Ready for a change, the adventure continues ....

Two weeks from yesterday I will be on a ferry on my way to Utila, my new home. Some may ask why I'm already leaving Placencia. The easy answer would be that my friend Greg bought a house in Utila and I am fortunate enough to get to rent it while he slaves away at his job in the U.S. preparing for retirement. But in reality, there are several reasons.

With the upcoming move I have been reflecting, and planning. And so I've decided to give my nickels worth of advice about moving somewhere tropical. Remember, it is only a nickels worth and only my opinion.

First I would say, moving to the caribbean ... Best. Idea. Ever.

But here are my words of warning:

1. Think seriously about what you want out of your life. Do you want to live somewhere near an ocean where it is warm and they serve lots of fruity rum drinks? The Caribbean has all of that and more!

2. Do you want to continue to enjoy all the comforts of home, high speed internet, cable tv with a million channels, air conditioning the minute you walk inside, a hermetically sealed house? That is all available, for a price. don't expect  to live in the Caribbean or anywhere else on the cheap if you aren't willing to give up a few comforts of your American lifestyle.

3. Do you think that because you have money, U.S. dollars, that people should be thrilled you're  moving there and should jump at your command? Stay home. You only give other ex-pats a bad name. I only mention this one because I've seen it first hand.

4. Do you want to continue to work? Do some research about where you think you want to live and figure out if you legally can work, and what it takes to be able to, i.e., work permits, residency, opening a business, investing in  the country you're moving to?

5. Do you already speak another language? If you do you're already ahead (Spanish is a good one if you want to move somewhere Caribbean). If you don't already, think about learning it, show some respect for the language of the locals.  English is a great language despite how often we mangle it, but if the primary language is Spanish at least make an effort to speak and understand, and don't expect everyone where you move to be able to speak perfect english.

So now for some more optimistic advice.

Let it go. Nothing is really that urgent. Slow down. Unplug. Sit and just watch the ocean, watch for dolphins, or flying fish or pelicans feeding. Or just look at the absolute natural beauty of the ocean, the different colors, the gentle lapping of the waves on  the shore, the cool breeze. Recognize how amazing mother nature is, the incredible colors of the birds, the different types of animals right around you; fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals. Realize how interconnected it all is. Every animal is important in the grand scheme and have their place and their job to do. No need to get baited into an argument about politics or religion. My favorite response these days? "There is a reason I'm laying in a hammock in Belize with no television or regular news service." Be grateful. Show compassion. Breathe.

So why you might ask would I want to leave this paradise and move again?

When I first moved I knew I wanted to live somewhere tropical The things I am most passionate about are more readily available here. I truly jumped and hoped for the net. I did a little bit of research, Belize was an easy choice, not too expensive, English speaking for the most part. I had a few momentary thoughts of moving to San Pedro on , Ambergris Caye. But I realized what attracted me to that place was the safety. The safety of being able to live much like I lived in the U.S. But the down side was it would cost me almost as much as living in the U.S. And what was the point of that. Also, truth be told, I had this romantic notion of traveling through the caribbean, learning about the culture, seeing countries I had only visited to dive.

My romanticism brought me to Placencia, a small village, with all the basic necessities but a slower pace, and still not completely "Americanized". And it has been lovely. The people here, both locals and ex-pats are wonderful. There is good food, both traditional  Belizean and a more international fare as well. You can, if you are willing to be a little adventurous and give up a few creature comforts, live fairly cheaply here. For me the real downside was that I didn't get to dive a  lot here. The reef, some of the most pristine of the Mesoamerican Reef System is 20+ miles off shore. That makes for long, expensive boat rides for the best diving.

And that romantic notion of exploring on my own? Well, yeah, not so much. I am only adventurous to a point. I didn't go anywhere much since I've lived here, I really didn't want to wander around alone. I would tell myself I would sign up for a tour but then the idea of spending a chunk of money to ride a bus or a boat and have no one to share it with just didn't appeal. So I really saw very little of the country. I never went on the chocolate factory tour, I didn't go see the crocodiles, manatees or monkeys of the Monkey River Tour. I didn't see any Jaguars. I know, bad tourist.

The most wildlife I saw was the insect variety inside my various homes. I seem to have gotten past the cockroach problem and have now moved on to a scorpion problem. Yes, that was me screaming like a little girl when I saw my first inside my house. And for all my desires to be kind to mother nature and the earth, you can't hand me the poison spray fast enough to get rid of  bugs in my house. Sorry.

Sorry for the terrible picture but really, I'm only willing to get so close, even when they are dead.

Now I'm ready for a change. Why not? So what do I expect to be different in Utila? For one, I can dive there relatively inexpensively. I can easily budget in likely two days of two tank dives every week. And that is assuming I don't work and/or don't have a chance to get some type of relationship with a dive operation there, maybe trade some teaching for some free diving. Who knows?

Opportunities. I am already excited about the opportunities I know of to volunteer for issues that are important to me. There is a Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center on the Island, the Bay Islands Conservation Association, and Sea Shepherd. One or more of these may give me the opportunity to do some worthwhile work and maybe include diving in it too.

I really like the vibe there and I can't tell you exactly why. It seems that the backpacker lifestyle, people from all over the world living there for six months to a year appeals to me. Making friends from all over the world is just such a wonderful way to spend your time. And I have a hope that I will vastly improve my underwater photography skills as well as my above water photography. And it can be pretty inexpensive to live there.

Oh, and then there is that thing that one of my best friends now owns a house there, and that means that I likely will get to see my friends a little more often.

Next post: Getting from here to there ... harder than you'd think.

All Things Considered

Apologies to the NPR show of the same name, it just fit with my thinking at the moment.

So, as I sit and bide my time before leaving I have plenty of time to continue to research and think about where I'll go, and what I'll do.

As I wrote about previously, I have decided that I will either live in Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) or in Placencia. But also remember, nothing is set in stone. Based upon all the blogs I am reading from ex-pats living there, rental costs can vary widely in Ambergris depending on what you need and want in a place to live. And I mean widely. I am aware, you can get a very Americanized condo with all the amenities including a lovely pool and bar etc., at a condo complex with a two bedroom place costing around $1200 a month or more.

At first glance that isn't much different than what I'm paying in the U.S. for a one bedroom place but then I have to take into account the increased costs for plenty of other things including the costs for utilities, phone, internet etc.

But you can also at times find homes in Ambergris (decidedly less Americanized and without the amenities) for $600 a month.

I am already thinking I'd like to lean towards the $600 a month, I don't need much, just enough room for me and I'd like enough room so that when my friends come to visit (hint hint) they can just stay with me. But that serves as a warning to my friends, if you're looking for the 5-star accommodations when you come to visit, you might as well make reservations at a resort because I'm not likely to have them. I would so much rather spend my money on travel, diving, seeing and learning about the country and the culture in Belize and my other passions.

I am still working on research to learn real costs in Placencia.

Is it a Fly in the Ointment or A Sign of What I Should Do?

I had heard about this some before but didn't know a lot of the details. I'm starting to learn more.

Norwegian Cruise Lines made a deal with the government of Belize to buy an island about two miles off the coast of Placencia called Harvest Caye. The plan is to build their very own cruise ship port there. According to the local news I have read there is a lot of heart ache about this plan. Many are saying it will ruin Belize's reputing as a top notch eco-tourism destination, that it could very likely ruin the reef with the dredging required for the port and the resulting silt that is dredged up (what will they do with it). Add to that, as I understand it Placencia's population is about 1000. A cruise ship will bring in about 4000 tourists with each ship. So is this plan a fly in my ointment or a sign that I should think more seriously about Placencia area now, before NCL has taken over?

I have been to the Cruise Ship shopping area at Belize City and already know I would hate to see the same thing in Placencia. I also am aware that Harvest Caye has a lot of mangroves and is home to Manatees. I would really be sad to see their habitat ruined by making room for an obnoxious cruise ship and a bunch of unaware and uncaring tourists (not all are this way but there are enough). And I am also aware that this area is a great area to dive and snorkel with whale sharks and wonder if that will change with the cruise ship traffic. And they plan to have this all done by 2015!

I'm going to paraphrase some of what I have read recently but will  try and provide some links to some articles and information. As I understand it the project itself is at a cost of about 50 million dollars for NCL. The deal they got with Belize is that they pay the government $7 for each passenger that arrives then  the government pays NCL back $4 per passenger for them to recoup their 50 million dollar investment. What? Apparently the $7 per passenger is a deal in the caribbean. NCL is promising 250 part time  high-season jobs for Belize. A luxury resort like Coppola's Turtle Inn provides 125 year round jobs alone.

It is looking to me like someone isn't thinking very long term for Belize or someone is getting some type of compensation for pushing this idea through (but maybe that is my cynical American view). Anyway, please read the following if you're interested in more info:

San Pedro Scoop

San Pedro Scoop

Ambergris Today

So back to All Things Considered

What much of this is leading to is; I'm starting to think I might like Placencia (as it is today) more than Ambergris and maybe I should try living there before it gets overrun by "murricans who want to buy chotskies (likely made in China with the word Belize printed on them). Also, I have heard that, at least now, Placencia is cheaper than Ambergris.

Before and after shots??

This all depresses me somewhat as we as humans continue to ruin some of the most beautiful places in the world, kill or capture some of the most beautiful animals in the world all out of either greed or stupidity but that is a post for another day when I'm really fired up.

(But just in case you haven't heard .... watch Blackfish and The Cove and start paying attention)

One last note, this is instructions for friends if you plan to come and visit:

ONE: You've been warned about what the accommodations might be like so don't complain (but I'll update you once I get there and find a place to live ... lets hope I'm not camping on the beach).

TWO: I hear that things like wine and liquor that are imported from the US can be quite expensive in Belize and there was a hint I read ... if you're coming maybe make a stop at the duty free shop in the airport and bring some with you. Or plan to drink the local stuff including Belikin -- the beer of Belize.

THREE: If you're coming consider writing ahead, there are a few American things that I'd love to have that I won't be able to get there or might be easier and cheaper from the US, and it would be great if you'd consider letting me send you the money and you adding them to your bag or your carry on as favor to me.

I'm really working now on the art of patience, and letting go of the things I have no control over, of which there are plenty. Everything will happen when it is supposed to and I will be right where I am meant to be. (Can you hear the Ommmm, I recite after that?)

Take This ... .Leave That

When I finally made the real decision that I was going to go and it would be right around the first of the year I had to then seriously think about where I would end up, what I would take with me and what I would leave behind. And, for all that I left behind did I want or need to store things or what did I want to actually get rid of.

I started looking online for places to rent in Belize, both in Ambergris Caye and in Placencia. I also checked out Roatan, one of my other favorite Caribbean countries. I ended up trying to make pro and con lists for each place -- although I have to admit anything on the "con" list is pretty inconsequential really, I mean what really could be bad about living somewhere tropical???

Ambergris Caye I have been to before. It is lovely and based upon my research and the people I have talked to who either live there, go there often, or who have family who live there or visit often, it has a huge ex-pat community, many of the conveniences of home and beautiful diving. I looked at several condos for rent. They were within my budget (although not as low priced as I had hoped) and on first glance seemed perfect. The more I thought about it though, they are very Americanized, very much like a condo complex you'd find anywhere in the US. Is that really what I wanted? I'm not so sure.

I communicated with a leasing agent in Belize about a couple of places but we didn't communicate well, they seemed a little slow to respond to my questions. They were on Belize time.

I really have a feeling that everything happens for a reason and this felt like some type of sign that it just wasn't right.

I started looking a little more at Placencia which I have never been to but have researched and talked to several who have been there or live there. It is in the south of Belize, on the mainland, a little more laid back than Ambergris, a little less expensive and a  little less Americanized. But again, I haven't seen the place personally so I'm not completely ready to commit before getting there.

Roatan is really beautiful and much less expensive (based upon my own research) than Belize. But it is also a much poorer country and I think that those places I might want to live would require me likely to have access to or own a vehicle. I was hoping to get away from having a car.

I finally decided that the universe was telling me to just go, look for myself and make my decision once there. I can do that. So I'm going, will stay at a resort or short term rental for 2-4 weeks while I find the perfect place to live. Most places require a 6 month lease, easy.

Okay, so that decision made now what about my stuff. Almost every place I have looked at to rent comes fully furnished. Well thats good because I can't imagine how I would get furniture there or even buy more once I arrived. Remember, this whole thing is a seat of my pants operation so I'm really not prepared to furnish an entire apartment/condo.

Confession #1, I have almost zero emotional attachment to any of the stuff I own. I mean, certainly to photos and things of my kids and my family, some things that belonged to my mother and father before their passing, but generally I don't care about the "stuff" that filled my apartment and that I have moved repeatedly from one place to another. The stuff I care the most about that was there was my books, photographs and memorabilia of my kids childhood, the art I owned -- much of it produced by family and friends -- and the things i needed to do what I love, my computer, my underwater camera equipment and my dive equipment.

The thought of storing everything else in a storage unit depressed me. A monthly bill for stuff I didn't care much about and would really do me, or anyone else, no good seemed stupid. But I did still have a few things i couldn't throw away and it is almost everyone's favorite time of year -- tax season -- so I had to think about what would i do with the few things i really did need to keep.

Confession #2, I have this idea that every few months I might make a trip back to the US to visit friends and family and in fact I know of one dive trip which will require me to be in Florida to leave. Now that Florida trip is the middle of summer so no worries there but what if I came back in January and it was 0 degrees?!? I'm not taking heavy winter clothes with me to Belize but I might need them for a visit back. I finally decided one box or suitcase in Tennessee with some warmer stuff, and one in California. When all was said and done I had a couple boxes of paperwork etc. that I couldn't dispose of and a couple boxes of books that I didn't want to dispose of. So I finally decided on a very tiny storage unit (more like  a storage closet) for those things and my one box of clothes to be kept in Tennessee.

Okay, basic decisions made but what about all the rest. Like I said no emotional attachment to any of it so I got rid of it all. Sold or gave away just about everything I own. If this whole plan were to fail (and I don't plan on that happening), I'll just have to start over again. But did I care about the couch I had in my apartment? Not at all. So away it all went. Some I gave to people because I would rather have given it to someone for free who could use it rather than donate it where it would be sold to someone. Other things i gave to charity for the tax write off. And other stuff I just gave to whoever could take it and maybe pass it on to someone else in need.

I had hoped to pack one suitcase with all my dive equipment, one suitcase with my clothes then take my usual two carry-ons and that was it. I pared down all my clothes and my dive stuff and I still couldn't do it. So I'm now going with three suitcases of 50 pounds each and two carry-ons. Let's not talk about the weight of the carry-ons. And that is quite a site, me trying to wrangle that luggage through the airport  and onto shuttle buses etc, it is not a pretty sight.

But in the end it is everything I would need to live in the caribbean. There were still a few pieces of dive equipment I couldn't fit in my bag (either due to room or weight) so I have another suitcase packed and stored with a friend for either my next trip home I'll take it back with me, or when someone comes to visit I'll pay for the extra piece of baggage and have them bring it with them.

Well maybe it's not quite that bad but that's how it feels.

The airlines LOVE me.