didn't see him catch anything.

Thats the fisherman up front, and you can't see but he is pulling in his fishing
line and hook. Don't know how well this method works but he is not the first
I've seen using the same method.

The trip to Independence from Placencia by car takes about two hours. It is a 15 minute boat ride and despite the name, the Hokey Pokey water taxi is anything but Pokey, we moved right along in the water. Next time I'll spend more time in Independence and just check it out.

And All Is Right With the World

Well at least in my little tiny corner of the world.

I went to lunch in town today at Wendy's Creole Restaurant and Bar.

Barbecue chicken with rice and beans and potato salad.

I have to admit, I started today out a little bit anxious. I wrote a blog post but it was whiny and a downer. I had  the other day, posted on Facebook the following little cartoon:

You really don't know how true this is. I have found that so many people that i really really like as friends, I have completely different political views than they do. I'm okay with that, we can love each other and not agree on lots of things. But it is one of the reasons I hate Facebook, because there are some people who post their political views on Facebook with such hatred and animosity and vitriol that I am saddened. I realize they don't like things the way they are but really I don't see them doing much to help change it besides posting words of hate and discontent. I have not yet figured out what I personally can do to truly make things better that would please a majority of the people so in the meantime I choose not to post anything, for fear of alienating people that I generally like. I don't like to argue, particularly not on social media. I hate that I feel like I should remind people that words can be hurtful and certainly not helpful.  And it can be particularly true when they are said without the benefit of face to face communication where you can see what people "mean" with their words and you can try and have some civil discussion. I've watched others get literally "attacked" on Facebook for disagreeing with a political post. I will have none of it.

But, I am not willing to give up Facebook because it is my link to my family and friends in the states while I am living here in Belize.

So I held my other post, it didn't feel like it added anything to the discussion either.

Then I went outside to the little deck on the ocean right outside my cabana.

A squall blew through this morning, lots of wind and rain, for about an hour then it stopped and it turned into a lovely day. Then this evening the wind started up again and it looks like maybe it will blow more rain in. It was still a very comfortable temperature outside, in the mid to high 70's. So I'm hanging out and I see this bird hanging near the shore. Don't know what kind he is but he was cool so I took his (her?) picture. (Sorry not a great picture but couldn't get closer or I'd scare it off.)

Then my pelican friend was back so I tried to get a picture of a pelican in flight:

The wind continued to blow and the sky was just beautiful so I took a panoramic picture:

And as I"m taking this picture, something in the water catches my eye and I realize there are dolphins, about 20 yards off the deck. I took several videos as they played in the water, breaching, tail slapping. I must have seen at least 6 or 8 different dolphins but mostly a pair that seemed to be playing together. The video is not great (again, taken with my phone) but I could have watched this all night long:

And all seems right with the world again. 

It does however serve as a reminder that dolphins and all cetaceans belong in the ocean, not in tanks doing tricks. If you want to see dolphins perform go on a trip somewhere and watch them in their natural habitat, it is incredible to watch.