luxury in flipflops.

when thinking about what to call this blog, my first from belize, there were a few suggestions from my mom and auntie diana:
-"you betta belize it" (immediately ridiculed)
-"no shirt, no shoes, no problem" (sounds like jamaica)
-"last night i dreamt of san pedro" (madonna apparently wrote la isla bonita about san pedro, the town we are staying at on ambergris caye)
-"be one with belize" (tag line on their official website)
-"la isla bonita" (aren't all caribbean islands beautiful?)

luxury in flip flops was a little sign we saw above a little beach bar, and it was so fitting for the experience we have had here so far. belize, in our first few days, has been a beautiful mix of casual and luxurious. i know i teach my kids to really dig deep into their stories, and tell their experiences from the inside - but for the sake of time, i'm going to summarize. (don't tell my fourth graders)

flip flops: walking across the border from mexico to belize! while i was walking, kids were even jumping off the bridge into the river. VERY casual border! my mom and my aunt flew into belize via miami, but it was a little more difficult for me from mexico. for some reason, there are no flights from mexico to belize so i had to fly to chetumal, take a taxi to the border, walk across the bridge and find another taxi. i was quickly informed that taxis in belize have green license plates. i found one pretty quickly and he took me, swooping me through security in a second or two. unfortunately, i paid the man his most luxurious salary of the week when i accidentally mis-read my american money and overpaid him quite significantly. i didn't realize until getting to san pedro that my big bill was gone. BIG oops.

luxury: our first meal at fido's grill, advertised for its 5 star food at 2 star prices (i would agree!) i got my first taste of seafood for the holiday, huge delicious shrimp cooked in coconut milk. the rice was delicious, also cooked in coconut milk. de-lish-us. the ambience was incredible, a huge palapa-style restaurant overlooking the ocean. for my first night in belize, i thought i'd died and gone to heaven. we found out later that fido's is also a nightclub, but it didn't feel like it over dinner.

flip flops: for lunch we ventured down to the main part of san pedro town, to a little diner called estel's dine by the sea. when you first find it, you can't really tell the difference between the beach and the restaurant! when you walk inside, the sand continues, and the entire menu is written in chalk at the back of the place, surrounded by odd antiques and collectibles. i was worried that it was a bit too much for my mom and my aunt diana, but they were troopers! if this had been a backpacking trip, i know i would have been eating there *often* (as estel's is definitely catering to the budget minded traveller... aka me without my mom)

luxury: i had read in lonely planet that one of the best restaurants in belize was up on the north island, at a small resort called capricorn. so, we booked a personal water taxi pick-up and were taken up island to a gorgeous outdoor restaurant, framed by white lights and gardens. the food (everyone had fresh fish) was melt-in-your-mouth and the atmosphere even more divine. it felt like our own little private paradise. today, when i biked up island, i found the capricorn resort again - this time in the daylight. it doesn't have quite the same magic feel when you can see the seaweed in the water, and there are kids doing construction on the dock flailing chainsaws around! over lunch, i proceeded to tarnish our luxury by spilling balsamic vinegar down the front of my bathing suit cover-up. i certainly felt the luxury fading, but only because of me!

flip flops: san pedro in general has a very laid-back vibe. i've been told that caye caulker is even slower, which means they must be pretty much standing still! ladies come by every evening and sell sweet bread on a bike. golf carts and bikes are the primary means of transportation for tourists (and locals). the water gets cut off fairly often and no one really blinks an eye. people walk barefoot. signs are all hand-painted. no one pressures to sell you things - they offer, and then move on. reservations are approximate. a belize cold-front is even laid-back: what we are experiencing now is actually referred to as belizian snow! (ie: we're not melting, there's a bit of wind, and in the evening i need a sweatshirt)

luxury: on monday morning, we went on a three hour snorkeling trip. belize is known for is world-famous barrier reef, one of the best in the world. we were picked up bright and early, outfitted in gear and then thrown into the water. but we were not left to explore the reef alone, we were given a guided snorkel tour! our guide was willie, a belizian who doesn't like to get wet. he pointed out everything along the way, and in an hour i saw more fish and sea-life then i have seen in my whole life! after the first stop, which was the hol chan marine reserve, we were taken to shark ray alley. we were greeted by nurse sharks, but when we actually got in the water, the sharks steered clear of us (i was, sheepishly, quite happy not to see them) but we were completely surrounded by HUGE stingrays! the currents were strong, but my aunt diana and i ventured a bit far from the boat and ended up seeing a creepy green eel and a black shark (luckily swimming in the other direction!!). it was the best snorkelling that i have done in my life. we truly saw plenty of fish!

flipflops: yesterday we went on a day trip to lamanai, a mayan ruin in the north of belize. only, to get there, we had to go on quite the adventure. we started out with an hour long bumpy roller-coaster boat ride, which would not have given anyone their sea legs, if they were missing them! we were splashing through the ocean, with no idea where the lifejackets were, let alone dry land. at one point, albeit once we had arrived on much calmer river, willie jumped up and started steering with his foot! after a local breakfast on the river of johnny-cakes and fruits, we were shuttled onto a school bus decorated for a jesus-loving school. kinda weird. the rest of the day included an informative river boat tour to the ruins, where our guide pointed out a mennonite community and various flora and fauna of interest; he then followed up with a great tour of the ruins themselves. my mom and i climbed the tallest structure, only to be gripped with fear about how we would get back down. we took bum steps all the way, like big babies! at the end of the day, we went back the way we had come: river boat, jesus bus, bumpy boat. an incredible day, but not for the faint of heart.

so? its been five days in belize so far its been a great mix, probably a little more heavy on the flip flips then the luxury, which suits me just fine. we're leaving the caye tomorrow and heading inland. am i a bit sad to leave the beach? but excited for the jungle lodge adventure to come?

you betta belize it.

march 27, 2010, 8:30-9:30.

clue.

she'll guard it with care,
in her personal lair.
even though you think its unfair,
you'll find your gift there!

listen to me!

stop:

-whispering under your breath.
-tapping your pencil against your desk.
-crumpling and rolling the edges of your papers.
-stapling compulsively, instead of just once. chk! chk! chk!
-adding a soundtrack to every lesson and every quiet work period.
-getting up to blow your nose.
-speaking to your friends through a roll of the eyes.
-the sound of saliva while you are eating your shirt.
-shouting OUT.
-complaining with your voice like a nails on a chalkboard.
-shuffling your feet with impatience, swa, swa.
-pushing your chair back.
-asking me for help. (when you don't need it)
-turning the pages of your book every second because i know you can't read that fast.
-forcing me to scream.

instead
listening to me would be nice.

i wonder...?

what makes kids look like their parents?

what makes the wind blow?

when does space end?

how do bridges stay up?

how was the first color made?

why does gravity work?

why do people break laws?

how do you direct a movie?

how much is a gazillion?

how many hairs are on my head?

why do some people sleep heavy and some people sleep light?

why do i need so much sleep?

how do you become a seat filler at the oscars?

what do dogs think about their owners?

why does lattice multiplication work?

why does scaring someone get rid of the hiccups?

what makes airplanes not fall out of the sky?

how does it feel to be a mom?

why does food taste so good? and so bad?