My Five: Things that Made Me Happy This Week in Belize

I was going through all my photos from North Caye Caulker this morning to blog about my great stay at Happy Destiny Cabanas and exploring both North and South Caye Caulker.  But then I got some angry message from my website – something like Database Error: Please address. 

It might as well say Implement World Peace.  I’d have an equal chance of doing either.  Anyway…that’s all been tidied up by my tech help.  (Not the world peace, unfortunately…) and with this late start, I decided to focus on some gratitude.  Because it’s been a good week (not just “pandemic-good” but pretty good-good.)  And that’s something to celebrate.

I am very fortunate to live in a place where there is almost always something beautiful to take a photo of….or an event to get excited about.  Like the driving along in the golf cart and I see sign painter Smurf (his name is Smurf) holding a giant colorful fish in the back of a golf cart.   You’ve just gotta jump out and take a pic.

Here are My Five Things For this Week (these are in no particular order!)

PAPAYAS! 

Don’t take this the wrong way but I do not enjoy the taste of papaya.  The texture (smush), the taste (dirty feet) or the smell (rotten flowers) – I always try it…especially when served in a fruit salad… and once in a while…maybe 1 in 15 tastings…it has been cut at the exact moment of perfectness and smoothered in enough lime that I think…this stuff isn’t so bad?  But then the next time…I’m reminded.

Taste aside…I think papayas are GORGEOUS!  The reddish coral flesh…the shiny gem like seeds…while I don’t want to taste this popular Belizean fruit.  I DO want to wear it…and to decorate with it!

Yesterday I received two depictions of papayas that I just love.

One:  a small payapa pinata to replace my small Christmas pinata because…mini-pinatas are just the cutest and bring me joy every day.  My friend Areli in Patchakan, Corozal makes them and sells them.  SO CUTE.

Loving it in my jumbled art collection next to our fridge.

And then this surprise I got yesterday…I need to give it her own special category.

TURTLE ECOLOGIC TOTE BAGS

I’ve been admiring the hand crafts of Turtle Ecologic for a few months now…and, though I wasn’t exactly sure who was behind the products, I’ve been sharing her bags on my Instagram.  And comment when I REALLY loved one.  Like this…

or this!

 

Earlier in the week, Jessica contacted me and said she would like to make me a bag to thank me.  She would not take money and last night, she dropped off TWO bags that I adore!

Last night Jessica dropped off the bags and I’m in love.

 

Both with the sturdy canvas and the long handles.   AND she surprised me with one for my SEA BEAN COLLECTING!

Light weight…the long strap…it’s PERFECT!

Read: Things That Wash Up on The Beach of Ambergris Caye Belize

How cute is this?  It features coconuts – one of the largest seabeans.  The largest is THIS crazy giant seed.

You can see her VERY reasonably priced work on her Facebook page and her Instagram – she’s really good at keeping them updated and responding to your messages AND she takes requests!  She has a special deal on mini-bags right now that seems too good to be true.  Glad I got mine now!

BELIZE’S COVID NUMBERS AND LOOSENING OF REGULATIONS

It is VERY easy to feel like it’s been impossible to catch a break over this last year.  The amazing awesome incredible news of vaccines being discovered and produced at record breaking speeds is now tempered by new strains of the virus.  UGH.

Just when we felt like 2021 (and the creation of these vaccines) would be the beginning of the end (and a move toward normalcy) – the US imposed additional testing requirments for return to the States (started January 26) and Canada stopped all flights to Caribbean and Mexico until April 30rd.

But in Belize, things are trending in the right direction.  COVID positives have been trending downward despite the increase in tourism for the Christmas holidays and that is a GOOD thing.  Both Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker have been very good when it comes to masks and hand washing and distancing.  And hopefully it is paying off.

Yesterday there was a press conference to announce a loosening of some restrictions.  The Government said this a careful balancing act, a see-saw and will be monitored.  They also indicated that the first shipment of vaccines should be arriving in Belize in March/April.  All good things.  A quick recap of the regulation changes as they apply to tourism – they go into effect tonight at midnight.

• Curfew is 10pm to 5am for adults (formerly 8pm)
• Alcohol sales no longer stopped at 6pm.
• Gyms can open by reservation and up to 50% capacity
• Churches can open for 1 hour services at 50% capacity
• Bars (stand-alone bars), casinos and night clubs remain closed
• Masks, social distancing still the law (punishable by fine)

GREAT WEATHER

Last year, we had a very dryyyy summer and early fall.  And when rains came – especially the remnants of the two POWERFUL late season hurricanes – the rains CAME.  And at the end of December and the beginning of January, we had some dreary weather.  Warm but grey.

So now I can TRULY rejoice in the gorgeous warm but not too warm breezy weather.

I took 1001 pictures in Caye Caulker last week – sky was cloudless and BRIGHT blue.

And it’s been pretty ever since.

Many of these photos I shared on Facebook but what I learned from my survey at the end of last year, most of you who read my blog do not follow me (or don’t really use) Facebook.  So I apologize if this is repetitive. Actually…I don’t really…looking at pictures of beautiful weather is something I can do again and again.

Happy dogs and happy Jeff on his birthday on Thursday.

RANDOM FUN/INTERESTING STUFF FROM THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

There a WHOLE TREE on the reef just in front of our beach area (about 7.5 miles north) and…it’s HUGE!  30-40 feet high?  It looks like a tornado dropped it off!

My neighbor Wes W. went out to take a closer look.

Crazy!

There is a new spot in town that I am DRYING to try..and I most certainly will next week.  I want to work up a turbo-charged appetite because Fry Jacks are just about the greatest food on the planet.  And why shouldn’t there be Fry Jack pizza and Fry Jack Nachos and Fry Jacks with Nutella and so on and so on and so on!  The Fry Jack House

There is a House of Fry Jacks on Caye Caulker (unaffiliated!) but stick to the classic savory flavors – like Ham, Cheese and Beans.  I LOVE sweet with my fry jacks.  I can’t wait to pig out.

I saw it a bit too late – I was enjoying the best johnny cake in San Pedro.  From Celi’s Deli – with just ham and cheese.

It’s heaven.

And one quick other thing.  I finished this book a few days ago and I loved it.  It’s SOOOOO interesting.  The attempts to find a “Lost City” in the dense dense jungle of Mosquitia in Honduras just a few years back.  It’s history (Honduras and Central America and explorers and Maya and the Moskito Indian that lived at the same time as the Maya), it’s archaeology and anthropology and jungle scares, flesh-eating disease, and Indiana Jones.  So interesting if you are interested in this area and the natural history.

I got it on a $2.99 kindle daily deal a few months ago -but now I’ve ordered the hardcopy too to keep at Cayo Frances (the camp.)

The Lost City of the Monkey God