What vacation?  I know, I was in the Caribbean for six weeks.  I have been back home in Ohio for a mere week and a half.  But, honestly, it doesn't seem like I was in the tropics of Belize just last month.  It doesn't seem like I had all kinds of rest and relaxation with a heavy dose of my sister's great cooking.  I don't even feel the joy of missing the end of winter in Ohio.  It has been a crazy week and a half. 

I need a vacation.

How could all the relaxation and rest evaporate so quickly?  It all started on the last day of my vacation.  I had a small list of things I wanted to do on my last week in Central America.  Nothing was too demanding.  My sister and I had lunch with Luis and Oly one more time.  I hit a souvenir shop for one more visit.  But, the thing I wanted to do the most was revisit the iguana sanctuary on the back side of San Pedro, along a swampy lagoon.  I visited the place about five weeks before, but I "needed" some more photos. 

I should have been too busy to return.

Calvin, the man who runs the Eco Iguana Corner Foundation, warmly greeted us as soon as we arrived on the grounds.  For weeks, I wanted to give the man one piece of advice.  Admission is free to the sanctuary.  I planned to tell him at the very least, he should have a donation box.  Well, the guy didn't need my help.  In the five weeks since my last visit, he added a box.

The iguanas at the sanctuary aren't pets.  They aren't going to cuddle up with you for a petting session.  However, they do know that tourists mean bananas and they are likely to get fed.  Calvin graciously decided to lure one of the creatures our way with a freshly peeled banana.  He squatted down on a little wooden walkway over the swampy water.  I squatted down next to him to get just the right angle for a photograph.  Well, that was the plan.  It never happened.

I'm not really sure what happened.

Something went wrong in my leg.  It felt like a balloon pushed its way up through the muscles of my thigh and I collapsed on the walkway.  My sister screamed.  But, I don't remember her screaming if I was okay.  She screamed, "Your CAMERA just fell in the SWAMP!"  I was almost in too much pain to even care.  Almost.  I grabbed the bag and pulled it from the water.  Fortunately, it appears that my camera survived the experience better than me.  The bag was thick and my camera was inside a second bag.  Spare lenses were wiped dry and eventually the camera and lenses spent a night inside a bag of rice that sucked up all the moisture.

As for me, Calvin helped me to my feet.  I didn't get the photos that I really wanted because I certainly wasn't going to squat again.  But, thankfully, I could walk.  And, very good progress was made at the sanctuary.  A wooden walkway, that was in the works during my first time, was completed.  I somehow strolled the entire walkway.  However, I am relatively certain that Calvin was pleased I didn't stay very long.

As I said, this happened on my last day in Belize.  The following morning I journeyed back to Ohio.  And, it was a long journey.  I walked about as well as any one hundred year old man.  I could only put one foot directly in front of the other foot.  Yep, it was slow going.  So, I knew I needed a little help in traveling.  Maybe I'm starting a new tradition?  The last time I left Belize, I needed airport help with a wheelchair.  I needed it this time as well.  And, I have to say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE wheelchair service at the airport.  All lines are jumped.  Scanning and security is much more lax.  And, I don't have any trouble finding my connections with that kind of help.  It was an easy day of travel.

Of course, I contacted my doctor when I got home.  Did I need rest or should I come see him?  He said that without an examination he couldn't tell me if it was a hernia, pulled muscle or anything else.  But, since I didn't have any bulge in my thigh, I didn't need to come in immediately.  That ruled out a hernia, or at least I hope so.  The doctor did say, "If you lose control of your bladder or bowels, head to the Emergency Room immediately."  Thanks for scaring the crap out of me, doc.  I didn't really need that advice.  If either of those things ever happened to me, I'd be on my way to the E.R. right away.  Do not pass go.  Do not collect $200.  Get to the doctor asap.

So, I'm recovering in Ohio from my trip to the Caribbean.  Walking is much easier after this week and a half.  I no longer struggle nearly as much getting up from a chair.  With difficulty, I can manage to put on my own shoes and socks.  A bruise developed shortly after I arrived in Ohio.  Over a few days it deepened into a lovely Barney purple.  Now, it has faded and seems to wander a little south on my leg each day.  There will be no photos accompanying this development.  That would certainly be too much information.

I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Belize.  I have a feeling that Calvin will remember me if I return.  I'm not sure if he'll really want me setting foot inside his sanctuary.  I'm fairly sure I won't be squatting down for any photos there.  I don't know if and when that will ever happen again.

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’ ‘lectricity          I’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.

Ave Maria     The 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 Caulker               You 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. 

I 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 violet 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.

I Still Know a Guy                 Meeting Luis and his wife Oly has been one of the unexpected highlights of my trip to Belize.  They celebrated an anniversary while I was on the island.  I think it is 33 years?  And, they celebrated deliciously with a barbecue.  The barbecue in Belize is just the same as the iron kettle used in Jamaica.  I know first-hand how deliciously this method works.  I savored it in Jamaica, and I was invited to the celebration in Belize as well.  My sister and I were the only Gringos to attend the lunch.

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.

To get anything done in Belize, you gotta know a guy.  If you know a guy, you can get avocados, or stone crabs, or lobsters (in season) when nobody else has them.  You can get water delivered to your house at a cheaper rate than your neighbor pays.  If you know a guy, anything is possible in Belize. 

I know a guy.

My guy is Luis, the Belizean man that I met on my morning walks.  He is becoming one of my sister’s guys as well.  I don’t really need a guy in Belize.  My sister needs things done around her home since she has property here.  One of the things she wanted was a raised flower bed area along the side of her house.  She wanted a wooden stake fence created that elevates the level of the ground to protect the plants from salt water during storm flooding.  My guy, Luis, was able to do that for my sister. 

Now, my sister has another guy that has been her guy for years.  Valentine takes care of her house and yard all year round, whether my sister is in Belize and especially when she is not.  My sister bought some bamboo plants from another guy who came by her home selling things.  She always supports these people.  Her guy, Valentine, said she bought poorly.  The bamboo was too large and so the roots were cut when the plants were potted.  Smaller plants do better because the roots are not disturbed.  Who knew?  Certainly not me or my sister.  But, her guy knew.

Now, Valentine might know about plants, but he has no sense of style.  When my sister asked him to plant three plants by the front fence, he planted all five.  Okay, perhaps his English isn’t that great.  Maybe he only understood about planting the bamboo, but not the specifics.  But, that has nothing to do with style.  He thought it would be wise to surround each plant with protection.  He didn’t use stone or bricks.  There were no decorative sea shells around that bamboo.  There was no clever fence made of sticks, like those that are so common on the island.  No, these bamboo plants were surrounded by old golf cart tires.  It looked like a touch of hillbilly heaven brought down to the tropics.  Valentine was most likely very pleased with his work.  Nobody else was.
 
The next morning, when Valentine was not in sight, my sister covered over those tires with sand and potting soil.  It took a couple of wheel barrows full of sand to accomplish the style correction.  But, it was worth the effort.

My sister and her husband also know a gal.  If you want a massage around San Pedro, you contact Mel.  She comes to your home prepared with her table and all the other goodies she needs to do the job right.  At least, my sister and her husband enjoy what she does.  That isn’t on my bucket list of things I want done to me.  I don’t think it will ever happen.  My last massage was in a Moroccan hammam and I never want another. (That guy took great pleasure in pulling, stretching, rubbing raw and cleansing the only American who ever visited that place.  Never again.)

One day, when Mel finished her massage work, my sister walked her out to the front porch.  They passed by me as I worked with my laptop at the kitchen table.  It’s my adopted office while in Belize.  Mel graciously greeted me on her way, but when she got outside, she looked at my sister and said, “There’s a white man in your house!”  Not pink.  Not sunburned.  Not a little bronzed from my daily walks every morning.  I was a white man and Mel was shocked.  She was even more shocked when my sister said, “That’s my brother.” 

“It can’t be!  How is that possible?”

My sister has been in Belize all winter.  She is the darkest I have ever seen her.  It’s happened without her even trying.  But, she is dark.  Mel believed that my sister probably had some Indian blood in her to be as dark as she was.  Nobody ever wonders about me.  Wherever I go and whenever I’m wherever, I always look lily white.  I may not look pure as the driven snow, but fortunately, there is none of that in Belize to worry about.

Wherever you go and wherever you plant yourself, I have found it's always better to know a guy (or a gal).  It certainly makes life easier when you travel, but it's just as important to have a guy wherever you call home.  So, if you have a guy, and I hope you do, be sure to take the time to thank that person.  Nobody wants to find themself without a guy.

My mother used to sell Avon.  I know all about Avon calling.  I also know a lot about getting Avon cologne for every occasion a gift might be given.  Those days are long gone, but I was reminded of them during my stay on Ambergris Caye in Belize.  My sister and her husband do not sell Avon, but they are very good marks on the island.  Some tourists seem to have glaring neon signs on their foreheads that read, "Rip me off!  Sell me anything - even cosmetics.  Yes, come rip me off!"  It's a big sign to put on the forehead, but lots of people wear them.

My sister and her husband don't wear that sign.  They just have good hearts and wants to help people in need. And if someone is trying to sell something to make a living, they are going to support them the best they can.  One of the easiest places to be spotted in San Pedro is at a restaurant.  Recently a group of children approached us selling little woven bracelets.  My brother-in-law bought one from each child and then told them to give the bracelets to a friend.  Another young man approached my sister as we ate at a thatched roof restaurant over the Caribbean shore.  Somebody in our group said, "No, thank you."  He immediately replied, "I don't accept no for an answer."

I thought, "That's a good reply!"  But, I still wasn't interested in a necklace.  I was much more interested in his hat.  It had the logo for a hotel on the island that I knew was "adults only".  I asked, "How can you have a hat for a hotel that you aren't allowed to go to?"  The owner was his god-mother.  Our conversation about the hotel was brief because Christian was more interested in a sale.  And, my sister left the restaurant with a lovely green stone necklace to match her outfit.

I cannot say that I have been completely unscathed by these local craftsmen.  Or, maybe, hopefully, I have some of the generosity that my sister possesses.  One time a merchant showed us his goods which included unique seed pods.  He had them as key chains.  I asked if he also had them as necklaces.  He didn't.  But, he did real soon.  A few days later he showed up at my sister's home with the necklace I asked about.  I really didn't want it.  I just wanted to see it.  But, alas, it makes a lovely souvenir from Belize in my home and I photographed it for one of my Belizean recipes. 

So, you may have already noticed.  You really aren't safe in your home from door-to-door salesmen in tropical Belize, especially if you are an easy mark.  I mean, if you have a good heart.  The man who delivers water to my sister's home is also very happy to sell trees, plant them, work on small home repairs, paint your walls, or clean the sewage system.  Well, maybe not so thrilled about the sewage, but he knows a guy.  I'm not kidding.  And, a variety of other people showed up during my stay to sell more flowering plants, trees and souvenirs.  Before everything can be planted, one of the neighboring gardeners promised to provide the labor to install a small (but perhaps ever growing larger) flower bed for my sister.

One day, I happened to be the only one home when Lorenz knocked on the door.  He and his buddies just pulled their boat into my sister's pier and had fresh crabs and red snappers to sell.  You can't get it any more fresh than this.  My sister, "Miss Brenda", is one of their favorite clients.  Even though her name isn't really Brenda, she still takes good care of them and buys fresh from the sea as often as she can.  Lorenz told me that my sister is very kind.  He made no mention of a sign on her forehead.

So, in her absence, I went out to the pier to see what there was to see.  They had a large catch of stone crabs.  I supplied them a knife and they carved everything up right there on the spot.  I took photos while they answered questions.  Each of them were able to hold their breath underwater for about a minute.  They usually have to dive about eight to ten feet to catch the crabs (or lobster when in season).  It appears that their clients buy the crab claws but the fishermen take the body of the crabs home.  One of the men described the soup his wife prepared with crab meat and all kind of vegetables.  It sounded delicious.  I asked if he could bring me a bowl of the soup.  Of course, I was serious.  I doubt if he realized that.  If he does come through for me, I'll get another recipe.  I have learned, it never hurts to ask. 

When the fishermen left, I placed my purchase of stone crab claws in the freezer.  My sister returned home about fifteen minutes later.  The fishermen saw "Miss Brenda" on her journey and called out to her.  So, she knew the crab meat hadn't been in the freezer long.  She knew, but I certainly didn't, that you don't just put fresh crab meat in the freezer.  You must boil it first or the meat will be much more difficult to remove from the shell.  Who knew?  Certainly not me.

The one person I most want to stop by the house hasn't done it yet.  He still may, because he does if every now and awhile.  Fred Trejo is a local artist based in San Pedro.  His artwork is mostly tropical beaches, underwater depictions and local street scenes.  He does a good job with underwater sea turtles.  And, since this is a place that caters to fishermen, he has several paintings that show the sportsmen casting from their boats as well as a close-ups of the fish underwater.  However, fishing has no appeal to me.  I like his paintings that depict life in San Pedro the best.  They give a flavor of local architecture and life.  You can either paint architecture correctly or your can't.  If you can't handle perspective well, it will never look correct.  Fred does it very right.

I didn't want to leave a meeting to chance.  When I learned that the best way to contact Fred was by his Facebook account, I looked him up and suggested a meet.  Now, I wait and see what happens.  I've waited over a week without any luck, but I've done all I can.  If you want to see Fred's art, you can also look up his Facebook account.

Want a tropical souvenir to remind you of Caribbean sunshine in the dead of winter?  There is no limit to what you can find in Belize.  Sunshine, warm smiles, friendly people, beautiful sunsets and so much more!  But, you can't find one of those neon signs for your forehead that scream, "I'm a tourist.  Rip me off!"  You have to bring your own.