Expect the unexpected. but then, I should have expected it.

There is something I have debated about writing about cause I am afraid it might deter some of my friends and family from coming to visit. However, it is part of my experience here; facing fears and adapting to a new environment.  

When I first moved in, the lady who owned the property told me upon possession that there was a 7 foot boa living on the property. She was very protective of it, and urged me not to kill it if I saw it. When I got my yard cleaned and cut back, I thought the snake had probably left. I really didn`t think any more about her and just went about the yard without fear that I would come across it.

Well the other  day, I had some fellows working on my house. I am getting it jacked up, and levelled with concrete posts. I was working in the other cabana when a couple of the guys came over. I walked out to see the commotion cause the dogs were really barking. The younger fellow had a snake draped around his neck and was holding it`s head. It was the boa the lady was talking about. They found it sleeping on the beams, just above where I walk into my garage. My eyes popped right out of my head. The snake was quite pretty, for a snake, as it`s body shone opalescent in the sun but she was way too big to live here. I am so grateful to these fellows, who put it in a bag and took it down the road to a bush. I am also glad they saw it before I did.

Belize Independence Day, September 21

Congratulations to Belize! Thirty-two years of independence. This is a very young country with an incredible spirit. The village of Placencia celebrated with a  number of events, parties, two parades and a grand fishing tournament. I was surprised to hear that a business provided the gas for the boats entered in the deep fishing event.

I decided to go to see the parade and I needed to purchase a BIG fan, to battle the heat. The first fan I purchased has already crapped out. My day did not go exactly as planned, but then it rarely does. The parade was to start at 1pm. I wanted to see the parade, come home to feed the dogs, and then go back to see the fish that the boats brought in and join the party.

Well, the parade didn't reach where I was till 4 pm, but I had been socializing and meeting new folks in the Pickled Parrot most of the day. The  parade was short but in the heat and distance they walked, danced, rode and drove, it  was commendable! The effort that went into the costumes for the kids was also commendable.
 
 
 

 

I am sorry I missed the J'ouvert at 5 am yesterday morning, but will definitely check it out next year, now that I know what it is. The J'ouvert is a Caribbean celebration where participants smear mud, oil, paint or any other sticky substance like pudding or honey with flour thrown on their bodies. They then dance through the streets before the break of dawn behind either a band or big truck with huge speakers, with a DJ.


I guarantee, no one sleeps in in Placencia and apparently the participants sprayed on-lookers with chocolate pudding and mud. At the end of the parade, the dirty people ran to the sea to wash off with an amazing sunrise in the background.  I was told that most of the celebrants had been up all night. I have borrowed this photo with approval from the  photographer who captured the event.

 

I did a little more research to find that the J'ouvert origins lay with the celebrations coinciding with the emancipation of slavery in 1838. There is a J'ouvert in Toronto as part of Caribana but it has been highly commercialized taking place in a ticketed outdoor venue.
 
 
 
 
 
I will try to get into the village this afternoon and get some pictures of the fish caught in the second day of the tournament.

* edited..I didn't do the math property. Belize got it's independence in 1981 so is 32 years old.

Coke, Police and Rice Pudding!

Ok, after 2 1/2 months of living in Belize, I must be honest! Not all of my experiences and indulgences have been healthy choices, but then it wouldn't be paradise if we couldn't have some of our favourite vices. 

While I have been writing about seaweed and coconuts, mango banana smoothies, and soursop juice I now have to admit to some of the more guilty pleasures that I have been indulging in.



My favourite addiction is... Coca Cola. I know.. I know.. I have been trying to get off the stuff for years. Now I come to Belize and find my favourite drink, ice cold, in a glass bottle. You know what I'm talking about.  It doesn't get much better than this for us Coke addicts, and...you can buy it in a 500 ml bottle too! At some point I will have to knock it off but I am enjoying it for the moment.

Another guilty pleasure is meat loaf Mondays at the Pickled Parrot. That is where I was today, after finishing my trip across the lagoon and back, on the Hokey Pokey Water taxi,  I had to visit the immigration office to get my passport stamped in Big Creek and go to the electric company to get my bills explained to me. Today the meat loaf was served with mashed potatoes, gravy and the best brussel sprouts I have tasted. I find the ground beef to be really good in Belize,  along with the chicken. Nice meal for $10 BZE.

The day was an interesting one as my dog Pirate got loose and would not come back. It is not fun trying to catch a dog in this heat and after 1/2 hour,  I couldn't wait any longer, cause I had to catch the boat in Placencia. I just had to hope he would be back when I returned. When I got back, he was locked up in my yard and I have yet to find out who let him back in. I am very grateful that someone was looking out for my dog. Up till now, Pirate wouldn't leave the yard as I was backing out my truck, but he has a taste for it now so I will be tying him up, along with Veree, every time I leave the yard. I worry they will go on the road and get hit.

I also had another brush with the police in Placencia.  As I was going to the lumber yard after some socializing and two Belikin beer at the Pickled Parrot, I drove up to two officers on the side of the road. They flagged me down. This time they were not selling raffle tickets. As it turned out, they were on their way home and accepted a ride for as far as I was going. They jumped in and came with me a few kilometers to the lumber yard. They thanked me, jumped out, flagged down the next truck passing by, and jumped into the back of it. I looked in the back seat to see two beer bottles on the floor from the last road trip. THIS IS NOT CANADA . I'd say I am adapting pretty quick to Belizean ways as my heart didn't even skip a beat. Happy to be of service!!

I discovered a new indulgence today. A fellow came into the bar selling bread and rice puddings. Everything was portioned out, wrapped in tin foil. I chose rice pudding to take home with me. Wow, was it good.

So with all the guilty pleasures I have been partaking in, including organic dark chocolate, made a mile up the road, paired with a ginger cookie, I am pretty sure I have gained a little weight. 

I don't have any new pictures for this post except this one.

I have finally seen the iguana living and pooping in my yard, and had to save him from the dogs. Pirate picked him up and shook him like a rag doll. I locked up the other two dogs so the iguana could have a far fight.This is a male, distinguished by it's orange colour and his tail should be about 3 feet long.  Most of this guy's tail is missing so he doesn't have a great defense.  Pirate barked and challenged Iggy for about an hour. I finally distracted Pirate with a piece of bread and caught him. I was worried the iguana was injured but he was spotted in a tree the next day by the handyman.

It seems that every day brings some kind of challenge or discovery. I rather enjoy some of the dull moments cause I never know what is going to happen next.

September is for Celebrating in Belize!

This past week I took my first drive in the truck to Belmopan, the capital city. The journey takes roughly 2 1/2 hours with the scenery turning to jungle  through the beautiful Maya Mountains. With it being the rainy season, it was so incredibly green and lush. My trip was a quick one, stopping in to see my Belizean lawyer and helping a friend check on his car.
On the return trip we stopped at Over the Top bar/restaurant for a cold beer.  It was a lovely spot to view the greenery and there were no bugs, which surprised me.  I will keep it in mind in the future when I need a pit stop!

My new friend, guide and favourite bar tender, navigated me safely there and back, knowing every turn, speed bump and one lane bridge. He laughed at me cause I slowed down so much going over the bridges. But, they are narrow. I really don't know how the buses fly through them. We made it back to Placencia just in time for him to catch the 6pm boat back to Independence, on the other side of the lagoon. It was a great day and I am grateful I had company who knew the city.

September 10th is a National Holiday in Belize. It commemorates the Battle of St. George's Caye that took place in 1798, between the invading Spanish navy, and a collective force consisting of British settlers (The Bayman), pirates and liberated slaves. Spain never did invade Belize and it is celebrated here. Lots of flags. parades, and patriotism. I happened to see the kids  parade on Monday. The kids were not in uniforms but in red white and blue for their national colours. I caught a picture of the kids and the sign of my new spot, the Pickled Parrot. 

 

September is party month in Belize as September 21st is their Independence Day. Belize got it's independence in 1981. It is celebrated with Carnival celebrations all over the country but the best activities are apparently in Belize City....and more parades.


Here are some of the latest blooms in my garden.

A lovely bunch of coconuts and seaweed!

I have finally gotten around to dealing with some dried seaweed I purchased from the Placencia Co-operative, in the village. I thought I would start out with an ounce and see how that went.

My first mistake is that I should have soaked it first, which I did not. Next time! However, I boiled the seaweed with 1 litre of water until it was a thick gel.

 I still have little bits of seaweed that did not break down in my finished product but I don't think it will kill me.
The seaweed gel can be used as a thickening agent for soups, stews and smoothies. A Belizean seaweed drink is made with milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and seaweed. I have not tried or made one of those yet but I added my seaweed to my banana, mango smoothie.

                                      

            Love these!

The other day some men working down the lane asked if they could have some of my coconuts. I asked if they could get me one too. The younger fellow climbed their ladder and hacked down a big bunch with his machete. He then chopped  off the end and presented it to me to drink the water from it.

It is so good and refreshing. People drink it daily here as it is said to have cleansing properties. The fellow chopped five coconuts and dumped the water into my container which I now have in my fridge.  I got the low down on which coconuts are best for water and soft flesh, and which ones are best for raw coconut to make coconut milk. My trees are loaded with coconuts and one of the men said it is a cycle. I will have to get a custom stick made to reach them and pull them down; hopefully not on my head.

 

Settling into the Heat

 

It's been a couple of weeks since my last posting and I look around and wonder what I have accomplished. The temperatures have been 32 to 34 degrees with humidity that feels like 43 degrees. By 10:30 things are pretty hot and it is hard to do anything without breaking out in a full dripping sweat. I had a reprieve for a few days as some rain came, which the garden and I were thankful for . Temperatures cooled to 23 degrees at night, but it is getting hot (hotter) again.
I now have a full pressurized water system running to all the cabanas. I have run into a few problems and leaks, but nothing too serious. My laundry room and shed is now cleaned out and rid of the bats and I finally got into the shed under the large cabana. The lock was jammed but my handyman, Victor, got it.

The shed is very dirty and full of..you guessed it.. bats. I am not sure what other creatures are living in there. To my surprise, there are three decent bikes, with at least one child seat on the back. I was going to pull them out but have decided to wait for Victor's assistance cause the whole job is just creepy and yucky. I am not sure what other surprises await in that shed but tomorrow is the day to tackle it.




The dogs are settling in and starting to show their true natures and personalities. I have lost a few things as Veree picks up anything and takes it to Pirate, who then chews and eats it. I got a bit of a surprise picking up dog poo as  it was brilliant green. I didn't figure it out till i saw my head scarf torn to shreds on the deck. I don't think I will be able to train these dogs not to pick up things so I am the one who needs the training to quit leaving stuff lying around. I am going to lose a crock one of these days if I don't re-train. Below is a caricature of my three doggies that I did on the computer one day when it was too hot to do much of anything else.

I have had no luck finding a head cleaner. None to be found in Belize City and the pirated DVD's I purchase don't seem to work half way through the movie. I think I will have to break down and get cable TV. It is actually really good compared with the cable I had access to in Ontario. There are all the major networks from the US, BBC, CNN,  Al Jazeera, HBO, sports channels, local channels, kids channels, movie channels, nature and Discovery Channel, but no Canadian channels unfortunately. Things changed recently and they no longer affiliate with the Canadian network.   Cable costs run about $45 BZE (23 CAD) a month.

Wish me luck with the bat shed! I am so grateful Victor is able and willing to help me. He is also going to put a spring on my chicken gate so that it slaps me in the butt going in, and slams  Pom Pom's face on the way out.

Are there any head cleaners in Belize?

Sifting through the stuff left behind from the previous owner, I came across a VCR along with some good movies that I would like to watch and would make a nice selection for visitors. My next challenge was to hook up the VCR. Problem…the TV is new and has no way of connecting with the obsolete VCR. I searched the cabanas and found a small, old, TV that has the proper hook up. I thought my obstacle was overcome as I settled in for an evening of putting my feet up and escaping into a movie. However, the picture was very snowy and it actually said, I may need to clean the head. Well, that would make sense, as things have been sitting a very long time here.  Where would I get a head cleaner in Placencia? I had not come across one during my exploration of Rubbermaid containers, cupboards and storage bins.

On one of my missions into the village I decided to drop into Leslie Tech Services, located on the main and only street that meanders through Placencia to the end of the point. I spoke with Ycela and told him of my need for a VCR head cleaner. He looked at me and smiled.

“No mame, we don’t have any” and then a shy giggle.

 “I know, obsolete!”

“Yes, yes ,but I will check for you in Belize City as I am going there this weekend.”

 I thanked him and said I would check back in a couple of days. When I came back, he just looked at me, smiled, and shook his head and explained he wasn’t able to get to Belize City, but he checked in Belmopan, the country’s capital, with a cousin, and could not locate one. However, he has a friend who drives the bus to Belize City, and he will check when he is there. 

I can’t believe the service!  He may not find one but they are looking all over the country for one. Ycela says, they will find one with a shy smile. Perhaps it is the challenge.  How cool is that to have people go the extra mile(s) to assist you.

So now I am on a quest.  Are there any head cleaners in Belize?  If any of my Orange Walk Town friends  in northern Belize are reading this, perhaps you could participate in my silly quest.  “How far will I have to go to find a head cleaner?”

I will let you know how it turns out.