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.

 

 

 

 

Adaptation is the quickest route to paradise.

Possession Date: June 25, 2013
Placencia Peninsula, Belize, Central America

I have been in Belize just over a month now, and it has been an extremely busy and challenging experience. Moving to paradise is quite a different story than visiting. Don’t get me wrong, I recognized that there would be challenges, but I have experienced more things in one month which would not be categorized as paradise, than I had in the 19 weeks I have spent in total in Belize,over the past three years.  This is the tropics and to live is an adaptional process.  

                                                                                        I have had to deal with the heat and humidity, driving in torrential downpours, bats, scorpions, tarantulas, chicken attacks, dogs attacking chickens and killing one, mosquito and sand fly bites, gecko poo,  big flying cockroaches, and I witnessed one huge boa constrictor in the village that had just eaten something. This is the rainy season and also the bug season. All this was in the first week, so the universe is breaking me in quickly to my new reality.  It is saying “Better adapt quick!”

 

All this aside though, I am still focusing on getting everything in order.  It is difficult to enjoy paradise when there are so many things to do. However, baby-steps is the motto here and enjoy the ride!         

My yard is one big tropical garden that will require tending and watering to keep it up. I have already established a couple of reliable fellows I can call to help me out. The gardens are a source of peace and joy when I take the time to “smell the roses” although I have no roses.  Hibiscus, orchids, bougainvillea, heliconia , and a lot of others that I don’t know the names of, are in bloom at the moment.  The place was just a jungle before the guys came in to clear out dead and over grown plants.  They may have chopped a few orchids I was not aware of but I can now walk around without getting whapped in the head or stuck to a branch. I have not seen one snake since they cleared things either, so that should ease some of your minds.

With a little more cleaning and organization, the house and adjoining cabanas will be ready for guests; just not paying guests. I will have to apply for residency, and a business license, after a year of being here, in order to have a legitimate business. I will use my friends and family this winter as guinea pigs to see where all the insufficiencies are! Sorry guys, hope you don’t mind!

My next task..set up a bank account. I am told it is more challenging than buying property. I will let you know.

But, today is Sunday; the day of rest and I intend to do that and count my many blessings. That is why I am writing this. Thanks for reading and to all those who are supporting me in this adventure. You know who you are. I am very grateful!

I've got chickens!

Learning about my chickens has been one of the things I have had to focus on since arriving in Belize.

Who knew I would be looking after chickens. One hen is turning broody so I had to google to see how to prevent it. I am trying to discourage her by taking the bottom off of the laying box, as underneath is screen, and will allow air flow. It could take a few days apparently to get her out of the mood. I am not ready for more chickens and she needs to go back to just laying an egg a day!

Pom Pom appears to be getting braver again. He flew at me just as I shut the door on the pen. The dogs had left the perimeter and he probably felt safe. Pirate and Verye came over in a second, seeing if the chicken had escaped. They didn’t bark at the rooster like I hoped, to give him a scare; they just looked at him. Hmm. I am now training Verye, cause he will likely do anything for food, to stay at the perimeter. I  hang a treat along the fence and he stays there.  Pom Pom does not like to pass him so hopefully this will keep him on the other side of the pen when I am feeding and gathering eggs. I am really using my behaviour modification background here.

Last Friday I drove to Dangriga, with my realtor friend, about 1.25 hours from Placencia. Dangriga is the district capital of Stann Creek with a population of around 9,000. It is the cultural centre of the Garifuna people, descended from Amerindian and African ancestry.  I had to find the place that sells the chicken mash, for laying hens. From the previous owner’s notes, the store was called Hummingbird Distributors, and owned by the Mennonites.  Many streets in Dangriga are one way streets, but they are rarely marked. Then we ran into a detour that took us along a narrow muddy back lane along the sea shore. I was happy I was driving a truck and didn't have to back up when meeting a car. We found the store with no other problems and I bought 100 lbs of chicken mash. That should do for a month or so.
I am attaching a link here for Dangriga, as I do not have pictures to post at this time. My camera is in Alberta, and I'm waiting for a USB cable for my Blackberry that I ordered at the Placencia Office Supply store. It should take a week to get it.

 http://www.stanncreek.com/attract_dangriga.html

I fondly dedicate this blog to the memory of my Grandma Jean, who raised chickens and sold eggs on her farm near Rosalind, Alberta. I have very early memories of gathering eggs with her in the chicken coop and thinking she was a brave woman!
 

Took the plunge into Belize!

“Weh di go aan?”                                                                                                                                        (Belizean Kriol for “What’s up?”-- informal hello.)

 

How is your summer starting off back in Canada? Hotter than here for a couple days I heard and the flooding in Calgary, southern Alberta, and Toronto is just crazy. Temperatures here in Belize are around 31C every day with around 70% + humidity. One always hopes for a good ocean breeze with all fans running. It is the rainy season so lots of downpours and thunderstorms moving through. I have been so busy with my new purchase in Belize, I haven’t gone to the sea for a swim even though it is right down the lane.

I have however, met one of my neighbours, an American couple, who have been here for years. They own a small resort called Millar’s Landing and they have a pool. I got to go for a few dips as my friends Linda and Shelley, from Alberta, stayed there for 13 days; my place was not ready for company. Gary and Annie are real nice people with a wonderful place, and she is an amazing cook!

My house needs a lot of cleaning but I am making progress, slow but sure. The cabanas have been cleaned up considerably since I put down the offer on the place in February. They are actually habitable. Just need a little more cleaning and I need to check if appliances are working, but first I have to feel comfortable in the house. Finally got the hurricane shutters opened on all sides of the house to get air flow and light.

The 80 year old lady that lived here has sooooo much stuff and is stocked up on some stuff for years; makes my life easier.  Every time I open a cupboard or cabinet I find lots of treasures. I may be having a garage sale, so come on down!!

I also ended up with 12 chickens after she told me she gave them away. That was a surprise; 5 laying hens, 4 guinea fowl, 2 bantys (hen and rooster), and one silky rooster named "Pom Pom" Here is a facebook post I made a couple of days ago.

Ok.. my silky rooster named Pom Pom has had an attitude with me the past three days. Keeps

cornering me and attacking. Drew blood the second time but yesterday he attacked me on my way out and he got out. I put myself back into the pen to see it he would follow, when suddenly two of my dogs attacked him. It was quite the scene with me screaming at them and trying to get the rooster. I finally got him and put him back in the pen. I am scratched, bruised and sore today from the experience but I saved that chicken's ass. I hope he respects me this morning. LOL

I am happy to report that Pom Pom is keeping his distance and has not attacked me since the "incident".  I am also getting 5 eggs a day and the occasional guinea egg. I am giving eggs away to the neighbours and the guys I have hired to work in the garden to clean it up. I haven't even eaten one yet cause I don't want to cook much here due to the dirty kitchen. The girls and I started from the top down, vacuuming rafters, cleaning fans, and then sorting and cleaning everything off. Got an initial wash done on the floors. Linda helped to sort out some of the keys, of which there are many!!

I am discovering a few issues and upgrades that need to be done. My house is sinking on one side noticeably since I first saw it, so I will have to get it jacked up. I think that is par for the course when you live on sand and the water table is really high...like about a foot below the sand as I discovered from one of the dogs digging a hole. I didn't have hot water so had to get a plumber out and will have to get a bigger pump and pressure tank. She cheaped out with a boat pump cause she was selling.

I also have 3 dogs, and my first priority was to see that they would accept me and feel comfortable. The previous owner took 3 dogs back to the States and left 3 in Belize.

“Pirate (pronounced Per-ot-tee), is the puppy but the biggest of the three.. He was very shy for a couple of days. He wouldn't come near me and would just bark and run away. He is coming around me now after two weeks and allows me to touch him but remains a little nervous . Hewill be a good guard dog for the property cause if someone is at the gate he barks at them and then comes and gets me. Smart guy.

Verye (as in very lucky to be alive), is a black male, rescued from the streets of Belize City. He needs some training but is the nicest, friendliest dog. He eats very fast and then tries to eat the other dogs’ food. We are working on this and on “sit”

I adopted "Princess Sarah", who I met on the sidewalk of Placencia last winter. She was a mother dog with puppies and was not well cared for. The Humane Society volunteers spayed her and had been looking after her till I got here. I picked her up on day two so all the dogs could get used to each other and know that I am the pack leader.. Princess stays with me in the house at night and the two males stay outside. She, however, likes to eat plants and dirt so is being a pain with the potted plants. By coincidence, my realtor here has one of her puppies.

I killed my first scorpion, the first morning here.  I was lucky as I pulled a sponge out of the sink and there it was. I nailed it good with insecticide and I look before putting my hand anywhere now. Gotta be mindful. Everyone I talk to has been stung more than once so something to look forward to. The females have the worst stings, and this one was a female.

My place is not for the faint of heart. I have bats in my laundry room, which the owner only told me about the day before closing. She lets them live there. I will have to address the problem soon but bats are so good for eating mosquitos and they are the small nice bats I am told.

I also have a few snakes here, but cleaning the bushes out will really help. They are small boas, but not harmful unless they grow big and eat your small dog or cat. Good for keeping rodent population down. i saw one that had a hold of a large frog, but the frog got away.

I am on a steep learning curve with everything here: the house, the administration of utilities, vehicles, where to buy stuff, who to hire to do what. But, it is exciting with no immediate pressure.

A young man in the village, an electrician, was badly burned in a butane explosion last week. The community banded together and within two days they found him free treatment in the States, and raised over $23,000 US to get him there. He has 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 90% of his body. I was compelled to give a donation to help him and his new wife out.
 

The two men I have hired to clean the yard are doing a fabulous job. I can now see where the plants enter the ground. You should see the pile of huge leaves and branches they have cut. I have to hire a municipal truck to haul it away at a cost of $200.00 US dollars= $400 Belize dollars. Also bags and bags of small leaves. They have trimmed back everything touching the buildings and I have walkable paths! Once this is done it will be easily maintained but one has to keep up with it and I will need assistance two to six times a month depending on the season. I am on the lookout for a caretaker who would stay in the small cottage and look after things when I am gone.

My Nisson Frontier 4-wheel drive diesel truck is great! It has about 43,500 miles on it. It is built on a Central American frame to stand up to the roads here. I also have an electric GEM car that is in the garage being fixed. Apparently it needs a starter and then I will have to get it trailered back to Placencia as you cannot tow it. That will be fun to drive around I think, and much easier to maneuver in the narrow streets of the village. Driving around the Placencia Peninsula on the one narrow, but paved road, js somewhat challenging. One must be on the lookout for walkers, bicycles, vehicles, dogs, children and “speed humps” as they are called here, meant to keep speed down along the peninsula. Maximum speed is 25mph or 40 kmph but people rarely drive that speed as speeding tickets are rare. Drinking and driving is also not enforced so I can have a beer and not worry about a DUI but must be aware of other’s driving and try not to drive at night. Seatbelts are an option but still a good idea.

I am very happy to be here in Belize as each day brings new experiences at a pace that I enjoy. I can’t wait to share it with family and friends. And for those of you who may not make it here, I would like to share it in my blog.

Cheryl