Over 30 Days in the US, An Unexpected Accident, Back in Belize and Bill Gates on the Attessa IV

Dolphin we spotted on the beach.

On February the 27th I went back to the US to get our things ready to have shipped to Belize.  We had spent the first six weeks in Belize with just enough stuff to get by on.  I had to basically unpack everything and then repack it.  I had to give an itemized list of every item in each box and state the value to submit to customs for approval before it could come in to the country.

Bill looking kind of sad when I was leaving Belize on the water taxi and heading back to the US.

Allan Hines with Belize Shipping Company drove to Mississippi and picked up our things.  Allan left with our things on March 9th heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where they were then put on a ship and on March 15th our things were shipped out to Belize City.  They arrived in Belize City on March 19th. 

Loading the golf cart on the truck.

Almost done loading.

Everything is loaded and Allan (guy on the left) is driving everything to Florida.

Once our things arrived in Belize City, they had to be brought through customs.  I was still in the US, so Bill had to deal with Customs.  It was his turn to join in on the fun.  The first time he went the barge had not been unpacked yet, so he had to go back two days later and everything was off the ship and ready to be brought though customs and then loaded onto a barge and shipped to Ambergris Caye an island where we live 37 miles from Belize City.  It was quite a journey but everything made it to San Pedro and we now feel like it is home. 

The Queen's Bond, this is where all of your thing are unloaded and searched by customs.

They gladly take your money here at the customs building at the invoice office.

The customs building in Belize City.  Love the color!!

While visiting in the US I was able to get in a few bicycle rides on the Natchez Trace.  I really do miss being able to ride long distances on my Trek road bike on the Trace.  I have a beach cruiser in Belize, but being able to ride very far is just not an option.  Unfortunately on my second ride, I had an unexpected accident that took me and a good friend to the hospital by way of an ambulance.  I don't remember much about what happened except that I was in a lot of pain.  I separated my shoulder and tore two ligaments.  Thank goodness I am now on the mend and hope to go back to the states in July and ride again.

My fall on my bicycle cracked my helmet and took a nice chunk out.  I will be buying a new one.

After a few weeks in Mississippi, I headed to Austin, Texas to visit my daughter an her family before heading back to Belize.  I was able to get lots of Betty time in.  Betty wanted me to take her to the  Lakeline Mall where they have lots of indoor activities for kids.  Betty loves riding the carousal and the train.  The mall also has a bungee jump for kids.  Kids have to weigh a certain amount to be able to jump and of course Betty wanted to jump.  I asked Betty if she had jumped before, thinking she had not.  But of course she replies "yes Grammie I have".  So we go over and she is weighed and yes she just weighs enough.  She pulls off her shoes and jumps right on up.  They hook her up to all the harnesses and away she goes.  I find out later that she had never jumped before because she didn't weigh enough.  So we now have a little bungee addict.  All she wants to do now is go to Lakeline Mall and jump on the bungee.

Betty on the bungee jump. (photo by Chris Lovin)

I made it back to Belize on April the 3rd after a nice long visit with family and friends.  It was so nice to have my things now in Belize.  After unpacking boxes for a few days and with it being Easter weekend, Bill and I decided it was finally time for us to take a dip in the ocean.  So we spent each day going to the beach and cooling off in the water.  We even took the doggies down one day and let them swim.  It was a very busy weekend with lots of extra people on the island for the holiday. 

Barney resting after a swim in the ocean.

I think they were trying to see just how many could get on this paddle boat.

The beach was not as crowded on Sunday.

Snowy loved swimming in the ocean.

San Pedro was all a buzz yesterday afternoon when the Attessa IV, a super luxury yacht was sited just beyond the reef with Bill Gates, American Business Magnate and his family on board.

Bill Gates on the "Attessa IV".

Our journey to Belize started in September 2010, but we are finally settled down and ready to enjoy our life in Belize.

Carnaval San Pedro Style

Bill and I have been to Mardi Gras Carnival in New Orleans many times before and when we heard that Sunday started the first day of Carnaval in San Pedro, Belize we knew we had to go downtown and check it out.  I had heard a little bit about what goes on during Carnaval in San Pedro already.  There is lots of comparsas dancing in the streets and painting going on.  The town had already covered the benches in the park and sides of the buildings with plastic.  I assumed to protect them from paint, even the new clock tower was draped with a nice blue tarp.  They said the men dress like woman and the woman dress like men.   I was really not so sure what that is all about, but it was definitely worth going just to take a look.

We headed down to Front Street to see where all the action was and immediately we could hear the music blaring in the streets. As we rode our bikes closer dodging people and golf carts parked in the street, we saw what looked like some rather unusual dressed people dancing in the streets. 

The San Pedro AIDS commission sponsored this group of revelers.

It kind of reminds me of people at the Mardi Gras Carnivals in New Orleans that we have been to.

Just look at these beauties.

Next we headed down to Middle Street where we found another group of comparsas dancers dressed as Mennonites.  There is a large Mennonite community on the mainland of Belize in Spanish Outlook.

The kids were also having a great time.  They were running about the streets with bottles filled with paint and water looking for their next victim to cover in paint.  It was fun for all ages.
                                               

Eggs were also involved.

This is my little friend from the water taxi and her brother.

Once the kids were all covered in paint, they would run down and get in the water and wash off some of the paint just to go back and and get ready for more.  My little granddaughter Betty would love to get in on some of this kind of fun. 

The painting and dancing in the streets goes on until Tuesday.  I plan on going back...and who knows maybe I will get in on some of the paint action.