First professional trip to San Ignacio

My first trip out with work was quite daunting - getting a rental car and driving to San Ignacio. OK, so it's only 2 hours away, but that's 2 hours on a Belizean highway.
Here are some pics and I wrote a small novel on my second trip which will come later! Under construction....back in a minute.

My cousin David

This post is just for him, because I know he'll kill himself laughing when he sees the picture.
My cousin David is just a couple of years older than me and has looked after me ever since I can remember.
He's the one that taught me to skim stones, spit, and fake brushing your teeth when your parents check at bedtime.
We got caught sliding down snowy hills on silver trays, hurtling down roads on skateboards and him covering for me so I could go for a sly cigarette at his sister's wedding.
Happy new year and lots of love
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
P.S. Please post to mum :-)

Hail Mary - where is your boarding pass?

Now if ever I got a surprise, it was this one. I got caught up in the pilgrimmage of Our Lady of Fatima, and loved it.
I was waiting for my flight home at municipal airstrip and there was a hullabaloo outside. Into the airport march all these people dressed up. I'm thinking that well, it is close to Halloween.....and then I see the statue. Having lived in France for donkey's years, I know exactly what is happening - I'm caught slapbang in a pilgrimmage. I was expecting hoardes of people and much wailing and gnashing of teeth. But, it was just Our Lady, her "bodyguards" and myself on the plane.
The young dude explained to me (in French) where they had been and where they were going. A circuit around Central America, he was having a great time. So I flew to San Pedro with them all. What was so serene in Belize City turned into the wailing/gnashing of teeth that I had expected when we landed in San Pedro! My favourite part being the pick-up truck with the guitarist and piano in the back - it's about 3.30 p.m. and around 34 degrees centigrade.... everyone is melting in the heat, there are people everywhere and they all have big smiles on their faces. This all turned into a procession to the Catholic Church on Front Street that blocked traffic for 45 minutes (yes you can block traffic in San Pedro, Our Lady proved it). I finally managed to catch a cab to go home - and the radio broadcast is Live from the church, so I got the sermon too.
So, the next day I'm back at San Pedro airstrip to fly back to Municipal, and yes, that's right, I fly back to Belize City with her too - a full round miracle trip. Thank you for keeping me safe, and thanks for the bookmark!
He spoke French!
Leaving Belize City



Boarding pass please!
End of the runway, and no, I'm not joking.
Over Belize City.
Aerial views

In San Pedro

More rain

There are frogs everywhere. Everyone is wearing bright yellow. Yep, it's raining again.
The house opposite ours, flooded land.

The land next door.

I still can't decide the winner of the "Chicken Legs" competition.


Flooded school playground, Escalante area.

Cormorants

OK, so this is just a post where I can say "shag" a lot without getting into trouble, even if in my mind I have turned into Austin Powers (yeah baby yeah).
The other name for Cormorant is Shag - One would have hoped that by age 36 I would have outgrown finding this funny, sorry, I haven't (refer back to post about Boobies).
If you want to know more about these seabirds, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant - where there is no giggling at all, just lots of information.
Here are some pictures of shags I took on the beach (baby).

Froukje came to visit

At the beginning of October! This is crazy. She was in Playa del Carmen and popped down for a couple of days to visit us, and I was so busy I hardly saw her. I was really really pi**ed off about that one. However, it was so lovely to see her. We managed one whole afternoon together on board the "Miss Carole", snorkeled at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley, had a few glasses of wine at the squirrels nest and then off to Rico's for dinner. Another truly gorgeous day in paradise.
Froukje, thanks for the chocolate and all the other goodies you brought down!! :-)

The beautiful Froukje.

Dick & Paul

Nurse shark

Dick's new umbrella

Auto-portrait - I love those colour camera settings

You fly to the office?

Yes I do.
Here are some shots of my first day flying to Belize City at the beginning of October! I'm waaaaaaay behind on the news.
Sorry mum.

Flying over my house - flat grey roof

Municipal airstrip in Belize City

International airport - Belize City.
See the difference? When you're international, you get painted lines on the tarmac - must be important.

Flying over Belize City

A river in Belize City

My new watering hole in Belize City - great lunch at the Riverside Tavern

I promise to blog this weekend!

Honest mum!
Until then, Laurie traces our every footstep on a daily basis, catch our lives at www.tacogirlblog.blogspot.com.
Copy it into your browser and hey presto! juslikthat - photos of us!
Copy out 100 times: I must blog this weekend
I must blog this weekend
I must blog this weekend.....

Belize with ease

Hello mum! OK, everybody listen up! Everything is fine - I haven't been blogging for the past 4 weeks because I was kidnapped by aliens and they performed scientific experiments on my toes. I'm sorry that I have been so busy that I have not written causing family members to flap around thinking something was wrong. On behalf of my small family nucleus - Paul, Molly, Basil and myself, we are all OK. Next week I shall strap myself to my office chair and blog and blog and blog. I have so much to say: a trip to San Ignacio, a trip to Punta Gorda, multiple day trips to Belize City. Halloween, parties and birthdays! I have pictures and more pictures! But right now, I have no time :-(
Of course the most important news is that Molly won "Cutest dog" and "Cutest dog costume" in the SAGA fundraiser halloween pet costume party........which raised over 5,000.00 BZ - WELL DONE EVERYONE.
I'll see y'all soon - I can hear the aliens on their way back for me.

Pelicans at Sunset Grill

On Saturday I popped over to Brahma Blue across the lagoon. I see it daily from my balcony over the water, so I asked Herb (who is opening the restaurant over there) if I could go with him on site to have a look.
Not only did he say yes, but he bought me the best juice I have tasted on the island! So, my new juice watering hole is the Sunset Grill. An hour before we were due to meet up, the heavens opened up and it threw it down with rain - I thought our trip would be cancelled.....

View from my balcony over to Brahma Blue at 11.40 a.m.

Pelicans at Sunset Grill an hour later!


Houses near the boatyard

The dock at Sunset Grill

This is my best side

Herb and the Tacos

San Pedrano colour scheme