expats
How dangerous is Belize? Let’s not ask John McAfee
We’ve been back in California for a week now and while we’re no closer to deciding exactly where we will make our home in Belize — either San Pedro or San Ignacio — there is one thing to which Rose and I are firmly committed: We will be living in Belize by the end of February 2014.
Rose has been quietly explaining our plans to each of her Pilates clients this week and the reaction falls somewhere between enthusiasm for our new adventure and tears.
I’ve been hearing other reactions, too, like, “Seriously? Belize Why not Panama? You should check out Panama.” Or “Didn’t you consider Costa Rica? You should really check out Costa Rica before you make the move.” Feel free to plug in the name of other Latin American countries. I think I’ve heard them all. Read the rest of this entry »
Move over, buddy, I have a golf cart and I’m crazy!
After experiencing a genuine San Pedro traffic jam this morning, Rose and I naturally went out and rented a golf cart for the afternoon. At least we went north of San Pedro, away from the traffic.
Even then, the clerk was horrified when I told him we were headed to the north end of the island.
“You know its been raining,” said Allen.
My blank face gave nothing away. So he continued, “The road is filled with potholes and ruts and big puddles. If you get the motor wet, it is a long way to push it back here.”
Point well taken.
He recommended going no farther than the Palapa Bar, about a half mile north of the toll bridge. We did make it a little farther, to the Grand Caribe resort.
And Allen was right to be concerned. “Washboard” doesn’t begin to describe the rutting of these dirt roads in the rainy season. My teeth and kidneys couldn’t have taken another half mile of it.
Seriously though, worse than the road is the mosquitoes.
Every time we stopped to look a a house behind a for sale sign they would swarm the cart and try to tip it over. Only the most reckless swerving on my part kept them from getting a good grip on it. Unfortunately a few thousand got through and attached themselves to major parts of my body.
So proud to be giving blood in Belize. Wish it were for a greater cause.
As everyone knows, it is not the bites, it’s the itching.
Then there’s the Dengue Fever epidemic. Apparently 19 people on the island have contracted Dengue in the past couple of week. The culprit is a small black and white striped mosquito. Frankly I didn’t look at their markings as I squeegeed them off my arms and legs. I’ll let you know if I begin to ache in my joints, contract fevers and acquire headaches.
The best antidote for a mosquito attack is a Belikin beer out in the Palapa Bar. II think the mosquitoes are either afraid to swim or can’t fight the headwinds coming off the water. At any rate, they didn’t follow us down the pier to the bar.
Like most places we’ve visited so far, this place was nearly deserted. In fact, while my burger was cooking, the few remaining guests got up and left.
That left bartender Ronny, a native Belizean, time to tell us about the enormous New England Patriots logo tattooed on to his right forearm. Seriously, why not a soccer team, like Manchester United or Chelsea? He’s just always been a fan, well, at least since his high school football coach told him about the Patriots.
Coolest feature of the Palapa: There is a cluster of inner tubes gathered in the warm Caribbean waters below the bar. You can lounge on them and the bar will lower drinks to you on a rope.
Since we had the golf cart for four hours we decided to see how far south we could go. Answer: Pretty far. It’s not like the cart has an odometer. It does have a turn signal which I was forever leaving on thus instantly becoming the old man in the gold cart you hate to drive behind …. The normally cheery Belizeans apparently are easily pissed off by tourists who forget to turn off their turn signals.
Sorry, my new friends. I’ll do better.
Hello, Belize, you beautiful, colorful, complicated thing you!
A couple of flights that can only be described — thankfully — as “uneventful” have brought us to Belize.
More specifically: the Blue Tang Inn at 1 Sandpiper Lane in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. (I’ve suddenly begun misspelling the caye as “Amberguis” on Facebook. What’s with that? Sleep deprivation?)
So, words fail me just now — hey, it is sleep deprivation!
Until the brain re-engages, here are some early photos.
As we walked back to the inn we met our first San Pedro real estate agent, who naturally offered to help us find a home. We may drop back to chat with her.
Related articles
- OK … inhale, hold breath … jump! (robertjhawkins1.wordpress.com)
- No! Not that trip to Belize (robertjhawkins1.wordpress.com)
- Pop Quiz on Belize (robertjhawkins1.wordpress.com)
- Back in Action (mayanthreads.wordpress.com)
Waterproof camera for Belize? I’m on the case
So, I now have an underwater camera for our trip to Belize.
It is called an iPhone.
Well, an iPhone wrapped in a Lifeproof casing, which the company boasts is “Water proof, dirt proof, snow proof and shock proof.” I think it might even float.
My step-daughter Caira bought one first – I think for yet another reason: She is constantly smashing the screen on her phone. This casing should slow down the fracture-rate.
Cai and a friend tested the case by taking some underwater photos and videos in a neighbor’s pool. They came out spectacular.
Given the clarity of the water in Belize, I think this will be adequate for aquatic shooting!
(Update: The Lifeproof case was a gift from my beloved wife and partner, Rose Alcantara, for which I am most grateful! Jeesh, how did I leave that out?)
The Lifeproof case came with a bonus: improved audio. Ever since my phone got basted with melted chocolate (not a long story but not that interesting …) the audio has been almost non-existent. Now I can actually hear people talking when the speaker is on.
If the case lacks anything it is a loop for a cord to hang the phone around my neck or wrist. Chances are I will drop it in the water and test the supposition that it may float. If not, I’ll be doing some rapid dives to recover it.
On a side note, my design engineer son Christopher is on a quest to build an insulin pump that is “as tough as the people who use it.” Lifeproof is all about iPhone and iPad cases but it occurred to me that Chris, who has had diabetes since age 2, should talk to them about designing a shock-proof, water-proof case for insulin pumps.
Chris breaks as many insulin pumps as Cai breaks phones.
He’s an active guy – mountain biking, running, snowboarding, skydiving, wakeboarding. Diabetes has never defined his lifestyle and he’s not the only one.
Right now, he is on an 18-day trek down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon with some friends. He packed three insulin pumps in separate waterproof bags and stashed them on separate boats. Maybe with a pump made for his kind of lifestyle he wouldn’t have to do that.
I’ll have to wait until he gets back to hear what he thinks of the Lifeproof idea.
- ← Previous
- 1
- …
- 13
- 14
Bound for Belize 