Pretending to be a Local

Well I’m not really pretending to be a local but I am in that in-between place. I’m not here just on holiday, I live here now, but I’ve only been here just over a week and know less than many of those here on holiday.

If you want to know where a grocery store is or a bank or the post office, if you give me a minute to get my bearings I can usually point you in the right direction. But ask me where I live and I have a hard time describing it, is there even a name to the dirt road that I walk down to get home? I’ve never seen a sign and I haven’t asked.

I usually talk in landmarks, “you know where the soccer field is (futbol field if their European)? On the other side of the soccer field between the ocean and the lagoon, where the lagoon narrows”.  Someone finally said it was out towards Sunset Pointe. But here, just for you I have a map. If you look down on the lower left, #71; according to the legend that is called Sugar Reef (Sunset Lounge and Cabanas). That actually is where i live although it is now called Nikolai's Place. And if you look directly across the lagoon there, to the right of #70, that is where the house i will be renting starting in March is.

I only made the map this big so you could maybe read the legend. I still needed to enlarge it to read it.

Please don’t ask me how to get somewhere and really don’t ask me if something is north, south, east, or west of where we are at that moment or we’ll both be hopelessly lost.

But I am starting to feel more like a local than just a tourist.

I was telling a friend just the other that just about every morning for the past six years I wake up, sometimes early, sometimes not so early and I dread the idea of getting out of bed. And it has been this general malaise, I wasn’t doing anything that made he excited usually to start my day.

Since I have been here, I often stay up late reading (I’ve gotten through four novels since arriving here a week and a half ago) or writing. I turn out the light and fall asleep quickly and sleep well.

The little cabana I am in, and I think most places in this part of the world, has windows with screens and then louvers on them. No glass. I think the louvers will only get closed if some really severe weather comes in, the rest of the time I am lulled to sleep or awakened by the sounds of life outside.

And it isn’t cars, or sirens, or television or any of those things that made up the cacophony of noises in our daily lives.  I lie in bed and can hear the water lapping up onto the sand from the Caribbean, or I can feel the wind, a gentle breeze, or bird of undetermined species but they can be loud.  When it has rained it has not been accompanied by thunder or lightening. It is more that it comes sweeping in, starting with just a few sprinkles and then the skies open up and it pours.

It continues to come in like the ocean does at the beach, the rain breaks above me like a wave that washes up on shore then recedes,  it gets a little quieter, and then another wave comes in.

It seems to last an hour or so and just as suddenly as it had arrived it is gone. Shortly I’ll hear the birds again and then I”ll feel it begin to warm up as the sun reappears.

In the mornings if I wait in bed I hear a few boats, usually small skiffs, I imagine their owners are “commuting” to work from somewhere a bit further south.

Often though I get up and go out to see what that morning’s sunrise will look like. They have almost all been spectacular. I watch the sun come up and the boats, mostly sailboats, that are anchored offshore as they gently rock on the water. I have yet to see any boat yet “under sail”.

I find myself feeling guilty often, what do I “do” all day? I have no work, I am on no ones schedule and no one would know if I chose to just stay in bed. But then I try and remind myself, I am allowed to enjoy my life. I know how fortunate I am to have a great retirement that allows me to live this way, but I earned that retirement so I needn’t feel guilty for making the most of it.

I am truly loving not having a TV. I had become used to watching a few shows regularly back in the states, but I feel just fine without them. I just skip over all those posts on social media about Breaking Bad and House of Cards and whatever else is the popular shows these days, I didn’t watch them before and can’t watch them now. Have no clue what all the fuss is about..

It has become a bit of a treat these last couple of weeks to go out in the evening to a local restaurant/bar and be able to watch bits and pieces of the Olympics, but that satisfies my desire for TV and I go home and read. I would have enjoyed seeing some of the ice skating performances but wasn’t there at the right time and can’t find clips of them online. Guess I’ll just do without.

I got my stove working (thank you Greg for the help), and finally cooked a little for myself. Nice not to just keep spending money, going out for every meal. The "kitchen" here is a little tough. A very small stove, next to a sink with about 8 inches of counter space on one side and about 20 inches of counter space on the other. Below the twenty inches of counter space is a small dorm sized refrigerator. Under the sink is a cabinet. Thats it, no shelves, no drawers nothing. So that "large" counter space is taken up mostly by a dish drying rack that holds the dishes that I have here, and the rest of the counter space is taken up by the small amount of food I'm keeping in the house.

Have enjoyed meeting people, both people who live here and those here visiting. Met a great couple the other night, here from Wisconsin (I’d be out of Wisconsin too in the winter). They were traveling throughout Belize, they hope to one day retire somewhere in Central America. They liked Placencia but were most impressed with inland places, the jungle and mountains. They talked sustainability and self sufficiency. When I asked where they were staying they told me they were camping. That husband was originally from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan (insert comment about real winters and huge amounts of snow), he is currently unemployed and his wife is a nurse. They are leaving Belize at the end of the week, hoping (wink, wink) they don’t get stuck here due to bad weather back home. I’ll leave the camping to others.

Went to a restaurant today for lunch, “The Pickled Parrot”. This is my second visit here. It is owned by an American couple from New Jersey (south Jersey I’m told). They have been here for almost 3 years and have owned the restaurant for just over two. Really nice people, their son tends bar there,  and another young man who is Belizean but spent about 12 years in Chicago and fairly recently returned. He is this great mixture of Belize and Chicago, his hair is shoulder length and braided, he speaks with a Belizean accent, I think he speaks Creole, but he dresses a little like a hip hop artist. I'll have to get a picture of him tomorrow.

The food is good, very American style food, the special the other night was meatloaf, today was Chicken Parmesan. Who eats meatloaf when they come to Belize? But, they ran out. I guess many of the expats enjoy coming in for an "American" meal. I had a burger and I’m not sure if it is because I’ve had almost no beef in the last few weeks or what, but it was an awesome cheeseburger and maybe the best onion rings I’ve ever had. I think they make them with a tempura batter. And, of course, a Belikin to wash it down.

The Pickled Parrot

Have a date to return there tomorrow, to watch the USA vs. Canada Women’s Hockey match with a couple from Canada. Should be fun. Go USA!!!

Might as well Jump In with Both Feet!

When I arrived in Belize city it was already 4:00 in the afternoon. I had tried, the night before, to book a flight from Belize City to Placencia for Sunday and it wouldn't let me. I tried both Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. I had a sneaking suspicion I was going to have to find a room for Sunday night and get a flight for Monday.

But, as I got through Belize Immigration and Customs a Belizean man came up and told me he would help me with my bags. I must have given him one of those looks, you know the one, because he assured me he wasn't going to try and charge me anything, he just wanted to help me get out of the way of the doorway. Oh, okay, sorry dude.

Then he asks me where I'm going and I say I want to go to Placencia but it seems I've missed the last flight for the day. He says, "no, we can get you there ... and off he goes to the ticket agent. He's gone five minutes or so while I stand around and think about how I will find a hotel in Belize City, one within my budget. The guy comes back and says "no more flights for Tropic Air but I can get you on Maya Island Air". And with that he personally assists me through the entire process until I have a ticket in my hand and my bags are checked for a 5:00 p.m. flight.

Wow, that was nice.

It is a $116  USD one way flight. I could have waited until Monday and tried to take a bus (which is actually I believe several buses) which would have likely taken about 5 hours, or I could have rented a cab for about $250 and taken about 3.5 hours. Overall it was worth the cost for the 35 minute plane ride and a beautiful look at Belize from about 1500 feet.

I turn on my phone enough to text the leasing agent for the one month rental I have and tell her I'm taking a 5:00 flight. I am getting on the plane so I turn off my phone and have no idea if she received my text. My busy little brain that loves to worry, starts trying to figure out how I'm going to know where to go and how to get the keys to the place.

I step off the plane and there she is, like an angel, Desorine from the leasing office is awaiting my arrival. A fairly quick cab ride from the airport and through the village, pointing out places of interest etc.  ($7.50 USD). The soccer field, where I am told just about every Sunday you can find  games going on. There are booths around he field that appear to maybe sell food and/or drinks, banks (there are 3 in town), the post office, the police and fire stations and grocery stores --the largest ones are Chinese owned so she said you will find Chinese food ingredients. In fact I noticed at least two Chinese restaurants on my short tour, who knew? Desorine also says that along the road from the airport to the village a lot of people trot. It took a second for me to realize she meant this was a favorite jogging route, she said there were lots of people out at 5 or 5:30 in the morning or in the evening. I wasn't planning on being up and about at 5:30, but maybe I'll try and evening walk soon to start, we'll see.

As we pull into the parking area of the little cabana where I"ll be staying I can see that the house I will be renting longer term in March is directly across the lagoon from where we park the car. Convenient, no?

I get to my little tiny cabana, and it is small, but all that I need (except no place to put my luggage either empty or not), but nothing I can't cope with. I meet a couple neighbors, one of whom (an American) says he and his wife own a small bakery coffee shop down the road. I'm all about coffee and bakeries so I'm sure I'll see him in the morning.

Once I get all my luggage into the room and freshen up a bit I decide its time to go for a walk and get some dinner. As I walk out the door and to the street, it is dark but it is warm, shirtsleeve weather and I'm already happy. I walk towards the soccer field where I can see they are still playing and i can hear music. When I get closer I realize sitting on the bleachers are not only the local soccer fans but several guys playing drums. It was lovely. I walk over to a little stand and buy a Belikin, the local beer and get a warm welcome to Placencia from the guy "bar tending". I watch a little bit of soccer then wander on towards restaurants. I don't go far before I just decide to try this place:

Yeah, I have no idea where the name comes from or why .....

I sit at the bar order a beer (Belikin of course), and Jerk Chicken Quesadillas with black beans and cheese.

Quesadilla: Jerk chicken, black beans, cheese with fresh pico de gallo -- YUMMY.

Belikin on draft, the National Beer of Belize, not bad and not expensive.

I ate dinner, watched the Olympics, drank a couple beers and met Fabio from Italy, in Belize with his wife for the past month, here for his company as they are scouting a place in Central America to build a hotel/resort. Also met some guy from Montana (can't remember his name), here on holiday and planning on going boar hunting this week. I asked what he planned to do if he shot a boar, he said he would have it butchered and ship the meat home to Montana. I mentioned it seemed it would be really really expensive to ship meat home and he said he didn't care. Well okay then.

Mr. Montana ordered himself a double shot of Crown Royal with a splash of water. As he was waiting for his drink I got my bill for my Quesadilla and two beers, total of $22 Belizian -- $11 US. He gets his Crown --$40 Belizian ($20 US) YIKES!! I think I'll stick with the Belikins which are $2.50 US.  (Another reminder, if you come to visit and want liquor you might want to stop at the duty free and pick up your own).

After dinner I took the leisurely walk back to my cabana. I think I'm going to love it here. Although Placencia is known for having the longest sidewalk in he world (I hear it is in the Guinness book of World Records), many of the streets are dirt roads. Desorine tells me that many people rent golf carts rather than cars, I think I'd prefer a bicycle.  Monday I plan to spend the day wandering, figuring out where things are and making a stop at the grocery store. I don't see myself cooking that much, although my little room does have a stove, oven and refrigerator. We'll see. But I did notice a fruit stand that I will definitely visit.

I had posted on FB that I had arrived and my friend Cheri said the feeling of arriving is great but the first wake up will be the best. @CheriShaw, you were right, best feeling in the world although still have to get used to the idea that I'm not here for just a week on holiday but I'm staying long term.

By the way, one of my worries about the flight from Belize City to Placencia is that the airline had baggage policies that said they allowed two checked bags of 30 pounds each and one carry on of 15 pounds. Several people said to me, don't worry, they don't care. I'm a rule follower for the most part and I was sure I'd be the one person they singled out and made an example of  -- trying to get on their plane with two 50 pound checked bags and a small roller bag of indeterminate weight and a backpack carry on. But no, I was wrong, they took my bags without question, never weighed them. Desorine tells me that they are very relaxed, if you need to catch a plane and you're running a couple minutes late you can just call them and ask them to wait. I don't think I'll try that.

Falling Into Place

JUST A QUICK UPDATE:

I found an interim place in Placencia for the month I am there before the rental house is available . It is a tiny studio sized cabana but all that I will need. I'm looking forward to spending the month getting my feet underneath me, learning about the town, meeting people, getting into the Placencia way of life.

Here is the little bungalow,  and what they call their Caribbean Pier.

It's all good.