A revelation with 18 days left in Belize…

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Often we emphasize the view from our veranda overlooking the Caribbean Sea. We’ve neglected to take photos of our “backyard” behind our villa. These gorgeous flowers came into full bloom overnight. There’s no grass or vegetation for a “lawn,” just fine white sand. Early each morning the staff rakes the sand in the gardens as well as along the beach to keep it smooth and free of debris.

Yesterday, as we wandered out to the pool for our daily, vitamin D enhancing, tan deepening, sunburn-free, requisite one hour of sunshine, a thought hit me right between the eyes.  We’re leaving Belize in 18 days as of today and we have no sense of dread, no angst, no feeling of disappointment nor, any sense of longing to go. 

It may sound like ambivalence, but in fact, it’s the opposite, a sense of elation coupled with calm and quiet acceptance.  Oxymoron?  Perhaps.

In other words, we’re looking forward to each and every one of the 18 remaining days in Belize plus, we’re joyfully anticipating the future two months of cruises, the trip across the Atlantic, the visit to the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, along with the resulting 13 nights in Dubai living in a 95 story residential tower overlooking Palm Jumeirah and the Persian Gulf.

By June 16th, we’ll drive in a rental car from Venice to our 17th century stone villa in Tuscany where we’ll spend the summer. Then on to Africa, and then, on and on…

Tempering enthusiasm takes practice. I’m your basic “jump up and down,” overly enthusiastic spirit. Tom, on the other hand, merely smiles, his eyes twinkling, in a state of reserved contemplation, incorporating a touch of skepticism and caution, all the while hoping it provides him with insurance against disappointment. 

Not I’ll risk disappointment! Come on, excitement! Come on, anticipation! I’m ready to indulge in my whimsical musings of what is yet to come.  We’re a good pair as he tries to tone me down and I strive to “fluff him up.” 

Our compromise? Live in the moment or, if willing to stretch ourselves, live in the next 24 hours. How do we see the next 24 hours?  Tonight is our Minnesota friend’s final night in Belize (they own their villa and will be back). They’re returning to their home and business in Minnesota.

They’re hosting a cocktail party tonight at 5:00 PM, atop the fabulous home they’re building which we highlighted in a post on March 7, 2013, the day of our anniversary, the night we fell on the collapsed steps.  Of course, we’ll attend.  We’re sad to see them go.  We’ll miss the day to day interaction, the commonalities we share, the laughter, and the endless stories.

For now, for the next 24 hours, we live our lives consisting of a series of pleasant, uneventful days spent engaging in mindless drivel or days of what we find to be extraordinary experiences that we will always remember. What if we don’t remember?  We can always bring up this blog to jog our memories, if, hopefully, we can remember how to find it.

Part 2…Holy Cow!…We had a great day!…Lots more photos…

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I squealed with delight when we encountered this pineapple growing in Ella and Ian’s Botanical Garden.  Tom looked at me smiling, “Gee, t’s a pineapple.  Hold it together!” But, he too, reveled in its beauty.

The theme of the Botanical Garden is orchids, but other plants and flowers abundant in Belize were also incorporated into the vast display.

Simple yet elegant, a single orchid.  There were hundreds of varieties, more than we call recall, but Ian knew them all.

Ian made a special point with meeting up with us again after our tour of the enchanting tree houses, to give us a tour of his botanical gardens, a horticulturist’s dream.   

Rich, thick greens surround the dainty flowers.
 All the flowers and plants had signs describing their species, origins and unique qualities.
Art in horticulture.
The scents throughout the garden were intoxicating.
This unique plant is sensitive to touch. Tom touched it and it recoiled.  He was impressed.
Ian purchased this fountain in Guatemala.  On his way back to the resort, he hit a speed bump causing it to fall apart in the back of the truck. Later, it was rebuilt to stand in its full beauty in the Botanical Garden.

At the end of our exhilarating visit to the massive garden his dear wife Ella had so lovingly created, he took us to a little unmarked hut to discover his soap making facility, where organic soaps are handcrafted using the finest quality essential oils.

Unusual plants indigenous to Belize adorn the garden.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without six bars of soap. After the hot, humid day, we were anxious to shower back at our villa at Laru Beya using the naturally scented soaps.

Another flowering plant.

By the time we completed our tour, it was already 3:00 pm. Apprehensive about driving the scary road in the dark with a 2 1/2 hour trek ahead of us, we decided to return to Placencia. 

As we approached the exit to the garden, we spotted this locally crafted head.

When we returned to our villa, we had yet to grocery shop, visit the vegetable stand, refill the rental car (the gas station closes at 7 PM) and get ready to go out for dinner.  With the rental car in our possession until 9:00 PM, we’d plan to drive to one of the local restaurants that previously we hadn’t been able to visit on foot.

As we were about to depart, Ian wanted to show us one more of his venture. We walked the steps into this quaint building to discover it was where their organic soaps are made.  The aroma in the little hut wafted through our nostrils sending our sense of smell into overdrive.

Alas, when done with it all we were pooped, freshly showered, smelling of essential oils, still full from the cheese tasting and we decided to stay in, munch on leftovers, and watch the first episode of Dancing with the Stars.  Ah, another fine day and night.

Bins, bags, and containers were filled with handmade organic soaps. The plastic wrap, as shown in the above roll that is used to wrap the soaps, is biodegradable.

Are we disappointed we didn’t see waterfalls and ruins?  Not at all.  After all, our goal has been to do exactly what feels right to us, learning about the people, their food, their work and their dedication to the ecological preservation of their country.  

We chose six of our favorite scents.

With the production of environmentally favorable products for the people of Belize and their visitors all of whom gain as a result of the myriad health benefits coupled with the beauty of the land and sea.  Mission accomplished.

On the drive back to Placencia we counted seven single-lane bridges, none of which proved to be a problem. With no shoulder, winding mountainous roads, it was dangerous to pass other slow-moving vehicles. Tom was careful, but on a few occasions, I white-knuckled it.

Skinny cows. And this morning, I poured thick raw, fresh cream, locally produced, into my locally grown coffee. Tonight we’ll have taco salads, made with organic, locally grown lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, and seasonings with ground steak from the grass-fed skinny cows, all topped with cheese lovingly crafted from the Cheese Factory at Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge.

Thanks, Ella and Ian Anderson for a full and enriching experience. 

Part 1…Holy cow!…We had a great day!…Lots of photos!…

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Grazing cows on the bumpy road in the cozy town of Hopkins.  Notice how skinny they are as opposed to grain-fed cows.

Tom is an excellent driver, although he tends to be impatient, continually attempting to pass the car or truck in front of us.  Guy thing.  Yesterday, we went on a road trip.

There’s a Laru Beya in Hopkins.  We’re yet to discover if there is a connection to our Laru Beya in Placencia.

With the reputation of the Hummingbird Highway being a “death trap” and after hearing about four tourists dying on the highway a few years ago, I was anxious about traveling on the road. 

Cute flowery house on the main road through the town of Hopkins.
 
 

 This style of house is common in Belize when close to the ocean.

The most frightening aspect is the lack of emergency services in this part of Belize. An auto accident victim could easily die, with what wouldn’t have been life-threatening injuries in the US or other countries, during the possible four to six-hour wait to get to evacuated to an emergency hospital. This scares me. Tom, on the other hand, didn’t give it a thought. Another guy thing.

 We stumbled across this restaurant and condo development at the end of the road in Hopkins

Our plan for the day was to travel to Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge near Belmopan, Belize (the capital city) to visit their gourmet cheese-making factory, perhaps spending an hour. Then we’d travel on to visit a waterfall, ruins, and a few cozy resort towns along the drive taking photos at random.

The laid back beach at the Hopkins Beachside Bistro Restaurant.

Our first stop was in the town of Hopkins about an hour’s drive from Placencia where we had an opportunity to snap a few photos.

The scene was breathtaking.
 We can’t miss a photo op!  We prefer scenery photos but family and friends insist on photos of us.  We comply from time to time.

On February 15th (see the post from February 16th for details of the party) we attended a cheese and wine tasting party at Mathieus Deli across the road from us. During the party, we met Ian Anderson, the owner of Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge and the cheese-making factory founded by him and his wife, Ella.  Ian invited us to visit the cheese factory and resort in the future. 

The breathtaking canopied drive to the Caves Branch Jungle Lodge Resort
 Entrance to the Cheese Factory at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge.

After tasting and subsequently purchasing a wide array of the extraordinary gourmet cheese weekly at Mathieus Deli, we knew that a visit to the factory, worked by locals, exactly meets our criteria of learning about the work and culture of the local residents of Belize. 

Entrance to the resort.

The waterfall along the walkway toward the main building.

All proceeds from the sale of the cheeses are donated to fund the ‘youth at risk’ programs of the Belize National Youth Chess Foundation.  Ella and Ian Anderson’s commitment to this foundation and their ongoing dedication and hard work add a unique charm to what is according to our taste buds, the most delicious cheese we ever tasted. 

Clara Belle and Clara (yep, two Claras) were busy making cheese.
Purchasing their fresh raw milk products from a local Mennonite farm along with the organic ingredients and the utmost of sanitary hand processing attributes to the fine quality of their cheese.
Ian is an excellent educator taking considerable time with us
to explain the cheese making process.
Mozzarella making in the process!
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 The platter of cheeses Ian set up for our tasting.
We could hardly wait to sink our teeth into the delicious cheese but Ian insisted we savor
the texture, aroma, and start with the smallest of bites. 
Although not a wine drinker due to my strict diet, I wanted to toast
Ian for offering us this delightful experience.
Tom and Ian both enjoyed their fine white wine with the exquisite cheese.
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Rows and rows of cheese in the cooling room, many still in the aging process.

Roquefort cheese in the aging process.

More cheese in the aging process in the cooling room.  It was refreshing
to cool ourselves in the 52 degree room.

Argus, Ian’s female bull mastiff waited outside for Ian while he was in the cheese factory with us.  The photo is deceiving.  Argus weighs 180 pounds!

After our cheese tasting and cheese making education, Ian arranged a tour of his Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge with Larry, which gave us an opportunity to yet another of his employees, all locals, all of whom expressed enthusiasm and appreciation for employment at this fine establishment. 

After climbing numerous flights of steps to see a few of the jungle lodges high above the resort, Tom and I both sweating up a storm, panting like dogs, to relax with beverages in the bar, meeting both staff and resort guests. Lively conversation ensued with the delightful staff.

 The inviting pool beckoned us to jump in.  We didn’t.
 The entrance into the main dining area and bar.
 The river running through the 50,000-acre resort.
 The bar in the main dining room. Jason, one of the bartenders is from Placencia, now living near the resort.
The outdoor shower in one of the jungle lodges.  The water runs through a metal bucket with holes in the bottom.  Tom turned it on allowing me to get this photo of the water flowing.
 The screen room in a jungle lodge high above the complex.
Locally crafted wood carvings abound in the resort.
 The screened veranda in a jungle lodge with expansive treetop views.
Another living area in a jungle lodge embraced by the jungle.
Elegant indoor shower.

While at the bar we met a guest from the resort who’d just completed a horseback tour. Toward the end of the event, she ending up removing the horse’s saddle to embark upon a trek across the river that runs through the property while hanging on to the horse’s mane. She was grinning from ear to ear. The resort offers a multitude of unique adventures that meet the abilities of any age guest.

Beautifully appointed fixtures and amenities utilizing natural material.

Stop back tomorrow for Part 2 of our day trip to Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge including our tour of Caves Branch Botanical Garden and soap making factory.

Road trip today…Photos tomorrow…

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We’re packed and ready to head out the door to go to the office at Laru Beya to rent a newer air-conditioned Toyota SUV, model unknown at the moment, for a road trip on our own. 

The 12-hour car rental fee is $65, substantially less than such an outing on a tour. The places we’ve chosen to visit don’t require a guide. Had we chosen to go on a tour, the cost would have been upwards of $300 without the freedom of exploring on our own while taking photos at our discretion.

Our plan is to take the 2 1/2 hour scary road, the Hummingbird Highway, to head to the Cayo District, where a wealth of amazing sites may be seen.

With a map, directions, and information about the sites that we’ve printed on our portable PrintStik printer; our water shoes, camera, cold beverages, binoculars, bathing suits, towels, bug spray, we’re well-armed for the day.

Tom insists we bring our passports.  After all, we are in a foreign country.

On the return home, later in the day, we’ll stop for groceries and dinner.

Most likely, we won’t post our experiences and photos until tomorrow afternoon.  There should be many photos to share!!

Stay tuned for a full report of our day!

Socializing in the world…

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those who celebrate!
Happy birthday, Richard!

The sunrise this morning, after several cloudy mornings.

Yesterday, while lounging at the pool as the blazing sun finally peeked out through the dark billowy clouds, it dawned on us that our social life at Laru Beya has been more than we could have imagined.
Not only have we enjoyed the company of various guests coming and going on their one to two-week vacations, but we’ve had the pleasure of making new friends we hope to see again in the future.  After another great evening together on Friday night, we’ve delighted in our remarkable good fortune in making such fine friends.

In the future, living in various vacation homes throughout the world, we’ll have less of an opportunity to make new friends.  In most cases, we’ll be living in single-family homes often in remote areas.

In the case of South Africa, we’ll be a mile from the next closest house, although many braais (South African barbecues) are planned frequently in Marloth and Kruger Parks, as well as safaris and night, walk with guests staying in other houses and lodges.

Are we intimidated by the potential isolation?  We discussed this yesterday by the pool, after having been spoiled by living here and on our past two cruises, a virtual plethora of endless social interactions.

After all, both Tom and I are social butterflies, flitting about, seeking the sweet nectar of friendship, always a vital element in our lives both as individuals and as a couple. As with many of you, we have friends over a span of decades, from our youth, our work, and our neighborhoods.

Many remain in our hearts as sorrowful losses, having left us and their loved ones, too soon for their time.  Others have moved away not staying in close touch, as often happens. Some experience life changes causing them to step back from close relationships, no matter how often we reach out. 

Hello, sunny morning at last!

And others, they become and remain a part of the foundation of our lives.  Time passing with nary a peep to suddenly appear filling the air with memories, love, and laughter.  Ah, friendship.  A gift.  A treasure.

Isolated we will be, in Tuscany, Italy, in Kenya, in South Africa, and on the island of Madeira, Portugal.  There will be no shared pool or communal dining rooms beckoning new friendships to blossom.  There will be no neighbors in close proximity, like us, visitors for a short time, borrowing their culture, their morays, and a glimpse into their lifestyle. 

As we recall our two months in Scottsdale, Arizona, from November 4, 2012, to January 1, 2013, in a lovely condo complex with snowbirds yet to arrive for their winter break, we made no new friends, although we had an opportunity on several occasions to visit with three of Tom’s sisters and two spouses, a mere 35 minutes drive. 

The weather in Scottsdale, too cool for the pool, we languished in walks, dining out, and busying ourselves in our continuing endless planning for the future. We had a fabulous time, as we will again, however remote we may be.

Staying on our veranda to avoid gawking or disturbing, we took this photo of a wedding through the trees taking place next door.

Knowing that many of our friends and family members are sharing this experience with us brings great comfort.  Many of them stay in touch via Facebook, email, and Skype. Recently, Tom received a Skype call with video while several of his retired Minnesota railroad friends met for their usual weekly breakfast. It was almost as if he were there, sitting in the big booth, sipping hot cups of coffee with laughter and idle chatter ringing through the air.  Ah, friendship.

The fortunate part of it all, my best friend will always be at my side wherever we may be nurturing, comforting, laughing, playing, and reveling in the wonders of today and that which is yet to come tomorrow. A gift. A treasure.

What do I do about my phone?…

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Ugh!!  My cracked Droid Razr Maxx HD smartphone cracked in the upper left corner.

The day after our anniversary and subsequent injuries from the fall on the collapsed steps, I dropped my Droid Razor HD Maxx on the cement walkway.  More concerned about my injuries at the time, I dismissed it with a plan to deal with it later.

Later has arrived.  I’m almost fully recovered, working out again today for the first time since the fall, and ready to resolve the phone issue.

If we were in the US, I’d drive to the Verizon store or a cell phone repair shop, drop it off for the day to pick it up later in the day.  Most likely the cost for the digitized touch screen replacement would have been in the $200-$289 range.

Not the case now.  On a whim, when we stopped at the local office supply store in Placencia Village on Wednesday for a squishy envelope, there was a cell repair station in the back of the store.  My hopes soared.  The enthusiastic repair guy looked at the cracked screen shaking his head, “no.” 

The office supply store in Placencia, Belize has a cell repair shop.

“It will take at least a month for the repair parts to get here,” he explains, handing the phone back to me. “But I can’t even guarantee that it’d get here in a month.  You, know, the mail…” he trailed, looking sadly disappointed.

“Yes, we understand,” I said equally disappointed. 

Decided not to give it another thought at the time, we continued on with our shopping.  Later, at my computer, I started researching my options which include:

Plan A

  1. Wrap the phone in the padded envelope with a prepaid UPS label (using our UPS account, our trusty portable printer, and our roll of clear shipping tape) and giving it to our kind Minnesota friends who are returning to the US on March 22nd. 
  2. UPS will pick it up at their office on March 25th. Within four days (roughly arriving on March 29th), it arrives at the Motorola Repair facility, where it takes five days to repair (roughly arriving on April 3rd).  Motorola ships it to our mailing service in Nevada (roughly arriving on April 7 and is placed in the box with our other items being shipped to us on April 8th to a UPS store in Miami Beach. We’ll be there for only eight hours on April 13th.  That’s a tight time frame.
  3. This plan leaves me without my Android phone for 22 days, which I use as my reading device. I pick it up to read at night when we go to bed, during the night if I can’t sleep, during the day on the veranda and out by the pool.  To be without it for 22 days is challenging. My laptop is too bulky for such reading.  Yes, I know a tablet would have been handy, but we were trying to keep the digital equipment at a minimum (kind of).

Plan B

  1. Find a location in Miami Beach to repair the phone while we wait during our eight-hour layover between cruises.
  2. Upon researching cell phone locations somewhat near the pier in Miami, most indicated either an exorbitant cost of upwards of $300 or they wouldn’t fix it in a few hours.  I contacted several repair shops by email and chat to become further frustrated with their responses.  All asked to be paid upfront so they could order the parts. 

Plan C

  1. Keep the phone in my possession since I still can read on it. We’ll arrive in Dubai on May 21st after our cruise through the Suez Canal and to visit to the Pyramids.  With a 13 day stay, we’ll have time to take it to a nearby repair shop for a replacement screen.  If it takes a few days, no problem. With our 95-story high rise close to the downtown area, there appear to be multiple options within walking distance.
  2. Keep the phone in my possession since I still can read on it.  We’ll arrive in Italy, staying in Tuscany for 2 1/2 months with a rental car.  We’ll have plenty of time to get it repaired.

In reviewing these options, we have to recall our motto, “Wafting Through Our World Wide Travels with Ease, Joy and Simplicity.”  In other words, which of these options produces the least amount of stress?  It’s clear to us, Plan C.

A possible obstacle to Plan C?  The phone continues to crack (highly likely) and becomes unreadable. Solution: Bite the bullet and purchase a new unlocked smartphone at one of the many ports of call along the way. Also, we’ll be back in Miami for one day again on April 20th, the day we leave to travel across the ocean to Barcelona.  At that time, decide on the repair or the new phone.

For now, we’ll put aside the cracked screen issue and go about enjoying our remaining 24 days in Placencia Belize.  Our big concern for today is, when will the sun come out? Nice.

It’s our blog’s one year anniversary…Thanks readers!

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January 21, 2013 as we prepared to board our second cruise.  Yep, we’re unloading three of the large bags when we dock in Miami for 10 hours on April 13, 2013.

Originally, when we started writing this blog last March, as we (I write and research. Tom, now retired, does most of the research and fact-checking) muddled our way through the endless details of planning our worldwide travels, the intention was to allow our family and friends to easily see where we are and what we’re doing.

As the detailed research continued, we started sharing some of the valuable links that aided us in finding our choice of locations, vacation home rentals, cruises, and potential hazards and obstacles along the way. 

If in the process of writing this blog, we inspire one reader to further their own research for their travels, whether, for a week or a lifetime, we’d be delighted.

Little did we know that a year later we’d have readers from all over the world in the 10’s of thousands.  What?  How did they find us? 

Every blog post and web page have a number of keywords associated with a particular entry.  Hang on, this is more complicated than you’d want to read here.  Here’s a link further explaining KEYWORDS, in case you’re interested and aren’t familiar with the word in reference to the web.  Keywords, may in fact have been how many readers have stumbled across us.

Another way is “word of mouth.” While on the cruise through the Panama Canal we met a lovely couple from Malaysia.  At that point, the blog stats (which I can review at any time) hadn’t indicated any readers from Malaysia.  Lo and behold, three days after the cruise ended, I observed two readers from Malaysia.  A few days later, there were 78 readers in Malaysia.  It grew exponentially from there to over 700 readers in Malaysia thus far.

Imagine, that your senior parent is considering an extended vacation and we’ve discussed how we are handling our prescriptions abroad.  You forward the link to that post to them.  They read it, forwarding it to their neighbor who is also considering travel.  It goes on and on.

For this, we are grateful.  Why does it matter to us that it grows?  It’s exciting!  It’s with the same enthusiasm one feels when sharing a photo or comment on Facebook. We feel “connected.”  Those of us Facebook fans, such as ourselves, enjoy the chatter, the laughter, the insight, the photos, and the opinions of others.  Seeing the smiling faces of our grandchildren, other family members and friends keep us from feeling so far away.

A few have asked, “Why do you have advertisers on your blog?  And, what do you get from that?”  Advertisers may, in time, offset some of the costs associated with maintaining a blog:  web hosting, domain name fees, and blog designer fees, all of which expenses we must maintain.  However, it takes considerable time and many more readers than we have at present to actually generate an income. 

Yesterday, March 14th was the actual one year anniversary.  I had planned to write about it yesterday but got sidetracked with our “Jell-O” searching story. Ah, the joys of retirement combined with world travel.  The only timetables we must meet are those when moving to a new location predicated by flight times, cruise times, train times, ferry times, and cab times. 

Oh, there’s one more. Every Friday night we take our once-a-week Malaria pill with dinner. Life is good. 

Thanks for sharing this journey with us. Keep hanging out with us.  Lots more to follow and, in 26 days we’re off to our next adventure, two Carnival cruises back to back!

Walking for Jell-O…We’re having a party…Photos and recipes below..

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Tom’s big decision of the day: Should we get the cauliflower now and carry it, or shall we get it on the way back.  I said now.  He said later.  He won.  He was the “carrier” of the bag. Luckily, it was there when we returned.

Friday night is fast approaching and we’ve invited our Minnesota friends on either side of us for dinner.  Granted, we don’t have a dining table and chairs other than the small two-person set on the veranda, plus three bar stools indoors.  But, we’ll figure it out.  Improvise is the name of the game.

Another small concern, we only have three dinner plates.  Most certainly, we can borrow plates from the neighbors.  The restaurant staff here at Laru Beya loaned us two placemats and two linen napkins for our personal use.  I supposed we could ask for more. 

Entering the small village of Seine Bight

The menu is challenging. We’d suggested a homemade pizza with our GF cheese crust (a staple we frequently prepare). They loved the idea, curious as to how a pizza would taste without a traditional crust.  All of the ingredients are readily available in the local grocers.

As for the side dishes (of which I always make several), I was in a quandary. When shopping in Placencia it makes sense to plan the menu based on what is available in the stores, rather than pre-plan a menu, trying to find the ingredients. 

Yesterday, feeling rushed as we shopped with Estevan patiently waiting outside the grocery store, it wasn’t easy to plan the side dishes.  In my “old life” I’d plan a menu for dinner guests over a number of days, contemplating a well-balanced menu with a wide array of delectable options.  No longer do I have that luxury (among others).

Restaurant along the road as we walked into town.

Flustered as we scurried about the store, we hurriedly decided on the following menu:

  • Carrot and zucchini sticks with homemade salmon, cream cheese dip
  • Our favorite Cauliflower, Bacon, and Almond Salad with homemade sweet (Splenda) and sour dressing (recipe follows at the end of this post)
  • Traditional Cucumber and Onion Salad
  • Homemade Pizza with locally made hot Italian sausage, onion, mushrooms, and sliced green olives with sharp cheddar cheese crust, tons of mozzarella cheese, and hand-grated (no grater on hand) fresh Parmesan cheese we purchased this morning from Mathieu’s Deli.
  • Homemade grilled garlic bread made with raw garlic, more Parmesan cheese atop a fresh-baked loaf of Italian bread made by Gunter early this morning at Mathieu’s Deli. (I will be a “voyeur” this item.  No tasting!  Tom’s on a bit of a splurge right now for another few days, but back to GF, low carb soon).
  • Dessert:  my favorite Strawberry Oreo Dessert (recipe follows at the end of this post. Another item suitable for the “voyeur”).

After the shopping expedition yesterday and unable to find fresh cauliflower after visiting four vegetable stands, I was ready to forfeit the recipe.  Yesterday afternoon as we unpacked the groceries it dawned on me that I had forgotten the required strawberry Jell-O.  With the other ingredients on hand, we had to figure out a way to get to a grocery store without wheels. 

It made no sense to call Estevan back to pick us up to buy a box of Jell-O or, for that matter, to rent a golf cart for $35 for a half-day. Our budgets offered no room for such frivolity. Thinking about the Jell-O into the evening, I suggested to Tom that we walk to the grocery store in the next town in the morning, north of us in Seine Bight. He agreed. 

Cloudy today, the temperature was ideal for walking.  At 9:00 am we were on the road, re-usable grocery bag in hand with a bottle of frozen water in tow just in case.  The walk along the busy highway to Seine Bight was pleasant with an occasional local warmly greeting us with a cheerful, “good morning!”  The narrow shoulder required, we walk in single file, stopping from time to time to take a few photos.

The square water tower in Seine Bight!

Alas, the first store we encounter had fresh cauliflower, one medium head, and one half of a smaller head but no Jell-O. Tom suggested we purchase the cauliflower on the way back rather than haul it for whatever distance may be required to find Jell-O.  Walking out the door empty-handed, I groaned, fearful it would be gone when we returned. It wasn’t.

An abandoned cement building that may have been damaged in a past hurricane.

As we continued our walk through the small town, it dawned on me that we also needed lettuce for the salad.  What’s wrong with me, unable to remember the ingredients for some of our favorite recipes?  Have we been out of touch for so long?  Reassuring Tom that we’d find lettuce, we continued along the road to the vegetable stand several blocks away.  He didn’t complain about the “store hopping.”

Two small but fresh heads of iceberg lettuce were awaiting us at the tiny vegetable stand.  Would we get lucky and find a bigger head of cauliflower here?  Not the case.

The little vegetable stand where we found the two heads of lettuce.

Continuing on, we entered another small grocery store to find a large box of strawberry Jell-O, directions in Spanish. No problem. I’d convert the “litro” to cups and we’d be good to go.

This box of a Jell-O equivalent is Belize $2.45 which results in US $1.23.

Turning around, we headed back to the first store with the cauliflower.  Much to my delight, it was still there.  A bunch of green onions, the two chunks of cauliflower, and US $2 later, we were out the door and on our way back to the deli for our loaf of bread and Parmesan cheese. Our menu is intact!

Maya prophesy reminder from December 2012, on the walk to deli.

On the walk back, we stopped at Mathieu’s Deli purchasing the load fresh baked Italian bread, a chunk of Parmesan cheese for the pizza, and a variety of cheeses made at Caves Branch in the Cayo District. The owner, Ian Anderson, whom we met about a month ago at the wine and cheese party, had invited us for a cheese and wine tour of his cheese factory. We just might take him up on his kind offer.  Perhaps, soon.

It felt as if we’d walked for miles.  Having worn my FitBit pedometer on my belt loop, I’d estimated we’d walked three or four miles when in fact it only revealed a paltry two and a quarter miles.  

Tomorrow night, we’ll be ready for our guests, recipes prepared with our seating, and plate situation somehow resolved.  We’ve found that a part of the joy of our lives as we travel the world lies in the pleasure that we discover in the minutiae.  The big items, we’ll plot and plan. The few items, we’ll wing it!

Jessica Cauliflower Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, sliced in shreds
1 head raw cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 pound lean bacon, cooked and diced

4 green onions, chopped

1 cup almonds, slivers toasted in oven or skillet

Dressing

1 cup mayo

3 T. red wine vinegar

12 packets Splenda

Prepare all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Pour dressing over salad and toss until everything is well coated. Amazingly, this salad keeps nicely for 3 days if its refrigerator as soon as you serve it.

Enjoy!
Jessica’s Strawberry
Oreo Dessert (not low carb, sugar-free or gluten-free)

1 12 oz package Cool Whip

1 small package frozen strawberries, partially defrosted (1 hour) and drained

1 small sugar-free raspberry Jell-O

1 large package Oreo cookies or a box of Oreo crumbs

Dissolve Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water

Refrigerate until cool but not set

Crush Oreo and press into a 9 x 13” pan

Whip Jell-O until frothy in a food processor, add frozen strawberries, and then fold in the Cool Whip.

Cover with remaining Oreo and refrigerate.

Delicious!  You can easily double this recipe.

Tom’s haircut adventure with photos!…

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How could Tom’s haircut be more fun?

This morning at 10:00 am, as opposed to our usual 9:00 am, Estevan picked us up at our resort for our usual Wednesday shopping trip to Placencia Village.  We’d changed the time to accommodate the local barbershop’s opening time of 10:00 am, as indicated on their sign on the side of the building.

Alas, we appeared on time to find it closed.  Upon waiting for a few minutes, we decided to kill some time by checking out the fish market around the corner. Last week they were out of fish. The guy at the fish shop walked us over to the hut where the fisherman prepares his fish for sale.

No fresh fish from the fisherman today. 

Interested in grouper for me only (Tom doesn’t like fish) a few small packages would have been ideal.  Unfortunately, all he had on hand was a frozen 3 1/2 pound clump of filleted grouper. Hoping for fresh, unfrozen fish which I’d cut into serving size pieces, to be frozen individually and used accordingly.

Usually, I’d eat no more than six or seven ounces in a meal.  Defrosting it and refreezing it doesn’t appeal to me.  At US $17.50 for the clump, it didn’t make sense to buy it, although the price per pound was very reasonable for this much-desired fish. We walked away empty handed with a plan to try again another day when they may have a fresh fish available.

Thrilled to see this sign we quickly made our way to the salon down a side street.
By this time it was 10:30 and the barbershop near the end of the peninsula had yet to open. With a plan to meet Estevan at the Top Value Supermarket at 11:30, we needed to move along.  Our Minnesota friends had suggested a unisex salon further along our walk to the grocery shop. We kept an eye out for a sign.
As we approached the building, we were baffled as to the location of the entrance.  We approached a young woman sitting on a plastic chair as to who we’d see to get a man’s haircut.  She looked up, yelling out to a man about 100 feet away. 
  It didn’t appear that there was a barber in this old building.
He immediately approached us with a wide grin on his face, explaining that the salon was being renovated, “Would you mind having a haircut outside under this fig tree?” 
Tom looked at me.  We both shrugged and he replied, “No, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

 Tom was thrilled to have an outdoor haircut.
The barber asked the young woman to give up the plastic chair she was sitting on as he ran around gather cement blocks to raise the chair to a height, comparable to that of a barber chair.  All the while, neither Tom nor I could wipe the amused smiles off of our faces. 

Joel (pronounced, Joe-El) prepared the barber chair for Tom’s haircut, gathering cement blocks to ensure a steady foundatio

 The cement block structure completed and ready for use.
Joel McKenzie, a former US Marine, born in Belize, having lived in Brooklyn New York, Chicago Illinois, and Los Angeles California proved to be an intriguing man with vast worldwide experience, as a renowned former stylist for Essence Magazine.  He returned to his homeland of Belize in 1995 to live near his family and friends and build his hairstyling business.

His adept hands and the delightful conversation continued during the 45-minute cut.

Seldom late, old people that we are, we arrived at 11:32.  Of course, our Estevan was patiently waiting in his red van outside the Top Value grocery store. We’ve invited our Minnesota friends for dinner this upcoming Friday night.  We surprised ourselves how quickly we managed to get all the items we needed for our planned menu.  Well, maybe not everything but most of it.
Joel gave Tom a great haircut and we both had a great time chatting with Joel.
After paying Joel the US $12.50 for the haircut along with a 40% well-deserved tip, we were on our way.  We still needed to get to the vegetable market and meet up with Estevan at 11:30 at the grocery store to do our shopping.
In any case, we’re happy with Tom’s haircut.  Thanks, Joel for a fine job and for sharing your enchanting story, further adding to our repertoire of interesting and valuable experiences while we’re visitors in your country.

A road trip today with photos….

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Us on the beach at the Lost Reef Resort where we stopped for lunch today.

Our delightful new friends and neighbors, also from Minnesota, invited us to join them to travel by car to Big Creek for all four of us to renew our visas, as opposed to riding on the Hokey Pokey boat and taking four cab rides.

Our Minnesota friends and Belize neighbors, Nancy and Roger.

Still recovering from our recent fall on the collapsing steps, it made more sense to ride in Nancy and Roger’s SUV than to bounce around on the 20 minutes boat ride each way. We jumped at the chance. 

The pool by the sea at the Lost Reef Resort.

Besides, we so enjoy their company, we knew the process of going to the Immigration Department (a two hour round trip drive) would once again be a delightful experience. It was.

This is our final visa for Belize: Once we disembarked the Celebrity Equinox on January 29, 2013, another only a few short weeks ago and the third and final today. Visas in Belize are extended for 30 days only. Based on our upcoming departure on April 9, 2013, there was no way to avoid a third visa. No exceptions are made at immigration.

Great photo of this darling couple, Nancy and Roger, who own the villa next door to us.

Leaving at 10:00 am this morning, we arrived in Big Creek at 11:00 am, behind a good sized line of others seeking to renew their visas as well. The tiny office only holds five tourists at a time, leaving us to wait outside in the 90 degree humidity. With little breeze, we anxiously squeezed into the tiny air conditioned space when our turn came up.

The immigration officer asked, “Why are you here so early when your visas are good until March 20th?” I giggled to myself. 

Guests relaxing at the Lost Reef Resort

Tom explained the time frames we are in Belize and she nodded in understanding, extending each of our visas inside our passports to April 12, 2013, when we’ll be long gone.

I couldn’t help but add, “Old people are always early,” in an effort to get a chuckle out of the overly serious immigration officer dressed in a military-type uniform. A wide grin spread over her face.  It worked.

Back in the SUV, Roger suggested lunch to which the three of us enthusiastically agreed that is on the way back to Placencia in the little town of Riverdale.  Owned by American friends, the Lost Reef Resort is a quaint, picturesque resort with an ambiance of relaxation away from the rest of the world.

 The restaurant at the Lost Reef Resort.

Often when dining out with my restricted diet, I tend to read and reread the menu looking for acceptable options.  No problem at the Lost Reef Resort. Their amiable chef was eager to please preparing a hearty grilled chicken salad with a wide array of fresh crisp vegetables. 

Nancy and Roger had what they described as delectable chicken wings and onion rings while Tom dined on a robust burger and fries (he “cheats” when we eat out).  Heir food was fresh, the service impeccable and the atmosphere charming. 

Lisa and her husband have owned a charming resort for seven years.

Lisa stopped by to visit our table, her warm demeanor, making us feel as if she’d known us forever. Seven years ago, she and her husband purchased the resort. He continues to work in the US splitting his time between the states and Belize, while Lisa stays behind running the resort. 

After lunch, we meandered out to the resort’s beach, only steps from the restaurant.

It’s not surprising that we’ve met several ex-pats that have found their way to Belize to begin anew in this land of white sand beaches, balmy ocean breezes, unique architecture, and friendly people. 

Unfortunately, for some ex-pats who buy or start a business in resort communities throughout the world, find themselves working harder and longer than they ever worked in their home country. The appearing idyllic life of “getting away from it all” is not always as easy a life as it may seem.  For others, it proves to be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

This adorable little guy stayed put allowing us to take this fine photo.

For us, we’ll stay on the move, making new friends, experiencing new cultures, and reveling in the gifts Mother Nature has bestowed on us all to savor each and every day.