Dog Days of Summer Plus A Hodgepodge of Other Topics Around San Pedro

This post is really a mash-up of topics from yesterday but the theme of Monday August 25th was certain.  And everyone I ran into, each taxi driver I passed or rode with, each shop keeper was focused on that one topic- THE HEAT.

In the morning, the sea was flat as a pancake and the breeze (the one or two whiffs of it each hour) was blowing from the lagoon side.  From the North West.

Finally the sargasso seaweed wasn’t coming in anymore…but nothing was coming in.  No air.  HOT.

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You can see the sargasso still breaking apart along the shoreline.  It’s going to take a bit longer for that stinky stuff to disappear.

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Later in the morning…flat as flat can be.

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This is true summer/storm season weather.  I know very little about meteorology (though that doesn’t seem to stop most TV weather reporters) but I reckon that tropical storms brewing in the Caribbean mess with the wind pattern across the whole area.

And though no storm is near us – they are forming out there after a blissfully peaceful June, July and August.

Here’s the current picture from the National Hurricane Center.

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At about 2pm, the wind shifted from the NW to the SE – a total 180.

And though there was not much of it…the ocean did start to ripple.  And my basal body temperature was able to dip below 100 degrees.  Ahhhh.

OKAY.  Enough about the heat.  Here are some other things I saw yesterday.

This tree at the entrance to Mata Rocks Resort sprouted this bunch of flowers?  Berries?  The bees were loving it.  Any idea what kind of tree this is?

IMG_0361Yesterday was also the first day of San Pedro High School.  Kids in their white uniforms walking home from day one.

IMG_0365I saw some seaweed clean up but nothing like last week…

IMG_0364A pretty beach walk by The Villas at Banyan Bay.

IMG_0366And then Xanadu…

IMG_0368And then Exotic Caye Resort‘s dock…

IMG_0369I switched to the road side and passed Ladybug garden shop with its cute tire planters.

IMG_0371I had recently Face-posted a picture of one of the oldest and the biggest supermarket on this caye – Island Supermarket.  Opened by the Harmouches – the predominant Lebanese family in San Pedro – in the 80s, it had closed recently after a “Everything Must Go” Sale.

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The huge space has been split into two and is being stripped and cleaned.  With a bit of sleuthing I heard that a Chinese/Taiwanese family from Belize City was renting it and it would soon re-open as a supermarket.

It got me thinking a bit about the link between Taiwan and Belize.   In just the past year or so, Taiwan donated two trash compactors to San Pedro.  It did the same in other parts of Belize like Corozal.

Picture Taken by the San Pedro Town Council

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Each year (or at least for as long as I can remember), the Embassy of Taiwan donates money to fund the September (Independence Day) National Celebrations.  This year, they donated $20,000USD (here is the story on Channel 5 news.)

And ex-Minister of State, Elvin Penner, was embroiled for much of the year (and shockingly – to me – then acquitted of all criminal wrong doing) in a passport scandal where Taiwanese nationals were sold Belizean passports without ever having visited the country.

One of the gentleman being sold a passport was wanted by South Korea for embezzling BILLIONS of dollars.  Yes.  The article in the San Pedro Sun says billions.

What does this have to do with Island Supermarket?  Nothing.  It just sent me off on a tangent – thinking about Belize-Taiwanese relations…

I was soon distracted (it happens quite easily) by a new scooter rental hut on the Front Street.  I just called to get details.  For rental, you just need a regular driver’s license.  The cost is $33US for 1-3 hours or $50US for the entire day.

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A new business on the island…

And lastly, after a bit of shopping…

LEMONS are in stock at the Greenhouse.

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And a pack of my favorite $1.25bzd chocolate Mexican cookies…

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I wandered by Master Lee’s and Carvin’ Marvin and his wood work looking for a taxi home.

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I don’t even know how to tie all that up so I’ll just move on.

I’m about to get on the 7:30am San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi to Belize City.   And then the 9:15am James Bus to Independence, Belize.

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And then the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi across the lagoon to Placencia.

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I am going to be spending 2 nights at Casa Placencia.  And then two nights at my favorite restaurant in Belize – Maya Beach Bistro and Hotel.

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I’ll be hiking and waterfalling at Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary.   And trying the new Tiger Beach Club restaurant – Placencia Peninsula‘s new Indian food place.

And then a night or two in San Ignacio.

As always, I will be reporting back!

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Oh?  And if you are wondering what the weather is like right now?  If the breeze is still back?  It’s not.  Dead calm.  Dead flat.  The only action out there are the 6am water taxis to the city (they just went by) and the very hungry mosquitos…

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