I recently wrote a blog called A Million Little Things where I shared several short happenings. I thought they were all interesting, in my very biased opinion, but none of them were long enough for an individual blog. I find myself in the same situation now that my days in Belize can be counted on one finger. So, get ready for a few stories, nothing close to a million.
Lovin’ ‘lectricityI’m the first to admit that I’m a spoiled America. I try not to act that way. I’ve been told by many people I meet overseas that I don’t act “American”. But, I still love running water, air-conditioning, wifi and a constant supply of electricity. I’m just picky that way.
I had none of that when I was in the Peace Corps. Yessiree, I survived two years without any of those “necessities” and it wasn’t a problem. I told myself that nearly everyone who ever lived throughout the history of the planet lived without those luxuries. The only thing I really missed was refrigeration. But, it may surprise you to learn, room temperature Coca-Cola can be very satisfying when it’s all you have to quench your thirst.
However, that was a long time ago. It was before cell phones, internet, and laptop computers. I know it may be hard for young people to believe. There was life before these items. People lived fulfilled, happy lives and talked to each other during meals.
Most days in Belize, I had my “fix” of ‘lectricity. But, one day, there was a scheduled blackout from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. I don’t know what the reason was for this. I’m not sure I’ll forgive the person who issued this order. Like I said, I’m a spoiled American.
When we have no power in Belize, the house has no running water. You can imagine the smelly implications concerning that. Wifi is down. My computer battery doesn’t last nearly long enough. I have an old Ipad that I use for downloading books when I travel. You may have a device that downloads an entire book that you can read under these circumstances. I don’t. I could not read the current novel I'd been reading. I had to actually dig up a paperback book. Who does that?
The power was actually on when I first left my home for my morning walk. But, I could hear the generator running at the nearby gated community with nearly million dollar homes. I was tempted to make some fresh-squeezed, lukewarm lemonade and go meet my neighbors. Don’t you think it would have been a good time to meet these people, borrow some ice cubes, and enjoy their air-conditioning? It was over 90 degrees. At the very least, this pampered American needed a fan. It was a long, miserable day.
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Maria at Maria's MarketAve MariaThe last time I was in Belize, four years ago, I wrote about a local market woman named Maria. She had a vegetable stand along the roadside. We stopped by often, as often as possible, and I found her just completely adorable. I blogged about her after drawing her portrait.
Well, when I arrived in Belize, it occurred to me that I should have printed a portrait for her before I set foot on Ambergris Caye. I didn’t. But, I never travel around the world without my laptop and portable hard drive with all my computer files. I never know what I might need at any given moment. And, I needed a copy of this portrait. Okay, I know that most people these days would use “the Cloud” for this. I don’t know how to do that. My portable hard drive suits me just fine.
I had a suspicion that everyone in San Pedro knew Maria. Her vegetable stand is on the main road after all. My suspicions were confirmed. When I had the file printed at a local shop, I asked the guy behind the counter if he recognized the woman in the portrait. Of course, he smiled and said he did. It’s much better to be known around town for your kindness than to be known for any other reason.
After getting the portrait printed, we also needed a frame. Now, this really is why I wish I could have gone shopping in Ohio. There is so much more variety of frames to choose from. My sister only knew two shops that might sell frames. The first shop only had tacky and gaudy frames. Tacky and gaudy appear to be very popular in Belize. I couldn’t do it. I had to go to the second shop for frames. Their selection was much better. I found a frame that didn’t make me gag.
Maria’s shop and location changed since I was last in San Pedro. Her shop is more like an outdoor stall that could easily be taken apart and moved. She now focuses on pineapples and pineapple juice. I must say, Belize grows the best pineapples in the world. But, I don’t know why Maria limits herself to this one product. We were not able to stop by her shop nearly as much as we did in the past.
But, we stopped by with the framed photo. I love it when I can retrace my steps and give a portrait to someone I’ve met in my travels. It doesn’t happen very often. Maria was touched. So touched that she loaded us up with extra pineapple and juice that day. I was happy to make her day.
You’ll see in the photo that she took down her mask. I know some people are used to masks by now. I’m not one of them. I find it very difficult to breathe through a mask in tropical heat. It was usually over 80 degrees during my morning walks. It only got hotter after that. Covid rules in Belize are stricter than in Ohio. There is still a nightly curfew (which didn't affected my life at all). And, you must wear a mask outside at all times unless exercising. It’s even required to wear a mask when driving an open-aired golf cart by yourself. (Bicycles and golf carts are the main transportation on the island.)
And, speaking of vegetables, we had to go to another open aired stall since Maria changed her inventory. At this particular stall, I saw uprooted aloe vera plants for sale. I had to ask what they are for. “Do you eat aloe vera?” The guy at the counter said, “Yes, some people do.” I had to next ask, “How is it prepared?” It really isn’t prepared. People who eat aloe vera eat it raw. But, that isn’t the main use. The locals use it for sunburns. And, the bonus is that you can also plant the aloe vera because it is sold roots and all.
Caye CaulkerYou would think that neighboring islands in the Caribbean would be pretty much the same. It isn’t the case. For whatever reason, Ambergris Caye is much more upscale. Condos sell for around $400,000 and houses can go for over a million dollars. My favorite rental, named Wataview, supposedly lists for the bargain rental price of $18,000 a week. Obviously, I have never set foot on the grounds. This is where the rich come to play.
Caye Caulker, a neighboring island, is for backpackers.
The town on Caye Caulker is much smaller. Lots of the homes are wooden, painted in traditional island pastels. There is some development happening, but it definitely has a slower, tropical vibe to the place. One day, on a whim, we decided to go to Caye Caulker for lunch.
A not very tiny tarponI don’t even remember what I ate that day. What I remember is the tarpon. Now, I am not a fisherman. I have no interest in fishing at all. I don’t really care for boat rides very much because I’m prone to sea sickness. One day, I let my nephew take me out to look for manatees and rays. We saw them, but it almost wasn’t worth the boat trip to get there. I was so violently jolted and thrown by the waves hitting the boat that I couldn’t enjoy myself.
So, I was less than thrilled when my sister said, “We can see the tarpon at Caye Caulker!” What do I know? It was a wonderful experience! First off, I didn’t want another boat ride. Wish granted. The tarpon showed up at a little dock on the back side of the island. It was just a casual stroll to find them.
If you are a non-fisherman, like me, you may not know what a tarpon is. It’s a very long fish. They were over a yard long! The tarpon were protected at this little dock. No fishin’ allowed. Only the tarpon went fishing.
This little area was packed with tarpon. The waters churned up as the fish looked for the food, frozen fish treats that tourists gave them. If you dangled a little fish above the water with two fingers, a mighty tarpon jumped out of the water to yank it from your hands. If these tarpons had teeth, tourists could - and definitely would - lose fingers. It was a violent jump with powerful jaws. And, it appears that tarpon were not the only critters being fed. As I took photos of the fish, a pelican landed on the dock right next to me. I got a totally unexpected close-up portrait of him as well. So, if you ask this very non-fisherman, feeding the tarpon in Caye Caulker is a two-thumbs up experience. Two thumbs, if the tarpons don’t chew one off.
We stopped by Luis’ home during our morning walk. We wanted to give them a gift before others arrived and our hosts were too busy. They were, of course, already busy. Luis manned the barbecue while Oly was in the kitchen preparing another relleno chicken. But, they stopped working long enough for a gift. We gave them a framed photo of the couple that I had taken. Now, I’ve given lots of people gifts in the past. And, I’ve later seen my treasures stuffed in closets and basements. So, I told Oly that if she didn’t like the gift, she could hide it in the bathroom behind the toilet. At least for this day of celebration, the photo remained on display in the main room of their home.
As soon as we arrived for lunch, I was given a delicious dilemma. Did I want barbecued pork or relleno. What to do? The obvious answer is both! But, I couldn’t be a pig at a pork barbecue. I was kind of tempted to go with the barbecue. Something new. My sister went that route because she thought more people would want the relleno. The barbecue was served with rice and beans. That’s traditional across Latin America – and I love it. But, in the end, I opted for the relleno. I didn’t want Oly to think I didn’t like it the first time I ate it. This dish was served with white rice. Okay, really, it was a win-win situation. Every plate was gratefully cleaned. I was so thankful to be a part of this celebration.
Luis and Oly are from a town on the mainland called Orange Walk. I’ve always wanted to go there to see the nearby Maya ruins of Lamanai. You’d think that with a six week visit in Belize that I would have had the time to go there. I didn’t. Luis even said that if I went to Orange Walk, his family there would take care of me and bring me to the ruins. Okay, I was tempted. But, it didn’t happen.
My last trip to Belize was four years ago. I don’t know when I will return to the Caribbean. But, it very well could be sooner than I expected. And, it could be to Orange Walk. In November, Luis and Oly have a daughter getting married there. I’ve been invited to be their wedding photographer. WHAT!?! I haven’t said yes yet. I don’t know what will happen in the world between now and then. But, I’m so very interested. The experience would include the wedding, of course, and a trip to Lamanai. The wedding feast would be similar to the lovo I loved in Fiji. Heated stones buried in the earth slowly cooking the meat and vegetables to perfection.
Who knows? Maybe I could also get my next international mural painted in Belize? Only time will tell, but I’m excited about the possibility for a million little reasons.
