Wednesday June 16th was an oddly interesting fishing day in the lagoon. I got down there around 5pm and Peter was already there with 2 hand lines in the water and was throwing his new 12 ft net. No one else was there, which was unusual. Maybe that should have told me something. I was fishing with fresh bait and cast my line out and let it drift. Pretty soon 3 manatees swam into the area we were fishing. They were waiting for the tide to turn so they could leave the lagoon. Well anyway I got a huge hit and my line started going back and forth slowly but very strongly. The fish never broke water so we knew it wasn’t a snook or tarpon, both of which make huge leaping runs. This fish had my pole literally bent in half and never made a fast run. Just slow and steady. I couldn’t horse it in either but did start making some headway. After 10 minutes of fighting it the fish bent my hook almost straight and got off. Peter thought it was about a 25 pound plus Jew fish (like a grouper) from what he saw of the fight and the way the line was moving. I actually thought I might have snagged one of the manatees. That’s how strong the fish was pulling. But Peter said it would have gone straight away and taken all of my line. He said that if I could get it close enough to shore he would throw his net and pull it in. He never got the chance and I guess we’ll never know what kind of fish it was. I’m sure I’ll dream of that fight. I managed to hook a 2nd fish that I also lost. It was nowhere near as big as the 1st though. Meanwhile the 3 manatees are tooling along in the mouth of the lagoon, snorkeling every few minutes. One or twice we saw their bodies and tails when they rolled. Peter kept throwing and was catching a single stone bass every 4th throw or so. He threw his net and just 3 feet to the left 2 of the manatees surfaced. He’s “son-of-a-bit#@ing” because he just missed them when he gets pulled into the lagoon! He netted the 3rd one. I’m laughing because he’s being pulled out of the lagoon toward the Caribbean because he couldn’t get the net line off his wrist and he’s “son-of-a-bit#@ing “ away. Luckily he got his wrist free and started pulling the net toward the shore. The manatee managed to break the net at the top and escape. Peter spent the next 45 minutes repairing it because it was still light out and he could get in another hour of fishing. We’re almost rolling on the ground laughing though as we talked about his accidental trip toward the Cayes. By the time he got his net fixed the tide had turned and tons of sea grass was filling his net with every throw. We were back to Kismet by 7pm so it was an early night for both of us. Tricia had a good laugh too when Peter told her about his mishap. There’s always something going on here to make life interesting!
On the way to the lagoon Thursday night I managed to scrape a couple of layers of skin off my left knee and shin right outside my trailer when I did a header off my bike onto the driveway. Tricia saw it happen and was convulsing with laughter and asking where her camera was when she needed it. All Peter saw was me laying flat on my back. He ran over asking if I was ok because I wasn’t moving. I started laughing and he knew I was. It was just the shock of jumping up onto my bike and the next second being finding myself on the ground! I have absolutely no idea what happened! I got back on my trusty steed, blood oozing out of the scrapes and trickling down my leg, and headed fishing. I figured we might be able to draw fish if I leaked into the lagoon. Obviously it worked because Peter managed to catch ½ a bag full of barassee (we call it mullet) and stone bass. That hadn’t happened in quite a while. I sure he made quite a few bucks this morning when he sold them. The nights fishing wasn’t near as interesting as Wednesday though. I also managed to catch a 4 foot long, 30 pound submerged tree trunk too, and land it I also caught a 28 inch remora. The remora is fish you see on NatGeo riding on sharks. They have a huge sucker on top of their head which makes them stick on no matter how fast and/or frantic the shark is swimming. They are in the lagoon too because they hitch rides on the manatees too. It’s the 1st one I ever caught. It looked like a nice white meat so I asked Elvis if they were good to eat and he said yes.
I saved the remora for bait though because I planned to go crabbing early this morning (thanks Zeppi for leaving me your crab traps!). I caught 2 dozen and they will be tonight’s dinner. Maybe a steamer pot with corn on the cob and red potatoes, maybe in a tomato sauce over linguini, who knows
I drove into Dangriga today to see about getting Tricia’s electric saw fixed. It sounds like the bushings are shot. I know a guy there who works on electric motors so I’ll take it to him. I also need to see if my money has been wire transferred to my bank here. I’ll be making 2 trips next week too to renew my visa on Friday and pick up my brother Dave on Saturday. It will be really nice to see Dave again. It’s been about 9 months since my son Matt and I visited my family members in Chicago. It’s too bad that I can’t do it all on Saturday but the government offices here work the same as they do in the states, Monday-Friday. Monday 6/28 Dave and I will head to Chetumal Mexico to pick up my $700 temporary car visa fee that will default to that government on 6/29. You have 6 months to claim the money or they keep it. So we’ll do that, shop Sam’s Club and WalMart, and see the sights that Kevin and I missed when we blew across the border into Belize on the trip down here. Because of Kev’s time constraints we were not able to sightsee in Chetumal or Corozol Belize. I was interested in looking at Corozol as a possible place to live because of its large American ex-pat population and close proximity to WalMart & Sam’s.
It’s lobster season now and I’m waiting for someone to show up at Kismet with a bag full! Another of the things I have planned for Dave is a visit to Placencia on Sunday 6/27 for the last day of their Lobster Fest. They have a 3 day celebration for the spiney lobster, which is a staple in coastal Belize until the season ends. In San Pedro on ambergris Caye I was able to buy 1 pound blocks of tail meat for US$3.50. Maybe I’ll find it in Dangriga too. I have plenty of room in my freezer…
As always, stay well, keep happy, and practice peace. I am!!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Good news and more good news!
Happy birthday Nicole! I love you.
Good news #1 - Success!!! Tricia was finally approved by immigration and granted her citizenship on Friday June 12th! She can now leave the country and when asked where she would go 1st she says, “The mall!” Typical woman! She hasn’t left the country in over 5 years, since she stopped renewing her visa. Had she tried she would have been arrested at the border, or in the airport for being here illegally. God only knows how long she’d have been in jail for. So she stayed in country for her very brief holidays. But…now she can travel anywhere she wants to once again.
Good news #2: While driving home from Ron’s on Saturday night 6/12 I let a guy on a bike cross over the street I was leaving. The color of the bike struck my eye so I turned behind him. I saw the reflectors on the petals which told me that he was riding MY BIKE!!! I cut him off and jumped out of the car telling him he was riding my bike. He said he just…now get this…stole it from the market! I looked on the side and sure enough it said Hampton Classic. There is only 1 bright blue Hampton Classic bike here and it’s mine. All the other bikes in town are Beach Cruisers. He gave it up pretty quickly and I put it in the back of my Jeep. I didn’t care whether he stole it from me or did steal it from the market because it made absolutely no difference. It’s not like the town cop would arrest him or anything. I was just glad to get it back. I mentioned in an earlier blog how dumb the thieves were here in Hopkins. A smart thief would have taken it to Settee River (south) or Silk Grass Village (north) or to Dangriga or would have at least painted it. The only thing different is the new scrapes on the paint. I will be sure to keep my bike locked up from now on!
My brother Dave will be here to visit, from his home north of Chicago, for 2 weeks beginning June 26th. He’ll be my 1st visitor and I can’t wait for him to arrive! I’ve got plenty of things planned to keep him busy. Without a doubt there will be fishing in the lagoon every day and at least 1 fishing/snorkeling trip to the reef as well. I’ve planned day trips to the Carocol Mayan ruins, a couple of waterfalls, and the 5 blue lakes (known for the 5 different blue colors of the water not 5 lakes). I also need to make a trip to Chetumal MX to reclaim my vehicle and trailer tax before 6/29 or I’ll lose it. So a trip to WalMarts/Sam’s Club is in order too. I can also get more of the meds that I need every day. There I can get my blood pressure meds over the counter and much cheaper than through my old prescription plan in the states. So we’ll spend a night or 2 there as well. He says he’s been working with a trainer and wants to so a lot of walking here. I guess we’ll be up very early in the morning to walk because after about 10am it’s way too hot and humid to walk any distance more than about a ½ mile without a break. But, without a doubt, there will be plenty of just sitting around relaxing time too. I hate sending anyone home from their holiday so tired that they have to take another holiday to rest up from it…
Ron and I were driving to Dangriga last week and we were talking about life in Belize as a retired American. We went from having everything you could think of, all the conveniences of an American life, to life in a 3rd (some say 4th) world country with very few of the accoutrements of our former life. We agreed that most people couldn’t live in Hopkins, or almost anywhere in Belize but the Cayes, with no appreciable American population for companionship and some semblance of normalcy, and be happy. We both knew how different life would be before we moved to the area that we did. I knew, from trips to Belize over the past 13 years, that I would enjoy living here. Me, I planned my existence around living off the grid because I didn’t know where I would land. I planned on using my gas generator a couple hours a day to power some of the things in my trailer or recharge my batteries if the sun wasn’t out for a couple of days because of storms. Possibly having to haul water to keep my tank full if it didn’t rain enough to keep my 2 storage tanks full. A garden to supply the fresh veggies I need in my diet (I still plan on planting it though after I see what the seasons are like) if I wasn’t close to a store. Here I find myself with running water, electric, abundant shops and markets, a few friendly expat Americans for companionship, and access to travelers from the 4 corners of the globe for mind expanding conversation. So I’m luckier than most. But it is still just a glimmer of the former comfortable life that I lived in the states. I don’t ever run the A/C in my trailer because it’s too much of a power draw. Plus blackouts are a common occurrence and the power is very unstable (large voltage spikes that don’t occur in 1st world countries) so when power is restored you risk having things electric burn out if you haven’t unplugged it. So I live with 90+ degrees and 60+ degrees humidity every day both inside and out. I have to search new stores that I run across in other towns, or travel to MX, or have family and friends ship me foods and other things that we take for granted in the states but can’t get here. In the U.S. it’s a quick trip to the store or mall for whatever we need and we’re happy campers. In Belize you make do with what you can get locally and are overjoyed when you find some familiar food in a new store you discover. The people in Hopkins are very poor so you always have that all around you too. Many houses are shacks and most don’t have windows or even screens. They have louvered shutters covering the openings and no fans to make their home any cooler. There are few jobs available so most supplement their diets by throwing a fish net or use a hand line (they love to watch me use my rod and reel to catch fish), or kill a chicken from their yard. Red beans and rice is served every day, if not several times a day, at most tables. Since everyone has chickens that have plenty of eggs too. Ron and I are really living high off the hog compared to some of the folks here even though we go without a lot of the things that we used to have, and take for granted, back home. And if you can’t live with bugs this definitely isn’t the place for you! Ants are a constant household companion. I have a small lizard living inside my trailer and I leave him alone. He eats bugs! Mosquitoes and several types of biting flies are everywhere when the wind isn’t blowing and are a constant source of irritation. To offset that though is the fresh fruit that you can pick anywhere. Bananas, mangos, oranges, coco plums, and other fruits are all free for the picking. We both agree though that we wouldn’t trade this peaceful life that we’ve found here for anything. Well almost anything. We do miss our family and friends and that leaves a hole in our lives. Phone calls and emails help but I dearly miss seeing mine! I wish there was a way to change that but, due to my finances, living in Belize, with the low cost of living, is the only viable option unless I want to work for the rest of my life just to survive. I can’t see myself saying, “Do you want to supersize that, or Welcome to WalMart/Home Depot/etc” for the for a few bucks an hour for rest of my life and never enjoying the relaxation I need and deserve after 55 years of hard work. I know some people are completely happy doing just that and I applaud them for it, but not me. (I don’t mean to trivialize anyone’s job and I respect anyone for any job they hold.) I am completely at peace here and many of you would find my life downright boring because my day is full of sitting in my chair or laying in a hammock reading, watching the movies I’ve downloaded, fishing, and visiting with friends. No manual labor to speak of except keeping my home clean. I do get to relax every day while you are toiling away at whatever job you hold. My everyday stress is “gee what should I make for dinner, or what do I need from the store, or will I catch fish today?” None of the life stressors I used to live with every day, just the peaceful life that I planned for. That’s not to say that I don’t worry about hurricanes or flooding. But I have a plan for that. I purposely dragged a mobile home here so I could live as cheaply as possible and escape to a safer area when I need to with as little upsetment as possible. But those worries don’t permeate my life. Reading this you may think that I’m crazy for living here with all the bad I’ve listed but I’m living the dream in paradise and am very happy. Come on down and experience it for yourself!
As always, stay well, keep happy, and practice peace. I am!!!
Good news #1 - Success!!! Tricia was finally approved by immigration and granted her citizenship on Friday June 12th! She can now leave the country and when asked where she would go 1st she says, “The mall!” Typical woman! She hasn’t left the country in over 5 years, since she stopped renewing her visa. Had she tried she would have been arrested at the border, or in the airport for being here illegally. God only knows how long she’d have been in jail for. So she stayed in country for her very brief holidays. But…now she can travel anywhere she wants to once again.
Good news #2: While driving home from Ron’s on Saturday night 6/12 I let a guy on a bike cross over the street I was leaving. The color of the bike struck my eye so I turned behind him. I saw the reflectors on the petals which told me that he was riding MY BIKE!!! I cut him off and jumped out of the car telling him he was riding my bike. He said he just…now get this…stole it from the market! I looked on the side and sure enough it said Hampton Classic. There is only 1 bright blue Hampton Classic bike here and it’s mine. All the other bikes in town are Beach Cruisers. He gave it up pretty quickly and I put it in the back of my Jeep. I didn’t care whether he stole it from me or did steal it from the market because it made absolutely no difference. It’s not like the town cop would arrest him or anything. I was just glad to get it back. I mentioned in an earlier blog how dumb the thieves were here in Hopkins. A smart thief would have taken it to Settee River (south) or Silk Grass Village (north) or to Dangriga or would have at least painted it. The only thing different is the new scrapes on the paint. I will be sure to keep my bike locked up from now on!
My brother Dave will be here to visit, from his home north of Chicago, for 2 weeks beginning June 26th. He’ll be my 1st visitor and I can’t wait for him to arrive! I’ve got plenty of things planned to keep him busy. Without a doubt there will be fishing in the lagoon every day and at least 1 fishing/snorkeling trip to the reef as well. I’ve planned day trips to the Carocol Mayan ruins, a couple of waterfalls, and the 5 blue lakes (known for the 5 different blue colors of the water not 5 lakes). I also need to make a trip to Chetumal MX to reclaim my vehicle and trailer tax before 6/29 or I’ll lose it. So a trip to WalMarts/Sam’s Club is in order too. I can also get more of the meds that I need every day. There I can get my blood pressure meds over the counter and much cheaper than through my old prescription plan in the states. So we’ll spend a night or 2 there as well. He says he’s been working with a trainer and wants to so a lot of walking here. I guess we’ll be up very early in the morning to walk because after about 10am it’s way too hot and humid to walk any distance more than about a ½ mile without a break. But, without a doubt, there will be plenty of just sitting around relaxing time too. I hate sending anyone home from their holiday so tired that they have to take another holiday to rest up from it…
Ron and I were driving to Dangriga last week and we were talking about life in Belize as a retired American. We went from having everything you could think of, all the conveniences of an American life, to life in a 3rd (some say 4th) world country with very few of the accoutrements of our former life. We agreed that most people couldn’t live in Hopkins, or almost anywhere in Belize but the Cayes, with no appreciable American population for companionship and some semblance of normalcy, and be happy. We both knew how different life would be before we moved to the area that we did. I knew, from trips to Belize over the past 13 years, that I would enjoy living here. Me, I planned my existence around living off the grid because I didn’t know where I would land. I planned on using my gas generator a couple hours a day to power some of the things in my trailer or recharge my batteries if the sun wasn’t out for a couple of days because of storms. Possibly having to haul water to keep my tank full if it didn’t rain enough to keep my 2 storage tanks full. A garden to supply the fresh veggies I need in my diet (I still plan on planting it though after I see what the seasons are like) if I wasn’t close to a store. Here I find myself with running water, electric, abundant shops and markets, a few friendly expat Americans for companionship, and access to travelers from the 4 corners of the globe for mind expanding conversation. So I’m luckier than most. But it is still just a glimmer of the former comfortable life that I lived in the states. I don’t ever run the A/C in my trailer because it’s too much of a power draw. Plus blackouts are a common occurrence and the power is very unstable (large voltage spikes that don’t occur in 1st world countries) so when power is restored you risk having things electric burn out if you haven’t unplugged it. So I live with 90+ degrees and 60+ degrees humidity every day both inside and out. I have to search new stores that I run across in other towns, or travel to MX, or have family and friends ship me foods and other things that we take for granted in the states but can’t get here. In the U.S. it’s a quick trip to the store or mall for whatever we need and we’re happy campers. In Belize you make do with what you can get locally and are overjoyed when you find some familiar food in a new store you discover. The people in Hopkins are very poor so you always have that all around you too. Many houses are shacks and most don’t have windows or even screens. They have louvered shutters covering the openings and no fans to make their home any cooler. There are few jobs available so most supplement their diets by throwing a fish net or use a hand line (they love to watch me use my rod and reel to catch fish), or kill a chicken from their yard. Red beans and rice is served every day, if not several times a day, at most tables. Since everyone has chickens that have plenty of eggs too. Ron and I are really living high off the hog compared to some of the folks here even though we go without a lot of the things that we used to have, and take for granted, back home. And if you can’t live with bugs this definitely isn’t the place for you! Ants are a constant household companion. I have a small lizard living inside my trailer and I leave him alone. He eats bugs! Mosquitoes and several types of biting flies are everywhere when the wind isn’t blowing and are a constant source of irritation. To offset that though is the fresh fruit that you can pick anywhere. Bananas, mangos, oranges, coco plums, and other fruits are all free for the picking. We both agree though that we wouldn’t trade this peaceful life that we’ve found here for anything. Well almost anything. We do miss our family and friends and that leaves a hole in our lives. Phone calls and emails help but I dearly miss seeing mine! I wish there was a way to change that but, due to my finances, living in Belize, with the low cost of living, is the only viable option unless I want to work for the rest of my life just to survive. I can’t see myself saying, “Do you want to supersize that, or Welcome to WalMart/Home Depot/etc” for the for a few bucks an hour for rest of my life and never enjoying the relaxation I need and deserve after 55 years of hard work. I know some people are completely happy doing just that and I applaud them for it, but not me. (I don’t mean to trivialize anyone’s job and I respect anyone for any job they hold.) I am completely at peace here and many of you would find my life downright boring because my day is full of sitting in my chair or laying in a hammock reading, watching the movies I’ve downloaded, fishing, and visiting with friends. No manual labor to speak of except keeping my home clean. I do get to relax every day while you are toiling away at whatever job you hold. My everyday stress is “gee what should I make for dinner, or what do I need from the store, or will I catch fish today?” None of the life stressors I used to live with every day, just the peaceful life that I planned for. That’s not to say that I don’t worry about hurricanes or flooding. But I have a plan for that. I purposely dragged a mobile home here so I could live as cheaply as possible and escape to a safer area when I need to with as little upsetment as possible. But those worries don’t permeate my life. Reading this you may think that I’m crazy for living here with all the bad I’ve listed but I’m living the dream in paradise and am very happy. Come on down and experience it for yourself!
As always, stay well, keep happy, and practice peace. I am!!!