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| There’s something magical about the sunset over water anywhere in the world. |
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| As darkness falls, the sunset drew all of our attention. |
It was a small gathering of friends to celebrate the almost completed new construction house that we described in the post of March 7th and to say goodbye “for now,” as Nancy and Roger, our new Minnesota friends departed Belize this morning.
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From left to right, Ian, Bill, Nancy, and Roger, celebrating friendship and the near completion of the amazing home they’ve built.
 See our post of March 7th in the archives on the right side of our homepage in our blog for details on this artfully designed and meticulously built single-family residence, listed on MLS in Belize. |
The temperature was comfortable, the no-see-ums less active and the sunset breathtaking as we stood atop the architecturally interesting outdoor bar of the new home our friends are building, overlooking the lagoon and marina. It couldn’t have been a more perfect evening.
In attendance beside Tom and I; Nancy and Roger; Bill, lifelong friend of Roger and construction manager on the house; Rene, the manager here at LaruBeya; Ian, a partner in the new house and builder, developer and owner of LaruBeya and Al, owner of a substantial dredging company in Belize. The first five of us from Minnesota, the remaining three, all born and raised in Belize.
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| Tom and I at last night’s party. |
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| That’s my guy! The photo he took of me was so blurry that I didn’t post it, to avoid causing our readers dizzying effects. |
As Ian and I chatted at length, his charming thick Belizean accent in full bloom, he told the story of his college education in the US and his eventual return to his homeland. As we discovered from many Belizeans, the pace, the traffic, the massive population in big cities throughout the world, was far removed from the reality of their less hurried upbringing.
Ian explained that there are few, if any, nursing homes in Belize. Their “way” is to care for their old and disabled in their own homes and comforting environment, family, and friends banding together to provide the care, the meals, and the maintenance of their familiar surroundings. What a pleasant thought.
The wine and beer freely flowed as we nibbled on individual shrimp cocktails adorned with paper umbrellas, chips, and guacamole, all thoughtfully prepared by the chef at LaruBeya.
This morning we said our final goodbyes to Nancy and Roger, all of us expressing the joy we experienced in the time we’ve spent together and the commitment to stay in touch. We’ve invited them to visit us wherever we may be so perhaps, once again, we may pick up where we left off, relishing in the treasures of friendship.
As I sit writing this today, only moments ago we heard a small plane flying overhead coming from the direction of the small Placencia airport. Surely, Nancy and Roger were on board as they made their way to the airport in Belize City to fly home to Minnesota. It was only 45 minutes ago we all hugged goodbye in the parking lot.
Thank you, Minnesota friends. Thank you, Belize friends. Thank you for enriching our lives and adding to the wealth of memories filling our hearts and minds forever.