BELIZE PHOTOS. wed 12.27

I ran into Jesse L. Martin in the airport in Belize City yesterday. (detective on Law and Order SVU ) He was kind enough to pose for two photos for me.

(that's me on the left) He was a super nice guy. shorter in person, without the gun and badge. Anyway i'm home and posting some additional photos from Centeral America. had a great trip. i was again impressed with the warmth of all the people i met. the genuine love for each other and thier country. You better Belize it! happy holiday. xo skip

TIKAL, Guatemala:

PLACENCIA, Belize:

SNORKEL:

HORSESHOES:

Belize City - going home 12.26

Well, all good things must come to an end... i am back in the International airport B.C. on my way home. caught the early puddle jumper flight out of Placencia this morning. two quick 15 minute hops (one to dangriga / then belize city) circumvent an 8hr bus ride. it was the thing to do after a quiet peace on earth Christmas yesterday. Relax back into the Rat Race. got some mixed news here - our flight to miami is 'delayed' so they put me on the direct flight to Dallas. it's like winning the lottery.

I'm just jotting a note. promise to write more and post more photos when i get home and have high speed.

Happy Holiday! xo skip

Placencia XMAS DAY 06

Its another sunny hot day here. (read - blistering) i have to keep some sunscreen on my pink nose and stay in the shade of the porch. yesterday we went snorkling and i got a 'little burn' on the back of my legs. my back was saved because of a tee shirt worn constently. 'Post card perfect' setting of a tiny little island about 15 miles offshore. a park ranger lives in a small shack for two week intervals guarding the spit of sand and trees. (again stay in the shade!) we saw lots of sealife. even ran into a pod of dolphins on the way back to shore.

For dinner we went just down the beach toward the setting sun to the little thatched hut on the water (shown in sunset shots) for Lobster platters. 2 1/2 lobster tails for $20us. fantastic. today i'll celebrate Christmas in the slow quiet island way. sit in my hammock and hold my book while i nap.

have a great Christmas and a happy new year!

xo skip

Placencia Sat 12.23

We did the Monkey River tour yesterday. our lodging is 50' behind the tallest tree off the Moorings dock. note: coconut gelato!!! Howler monkey and crock. (had conch steak for dinner)

Happy Holiday! xo skip

Placencia Thur 12.21

Placencia Belize Thursday

Last night we ate at the Galley. It’s a cute little spot just across the street and behind the city park. Ive eaten here many times over several visits and always liked the service and fresh seafood. It was no exception. Our waitress Kadesha (shown in the photo with Jimmy) took great care of us. We had Creole Conch and Garlic Snapper. For desert I tried the “traditional Belize Fruit Cake.” (“we have black and white fruit cake” she said) what I didn’t understand was you have to choose – black or white. I asked for a half serving of each. The white was a light fluffy white cake with traditional fruit cake pecans and fruit. The black was ‘better’ with a less dry consistency. Not chocolate cake but some syrup base. Maybe dark karo, as it had no distinct flavor. The black cake also had the usual fruit in it.



Today we had a late breakfast and a walk down the beach searching for a good photo representative of the view. It’s a nice little seaside fishing village that is growing by leaps and bounds. I have to assume all the shoreline is bought up by investors. This is another little town where people say – ‘you should have seen it 20 years ago.’

The schedule shows tomorrow for us to go on the Monkey River tour. Might get some Manatee, Crocodile, Howler monkey sightings… or not.

Gotta run now and have some fresh seafood.

Happy holiday. Xo skip

Placencia Belize - Thur 12.21

We are now on the end of a penenusla at the southern end of Belize. (on the Caribbean side) we will be visiting here till Dec 26th.

the bus trip down was uneventful. we left San Ignacio on the 7:20am Bus. (this was a full bus / every seat / 'express bus' - meaning nonstop sort of) we arrived in Belmopan where we had to change busses. no direct or express bus to Placencia. we chose the local bus to Punta Gorda. (we got off in Independence a small community near Placencia - but on the mainland) so, we are Belmopan at the bus station. imagine lots of noise, laughing and crying children. diaper changing on the bench across from you. from 8:20 till 9am. the second bus was not 'express' meaning crowded, not airconditioned and lots of ON/OFF by anyone with 50 cents. public transportation. they stand on the road and wave for the bus to stop. no designated areas. get on anywhere and get off anywhere. this makes for slow travel. it took us about 3.5 hours to go 100 miles. jimmy had a nice window seat by a nun, i had a window further back and had 9 different people sit by me during the trip. (maybe it was my looks?) after about 3 hours we stopped and waited at the intersection of two roads for a second bus to arrive. here we offloaded our Punta Gorda people and 'stuff' from bus to bus. they went on to Dangriga and we went toward Punta Gorda. this bus was almost empty. several more empty seats and taken. HOME STRETCH - we off loaded in Independence and took the hoakey pokey ferry boat from the mainland over to Placencia. (this saved the 23 mile dirt, potholed, mudpuddle kidney jarring 2hr drive) our boat ride was ten cool and fresh minutes.

Now we are in an AIRCONDITIONED room at Dianni's guest house. $50 US per night. large shaded porches with hammocks and lounge chairs. im sitting on the balcony at the Purple Space Monkey, a small breakfast spot down the lane, using their wirless internet to post.



HAPPY HOLIDAY! xo skip

San Ignacio Tue 12.19

(note: bikes bottom right. they said: "we're on country 55 for our ride.")

We made it back from Tikal. now we are back in Martha's guest house - San Ignacio. had a lovely time in Guatemala. sunshine for photos with rain mixed in to keep it nice and 'muggy.' we will catch a bus at 7:20am to Placencia. (S.I. to Belmopan and then a second bus to Placencia) All is well here in the jungle / rainforest on the border. Loaded photos onto my laptop and recharged batteries. now i must go find some food.

happy holiday!
skip

Sunday and going to Tikal

it's really saturday night about 9:30pm in San Ignacio but i wont have time to write anything in the morning. (today was market day in S.I.) we couldnt get to Xunatinich because of the water. we went instead to the swinging bridge and saw iguana. it was 92 degrees.

tomorrow we are taking a taxi to the border with Guatemala and then meeting a driver over the border to drive us to Tikal. i wont be able to post anything till we get back the 19th in the evening.

i hope you are enjoying your holiday.

warmest from Belize.

skip

NOTE: there are other photos that are on the earlier two days which can be enlarged. click on them. going to sleep now. tomorrow we travel.

Sat part 2

well the sun finally came out. we visited Cahal Pech, the Mayan ruin at the top of the hill in San Ignacio, Belize. Today we attempt to reach Xunantinich a second ruin if the 'River don't rise.' (im told it's too high for the hand crank ferry to cross.) Tomorrow we go to Tikal Guatemala. all good here!

skip

San Ignacio Sat 12.16