Things are looking UP!!!
I’m officially living in Belize now and I now have an address!!!
Po Box 109
Dangriga, Belize
I’ll be staying where I am for a couple more days until I get the requirements for a bank account. I need to be near an internet connection so I can receive the documents that I need and forward them to the Scotia Bank here in town.
The generator is fixed and I have power in the trailer now. Not sure why the batteries were discharging but they are charging fine now. I plugged my trickle charger into the bar on the property where I’m living last night and I now have 4 full batteries.
Charlie, the guy I mentioned meeting the 1st day that we were here, took me to Hopkins today and I think I found a place to live! The property is owned by a retired lady, Tricia Wipfler, from Long Island and called kesmet Beach Apartments. She's charging me $1.50 a day and that includes water hook up and she has an outside shower that I can use too. She also has internet but I haven’t talked to her about that yet. She's right on the beach in Hopkins which is about 25 miles south of here. She told me to come spend the day tomorrow and watch the sun to see where my trailer will get the most shade. So I'm headed that way when I wake up tomorrow. I’ll bring a fishing pole and see what I can catch us for dinner tomorrow night. Here is her website: http://kismetinn.com/
The late afternoon was spent sitting in the Caribbean reading a book and smoking a cigar. Too relaxing! There’s no place to hang my hammock here but plenty in Hopkins and 2 in operation at the property. I guess my days of no hair are over. I keep forgetting to wear a hat and my head is sunburned now. I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later though… Maybe soon my hair will be back and my face clean shaven.
That’s it for now. I’m pretty tuckered out and my Belikan beer is going straight to my head. Oh, my 1st officially cooked meal tonight was taco spiced ground beef with mashed potatoes and corn all mixed together. It’s one of my favorite meals.
Till next time! Have a good one all!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Finding a home - Day 2 (Part 1)
Waking up this morning, without Kevin here, seemed normal. I guess his only being with me for 10 days may have had something to do with it. More like he was visiting me on holiday. Not that I don’t miss him but it more had the feeling of normal daily life. True I still have a lot to do to find that perfect spot but I feel so at home here that it’s almost scary. One of the things I’ve learned is that Dangriga is known by the locals as Griga. See I’m learning the local stuff!
Today will be the Post Office for a PO Box and the bank to get some local money in an account that I can draw through an ATM without the 3% foreign fee. Those steps too will help me to settle in to a normal life. I keep talking about “normal life” and what I mean by that is just back to life sort of as I knew it in the U.S. Normal daily activities versus what I’ve experienced over the past 6 months getting ready for this move.
Last night I went to sleep not long after the sun set, and after watching 3 episodes of “Two & a Half Men” (I have all 7 years downloaded and started with the pilot a few days ago). This morning I was up with the sun. That will probably be my daily routine from now on. Getting things done early before the heat sets in. It’s been in the high 80’s (sorry to you all in cold climates but that’s one of the reasons I’m here!) with humidity to match. The almost constant 20mph onshore wind tempers it a lot though unless you are in town and trapped by the buildings. That’s a bit oppressive as Kevin and I found out yesterday on his picture taking walkabout.
Today I’m waiting for the electrician to arrive around 9am to see why my batteries are draining so quickly, although the spare I hooked up last night seems to be working fine. As long as my fridge stays cold though I don’t need a lot of electricity. As I said earlier my life will revolve around the sun’s cycle. I do have battery and hand crank lights that I can use should I need them. My hand crank radio will also recharge my iPod and cell phone so that’s a plus.
In speaking with more of the locals my question is, “Where do the Americans live and hang out?” It seems they are south of here about 20 miles in a town called Hopkinsville. While researching possible places to plop myself I’d read that there is a pretty large (maybe as many as 200) retiree population but it didn’t mention the town. Only that it was near Dangriga. So tomorrow I’ll be taking a ride down that way to see what’s up. Today is laundry day though. I need to get rid of the pile of clothes that I wore while we were still in the road and from the few days here. I promised I would try to stay away from boring, mundane writing but while I’m still acclimating myself to life in Belize laundry day may be a big thing. You never know who you may meet and it could happen in the bizarrest of places.
It’s time to unlock my bicycle from the back of the trailer and become mobile. With Kevin here, and only 1 bike, it wasn’t possible until now. EVERYBODY says to carry a lock and never leave it even for a second without using it. It seems bike theft is a very big thing in all of Belize.
Today will be the Post Office for a PO Box and the bank to get some local money in an account that I can draw through an ATM without the 3% foreign fee. Those steps too will help me to settle in to a normal life. I keep talking about “normal life” and what I mean by that is just back to life sort of as I knew it in the U.S. Normal daily activities versus what I’ve experienced over the past 6 months getting ready for this move.
Last night I went to sleep not long after the sun set, and after watching 3 episodes of “Two & a Half Men” (I have all 7 years downloaded and started with the pilot a few days ago). This morning I was up with the sun. That will probably be my daily routine from now on. Getting things done early before the heat sets in. It’s been in the high 80’s (sorry to you all in cold climates but that’s one of the reasons I’m here!) with humidity to match. The almost constant 20mph onshore wind tempers it a lot though unless you are in town and trapped by the buildings. That’s a bit oppressive as Kevin and I found out yesterday on his picture taking walkabout.
Today I’m waiting for the electrician to arrive around 9am to see why my batteries are draining so quickly, although the spare I hooked up last night seems to be working fine. As long as my fridge stays cold though I don’t need a lot of electricity. As I said earlier my life will revolve around the sun’s cycle. I do have battery and hand crank lights that I can use should I need them. My hand crank radio will also recharge my iPod and cell phone so that’s a plus.
In speaking with more of the locals my question is, “Where do the Americans live and hang out?” It seems they are south of here about 20 miles in a town called Hopkinsville. While researching possible places to plop myself I’d read that there is a pretty large (maybe as many as 200) retiree population but it didn’t mention the town. Only that it was near Dangriga. So tomorrow I’ll be taking a ride down that way to see what’s up. Today is laundry day though. I need to get rid of the pile of clothes that I wore while we were still in the road and from the few days here. I promised I would try to stay away from boring, mundane writing but while I’m still acclimating myself to life in Belize laundry day may be a big thing. You never know who you may meet and it could happen in the bizarrest of places.
It’s time to unlock my bicycle from the back of the trailer and become mobile. With Kevin here, and only 1 bike, it wasn’t possible until now. EVERYBODY says to carry a lock and never leave it even for a second without using it. It seems bike theft is a very big thing in all of Belize.
Finding a home - Day 1
Waking up this morning, without Kevin here, seemed normal. I guess his only being with me for 10 days may have had something to do with it. More like he was visiting me on holiday. Not that I don’t miss him but it more had the feeling of normal daily life. True I still have a lot to do to find that perfect spot but I feel so at home here that it’s almost scary. One of the things I’ve learned is that Dangriga is known by the locals as Griga. See I’m learning the local stuff!
Today will be the Post Office for a PO Box and the bank to get some local money in an account that I can draw through an ATM without the 3% foreign fee. Those steps too will help me to settle in to a normal life. I keep talking about “normal life” and what I mean by that is just back to life sort of as I knew it in the U.S. Normal daily activities versus what I’ve experienced over the past 6 months getting ready for this move.
Last night I went to sleep not long after the sun set, and after watching 3 episodes of “Two & a Half Men” (I have all 7 years downloaded and started with the pilot a few days ago). This morning I was up with the sun. That will probably be my daily routine from now on. Getting things done early before the heat sets in. It’s been in the high 80’s (sorry to you all in cold climates but that’s one of the reasons I’m here!) with humidity to match. The almost constant 20mph onshore wind tempers it a lot though unless you are in town and trapped by the buildings. That’s a bit oppressive as Kevin and I found out yesterday on his picture taking walkabout.
Today I’m waiting for the electrician to arrive around 9am to see why my batteries are draining so quickly, although the spare I hooked up last night seems to be working fine. As long as my fridge stays cold though I don’t need a lot of electricity. As I said earlier my life will revolve around the sun’s cycle. I do have battery and hand crank lights that I can use should I need them. My hand crank radio will also recharge my iPod and cell phone so that’s a plus.
In speaking with more of the locals my question is, “Where do the Americans live and hang out?” It seems they are south of here about 20 miles in a town called Hopkinsville. While researching possible places to plop myself I’d read that there is a pretty large (maybe as many as 200) retiree population but it didn’t mention the town. Only that it was near Dangriga. So tomorrow I’ll be taking a ride down that way to see what’s up. Today is laundry day though. I need to get rid of the pile of clothes that I wore while we were still in the road and from the few days here. I promised I would try to stay away from boring, mundane writing but while I’m still acclimating myself to life in Belize laundry day may be a big thing. You never know who you may meet and it could happen in the bizarrest of places.
It’s time to unlock my bicycle from the back of the trailer and become mobile. With Kevin here, and only 1 bike, it wasn’t possible until now. EVERYBODY says to carry a lock and never leave it even for a second without using it. It seems bike theft is a very big thing in all of Belize.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Driving to belize - Day 6
We were up at our usual time and got in a short walkabout before we left. I loved the drive because I was finally in Belize and nearing my journey after all my planning, buying, and misadventures.
We arrived in Dangriga around 2:30 and found the airport where Kevin booked a flight to Belize City tomorrow for his flight home. It will save me a 4 hour drive and some pretty expensive gas. Gas prices her are anywhere from $4-$5 a gallon. Sure is a lot more than the $1.93 in Mexico! One of the people at the airport told me who to talk about for a spot to park my trailer for a couple of days while I search for a permanent spot. It’s US$10 a day and right next to the Pelican Beach Resort where Kevin booked us a room right on the Caribbean. So after a shower and an email update to everyone about our arrival I headed down to the beach where Kevin was. I was looking for my 1st Belikan Beer that would prove to me that we were really here. As I walked through the patio bar I saw Kevin’s back pack at a table with a cold Belikan sitting on the table! So I drank it straight down and walked to find Kevin. We talked to the resort security guard and got info on a good restaurant for dinner. He headed for the table while I took a picture of 2. When I got back to the table he was mad thinking that someone there had drunk his beer. I started laughing and raised my hand saying I did it. He laughed too and ordered us more. A little while later we drove into town and found the restaurant. We both had whole fried snapper with a small salad and a huge pile of red beans and rice. While we were waiting for our food this guy walks up and welcomes me back. Back??? I told him I’d never been there and he said, “Oh you have the red vehicle with the canoe. I saw you drive into town with a trailer.” “Yep, that’s us.”, said I. So I told him what my plans were and he immediately offered a spot about 2 miles off the coast on his family’s farm right on the Sittee River. Hey it may be just the spot! You never know who you will meet that has the answer to your prayer. I told him I’d see him this week and take a look at it.
We finished dinner and took a walk around looking for a fridge magnet for Kevin to take home as a souvenir. No luck but I told him the Belize City airport stores had all that stuff and very reasonably priced. He has a 2 hour wait in the airport so he’ll have plenty of time to look.
So now we’re sitting on the same patio we started off at having more Belikans and fruit. Kevin bought a shot of Belizean Rum made from sugar cane to see how it tasted. We saw miles and mile of sugar cane both in Mexico and here in Belize and wondered how good the rum would be. It was very tasty! Kev may buy a bottle for home from the Duty Free.
I’m having a tough time uploading the arrival pictures to Facebook because the hotel internet is so weak. I’m multitasking the upload and writing this while while suffering through the long wait and frequent upload failures. Once they are done and published It’s off to bed. I’m feeling the effects of the Belikans and the relief of journeys end so I know I’ll be asleep quickly.
I’ll begin blogging tomorrow about my search for a home. Until then…
Driving to belize - Day 5 - We've arrived in Belize!!!
We exceeded our goal of getting to Chetumal Mexico today. We actually crossed over into Corozal Belize around 6pm!!! What a breeze the roads were today compared to the last couple of days. All of it was Autopista and while the road was 1 lane in a lot of places it was a very uneventful trip. We asked the whereabouts of a hotel so we could get in a shower but the one we were told about was closed Monday-Wednesday because of the slow economy. It was right next to a customs lot so we asked the guard if there was anlther. He said no but that the owner lived a few houses donw the road and suggested we go talk to her. Her house was gated and had a bunch of dogs so I yelled through the gate and the lady came out. That’s when we found out that the place was closed. She said she couldn’t open up but offered us her shower. Her name is Beverly and she has lives in Corozal for the past 20 years. She and her husband own the hotel. He’s a cardo surgeon in Massachusetts and spends his time there while she lives in Belize caring for the hotel. Kevin took his shower 1st so I asked her about living in Corozal. She recommended against it so I decided not to consider it. I’m glad because I immediately liked Dangriga when we drove into it. Before we left I gave her 2 Angel coins and put a prayer on her’s that business picked up. It actually brought tears to her eyes. While I hate to see a woman cry they were good tears and I felt that I had helped her in my small way.
On our way to the border we stopped at a Mayan ruin called Xpuhil and really enjoyed having the place to ourselves. I’ll post pictures later. It was a very beautiful place with some fantastic reliefs on it.
We slept in the trailer with the windows open and were so glad to spend a night not hearing very loud truck traffic noises. The temp was in the high 70’s and humid so the breeze through the windows was a delight.
Driving to Belise - Day 4 (Part 2)
I’d like to start out by thanking all of you for your prayers and well wishes for our newest hiccup. We REALLY appreciate them!
We finally got back on the road at 1:30pm. Praise the Lord!!! The brakes work fine and we had absolutely no problems other than more normal crummy roads ahead of us. Because of our late start our target was Villahermosa, about 300 miles due east. We had fairly decent roads ahead between Veracruz and Minititlan, mainly Autopista (toll road). It did have several stretches of bad road interspersed with the good but for the most part we were able to drive 50mph. Many of the highways reminded me of Chicago highways after a particularly bad winter. Lots of pot holes and rough pavement and plenty of those god awful speed bumps. We decided that it will be too soon before we see another one but we know that we are in for plenty more of them tomorrow.
We were pleasantly surprised when we entered an Autopista just east of Villahermosa that wasn’t marked on the map. This was one of the nicest roads we’d encountered so far, with very little bouncing. It was well marked, with reflective markers on both sides of the road and the same reflective lane markings that you find on the American highways. Boy was that ever nice! Since we were on such good roads we decided to drive as long as we could into the night to make up for some of the time we’d lost this morning. So our new goal was Emiliano Zapata, about 80 miles further east of Villahermosa. We did encounter some light rain though. The 1st inclement weather on this trip. Today was the warmest temps we’ve seen. Until today the temp has been between 60-65 degrees. Today was 70-75 and finally shorts weather!
So here we sit at 10:30pm safely tucked away in a corner of a PEMEX station with the truckers who are also spending the night. Our goal tomorrow now is Chetumal which is right at the Belize border and a trip of approximately 350-400 miles. We can see the light at the end of the Mexican tunnel now and are getting excited! All in all we were making pretty good time. We did stop once, fairly early on, to check the wheel hubs to make sure that none of the brakes were locked and found everything working perfectly.
In this portion of the trip state signs alerted you when you entered the next state, much like in the U.S. We knew that Mexico was broken up into states but until now Kevin and I thought there were only 2…the state of confusion in which we most often found ourselves when we had made a wrong turn or found ourselves hopelessly lost and the state of panic, which was less often but more nerve wracking and happened when something was wrong with the trailer or the road was particularly bad and we were bouncing all over the place! And, as if the speed bumps aren’t enough to panic us, we hit stretches of road with absolutely no lane markers at all. Some in stretches where the highway was 1 lane in each direction too. The worst was when we experienced that at night and in the rain.
One of the things we had read about on a web page about driving in Mexico was that we would find ourselves at a military check point. Lots of soldiers on both sides of the road and all very heavily armed. The check points appeared after some toll booths and others were in the middle of nowhere. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for their placement. We never felt frightened or intimidated though since I don’t have anything that I’m not supposed to. We found all of the soldiers to very pleasant and outgoing. At some check points we were simply questioned as to where we were coming from and going to, others where they checked our papers and did a walk thru of the trailer looking for contraband, and still others where they simply waved us through. It wasn’t a bad experience at all.
No internet tonight so I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to post this.
We finally got back on the road at 1:30pm. Praise the Lord!!! The brakes work fine and we had absolutely no problems other than more normal crummy roads ahead of us. Because of our late start our target was Villahermosa, about 300 miles due east. We had fairly decent roads ahead between Veracruz and Minititlan, mainly Autopista (toll road). It did have several stretches of bad road interspersed with the good but for the most part we were able to drive 50mph. Many of the highways reminded me of Chicago highways after a particularly bad winter. Lots of pot holes and rough pavement and plenty of those god awful speed bumps. We decided that it will be too soon before we see another one but we know that we are in for plenty more of them tomorrow.
We were pleasantly surprised when we entered an Autopista just east of Villahermosa that wasn’t marked on the map. This was one of the nicest roads we’d encountered so far, with very little bouncing. It was well marked, with reflective markers on both sides of the road and the same reflective lane markings that you find on the American highways. Boy was that ever nice! Since we were on such good roads we decided to drive as long as we could into the night to make up for some of the time we’d lost this morning. So our new goal was Emiliano Zapata, about 80 miles further east of Villahermosa. We did encounter some light rain though. The 1st inclement weather on this trip. Today was the warmest temps we’ve seen. Until today the temp has been between 60-65 degrees. Today was 70-75 and finally shorts weather!
So here we sit at 10:30pm safely tucked away in a corner of a PEMEX station with the truckers who are also spending the night. Our goal tomorrow now is Chetumal which is right at the Belize border and a trip of approximately 350-400 miles. We can see the light at the end of the Mexican tunnel now and are getting excited! All in all we were making pretty good time. We did stop once, fairly early on, to check the wheel hubs to make sure that none of the brakes were locked and found everything working perfectly.
In this portion of the trip state signs alerted you when you entered the next state, much like in the U.S. We knew that Mexico was broken up into states but until now Kevin and I thought there were only 2…the state of confusion in which we most often found ourselves when we had made a wrong turn or found ourselves hopelessly lost and the state of panic, which was less often but more nerve wracking and happened when something was wrong with the trailer or the road was particularly bad and we were bouncing all over the place! And, as if the speed bumps aren’t enough to panic us, we hit stretches of road with absolutely no lane markers at all. Some in stretches where the highway was 1 lane in each direction too. The worst was when we experienced that at night and in the rain.
One of the things we had read about on a web page about driving in Mexico was that we would find ourselves at a military check point. Lots of soldiers on both sides of the road and all very heavily armed. The check points appeared after some toll booths and others were in the middle of nowhere. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for their placement. We never felt frightened or intimidated though since I don’t have anything that I’m not supposed to. We found all of the soldiers to very pleasant and outgoing. At some check points we were simply questioned as to where we were coming from and going to, others where they checked our papers and did a walk thru of the trailer looking for contraband, and still others where they simply waved us through. It wasn’t a bad experience at all.
No internet tonight so I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to post this.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Driving to Belize - Day 4 (Part 1)
Special note: The mechanics just pulled up. They said they would be here at 11am and it’s 11:09. Not a bad start. Let me stop for now and see what’s up.
Good news on the repairs! They have all but 1 of the parts and that one part is one of the 4 electric brake controllers. So we may only have 3 trailer brakes and might have to use the manual control. They don’t seem to be concerned about it. They are doing a very good job of cleaning and repacking the bearings on all 4 wheels which will be one less thing to worry about. We’re trying to contact my cousin Richard who’s wife grew up in MX for some translation help to insure that it is indeed the case. So we may be on our way in an hour or so! THANK YOU ANGELS!!!
Normally I do my blog write up at the end of the day but today is different as we may be stuck at the PEMEX station waiting for the mechanic to show, hopefully with parts. So I’ll be blogging as I get the chance.
I slept in this morning but Kevin was up around his normal time of 6:30 and went for his walkabout. There is an espresso shop right here at the gas station, which is nice. I’ve missed my regular 6 shot espresso. I don’t have them every day but do have them quite often. Where Kevin is on a caffeine high from his 1st and only coffee of the day I feel absolutely no effects. Sometimes I wish I did. I can go immediately to sleep after enjoying my brew. Along with the espresso I had a banana nut muffin. He had a croissant with egg and cheese. All were quite good. Much better than the crummy meal we had last night at the diner here. Maybe it was because they only served sandwiches after 7pm, maybe not. It was the 1st bad meal we’ve had.
In the past 3 blogs I have failed to mention something that is very scary to see on the road. Most Mexican semi trucks are pulling 2 full sized trailers. Not the shortened version that you see on American roads but the 50 foot versions. They seem to travel in packs and the wind flow around them as they pass by is easily felt by us and the trailer. Nothing dangerous but we have to keep our eyes open for them in the side mirrors just to be sure.
Since I have time today, and since I have my journal right next to me (I don’t normally for some unknown reason) let me tell you of some of the sights we’ve seen.
All through the mountains we’ve seen farm after farm after cattle ranch. It’s kind of funny to see the manner in which they plant their crops. For one some are on the steepest incline you can imagine. There is no way they can do anything with a tractor to make their farming chores easier. They have to walk it. From the steepness of the incline I can only imagine that their plowing, planting, and harvesting is done behind a horse or mule. Plus, something I’ve never seen but must have some agricultural significance is that they tend to plant corn in between the rows of citrus and banana trees. It could very well be that it’s just maximizing their crops.
I’m not sure when I’ll have internet access next but more later!
Good news on the repairs! They have all but 1 of the parts and that one part is one of the 4 electric brake controllers. So we may only have 3 trailer brakes and might have to use the manual control. They don’t seem to be concerned about it. They are doing a very good job of cleaning and repacking the bearings on all 4 wheels which will be one less thing to worry about. We’re trying to contact my cousin Richard who’s wife grew up in MX for some translation help to insure that it is indeed the case. So we may be on our way in an hour or so! THANK YOU ANGELS!!!
Normally I do my blog write up at the end of the day but today is different as we may be stuck at the PEMEX station waiting for the mechanic to show, hopefully with parts. So I’ll be blogging as I get the chance.
I slept in this morning but Kevin was up around his normal time of 6:30 and went for his walkabout. There is an espresso shop right here at the gas station, which is nice. I’ve missed my regular 6 shot espresso. I don’t have them every day but do have them quite often. Where Kevin is on a caffeine high from his 1st and only coffee of the day I feel absolutely no effects. Sometimes I wish I did. I can go immediately to sleep after enjoying my brew. Along with the espresso I had a banana nut muffin. He had a croissant with egg and cheese. All were quite good. Much better than the crummy meal we had last night at the diner here. Maybe it was because they only served sandwiches after 7pm, maybe not. It was the 1st bad meal we’ve had.
In the past 3 blogs I have failed to mention something that is very scary to see on the road. Most Mexican semi trucks are pulling 2 full sized trailers. Not the shortened version that you see on American roads but the 50 foot versions. They seem to travel in packs and the wind flow around them as they pass by is easily felt by us and the trailer. Nothing dangerous but we have to keep our eyes open for them in the side mirrors just to be sure.
Since I have time today, and since I have my journal right next to me (I don’t normally for some unknown reason) let me tell you of some of the sights we’ve seen.
All through the mountains we’ve seen farm after farm after cattle ranch. It’s kind of funny to see the manner in which they plant their crops. For one some are on the steepest incline you can imagine. There is no way they can do anything with a tractor to make their farming chores easier. They have to walk it. From the steepness of the incline I can only imagine that their plowing, planting, and harvesting is done behind a horse or mule. Plus, something I’ve never seen but must have some agricultural significance is that they tend to plant corn in between the rows of citrus and banana trees. It could very well be that it’s just maximizing their crops.
I’m not sure when I’ll have internet access next but more later!