It’s hard to believe that it has already been two years this June that we have been living in the jungles of Belize. I guess time really does fly by when you are very busy and squeezing in a little fun too. Anyway, we were looking back at some pictures of how the Toucan Hideaway has evolved over the past couple of years and we thought we would like to share them with you.

The Driveway

The first thing we had to do was to get a road cut into the property. Once we found a spot where the house could go, a good solid road had to be laid down. Lots of cutting, burning, scraping, and solid material going down, but finally, there was an all-weather road that we could drive on. Eventually, it was finished up with an entry gate and fence.

The Guest House

Next on the list was to build a small house where we could live while they were building our home. We ended up living in the guest house for 6 months until our place was done. Now that we have moved out, it’s a great guest house for family and friends when they come for a visit.

Our Jungle Home

The spot we chose for the house turned out to be perfect. We wanted it set between two big Cohune palm trees, plus be back in the shade a little to help keep the house cool on the inside.

The Garage

Of course, we had to have a garage of some type to store our stuff and to work on projects. The original plan was for it to be a little bigger, but we downsized it a little and it turned out perfect.

The Garden

We needed a big garden but didn’t want to clear too much land. When they cleared along the road to install our power poles they cut a bunch of big trees along it. So we went in and cleared that section up and left a buffer of smaller trees to grow along the roadside. That way we ended up with a nice garden section that is not visible from the road.

The Outdoor Kitchen and Bar

Our original plan was to build the BBQ into the porch so that we could still cook when it rained. Then we thought about how much we loved our big outdoor palapa kitchen in Mexico and decided why not build something like that here. So that’s when we got carried away and decided that it might as well have everything we’ve ever wanted. Once it was done there was a big built-in BBQ grill with rotisserie, a brick pizza oven, a smokehouse, a sink, and a big deck with wood slab tables where everyone could hang out.

Of course, there were many problems and setbacks along the way. Such as, when we were ready to build the main house there was no wood available, or a 3-hour drive for materials sometimes two or three times a day. Anyway, It’s been a very busy two years for us to create our own little piece of paradise in the Belizean Jungle. We say we are done building and doing stuff around here, but with ten acres and crazy ideas, you never know what we’ll do next.

Hope we see you at the Toucan Hideaway soon.