For everyone asking us exactly where we are, here it is. We just added a new menu “Google Maps”. Just click on it and it will take you right there. If you click on the pins it will pull up pictures from that location.
Enjoy

As most of you know we love plants and gardening. One of many things that attracted us to Belize was the year round growing season and the ability to grow all kinds of tropical plants and fruits. Our plan is to have a big vegetable garden with all kinds of fruit trees around the property. Besides that we will also have the ability to grow other things such as allspice, cinnamon, black pepper corns, coffee beans, vanilla and cocoa (chocolate) just to name a few. As you can see in the picture below the soil on the property is a deep rich black soil where any plant would love to plant it’s roots. No need for any chemically enriched fertilizers here.

This last time while we were there exploring the property we noticed that there were a lot of different types of mushrooms growing on old logs.

I know that there a lot of different types of wild mushrooms that are excellent to eat and I also know that there are other ones that are not considered food. If you know what I mean.

Since Kelley and I both love mushrooms, we were thinking how great would it be if we could hunt wild mushrooms right in our own back yard. So the next time we saw Ruben we asked him about the mushrooms and he told us that indede there are a few different types that are very good to eat. He said that every so often he will come out and gather some for his meals. I actually think his wife says “I need mushrooms for tonights meal, go find some”. Just kidding, she’s not like that at all. He did tell us that his wife does make a delicious stroganoff with certain ones and others she will deep fry and they are very good. Once we are there we will have to get the mushroom course from Ruben to make sure we are gathering up the good ones.

There is this beautiful plant that gets this small bright red fruit on the top leaves. From what we have seen, the plant only gets 4-5′ tall and bears only one or two fruits per plant. We are still not sure what kind of plant it is and Ruben didn’t have a name for it. He did tell us that the kids like to eat the fruits when they turn bright red. The way I figured was that if the young children can eat it without any problems then so can I. What happen next was pretty unexpected…it was actually good. Not saying that I would seek them out as a regular part of my diet, but if I’m hiking around the property and see some, then sure I’d have one every so often.

Another thing we found while wondering around was an abandoned bird nest. We made the assumption that it was not a parrot or a toucan nest. The first clue was that there were no brightly colored red, yellow or green feathers in the nest. The second clue was that it was only a little over an inch tall. Yes we are geniuses. Anyway we are guessing that maybe it was a hummingbirds nest, but with close to 600 species of birds in Belize who knows for sure. I’m positive that over time we will learn to recognize certain birds and what types of nest they build.

We have seen many different types of spiders and insects around the property and most of them are very colorful and amazing to look at. Many times we have called out to each other to come over here and check this out. A lot of the time it’s because of the colors or the size of the insect, but mostly it’s because it’s something we’ve never seen before. From what Ruben has told us there are very few insects there that are dangerous to humans. A lot of people have been asking us how we will deal with all the big scarry bugs. I tell them that no matter where you live you have big scarry bugs, you are just used to them because you know what they are and what to do with them. In time we will learn what bugs to stay away from and what ones to not worry too much about, just like we did with black widows, centipedes and scorpions in the desert.

Kelley and I are very lucky to be able to explore and learn more about the country of Belize with it’s rich history and wonderful people. Hopefully very soon we will be able to call this special place our home.

 

The Belikin Beer sign at it’s new temporary home in Cholla Bay, Mexico. It will eventually be returned to it’s homeland of Belize, but for now it is here for us to enjoy.

This posting will be nothing more than a bunch of random things we saw or did on our last visit to Belize. Since this is the beginning of a new year, what better way to start than with a score of a couple of Belikin Beer calendars. OK I guess a better way would be to have two beautiful Belikin models autograph your calendar and then take a picture with you.

This is not the first time I’ve managed to score Belikin calender’s, but it is the first time I’ve got to meet some of the models. These are usually pretty big calendars and getting them back home safely could have been a problem, but a few years ago I figured out that two Pringle potato chip cans taped together make a great transport tube. I’ve found out that the bbq and the jalapeño chip cans make the best tubes, well not really, it’s just that’s the flavors we like.

The next couple pictures are of the rivers that are in our area. The picture where Kelley is standing is where the Mopan and the Macal rivers come together to form the Belize river. We were told by an expat who moved to Belize 30 years ago, that 100 plus pound tarpon would come up the river. He said that the locals would stretch a tennis net across the river to catch the tarpon. When the big fish would get to the net they would try to jump over and a guy on the shore would shoot them with a shotgun. Then they would retrieve the fish and use the meat to make empanadas and the fish scales they would sell as guitar picks to the tourists.

There is a rope swing along the river that is tied onto a big tree that the kids like to use. I’m sure most of us have tried a rope swing at sometime in our lives remembering how much fun it was and without a care in the world. Our only worries being, what if I don’t let go, what if I let go too soon or even worse what if I lose my swimsuit? I’m sure these are also some of the same worries the kids in Belize have, oh and one more thing, the chance of crocodiles. Seriously, crocodiles that would add a whole new thrill to the old rope swing down at the swimming hole.

You don’t usually see a lot of quads or atv’s in Belize so when I saw this one I had to get a picture. I assumed it was a Chinese made quad and they could not come up with an original name so they just picked two existing brands and combined the names. Yes that is a Kazuki.

Before the hurricane last summer there was a swing bridge that went across the river to a small community, but the bridge washed away when the river flooded. For now they have tied a rope across the river and pull a small boat back and forth taking people to the village as needed. The day we were there a motorcycle pulled up with a small child on the back wearing a big helmet and a backpack. The little kid jumps off the motorcycle, waved goodbye to his driver and then got into the boat, still wearing his helmet and backpack, he was shuttled across the river. All just part of life in Belize.

There was also a sign where the bridge use to be advertising a restaurant across the river. We thought it would be fun to take the boat across the river and have a beer, but the day we were there they were closed, so maybe next time.

As we were leaving a small restaurant one day we noticed that there was a nice metal Belikin beer sign on an old wooden post in the corner of the parking lot. So we went back in and asked the owner if she would be willing to sell it. She said no, but we could just have it if we wanted. We thanked her and I got out my Leatherman and started removing the nails. Of course the post was some type of hardwood and the nails would not come out. The lady saw I was having trouble and came back out with a claw hammer and that seemed to do the trick. She then asked us if we wanted a Belikin beer bucket, we said no thank you but she insisted and now we have a beer bucket.

Then there was a bus stuck in the mud on the road about a mile from our place. We don’t know how he got out, but a half hour later there was no sign of him anywhere.

That’s all for now, just a few pictures and stories that didn’t really fit in anywhere else.

 

Saturday at the market in San Ignacio is always the busiest day of the week and it’s best to get there early for the best selections. Fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, meats, honey and natural remedies are abundant everywhere. Plus all the numerous food stands where you can get everything from pupusas and tamales to pizza and hot dogs.  Not to forget all the fresh juices made with any fruit or veggie you can imagine. Of course there is also the option of having a vendor cut the top off of a fresh coconut with his machete and inserting a straw in it for you to enjoy, (my personal favorite).

Most fruits and vegetables at the market we can recognize, but there is always a few that we just can’t figure out. Even after asking what it is, usually it’s something that we have never even heard of. I know in due time we will have them all figured out and decide where it will fit best into our cooking.

In the village of San Antonio right by our place is this little palm thatched building that looked like they might serve food. One day we stopped in and asked the owners (a Mayan couple) if they served food, and they said yes. When we walked in, there were a bunch of young school children in there eating and watching Dora the Explorer cartoon on the TV. There was no name on the place or even a menu for that matter, but the owner told us he had empanadas, salbutes, burritos and rice & beans. I ordered the empanadas and Kelley ordered the salbutes. When our food came out we each had an order of empanadas, no salbutes, but it didn’t matter because the empanadas looked great. Each plate had 6 chicken stuffed deep fried empanadas topped with grated cabbage and served with a hot sauce that looked homemade. The food was outstanding, the sodas were ice cold, plus the enjoyment of watching the kids singing and guessing the answers on the TV were priceless. Well not exactly priceless, the whole thing cost us a total of $3, I really did feel guilty when it came time to pay the bill.

On another day we were driving around exploring and came across a little place called Food House Bamboo, we were feeling a little hungry and thirsty so we decided to stop. The owners were sitting on the patio drinking coffee and tea just taking it easy. We asked what they might have and they said hamburgers and fries, so that’s what we ordered. After talking to them for awhile we found out that he was a baker in Belgium before moving to Belize. Every day he makes his breads, for their sandwiches, burgers and pizzas, to serve up at the restaurant and to deliver to area bars when they call in a food order. It was a great little find that served up good food and ice cold beer at a very reasonable price.

Other foods we enjoyed this time in Belize were stewed chicken, rice & beans, lamb ribs and chops, rabbit curry, grilled plantains, octopus, bbq ribs, burritos, stewed pork, beef liver, poutine, fried chicken, lamb stew, pizza, Chinese food and of course the best hot dogs ever. With such a diverse group of people living in Belize there’s always a lot of good food to be found.

Christmas in Belize isn’t about expensive gifts and toys, it’s about spending time with family and friends. All the government offices, banks and most non-tourist oriented business shut down for the week surrounding Christmas Day.

One important Christmas tradition is to spiff up the interior of your home. This is a Belizan way of inviting the Christmas spirit into your home. You can not judge a locals home by the exterior this time of year, as everyone brings out their gold, red and green curtains, tablecloths, etc. In preparation for all the family and friends visiting, Belizeans don’t just decorate the inside of their homes this time of year, they give them a facelift too. They repaint the walls, hang new drapes and even replace the flooring. This is the Belizean version of spring cleaning, and the entire family pitches in. As we drove through the towns and villages we could see many people out cleaning up their yards and putting a fresh coat of paint on their homes.

Many Belizeans put up Christmas trees, but typically they are the synthetic version. Those who can afford it decorate with lights and other decorations. We did notice that a lot of houses put up a decorated tree either on their porch or up on their roof top. I assume there is either not room in their home or more than likely they just want to put it outside to share the holiday spirit with their friends and neighbors.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feasts will usually include traditional local foods  such as rice and beans, potato salad, white relent (soup with pork stuffed chicken and raisins), pebre (roast pork) or ham with pickled onions and jalapeños, tamales and of course rum cake. These dishes are usually modified for the holidays to include unusual meats and fowl. As we were sitting at a restaurant enjoying a bucket of Belikin, a local came in and was gathering up all the empty liquor bottles. He explained that he was going home to make Rumpopo, a Belizan version of eggnog for the holidays. We can’t wait to someday try Rumpopo……. Rumpopo, Rumpopo, such a fun word to say it has to be good. We did buy a small chocolate rum fruitcake from someone who said that when we eat it we will feel 16 again. It was a very good cake and I suppose if we would have ate the whole thing we might have felt 16, but who really wants to be 16 again.

Since Belize is a melting pot of many different cultures, there are many different types of celebrations happening around the holidays. Some of the different traditions are…Christmas Bram, Mayan Deer Dance, La Posada and Garifuna Jankudu Dance. With a large portion of the country belonging to the Christian faith, midnight mass is a very important tradition. It doesn’t matter how Christmas is celebrated in Belize there is always lots of food, dance, music and celebration happening.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

 

Off to BEL, the power company to see if we could get an estimate on how much it would cost to run power approximately 2500 feet. They were very friendy, opened us a temporary account and told us that a technician would give us a call in a couple days to meet us out at the property. That went smooth, so off to the bank to see about opening an account. We did some research and thought we had all the papers required, but it turns out we still needed one more. Oh well that will have to wait till next time.

Now it was back to the home builders to get some more ideas. They had about 5 or 6 houses that they were working on in all phases of construction. There was one there that was ready to be delivered that was the exact size and layout that we will use for our small casitas. If it wasn’t already sold, Kelley was ready to write a check right then and now.

There was also a larger house that they were working on that is about the same size that we will be using for our main house. All the houses that the Menonite’s at Linda Vista build are made from dried hardwoods. What we are thinking about is hardwood floors, vaulted wood ceiling, drywall on the walls (that way we can add some color) a big porch on three sides and natural wood on the outside. Of course this all changes every time we go out there or see another idea on pinterest . I’m sure it will be just right when the time comes to place our order.

After spending a lot of time at the property we decided that the original clearing where a small casita was going was actually a better location for the big house. Just across the driveway we found another spot that will be perfect for a small casita once it is cleared. Ruben liked the new spot as there is a small creek that sometimes runs behind it that he said will be great to listen to while sitting on the porch. It took Ruben about a day to cut all the underbrush and take out some of the trees, and he did it all with just his machete. He is truly amazing!

After a few days we still had not heard from BEL, someone suggested that we need to keep on them. So back to the office to see if they had a better idea of when they might be out to survey the property. It turned out that the first person we talked to went on vacation and never gave the papers to the technician. This time we talked to the head guy in charge and everything went great. He pulled up google maps, measured our road, set a pole every 150′ and gave us and estimate. At this point the papers have to go to Belize City to the head office to be approved and could take a few weeks, but with the holidays I expect it will be a lot longer. He also stated that there is a good chance that BEL might kick in a percentage of the instalation cost since there are other possible customers on that line. We were very excited with the quote he had given us, plus if BEL kicks in some and if we can get some of the other lot owners to chip in this could turn out to be very inexpensive.

We stopped in the village of San Antoino that is a couple miles from our place to check out the Post Office. It’s basically a one room little store that receives mail once a week. No address or PO Box needed just our name, the town or village and a stamp and they say we should get it. It’s a good thing that almost everything is done on line these days.

Thought we would take a break from everything and just have some fun. We started the day off with a good breakfast at a small little place in town. Kelley ordered the banana waffle which came with fresh and caramelized  bananas all topped with ice cream. I went with the chicken and waffles, plus we each had a glass of fresh squeezed OJ all for about $8 and worth every penny.

Now that we had a good base in us we headed to Cahal  Pech, which means “Place of Ticks” it’s a small Mayan Ruin that is pretty much in the middle of the town of San Ignacio. We had been to a couple of the other bigger ruins before but never this one, I guess because we thought it was smaller and in town. As it turned out this small little ruin was just as interesting as some of the larger ones. Cahal Pech was occupied from about 1500BC to around 600AD where as many as 20,000 people lived and thrived as a community along with a king as their leader. Our mayan guide (Marcos) who showed us around was actually one on the archeologists who worked on a lot of the ruins in the area including this one.

Marcos was a wealth of information explaining and showing us the ball courts, market places and all the kings special protective passages that took him to different areas of his empire. All the kings passages had big peaked ceilings so that his headdress would fit through when he went out to address his people. Even though all the kings passages we extra tall for his headrest I still had to duck when going through them.

Our guide tells us that the entire ruins were once all covered in a plaster and were beautifully painted. One of the kings bedroom still contained some plaster and some red paint on the walls. Marcos told us that usually every summer they do some more excavating with university students. We asked him if the public ever helps and he told us that if we applied that there is a good chance we could help for a couple weeks. We now have something else to look forward to once we move to Belize.

After hiking around the ruins all morning I thought I would give fishing a try. We found a nice secluded spot where the Mopan and the Macal rivers come together. I have not fished in fresh water in a long time, I’m used to the salt water either on a boat or a nice empty shoreline. One thing that I’m not use to when fishing is trees, lots of trees. It was on my first cast that I hook a big one, it was probably 70′ tall and firmly rooted to the bank. Hanging out of it’s big branch was my $8 lure, you could see that he had been hooked before, as there was already another lure hanging from it’s big branches. Obviously some other saltwater angler thought he could also master the art of river fishing. I guess this will just take some time for me to remaster my fishing techniques. No fish were actually caught during this fishing adventure.

 

Sunday is Ruben’s day to spend time with family, so we thought we would head out to the property and do some more exploring. This time we brought out a couple of chairs and an ice chest so we could just sit and listen to all the different sounds. We also brought along some hot dogs, so we built a small fire, wittled  down some sticks with a machete  and roasted the best hot dogs we have ever had. Okay, they weren’t the best but they were our first meal on the property.

After the best meal ever (haha) we wandered around the property checking out all the plants and flowers. We have learned to identify some of the plants and flowers, but others we still have no idea what they are. It seems that just about every tropical house plant you see in the states grows wild on the property. We did also find a wild papaya, wild plum, passion fruit and a couple other fruits that I don’t know what they are but, they tasted pretty good.

When Ruben was cutting down one of the trees for us he found a huge orchid, the kind that attaches it self to the tree and just grows. There is a good size tree where the house is going that needs to be taken out, so Ruben is going to cut it about six feet from the ground and plant the orchid on top of the stump for us to enjoy.

There seems to be only one tree there that is poisonous, that is the poison wood tree, and I think there is only a couple of those and they are tucked far into the bush. If the sap from the tree gets on your skin it will burn, but the great thing about nature is usually next to the poison wood tree a gumbo limbo tree will grow, which is the antidote for the burn.

Lots of parrots flying around, they are noisy when they fly so you can hear them coming a mile away. Saw lots of frogs of all sizes and some small lizards and one wicked big spider, (which Ruben said is harmless) but it still looked scary.

As we were walking around we saw a toucan land in the trees. Sorry the pictures of the toucan are not that great but there was a little rain that day.

On the drive out to the property we did see a couple of monkeys in the trees, a gibnut, lots of iguanas and of course all your basic farm animals.

That evening was a little rainy so we decided to stay in instead of going out for dinner. Kelley made up some vegetable chicken soup from ingredients we got at the big open air market, and some sourdough bread with some or the best mozzarella cheese that we bought from some menonite women at the market. It was great way to spend a Sunday.

Made it to Belize with no problems, checked into where we are staying and then headed out to the property. Two years ago when we bought the property, the 12 mile road from San Ignacio to where we are was a slow rough dirt road. Six months ago when we were there, they were working on getting it all graded and smooth dirt, which was a major improvement. This time we headed down the road and it is all paved with guard rails and all. Not sure if this is good or bad but it will definitely be better on the vehicles in the long run.

By time we got to the property Ruben had all the plants in the road cut back down and ready for us to drive on. We spent the day reevaluating where the house would be and cutting in another spot where a small casita will go. We also had Ruben clean up some of the palms and other plants around the property. Kelley found some Philodendrums on the property that she planted around the palms in hopes that they will grow around them. Ruben also had brought out a couple of coconut trees from his farm for us.

Now that we have water run to the property who knows what else might show up. We also had a pineapple for breakfast one morning that we had got at the market, so I took the top out there and stuck it in the ground. Ruben says that without a doubt, we will have a thriving pineapple plant next time we are here.

After a day at the property it was time for a cold beer and something to eat, so into San Ignacio we go. As we got to the town square there seemed to be a Christmas celebration going on along with a small carnival and some games. I tried one game where you had to toss a coin onto a plate that was floating in a tub of water. If you won you got a six pack of beer or a live rabbit, since I already had beer guess which one I was going for? Of course I didn’t win, so I think the game was rigged, haha.

This will be another short one as the connection is still not that great. In this case, where we are staying it was easier to go with a whole new internet provider than to find a new modem, (which I guess they should have done with a long time ago). Anyway we are making great progress on the property and the infrastructure, at this point we are waiting for the electric company to contact us so they can give an estimate of running poles out to us. It’s not all work, we are having a lot of fun and seeing a lot of neat and interesting stuff we have never seen or done before. At this point it looks like we won’t be posting any pictures or stories from our adventure until we get back home to Cholla, but I guarantee there will be a lot of pictures and interesting adventures.

The internet where we are staying has been down, so haven’t had a chance to send any updates. Right now we are sitting at a small restaurant enjoying a bucket of Belikin. Spending lots of time at the property getting things done. Will send more info when we get a better connection.

Well, here we are in Mexico locking everything down and getting ready to head to the states so we can catch a flight back down to Belize early Wednesday morning. It’s been cold here in Cholla, as well as everywhere else in the states, but hell it’s December and what else would we expect. I hate to say, but come Wednesday we will be enjoying the warm tropical weather that Belize has to offer. We will send warm wishes and thoughts to everyone along with our blog updates. Hope you will enjoy.

Trees, flowers, vegetables and all kinds of fruit, but the biggest growth happened yesterday. Our property doubled in size. It turns out that the piece of property right next to ours became available and the realtor gave us first choice on it. We thought about it over the weekend and decided that it was a great opportunity to expand our new homestead. So we now have 10 acres of land in the beautiful Belizean jungle.

Two months from now we will be back down there doing more leg work in preparation for the big move. This will give us a chance to check out the new addition and maybe reevaluate where the house and garden might go. Also with this much property our options are unlimited. Maybe build a couple rental cabins, or maybe raise some animals, or my favorite; grow coconuts, almonds and cocoa and make unlimited Almond Joy bars to be enjoyed in a hammock with a cold beer while watching the parrots and monkeys. In the words of Jerry Jeff Walker “Sounds like a pretty good god damn life to me.”

Everyone has been asking us how’s it going in Belize and when are you going back. Well, our next trip is booked and we will be heading down in about 10 weeks. This trip will be all about getting things done that you can’t do unless you are there. For example, setting up a bank account, meeting with the electric company to find out which arm or leg I will have to give up, find out about internet service, talk to the home builders again and so on. What we really hope to accomplish is; get a bank account open so we can pay Ruben when he does work for us, get the foundation done for the first casita, clear a spot for the 3rd casita and get a water line run from the property line up to where the house will be. Oh, and drink Belikin Beer because you can’t get that done unless you are there either.

Like anywhere if you are not continually there, it is a slow process. On the other hand, every trip since we purchased the property we have made significant progress on our little piece of jungle that we will soon call home. When is soon, we don’t have a set date, but we do know that we want it to be more sooner than later.

It won’t all be work, of course I’m sure there will still be lots of time for some fun and adventures and as that happens we will share it all right here.

That’s about all we know for now. Below is a picture of our friend and caretaker Ruben getting us a couple fresh coconuts from the tree using a piece of bamboo. the second picture is the same coconut trees and the giant bamboo plant where his stick came from.

It was just about a week ago that Hurricane Earl hit Belize, with high winds, heavy rains and flooding. It is amazing how all the people of Belize came together so quickly to try to get everything back to normal. People were working 24/7 removing debris and rebuilding what they had lost. At this point most of the water has receded in the rivers and electricity has been restored to 99% of the country. Most resorts and businesses on the island are open and back in business. Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot of damage that will take a lot of time to repair. 90% of all docks and piers on the island were lost or severely damaged, as were some businesses that were a total lost. The people of Belize are such resilient, giving, helpful and friendly people that they will have this paradise back to itself in no time at all.

The pictures below were taken 2 days ago, AMAZING!!!

San Ignacio, which had 3-5′ of water a few days ago

Beaches in San Pedro all cleaned up after the hurricane

Resorts back open and ready for business

 

 

Our property is up in the Cayo district of Belize, about 12 miles from San Ignacio.  San Ignacio sits on the banks of the Macal River. As hurricane Earl passed it dumped a lot of water in the mountains causing the river to rise very rapidly. The town of San Ignacio is completely flooded and waiting for the waters to recede. Our property is high enough off the river that it should be fine except for maybe a few trees down. Hopefully the crocodiles will swim back to the river once it recedes and not take up residency on our place.

Last night category 1 Hurricane Earl hit Belize. Lots of damage out on the islands and the coastal mainland. Extensive flooding from rain and storm surges. Hard to believe we were just there a few months ago.
By the time the storm got up to where our property is, the winds had died down and they were expected to get a few inches of rain. When we were considering Belize as our new home, hurricanes were one of our major concerns. This is one of the reasons we chose to be up in the mountainous jungle.
Hopefully everyone is okay and it is mostly just property damage, which can all be rebuilt.

We just posted a new batch of signs that we found on our last trip down. Hope you enjoy.

Just a quick look at how the road into the property took shape. The first picture is where we started with a vision. The last picture is a clearing where the house will be.

            

Yesterday morning we headed out to the property to meet with Tony, the guy with the scraper that could remove all the stumps from our newly made road. He is also the guy that will bring in at least 10 loads of gravel to lay down after the stumps are removed. Other good news is that they had already started digging the ditch for the water line, which is being dug by hand.

Thought they would use a backhoe, but we were told that this way they can employ more people, so it all makes sense. After getting Tony all lined up we decided that we should head up to some secret local swimming hole to cool off that Lucy from Crystal Paradise told us about.

A little bit up the dirt road we decided we should get more gas in the car since we were heading off to the middle of nowhere. So we turned around and went to our little San Antonio station to top off the tank. As we pulled up there was a small pick up with two 55 gal barrels in the back. We thought they were filling up the tanks in the truck, but just the opposite… they were siphoning the fuel into 5 gal buckets and then pouring it into the tanks for the pump. Never seen that before but it got us in and out of the jungle without any problems.

Finally found the spot on the river, nice little sandy beach, small pools and even a natural water slide that Randy and Luke enjoyed. Mostly cloudy all day and the river water was very cool and refreshing, a very welcoming thing since it has been so hot.

On the way back from the river we stopped at the Malfunction Junction (which is only two miles from our property) for a couple cold beverages.

Kelley and I ordered our usual Belikin and Randy & Stacy ordered what would become their new favorite drink from Belize. It is coconut rum, water and fresh Jamaican lime juice. A Jamaican lime looks like a bad orange and taste like a sweet lime. It was so good that they got some for the next day to go.

The next day found us heading to the zoo so Luke could finally see the monkeys that we kept telling him about, he was not disappointed.

Lots of animals up  close and personal, unlike any zoo in the states. All the animals there are native to Belize such as Jaguars, Spider Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, Toucans, Deer, Parrots and Tipars (or mountain cows, the national animal of Belize).

After the zoo a quick lunch and then off to the airport so the kids could head back home.

Working our way back towards San Ignacio we were stopping at all the hardware stores looking to order a culvert pipe for the entrance to the property. I’m sure this is what everyone does on vacation. After a drive to the airport and searching for a culvert with no avail we thought it was time to reward ourselves with a cold beer. Pulled up to a little roadside place and ordered up a bucket of their finest. The table next to us was a bunch of creole men laughing, joking and enjoying the same. As the sun started to settle one of the men decided it was time to remove the umbrellas from the tables, just as he was doing so the wind caught it and pulled it down to the ground.

All at once everyone at his table started laughing and calling him Mary Poppins, before it was all said and done his new name for the evening was Rasta Poppins. Fun was had by all.

After a good nights sleep and a good breakfast it was off to to the airport to say goodbye to the island.

We boarded our small plane for what we thought was a direct flight, turned out we had three other stops before we landed in Belize City where we would pick up our rental car. This year we rented a 2014 Jeep Patriot, by far the best car we have ever rented in Belize. Now as we settled into our new ride it was off to more new adventures. As we got up towards San Ignacio we discovered that they were having a heat wave, we’re talking 100°F or more, something we’ve never experienced there. We checked into Crystal Paradise and then headed out to the property so the kids could check it out.

Last time we were here they were working on the main dirt road out to the property. The work they have done in the last six months is amazing, I do believe it is one of the best roads in the entire country and it’s not even paved, but their plan is to have it paved by November.

Made our way out to the small road into the property, some of the grasses on the road were still as high as the hood of the car but I knew there was a good solid road beneath so onward we went. As we pulled up on the property entrance we could see that much of the plants had grown back since we were there last. Let’s just say Randy and Stacy were not impressed and though we were crazy for doing this, and I think Stacy even prayed for us that night.

It was a very long hot night without any a/c in our rooms, usually it is very mild temps here and no need for a/c.  So the next day we asked if they had a couple rooms with a/c and they did so we all moved and everything is much more comfortable now.

Ruben went to work on it the next morning cutting and piling everything up for a burn pile. When we went to check on him later that day he had all the cuttings burned and about ready for gravel. I think this time the kids could more clearly see our vision and not think we were as crazy, but I still think they think we are. What the hell, we’re adults and we can be crazy if we want to.

Earlier in the day we met with the home builder again and got a more accurate price for the first house that will be built. Also met with the guy in charge of the water company and got him paid and ready to run the water to the property. We also pre-paid for a years worth of water service, which comes out to be $5 a month for unlimited water. Not a bad deal.

Went and visited the local butterfly farm, it was an amazing thing to see if you have never been to one.

There were over 2,000 butterflies and 15 different species. The tour guide said that every day they have to collect the eggs and tend to the different stages of the hatch until they are ready to become butterflies. Lots of hard everyday work, but worth it.

Also took Luke to the iguana sanctuary where he got to feed and pet all different sizes of friendly iguanas. He seemed to like the bigger ones better than the smaller ones, maybe because the smaller ones were crawling all over him.

Luke is having the time of his life, seeing all the wildlife, running around and playing with other kids. What a great little travel buddy.

There is a lot more stories to be told, but the Internet here is not the fastest so we can fill you more over a cold Tecate when we get back to Cholla.

A good sleep was had by all. First thing on the agenda yesterday was to get us a golf cart so we would have transportation. Cruised most of the island just checking it out and stopping  occasionally for food and cocktails.

Late afternoon found us at the beach in front of Ramons Village, where we enjoyed the water for awhile while Randy went snorkeling and found a giant hermit crab that he brought back for Luke to check out.

After that, a dip in the pool and call it an early evening.

The next day turned out to be very exciting day. After a quick breakfast we headed down to the dock for a day of fishing with our guide Jerry and his brother Mario. First stop was to get bait. After a short boat ride up the coast Jerry put the boat right on the schools of bait fish and after only 2 throws of the net from Mario we had more than enough bait, so off to the fishing grounds we headed.

In no time at all we were catching snappers, jacks, groupers and a couple good size nurse sharks (of course we let the sharks go). After we had caught all the fish we thought we needed it was off to the beach to cook up a great fish lunch.

Besides the fish we had some wonderful conch cevichi from the conch that Mario had dove down earlier and got. Of course what would a tropical beach lunch be without ice cold Belikin and rum drinks. It was a great day!

While on the beach waiting for Jerry and Mario to prepare our fresh caught fish we had plenty of time to swim and enjoy the beach.

After a swim in the warm Caribbean water we decided to explore the beach for awhile, and what an exploration that was for Luke.  He was finding and stacking coconuts, playing with hermit crabs and chasing more iguanas then you can imagine. After that our beach lunch was ready and man was that good.

We have fished with Jerry and Mario a few times before and they always do an exceptional job of fishing and preparing your beach lunch. Please contact them if you ever get out to Ambergris and tell them Big Wave Dave says hi. 011-501-628-1799 or email  amanda_ack@live.com.

Tomorrow morning we say goodbye to the island and head up to the jungle.

 

 

Up at 4:00 am and ready to go. Got out of Phoenix early and headed to Dallas. Luke’s first airplane ride and he did great, and even got to take a picture with the captain up in the cockpit.

Quick lunch in Dallas and then off to Belize, another great trip for Luke. Once in Belize we had to catch a small puddle jumper out to the island. This time Randy got to ride copilot in the plane and Luke sat on grandpa’s lap. The girls sat in the back of the plane.

Once we got to the island the first order of business was to get into more comfortable clothes and find a cold Belikin beer, which didn’t take long.

After that was a stroll down the beach, stopping for cold beer or dirty bananas or rum punches or mojitos or whatever else we could find and of course some water for Luke. We finished up the evening with dinner at the Blue Water Grill, which is only feet away from the Caribbean shore. BlueWaterGrillBelize.com

Luke had a big day of ‘firsts’ today from, riding his first escalator, first tram car, first big airplane, first small airplane, sitting on giant turtles and manatees. That made for a long day, so hopefully we will sleep well tonight and be ready for more adventures tomorrow.

One more week before we leave our home in Mexico and head up to Arizona to catch a flight back down to Belize. We are trying to get caught up with work and all things done around the house before we head out.

A couple months ago we applied for the TSA fast pass, and got accepted. So now at the airport we get the short line, get to keep our shoes on and leave everything in our backpacks. That should speed things up considerably. Randy and Stacy also applied and got theirs, plus Luke got his passport and is ready to go on his first plane ride. We will head out of Phoenix to Dallas, then from there down to Belize.

After we land in Belize we will catch a puddle jumper over to Ambergris for a few days.  This time I’ll just kick back and let the pilot fly us there. Once we arrive on Ambergris we will be staying at Ramon’s Village, this is where the kids stayed a few years ago on their honeymoon.  ramons.com

The other day I called our fishing guide Jerry who we have fished with a few times and got a trip all lined up for when we get to the island. There is a good chance Luke will catch his very first fish ever, and it could be in Belize. How cool would that be. Hopefully it will be a big one and we can enjoy it with our lobster and conch lunch that Jerry will fix for us on some secluded beach.

After some fun on the island we will jump on a small plane back to the mainland and grab our rental car and head up towards San Ignacio. Our base camp there will be Crystal Paradise Jungle Lodge, where we have stayed before. It’s a beautiful lodge run by a local family. It also happens to be on the road to our property.  crystalparadise.com

I have also been talking to Ruben (the guy who has been working on the land) and he has the guys with the dump trucks all lined up and ready to lay the gravel limestone down as soon as we get there. Ruben has also been talking to the water company and they are ready to start running water to the property as soon as we are there and get them some money. It seems that they want money from an American living in Mexico before they start a project in Belize. Go figure.

We are also planning on meeting with the home builder again and try to open a bank account. All this doesn’t take that long and should leave lots of time for more adventures. Once we get there I will try to post at least every other day.

Thanks for reading.

Getting all the reservations in place for another trip down to Belize in late April. This time Randy, Stacy and Luke will be joining us.
We plan on starting the trip off with a few days on the island just chill’n, fishing and of course eating lobster.

Then we will head up to the jungle and start getting some more work done on the property. Of course by “work” we mean getting someone lined up to do it for us. Hopefully this trip we will clear a little more land for another small casita and get some limestone gravel laid down on the road we cut in last time. Also we would like to get water run to the property, which is about a 1/3 of a mile away and meet with the home builders again. After we get our “work” done, we should have plenty of time for more adventures and exploring.

Cholla Bay and the beach have Roger Clyne and Jimmy Buffet themed songs. We we were wondering what songs we might have for Belize? Here is a few we came up with.

Welcome to the Jungle (Guns n Roses)

Jungle Love (Steve Miller)

People are Crazy (Billy Currington)

Just Another Gringo in Belize (Jerry Jeff Walker)

Run Through the Jungle (CCR)

Changes in Latitude (Jimmy Buffet)

What was I Thinking (Dierks Bently)

 

It seems that most everyone’s questions are “Why would you move, when you already live at a beach paradise in Mexico?” and “Why did you choose Belize?”.

Spider Monkey

Let’s see, why would we move? We have been coming to Puerto Peñasco for 30 plus years and are just looking for a new adventure in our lives before we get to be too much older. It just seems that life is whizzing by and there are still things we want to do.

We have driven the Baja Peninsula, drove down mainland Mexico, cruised and sailed down the Sea of Cortez, caught just about every game fish there is in the Sea of Cortez and done just about everything the Puerto Peñasco area has to offer. We have decided that it was time to move on and explore other parts of the world.

We came to the realization that we take the sea for granted. We live at the beach yet we really never go to the beach. We have a boat that rarely gets on the water anymore. Kayak that hasn’t seen the water in a couple years and more fishing gear than you would believe. Besides all that, I grew up on the beaches of California and have been near the water most of my life and feel it is time for a change. By moving away from the beach we think we will appreciate it more when we do go there. Besides, it’s only about an hour and a half drive away to the shores of the Caribbean.

Why we chose Belize…. It is a beautiful country that has so much to offer. From the Caribbean beaches to the rain forest jungles and everything in between. The variety of plants and animals are mind boggling, plus all the different cultures to learn about.

The people of Belize are one of the main reasons we chose Belize. It is a melting pot of all cultures from Mayan, Mestizo, Creole, Mennonite, Chinese,  Garifuna and others. No matter who you are, everyone treats you like family and are always smiling, waving or willing to talk to you. Just like it was back in the states when we were growing up. Plus with this mix of culture the food choices are unlimited, and as you know we love to eat everything.

We are also really looking forward to a simpler life, growing and raising our own food and enjoying nature. Having a vegetable garden at the beach has been a challenge and not very productive. In Belize it seems that everything grows, from most vegetables, tropical fruits, nuts, coffee and so much more.

That’s just some of the reasons we chose to move to Belize, there are many many more, but we will save that for later.

Our last day in Belize, off to say goodbye to Ruben and get him paid. One last walk around the property with him for some more knowledge about some of the plants and animals. He was quick to point out some of the big holes in the ground where he said Gibnuts and Armadillos live. He also pointed out some plants that have medicinal value.  We can not believe the amount of work he has done in the past week. He has got a nice waking path cleared around the perimeter of the property and 600′ of that is a small creek that runs after a good rain.  Ater this week he will get a burn pile together and get rid of all the cut debris and get us a nice clear road and place to put our house. Next trip we are planning on bringing in some gravel to lay down on the new road and possibly run water to the property line.

Went and checked out a rental house from a gal we had met at lunch the day before. Looks like it would be just what we would need for a longer stay.

Ended the day by going to our favorite steakhouse at the San Ignacio Resort. Lobster appetizer, thick juicy steaks and a bottle of Argentina wine. Great way to spend our last night in Belize. But wait, there was one more surprise, as we are sitting at our table the waiter comes over and points out a Kinkajou in the tree right next to us. Pretty cool since we haven’t seen a Kinkajou in the wild before.

Now we are sitting in a Houston hotel waiting for a Domino’s pizza to show up before we make our way back to Arizona and then home to Cholla.

Big change in scenery from where we were last week. For now it’s back to Cholla to figure out when we will get back to our jungle paradise.

Well I wasn’t going to post another one til tomorrow, but I have some free time now, so here it goes.

This morning we headed out to 1000′ falls. It is the largest water fall in Central America and is actually 1600′ from top to bottom. After a hour and a half on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, we finally arrived. Because it being the slow season we were the only ones there. What a spectacular waterfall! Usually there is very little water coming off the top, but being they have just had a week of heavy rains it was flowing big time. The picture below does not do it justice, one reason being that you can only see about 600′ of the falls from the observation deck. A long road to go see it, but well worth it.

On our way back, there was a little shack that said cold beer, of course we were thirsty, it said cold and I had money in my pocket so why wouldn’t we stop. We ordered two beers from a nice lady from New Mexico, who we think might have been living in the jungle way too long. Anyway it seems she has an organic farm, and people can stay at her place in exchange for working the farm a little. The one guy we met was in his mid 20’s and perpetually tan. After this next sentence is where you can say “Wow.” Okay, so his name is “Pink” he has it tattooed on his side, he has a pink mohawk, pink sunglasses, his toenails are painted pink and all he is wearing is a very short tight hot pink speedo. Wow, right? Not what we expected to see in the jungle. We decided one beer was enough and we should head on.

After that excursion it was time to get some lunch, so we headed to a little place called Remo’s Roadhouse. It is a small little wood shack where expats hangout and watch football and drink beer. Perfect place for a Sunday afternoon. The only problem was that they didn’t serve food and we were starving after our trip to the falls. Being Sunday, no one in that town was open to serve food. The good part was that they were having a birthday party for one of the locals and invited us to stay. Someone had made tamales, someone brought sausage and there was a lot of other stuff. Sort of like JJ’S Cantina but on a lot smaller scale. It was one of those places, wood floors, dogs, cats, everyone has a story and even one old guy who rode his horse to the bar. In other words this bar had character.

Back to where we were staying, jumped in the pool to relax for a while then off to dinner at the resort. Tonight was Garifuna night, conch fritters, fish soup and such. After dinner they brought in a Garifuna  dance team that showed everyone their traditional dances and music. Towards the end they got people up to dance with them. As for me… someone had to take pictures.

Friday morning found us heading over to Hopkins Village on the Caribbean coast. About a 2 hour drive down the Hummingbird highway, definitely the most beautiful drive in Belize.

Our mission was to deliver a care package to Shelly, from her parents Dave and Ellen Redden who have a place in Cholla. Shelly is a school teacher in Hopkins and needed a few things, and it just happened that we were headed that way.

On the way into Hopkins we picked up a nail in the tire, a nice guy on a bike let us know that our tire was getting low. So we pulled over and went across the street to a little beach restaurant to see if anyone in town could fix it. They did point us in the right direction and a guy got on it right away. After the tire came off we saw that the bead was pulled away from the tire and it was unsafe to drive. Long story short, we needed another tire.

There is only about 1200 people in Hopkins, but not single used tire to be had. A tire was ordered from Dangriga about 20 miles away, I’m pretty sure it came by bus. Nothing to do now but wait for a crappy used tire. So back to the little beach restaurant where the guy had helped us and we ordered some of the best fried conch and cold Belikins around.

After lunch we checked into a nice little beach cottage at Jungle Jeanie’s. Turns out she is originally from Canada and has been here for 35 years. Not sure her age, but she definitely has some, anyway she jumped on her paddle board and took off like a pro.

After a cool dip in the water and a shot of Moonshine it was time to go meet Shelly.

Ended up meeting her at a little beach bar everyone goes after work. By this time her boyfriend had shown up and it turns out he had just became a Belizean citizen today, so time break out the tequila. It was approaching our bedtime so we handed off the bottle of Mexican Moonshine to them to help in the celebration.

Next morning up early to see if another tire had arrived, and it had, yippie! So now back on the road to San Ignacio, along the way we came to a wetland area and out in the middle were 20 or so big storks, we had seen the at the Belize Zoo but never in the wild, what a treat. After we got back to San Ignacio we stopped into the big open air market. They have the biggest and freshest produce you have ever seen, plus spices, meats, etc.

By now we thought we should go check on Ruben since it had been two days since we last saw him. Wow is he a hard worker! At the end of our driveway he has a 50′ x 80′ opening where the main house will be and another 30′ x 30′ area in the trees cleared where a guest house will go. Making progress fast.

On the way out from the property we come across a 3′ iguana just sitting in the middle of the road, he eventually scurried off into the bushes. A little bit further down the road we saw flocks and flocks of parrots flying around, so we stopped the car and got out.

They just kept coming and landing all around us within 50′ or so. There we literally hundreds and hundreds of parrots everywhere. Definitely an experience we will never forget.

Right now sitting on the porch with a cold Belikin and writing this blog for the second time and wondering what adventure awaits us tomorrow. Yes the first Draft just went away somewhere out in space.

A lot has happened in the past couple days. Yesterday we met with Ruben on the property and got him started clearing a road in. While he was getting started we went to Builders Hardware to see what all they had and check on septic tanks. Rotoplas (the same company that makes our water tanks in Cholla) now makes a drop in septic. Builders Hardware has just about as much as a Home Depot, so that will make things real easy. On the way to the hardware store we passed a Mahindra truck dealer so we stopped in and checked out prices, this might be a perfect truck for what we need.

On the way back to check on Ruben we stopped at a road side little restaurant for lunch. Kelley ordered cow foot soup and I ordered the stewed Gibnut. The Gibnut goes by a couple names such as a Paca, or the Royal Rat, anyway both meals were very delicious. Turns out there are quite a few of these roaming our property according to Ruben.

Finally got out to see Ruben and he had already cleared a 30′ wide road back in about 75′ all with just a machete. He is an amazing person and I know he will become our permanent caretaker and life long friend.

Today we headed into San Ignacio to see how the Mayan’s make chocolate. We were the only ones there, which was great. Adrian Choco the owner (yes his sir name is really Choco) got us started making chocolate. He had already roasted the beans and they were still warm when we started. First we peeled the shell off the beans, then we used a grinding stone that had been in his family for generations to grind the beans into a paste. We tried it in a hot beverage  with smoked habanero the same way the Mayans drink it. After that we added some sugar to the paste and made some really good chocolate, all while we learned about how important chocolate was in the Mayan culture.

Back to check on Ruben and at this point he has the road cleared about 250′ in from the main road. This will be the area where we will put our house. All this done without a chainsaw, just a machete. The biggest tree that had to be taken down was only about 8″ in diameter, we tried to weave our way through, taking as few trees as possible. While we were standing on the property a flock of about 20 parrots flew over, Ruben said there are a lot of parrots and toucans in the area. And Ruben also said not a single snake was seen… and he hates snakes.

Now we are relaxing on the porch having a cold Belikin beer and thinking about a little Mexican Moonshine.

 

Long day of traveling yesterday we finally made it to Maya Mountain Lodge around 6:30. Today we went down for breakfast and two parrots landed in the tree next to us, a great way to start the day. After breakfast we headed out to the propery, which is about ten miles from us on a dirt road. Oh, and it is the rainy season so the road is very muddy, plus the rental car doesn’t really have brakes, but it is all part of the adventure. Once we got to the property, Ruben who was supposed to help us had an emergency back in town, so we will wait till tomorrow to start clearing the road in.

Before we left the property we did something I don’t think has ever been done, we opened up a bottle of Mexican Moonshine in Belize and did a “Here’s to Life” toast. Bottle #125 will be history somewhere in the jungles of Belize.

Now that we were feeling good we thought we should go and get a couple machetes for tomorrow so we could hack away at the undergrowth.  After we rounded up a couple nice machetes  it was lunch time, so we stopped by one of our favorite places and ordered today’s special. Before you make a face, it was really good. Chicken, rice, plantains  and pig tails in split pea soup. Yummy!

Deciding that all we have really done today was eat and drink, we thought we should try to accomplish something, so we went and met with two different home builders in Spanish Lookout and got some great information. On the way back to San Ignacio we decided to take a short cut that put us down at the river. We waited our turn in line while the hand crank ferry took cars and people across the river, all at no charge.

Great dinner at a Belizan bbq smokehouse then back to the room for a couple more shots of Mexican Moonshine and of course some ice cold Belikins.

There is more but, we will fill you in later.

 

 

We fly out tomorrow and will spend the next 10 days clearing some land and getting a road put into the property. Let the fun begin!!!!

I added a new page of fun facts about Belize.   I’ll be adding more as time goes on.

After a couple of more trips to Belize, staying away from most of the tourist stuff and getting to know the area and people better, we had decided that this should become our new home. Most people would look for a place on the Caribbean shore, but not us. We wanted to be up in the mountains and jungle where we could have some land, no close neighbors and a place where we could grow all the plants we wanted.

In December 2014, a nice 5 acre lot came up in the area that we had been looking. January found us on a plane headed back to Belize. After looking at the property and weighing all the pros and cons, we decided to make an offer on it. The next day our offer was accepted and we are now the proud owners of 5 acres in the Belizean jungle.

The property is located about 12 miles from San Ignacio on a very good dirt road. About a mile and a half from the property is the village of San Antonio where they have basic supplies, such as gas and beer. Our property is considered raw jungle and will take some time to clear a small clearing for a home. This October (2015) we are headed back to cut a road in and make a small clearing. The good news is that we already have someone lined up to do this for us.

Stay tuned for updates on our new adventure!

Our first trip to Belize was in 2011. After a lot of research of where we wanted to go we chose Belize for everything they had to offer. We booked a package trip through a travel agent that gave us time to explore the mountains and jungles as well as the island lifestyle.

We tried to do as much as we could in the short ten days we were there. On the mainland we had our own car and were free to go wherever we wanted. We explored National Parks, went cave tubing, zip lining and went to the local zoo. Later we put our car on a hand-crank ferry that crossed the river to a Maya ruin, that was a lot of fun. Explored a lot of dirt roads, seeing iguanas, toucans, monkeys and a bunch of exotic birds. Of course we ate everything from meat pies on the side of the road to pizza in the pouring rain. The people we met in our travels were some of the friendliest we have ever met. San Ignacio and the Cayo area is a very green and wonderful place.

The second leg of our trip sent us over to San Pedro on the island of Ambergris.  This is a neat little tourist island on the Caribbean shore. Most everyone gets around by walking or by golfcarts. Of course we rented a golf cart so we could explore the island and see what it had to offer. We walked the beaches, shopped and hit all the local tourist spots.  We did manage to find a fishing guide that was willing to take us out the next day. This turned out to be the most memorable day of our trip. While we didn’t catch anything really big, the surprise was that our captain dove into the crystal clear water and came up with a couple of nice lobsters and some conch. After we were done fishing we headed off to a secluded beach where he cooked up our catch and the lobsters along with some potatoes and veggies. For an appetizer we had fresh conch ceviche and cold Belikin beer all under the swaying palms on the Caribbean shore. Life wasn’t getting any better than this.

After we got back to reality all we could think about was when are we going back….?