There is a PARTY going on in Dangria, Stann Creek, Belize today!

 

Yesterday one of Sean's new buddies told us about a party going on today and tomorrow down on the beach near where the guy makes the drums. I have been wanting to find him and check out his craft, so this is double reason to go looking for him. I have posted a picture of the drums. It's a monument in the center of the traffic circle when you enter Dangria via the Hummingbird Highway. I have seen other people's pics of them, but I don't think I have seen one that gives the size perspective correctly. With the 2 story house in the pic, you get the gist.

 

Last night, I tried the rum. No wonder this place is famous for it! As everyone knows, I'm quite the lightweight when it comes to alcohol. I weigh in at 105 lbs, so how much alcohol could I hold?!? We bought 2 fifths...one dark rum and one coconut rum. I was mixing the coconut rum with this concentrated juice product available here, Squash. Sean warned me to take it easy on myself, and I did. I mixed my first drink with about as much rum as is in the neck of the bottle. The second drink I used a similar small amount. Altogether, I probably consumed about 2 or 3 ounces of (DELICIOUS) coconut rum and 16 to 20 ounces of juice. BANG! WOW! Yummy...and packs a punch! I'm not hung over this morning because I had enough sense to quit while I was ahead. A little dab will due you for sure!

 

So....Heading out to the Town Party....maybe ONE rum smoothie.....?

 

 



 Today I would like to show off my new washing machine. Here you see a picture of Sean getting ready to install it. It is a little small compared to the one we left in the States, but summer clothes are smaller than winter puffy coats and my tank tops will fit just fine.

 It's brand name is Daewoo...I had a Daewoo fridge once in the States, so I was familiar with the brand. The machine cost us $275BZ...less than $150USD. In my opinion, Daewoo would be well suited to make this affordable product available in the USA. I see a market for city dwellers with limited space, and for lower income people who have a hard time buying a washer at $500.

 It is powered by a 110v cord...standard everywhere....The water hose that feeds it is similar to a drinking straw on steroids. You put your dirty clothes in the larger side, and the machine agitates them for you. Then you drain your wash water (another drinking straw hose) and all clear water for a rinse, agitate again, and drain. Then you move your sopping wet clothes a little at a time to the smaller side. It is some type of centrifuge, and spins the excess water out for you.

 We didn't purchase a dryer, although US brand dryers were available. This pole is the one outside our place, it feeds our neighborhood. I'm thinking it's not completely up to US codes...Electricity is expensive, and dryers use a lot of it. In addition to the fear of flaming utility poles, the cost of running a US dryer is prohibitive. I'll hang our things to dry in the Caribbean air!

 

The absolute BEST part of my new washer is that when I want to sweep under it...Sean can lift it over his head! LOL! More adventures await! Keep reading!

 I guess Chief didn't spend enough time in a box. He has chosen this drawer for his bed.

 My big pink rental house!

 The school at the end of the block.

 The washer....It'll get it's time in the spotlight one day...

 Pretty church. I'm going for Easter...RIGHT overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

 The view if you were looking out of that church.

 The fishing pier.

 Another pic of pier.

The shoreline about 2 blocks from me.

Good Morning Global Thinkers! I'm here! I made it! I have so many things to blog about from just yesterday alone...Cat Transit, Magic Jack, even the washing machine deserves it's own story to be told. I will never be able to get to everything today, so if anyone has any questions about what I'm experiencing, feel free to comment on any post and ask me. I'll blog on command for a while because I know everyone has interesting questions!

I have picked Cat Transit for today's blog. I know a lot of people would like to bring their pets when they come to Belize and (having done it yesterday), I may be of some help to someone setting out with their pet. I had researched the laws and regulations for pet entry and MOST of what I found was accurate. I flew in on Delta. For and extra $200 USD I was allowed to bring my cat as a carry on. Delta's web site gave me dimensions for the size carrier that could be carried on and at the Walmart I found that the small size carrier or the EXTRA small sized carrier would have done it. If your pet is larger than the small sized carriers, you can still bring him or her, you will need to check your pet as baggage. Delta says that the area the pet travels with the luggage IS pressurized, and your pet should be fine. I had a layover in Atlanta, and was afraid that Chief would get put on the wrong transfer, so I carried him on in the small sized carrier. My first flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta went smoothly. I was seated in the last row of the plane, and Chief was at my feet. He did NOT fit under the seat as the web site had said...I would buy the extra small carrier in hindsight. The flight attendant on that flight overlooked the fact that he didn't fit as he was supposed to and I flew with my feet squished in the little floor space with his (too large) small sized carrier. When we got on our second plane in Atlanta, the same situation occurred. His SMALL carrier did not fit under the seat as it needed to and these flight attendants were NOT overlooking it. (The fact that I had a Wendy Whiner in the row in front of me whining about being allergic to cats didn't help matters much. Don't stick your face in his carrier lady...Leave me alone.) Anyway...they were going to take him and put him under the plane before we left Atlanta. I would have accepted it, because I had already gotten him to the right transfer. One of the flight attendants must have either realized that I PAID for this privilege, or was a cat person herself, because she went and asked the pilot if she could stash him under her jump seat and keep an eye on him. He agreed and it was settled. Chief got an upgrade to the front of First Class! I try to give credit where it is due...and I must say that I was pleased with Delta's pet transfer as a whole.

OH! I almost forgot.... I was unable to believe, but under the impression anyway, that I would not need an International Health Certificate to board the plane. In that, I was correct. Delta didn't ask for his paperwork at all. (Weird...I could have brought a rabid cat for all they knew.) They looked at him through the cage, and there was some debate as to weather the carrier would fit. (See above. lol) Then they put a little rinky dink, handwritten green tag on his carrier and sent me on to security. TSA was pretty cool about the GIANT cat in a box I brought through. I had to remove him from his carrier at the x-ray point. But they allowed me to keep him in my arms while they x-rayed his carrier and while I walked through the metal detector. I was also offered an option to be in a small room alone with the TSA agents while we removed the cat if I thought it would be impossible to walk him through the checkpoint. Chief is my buddy. I KNEW that with all the people, and machines, and activity...he would cling to me. I predicted right. he let me hold him through the whole process. When we got back to his carrier on the other side, I wished I had thought to put a couple more zip ties in my purse. My cat is 17lbs! The door on the carrier, and heck, the carrier itself, was not strong enough to keep him inside if he decided to push his way out. I had zip tied the carrier all around it, and then had zip tied his door shut. When we removed him for screening, I didn't have anything but the latch on the door to secure him. I was nervous. Chief had been a patient and kind Good Boy so far, and I was not sure he would freak out and try to escape, but I wanted to be sure that he couldn't even if he tried. The TSA agent brought me some West Virginia Chrome (duct tape) and I used it to Hillbilly his door shut well.

When we landed in Belize, I was directed to a small room beside the customs counters. There were 3 guys inside. One was making sure the chair didn't float away, another was some sort of trainee, and the third addressed Chief. FINALLY I was asked for his health certificate and immunization records. Chief was again removed from his carrier, and this time he was looked over... The gentleman and the trainee both felt his little ears and head and looked at his teeth. By this time, Chief had been on an hour car ride, run through TSA security, taken his first plane ride ever, hauled through Atlanta airport, put back on a plane, met a new Flight Attendant Friend, and had his second plane ride. The little minor examination he was given, seemed like they were petting him to him. He enjoyed the little ear snuggles! The gentleman then asked me for his permit number. (Grrrr...here comes trouble!) I had read everything I was able to find online, and I had never been able to find ANY type of permit or permit application. I thought all along that this was incredible and I guess I was right. I explained this to the gentleman, and he said for the low low fee of just $200BZ, I could circumvent all this trouble, and he would just give me my permit on the spot. I broke out my American Cold Hard Cash. I know that some people would say this was some type of "bribe" or that I greased his palm...but I don't feel that way about it. I feel like this. The guy knew that I was now here. I was in a foreign country with my Huge Cat in a Box. WHY I had no permit was irrelevant. The fact is, there is a permit office somewhere, and I had missed it. He was offering me a solution, not a perfect solution, but certainly not an unreasonable one. I gave him my cash, he gave me a paper that gives Chief the right to do as he pleases here in Belize. Fair trade.

If any of my readers are in a similar situation please feel free to contact me by commenting on this post or via email. I would be happy to walk you through the process I went through to make your time a little easier.

More later...I have a country to explore!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I realized no one wanted to hear days and days of my lament. Well... here it is. I take off tomorrow at 7:30am... I'll fly into Atlanta and layover for only 44 minutes...then I land in Belize 11:33am Belize time. Pittsburgh time...that's 1:33pm. Not a harrowing flight by any means, but complicated by my Big Fat Cat.

I had Chief to the vet again today and got his "Kitty Passport." (International Health Certificate) It went smoothly, as he was just there a month ago in preparation for his travel. I had him thoroughly examined at that time, because if there were any health issues, I would have needed time to address them. He was a Big Fat Healthy Boy that day...and he was a Less Big Fat Healthy Boy today. (Poor bugger is down to a measley 17lbs. in just one month without his Sean.)

I spoke to the people at Delta customer service and Chief is scheduled to be my carry on bag. I can't even imagine how this is going to play out. I'm a single woman traveling with her cat to Central America....Huh. What could go wrong?!?

I will keep you posted. And I will take LOTS of pics!

To write a poem about my loneliness, would be to paint the wind.

Wind is not captured by color. Wind roars for the roar.

Wind cools and comforts too. The loneliness of thoughts of you.

To write a poem about my loneliness, would be to paint the silence.

Is silence black? or grey? or fade away?

Does silence have a yell? Only heard in Hell.

To write a poem about my loneliness is to paint a thought.

Not the muse, not the dream, just the lonely little blurb.

Thought but not a verb.

The fear grows and the loneliness knows

They only have each other.

I changed the blog pic.
I made it this sprout.
A symbol of growth
of springtime about.

I'm urging the Burgh
to thaw out for good.
Bring back the birds,
and bloom as it should.

I promise you this,
dear Reader of mine.
You will not miss,
and all in good time.

That free pic I've chosen
Sad symbol of spring.
Will be gone as the frozen
fair weather will bring.

I will put in it's place
the beauty I find.
As I enter this race,
Mother Earth will be kind.

Yesterday I wrote about continuing to "read" the Bible each morning with my teenagers. I got some positive feedback from a dear old mentor of mine about how Jesus would probably use the internet if he were alive today. I appreciate the support, because I fear that some of the original meaning could get lost in the flashy lights and quirky quips of this medium. As I prepared my reading for the twins today, I was struck by another idea. Perhaps I should start a blog of the messages I'm sending to the kids. If I could get teenage readers, maybe other kids would start their day with a good message. I am stuck on this one though...When I read or teach my own children, I can literally feel God's pleasure. I believe that if my heart is in the right place, then to share this message with other teens would exponentially increase these blessings. BUT...I've never been to Seminary school. Am I qualified to help other kids interpret the Word of God? I'll pray on this one, and if the Bible for Teens Blog materializes, I will surely link it for you all.

Sean is getting discouraged. He stayed in his hotel room the better part of the day yesterday. It is hard for me here, looking out on the late winter ice storm. But to be in the most beautiful, romantic setting all alone is probably tougher than looking at our house emptied of it's life. He is really very friendly, but most people will have their significant others with them. It's awkward to try and make friends with couples when you're not a couple at the moment. Poor guy....

I hope today is better for him. More than that...I hope things here start wrapping up quickly. I really want to be there with him. We feed each other...I support him and he supports me. We promised to put one another's needs above our own, and that way someone is always looking out for each of us. I think he's really feeling the sting of not having me there to build him up. SIGH...Moving right along....hurry up and wait....SIGH!

I attribute most of my guts to God. Although I don't necessarily place my faith in any organized religion, God and I are very close. I think part of my blessings come from the way I have handled teaching the kids about God. I read a small passage from the Bible to them each morning before school. It starts all of our days out right, and opens the door for God to enter our lives and home each dawn.

I have been praying for a solution to this conundrum. With the kids living at their father's house, our morning Bible readings have not been happening. I fear that we will move further from God as I move further from this place. I have prayed about this and I think I have come up with a solution. I will blog each morning as I have been, then I will shoot off a little email to the kids with our Bible passage each day. I have asked them to read the passage, and send me back a sentence or two with their interpretation. Although this is not ideal, it will still keep faith in their lives each day. I will post again and let you know how this is working out. I pray the blessings continue rolling in! I'm sure they will. Thank you GOD!

Sean is still in Belize waiting for me. I wish I was there with him already. I am excited to start this leg of life, and the delays are really starting to get to me. He rented a motorbike and took a day trip to Placentia. His impression of the area is positive. He found it beautiful! From my research, the peninsula may be out of our price point. Maybe Maya Beach...on the peninsula but not in Placentia would be affordable. I hesitate to invest our life savings there because the market is so saturated. When TripAdvisor has over 43 restaurants listed in such a small place, it might be hard to make a splash! I'm looking toward Dangria. It seems to have a little less tourism currently. The town is marketing itself as the Culture Capitol of Belize and expanding the tourism market. I have only found reviews of a handful of restaurants so a new restaurant may create some buzz. I have also found several crafty places in the town. A well known artist creates his drums in a shack on the beach, and several Guarfina families sell the traditional dolls. I think my clay throwing would fit well there.

Sean and I have already made the decision to keep our restaurant priced so that the local folks can enjoy it. Sean is staying in Hopkins right now, and there are upwards of 20 restaurants in that small community. The lion's share of these restaurants cater to tourists and are priced out of reach for the average Belizean family. There is a fine line between growing ourselves as a business, and taking advantage of the local labor. I think Sean is right on when he says we will need to offer fare that everyone can enjoy. I wish I was there with him. SIGH...I'd tell you how many more days until I can leave...but the time seems endless. Maybe I'll get there while I'm still young enough to wear my swimsuit.

Even as a small child, only 7 or 8 years old, I knew that not everyone liked me. All children sometimes feel like they are on the outside of the click. All humans have felt rejection. This is not what I am talking about. This dislike is not about sitting alone on the playground. I have NEVER experienced that. For whatever reason, even those who dislike me, still want me at their table. I was never chosen last in a group. Most times I was asked to be the leader...Be the one who chooses and therefore ranks the other children into social classes. I remember a particular boy who was having a tough time in about 5th grade. The other boys had ousted him from the group, and he seemed to be shrinking under them. I sent him a note. I passed it to him in the line on the stairwell where everyone could see it. I asked him if he liked me...circle 'yes' or 'no'. He circled "yes" and within a few hours he was at the center of the boys' attention again. I remember knowing that would happen. Only about 10 years old, and I got it. Attention from a girl would bring attention from the boys again. Attention from the boys would once again make him cool and desirable to the girls.... By lunch the next day, he was stolen from me by one of the girls who just didn't like me. Even then I had Reals and one of the Reals asked me if I was going to retaliate in some way. The girl had stolen my Grade School Boyfriend! Even then I knew that it was fine. I would handle the small rejection I had created for myself and not be brought down by the girl. She had the desire NOT for the boy, but the desire to triumph! The desire to take something...her desire was not for giggles and knowing the boy, her desire was to be chosen over me. I understood that. I also understood that character is in what is done that no one else ever knows about. I think maybe the quiet acceptance I learned from my character as a child, has now become a sort of wall for keeping people out. I live my life inside my head.

Sean on the other hand...Sean is the most likable guy I know. He is easy to talk to, and just oozes comfort and warmth. He's open and caring, even to strangers. He's hard working and smart. I'm just having such a hard time wrapping my head around what is happening to him right now. He and the owner of this resort are just butting heads like you wouldn't believe! I have never heard him talk about a boss or PERSON that seemed to dislike him as this guy seems to.... It's so strange. If it was ME...yeah. That would make perfect sense. But not SEAN! Everyone likes Sean...babies fall asleep in his arms as soon as they meet him...I know of at least 2 sets of guard dogs that will only allow Sean in the yard...He dances with old ladies and makes them laugh! WHO DOESN'T LIKE SEAN?!? Bizarre.....

I wish I could be more entertaining right now.
I wish I had a flurry of words, falling together

Laying softly on one another like crunchy autumn leaves.

I would rake the thoughts into a pile,

Dive in like a child.

Scatter thoughts and words and crumble them to letters.

That would be better. I'd bury myself

and this writer's block.

The snow still taunts me.

Just an inch last night.

The grass pokes through and it haunts me.

Spring time in Da Burgh is always a fight.

Oh! The daffodils, the Narcissus too!

Springtime surely will wake you soon!

Little yellow and purple bloom.

The cat is shedding. His nature knows.

It's been way too long since my last blog. I am sorry. In my defense, I said I would try to blog every day. I am moving to Belize, and my plan was to leave on March 17. I had arranged to have some of the frivolous utilities turned off...including Internet. I did find this groovy Verizon Prepaid stick and will be blogging again.

SIGH... As a testament to Murphy's Law, I will be pushed back AGAIN! The silence in this house is deafening. I've heard people say that before, and it sounded trite. I have now heard deadly silence.

BOTH parents must sign the passport application and be listed on the birth certificate. If some secretary at the hospital somewhere submits your TWINS birth certificates and leaves the father off of one....Well...let's just say it takes about 10 days to get it corrected. And that's the expedited service! SIGH!

Anyway...I have secrets about Sean. (For those just tuning in...He's already in Belize.) For one thing, he's getting out there a little more. He's getting the opportunity to meet people and network outside of the resort he's employed with. I think we're both as lonesome as two lost lovebirds. And I think this Birth Certificate Fiasco was akin to a bear mauling....

But he is resilient. WE are resilient! Flexible. Kindhearted and strong. Adventurers.

Moving to Belize is a major life endeavor. It is not something everyone could do, nor would everyone want to. I am very excited to begin this leg of my journey in life. I feel as though I have researched this and thought it out well enough, that the normal bumps in my journey will be adventures off the beaten path. Life has a way of twisting things up, even for the normal people. I am assured my paper knowledge will tear apart a few times.

Although we have planned in advance, and we were aware of Sean's departure date, we didn't do well with his packing. Not that he entered Belize unprepared, he went through customs with everything he needs with no problems what so ever...But...We kinda' sorta' spent his last week in this house, watching movies, eating take out, drinking rum, and giggling! This was Sean's childhood home! To know he was leaving it. To know they were going to "pave Paradise, and put up a parking lot..bop bop bop!" - he deserved to giggle and hang out that week.

I have begun packing already. I am bored to the very core of my soul, and I look for things to pass the time. Sean had intended to take with him a small DVD player and some of his movies. In our haste on the day before he left, we forgot to pack it. Sean is to movies what I am to internet. I hope to pack a small 17in television along with about 100 of his movies into one of my checked bags. I don't know how these items will do in customs.... Some people tell stories about how easy their US electronics pass, and others tell of nightmare customs agents who took their stuff. (I don't think that happens very often in the real world...In the forum world, it's rampant!...lol) I will surely let you know how my experience goes.

Still scanning...Here are some good ones for you.

I Love that pic...don't ask me why. I was about 20....

 

 

 

Baby Melanie...1974.

 

And again...1975.

 

 

My high school graduation pic...1989.

 

Tomorrow will be just one week
Since he left, adventure seek.

I don't think Sean is holding up very well. He seems lonely and bored. He has been making friends, and even went out for a couple drinks one evening. His new buddies took him to Silk Grass and his second interaction there was far more positive than his first. He thoroughly enjoyed the reaction he got when he asked to buy a 6-pack to go. He said the lady looked at him like he was a glutton with two heads! She sold it to him, though.

I'm glad he enjoyed himself...Silk Grass has REALLY cheap real estate. I could get acreage and farm it for very little money. I think to have a place of our own rather than living on property at his job will help him feel more like he fits in.... I don't want to talk any kind of smack but Sean was supposed to have a little shack built on property but away from the guests. A little slice of paradise where he too could let loose a little. This has not materialized as of yet. He is staying in a BEAUTIFUL lodge...but I think we'd prefer privacy to luxury. The resort is still an opportunity though. Sean is learning every day. He described the produce supplier as a farm stand on wheels! Love it!

The FIRST plan we came up with for our new life in Belize included opening a restaurant of our own right away. We also bounced an idea around where Sean would work as an American on the cruise ships...he could fly to me from Miami during his months off ship. The resort is a happy medium. It's guaranteed income while we acclimate, and he doesn't have to leave for 3 months at a clip to secure that income. If we find that we fit in comfortably in Silk Grass, we could buy a little shanty and I can farm while we center ourselves and chose a "perfect" location to open a restaurant. I don't think the money we would put into a couple acre farm would be wasted in the long run. Even if we end up on the coast in a year, we will have it as an asset. We will have learned the ropes of buying property on a small scale, and therefore be better educated when we enter into a large life changing purchase.

Did I REALLY just say that? BEFORE we enter into a life changer? HA! Little late for that, wouldn't you say!?! This is all the life changer....

Items I find, to have the most merit,
are scraps of paper I scan and I share it.

As I plan this 3000 mile move, I have discussed the mountains of stuff we have accumulated. We had big screen TV's and SUV's and gadgets and gizmos and piles of stuff! I sold some, gave some away, and sorted the most valuable of them to be brought into Belize once we get settled. I am finding that my valuables are mostly just scraps of paper. I have spent the last two evenings watching the television, and scanning the important documents I will want to get my hands on in Belize. Important documents like...crayon drawn Mother's Day cards...a paper turkey that squawks when you wet it's sponge. Pictures of the kids as they have grown. A piece of lined paper that has a cotton ball glued to it given to my mom by me 37 years ago. It says on the paper that my mommy is soft like this cotton. THESE are the items I have found I just can't live without.

So... I guess today's blog is....Today's blog is not to guide some one's choice to move to Belize or anywhere. Today, I recommend taking the time to scan in your own personal documents. It's time consuming, yes. But the slow swagger down memory lane, ending in a rapid click flash playing slide show of my life...timeless.

20 years ago....

10 years ago.....

And the profile pic is current....Just bragging...lol!

Can't WAIT!

The blog is supposed to be about me moving to Belize. I am looking out my window at 4 inches of fresh snow. This is definitely NOT Central America! I am trying to keep my daily blog promise, but it's not easy to find things to discuss when I'm so filled with disgust! Sean is already in a tropical clime! He hasn't had any problem with the phone and calls about 2 times a day. I thought we would want motorcycles once we got to Belize, he said I am right on about that. The awful roads in Belize are legendary! He said the ruts would swallow me whole! In the states, we call them dirt bikes, but in Belize, anything over 50cc can get a plate and be driven on the roads. Our kids have always had dirt bikes, and I'm sure the ability to keep one upright will pay off for me. I think we will also need some type of used vehicle. After rattling around the country, a used vehicle might not be an easy buy!

Sean has made a friend! Not that I ever doubted his ability to adapt... His new friend has a wife and children, and Sean is going to "hang out" with him and meet some other locals. I'm excited for him, as local friends can make this transition smooth. We haven't put any big sums of money out toward any land or home purchases. I am easily able to locate places in our budget online. We haven't made that move yet because I figured that once on the ground, we would possibly find even better deals. I believe that local friends will equal better housing and real estate. Also, we don't want to buy anything while still 3000 miles away! I have the impression that each little town will have it's own "vibe" and we will want to get the feel of an area before we buy anything.

Sean has visited Hopkins, Dangria, Placencia, and Silk Grass so far. I think we have eliminated Silk Grass based on his one time through the town. He said he borrowed his buddy's motorbike, and took it for a little spin up to Silk Grass. (It's the nearest little town to Mama Noots where he is staying.) He stopped in a local store there. He said when he opened the door, there were about 20 tough looking guys inside. The first one that caught his eye, had a set of handcuffs on his belt loop, and a pistol on his waistband. Sean is  big guy...over 6 feet tall and built like a refrigerator. For him to be uncomfortable, is enough for us to eliminate that town. He said that any of the other towns he has seen will suit us. I had seen a few listings in Silk Grass, but nothing that I had my hopes set on...

That's just reinforcement that our plan to stay somewhere for about 6 months before buying is well thought.

I can't stop myself from dry running my flight booking. I search flights, and chose seats, and check bags...and leave the website before I pay for the ticket. I would love to know what day I can fly out of here and into Belize, but until the house closes, I hesitate to set that date in stone. I can get quite a bargain if I fly on St. Patrick's Day. I'm a Scotsman! I'll fly that day! Hopefully, I'll hear from the lawyer this week, and it will all be settled before then. I'd like to save $170 on my first flight. I'd feel like I started out on the right foot!

Have you ever read Tennessee Williams' Night of the Iguana? Bette Davis played Maxine when it opened on Broadway. A couple years later, when it was made into a move, Ava Gardner had the role. I wish I could see Bette Davis' portrayal. So lonely.

Sort of short, this blog today.
Still sitting here. Not much to say.

Sean's on the ground and says the place is BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait to get there. He hasn't been able to make his tablet connect to the internet...SIGH!...Sean is not the kind of fella' to stare at a computer screen. Until a week ago, he didn't have even an email. That's not to say that he is in any way unable to surf the net, he just has no desire to do it. My research leads me to believe that sometimes phones in Belize can be unreliable. The internet service is often satellite stuff, so I figured he may be able to communicate via email when the phones malfunction. I created a gmail and set the tablet to default to it. I showed him how to google. He can bookmark a site he likes. He refused to Facebook...lol. I may have forgotten to show him how to find a connection. He's on a resort with free Wi-Fi! It's such a non priority for him, that he may not even try....SIGH!.....

This morning, he called for a minute. He is heading out to Placencia this morning and I AM SO JEALOUS! Once I get there, I promise to post pictures for you all! I'll take a bunch of wide eyed tourist snapshots even if it makes me look like I'm a dork. Coolness be damned!

In the meantime...while you await my awful photos...Check out some of the BEAUTIFUL PICS a real photographer has taken! Click through his albums! BREATHTAKING! Go +Allan Baxter !

http://picturebelize.blogspot.com/2013/01/faces-of-san-pedro-series-shirlene.html