Breeze to Belize

April 11, 2012
I am sitting in the Belize City International Airport, waiting for plane number 4 today. Out trip started at 1:30PM yesterday when we left home with my sister and brother-in-law for a ride from Surrey. Our flight wasn't until 6:10PM, but what is a little waiting time. My sister who was driving us wanted to go early. The up side of this was that when we checked in just before 3PM, we were the only ones there, and there were only a few people ahead of us at the security gate. So, we could get ready to go quickly. And then it started. Flight delayed until 6:30 due to late arrival of plane. By the time we actually, left, it was 7PM. We arrived in San Francisco at 9:20PM and our flight to Houston was not scheduled until 11:40. Wrong, flight delay due to late arrival of plane. Flight was now leaving at 1:20AM. A few beer, a pizza, a game of cards, and watching the rest of the gang sack out on the benches and it eventually was 1AM. There were people sleeping all over the terminal. Now there were many panicky people with connections in Houston who were very worried. The plane, a United Airlines narrow plane with one narrow row seemed to go on forever. People just kept streaming in to the 100% full flight and passing our seats. We wondered how far back this thing went because the kept coming. With delays in boarding so many people, and adding luggage of all the standbys, we did not get airborne until 2AM, arriving in Houston at 7:20AM, which was 5:20PDT. Even though there was an onboard movie, none of us even tried to watch it. Sleep however was just a fleeting fantasy. I nodded off for a few minutes here and there, but for the most part, it was a long struggle to find a place to put my feet where they could feel semi-comfortable. The flight from Houston actually left on time, relatively speaking, and arrived in Belize at 10:30AM, 9:30PDT. Our 45 min. Tropic Air flight to Placencia was not scheduled until 12:30, so more waiting. I think we are all in good spirits yet, but it could be just that we are in a bit of a daze. Weather here is 80 degrees but overcast.

Our flight to Placencia left only 10 minutes late, which is almost early in Belize time. The little plane held about 15 people. It was a beautiful flight along the coast and we saw beautiful rain forests, shrimp farms (square ponds), and the lagoon by the Placencia peninsula.

Our accommodations are fantastic. Our veranda overlooks the lush yard and swimming pool with water bar, and lounge area with pillows, as well as the Caribbean Ocean. The veranda is hug, as is the 2nd floor condo, with large living room, eating area, kitchen, two good size bedrooms, each with their own washroom and air conditioning. The pool water is slightly cooler than the ocean, sort of like a warm bath that has cooled off for half an hour. There is no getting used to the water because it is so nice and warm, just the way I like it.

There were many conflicting opinions on how long a walk it was to town, so we arranged for a taxi to drive us and pick us up after dinner and some grocery shopping. The fare is a standard $5 Belize, which is $2.50 American. We did not have to pay until we got back. Just as our accommodations seemed so luxurious, the town was the opposite. There is one road through it, with no sidewalks. There are dilapidated, stilted houses and old warehouse like grocery stores, etc. There is a cement sidewalk that runs through the middle of the town, a block off the "highway", which was build 30 years ago to help wheelbarrow fish from the water to the shops without fighting the loose sand. We dined in a nice little veranda like restaurant on the beach. Was very good. Later, we even got to see the Canucks game on our TV. It will be a good vacation!

April 12
A nice warm, sunny day. After breakfast, the men walked to town to see how far it really is, while the women stayed behind to lounge at the pool. We got to the first grocery store within 20 minutes, taking into account stops for me to photograph iguanas, fish in the lagoon, and peek inside the complex next door, owned by Francis Ford Copola. We had a hankering for eggs benedict for breakfast, and my BIL was on a mission to find hollandaise sauce. After asking at six grocery stores, and getting the same blank looks, or being directed to the salad dressings, he had to admit defeat, for now. We stopped for a coffee and explored the town before returning home at 1:30PM. By now it was very hot, and even though I found the heat quite nice, there was a stretch where there was no wind and it was quite stifling. We spent the rest of the day in and around the pool.

April 13

Lauren, my gecko hunts have been very successful. We have a frog who hides in the corner of our bedroom balcony during the day, and disappears at night, and two geckos who hide during the day and hang our outside our bedroom at night. Tonight, I am sitting outside watching two geckos who came to visit our front veranda, trying to forget about another disgusting hockey game. I joked before I left that the Canucks could be out of the playoffs before we come home. Not so funny any more.

Today the four of us walked into town. By 11AM the temperature was 33 degrees C, and it got hotter. By our condo it is always windy and therefore the heat is quite bearable, but there is not so much wind in town, or along the road. Joanie had some issues with hives due to the heat, but a cooling down at the brand new grocery store, with its fans and freezer area, gave her a respite from the hear. We did some souvenir shopping and had frappes in a tree house on stilts. When it was time to go home, after a shopping trip back at the new grocer, the gang baled on me and took a taxi home due to the heat. I was intent on walking the 20 minute stretch because you never know what you might see. It passes a lagoon with mangroves so all kinds of creatures may appear, and I am still looking for a beautiful woodpecker I saw yesterday outside Francis Ford Copula's Turtle Inn, where many movie stars like to go. He took off just as I raised my camera, of course!

We spent the balance of the afternoon sitting on our beach and swimming. The Caribbean water was so warm that it felt like stepping into a bathtub. The pool is only slightly cooler. We also enjoyed watching pelicans and frigatebirds over head, as well as other marine birds.
There is a very strong Canadian flavour here. The promoter for our complex is from Edmonton, so a large portion of the units are owned by Albertans. The manager is from Calgary. Even in town, we see people from Canada, and in the treehouse coffee shop, they were playing a radio station out of Southern Alberta.

Still no complaints about our condo, it is wonderful. OK, one complaint. The cookware is very sparse and cheap, making cooking certain things a challenge, and I am unable to distinguish between the hot and cold water in the kitchen (bathrooms are fine), because both are lukewarm at best. Life can be so rough.

April 14
An early morning today by our standards, as we were going on an excursion at 8AM. It was a nice sunny day. We went on a boat trip up the Monkey River. To get there we crossed a large lagoon between our peninsula and the mainland, and through stretches of mangrove forests growing out of the water. We spent the morning cruising up the river (there was only the four of us plus the guide and boat operators). Along the way we came to a tree fill with couples of snowy egrets, with the males often doing mating displays for the females. Very interesting. We also came across a very large tree beside the river which had howler monkeys hanging from its branches. We also did a walk through the rainforest where we saw a few different birds, and came across a group of howler monkeys. They are very loud.

The trip advertised seeing crocodiles, possibly dolphins and manatee. The croc we saw clearly was so small, it was the length of my arm. We never saw any dolphins, and we did go to an area where manatee feed, but were then told that you rarely see them because they feed on the grasses in the deeper water, and only come up briefly for air, so you may at best see a small set of nostrils. They could have mentioned that in the ad. Needless to say, we never saw any.

We did stop for lunch in a small village at the mouth of the river. The buildings were old and dilapidated, and by North American standards, would be condemned. The food at Alice`s Restaurant however was great, rice and beans, a very good cole slaw, fried banana and delicious chicken. The scenery was beautiful, the operators were very friendly, and we had a good time, but I think we were all a little disappointed with the lack of exotic birds and animals we saw, in comparison to a similar trip we did in Costa Rica. We are now planning our next excursion, hopefully including a caving tube ride.

April 15
Having just completed winning my third game in a row in two nights, its time to blog before turning in. Today was another beautiful day. While the temperatures never seem to vary much, with a high of 32 degrees and low of about 21 degrees forecast most days, we have had almost continuous wind since day 2, making the heat quite comfortable. We ran into a woman who lives here part time who said most years, she leaves after March because it is way too hot, but this year is quite bearable.

After breakfast, we decided to walk to town to pick up groceries again, and find a telephone to call a tour guide we heard about who others were really happy with. Our condo does not have a phone. We decided to walk along the beach, even though it was longer, to avoid the more sheltered, and therefore very hot road route. It was actually quite nice and pleasant with the wind, and we were surprised how quickly we were in the centre of Placencia. We stopped for a drink. Plod ordered coffee, which he never got, although the bartender told him later it was self serve, even though there were not cups by the coffee pots. The rest ordered a fruit shake, made mainly from papaya, with a touch of nutmeg. It was like drinking a pumpkin pie. I have never had to chew a shake before, nor pick a seed out of my tooth. We found a pay phone, but discovered that you could only use it if you bought a phone card, not practical for one phone call. A nice vendor let me use his phone but the tour operator was not available. We walked back along the beach with our groceries. We discovered that even though the town is quite rustic and poor looking, there are some very nice condos for rent along the beach. The sad thing though is again seeing all the garbage that gets swept ashore, including plastic of every size and description.

We decided to return to town after a swim and happy hour and found someone with a phone to call a taxi. We had a great dinner at Wendy's, a fancier restaurant that served more traditional Belize food. I had shrimp alfredo pasta and Joanie had a shrimp concoction with coconut rice and veggies. We got the same taxi driver on the way home and when he heard we wanted to do an excursion, he said he had a tour guide license and could arrange something for us. He was very nice and the price seemed good, so we will consider it.

We had talked about going to a local church today, but they only have evening services, and we would have had to have a very late dinner. However the restaurant we ate in played gospel music so that was our Sunday worship I suppose.

We have not felt unsafe here so far, but it seems unusual that all the grocery stores have security guards who stand at the door after 6PM. I suspect that petty theft was pretty high here.

We half watched the hockey game tonight while playing a game and were disappointed that the Canucks could not get a goal despite playing quite well. Oh well, tomorrow is another day in paradise.

April 16
Excitement comes in different forms to different people. For me, it was an exciting day. Sitting outside after breakfast I spotted a green parrot sitting in a tree nearby. Apart from the macaws in Costa Rica, this is the first wild parrot I have seen in three trips to Central America. After another walk to town, this time for banking purposes, we swam in the ocean. It was a calmer day and it felt noticeably warmer even though the temperature always seems to hit about 32 or 33 degrees every day. The beach was much cleaner with no sea weed or garbage being swept in. While out in the water, we were in the midst of a fishing display. A group of pelicans were fishing around us, sometimes flying within a few yards of us, then performing synchronized diving as they caught fish, sometimes within 100 yards or so of us. It was fascinating to see. One gull followed them, almost landing on their heads as they caught fish, trying to steal one. He was not successful.

For the rest a very uneventful day, basking in the sun, swimming, eating good food and enjoying an evening on the veranda.

April 17
Today was an extremely busy day. Before breakfast, I had to photograph the woodpecker that landed in our tree. After that I had to track down a tropicbird and a hummingbird, all on an empty stomach. It was another hot morning, with only a slight breeze, so after breakfast we had to go in the pool and do crosswords. After lunch it was more picture taking of the iguanas in our trees. Then it was off to the beach for wave jumping and pelican dive watching. A quick shower and it was off to the Turtle Inn down the street for Happy Hour. The rum punches were delicious. This place is frequented by many movie stars and we may have seen some. Then again, we may not have.

After dinner, enhanced KD, it was on the computer for picture editing and finally a game of Phase 10, where I had to overcome great odds and attacks by Joanie with her record number of "Skip" turn cards, to finish on top once again. As if that wasn't enough, we also met with our cab driver/tour operator to plan our outing for tomorrow.

People think when you go on vacation that it is all fun and games but it is not! Or, maybe it is.

April 18
Up early, at least for us pensioners. We got picked up at 7:30AM for a trip to Cockscomb Basin and Jaguar Sanctuary, about a 2 hour drive from here. Our guide was of Mayan decent. His grandfather was a snake doctor, who supposedly saved at least 75 to 80 people from deadly snake bites.

It was a beautiful day. We took a hike through the rainforest that is now a jaguar protected area. We did not see any of course as the chances are not that great. The jungle however was awesome, and our guide liked to explain the Mayan way of using trees, plants, etc. for medical remedies he insisted were guarenteed to work. I have to admit that I loved the scenery but was a little disappointed by the lack of real exotic wildlife. There were a variety of small birds, many of which I have seen elsewhere, but no toucans. We did see a big boat-billed heron with chicks in a nest. I think we were very spoiled by the birds and creatures we saw in Costa Rica and I guess Belize just does not have as much to offer in this way, despite what the tour books say.

After our hike, we ate the lunch provided for us, the traditional beans and rice, chicken leg, and in this case, tomatoes and cucumber salad, with an oreo cookie for dessert. Then we got some tubes and walked through the jungle to a spot where we entered the river, and tubed down for about 25 minutes. Our guide tried to freak us out a little by saying he had to check the river for piranhas. He threw a stick in the water and immediately a school of small fish, and a large one, attacked it. Of course, these were not piranhas. The tube ride was gorgeous.

After the tube ride we left our tubes in the forest and walked about 20 minutes to a waterfall. We could hear howler monkeys in the distance but never saw any. I think our guide was more interested in the Mayan ways than in wildlife. At the waterfall, we got into a pool and could swim under the falls to a small cave behind them. This was very cool! We also found two tarantulas, on a young one, and a pregnant female on a white ball which was filled with babies.

Soon after we started driving out of the sanctuary, we hit a torrential rain storm. Within minutes there were rivers running down both sides of the road, some flooding on sections of the road, and you could only see a very short distance. It was dry when we came home though.

For dinner we took a taxi into town and ate at the Secret Garden Restaurant, which was owned by a Nevada couple who moved her a year ago. The food was excellent. The owners even came and chatted with us a bit. Then we watched the Canucks win a game, finally and to top it off, we played a card game, and my winning record remained in tact. A real awesome day.

April 19
It was sunny this morning, with highs in the mid 30's expected, like every other day. There was very little breeze today however. To break up the day, Joanie, I and Plod walked along the beach to town. With the water being very calm, it was incredible, and I took several nice pictures with Lauren's waterproof camera. I even got a few of some trumpetfish swimming near the shore. In town we bought a few souvenirs and lost a few pounds through sweating. It is always difficult in a strange land adjusting to local customs and schedules. Our quest for a nice coffee shop landed us at the Barefoot Bar and Grill, a very popular outdoor bar. Being 2 minutes after 12 noon, I felt it appropriate to begin with a rum punch instead of coffee. Plod ordered a coffee which they had to brew. While there is some controversy about what happened, Plod waited for quite some time for his coffee. At one point, about 15 minutes after putting in and receiving our order, one of the two waitresses came and told him his coffee was ready. (Joanie claims she said it was brewing, but Plod and I hear differently). Plod asked if he should go and get it himself, remembering an incident at the Cozy Corner a few days ago. She said "No, I will bring it to you." She then proceeded to work on wiping all of the laminated menus, and various other clean up jobs. It was quite some time before the coffee ever appeared. I guess that how things work here. As the saying goes, "You better Belize it." We did discover that the pub food probably cost less than making our own dinner, so we quickly revised our shopping list for our return home, and plan to come back for dinner tomorrow, our last evening in Placencia.

When we came home from out outing I checked the laptop and found the memory card from Lauren's camera in it. So much for our pictures. I did use it again in the afternoon with my snorkel mask, but the main thing we found in the water on our beach was suntan lotion bottles and other plastic items.

Walking into the Caribbean Sea here is always a bit of a shock. I find, as I assume most do, that when you walk into a pool or other body of water there is always that initial shock of cold water. The hardest part is when that water reaches the top of your trunks, and hits your exposed belly. You'd think all that fat would be a good insulator but it is not. Here however, the shock is that when you walk in, you feel nothing, or you feel warmth instead of cold. There is no getting used to the water because it is so warm. Some might claim it is not refreshing that way, but I disagree. The refreshing comes when you are wet and stand on the beach in the wind, even if it is a warm wind.

The evening remained calm, resulting in some more bugs, mainly no-see-ums. I also discovered that you should not stand on a mound covered in red ants while taking a sunset picture. I fell a sudden pain in my toes as the little buggers attacked. I could feel my sore toes for almost an hour. Tonight my winning streak in games also came to an end, losing the two games we played. I guess that is just to keep me the humble person I am, and I can accept that. I think the others needed building up.

April 20
This is our last day in Placencia. We have loved it, but we all seem to be looking forward to moving on and seeing what San Pedro has to offer. We took it easy today. We didn't get to the pool until after 11AM, and it was stinking hot. The wind we have been experiencing is gone and the ocean was extremely calm. We had to finish the food we had left before we travel so it was nachos for lunch, and Belikin beer in the afternoon. Our new phrase is "You better Belize it", which means to enjoy it and be mellow. I must say, the people here are extremely friendly. Everyone you meet on the street or in town says hello to you.

For dinner we went to the Barefoot Bar and Grill. It was fun. I enjoyed my terriaki chicken quesedilla and Joanie had a blackened fish quesedilla. Drinks were only $2.50 so we enjoyed a few rum punch concoctions as well. We also ran into one of the guys operating the Monkey River tour we were on several days ago. He seemed quite excited to see us, perhaps because he enjoyed seeing Plod and Joanie soak each other during our ride across the lagoon. We chatted with him for quite a while. The place is quite popular and really fills up later in the evening. However, we were able to enjoy a local band playing Caribbean style music for quite a while. Never have I seen a band play while the bongo player gets up and leaves part way through, the drummer dismantles his set, and installs a new set of drums, and one of the patrons decides to join in with maroccas, all while the music goes on.

Every trip seems to have a theme. The theme this trip seems to be unclean teeth. One unnamed member of our little group has a thing for teeth, and gets extremely turned of by any sign of food between someone's teeth. We have regular gagging sessions when someone displays even the slightest food morsel in their mouth. Joanie in particular has developed a strong gag reflect even at the discussion of dirty teeth.

Everyone is in bed now so I suppose it is time to spend my last night in an air conditioned bedroom. I sure hope the sea breezes keep us cool at night in San Pedro.