It is not the destination but the journey ..... who said that?

So, the plan was, go to Utila for a week of scuba diving. My kind of plan. Utila is one of the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras a sister island to Roatan. Smaller in size and known more for dive training than for high end resorts.

I was meeting Greg, Paula and Sandra in Honduras, so I thought I would save money and have a bit of an adventure by taking a ferry to Honduras. The ferry, "The D-Express" travels on Fridays from Placencia to Puerto Cortes Honduras, about a 2 hour ferry ride. Then I was going to take a taxi to San Pedro Sula where I would meet Paull, we would spend the night then meet Greg and Sandra at the International Airport there and take a puddle jumper flight to Utila.

I had gone to the website for the D-Express several times but it is not a great site, not well maintained or up to date and the link to purchase tickets online is not functional. On the Wednesday before I was supposed to leave I went into a business that is right near where the ferry apparently loads on Friday morning. I had been told that they sold tickets there. I went in and was told that no, I had to go see Omar for tickets.

Omar Sierra is a local long-time Placencian, owns some guest homes on the sidewalk, and owns a Restaurant "Omar's Creole Grub" on the main road. The people told me to go see Omar at the restaurant. I walked down the road and went in. Omar's son was there and he said his dad was on his way back to Placencia on the bus and would be there that afternoon/evening or the next day and could sell me a ticket. I told him I'd be back on Thursday.

Thursday morning I walked back down to the restaurant and when I asked about tickets for the ferry the young man said, "well Omar is around today but he's not here." I asked when he would be in and he said, "later today".

I didn't just fall off that turnip truck and knew I needed to clarify, we are talking Belize time here  so I asked, "what does that mean later?" He said, "well later this afternoon or if you come back around dinner time." So I went home to wait.

I then walked back down to the restaurant at about 4:30 in the afternoon. The sign outside said they were closed and would re-open at 5:30 for dinner. Might he have told me they closed and reopened later? Oh well.  Rather than go home I went and wandered through town, stopping at the grocery, the pharmacy etc. I went back at 5:30 but nope they were still closed. I wandered some more and went back twice more between 5:30 and 6 but they still weren't there. So I finally went over to where the guest houses were on the sidewalk and rang the bell outside. A very nice woman answered and I told her I was trying to get a ticket for the D-express. She siad, "Oh, Mr. Omar does that." I smiled. She said "oh, I'll go get him right now and disappeared into the home" She came back about 5 minutes later and said, "Mr. Omar has been out of town for a few days so he turned his ticket book back in while he was gone and doesn't have it."

I was beginning to wonder if I was meant to ride the ferry at all. Then the woman said, "you do know you can just get a ticket tomorrow morning when you board the ferry."

Huh, who'd have thought?

On Friday morning Dan and Doc, my cabana neighbors called a cab for me (due to a very large suitcase I had to get to the ferry) and they rode their bikes down and we had coffee together before I left. Finally at about 9:00 we left Placencia. After about 15 minutes we were in Independence where we sat for about an hour and waited until an Immigration Officer came to the boat, checked our passports and paperwork stamped them  and we were on our way.

The D-Express Ferry

Next post: Arriving in Honduras ... the adventure continues.

We Take Our Hammock Sitting Seriously ...

It has been a while since my last post, and for that I apologize.  It felt a bit like I had settled in, almost to a point of monotony. That isn't all bad, I am retired after all, the whole point here is I don’t’ “have” to do anything. And boy I’m getting exceptionally good at doing nothing.

But that is “nothing” in a healthy sense. If you ever need to relax, lower your blood pressure, find some place to meditate, consider your life, I can’t recommend the Caribbean, specifically this place, enough.

I am elevating hammock sitting on an over the water dock to an art form. So to let you know what is happening in this corner of the world, otherwise known as paradise:

Well first, one of my favorite bar/restaurants closed. I’m not always sure of the veracity of the stories I hear but what I've heard is the mother of the owner, who is from the UK, has fallen ill and he has decided to return to England.

The Purple Space Monkey has been in existence for 12 years in one form or another and seemed to have survived a few owners and a fire to become a relatively stable village staple. Good food, wonderful staff, good drinks. One of the very few places you could get a Belikin on draft.

When the owner decided to sell, in swooped Caldwell Banker Real Estate. They are selling most of the properties at Sanctuary Belize, a very upscale development in the area. I’m not really sure of the reasoning for Caldwell Banker to choose this property although it does put them on the main road right next to two other real estate offices. But they are apparently going to take a good restaurant property and enclose it to make an office building with a bar out front. I don’t know, maybe expats with a lot of money are looser with the checkbook after a few drinks.

The last few days at PSM were bittersweet, one less place your likely to run into friends for a drink while in the village, separate from the bigger beach bars. It was cool to see many of the local business owners, including restaurant and bar owners coming in for a meal and drinks and to say goodbye.

The Staff at Purple Space Monkey

The staff is going off in different directions, some will be working at other local bars, the chef Rick is building his own restaurant up the main road a piece, not sure when it will be built and operational.

Personally,  I’m sorry to no longer be able to get a Pizza at PSM, it was really quite good, and I loved a Monkey Mud Slide as a dessert drink.

In other news, at the cabanas where I live it has been fun  we seem to be forming a little community. Just about every afternoon and evening, some or all of us will end up on the dock, lounging in the newly purchased hammocks, exchanging stories about our day, telling each other what new we’ve learned about living in Placencia as an expat and learning about where we all came from. Mostly we’re just becoming professional hammock sitters.

There is Doc, he’s from Texas, a retired veterinarian and an author. He has published four books of short stories about vet life and has a fifth being edited for publication. His long term plan is to live here almost permanently, having just bought a piece of property but  he does go back to the states to travel to several very large stock shows where he has a booth to sell his books. Although his wardrobe now is shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops, it doesn’t take much to imagine him in boots, spurs and cowboy hat. You can check out his books and his website here.

There is Cruz, a former software engineer form Chandler, Arizona who just decided the Caribbean life was for him, so he sold everything and came on down. Long term he’ll likely buy or build a home here or in another Central American country,  and who knows, may start his own business. Don’t let him fool you though, in addition to being an engineer he is quite the dancer, ballroom style, western swing. You can often find him in one of the local watering holes cutting a rug and making several of us less than graceful types look reasonably okay on the dance floor.

Dan is the most recent addition to our little “community”, a former truck driver from Phoenix, Arizona who after a medical scare, retired and decided he could better afford life here and could avoid all that traffic.

John and Donna have lived here longer than the rest of us, they own the 2 Can Be Sweet coffee shop and bakery on the sidewalk. Donna makes those amazing cinnamon rolls I’ve previously raved about. They plan on moving and expanding their business a bit, less baked goods and more breakfast and lunch food in a new building on the main road. Right now they are in Guatemala on their newly purchased sailboat that after hurricane season they will bring up and anchor here to live on.

Finally we have Mike, a business owner from Kansas City, Missouri, who while back in the states right now will be back soon. He is building and opening a fishing charter business, in partnership with a local Belizean boat captain and fishing guide. Looks like he’ll be very successful. Hoping I might get a chance to go fishing with  him.

L to R: Dan, Doc and Cruz, cleaning fresh fish from the Co-op before grilling, it was excellent.

There is still one cabana unoccupied, you should come down and try out the hammock sitting job. There is always a breeze on our little dock, in fact sometimes it seems almost gale force winds but even then it is still comfortable and beautiful.

Next week I’m off to Utila for a week of diving with friends. Can’t wait to see Greg, Paula and Sandra. Besides the diving, Greg is checking out some homes there,  maybe I should get him to write a guest blog post about his trip to Utila and Placencia. After diving he’s visiting with me up here, checking out the local bars and restaurants and getting to enjoy the annual Lobsterfest.

Next post will include, ferry, taxi, bus and small plane rides to get to and from Honduras and an overnight stay in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Cockroaches and other excuses for not writing ...

I put on my big girl panties (as the saying goes) and took care of the roach bait traps myself, and luckily after my two-day murderous spree I haven't seen anymore inside the house.

So I can no longer use actual cockroaches as my excuse for not writing.

Writing you say? Why yes, I call myself a writer and have a couple of "works in progress". I'm not one, however, to let the lack of cockroaches keep me from a million other impediments to getting the writing done.

Most of my excuses are not physical things although the cockroaches work as a pretty good metaphor for all the things that I use to keep me from writing. Most of them are mental things, my own internal critic, my desire to please EVERYONE,  my fear of pleasing NO ONE, etc., etc..

I know, I know, every one agrees if you want to be a writer you have to write for yourself, not for others, and I do, kind of,  but like the crazy people inside my head I still want others to like what I write and want to read it.

Several people have offered to read for me, but just the thought, makes me get queasy and a little sweaty palmed. In fact a very good friend said he would read what I had so far ... and he doesn't even read, ever. And while I appreciate the offers I know I need to find a way around these "bugs" that keep me from moving forward.

To that end I went back to the beginning, in a way.

I have this fantasy that I am, in an alternate universe best friends with some amazingly creative people, and top of that list is Anne Lamott. (My other fantasy best friend is Sara Bareilles, she seems like she'd be a really cool best friend). I read her books, I follow her on facebook, well actually I guess I'm stalking her. She makes me laugh, she says stuff that is actually already in my brain, she is far more spiritual than I am but she forgives me for that too, but she swears like a sailor at times and for that I love her. If you're bothered by bad language skip this quote ... okay you've been warned:

“The best way to get quiet, other than the combination of extensive therapy, Prozac, and a lobotomy, is first to notice that the station is on. KFKD [K-Fucked] is on every single morning when I sit down at my desk. So I sit for a moment and then say a small prayer--please help me get out of the way so I can write what wants to be written. Sometimes ritual quiets the racket. Try it. Any number of things may work for you--an altar, for instance, or votive candles, sage smudges, small-animal sacrifices, especially now that the Supreme Court has legalized them.” 

I went back and listened to her give a talk called "Word by Word" which was like a mini workshop she did as she toured with her book "Bird by Bird", my absolute favorite book on writing,  and life.

So I've started re-reading the book. She's making me laugh all over again and realize how much I do want to write and keep writing. I would recommend this book for anyone just trying to get themselves to DO anything, particularly anything creative where they suffer from self-doubt  and low self esteem.

“If you always dreamed of writing a novel or a memoir, and you used to love to write, and were pretty good at it, will it break your heart if it turns out you never got around to it? If you wake up one day at eighty, will you feel nonchalant that something always took precedence over a daily commitment to discovering your creative spirit?

If not--if this very thought fills you with regret--then what are you waiting for?” 

I'm back at it, kind of, when I can quiet the voices in my head and get rid of the cockroaches in my writing life.

And for some of you, okay, I'm done for today talking about writing which bores some of you to no end.

On a Killing Spree ...

I am a murderer, and last night I went on a killing spree.

Cockroaches.

First, let me reiterate, the cockroaches in the Caribbean are really just a part of life, they are here (probably have been for thousands if not millions of years ... long before me), not due to a place being dirty, probably more likely because the place is built where the cockroaches already lived and when in search of food or water, sometimes it is found inside a dwelling. Unfortunately for them, the dwelling they chose happens to be mine.

I think I may have mentioned. I don't do bugs. I really don't do cockroaches.

So, while sitting a reading, minding my own business, out of the corner of my eye I see movement and there it is, just crawling across the floor. Half a can of bug poison later and it is on it's back, little legs kind of twitching. Sweep that baby right out the door.

About 10 minutes later there is another one. I tried to be a little more judicious with the poison, not because I didn't want to use another half a can but I started to worry about running out before my killing spree was over.

So final count was 5 large and 6 small roaches, which now litter the front walkway at my house.

There was a casualty, for which I'm sure I'll pay dearly. But I was in a frenzy and the light level was relatively low. I walked out expecting I might see a roach and there it was. I swore it was a pretty big size spider. Yeah, I do spiders about as well as I do cockroaches. So out came the poison and spray away. As I'm poisoning the thing I realize it doesn't really crawl across the floor like a spider an then I realize it is a tiny little crab, about the size of a nickel from claw to claw.

I'm certain the ocean gods will get me for this, but really what the heck was that crab thinking coming inside my house???

My real payment may be that I will die from inhaling bug poison  inside my house. I'm looking for an exterminator as we speak, I don't even know if they have them here.

Some Nashvegas time then back to Paradise

So, I arrived in Tennessee on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, went from the airport to South Street, a restaurant/bar in Nashville, for a beer other than Belikin (did I really say that?), then on to Jonathan's Grille for drinks and dinner and a visit with Brian before he jetted off back to California.

It was a great stay in Tennessee, made so very easy and relaxing by Greg, who not only picked me up at the airport but allowed me to stay at his home and use his vehicle during my stay. I got all my errands taken care of and then Greg and I met Paula and her lovely daughter Livie at Drake's where the adults had a couple beers and Livie just was her usual adorable self.

Thursday  night many friends gathered in Cool Springs at the Cool Springs Brewery, it was so great to get to see everyone again, and continue to try and convince them to come to Belize for a visit.

Allie

Lindsay

Lindsay, Tony, Kelli, me, Sandra, Greg, Rob, Alex, Jan,  Natalie & Cindy

Jan

Natalie and Cindy -- Natalie just gets more beautiful as she grows up!

Greg, Rob and Alex

Many thanks to all who came, sorry I missed those of you who couldn't make it.

Had a quick cup of coffee with soon to be new dad Kevin Sage, great to catch up before he is inundated with new dad duties. And thanks Kev for the intro to Aaron, we're meeting for a drink on Thursday!

Thursday the 1st finally came and Greg finally got to get rid of me, although at a price, he had to get up at 3 a.m. to get me to the airport for a 6 a.m. flight. I don't think there are adequate words to express my appreciation for all he did for me during my stay in Tennessee. Thank you again friend, and please thank Rob and Hasty for letting me "move in" to the guys house.

So it was off to Belize again. Have I mentioned how much I love having TSA pre check? And that Global Entry thing for coming back to the states. Worth every penny. Uneventful, easy flights from Nashville to Houston to Belize City to Placencia.

And when I arrived I got to move in to my new place:

I'm in the downstairs unit, a one bedroom with a reasonably large living room (comparatively). It is just right for me and behind this building not far is the ocean -- which is perfect for me.

Within a couple of days I was able to go snorkeling out to the inner reef with a group of medical students from India currently doing a two year program in Belize City, here for a long weekend. Best way to describe it was interesting, they were lovely young people although some of them didn't really even know how to swim, putting on mask fins and snorkel and getting in the ocean was almost overwhelming although they all did great and were amazed at what they could see under the water. In fact a couple hope to come back and learn to dive! The snorkeling was not the best I've ever seen but it was a good way to introduce these kids to the ocean in a safe environment. And I got to get wet which made everything better.

New neighbors have moved in to the cabanas where I live, including a really interesting man from Texas who is a vet and a published author, and I'm meeting more new people which is good. Working on really seriously getting back to the writing after a period of self doubt. And dreaming of an upcoming dive trip to Utila.

A Visit to the States

I arrived in Tennessee yesterday for my final stop on my whirlwind tour of the US before heading back to Belize.

I wondered as I was on the plane from Belize to the US if I would get here and be sad, wishing I hadn't moved or realizing how much I missed the US.

Truth? Nope, didn't happen. Yes I miss my friends here and wish I saw them more, and every once in a while I feel like I'd give my left arm for a really good green salad and I LOVED seeing my kids .... but overall, I really don't miss the hustle and bustle of life in the US. I don't watch TV anymore and I kind of like that. I don't drive anymore and have no need for a car (except those few occasions I wish I could drive to Belize City for dinner with Rob Harris and the Island Hoppers folks!!). I like my quiet existence on the little Peninsula of Placencia and the new friends I"ve made there. I really like waking up to the sounds of the ocean and the birds, and deciding which pair of shorts and t-shirt I should wear, and just walking everywhere.

And speaking of ... has anyone else noticed how cold it gets in the US? I stepped out of the airport in Sacramento and it was 60 some degrees and I was freezing!

So, I don't have Tennesse stories or pictures to share ..... yet, but I've had  such a great trip so far.

I started in Roseville, CA where I got to spend time with Cait and her best friend Gregg in their new home (new to them). Two real highlights (besides just hanging with my daughter), got to really spend some much needed time with one of my oldest friends (I mean she's been my friend for a very long time so stop giving me that look Elaine!).

And then there was this:

Cait, Gregg, Cheri and Me on our way to the game!
(Photo by Caitlin Jeffs)

A great place to see a game!!

Such a beautiful park, an absolutely great night in SF (it was about 60 degrees
which was perfect for Giants baseball), we played the Dodgers (BOOOOOOO)
and we won! (YAAAAYYYY)

I had arrived late Sunday night and the game was on Wednesday night. Early Thursday morning we got up to go to Virginia.

The rain that was forecast held off and it was a beautiful day for a wedding.

Such a beautiful couple and a wonderful ceremony.
(Photo by Caitlin Jeffs)

The gorgeous Bride and her handsome Marine husband.
 (Yes I'm biased)

This is Lindsey, my daughter in-law, she really was a stunning bride.
(she is basically stunning anyway)
Such a  beautiful dress too.

My beautiful daughter Cait next to her lovely sister in-law.
Yes, Lindsey is that tall and Cait is ..... petitte.

My sister Lisa made the wedding cake (this is about the 12th wedding she's made the cake for), it was just beautiful and delicious too!

Those are edible butterflies cascading down the side of the  cake.
White cake with chocolate-raspberry ganache filling and buttercream frosting. Yum!

When the Bride and Groom left they were sent off with sparklers instead of rice or bubbles or other stuff which was very cool!

Lindsey's family are lovely, her mom made the food for the wedding reception. Brendan is very lucky, looks like he not only scored with his lovely bride but with her family as well.

Oh, the proverbial icing ont he cake?  I got to spend time with this beautiful mommy,  this adorable little girl and her daddy.

Miss Nora Grace is the most well behaved baby ever.
Wish her big sister Em could have been there too.

I am so glad that this little family is such good friends to both my kids and their babies are really great photo subjects for Cait. And they were great traveling buddies too!

So I'm in Tennessee. Have a few bits of business I have to take care of while here, but mostly I'll be just visiting friends and taking it easy. I am so lucky, some of my friends have planned a get together for me to get to see a lot of them at once.We'll do that on Thursday, can't wait!

But, again, besides the friends I don't get to see or talk to regularly living in Belize, I am also looking forward to getting back there, away from the traffic, noise, crowds and general rush of life here. And when I go back I"ll be moving into the new place, hoping it is better for me than the last. My skin is just now starting to heal some from all the bites etc. So I"ll go back with a bit of a fresh start.

More Changes ... and a Visit .... Home?

It is a very weird thing to be planning a trip back to the U.S. and realize it is only for a short visit. I started to write someone a note and tripped over myself, was my arrival in the U.S. an arrival home or when I leave the U.S. on the first of May to return to Belize departing for home?

There are more changes for me as well.

The bugs won. At least the bugs on the side of the lagoon I'm presently living on. And I finally raised the white flag. So when I return from my U.S.visit I am moving back to the other side of the lagoon, where there is a bit more of an ocean breeze and less of whatever else it is that seems to attract the bugs. My poor body just could not heal, bites upon bites and never getting to just be, always covered in some kind of ointment, cream or poison. But I am feeling better that I am able to do something about it without giving up and returning to the U.S.

And other than that it has been a week of just living.

I currently have roommates, at least two but maybe more:

This one is on my living room wall.

Did you know that Gecko's make noise? They do. They are regular chatterers. I listen to them every night, chirping almost like birds. But I dont' complain because they eat bugs so I'm willing to share my house.

So as you likely remember, every month I have to go to Independence, pay my $50 BZD to get my passport stamped for an additional 30 day stay. The stamp I had expired on April 3. So on the 2nd I got up, got on the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi and headed to Independence. A cab ride to the immigration office to be told they didn't have a book and expected one to be delivered later in the day, that we should return the following day to get our stamps. I think what they really were missing was a receipt book, they need to write a receipt for the payment and then enter the receipt number in their log ... no receipt number, no stamp in your passport. I returned to Placencia for the day.

Thursday morning I got up and did it all over again but this time I got my stamp. I'm good til May 2. Of course I"m leaving here on the 13th to go to the states and returning to Belize on the 1st of May,which will allow me to stay until the 30th of May. Then I'll do it all again.

While waiting for the water taxi to leave for Independence there was this:

It is always nice to have a friend keeping an eye out at the front of your boat,
gotta watch for problems in the water.

Friday was spent doing what I usually do, not much of anything. I learned, however, that while I was heading to Independence to get my passport stamped there were manatees, righ toff the end of the dock at Paradise Resort. Really? Apparently it is manatee mating season so there is a chance that I might get to see some.

What I mostly have done lately is read. And read a lot. I think in the past three weeks I have read eight novels.

It is Saturday now, so I woke up and headed into town. After rowing across, on the road towards town I saw this:

Yep, that is a little fox.

I had heard that there were some little foxes living in the area, had seen a couple scooting behind some bushes but hadn't gotten any pictures. But this one started to trot away but then stopped and looked at me. I was a little surprised, it wasn't really running away. I was happy to get the picture but still surprised it was letting me. (I of course wanted to believe it just could get such a cool vibe from me it didn't feel it needed to run).

But then I realized probably why it was sticking around and watching me so carefully:

Those are little baby foxes.

No wonder the larger fox wasn't running. Protecting his/her young. Probably hoping to keep my attention away from the babies.

So I think I'll go see if I can find me some manatees or something else.