THE SAN PEDRO, BELIZE JOURNALby: Reef Ransom
THE SAN PEDRO, BELIZE JOURNAL
The day has been overcast. Tropical Storm Michelle is churning up just to our SE. It appears to big quite a large storm, taking up most of the Western Caribbean Sea. I will keep my eye on her. We have had a lot of rain as Michelle built up. Today we have been spared any more rain, for the moment. The air temperature is about 80' today. Aside from watching Michelle I have had a busy day. I went to town and got a haircut. Kim Gonzales at Aquarius Salon is my regular choice. November 2, 2001. Another overcast day, courteous of now Hurricane Michelle. She is brewing up almost due East of where I sit, here in San Pedro. She's about 200 miles or so out. I, like others who live here remember all to well that Mitch, Keith and Iris all took strange, unexpected turns and caught people off guard. While Michelle is projected to go North of us, everyone knows how sudden Hurricane's can change their minds. For my money, especially ones named after women, and even more so for one named Michelle. The sea is really kicking up outside the Reef. The waves are crashing hard and sending spray high in the air. Inside, the seas are fairly calm. I'm trying to rent my vacant apartment downstairs, so I placed an ad in The San Pedro Sun Newspaper. Maybe someone will call. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 3, 2001. Michelle is still around but North of us now. She has caused some high seas and beach erosion even though not really coming to close to us. A dynamic storm with far reaching effects. I saw a guy on his golf cart going to town and noticed he was cruising around talking to people and generally acting important. All the while doing nothing really of course. A little jingle came into my head so I started writing a song when I got back home. Here's the first verse, more or less. Now he's a big man on the island, busy doing nothing all day. For day's on end, it's always the same, But that's just the price of his fame. I was honored to attend a small birthday celebration for Ladishia Staines tonight. Her husband Enrique arranged a gathering of family and friend's. We enjoyed great food, music and company at Elvi's Restaurant. I felt a special joy at being invited to a personal affair for my close Belizean friends. As a Gringo, even though I work to become a part of this Country and its society; it is rewarding to be accepted. I know that cultural differences are not real. People are real. The People of Belize are certainly real. Thanks for including me. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 4, 2001. Michelle is hitting Cuba now and seems to no longer be a threat to Belize. We still have some cloudiness and high waves and seas. The beach by the High School is eroding away as it always does in high seas. My friend Miguel from Progresso just stopped by. He is building my bodega and is busy on a job now but can start back next Monday. I am glad because he is a nice guy and I get to practice my Spanish. I went for a swim in the sea today. The water is a little murky and the waves are big enough to surf on. It felt good. I noticed the water didn't seem as salty as usual. If I was a brainiac I might say it was due to the Hurricane pulling up water from a deeper level and mixing it with the upper levels of the sea. The cooler, deeper water may be less salty. Just a theory from a lay beach bum. The clouds started breaking up after dark and the Moon rose with a flat top and bands of clouds across it that made it resemble Saturn. The stars were dancing with delight to be able to see us on Earth below. Another night to remember. November 5, 2001. The weather is back to normal, which means perfect. Plenty of sun, the breeze blowing non stop. Temps around mid 80's for the high. The sea has cleared up fast and is running to the south as we still have El Norte wind. The sea is very slight inside and I enjoyed a nice swim. The strong current (which is unusual) tugging out is gone with the big waves of yesterday. The normal saltiness is back to. It's a fairly quiet day in Paradise. People are doing simple things like laundry and cooking. November 8, 2001. The sky has cleared after some unneeded rain. The streets of San Pedro are quiet, save a few pedestrians. The sea is speaking in its own way, sounding like the roar of wind on a blustery winter night, but it is not winter. It is the rhythmic waves as they curl up, then cascade down upon reaching the Barrier Reef. Inside the reef, the shallows off shore give cause for smaller voices from smaller waves. Indeed the Sea is very much alive, maybe more so than we human's. Surely she speaks only the truth of the universe and she survives on and on through time, while we as human's fade away. Los Noches in San Pedro. Shine Your Light My heart knows the song to sing, and my spirit knows the things to bring. If I lose the way in the dark, I'll count on you to load the Ark. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 9, 2001. The day has been full of sun until about 2:00, when the clouds took over the sky. We are getting a few drizzles and rain looks to be falling out to sea. I went swimming before lunch. The water is just the right temperature. I rented my downstairs apartment to Miguel, my construction worker from Progresso and his family. A total of 6 people are staying there, which is a few more than I normally would want, but they are good folks and very quiet. At lunch they brought me some stewed chicken and rice and beans with potato salad and a sliced cucumber and slaw salad. It was really good and I wolfed it right down. Right now the ladies and the ones not working until tonight are raking the yard. It's nice to be right about the good character of someone you just met. As I was closing my back door last night, just before midnight, I saw a Belizean woman cast her hand line into the river (really the sea) behind my house. In just a moment she was hauling the line back in hand over hand as quick as she could. On the hook was a nice snapper. I had shared a cab ride with her earlier from town and she was telling me she had caught 47 fish last night in the river. I told her whenever I fished there I never caught any. She just laughed. I wondered if her 47 fish was just a fisherman's tale until I saw her out there at midnight hauling one in. No wonder I never catch any fish in the river, de lady catch dem all first. It's 4:41 in the afternoon, still raining. The daily rush hour has started in front of my house. The worker's from North of the cut are returning back to this side. They get back and forth across the river channel by a hand pulled ferry. I assume they have decent jobs because they all are riding bicycles, which is akin to having a car in the states. A procession of 20 or more goes by at almost the same time every day. That's the kind of thing you’re missing, so get on down here. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 10.2001. There are mornings here that when you wake up, you remember right away you are in a special place. The breeze will be blowing just right and the Sea will be dancing a delightful lee dance. The morning sun will dazzle your eye as it sparkles off of the dancing Sea, and it will seem as if you are living upon an actual jewel. A jewel more beautiful and more rare and precious than the rarest Diamond, Safire or Ruby. This is one of those mornings. I am thankful for the gift and humbled by its greatness. November 11, 2001. It is a nice morning with a stiff breeze from the NW. The sky is partly cloudy and the sea is still running to the South, although rather calmly. The local whisper is that tourist are coming again. Some local restaurants have gone from being bored each night to being full. Time will tell if it is a sign of good things to come in the tourism industry or just a flutter of activity. I think we will know more about next March or April. Sunday is Family day in Belize. The beach will be the spot for families with kids and even us grown- ups today. BBQ's and Belikin's. Laughter and gossip. Clean wholesome ways to spend the moments of a day. AT THIS MOMENT The turquoise sea is set in motion, reaction to the strength of the North wind. The waves slosh to and fro, ending up a frothy white blanket on the beach. Outside the reef, in the blue, Nature is taking its course. While overhead giant Frigate bird's circle, seemingly floating against the breeze. I watch and I smile, knowing all is as it should be, at this moment. Our almost daily right now afternoon rains came again today. They passed by and the night is a beauty. Stars and Planets are shining like jewels in the night sky. Thank you. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 12, 2001. I overheard part of a conversation today as I was returning from saying goodbye to a departing friend. It was to me, a true slice of the Real San Pedro. It went like this and remember it is only a snippet. "...It can be, you have to make your own fun though..." from a Blonde Lady who spoke in American to a man who also looked American. He was obviously a tourist asking questions and she was living here and speaking the reality of living on a beautiful but low key Island. Fun comes at weird times here and should be fully utilized because it might get boring again for days or weeks or longer. I like to think of it as a dose of Island Magic. It gets you under its spell. While you wait, the sea and the breeze and the sun and the moon and the star's and the swaying coconut palms and the subtle rhythm of daily life here, all allow your moment's to pass like clear cool water over the smooth stones of the stream of life. Cherish it. November 13, 2001. Hammering and skill saw noise filled the early morning air. My work crew decided to get an early start. I sleep late. Therefore I got up grumpy. It's a good thing the view is so cosmic, you can't stay grumpy to long when you live on this Island. The sun is out and the breeze is just right from the NE at about 10 Knott’s I estimate. "You can just as easily laugh and play while you grow as become serious and overwhelmed." Gary Zukav, from "Thoughts From The Seat of The Soul". The night sky is clear and the stars and constellation are so bright they seem close enough to reach out and touch. Reminds me we are children of the universe. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 14, 2001. The big news today is that Belize is changing to the U.S. Dollar for currency. A good friend of mine is in the money changing business. He and others will be affected if this does indeed take place. Regular people like myself will be affected also. By selling U. S. Dollars for Belizean Dollars you can make 3-4% on your money on the spot. The catch? You can only spend Belizean Dollar's in Belize. No problem if you live here. The times, they are a changing. It is a beauty of a day. Sun with scattered clouds and headed to around 85' F. The breeze is slight, could be a lee stronger but ok. Today, I am closing in on a year ago now, that something devastating happened in my life. It is indeed a challenging time. The one thing that keeps me sane is the natural beauty I am surrounded by. When I feel down or confused, I focus on the natural forces at work in the universe. Here on the Caye, they can be easier to spot than in the rest of the "Real World". In short, I count my blessings. You too can do that, no matter where you are or what your circumstance. Can't hurt to try. The fumigator just came around spraying anti-mosquito fumes. I think it is Malathion but not sure. It sure smells bad, like rotten diesel fuel mixed with vinegar. I always race to close all my doors and windows when I hear the unmistakable sound of the machine that does the fogging. I don't want it in my house or to breathe it. Last year I got caught in it twice and had a sore throat for several months after. On the plus side, it controls the 'squito's fairly well. The average tourist won't notice many mosquitos and might even remark about their absence from the scene. This is due to the spraying by the Town Board of San Pedro. Without it we would be reading about tourist who were carried off into the Mangrove by giant swarms of mosquito's, or of bloodless human bodies found along the beach. No, we need the spraying, but I still run every time I hear it. Starry, Starry night. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 16, 2001. I took the 10:00 flight on Tropic Air from San Pedro to Corozal. Corozal is in Belize on the Belize/Mexican border and is where the Duty Free Zone is located. The free zone is a cross between a shopping mall and a central market in a big Mexican City. You can buy almost anything there you would find in major stores. The prices seemed about average to me. I priced Dom Perignon 1992 for $90.00 U. S. (drank three bottle's) and Perfume. Obsession was $45.00 U.S., about the same as in an airport duty free or a perfume shop in the states. The traffic was terrible as the line backed up forever. The Mexican consumer was pouring in and out of the Free Zone. The Free Zone is not set up for the people of Belize, really but for mostly Mexico and other countries. To me it looked to be ill designed and very helter skelter. I looked at several shops and doubted if most were making any money at all. It looked to me like they were not doing good, even with the steady stream of buyers. A lot of competition as everyone has scrambled to take advantage of the incredible growth at the Free Zone. Three years ago not much was there, now it is humming. I wasn't too crazy about starting a business here (that’s what my Belizean friend has proposed), but I did have an interesting thought come to me while I was there. Corozal was not much as tourism goes. Just a passing through point between Belize and Mexico, I think. Still I hadn't been so it was worth the trip. I thrive on travel to new places. Even more I thrive on the adventure of a new place, the unknown. The Free Zone was interesting but not my style. On the way back I stopped and had lunch with my friend who owned land and a building in the Free Zone. He knew the owner of the restaurant we ate lunch at, so it was a cozy time. Nice setting and good food at Tony's Hotel and Restaurant on Corozal Bay. While we ate a man told us his business in the Free Zone had been great the first year (three year's ago), down 20% the second year and down 50% this year. His reason was too much competition in the Free Zone. He is probably right, except toss in a little war, terrorism, bad economy and plane crashes to complete the mix. He also told us that 300 small shops were closing up in the Free Zone because they couldn't make it. I can call 'em. I took a taxi with George Moralez to the airport and caught the 3:30 flight back to San Pedro. The flight takes about 20 minutes each way and cost $135.00 Belize round trip. George's cell phone is 014-6746. He's a dependable, honest, nice guy. Reef will use him again. The change to U.S. Currency for Belize is not going to happen to soon it seems. Still a lot of details to work out. Some think 10 years or more, other's say it is just a dream. Reef Ransom thinks it is coming, just slowly like everything else in Belize. I realized about 8:30 this evening I was out of coffee and milk. So a quick golf cart ride to the store I made. The San Pedrano's are out talking and enjoying a breezy Friday night. Along the sandy street you have to weave around young boys and girls playing marbles. They are having much fun. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 17, 2001. The morning was overcast and the breeze was very slight. When you spend a lot of time here, you understand very well the importance of the breeze. It helps regulate the heat, it keeps the mosquitos away and it makes the Palm tree's sway. All three of these factors affect my afternoon siesta, so the breeze is importante. Fortunately, it is pretty reliable. About 2:00 this afternoon the sky cleared and the sun came out. The breeze remained slight, so it got a bit muggy until around 4:30. Just about an hour after sunset I went out on my back porch and the sliver of a new moon hung majestically in the western sky. Looking to be a pretty night. Lasted long enough to go for a nice dinner at Celi's and get home. A good rain shower has gone over twice now since dark. I planted some flowers and Plantain's this evening. My tenant's in my apartment downstairs are quite ready to help plant flowers and do almost anything in the yard. The Aunt's in the group brought back Hibiscus, Orchid's, and several other pretty flowers I don't know the name of, from Progresso, where they just returned from today. That is their home but they cannot find work there. San Pedro is full of low paying jobs that look good to someone who can't find any jobs at home. I am fortunate to have them in there, as they are good tenants. To plant flowers in Boca del Rio (the portion of San Pedro Town by the river cut) where I live you need to do a few things to get ready. We are built on what was once Mangrove swamp. So the water table is very high. Also the soil is mostly assorted fill and is not very fertile. Another minor problem is that crabs bore up and eat the roots of the plants, killing them off. So I built beds using my existing concrete fence base and Pimento stakes, to form the rest of the retaining walls. Pimentos are the type of tree that you see used to make Native Thatch Cabana's. The Cabana's at Ramon's are made using Pimento. Then I lined the bottom with cement blocks that were pieces left over from the first fence that Hurricane Keith destroyed. Then I hauled a wheelbarrow full of seaweed from the beach and lined the bottom again with that. It is supposed to be great fertilizer. It should be it smelled fishy enough. Then the last thing I did was import some black soil to the Caye from Belmopan in the heart of Belize. You have to get good soil here or nothing will grow. Were just sand. Aren't we all though...? You reap what you sow. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. November 18, 2001. The sun is shining and the breeze is blowing from the N at about 10-15 knots. I am grilling cheeseburgers in Paradise. Jimmy Buffet is playing on my new Sony Wave. The Palm trees are a swayin and the sweet music's playin. Great God Almighty which way do I steer? The Cheeseburgers turned out good. The quality of the beef in Belize isn't exactly USDA Prime, but is still pretty good. I think here on the Island you need to try to get it fresh instead of frozen. That takes a little pre planning. The grocery stores only sell frozen and Chico's Meat Market has less than full time hours. I usually don't eat beef much. Fish, Lobster and chicken are the main stay. The night brought in a little rain shower. The sky is cloudy and no stars have graced us yet tonight. Last night was also cloudy and was not good for observing the Meteor Shower. I did see some shooting stars early in the night around 12:45, but the main part was to be around 4:00 a.m. and I did get up but couldn't see anything. The Tourist count seems to be up at the moment. Most are still from countries other than America. There are a few American's here diving though. Without tourism, it would be real tough in this Country. November 19, 2001. Today is Garifuna Settlement Day. A national holiday paying tribute to the Garifuna population in Belize. Many businesses are closed including the banks. The entire town is on Holiday. Of course the tourist related spots are all open. The weather is beautiful for the celebrations. It is another in a long line of easy going days here in San Pedro. November, 20-30th, 2001. These last day’s of this month I am using to share a story that was told to me here in San Pedro. The Man I will not name but know well and have good reason to believe him when he tells me and only me, this story and swears it true. Here’s the start of it with more coming next month. See what you think mi amigo. I hadn’t seen my good friend for a while. That was common down here in the tropics. Things move slow and so do people. Friendships down here hold up to time. When you do see a good friend, it is cause to celebrate. We did celebrate. Some time during our fun, my friend reached across the bar table and pulled my head close to his. He said something into my ear, but I could only make out something about a Princess. I shook my head yes thinking he wanted to go to the Princess Casino in Belize tomorrow. NO, NO, he yelled in my ear again, shaking his head back and forth. “Not the Casino,” he yelled, “I’ve been searching for a Mayan Princess.” I looked hard at him and in his eyes to see if he was just talking in mirth, but his eyes spoke a serious word. Searching for a Mayan Princess, I thought. “Where?” I yelled back over the noisy bar scene. He smiled real big and paused for a minute; then said not so loud “EL Peten”. More on this next issue, I promise. It has a couple of good twist and takes awhile to tell it. HELPFUL ONE LINERS. "The sea is mother nature's embryonic fluid." Reef Ransom. When a Belizean says “Good Night” to you, they don’t mean the end of the night like Americans do; they mean just have a good night. Not much wisdom passed by me this month. Where to Stay Tip: The Mayan Princess has nice mini apartments with kitchen and ocean view. It is right on the beach in the heart of San Pedro. A/C, TV and phone. Great spot for divers too. It is right in front of great dive shops. Off-season as low as $65.00/night U.S. In season a bit more of course. Not secluded but interesting to watch the local daily life along the sea, it will unfold in front of you if you stop and let it. Telephone 501-226-2778. The day was sunny and warm. The breeze did its job as long as you weren't blocked from it. This morning I slept late. After enough coffee I took my battery over to my boat and hooked it up. I had gotten some bad gas from the Yacht Club and wanted to see if any water or dirt was in it. I didn't find any water, but the filter had a lot of dirt in it. I think that a lot of rust got sucked from the bottom of the tank when they filled me up. Anyway, got that fixed I think. I stayed home for a light lunch and then went downtown to exchange some money. I stopped at Elvi's for some iced tea on the way. After that I went to the casa de cambio and exchanged 500 U.S. Dollars for 1025 Belize dollars. The official exchange rate is 2-1, but you make 2 1/2 percent on the spot when you exchange your U.S. dollar for Belize at a money changer (casa de cambio). The Government and business' of Belize need the U.S. currency to pay for all the goods shipped into Belize. So they pay more for it than the going exchange rate. For the business that goes to the Central Bank to buy U.S. dollars to spend on products abroad, they pay more for the dollar, but it is just part of the cost of doing business in Central America. After my big morning, I went over to the beach and watched some local guys working on a wooden skiff. They were repairing the wood and then sealing it with Gluvitz, a fiberglass like product that hardens and seals. The work goes slow but what doesn't around here? After that I spent a little time just relaxing under a palm tree on the beach. I came home and repaired my water hose. The end had started to leak because the metal had rusted from the salt air. I bought a repair kit at Harmouch's Hardware for $4.50/blz and fixed it up good as new. Then I watered my plants. They have grown like a jungle. My banana and plantain trees are 10-15 feet tall, lots of bananas. Only bad news for the plants is that the crabs have eaten the roots of quite a few and killed them off. I think the ones alive now are so big that the crabs don't like their roots. I think they like young tender roots. The night sky is of course indescribable. The sliver of a new moon looks like a big smile that cocks slightly to one side. The bright glow of a heavenly planet is so close that it seems to reach out and kiss the moon. It is Venus or Mars I think. What a night to be alive! Right Here mi Amigo's--- Reef Ransom. May 15, 2002. We are in a typical weather pattern of dry hot days. The temp is getting up to about 90 and rain is not happening. Pretty normal for May. Thank the Gods for the breeze, it makes a big difference. The days go by so slowly. There are still tourist on the Island, but not crowded in any way. A good friend of mine is in Cozumel right now and I am tempted to run up there for a day or two. One nice thing about living in Belize is that many of the cool spots that people dream about going to are close by. Cancun, Cozumel, Costa Rica, and Cuba just to name a few. I slept late this morning but still fill like a siesta this afternoon after a lunch of rice and beans and fish fillet. What’s great about that is I can take one and no one cares or thinks a thing about it. Ahh, life in the Tropics. I bought a big Papaya for $5.00/bz and sliced it up today. I put it in the fridge and when it gets cold it is like a sweet mushy popsicle. So good, so refreshing on a hot afternoon. As I sat on my front veranda looking out at the majestic blue sea, I was pleasantly rewarded with the passing of a very nice sailboat. She was a schooner, meaning two masts, one just aft of center and the other at the stern, along with a foresail or jib sail. I got the binoc's out but couldn't make out her name. I estimated overall length around 75 feet. It wasn't an old classic boat but a newer, modern fiberglass Sailing Yacht. It looked like her course was taking her very close to the reef, although it is hard to tell exact distance from the shore to just outside the reef where this ship was. It is very deep just outside the reef and the Captain of this vessel obviously knew his business. Always like seeing ships in action on the sea. Especially grand sailing boats. This day she was running along quite fast with just the jib out. Thanks for the gift, oh subtle natural way of the universe. Perfect night. A few clouds and lots of stars peaking out. The breeze is steady and the crescent moon has been obscured by a passing cloud in the western sky. The silence of the night is really full of the sounds of the natural rhythm of the universe. Has to be, this Island is pure natural beauty. Right Here mi Amigo's---Reef Ransom. May 16, 2002. In America we always know the day and the date. We also know the time of day. We have to, to keep up with the flow. How could we schedule any meetings if we didn't know the time or the day? Meet me on; let’s see what day is it? Nothing could get done, right. Of course. I mention this because I got up today and like most days, I wasn't sure what day of the week it was. That is a common side affect of living here on the Caye. The day of the week doesn't matter so much. Neither does the time. It is today, and it is now. All we need to know. The morning started off hazy. Very typical right now. Some chance of rain, but I will have to wait and see. My flowers and the dusty streets could use the rain, not to mention my rain vat is empty. The rain vat is my emergency supply of water during hurricane season, which starts in just two weeks on June 1. The clouds hung on all day and the sun didn't shine much. It came out just before sunset, which was nice because the clouds made for a colorful sunset. The night sky is still cloudy. The moon looks like a flashlight shining through a blanket. Its there, but not to bright. Ten days till full moon. No rain today either. Life on the Island. Right Here---Reef Ransom. May 17, 2002. Ever wondered how to get from San Pedro, Belize to Cozumel, Mexico? Well, first of all Cozumel is mostly straight North up the coast from where Belize becomes Mexico. I guess the distance to be less than 150 miles. This time of year is the low (or slow) season and there are no flights from Belize to Cancun or Playa del Carmen and of course vice a versa. When there are flights, they operate three days a week. So to get there from San Pedro, here you go. Boat or plane to Corozal (Belize), taxi to Chetumal (Mexico) then five hour bus ride to Playa del Carmen. There you take a ferry over to the island of Cozumel. You can also take a boat directly to Chetumal, and you could also rent a car in Chetumal and drive to Playa del Carmen. The Bus from Chetumal to Playa del Carmen is $35.00/bze each way. I don't know if I will go or not. The five hour bus ride gives me pause. Sunny today. A Chinese Circus is on the Island and starts performing tonight at the old football field. The night is once again, perfect. The moon is about a third full and cast a bright glow upon the clouds in the sky. A breeze that Hollywood couldn't do better. How lucky I am! What causes happiness? I know success doesn't. Money doesn't. Love doesn't. Those things are transient. Many people find it with a pill. Maybe happiness is more of a myth than a reality? I don't want to confuse the quality that most people acquire from life, which is contentment, with happiness. Two different things. Happiness seems to imply some form of pureness and naturality in its true form. While contentment is just being content with what you have. Accepting your lot basically. As I think about the two, I wonder which, if either is best. Got to go walk on the beach to ponder. Right Here mi amigos---Reef Ransom. May 18, 2002. I am planting five coco palms in my yard today. Someone I know showed up with them yesterday and wanted to sell them to me. I can use them, so I bought them. I paid $60.00/bze for them or $6.00/US a piece. They are about 2-3 feet tall right now. The shoot comes right out of the coconut. What you plant is a coconut with roots on one end and a big leafy sprout on the other. They will grow, but slowly. I dedicate them to the next generation of renegade individuals who choose to live their dream here. Long may you both embrace the breeze. Another hot day. If the heat bothers you, then you just chill out after lunch till evening when it cools off. It isn't really that hot as long as you are catching some breeze and the breeze is almost non stop here. Just another Saturday night on the Caye. Eight nights till full moon. Do you feel it? Of course you do. Right Here---Reef Ransom. May 19, 2002. The Belize weather forecast for today was that a cold front is upon the country and will cause widely scattered rain showers today. The temperature in coastal areas would be 90' F. I got a laugh from that one. A cold front will produce 90' temperature. Good to be in the Tropics. We didn't get any rain during the daylight hours. We could use it for sure. I went for a luscious swim in the sea just before noon. Felt real good. I stopped on the dock afterwards and watched the rhythms of the sea. I could see the current come in, then out, then almost stop. Sometimes the breeze would stir it up in a swirl or just move it sideways. All rhythms as natural as could be. It gave me pause as I thought about the rhythms of life and of nature. All just the same rhythm I think. There can be some comfort in the knowledge that there is a natural order and we are a part of it. There was very little breeze today. It seemed like a slow day on the island. The heat may have encouraged lying around the pool or swimming somewhere. Also Sunday is a big departure day for visitors. May 20, 2002. I got up this morning and decided to go somewhere. I didn't know where, but I was going to take a piece of a banana leaf and when I got to the airport, toss it into the air and see which way it blew. I would fly somewhere in that direction. I figured the choices could be somewhere in Guatemala, or Honduras, or Mexico, or Cuba, somewhere like that. Well, I set my sights on leaving by 11:00. Any later and I might find myself stuck in the middle of no where in who knows where. When I say no where, you need to have traveled through the Caribbean and Central America or somewhere like that to have a full understanding of the term. Where ever I was going, I planned to be there by the end of the day and chilled out in the finest condo, villa, cabana or guest house by night fall. Everything went good. Got packed (I travel light), got a shower, closed up the house here, all ready to go. I couldn't get a taxi in time and I didn't want to leave my golf cart at the airport for how many days I knew not. The taxi drivers all use cell phones and you mostly need to know their last name to look them up, or have had them give you their number. I have such a number for my friend and steady taxi driver, Mark. His phone broke a few days ago, so he was out. His last name? I know lots of people here, but very few last names. Not really needed. People get to be know by their name and a nick name sort of. Like Roberto, know as Captain Robby. His real last name, not important. Oh yea, I didn't go anywhere. I took my boat out into the blue this afternoon to go fishing. I had bought some big lures the last time I was in the states and was curious to see if they would work here. I went with a couple of friends. We rigged up two poles with the two lures I had brought. For you fishing pro's, sorry I don't know exactly what they are called. They worked. The one that was about 5 inches long and looked like a minnow or sardine caught a Mackerel quickly. The other one, a smaller one about two inches long looked like a greenish blue, big bug. It caught a big Jack fish right away too. Unfortunately, he got off right at the boat by swimming under the motor and breaking the line. He was too big for the net and while getting the gaff hook, he did his thing. True fish story, honest. That little lure didn't last long, he took it with him. After that we went inside the reef and fished for a while in a channel using Sardines for bait. A few bites but no real action. No problem, I just headed up the coast a little and nudged the bow up by the reef and we set the anchor. I and my good buddy dove for Conch. We each filled up a large dive bag with nice Conch. Cerviche tonight. There's nothing like being on that reef. I find it one of the few places where you can really lose yourself and forget anything else going on in the world, at least for a while. That's about it for today. It did rain during the night last night. We needed the rain, need more really. There is some lighting in the Northwest sky and supposed to be some thunderstorms around, so maybe we get some too. Hurricane season is just ten days away, so anything could happen. Full moon, after tonight, five nights and counting. Feel the intensity as the power builds in the universe. Right Here mi lluna amigos---Reef Ransom. May 21, 2002. The breeze remains slight and from the North. That means it feels hot in the afternoon. Great for lying on the beach or around the pool though. I haven't done much today. I did go to town and visited with some friends. They have a restaurant and it is very slow right now. They moved here from the states and bought a house and business. Unfortunately they aren't making as much money as they expected. Life in the Tropics. As Jimmy Buffet says "In the Tropics they come and they go." The sun will be setting in about 30 minutes. That brings a beautiful array of colors in the western sky. Sometimes, if the clouds are right, like lately, the sky in the East gets all shades of crimson and coral pink. Not tonight though, no clouds over there. The sea remains very calm. A perfect delight for any water related activities. I wish you could walk with me on the beach right now. There is a magic about this time of day. Bonus is we have a near full moon already up in the sky. Thank you, oh subtle natural way of the universe. May 22. 2002. And the days go by so slowly. I went fishing about four o'clock this afternoon. It gets dark about 6:30. The moon is three days from full. The weather just changed from hot to cool. I had two new rods and reels. The boat is running good. The fishing however, was just so so. While trolling in the blue, two big fish got away and took my lures with them. At sunset the sky had a look like some famous holy painting, that shows the divine light coming down from the sky to shed its glow upon mankind. The light just streamed across the sky in narrow beams. At the same time over my other shoulder, the moon was up in the sky and approaching full. There I was. Out on the sea, and in the middle of the two cosmic forces, just a man, and as significant as a drop of water in that mighty sea. Humbly, I thanked the subtle natural way of the universe. I got showered after fishing and it was about 7:30. I went to the grocery store for some supplies and then had a light dinner at home. I gave a ride to a lady who had just gotten off work and had walked from Victoria House to the big grocery store on the South side of town. She was Belizean by birth, but raised in England. She was in a toot about her boss and job. Seems she was doing extra work and wasn't being appreciated for it. I caught an earful from the minute I picked her up, till the minute I dropped her at the corner by the post office. She was staying at Martha’s Hotel close by there. I bid her goodnight and reminded her that tomorrow was another day with new possibilities. She muttered some response and I drove home. Right Here mi Amigo's---Reef Ransom. May 23, 2002. "What do you do down there?" That is the question I hear most from people. In fact, that is the reason I started the San Pedro Journal E-Letter. A good friend kept asking me what I did here. I found I didn't really have a good answer, so I decided to write down what I did and share it. Still, I couldn't give you an exact response if you asked me the question now. However, here is what I did today. This morning I cleaned my kitchen and living room. I watched a big barge go by as it slowly made its way up the coast to some spot where someone needs construction supplies. On its deck was a large amount of gravel and a bobcat to unload it. Then I checked on my flowers I transplanted yesterday. They are fine. I had a nice lunch at Elvi's Restaurant. I checked on my boat, it is fine. So far this afternoon I have watched a sailboat way out in the blue with my binoculars and gone to the grocery store. The store was out of milk and chocolate ice cream, my reason for going. The afternoon is a bit hot and muggy, so I will not do much till this evening. That is part of my exciting day, here in paradise. A friend came by and we sat and talked for a couple of hours this afternoon. As the night came and it cooled down, I went and inspected my plants and watered the ones that needed it. I ate a lite dinner at home and then went for a nice walk on the beach. The stars are bright and the moon is nearly full. Three more nights till full. That’s a look at a day of someone who lives in paradise. Right Here mi amigos---Reef Ransom. May 24, 2002. I decided to get off the island for a little while. I took the noon flight on Tropic to municipal airport in Belize City. Of course we stopped at the International Airport and dropped off some departing tourist. The ride is about 20 minutes with the extra stop at International and cost about $90.00/bze, roundtrip. I picked up a taxi at Municipal and had my driver, whose name was Spanish; take me to the Smokey Mermaid for lunch. I asked Spanish to come back in about an hour. The Smokey Mermaid is a nice restaurant set in an outdoor court. The grounds are full of lush tropical plants and trees. A really large mango tree creates an umbrella over a great deal of the eating area. While I was setting there a mango came crashing down and broke a small limb on its way down. They both landed safely, just between a table of people and the bar. Another cool feature is they have running water everywhere in fountains or little ponds. It is a very soothing environment. In Belize it is also the place to see important people and be seen at. I had fish fingers and fries. It was good and cost around $13.00/bze plus drinks. From there I had Spanish take me to the Princess Hotel/Casino. He charged me $15.00/bze for the two rides. I spent a couple of hours high rolling in there. Left a winner. Hit 777 on the dollar slots. From there I went into Brodies to buy a few supplies. Because everything has to be sent here by barge or plane it is always less expensive to shop on the mainland. Then back to Municipal to catch the 4:30 back to San Pedro. The flight is 15 minutes and over the sea and lots of little islands. When the reef comes into view about halfway through the flight, I just smile. My golf cart was waiting where I parked it earlier and I took it on home. The night is COSMIC. What else can I say? The moon is casting an enchanting shadow over us all. The clouds swirl by, leaving bright the night sky. This is a gift I would wish to give to everyone. Wish you were here. Right Here---Reef Ransom. May 25, 2002. The Madness has begun to subside. Another hot day. A big party weekend in Belize just like in America. Called Commonwealth Day on Monday the 27th. The Island is near pack up with visitors. Americans, Belizeans from the mainland, Europeans, South Americans and Mexicans for sure. Tonight under the full moon I watched Rasta men dancing to Reggae music. While just down the street a couple of doors, the stereo was playing a sweet Mexican ballad. I certainly enjoy the diversity. The moon is so full and so over bearing, that you can see how ancient civilizations felt they should worship it. From what I can tell, we still do. Here's some full moon madness from old Reef. I live a life that a lot of people would love to have. Really, my life is so great that most people wouldn't even dare dream about such a great life. Get the point yet? Now, when I say that I have a great life, etc., I mean in the conventional way. What used to be in the American way, but satellite T.V. has changed that. All the world regardless of how poor has access to Satellite T.V. Even if they can't afford the material comforts, they know they exist, and they want them. Why not, they have a right to be happy, don't they? Assuming that everyone has the right to be happy, how can we assume what will make people happy? Even more so, how can we assume anything can bring happiness to people? Beyond that even, how can we be sure happiness exist at all. Now, these are just random thoughts and questions. The kind of things I think about under the full moon on an island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. I don't have a clue as to the answers or if there are any answers. What constitutes happiness? Five dollars on Saturday night? A new girlfriend? A job? A Promotion? A trip to the Jungle? A ride on the Sea? A stormy morning to wake up to? You help an old lady across the street? You trust someone? See what I mean, I don't know any answers, just questions. So here I am. I doubt that I am alone in this search for the answers. The quest to make sense of it all is surely a common link. Or is it? Right Here---Reef Ransom. May 26, 2002. This morning I played my guitar and sang a song I wrote. I went diving and fishing this afternoon. I went up by Mexico Rocks to dive for Conch. The season is coming to a close on June 15th, and the poor Conchs are harvested out. I won't take the small ones, and there where many of them. Still I managed a few. The fishing though is another story. I went outside in the blue, just inside in the channel, and to my favorite little Red Snapper hole. Not much luck. One thing I did catch, a sunburn. I know better than most the intensity of the sun down here. I had just recently reminded someone about it. Just goes to show you that this place is so cool anybody can get caught up in the beauty and forget the sun. I watched the full moon rise gently over the Caribbean Sea. An experience that can only be experienced. As it rose into the sky, a small cloud bank floated past, and for a moment the moon appeared to be sitting on an altar in the sky. Thank you again! The intensity in life has subsided now with the fullness of the moon. You can feel it, I know. I wanted to mention, in answer to what I see in this place, the snorkeling I did today. I went right up onto the reef, in water so shallow I barely floated over the big coral. As I was coming up from a dive, I was thinking how beautiful and how National Geographic this moment was. I always feel like I am floating or swimming in Mother Nature’s embryonic fluid. That is what I want to share with my friends and anybody who comes here. Hope I get to share with you soon. Right Here mi amigos---Reef Ransom. Helpful One liners. When you hear someone speak Creole and say "he nice up", it means he has been drinking rum. For those of you anxiously awaiting the release of “In Search of the Blue Eyed Mayan Princess", the manuscript is near completion and will be published soon. I will let you know. Copies of my first book, "In Search of the Mayan Princess", are available to order. Just send an email and we'll fix you up. May 27, 2002. The day started with heavy rain showers right before dawn and they mostly continued till mid afternoon. I managed to get to the store during a short break in the rain. The clouds gave way just a little right at sunset. That was nice because it made a beautiful color in the sky. I did the kind of things you would do anywhere on a rainy day. Read, played guitar, watched a movie, ate and then got bored. Tonight I think I will take a walk along the sea and maybe go in town for a while. With a good raincoat, you just keep on trucking. The streets are like a bowl of mud from the large amount of rain we have gotten. Is the rainy season early this year? I don't know. Looks that way today. The sea is almost smooth as glass. It is hard to tell where the reef lies because the waves are so small that there is very little white foam as they cross the reef. At the end of my walk tonight, I stopped and sat on one of the benches in the Boca del Rio Park. The water was calm and the sky full of clouds. I couldn't find a star or the rising moon. As I sat there, it was very silent. The sound from the reef was crystal clear and about all you could hear. You had to cock your head just a little to get your ear out of direct fire of the wind. The wind, lightly blowing, still blocked out any sounds when blowing directly into your ear. Even though the water is very calm, the sound of the gentle waves breaking upon the endless reef is still a low rumble, somewhat like the noise a passing train makes, except without the clickity clack. I just sat there for some time. I knew that no matter what else was going on in the rest of the world, everything was working just right here. I walked the half block back home and another day slips away. I did see Venus shining very brightly in the low western sky when I stepped out onto my back veranda. No other stars. To the memory of all those spirits not alive to see Memorial Day this year, those of us who are, remember. Right Here mi Amigo's---Reef Ransom (One of the lucky ones). Thanks so much to those of you who took the time to send an email about last month’s edition of the San Pedro Journal E-Letter. All the comments were positive and greatly appreciated. May 28, 2002. Rain came in the night and early morning. It stopped about mid morning and then became mostly sunny. I went to check my boat for water, my bilge pump is not automatic because if I leave the battery on the boat, someone thief it for sure. As it turned out the pump I had is history. It was used when I got it and the wires have been wet with salt water. That means corrosion and that means no juice flowing through the wires. I spent about an hour trimming the wire about an inch at a time trying to get it to work this morning. Finally I realized that the corrosion had gone all along the wire from the pump itself. Off to Capt. Shark's I went, that is where you can buy marine supplies here in San Pedro. A slightly larger pump (2000 gallons per hour), cost me $130.00/bze. When it cools down a little about 5ish, I will go install it. I had lunch at Elvi's. Conch season is coming to an end soon and I am storing up on it. There seem to be quite a few tourists here. Hurricane season is just four days away. If you live here, you already know that. My hammock gave out a while back, so I have been suffering greatly. Especially in the afternoons. This morning on my way to Shark's, I saw the guy who sells hammocks. Of course you can buy a hammock in any gift shop. No shortage at all. I know this guy supplies all the gift shops and brings the hammock’s here from Mexico. I have bought my other hammocks from him for a long time. I asked him to come by mi casa in the afternoon and he did. I now have a new hammock and a favorite past time lives! I asked if he could have the factory in Mexico make a special one for me. I really need them to be muy largo(very long), because I am tall. He said he would check for me. For the record I paid $70.00/bze or $35.00/U.S. for the heavy-duty hammock. Now I have a hammock to hang on my front veranda, so till after my siesta.... May 29, 2002. I don't write much about the nightlife because I don't do it much. Last night I decided to get out and see what might be going on. As I passed by Hotel del Rio, I was beckoned to come up on the porch and have something to drink. Well, I wasn't doing anything else really, so why not. As it happened there were two pretty blondes staying there and it was their last night on the Island. They were both 25 and from Colorado, close to wherever CSU is at. I forget the town. So I had Vodka and O.J. and we watched the moon rise front their front porch. From there we went to Sharks Bar and Fido's Courtyard. Fido's had live music, but it must have been later than I thought, because they finished not long after we got there. Shark's was still happening though, with a slight crowd of partiers. Most were outside on the deck surrounding the actual shark tank below. Inside the tank are live sharks. For you long time visitors to San Pedro, you might remember this location and idea, used to be called The Tackle Box Bar. It went down though, during Hurricane Mitch I believe. I can remember someone describing how it slowly tilted then the big waves just pull it down. It was a late night for sure. So, my party going friends, men and women alike, there is life after dark, here in San Pedro. I went to town for lunch. I noticed a few people that looked like cruise ship tourist. Big cruise ships have started coming to the Belize City port, but few if any make it to San Pedro in the few hours they have ashore. About two o'clock, I spotted a huge cruise ship outside the reef and headed north. It was quite a ways out from the reef and I got my binoculars and took a look. It looked like the lost city of Atlantis had risen from the murky depths of the unforgiving sea. I mean this ship looked like a city on the sea. Now I have to go with my initial instinct about the cruise ship tourist on the island. My intuition is very reliable. A sunny day with calm sea’s. Time to catch the sunset. I Walk I walk along the sea's edge at dusk; the seaweed is piled up from the days tide, The head and skeleton of a big Permit fish, lay at the waters edge. The slow easy waves of low tide nip and pull at the carcass, but it won't budge. I walk along the sea's edge at dusk; the laughter of small children turns my head to see, what prompts so much gayety and glee, but they just keep on running and laughing and I never know. While under foot are the walls and moats of half washed away castles made from sand. I walk along the sea's edge at dusk, and gaze upon the dancing sea, wondering what is out there that I cannot see, and what I will do if I ever know. While the crimson sky fades to black, and the tide keeps up its rhythm, I walk. The night sky is sharing some stars. I'll take an extra long look at them tonight for everyone. Right Here, mi amigo's---Reef Ransom. May 30. 2002. Ditto on the weather. Hot and dry. Hurricane season is just two days away. I am a little surprised how many times people have mentioned it. Every person has spoken of hurricane season with an amount of true trepidation. The odds of us getting hit with a hurricane here in Belize have to be so low. Three direct hits in five years is way above the average of one every fifty years. Still, any chance, however slim is enough for concern when you know the power of hurricanes. Caribbean Seafood Platter for dinner at Elvi's. The special for Thursday night. So good. I stopped off at the local casino, The Palace, it is called. Their slogan, "It ain't Vegas." How true, but about 25 quarter slot machines and three blackjack tables. Enough, that I wish I hadn't of stopped in. The night is partly cloudy with a few stars to gaze at. All seems well, here on the Island. Right Here---Reef Ransom. May 31, 2002. Hot. Light breeze. Partly cloudy skies. Very calm sea. Last night I had a dream that a friend was falling or running away from something bad. I have had this same dream before. My friend’s mother was sick when I had the dream before. I can't contact them, so I can only hope it was just a dream. Hope is interesting. It is what we use to replace the feelings we get from the unknown. Fear, lack of control, the feeling something bad is happening and there is nothing you can do about it. All you can do is hope. Hope for the best. Hope to be wrong. Hope that everything will turn out right in the end. Of course there could be no such thing as hope unless there was hopelessness. Right? Good news, the breeze picked up to about normal. Makes it much cooler feeling. It also changed direction, now from the South East. It changed very quickly. The sea went from near calm to small white caps inside the reef. Still not very rough though. I stopped by the bank and picked up a list of properties they have for sale. Four different ones. I looked at all of them. Finding them was fun. They don't have an exact address really and you find them from a few clues like this. "You know where the house that sunk is? This property is right next to it." Or, "You know where the houses burned by the airstrip? This property is right there, next to the house that only burn slightly." I managed to find them all. Now none of these properties are prime beach front like most tourist dream about. However, in San Pedro there are a lot of areas where property is still inexpensive and will be worth much more in a few years. As an investor, I look at all the options. If the location is ok, and the price and the profit potential are ok, then maybe I buy. From experience I know that you look at a lot of these, before you find the right one's. I am interested in a couple of these properties. Anything happens, I'll keep you posted. Some stars in the sky tonight after a beautiful crimson and pink sunset. I watched a satellite go over from the dock at Hotel del Rio. It's another night in Paradise. Right Here---Reef Ransom. June 1, 2002. Happy hurricane season everyone. I hope we don't get one. I don't like the names this year. Of course, no one consulted me about them. Coastal high temp for today is 91° F. The breeze is blowing about a steady 10 mph. The sea is mostly calm. I went fishing for big trophy fish this afternoon. My guide was Gaby Perez. He lives on Pescador Dr. close to the RC school. We stopped first at the channel (cut in the reef) in front of the Yacht Club and fished for Skipjack's or Lady Fish as they call them here. They were for bait outside in the blue as we fished for Marlin, Tarpon, Tuna, etc. We used medium size gear and baited with a yellow jig with a live Sardine attached to the hook. Then you cast into the school of fish, which looked like a dark cloud in the water. Worked the jig, reminded me of fishing for Bass, and hoped for a bite. I had a little trouble catching the routine. Finally I was in sync, but we had enough for bait, so done. I hooked one but let the line go slack to tighten my drag and he jumped in the air and gone. Gaby told me they have soft mouths and are hard to hook. We then trolled in the blue back and forth from about Tres Cocos (the area just across the river cut, North) to Hol Chan (the underwater Marine Park). Used the live Ladyfish and a live Bonefish for bait. Nothing. Switched to artificial bait around 4:30. Nothing. Came home at 6:00. What is the saying? A bad day fishing is better than a good day on the job. Something like that. For me, I love being on the sea. Trolling like we were is more likely to get you no fish than some fish. But when you get a big one, ay yi yi. I would go fishing with Gaby again, anytime. I grabbed a quick shower and change. Then I had a Pizza to go from The Blue Water Grill. They have real good food there and I like their Pizza best on the Island. Saturday night and the town was getting active. Several senoritas's called to me on my way home from The Blue Water Grill. I made them wait; I had a pizza to get home. Cloudy sky's tonight. I miss the stars when they are out of sight, tucked perfectly away behind the clouds. The time marches on, even here where it moves so slowly. All the things we thought we couldn't bear, we did. Time doesn't heal things, but it does run them over and leave them on the side of the road like road kill. Emotional road kill, I like that. Right Here, mi amigo's---Reef Ransom. June 2, 2002. Party in the Boca del Rio Park. Band and BBQ. You can hear the bass of the band for several blocks. Here in Belize, the local musicians seem to think that an overwhelming Bass and Percussion equal’s music. For me, and I like all types of music, it is as one of my Belizean neighbors said, "Just noise, not music." Hot and calm today. Like a stuck record. I went to the store for some things. As I left, I watched a group of American tourist, six of them, three couples, as they got frustrated trying to find the ferry across the river. They were in a limo size golf cart from Moncho's Rentals. They stopped in front of the store. I see a lot of tourist lose their confidence about there, maybe the fork in the road throws them. Have they gone too far? What is ahead if they keep going? This can't be the way through that neighborhood? The neighborhood gets a bit more rustic as you leave the area of town. To many, it doesn't look safe. This group I was watching came into the store and looked around, while two of them tried to call the rental place to verify where they were going. Even though I heard then say, "She said just to keep on going till you run into it." Of course you can't just pick up a pay phone and drop a coin into it and call. You need a calling card to do that. So, instead of asking me or any number of other people right there where the ferry was, they loaded up and went clear back to Moncho's Rental office and asked again. I bet the lady said the same thing, "Just keep on going, you can't miss it." I saw them pass right by my house about 25 minutes later. I live one block from the ferry. Hope they found it. Here's a clue. When you come here as a tourist for the first time, trust your instincts, and don't be to cool to ask for help. Almost everyone here is very friendly, especially if you are too. Had a great dinner at Celi's Restaurant. Celi's is located on the beach in the middle of The Holiday Hotel. Good place to stay, good place to eat. I came home afterwards and watered my plants and the two palm trees I planted this afternoon. There is lighting in the south and western sky. By watering I pretty much assured that it will rain. Hope so. Later I will be having some caye lime pie from Celi's. It is the 2nd best on the Island, in my humble opinion. I am fairly qualified to judge caye lime pie, as I have made it part of my life's work to sample it all through the Tropics. Now you are probably saying, "OK, now where is the Number 1 caye lime pie on the Island?" Don't worry, I know where and I am likely to tell you sometime. From Paradise; Right Here, mi amigo's---Reef Ransom. June 3, 2002. It rained quite a bit last night. There are some puddles in low areas. I knew it would since I watered my plants. Mother nature does a much more thorough job than I do, so better. Typical morning for me. Coffee, check out the view. Yeah, I'm still in paradise surrounded by mother natures many shades of blue. Play my guitar; sing a new song I'm writing. Then I put on an oldies CD with K.C. and the Sunshine band and all the other great artist from the disco era of the 70’s and 80's. It's a good one to get you going in the morning. Great for cleaning, working out, etc. Had some nice Papaya too. Mostly sunny and calm seas. Hurricane season is here; you can feel the tropical weather pattern that lends itself to development. Right now the Island calls and I answer. Went out to the Jade Garden for dinner. It is one of my favorite places to eat in San Pedro. For dessert, I brought home two pieces of the best caye lime pie on the Island. Now, there is another kind of caye lime pie that is served here. It is frozen caye lime pie and it is excellent, but a different category. Who has the best-frozen caye lime pie on the Island? I'll let you know. Not much activity in town tonight. Some tourist, but pretty light. The night is breezy and a few stars are visible. Quite a few clouds up there though. All in all, a very low key and typical night here in paradise. The night is calling me out. Right Here, mi amigo's---Reef Ransom. June 4, 2002. What can you write about an uneventful day? According to a reliable source, the arrivals at the International Airport on Sunday were about half capacity. The departures about 120%, meaning over booked leaving the country. Less than half the potential amount of visitors coming in. Now, that is just one day, but the signs are clear. No crowds at the restaurants, streets are not crowded. Everyone here is saying it is slow. Hurricane season can't help. I really love Hurricane Season. I wake up and have to be aware that some great force beyond my human capacity to comprehend may be lurking out there heading right for me. Direct hit. It’s a lot harder to waste you life anytime you are putting it at risk. Of course it is at risk every day, but the comfort of our routine lull's us into forgetting that. I bought some real great fruit's today. Bought a Mango, a Pina' (Pineapple), some oranges for fresh juice in the morning, and some other veggies. The fruit's here are usually excellent. Seas remain calm and the breeze light. June 11, 2002. Fresh back from Mexico. Well, last night flight from Corazol arrived home at 5:00. The weather was hot there (in the Yucatan), and still hot here. Let me tell you about my le trip. Cancun was full of partying graduates from all over the world. Most from the US and almost all of the women were blonde. I went to Carlos and Charlie’s one night, and it was pack up. Buckets of Cerveza and shots of Tequila were flying. All of Cancun was like that. The drive up there from Corazol was about 5 hours. We stopped in Playa del Carmen and had a nice lunch by the sea. They call the area from Cancun South for about 100 miles "The Mayan Riviera". All along the highway there are to many beach hotels and big resorts to count. The closer you get to Cancun the more people. Cozumel is a ferry ride from Playa del Carmen. In Cancun I stayed at the Hilton. I ate at great restaurants, enjoyed the big waves on the creamy beach and the big event, I went to Sam's Club and CostCo. You will find all the big name stores and companies from the U. S. in Cancun. In a way, it’s almost like being in Miami. Imagine you live in the most god forsaken hell hole of a dust bag, little non-zip coded, back country, can't get there cause the bridge is out, town. The nearest city is about a five-hour drive over some shaky roads part of the way. A trip to Sam's or CostCo would be pretty cool. More or less the same for me. I bought some hard to get items here in Belize. Mexico is not my favorite country to visit or hang out in. I usually am ready to leave after 2-3 days. That was true this trip, except I stayed 4 days. I was so happy when I crossed over the border back into Belize. It was hotter than hell, but I was glad to be home. Glad I took the trip, it was well worth it. San Pedro is getting quiet, as the tourist count is low. Time to be planning and doing for the start of high season in a few months. I got my golf cart back from Osmin's and the bill was $200.00/U.S. I have spent a lot on my cart in the last few months. Here you have to, to keep them alive. Now, mine should be good for a while. Looking forward to going snorkeling tomorrow. There is lighting in the sky, but that happens a lot and it doesn't rain here. Mostly I just want the sea to stay fairly calm. You can go out on choppy days with no problem, its just not as comfortable. When you live here you get spoiled and you watch and wait for those days of glass. The sea gets calm and looks smooth as glass. See you in the morning at the dock, mi amigos. Right Here---Reef Ransom. June 12, 2002.
I took my boat up the North coast this morning to a little spot called Buena
Vista. I tied on to a buoy and spent a great couple of hours snorkeling and
diving for Conch. I saw quite a few fish including a Puffer or "Chicken of
the Sea" as the locals call it. Also Red Gramy's, Big Angel Fish,
Yellowtails and so many more. I picked up a Conch shell that was partially
buried in the white sand. The shell was wedged under a large piece of
Staghorn Coral and hard to see. I thought for sure it was a live Conch. I
dove down about six feet to the bottom and snagged the shell. I turned it
over to check for a conch and it had none. It did have a little Octopus. I
watched him swim away put the empty shell back for him to hide in. At his
size of about a silver dollar pancake, there were a whole lot of bigger
fishes in the sea to worry about. The Coral here is very nice and you can
swim through small little canyons and around and over giant coral formations
to find yourself in a clear white pool. The Coral would just give way and
the sea was a little deeper like a pond in the sea, and the floor was pearly
white sand. No sea grass or Coral, except as it surrounded the pool like
Steep Canyon walls. You can swim right up to the reef here, and most of the
area is shallow. Not much current today. Always check the current when you
get in to swim. Sometimes it gets strong. I harvested six medium Conchs. The
season for them ends in three days so they are harder to find. Hung out in
the shade of the boat for a while with a cool one and listened to the sound
of the surf on the reef. Thanked my lucky stars. Wished you could all be
there. Right Here, mi amigo's---Reef Ransom.
August 21, 2002. Dear readers. This is your San Pedro Journal E-Letter for last months moon cycle. Yours truly was called to the states to be a pall bearer and to help out someone having some surgery. Hence, this months Journal is last months Journal. All in the spirit and after all, this is Belize. Thanks for reading the San Pedro Journal. Hope you enjoy! I am back in Paradise. San Pedro always looks so good when you’ve been gone. The sea is my beacon and I am dead on the mark. Beautiful weather. Before I left for the states, I pulled my boat out of the sea to do some repair and maintenance. Since I left spur of the moment, I left my friend some cash to buy the material and do the repair. I saw him this morning and he got it done, so I am glad of that. You never know around here. High overhead, the moon, near full, is dancing in and out of storm clouds. It is the completion to an instant in time, when all things in the universe, were perfect. To the moment! Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 7, 2002. The morning is a beauty. Some clouds floating around in the sky, a perfect breeze. The kind of breeze that is strong enough to cool you off, but not so strong as to blow excess dust and debris. I judge the perfection of the breeze by if and how much it blows my front screen door open if I don’t lock it. If it blows the door open more than a few inches, it is getting a le windy. If it blows it all the way open, better secure everything outside or it will blow away. If it slams against the inside wall from the breeze, it must be hurricane season. On the other side of this breeze issue, is the screen door that doesn’t even flinch from the breeze (no breeze). Or the occasional light bump (very light breeze) of the door from the breeze. Both of these signal a hot kind of day. A day when even the hammock on the front veranda won’t be comfortable and you will look out to sea and say out loud, “Where are you Mistress breeze?” So for the record, today is a blow open the front screen door several inches, need to lock it up kind of breeze day. In short, another perfecto day in paradise. One more thing about the breeze measurement. If the breeze is from the back instead of the normal front (seaside) of the island, then a whole other set of rules apply. That’s for another day though, when the breeze is from the back. I went downtown to Lino’s Meat Market and bought two slabs of ribs. They cost $16.00/bze each slab. Came home and smoked/grilled them on my grill, then added a le water with them in a baking pan and covered and put in oven for about 45 minutes. That gives them great smoked meat taste and then extra tenderization in the oven. Be sure you have water in the pan to create the steam needed to make the ribs even tenderer. I had the crowning touch and added some KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce, original flavor. I try to keep a supply on hand from the good old U.S.A. Good ole KC BBQ on the Island. Yes it’s rough, but I try to hang on. Late this afternoon I spent a while just hanging under the palapa on the beach by a friends house. Several other local friends stopped by. One was just back from Xcalat, Mexico. Xcalat is not to far up the northern coast of the Yucatan, and likewise not far north of San Pedro. He said there were lot’s of tourist there. A mix of Americans and Mexicans. I didn’t know it drew a lot of tourist. I haven’t been there in many years, so maybe it has changed. Might be a new spot to check out from San Pedro. Hire a boat and go for a day and night. Just a typical Sunday in paradise. The sea is a little choppy, but not bad. Boats are going up and down the coast like schools of ladyfish, slashing through the waves. All is as it should be, at this moment. The night sky is good for stargazing tonight. No moon and no clouds. They seem so close you feel like you can reach out and feel their warmth. The breeze has stiffened up and it is another creamy night. I’ll take one more look for myself and for all the rest who are dreaming about a night like this in paradise. To you mi amigos, thanks for having a dream. When the stars are oh so bright, I sing a little song, releasing it into the night. To be a part of this great show, I do my part, and wait for something that I know. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 8, 2002. I woke up way to early today. I actually got out of bed at 5:00 a.m., must have woke up around 4. Why is it I wake up early when I don’t want to, and can’t wake up early on the mornings I want to? The neighborhood is very much alive this morning. Someone was building something about 6, sounded like a hammer and nails. At 7, another neighbor was pounding on his metal trailer with a big hammer. Add a couple of big trucks belching by and you have the scene. To think all I would have missed by sleeping late. A beautiful morning all the same. The sea is calming down. The sunlight is glimmering on the surface of the sea and reminds me of a perfect blue diamond sparkling brilliantly in the sun. Another day in Paradise awaits. I give thanks to the subtle natural way of the universe, may it guide me through the moments of my day. The sky turned black and a good rain storm came over about 2 this afternoon. Then we went back to mostly sunny. I replaced the steering on my boat late this morning before the rain came. I have been chasing a raccoon around my porch and yard. It seems she really likes my ripe bananas from one of my banana trees. How did a raccoon get on the island you ask? Haven’t a clue, although Ambergris Caye wasn’t always an Island. It used to be a peninsula. A man made cut turned us into an Island. I haven’t had enough sweet and sour lobster since the season for lobster opened back up. So, off to Jade Garden for dinner. Dinner was good as usual. One of my friends is a waiter there and he and his family just moved into one of the government homes built after hurricane Keith. There are many new homes already built, but not too many people living in them yet. It seems even the subsidized price of the home is still too much for the average Belizean. The payment isn’t really the problem, but the small down payment is. A problem also very common in the U.S. It is nice to know someone made it and I am happy for my friend and his family. Nice things do happen. A quiet night. Some clouds in the sky. The stars won’t be shut out completely. The tide changes from high to low. Stiffly, old fisherman clean their catch from the day, The Frigates and Gulls hungrily eye the rejected parts. And so at the end of the day, the fish is gone and the man and the bird are here, Nourished and back again, to where each had started. The tide changes from low to high. Right Here mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 9, 2002. Another spell weaving morning in San Pedro Town. The rhythm of the universe is all around us in the sea, sky and wind. The whole Island, including all of us here are helplessly caught up in the underlying current. Man, am I lucky. I have a new cleaning lady this morning. I don’t even know her name yet. Her kids ask me for a ride a couple of days ago and I obliged. As I dropped them off they ask if I had a job for their mother. I was looking for a new maid to help out some times. I like to do most of my own cleaning but need someone to do a really good job every so often. My house isn’t anywhere close to kid proof. I have lots of le things sitting and laying around. As she is cleaning, her youngest boy, about 2 is also here in my home. Her other older son, about 5, just came up the stairs and into my house looking for his Mom. I am keeping an open mind, but time will tell about this maid. At least my house will be real good and clean and I know she needs the job. At dusk I went by my friend Fido’s house to see if he wanted to go fishing with me in the morning. He wasn’t there, so I walked along the beach, I could see a squall out on the sea and then I felt a sprinkle. Watching the rain approach across the sea to where I was standing was way to cool. Like a roaring freight train the sheets of cool hard rain came towards me and them over me. I ran for the nearest shelter, but remembered my open windows and my guitar and computer, so I ran home. Nothing like walking or running in the rain. It is good for the soul, some primal urge gets satisfied. What a great place to live! The night is partly cloudy. The sky is showing a few stars and a planet or two. I drove through town about 7:30 and there were a few tourists around having dinner, but nowhere looked to crowded. The tickets to Belize have become very expensive lately. If you connect from anywhere to Dallas, Houston or Miami and then on direct to Belize, you will pay about $1000-1100.00/U.S. Crazy isn’t it. You can fly from the same spots to Cancun for $800.00/U.S. and have meals and hotel included for five days. Could this have something to do with the slow season in Belize? I saw a big cruise ship pass by headed north, its lights shining brightly out on the night sea. Now the rhythm of the night calls me out. Maybe I’ll see you out there? Hope so! Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 10, 2002. A clear early morning came and then gave way to cloudiness. The local Belize forecast is for rain over most areas of the country today. It will be hit and miss I think and is common enough weather for the time of year. I went to see if my boat had any rain water from the night, it didn’t have much if any. I stopped and helped push a boat back into the water with the Marin Family. They are great fishing guides and for sure fly fishing guides you would want to know if you fish. They have a phone number, 501-226-2124. I hired a couple of guys to trim my grass with a weed eater this morning. They are young and looking for jobs. We negotiated down to $30.00/bz for trimming my small area of grass and raking up the clippings. Most of my yard is white sand, but I have cultivated some small areas of grass (like they use on golf courses, but I don’t really know the name), which I am proud of and enjoy walking on barefoot. I use them to contrast the white sand. Also I gave them both a cold Coke. One of then named Carlos is coming back to work one day for me in the rest of the yard. My banana and plantain trees need trimmed and culled. A busy morning for sure. Like clockwork, another le squall passed over tonight just before 6:00. The day was dry with little bits of sun peeking out. Good breeze. We are in what my friend Ramon Badillo always called a tropical. Meaning a tropical wave is passing over us. I know Ramon saw many a tropical in his lifetime, may he rest in peace. The sea remains choppy inside the reef and stirred up real good outside in the blue. Not cherry days for anything on the sea, although not out of the question, especially if you were here for a limited number of days on vacation. Living here spoils you. I tend to wait for the perfect days to go out on the sea. There are plenty of them. I walked over to Boca del Rio Park and watched a man and a lady fishing in the river mouth. They each had a hand line and tossed it out into the deeper channel of the river while standing just into the waters edge in about ankle deep water. Pieces of crab and sardines were the bait of choice. I didn’t see any bites, but was nice to watch for a few minutes. The sights and sounds of the real Belize, I love them. At dinner tonight a couple walked in and the woman was taken back by the floor. “Oh, a dirt floor, “she said. I hear that every so often and forget that eating in a restaurant with a dirt (really its beautiful white sand that is groomed everyday) floor is not the norm. Here in San Pedro it is the norm for sure. Not every restaurant can give you the ambience of a sand floor, however. If you insist, you can find plenty of good restaurants with tile or wood floors. Just a le note about how we get set in our perceptions of reality. Another rain shower caught me on the way back from dinner about 8:00. Fortunately, it ended just when I got inside my gate at home. Timing is everything! This is the official New Moon phase, signaling the beginning of the lunar cycle as it shifts towards becoming what we know as full. Two weeks away from the full moon. No moon or stars to see tonight. Clouds are everywhere. In between the rain, kids still play in the streets with their soccer balls. To all the rest of the world, I wish a happy night. Right Here, mi amigo’s---Reef Ransom. July 11, 2002. I am just finishing my coffee and trying to decide what to do today, or this morning at least. A dark cloud has settled overhead and is sending down a little rain, so that decision is made. The weather has been unsettled sort of for days now. I am having trouble finding that perfect fishing day. Oh well. “I got de pot, bring me your cup…and when you’re empty, I fill you up.” A glorious morning and I embrace all that may (or may not) happen today. Well it mostly rained today. When it wasn’t raining it looked like it might, so nothing much go on today. Some nice thunder too. My rain water vat is full for sure. That is good for hurricane season. Rain out on the sea, and I sit along the shore waiting. Darkness pours from the sky as the rain falls over the sea. Closer and closer it creeps towards me, Slyly it captivates me in its spell, And then it comes ever so fast, soaking my clothes and all around. July 12, 2002. I watched a police pickup truck full of heavily armed men go past my front door this morning. They were in army fatigue and carrying AK-47 assault rifles. They stopped at a house just a few doors down from me. The reason I saw them was because I had stepped out to see where a helicopter was headed that had just flown overhead. It wasn’t the emergency helicopter that we see sometimes if someone is sick or there has been an accident, but it was a military helicopter. Seeing such a display of gun power and manpower was somewhat of a surprise to me. They carried someone off from the house and had a dog and searched the house too. It appeared they found nothing. Drugs are smuggled through Belize and San Pedro is close to the Mexican border so it happens here too. It is not uncommon to hear of a fisherman who is building a nice new cement apartment building with the money he got from finding and selling a bale he found drifting in the sea. So for sure if you want drugs, you can easily get them here in Belize. If you don’t want drugs and aren’t into them, you will probably never notice anything that has to do with drugs. They are everywhere in the world, we are not immune. Made for an interesting day. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 13, 2002. A sunny day until about 4:00, then a dark cloud came from the south and soaked everything real good. It passed about 6:00. I managed to sneak out to dinner between showers. I went to Celi’s Restaurant, located in the Holiday Hotel of course. I go there for the fried chicken and potato au gratin with a side of steamed fresh veggies. All the food is good, but Celi’s has the best fried chicken on the Island. On my way to eat, I saw a perfect rainbow that seemed to start and end at about the length of San Pedro Town proper. This rainbow was a complete arc and wasn’t really long at the base like most are. It was a gentle reminder from the subtle way of the universe that natural beauty is all around us. Glad I got to share it. A blustery night. Some light rain. No moon or stars or planets tonight. I had to make an emergency run to the store before closing time. Out of coffee. On the short drive I saw children playing in water puddles, lovers of all ages spooning or walking hand in hand, a few shops still open, but most everyone I saw was on weekend time and having fun. Even with our share of problems, San Pedro is still a good place, where good things, simple things, things that we either take for granted or just plain forget about sometimes, happen. A very uplifting trip to the store, glad I was out of coffee. Right Here---Reef Ransom. July 14, 2002. The weather has been less than perfect vacation weather. We have had days without sun and with rain for some time now. Today has been off and on light to heavy rain. Now, this could be perceived as perfect weather if you can appreciate the way in which these small showers and squalls build up over the sea and then move over the Island. You can see them out over the sea. Sometimes they cross over us and sometimes they don’t. When they do come, you can feel the air cool, and the wind blows harder as the front edge and the raindrops reach. Then the palm trees dance in the wind and it crosses over and we can start over. Definitely a nice natural rhythm to it all. So just a matter of perspective I guess. I went to visit a friend this afternoon. He lives on the third floor of his building and the view is so good it makes me want to add another story to my house so I can have that same great view. You can see most of town and you can see the width of the Island and how small it really is. Ambergris Caye is very long, but it is very narrow. Where I live it is about 250 feet from sea to sea. After that, I came home and just chilled out. The breeze is real strong and I got an earache from it. That happens here. The wind is not only strong, but most important it is steady. The new moon is slipping in and out of view in the western sky. Venus is hanging a little lower in the same western sky. Clouds are obscuring most of the stars. Mother Nature seems very active tonight. Blow ye winds, blow. Maketh something anew, In the tides steady flow. Thanks to the subtle natural way of the universe. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 15, 2002. The sun is setting in the western sky. It cast unique colors of glowing red, carnation pink and a deep shade of crimson throughout the sky. At the same time, in the east and out over the sea, a thunderstorm is developing. The periodic low rumble of the thunder and the dark swirling clouds are marching towards San Pedro. At the same time the quarter moon is right in the middle of the two. Magical sight! I went fishing at 3 this afternoon till about 6. Caught several Yellowtails and a couple of Ocean Triggerfish. Really wasn’t too good of fishing. I decided to go out in the blue, since they weren’t really biting inside the reef. The waves were way big, about 7-8 feet and the fishing wasn’t much better out there. The sea wasn’t as clear as normal today. There have been a lot of storms in the Caribbean lately, must have stirred the water. All in all, should have stayed inside the reef The storm has stayed out to sea so far as I get ready to sleep. The sky is partly clear and stargazing is good. When the moon is bright like tonight, it makes an interesting show as the leaves of my banana trees dance in the breeze, leaving their silhouettes on the white sand. The moon and the stars are right, the sea and the wind are right, the moment is right then too. Humbly, I give thanks. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 16, 2002. Her I am groaning and kind of complaining because the weather hasn’t been too good. Today is the same. Right now it’s about 2:30 in the afternoon (evening its called here), and a storm is coming through. As I looked out over the sea, I saw three giant lighting bolts come from the sky. Not at once, but close in succession. At the same time I saw down in my yard, my banana trees swaying, no not swaying, more like just blowing in the strong wind of this storm now over San Pedro, and as the thunder boomed and the rain pored, I was reminded of where I was. I live on a beautiful tropical island. Sometimes I forget that and need reminded. I think everyone that lives here is guilty of that to some degree. So into my head came a new slogan for the next biggest t-shirt and bumper sticker slogan to take the world by storm. “A bad day on the Island is better than a great day anywhere else!” Or, “A bad day on the Island is better than a great day in the office!” Don’t worry, I’ll work out the bugs and you’ll probably see it for sale on T.V. Really nice storm though. Half Moon Fever. If there is such a thing, I must have it. The sky cleared after sunset and the moon is high in the night sky and about half full. Went to town for dinner and on the way back I picked up a guy who had just gotten off work. I gave him a lift across town to a corner close to his house. That was at about 7:30 and he told me he had been at work since 6 this morning. He was working in construction and when I said to him that was a long day, he replied “Yea, but dat what I got to do.” It was a pleasure to give a lift to someone with a great attitude like his. Dat is de Belize I know and love. Actually when people ask me what it is I like about Belize so much, I always answer the same. It is the people, I tell them. There are many beautiful spots on this earth, some may even be prettier than Belize, but there are only one Belizean people. I also always say that if you come here on a holiday, by the time you leave, you will have made at least one good friend and probably several. You will be looking forward to coming back to paradise and visiting your friends in Belize. Think I’ll go for a le walk on the beach and feel the sea breeze and listen to the sounds of the surf breaking on the reef. I’ll pause for a moment and really let it all sink in and try to pass it through the universe to everyone else who dreams of walking the beach on a night like this and can’t right now. Close your eyes and let it happen. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 17, 2002. The rain is gone and it has been a pretty day. The sea is calming a bit from its choppy state this morning. I was going to take a short trip to the duty free zone at Corozal, but woke up late and didn’t have the energy today. Maybe manana. I become more Belizean everyday. About 3:00 this afternoon the Red Cross helicopter went over the island. Maybe they were just practicing but usually there has been an accident or someone is real sick and needs to be evacuated to the hospital in Belize City. I call it the Red Cross helicopter because it has a big red cross on each side to identify it. I don’t think it is part of the Red Cross proper, just the symbol is recognized around the world. Certainly hope nothing bad happened to anyone. I went to town for lunch. The tourist activity is very slow. The whole town is slow right now I think. About the only signs of activity, are the always it seems, on going construction of buildings and houses about everywhere. The sea is about as blue as it can be today. Reminds me of pretty blue eyes. I went swimming in the sea from about 4:30-5:00 this evening. The water is nice and warm, but not hot. Visibility is fair, with the unsettled weather of late stirring up the sand. Some small waves inside the reef along the shore. I can’t say it too much; being in the sea is like being in Mother Nature’s embryonic fluid. So soothing and constant. Another very leisure, lazy day floats by in the tropics. All the things that should have happened did. Certainly one can draw a sense of contentment from that knowledge. The sun is setting and it feels like Belikin and hammock time for Reef. I walked along the sea tonight. The moon was high overhead, thinly veiled behind wispy clouds. Tonight it is a little more than half and we are 7 nights away from full moon. The stars are like a laser light show for Pink Floyd. The breeze is steady as is the sound from the reef. I went to my dock and bailed yesterday’s rainwater out of my boat. As I methodically dipped and poured the water over the back (stern for you nautical types) of the boat, I glanced to the sky and saw all the marvel up there, and I glanced down to the sea around me and the way it sloshed to an fro, and I glanced at the person that was me, there bailing water from a boat on the sea. At that moment; I knew that there was still magic in the world and I was right in the middle of it. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 18, 2002. It’s a powerful night. The moon is as bright as can be for a half moon. The stars are all out. People are out late standing and talking in the streets or their yards. It is one hell of a night to be alive. I went to the Palace casino here in San Pedro Town for a while. Played blackjack for about 2 hours and left just a le bit ahead of the game. The Palace is not real big, but its real gaming with slot and poker machines and blackjack tables. As they say, “It ain’t Vegas,” but it’s a whole lot of fun. I had the pleasure of sitting across from a somewhat new dealer for most of the night by the name of Raquel. She is from Ecuador originally. All in all, a fine night. The moon is filling fast, six more days. I feel the energy intensifying. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 19, 2002. I went to my dock to go for a swim this morning. I had finished cleaning my kitchen and washing my clothes and was ready for a refreshing swim in the sea. As I walked along the dock I saw someone doing something unusual on the dock next to me. I couldn’t tell what he was doing so I called to him and ask. The wind was blowing just enough that I couldn’t hear what he was saying, so I waded over to him to check it out. He was wearing a mask over his nose and mouth. What do you think he was doing? Cleaning the hide of a Crocodile. They had found it in the back and apparently killed it and were going to hang the hide somewhere, or maybe sell it? Just another morning in San Pedro. The swim was incredible. The sea has calmed and is crystal clear like good Gin again. Here’s a fishing report, sort of. I went trolling with some new lures I bought in the states. I caught 3 nice size Mackerel’s or Spanish Fish as they call them here. One of them was full or Roe. A couple of days ago they were catching Grey Snappers by the dozens just out into the blue through the San Pedro cut. Once through the cut in the reef, you need to go towards a buoy out there, and then about 100 or so yards away to the South. They were all full of Roe, too. The fish are biting if you know where to find them. While outside in the blue, I saw a medium size Hawksbill Turtle. He was about 50 feet away and just came to the surface for air and then he was gone again. For lunch I really roughed it. Went back inside the cut by Captain Morgan’s (famous for the TV show ‘Temptation Island’) and had a nice lunch and cold drink at their beautiful Resort. Now the sun is setting on another beauty day in Paradise. I count my lucky stars. The night sky has about a trillion million jillion stars shining in it. The moon is high overhead and a healthy half full. The few clouds that are around are the high puffy kind, you know, the ones that always look like elephant’s or poodles. The breeze is blowing steadily and you can feel the energy of the night. I am drawn to my front veranda and my hammock. There I will sway to and fro with my thoughts and memories of the day. Wishing you all well from paradise. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 20, 2002. A tropical wave is passing over the country of Belize. That means periods of thundershowers. This morning has seen some very hard rain pass through. In between showers, I walked the couple of blocks to Dahlia’s store for some plantain. Outside of her store (a nice store which we need in Boca del Rio area) a guy lay on the cement just outside her door. He was so passed out; I paused to see if he was breathing because he looked dead. Nobody really seemed to be bothered by it. The people around, including me just smiled or shook their head. Wait, is this the French Quarter? No, San Pedro. The tropical rain let up about 12:30 and I decided to get out of the house and went to Elvi’s for lunch. Just had a bowl of lobster and shrimp soup with white rice. Really nice. Then I spent the next hour or so talking with friends while waiting for the rain to stop again so I could go home. It stopped and I left but only got about 2 blocks and down come de rain. I had been smart enough to bring my rain parka with me and struggled to put it on in the strong wind. I drove on home in the driving rain and enjoyed it. One side effect is the streets. They can and have turned into what I think of as bowls of mud. In fact the whole town becomes a giant mud bowl sometimes this time of year. I remember leaving early one trip I took to Belize because of the non-stop rain and the mud bowl wouldn’t dry up. A few days of that, stuck in a small Belizean hotel room and you wonder what happened to your sanity. Of course this was way before we had TV, phones, internet and nice fancy resorts and condo’s here on Ambergris Caye. All that aside, there is nothing like the natural beauty of tropical weather. So for me, it has been a great day, a gift that I accept. The temperature was 79’ for the high and steady most of the day. Feels cold in the wind and damp air. I may need to put on a T-shirt to keep warm. The sea is full of white foamy waves. They roll in and hit the shallows and the sea grass beds, winding up as white foam. Then the next one comes, and the next, and so on. Really the state of the sea is very turbulent, very agitated; yet it is very calming to behold its rhythm, and creation and cessation of waves; marching on; in no uncertain terms. Transplanted some Croton plants in between showers right around 5ish. They were starts I brought from Bacadia along the Mopan River about 8 months ago. They have all grown well and gotten so big, I needed to move some. Then walked to the dock and along the beach. Busy day. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 21, 2002. A nice day filled with sun and the gentle breeze. It is Sunday, family day in Belize. I went swimming this afternoon and it looked like about everyone from San Pedro was out swimming in the sea. It was the perfect day for it. You will always see a lot of kids and families out on Sundays. I was given a special gift from the sea. As I was walking in from my swim, I felt something kind of sharp under my feet. The tide was low and right where I stop swimming and start walking it gets very shallow. Today, in about one foot or less of water, I found a big beautiful Queen Helmet shell. A rare find out at sea, or along the reef. If I knew the story of how it got there, almost on shore like that, in such shallow water, I would probably be amazed at the sequence of events that placed it there, right below my foot. Humbly, I accept. The moon is looking close to full, but not yet. A couple of nights away from full. It is high in the sky before sunset. These nights preceding and during the full moon, are the best times to be on the Island, I think. The feeling of something magical is in the air. It calls to you, it enchants you, and it takes your soul to a new place. Check it out sometime, or call up the memory if you have been here and felt it. The night is calling; I must go. Miscellaneous note. I had Mackerel steaks from the Spanish Mackerel’s I caught. Just some seasoning and lightly fried in some Canola oil, toss in some plantain and some fresh veggies. A feast of the God’s. Fresh seafood is a definite luxury. Right Here, mi amigos---Reef Ransom. July 23, 2002. Happy Full Moon! We made it through another cycle. August 22, 2002.
SPECIAL VACATION ISSUE! |
