Belize- building a new life . A Belize blog.

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“Don’t Stop Me Now “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Yes, yes, I know. Another edition . Unbelievable isn’t it . But don’t stop me now because I’m having such a good time !

I could just publish all of the photos I took of the greenhouse being built in one edition but I’m not going to do that. Of course I’m not. I’m going to drag it out. And drag some of you along with me. So here is the next installment!

In the last edition ‘we’ left the would-be greenhouse looking like this .

The next day Moses started on the northern facing side of the greenhouse.

In the background you can just make out the Hotel, the Marie Celeste of Ambergris Caye.

With the four sides in place we were starting to get a sense for what it would be like.

And as more and more wood was cut and put into position it looked better, and better and better (this is easy, doesn’t stretch the vocabulary at all !).

You can now make out where the windows are going to be.

And the zinc sheets for the roof start to be fixed.

Stay tuned for the next captivating installment ! It will be in (on) a tablet or smart phone near you soon.

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released by Queen in 1979 which surprisingly (well as far as I am concerned ) reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart and number 86 – yes, 86 – on the US Billboard Hot 100.

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“You Make Me Feel Brand New “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

I know , I know , I know . It’s been a bloody long time since I produced (that sounds so grand , so important, doesn’t it ? No ? Oh OK ) an edition.

I mean it’s not like I’ve been terribly busy since Covid 19 reared it’s really ugly head . Or that Rose and I have been jetting off around the world . Nothing could be further from the truth . We’d love to have been catching a plane every couple of months but …

So, if we haven’t been enjoying ourselves on little trips away from our home on Ambergris Caye what have we been doing ? Lots. That’s what !

We’ve lived in the house we had built

in Tres Cocos for approaching 7 years and, although it’s still in a remarkably good state , things do, from time to time, need a little bit of ‘love and attention’. Don’t we all !

So, when Covid 19 showed it’s ugly face Rose and I got our heads together and started a list of things to do. First off was to give some time to the railings which are on each level of our house (as you can see from the photo above ).

When we designed the house ((and we did design it by way of a 10 page outline that we presented to our chosen architect ( https://www.strukturearchitects.com)) we chose blue as the colour for the railings.

Victor, the welder, spraying the railings with our chosen shade of blue.

Now a little bit of background as to how we chose the colour for the repainting of the railings. For those of you not aware, we named our new home Highbury House. Why ? Well both Rose and I are ardent Arsenal fans and ,when Rose and I first met , Arsenal played at Highbury . So …

Still not got it ? The cement work on our house is white . No ? Arsenal’s colours are red and white . Got it now ? No . OK then the chosen colour for the repaint of the railings was red. But first the preparatory work.

You can’t see it here but the railings were in a sorry state.

A liberal coat of

a rub down with wet dry sandpaper and a good wash and the railings were ready for a coat of

and the railings were ready to be Arsenalised !

With the railings ‘out of the way’ it was on to the next project . The burglar bars. The salt air had ‘got’ to the them too !

Out with the Ospho , the wet dry sandpaper and the hose pipe and they were ready for the primer.

The problem with the railings looking so much better was that our mahogany exterior doors now looked a little tired and jaded. A bit like me after all that rubbing down and painting. So only one thing to do. Call in Moses. Our ‘go to’ carpenter.

We’ve called Moses on numerous occasions since we moved in because we were so impressed with his work during the build of our home .

“Magical Mystery Tour“ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Since publishing the last edition a load of people (OK, I’m exaggerating , it’s two people ) have contacted me asking how ‘things’ are going in Q Gardens so I thought I should ‘knock out’ an edition to provide an update for those of you (that’s all two of you ) that are interested.

For regular readers of this blog I’ll jog your memory as to what Q Gardens looked like when ‘we’ left it.

But then the Head Gardener, that’s my wife Rose, got to work and the beds started to fill up and the seedlings began to grow.

A greenhouse is a new thing for us. A long , long while ago (and by that I mean over 40 years ago ) we tried our hand at vegetable growing but never really got into it seriously before I started to give more attention to my career and that ended our brief flirtation. With vegetable gardening I mean , not with Rose I hasten to add !

Rose has shown herself to be very intuitive- but then again she’s always been that way. She knew all those years ago that I was right for her ! But seriously, she’s a natural where gardening is concerned. Me ? I’m a Google and YouTube addict. I research everything.

So, because of my Google addiction we’ve tried :

Looks disgusting doesn’t it but apparently it’s full of bacteria. Who knew ? Well I do . And now … so do you !

In the last edition ,under supervision by the Head Gardener, Rose, I hung the string on some of the hooks on the roof beams and Rose got to work fashioning a trellis for some of the tomatoes and cucumbers we are trying to grow .

We then waited for the plants to entwine themselves with the trellis and grow , hopefully produce flowers that would help to pollinate and eventually producing tomatoes and cucumbers .

While all this was going on though I had around a third of the largest raised bed (the one in the center of Q Gardens ) to fill with soil (black dirt ). So I ordered 8 sacks from Belize Scapes .

Rich and dark . Very quickly approved following Ziggy’s inspection.

And just as quickly shovelled into a bucket and tipped into the raised bed by me . Bucket after bucket until I created the base layer for the contents of a Bokashi bin .

Bokashi experiment area number 2 . Looks horrible, doesn’t it . The Bokashi bran though ‘kills’ the rotting vegetable odour (odor for non UK readers) to a sour, vinegar like smell.

Although the bran changes the odour , the contents of the bin are still mightily attractive to flies so I had to up my game and shovel the soil into the bucket and dump the content into the bed as quickly as possible. Changing gear at my age doesn’t come easy but I raised the pace. A bit . Well, a little bit actually but …

And calamity of calamities

A phone call to Belize Scrapes and the next day I had a delivery. Great service.

Thirteen bags. Surely enough to fill the remainder of the bed.

So out with the shovel and bucket again and get those old bones and muscles working and before too long the bed was full.

And then it was back to ladder duties hanging the thread so the Head Gardener, that’s Rose if you didn’t know, could create another trellis.

Ready to start planting some peas, Beefsteak tomatoes and sweet pepper.

Planting of the seedlings was going to plan but we had some casualties. The leaves of one cabbage and one cauliflower had been nibbled. We had an ‘enemy’ in the camp, or Q Gardens to be more precise. Time to bring out the big guns.

“Let’s see how you like the chili pepper “.

What’s that you said ? “ How are the other plants doing ?”. Very well actually. And thanks for asking.

The zucchini looks a picture of health but we are still patiently (OK, impatiently) waiting for female flowers to appear.

Basil, cucumbers ,beans, lettuce and marigolds‘doing’ quite nicely.

And bearing fruit too. Very soon we will hopefully be enjoying some homegrown tomatoes !

Q Gardens is now a favourite (favorite for you non UK readers ) spot for Rose and I and Ziggy likes spending time in there too but he’s found another place that he quite likes too.

The headline for this edition is based on the single released in 1981 by Guy Clark which reached number 42 on the US Billboard Country Chart.

“Puppet on a String “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

If you read the last edition (if you didn’t then you SHOULD ) you’ll recall that I was slowly but surely (and, I might add, very tiredly) filling up the raised beds with soil.

As I toiled with the soil (nice ring to it that, doesn’t it ) Rose, the Head Gardener of Q Gardens, watched on intently. Or perhaps impatiently is the word I should use for her emotional state at that time ! She had seedlings that she was keen to transplant. So I did what subordinates should do. I was told to get out of the way. So I did ! And the Head Gardener got to work.

First to ‘go to bed’ was the zucchini that Charles from Estel’s Dine By the Sea (regular readers are aware of the place , it’s my 6 days a week breakfast ‘spot’) had given to us.

Looks healthy but where are the female flowers ? Waiting. Impatiently.

And then it was time for the Basil.

And

Within a few days the Head Gardener (I’m quite getting used to referring to Rose this way ) decided that some of the seedlings were ready for an upgrade . Out of those little pots and into bed !

From the back left working right and then forward , cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli.

It was then time for the tomatoes and some use of Rose’s handicraft skills (I’ve mentioned this attribute before ) to create a trellis. We knew (well, we hoped ) that we’d need to provide support for some plants so we had Moses put hooks in the roof beams .

Look hard and you’ll see the string trellis.

And trellis for the cucumbers too. With some windows open and the front doors too the leaves of the cucumber plants entwined with the trellis sway like the arms of a puppet on a string (the worst headline link ever ? ).

We then remembered (we are learning as we go along ) that zucchini and tomatoes are not the best of bedfellows so the zucchini had to go . To another bed, that is. One on the other side of the greenhouse.

Looking down the bed – zucchini, habanero, two oregano plants and basil (different variety to the plants in the other bed. All of these plants kindly donated by Charles of Estel’s.

We have 2 habanero and one is nearly ripe !

And the oregano and basil look healthy too.

We have expanded our planting experimentation beyond Bokashi compost to now include the compost I produced using the Berkeley method .

Contents of the Bokashi bin in a section of one of our raised beds after its two week fermentation period. This was covered with soil and is ready for planting after a period of two weeks has elapsed.

Compost from the Berkeley method. MY COMPOST !

And – providing I’m the one that handles it – we have included

I’d love my own worm farm but the Head Gardener has said no. And I mean NO.

And, thanks to Caye Coffee, we are also going to include the use of coffee chaff for some of our tomato and cucumber plants.

It will be interesting over the coming weeks to see if there are any discernible differences in the size and health of the plants based on the use we’ve made of the various soil additives.

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1967 by Sandie Shaw which reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also the winning song at the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest.

“Stronger” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

With our greenhouse built and named it was time for the hard work to begin. Covering the tree trunks and branches in the raised beds. But first to organise a delivery of soil (or , as it’s colloquially known in Belize, black dirt ).

I did what I always do when we are purchasing something that will run into hundreds of dollars. I contacted the suppliers to get prices . And then see how much I can get them to lower their price by. It’s rewarding. Not just because of how much you save but also because you achieved something.

Now those of you that are regular readers will know that I do have a penchant for a little bit of Googling. Well, I let my Google addiction run riot and found a soil calculator . I knew that the outputs would not be exactly right – obviously the varying sizes of gaps between tree trunks and branches – but it would give me a reasonable indication. So, based on this I ordered a first delivery of 8 cubic yards from Caribbean Depot who barged it over from the mainland.

Tipped nice and close to Q Gardens. I wanted the shortest walk as possible. I’m not getting any younger you know !

And he’s off. Look at those rippling muscles. Can’t see them ? Oh well.

Shovelful after shovelful. Bucket after bucket the first bed started to fill. And with every shovelful of soil into a bucket ,carrying it and then emptying it into the beds was making me stronger. Very tired. But stronger.

And then I moved onto the second of the smaller beds. I must add though that the bed filling took place over days. It’s quite tiring work you know.

With this bed Rose, the Head Gardener, and I , the general labourer (laborer for you non -UK people out there ) decided that we would conduct some tests. Do you remember the Bokashi bin I told you about some editions ago ? No ?

Remember it now ? Oh good, I’ll get on with this edition then.

We decided that we would bury the contents of the Bokashi bin at either end of the bed between layers of soil and the middle section would just be soil with some potting mix. So I emptied the contents of the bin.

After 2 weeks encapsulated in the bin the kitchen waste had fermented nicely.

And topped off with soil. The far end is where the second experiment will be held.

Knowing that we were going to have a greenhouse built we had bought four tomato seedlings that I saw advertised on Facebook by GreenGo Organic Management which the Head Gardener looked after .

And Charles (he’s a keen gardener), the famous Grill Master at Estel’s Dine By the Sea , very kindly gave us a zucchini.

A component of our planning for the greenhouse had included an order of numerous packets of seeds which the Head Gardener opened with glee.

And planted them in potting mix and took them to their new ‘home’ , Q Gardens.

Oh, remember the four tomato seedlings ? Yes? Good.

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 2007 by Kanye West which reached number 1 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Love Letters” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

A few editions ago I mentioned that Rose and I had drawn up a list of things in and around Highbury House that we wanted to tackle. Well, when we discussed our greenhouse project initially with Moses we told him what we wanted done and asked if he could do it . He answered, as we fully expected, in the affirmative.

One aspect of the house that had virtually always seemed incongruous to us – yes, I know we approved the architect’s plans but … – the railings closest to the house on the second flight of steps . So ( and it was Rose’s idea – she has so many ) we decided to relocate them .

The set of railings in question are at the back. My attempt at a pointer hopefully helps.

Rose has many, many attributes (and I’m not just saying this because I may have done something wrong – I probably have – but because it’s true) and amongst these is that she is a spatial thinker. She can look at something and within seconds will know how something will fit. Me ? I can stare at an area for hours , get a tape out and measure the space and … still be uncertain. Anyway, I digress (not for the first time, you’re thinking ), back to our railings. Rose just knew where they needed to be moved to !

We obviously used the conventional method as well and measured the area where Rose had suggested we move the railings to. And you know what ? She was right. They just – and only just mind – fitted !

So Moses first task when he turned up with Vilmer ( if you’ve been reading recent editions you’ll recall that Vilmer assisted Nicholas when he installed water and electricity for the greenhouse) was to remove the railings from their location on the second flight of stairs and move them to their new location .

New location – the stairs leading to the apartment.

Much better. Just need a primer coat and a couple of finishing coats. Sounds like a job for John !

The next job was to extend the ramp to our garage. Over the years we’ve lived at Highbury House the driveway has sunk and created a dip immediately before the ramp. We’ve used gravel to level things but eventually the rain washes it away.

But first we needed to get the necessary materials delivered.

Just squeezing through the gate. And I do mean JUST.

A delivery of the essential items . Cement, sand and gravel and, my all time favourite , (favorite for you non-UK readers ) rebar !

Moses and Vilmer had already started preparing the area in front of the ramp.

Moses finishing off digging the hole allowing Vilmer to start working on the rebar.

Moses had a couple of other jobs which he took care of on his own . The first task was to fit the guttering on the greenhouse so that we can collect and make use of rainwater .

Fortunately for us it rained heavily the night after Moses had put the guttering and rain barrel in place and …

One night of rain and we’d collected 55 gallons.

Whilst Moses worked on the final element for the greenhouse at his workshop Rose – with the rake – and I – with a shovel and the wheelbarrow- put the surplus sand and gravel to good use .

And tidied up the entrance to our house .

Moses returned a few days later with a delivery which he left with me and my paintbrush!

To match the railings . Rose drew every letter by hand and Moses used her handiwork as templates. Told you she is multi talented. I love letters that Rose draws !

When the paint had dried I rang Moses who came to our house and set to work with the final touch. The naming of our greenhouse. Why shouldn’t it have a name ! And we decided to name it after the famous gardens in south-west London.

Nowhere near as grand as Kew Gardens but grand enough for us.

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released by Ketty Lester in 1961 which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Little by Little” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

If you read the previous edition , which by the way I ‘knocked out’ , shortly after I’d got up around 04.30 hours , while I drank a couple of mugs of back , unsweetened instant coffee, you know that the next stage of work on the greenhouse was connecting electricity and water.

First though we had to have the hugely rust ridden D Switch replaced.

Nicholas, Moses’ younger brother, was going to remove the old box and connect a new one that I had bought but first Belize Electricity Limited (BEL ) had to disconnect us from the grid. It seemed only right that it was Nicholas because it was he and his brother Angel that had constructed the tower for the electrify connection for our house in November 2012.

Nicholas arrived around 07.30 hours to get everything ready for the big change over and BEL thankfully arrived shortly after 08.00 hours. Thirty minutes later the BEL team of three was on it’s way and Nicholas was doing his thing in the north-east corner of our garden.

Working all on his own Nicholas removed the old D Switch and replaced it with the new one and finished the task shortly before 13.00 hours. Just in time for lunch but I asked him to wait until BEL arrived and reconnected us. I wanted to be certain that everything worked. Nicholas readily agreed. Unfortunately- especially for a very hungry Nicholas – BEL didn’t arrive until shortly before 15.00 hours. Twenty minutes later though we were reconnected and everything worked. Nicholas left but before doing so promised to return the next day to start work on the greenhouse.

True to his word, Nicholas arrived the following morning shortly after 07.00 hours and he was accompanied by his assistant, Vilmer. Within minutes they disappeared from sight as they entered the trees and bushes in the north east corner of our garden. The area Rose and I affectionately refer to as the Dingly Dell.

After clearing a way in (and out) they set about digging a trench from the well and the electricity connection to the greenhouse and then started to lay the PVC piping for the water and electricity ‘feeds’.

Nicholas in the green T shirt and, if you look hard, you can just see Vilmer’s legs.

With the piping ‘laid’ Nicholas set about installing the utilities that we wanted for our greenhouse.

Fan in on western side over the main raised bed.

Fan installed in north- eastern corner . One fitted in south-eastern corner too.

Control ‘panel’ for the three fans and two fluorescent strips.

With the electrics ‘done’ Nicholas turned his attention to the water supply and it wasn’t too long before a tap (faucet for non-UK readers) had been fitted outside the greenhouse.

And the handle matches our railings ! Result.

And not too long after we had one in the greenhouse.

We also decided to make use of Nicholas’ electrical skills whilst he was ‘with’ us and got him to install two motion sensor lights on the eastern (front) and western (back) ends of the greenhouse to light up our driveway.

Little by little we could see the greenhouse taking shape but there was still much to do

like filling the raised beds with soil .And … planting seedlings !

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1985 by Robert Plant which reached number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and a lowly number 83 on th

“Big Log” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Knowing that windows for the greenhouse were about to be fitted I woke up slightly before 04.00 hours, made my mug of black, unsweetened instant coffee and read what Mikel Arteta, he’s Manager of Arsenal had to say the previous day at a press conference. With the season my team is having I was looking for any good news ! I didn’t really get any, it was more of an injuries update. Oh well, at least later on I , yes me, could actually start doing something in the greenhouse.

So, wanting to be certain I was ‘up for the job’ I showered, dressed and drove the golf cart down to Estel’s Dine By the Sea for a healthy breakfast of wheat toast – no butter- and jam, a bowl of fruit, a glass of watermelon juice and two mugs of black and unsweetened (Caye Coffee) coffee.

Do you remember those logs I told you about in a previous edition ? These ones .

That I had cut into more manageable pieces. And one Big Log in particular.

Well with the guys working on the windows outside the greenhouse I could get to work inside the greenhouse with the logs. Any idea doing what ? No ? You sure ?

Putting them into the raised beds , that’s what !

I put cardboard down first to hopefully slow down the growth of weeds. It is also a good source of carbon and can create air pockets of oxygen. Or that’s what my research informed me.

And I then kept stacking log on top of log.

During one of my many early morning Googling and YouTubing sessions I’d come across something called Hugelkultur which really grabbed my attention so I discussed it with the Head Gardener, that’s Rose by the way, and we decided to give it a go. Time will tell if it was worth all of the lifting.

While I was busy lifting, carrying and then placing the logs in the raised beds the guys were busy working on the windows.

Opening/operating with a rope and pulley system with a cleat on the inside of the window to secure the rope to and keep the window open.

Lovingly painted red by me to matech our railings !

Difficult to see but every window has mosquito netting as screens on the inside of the windows.

And Moses inexpensive solution to securing the windows from the outside (the screens prevent this from inside the greenhouse) .

In the next edition we move onto the next stage of the greenhouse’s development. Power and water connections !

‘The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released in 1983 by Robert Plant (what a choice !) which reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Look Through Any Window “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

I can’t say that I got up bright and early. At the time I usually get up – anywhere between 04.00 – 05.00 hours – it’s dark, very dark. Ideal conditions for a mug , or two, of black, unsweetened instant coffee. And some quality time on my iPad before showering, dressing and heading down to Estel’s Dine By the Sea ((every day apart from Tuesdays (they’re shut)) for my breakfast.

You’ve had enough of my early morning routine though , haven’t you. You want to know how the greenhouse is progressing, don’t you. OK then. Well, we left it in the last edition looking like this .

Work on the construction of the raised beds proceeded at a fairly quick pace.

With the beds in situ it was time to start on the windows. A design and operating system that Rose and Moses had collaborated on ( I know my limitations – and there are quite a few !).

Using the first window as the template for the second window.

I can’t wait for them to be fitted because – wait for it – I’ll be able to look through any window . Worst headline link yet ? Probably there is worse to come. Keep following and find out at : https://abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released in 1965 by The Hollies which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 32 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

“When It Rains It Pours” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize .

For as long as I can remember I’ve been an early riser. This probably stems from when I was around twelve to thirteen years of age and did an early morning newspaper delivery round (in the ‘dark ages’ when I was growing up you didn’t need to get dispensation to be able to work ) . The habit obviously formed. But since Covid 19 I am waking up even earlier.

So, yesterday I got up and took my first mug of coffee, black with no sugar, shortly after 04.00 hours. And spent some little time Googling on what things we can do to improve the growing conditions for our vegetables when they are eventually planted. I took a second mug before getting ready for the drive to Estel’s Dine By the Sea for my breakfast. Some habits are good for you !

Anyway, enough off my rambling , back to the building of our greenhouse.

Unfortunately the build took an enforced break when Ambergris Caye (the mainland and many countries within Central America too ) got hit with a tropical storm. Generally , in Belize when it rains it pours .

View from our western, first floor (second floor for non-UK readers ) veranda .

The conditions delayed things for a week but when the sun came back it very quickly resumed and the sides started to go up.

Southern side nearly complete. Just the top level ‘panes’ to fit.

Internal view of the southern side

Starting on the front, the eastern side.

Western side finished apart from the windows .

And then the northern side started to take shape.

And then it was time to start the build of the ‘engine room’ of the greenhouse. The framework for the raised beds. Three of them. All being 32 inches high and 20 feet in length with the two abutting the northern and southern sides being 21/2 feet wide and the center bed being 4 feet wide.

Oh, there was an upside to the rain. Our cistern was replenished!

Now don’t forget to keep your eye out for the next scintillating episode of this gardening extravaganza (bit over the top , I know ). Not content with growing vegetables I now want to grow my readership ! So, just go to the website : https://abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com and click on the link you see below.

This is the icon you need to click on to subscribe.

The headline for this edition is based on the single released in 2017 by Luke Combs which reached number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) .

“Bringing on Back the Good Times “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Up bright and early this morning around 04.30 hours . Well I think it was around then but I can’t be precise because I don’t have a watch at the moment. I sent it to London (the place of its origin) in February for a service fully expecting to collect it in April when Rose and I made our annual visit to London . But we all know what happened then.

Long term readers may recall that I started virtually every edition of this blog that I put out in a certain way . I can’t recall (increasing age and all that goes with it ) exactly why or how I stopped but I did. Well, the setting and circumstances are slightly different now but I’ve decided to resurrect it as a variation on a theme.I’m bringing on back the good times !

Anyway, back to the coffee. I took a second mug whilst catching up on the iPad on world news. I’ll be honest though, I spend more time now updating myself on sporting items. I then brushed my teeth, showered, dressed and headed to

yep, MY table at Estel’s Dine By the Sea . For

a healthy breakfast . The butter on the plate was a mistake . I rarely eat it .

Satiated I headed home to see what progress Moses was making with the greenhouse but before I got a chance Nicholas , he’s Moses’ younger brother who was going to provide the plumbing and electrical expertise for our project , asked me to have a look at some photos he’d taken as part of his review of what would need to be done .

The top of the D Safety Switch box that connects our house to the grid.

Little doubt it needed replacing as a matter of urgency and most definitely before running power lines for the greenhouse. That wasn’t part of the planning !

I very quickly got over my disappointment though when I started watching Moses proceed to complete the roof of the greenhouse.

But it has to wait . The hardware store had run out of zinc sheets and was waiting for a resupply from the mainland. Oh well, time to start on the sides !

Southern side up first. Ziggy checking to make sure the sheets had been fitted properly. Good boy Ziggy.

For those of you that are interested, we chose polycarbonate sheeting for the sides.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next captivating installment!

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1969 by Love Affair which reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart.

“I’m a Believer” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

The day that Rose and I had been waiting for eventually arrived. We got a ‘phone call from Moses. He was ready to start work on our greenhouse and I needed to order the building materials on the list he was going to send me.

The list arrived as promised . I knew it would because I’m a believer and Moses always keeps his promises and I placed the order and the delivery was made.

And I got to work treating the wood. No, that didn’t mean talking nicely to it. But giving it some …

Boiled Linseed Oil. Quite expensive but very good.

And I slowly but surely worked my way through the pile, length by length. Boring but … somebody had to do it !

Monday morning couldn’t come quickly enough for Rose and I . They (whoever THEY are ) say that you shouldn’t wish your time away but sometimes you just have to. Anyway, it eventually did arrive and so did Moses. And he was accompanied by his assistant.

They immediately set about marking out where we had told Moses we wanted the greenhouse to be built .

Although we were only looking at some posts in the ground it was very exciting . Our project was starting to take shape.

Now that got your attention didn’t it ! No, not yet , but hopefully soon.

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1966 by The Monkees which reached number 1 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

“Still Waiting” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

In the last edition I wrote about the wood chipper I’d bought to be able to create a covering for the floor of our planned greenhouse and as a mulch for some of the vegetables we would eventually be planting.

This ‘baby’ turned out to be a hungry Horace. As fast as I pruned the trees and bushes the wood chipper magically (OK I did have to ‘feed’ it ) turned them into mulch. And eventually I ran out of ‘stuff’ to feed Horace (it makes it more personal when you name a piece of equipment don’t you think ?) with . I had a dilemma . Or as Christopher Robin put it “What to do, what to do, what to do ?’.

Well amongst the very, very many great things about living here on Ambergris Caye is that there is always an abundance of dead branches by the side of the roads, and particularly where development has or is taking place . So I got the trusty wood hauler out (Pablo if you must know ) and scoured the sides of the roads. And in no time at all.

With no date set for when Moses could start to build our greenhouse I found myself still waiting so gave thought to the kind of things we could do to help the growth of the vegetables and herbs we would eventually plant. So, Googling I did go and found loads of interesting stuff. As I think you normally do when you’re searching any given subject. The problem is that I get sidetracked and Google off in a different direction. Anyway, back to the subject !

Through my Googling I stumbled across effective microorganisms and following some fairly lengthy (remember, I’m retired ) research I decided that I would make some . And it’s really easy to do (I chose recipe 2) .

The Kurd on the top. I understand that you can actually make cheese from this. Maybe after we’ve grown some tomatoes and spring onions !

And after straining it you’re left with the good stuff. EM .

It keeps well in a refrigerator so that’s where it is now until I start to use it on the soil. I’ll let you know how it performs.

A few paragraphs previously I mentioned that I do have a habit of getting sidetracked, I do get back on track but … Anyway, when Googling for soil treatments and finding effective microorganisms I kept seeing the word Bokashi. Now you know what I did next don’t you ? No? Oh c’mon . I did some Googling of course ! You feel foolish now don’t you ?

Having found Bokashi you know what I did next ? Yep, you’re right. I ordered a bin and a supply of bran to be delivered to US Trade Belize and around four weeks later it arrived.

You put all of the stuff from the kitchen that you’d normally put into your compost pile but you can also include stuff that you’d normally keep away from the compost pile such as dairy products, meat, onions, citrus fruits, etc. You can do this because the bran nullifies the smell. A couple of other neat things about the Bokashi method is that you can use the stuff in your soil a lot quicker around four weeks after filling the bin) because it ferments and doesn’t need to decompose. The other neat thing is that you get Bokashi juice as a by-product.

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 2002 by Sum 41 which reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart and number 6 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (I’d not heard of this chart either !).

‘“ The (Green ) House of the Rising Sun “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

If you’ve read the last two editions know that when Covid 19 struck Rose and I decided to involve ourselves in a number of projects from rejuvenating Highbury House to having a composter constructed.

Enjoyable as our tipple sessions on the east facing veranda have been there is little doubt that ambitions became bigger and bigger as Rose , on either Belikin or Pinot Grigio and me with my Hyper (which , given it’s price differential with, say , something like Absolut or Smirnoff , is surprisingly good) vodka and pink grapefruit juice .

Our brainstorming area. For this particular session I felt that vitamin C was more in order to accompany the vodka. Ziggy looking adoringly our hors d’œuvres. Which, if my memory serves me right, was Panko fried shrimp.

Looking down at the compost bin and holding Ziggy back from chasing iguanas our thoughts moved from a little vegetable patch to something far grander. A greenhouse no less. Time for a little Googling and YouTubing methinks. What do you say ?

I probably screen grabbed 40 to 50 photos of greenhouse designs which Rose and I, during a few of our ‘brainstorming’ (aka tippling ) sessions discussed at length and gradually whittled the selection down until we had chosen our ‘winner ‘. More of that later.

Our thoughts and deliberations then turned to how we would lay out and operate the interior of the greenhouse. Although Rose doesn’t look it (it’s true, I’m not just trying to win Brownie Points ) we are getting on in age and stooping down continuously to tend the vegetables we plan to grow would not be sensible. And one thing you shouldn’t get when you get old is stupid ! So, we decided we’d have raised beds. You know what comes next don’t you ? No? It’s obvious. I got into Googling and YouTubing mode and started screen grabbing. That’s what.

Next thing to decide was the location for this new addition to our ‘family’.

Traditionally in England, greenhouses are positioned in the back garden (yard for non-UK readers) and this is where Rose initially suggested we locate it. This appeared a sensible choice but we discussed it long and hard ,as is the case for many things that we are planning to do, and after much debate we changed our mind. We’d locate it in the front garden (I’ve no need to insert the translation again do I ? No? Good.) where the old flower bed had been.

We chose this spot because it has a number of attributes :

It would be a shorter walk for us to get to (I’ve already mentioned that we’re not getting any younger).
It would be a lot closer to the water and electricity feeds that we wanted for it.
It’s positioning would allow us to knock off another wish from our To Do list. You’ll find out what in a later edition.
Given that it’s position would be in the south-eastern section of our garden it would get early morning sun. It would be the (green) house of the rising sun (did you spot what I did there ?).

With the ‘What, Where and How’ decided it was time to bring in Moses. So we did. But he couldn’t start work on the greenhouse straight away. He was busy with a number of other projects. That’s what can happen when you’re good at what you do. And he is.

This delay didn’t really disturb us though. We had other things to get in place and we set about getting them done.

We ordered a wood chipper via one of the freight forwarding companies that provide services for Belize. If you’re at all interested (if you’re not then just gloss over this paragraph) we used US Belize Trade who provided (and have subsequently) a first class service. We decided during one of our brainstorming sessions that we used wood chip for the floor of the greenhouse (it holds moisture and prevents weeds from easily growing ) and sparingly for some , but not all, of the vegetables and herbs we would eventually plant. A word of warning here though. Tippling can be exceedingly helpful when you want to brainstorm but be careful. Don’t tipple too much or you might just forget those fantastic ideas that you came up with !

When the wood chipper arrived (it took around 4 weeks from placing the order )

I got to work with it straight away.

Loads of branches and leaves to convert into mulch.

And before long I was filling up box after box .

Looks good doesn’t it ? Well it does to me !

Next on the to do list was to collect some tree trunks and large branches – I’ll reveal why in a future edition (a tease, aren’t I ) – and I got these from a local guy (if you’re interested in who, just Message me) who I also got to cut the wood into more manageable and more easily (remember, I’m getting old) liftable pieces.

Cut and neatly stacked in front of the composter.

The headline (adulterated I know ) for today’s edition is based on the single released by The Animals in 1964 which reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

Keep your eyes on the lookout for the next edition . Will the greenhouse start to take shape ?

“Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes ) “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

The editions I put out on this blog are a little bit like London buses. You wait ages for one ((alright, you may not wait ages for one but someone (hopefully) does )) and then a convoy of them turn up. So, for the second consecutive day I’ve knocked together (and it shows ) an edition.

Anyway, when Ambergris Caye went into Covid 19 lockdown in March Rose and I spent our mornings/early afternoons working our way through the list of jobs that we had pulled together. Repainting the railings and burglar bars being a couple of them.

But in the afternoons, after showering, we’d retire (what a lovely ,old-fashioned description that is ) to our Caribbean Sea facing veranda (it’s in the shade in the afternoon) and take a tipple (or two or three). Rose normally choosing a Belikin , Pinot Grigio or a Prosecco and I’d ‘go for’ either a Belikin or a vodka with pink grapefruit juice. Throw in a dish of Pringles (Cheddar cheese for me and Cheddar and Sour Cream for Rose ) and we were ready to sort out the problems of the world. Not really, we just talked about what projects we could undertake to keep our bodies and minds active.

During one of these brainstorming sessions (a so much more accurate description than binge drinking ) we got to talking about growing stuff in the garden. We’ve tried on numerous occasions during our seven years living at Highbury House with limited success. The coconut and palms have generally thrived but virtually everything else has looked good for a while but then withered and died.

As the vodkas went down (I think I was drinking vodka but …) my thoughts became more adventurous. Funny how alcohol can do that to you,, isn’t it . And before not too long my adventurous thoughts turned to foolhardiness. “ We’ll have a compost bin” I exclaimed. “ I’ll produce great compost that will help what we plant to grow and thrive”.

Rose humoured (humored for non -UK readers) me, thinking, I’m sure, that the drink would wear off and I’d get my brain back in gear. Wrong ! The next morning I ‘went into’ research mode – I love Google and YouTube – to find the compost bin of my dreams. And I did.

A three bin composter. The Rolls Royce of compost bins !

I was going to go back to my youth – or at least a much younger age – and grow vegetable again !

Me and Rose’s niece Alice in the garden of our first house. Taken perhaps 40 years ago.

So , I had the design but how to get it built? Moses of course. And I needed to put something in it when it was built . So I started a compost pile. Forward planning has always been one of my strongpoints . Or maybe it’s because I’m poor at everything else !

But first I dismantled the flower bed – one that we never managed to successfully grow flowers in – and moved the rocks to create a wall near where the compost bin would be situated.

The temporary ‘home’ for the compost pile.

With the lumbar and roofing delivered it was time for Moses to start work !

And he was off .

And work on creating the bin lid begins.

Even people that know me reasonably well don’t realise that I have an annoying trait (I’ve probably got quite a few but I’m not going to list them today) . I can be extremely impatient. I want things yesterday. So having to wait between 3 months to a year for my pile of cardboard, grass cuttings, vegetable and fruit scraps to turn into useable compost just wasn’t on. So a Googling I did go. And I found a system that can – if you follow the procedure – produce compost in 18 days. Yes, just 18 days. You’re interested now aren’t you ! It’s the Berkeley Method.

Turning the compost every two days- and getting myself fitter and losing a few pounds as byproducts – from one bin to another , adding some water as I layered the compost and covering it with a black, plastic sheet the compost very quickly reached temperatures of over 120 degrees. Perfect.

And before long I had a colony of worms there.

I can’t wait to start plant the vegetables and herbs, especially the herbs and Rosemary in particular because – wait for it – I just know that love grows where my Rosemary goes ( you didn’t think I get any worse with the song links did you ? Well, I did. So there ! ).

Now don’t forget , if you got jobs doing in need of the multi talented Moses (he also a very nice guy ) you can contact him via Facebook Messenger , via telephone on 635 8764. And he’s on WhatsApp too!

In future editions – yes there will be more – I’ll let you know how much more adventurous we became.

The headline for today’s edition is based the single released in 1970 by Edison Lighthouse which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“That’s Life” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Long-time /regular readers of this blog will know that I put editions out now a lot less frequently than I once did. In fact one might say that when the build of our house here on Ambergris Caye was taking place I was quite prolific. Some days I put two editions out !

With the completion of the build (and maybe the fact that I’m a couple more years older) I’ve slowed down considerably. When I started the blog I was, perhaps, somewhat like the hare. Now ? Decidedly more like the tortoise!

I now tend to put out an edition or two when Rose and I take a trip away from the island but even that doesn’t always whet the creative juices (creative juices ! Who do I think I’m kidding ?) .

We went to Nashville (yep, there again ) a few weeks ago and when we got back I fully intended to ‘knock out ‘ an edition or two but I never quite got around to it . Until now !

So what brought about this seismic change (well it’s seismic in my little world ) you’re wondering. You are, aren’t you ?

Well, two things actually but I’ll get to them in more detail eventually. .

Just before we departed for our trip we noticed that Ziggy ( if you’re a first time reader , Ziggy is the four legged, furry member of our family) had a little spot on his nose.

We thought no more about the spot, packed our suitcases, dropped Ziggy off at his chosen holiday hotel, Pampered Paws and made our way to Nashville. Yee-haw (did I really just type that ????).

We only spent six nights there but managed to cram in quite a lot . We ‘hit’ loads of music bars

and we did some shopping (when you are away from the island you just HAVE TO ) .

We ate at some nice restaurants .

We found, and frequented, a British themed pub.

And we got to see Patrick Mahomes live when we went to watch the Tennessee Titans play the Kansas City Chiefs .

The Nissan Stadium (home of the ‘Titans) in the background.

Found our seats.

Game on.

Billy Ray Cyrus proving the half-time entertainment.

Game over. Victory for the ‘Titans following an intentional grounding by the ‘Chiefs (see how effortlessly the terminology rolls off my keypad ) .

I felt sorry for the ‘Chiefs’ fans. We’d seen and spoke to a good number of them during the days leading up to the game. They’d virtually ‘taken over’ Downtown Nashville which became a sea of red.

All too soon our six night stay in Nashville was over and it was time to head home. We are luckier than most though so it’s never a major disappointment when a holiday (vacation for non-UK readers ) ends and we have to head home.

Our joy of returning to Ambergris Caye was brought to sudden jolt when we collected Ziggy. The little spot was a discoloured bump .

The next morning after breakfast at Estel’s Dine By the Sea (is there anywhere else !) I ‘phoned the San Pedro Animal Hospital to find out if the new Veterinarian Surgeon had joined the practice. She had, so I booked an appointment for the next day for Ziggy to be examined by Doctor Amber Hinson. ‘Tomorrow’ couldn’t come soon enough for Rose and I .

Ziggy seemed edgier than normal when we entered the waiting room. He is always somewhat restless when we go to the Hospital. I suppose because his visits invariably result in an injection eg vaccination time, teeth cleaning, etc But this time he seemed more anxious.

A quick examination by the Doctor and unfortunately we got the news we didn’t want. Ziggy had a tumour and for him to have a chance of survival he needed surgery. So we booked him in for three days later. And while he was in there we were going to have the lipoma on his leg removed. It had been irritating him for some while and he was constantly chewing his leg .

He was there all day and when we collected him he looked pretty beaten up.

The patient resting .

We then had a very anxious eight days during which we researched veterinary chemotherapy clinics in Houston whilst we waited for the results of the biopsy. When the call came from Doctor Amber I answered it with trepidation. She obviously sensed this and virtually immediately stated ” We’ve got the results. It’s benign “.

The second really nice thing (remember all that time ago I mentioned that two things occurred that encouraged me to write this edition ) that happened to me took place a few days before we got the result of the biopsy.

I arrived at Estel’s expecting to see my normal sight.

No, not that, but this .

MY table awaiting me.

The reserved sign was on the table but there was someone sitting there at MY table with a mug of coffee in front of him . I was about to sit at an adjacent table when the guy got up. “John ?” he exclaimed . “Yes”, I replied. “Hi, I’m Anton from Toronto, I’ve been reading your blog for years. You’re the reason I’m here now”. Whilst he was saying all of this he was picking up his mug, milk, spoon and serviette from the table, My table that is.

He then walked to the table I was about to sit down at and placed the mug, etc on it. “Please take your table ” he said. So I did. Normality resumed !

We spent some time talking and most of the conversation centered around Anton’s visit and his plans to acquire land and build on it. Anton eventually bade me goodbye and he went on his way. I eventually ordered (I don’t really need to order it, they know what I want) my breakfast and ate it. I got a really nice surprise, however, when I went to pay. ” No need “, said Sam, “The gentleman you were talking to paid “.

Anton did the same thing a few days later. Thank you Anton.

Last week we had Ziggy’s stitches removed.

Healing very nicely.

And the scar on the nose is barely discernible.

Well now you know what the catalysts were to ‘encourage’ me to write this edition.

That’s life in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

The headline for this eagerly awaited edition (smell the coffee John, no one has missed you ) is based upon the single released in 1966 by Frank Sinatra which reached number 44 on the UK Singles Chart and number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Under Pressure “ in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

With out trip to Buenos Aries, Argentina and Montevideo,Uruguay nearing its conclusion we still had a few more things to do from my list.

I obviously (what true football fan – and I mean FOOTBALL – wouldn’t ) wanted to visit the Estadio Alberto J. Armando, otherwise known as La Bombonera . And Rose did too, which helped !

But first we spent a little time wandering around Caminito the area where the Italian immigrants lived when they first moved to Buenos Aries.

Have your photo taken with the dogs and make a donation to the local dog shelter!

Bored watching the tango ? Watch a grill master at work instead.

And a pair of doors that have seen much better days.

The aroma eventually got to us. Our resolve weakened. And then it just disappeared. We just had to have a choripán (a sausage sandwich, if you must know ).

Caminito is the area in which La Bombonera is located so we didn’t have far to walk although it took a little while to get there because we met celebrities on the way.

With the greatest talent in the world at one time (in my opinion ) Juan Román Riquelme .

And the current little Maestro.

No, not me, I mean Messi !

“Oh please Mr Messi can I have your autograph?”.

And then we saw it, La Bombonera.

So we joined the queue (they do love a queue in Argentina)paid the entrance fee, got our wristband

and waited for the tour to start.

And we’re off.

In the words of Marquinhos (he plays for Paris Saint Germain and Brazil) “You can’t play, it’s a pressure cooker “. When you walk around the place and soak up the atmosphere and see the signs and trophies you just know that opposing teams know that they are going to be under pressure.

The Away team changing room

The Maradona Wall.

Statue of Maradona.

For our final night I had planned ahead and made a reservation at a restaurant I’d come across when researching our trip, Crizia had received rave reviews . And we found out why. The food was good, very good.

We chose oysters to start

followed by

Pappardelle and scallops for Rose and

Patagonian braised lamb for me.

I still had a little room so I followed up with

Rose did though find room for these – yes, both of them!

One down,one to go.

And she’s done it.

The next day after a little walk around and a couple of

it was time to take our taxi ride to the airport .

Goodbye Buenos Aires. Thank you for a great time.

The headline for this edition, the last one in the series , is based upon the single released in 1989 by Queen which reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“My List” in Buenos Aries, Argentina.

Those of you that have been reading this series of blogs about the visit Rose and I recently made to Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo,Uruguay have probably surmised that there are lots of things to do. So much so that you wonder if you can fit them all in. We didn’t but we came very close.

Obviously we had Café Tortoni on our list and knew that it would be popular but we didn’t expect to see this

when we got there. But hey, we joined the queue and in just over thirty minutes we were at our table.

While I was checking the menu out Rose did a bit of exploring (or more impolitely described as snooping ) and ‘found’ herself in a room adjoining the restaurant! She just happened to have her iPhone with her.

But back to the restaurant. I chose toasted pita bread with ham and cheese.

Washed down with a pint of Quilmes.

Café Tortoni, Argentina’s equivalent of London’s Hotel Café Royal .

I’m the one in the tan jacket.

Rose is the pretty one !

Next was a little walk around a supermarket. This is always on my list !

Loads of virtually ready to eat stuff.

Look at the prices. US$ 1 = 42 Argentina Pesos . The steak above at just below US$ 6!

Next on my list (and Rose’s for that matter) was a night of tango. Watching it, not doing it. Bad foot and all that!

I researched online but didn’t find anything that convinced me I should book so in the end we asked Ignur, the hotel’s Concierge. La Ventana she said. So we asked her to book for us . She did. And we went. It was fantastic.

A really, really good mojito . Nearly as good as when in Cuba. Or when Ernie (he of Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar fame – now that should get me a free drink. Or three !) makes one.

Considering the number of people to serve it wasn’t a bad menu.

And the food

And to ‘”wash it down” a half bottle of wine each.

With the plates cleared away we just had time for a photo

before the show began .

A really entertaining show and at US$ 100 each it is great value .

The headline for this edition, the penultimate one in this series , is based on the single released in 2002 by Toby Keith which reached number 1 on US Hot Country Songs and Number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“A Kind of Magic “ in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After the previous day’s Brush with the ‘wild’ we elected to go for a more sedate almost ethereal day. And we started off by visiting the Museo de Arte Latinamericano .

We obviously weren’t alone in thinking this would be an interesting way to spend some time because when we got there we were ‘greeted’ by a long queue.

Being British I’m used to queuing (it’s a ‘skill’ , just like riding a bike, that you apparently never lose) so we stood in line and shuffled forward every five or so minutes.

We shuffled along for quite awhile but eventually got to the ticket desk, paid the entrance fee and put my backpack in storage. We were ready to go!

And then the ‘star’ of the exhibition, a Frida Kahlo self-portrait .

And one by her husband, Diego Rivera .

We then took the escalator

up to the Leandro Erlich exhibition. You see this guy’s ‘stuff’ and your mouth drops open. It’s a kind of magic !

The famous Swimming Pool.

So we ‘jumped in’ too.

And how about these for selfies ?

Continuing in the arty vein our next stop was Teatro Cólon .

Very grand exterior but the interior took it to another level .

A mosaic floor that took twenty years to complete. And Rose thinks I’m slow !

Cupid whispering a secret to his mother Venus in the Salon de Bustos (Hall of Busts).

Franz Liszt.

And then in to the theater.

Behind the grating widows would watch and listen to performances during their mourning period.

For the evening I’d tried to book a reservation online for a table for two for dinner at the highly recommended Don Julio . I was unsuccessful instead I was requested to just “turn up at the restaurant”. So around 19.00 hours that evening that is exactly what Rose and I did. Only to be advised that there was a three hour wait for a table! I knew it was popular but …

So we walked down the road for a few minutes and found La Choza de Gasgon

which was very busy too but we managed to grab two seats at the bar from where we were able to see our dinner being cooked.

A perfect end to a magical day .

The headline for this edition is based on the single released in 1986 by Queen which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Rose Garden “ in Buenos Aries, Argentina.

After our little excursion to Montevideo, Uruguay we had a refreshing night’s sleep back out our hotel in Buenos Aires and following breakfast were ready to pound the streets. On this day we were going back to nature !

But before that I have to own up that I forgot to mention that when we were in Montevideo Rose met Carlos Gardel (he of tango fame ) .

A bit too familiar if you ask me.

Anyway, back to Buenos Aires and our first stop was Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays .

Next stop was Ecoparque

A lovely setting but what was really neat was to see the animals wandering around freely.

The Patagonian Mara .

Next stop was Paseo El Rosedal (Rose Garden ).

And then we saw it. The roses were being pruned in readiness for Spring.

Rose turned and looked at me dejectedly. I looked at her and said (you know what’s coming ,don’t you ) “Oh come on Rose, I never promised you a rose garden ” (probably my worst link ever – you decide).

Before we left the garden we did manage to see a few roses I’m pleased to say. Nothing like they would be in the Spring and Summer but …

Free hot water for the mate drinkers.

Our walk was brought to a sudden halt when the rain came tumbling down. We managed though to find a dry haven !

Well nearly dry.

Two pints of Quilmes , an indigenous beer, on a promotional day. US$ 2.50 for them both !

This scintillating series continues with our further adventures in Buenos Aires. I’m getting excited just thinking about it !

The headline for this edition is based on the single released in 1970 by Lynn Anderson which reached number 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Red Red Wine” in Montevideo ,Uruguay.

In the last few editions I’ve blathered on about making a trip from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Uruguay. Well in this edition “we” do get to go!

As I’ve already told you, when I made arrangements for our accommodation in Buenos Aires I also booked our stay at the Crystal Tower Hotel in Montevideo .

Now we were in Argentina all I had to decide with Rose was what route we would take to get there and we had three options that I was aware of :

We could fly there (45 minute flight time) from either of Buenos Aires’ airports for between US$ 215 to 260 return per person . The available flight times remains were not particularly good though.
We could take the Buquebus direct ferry (2 hours and 30 minutes crossing time) for around US$ 575 return per person or
Take the Colonia Express ferry to Colonia and by coach to Montevideo (total journey time of 4 hours and 45 minutes) for US$ 93 return per person.

We elected to take the least expensive option and I made the booking online for the ferry departing at 08.5 hours.

We then made arrangements with hotel to store our suitcases while we were away, a taxi to pick us up and take us to the port (you gave to arrive at least 90 minutes before ferry departure ) and an early morning call.

We both woke up well in advance of the wake-up call and after showering and dressing ate a very early breakfast which the hotel had kindly organised for us and were in our way by 06.00 hours for the twenty minute taxi ride

all the taxis are yellow and black and all operate with meters

to the Colonia Express terminal.

As soon as the check in desk opened (we were early) we very quickly got our tickets, passed through Immigration and Customs and boarded the boat.

Like being at the cinema !

And we were off crossing the Rio de la Plata .

After an uneventful crossing we caught our coach. Oh, and you can get Uruguayan currency on the boat.

to Montevideo’s Terminal Tres Cruces (it’s large bus station) from where we caught a taxi to our hotel.

When we got to the Reception there was a problem. They had no record of our booking. They asked me when I made the booking. Months ago, I explained whilst frantically locating the confirmation email. Profuse apologies followed along with an upgrade !

Better than we expected.

After a quick freshen up we were ready to explore making use of the map they gave us when we checked in.

It was cold though. Very cold for our bodies that are now so used to a tropical climate. We found it difficult to get warm . I bought a woolen scarf and Rose got herself a woolen hat and they helped a lot but we needed to be warmer. Warm food. That was what was needed. So we headed to the Mercado del Puerto which, according to my research, is famous for the quality of its steaks.

Once in the building we immediately warm up. It was cooking in there !

We chose a restaurant

And a little while later got one of the best steaks I have ever had. Cooked just the way I had requested.

And a very reasonably priced bottle of Malbec helped it go down. I do like a good red, red wine.

The next morning after a leisurely breakfast at the hotel we had a final walk (well to be factual Rose walked and I limped along beside her ) around the streets of Montevideo and then hailed a taxi to take us back to the bus station. We had the coach to catch at 13.00 hours which (along with the ferry )would eventually get us back to Buenos Aries around 17.45 hours.

All in all we think it was a worthwhile trip to make.

In the next installment we pound the streets (calles) of Buenos Aries again but also get to smell the roses !

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released in 1983 by UB40 which reached number 1 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

“The Cemetery “ in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Now if you’ve read the two editions I’ve put out you’ll know from the last one that we intended to visit Argentina’s near neighbour Uruguay and I’d planned accordingly.

When booking hotel accommodation for our time in Buenos Aires I’d also booked with a hotel in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. And I chose the Crystal Tower Hotel primarily because it appeared to be conveniently located for our ‘flying’ visit.

But before our short trip we had lots more of Buenos Aires to see and we were going to Recoleta Cemetery and try to find the mausoleum of Eva Perón . First though a visit to

And then onto the National Museum of Decorative Arts .

Walking around museums is tiring work . I needed to sit.

Rested we pushed on but it wasn’t long before I needed to give the foot a break. So …

Fully refreshed we got walking again and eventually reached Recoleta Cemetery. Once through the gates we immediately took a photograph of the map showing mausoleum location. Without this I doubt we would have found

Eva Perón’s grave.

What struck us immediately was the grandeur of the mausoleums. Even those that were in a terrible state of disrepair.

The tomb of Rufina Cambacèrés who it is said died twice .

And then we found Eva Perón’s grave.

Upon leaving the cemetery we visited the church next to it, Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar .

What about Montevideo I hear you exclaim. Well you’ll have to wait until the next installment.

The headline for today’s edition is based upon track 20 of the album Journey to the Center of the Earth by Rick Wakeman in 1974 which reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and number 3 on the US Billboard 200.

“Something Got Me Started” in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

There’s little doubt that Subte (the Buenos Aires subway system) makes it a lot easier (and less expensive) to get around but we still did quite a lot of walking and even with my new , super comfy, shoes the ankle I broke just before Christmas

started to ache and I started walking in a different way (I suppose a subconscious action to try to reduce impact on the damaged area) with the consequence that my left heel started to really ache and it became quite painful to walk.

This didn’t stop our excursions however. You’ll be pleased to learn that I ‘manned up’. I am English after all ! It just meant that Rose wasn’t able to race around like she normally does. We got around at a more sedate pace. And I believe – and I’m sticking to it – it meant that we got to see so much more.

Anyway, enough with my sob story. Let’s get back to the main story, our visit to the San Telmo Sunday Fair which is a bustling street filled with stalls selling a variety of things. Some things which some people might throw out but others pay a lot of money for.

‘Entrance ‘ to the market.

And then something got me started. There was music playing across the square. So we walked (I hobbled) over.

A tango was in full swing and it drew a large crowd. They put much energy in it made me thirsty ! So a little bite and some liquid refreshment was in order.

We thought about sitting on the balcony but it was too far from the action . Tango was about to start again !

The dancers were very good but the accordionist beside them was even more entertaining. His facial expressions were something to see.

And if that wasn’t enough entertainment we also got to witness a photo shoot for a young, aspiring ballerina.

She was posing in front of a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel.

You can just see how Mahogany Bay Resort and Beach Club became a member can’t you !

In the next installment you’ll get to see more of Buenos Aires and I might – no promises though – take you with us to Uruguay. Can’t wait, can you !

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released in 1991 by Simply Red and reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Going Underground “ in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Having been back from our trip to Granada, Nicaragua for around six weeks it was time to set off again. This time we were bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Now after you’ve seen the photos (forget the boring written stuff) I think a few of you might want to go there so here’s the route that we took :

Tropic Air 12.00 hours flight from San Pedro to Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport . Flight time of 15 minutes.

United Airlines 14.33 hours flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport . Scheduled flight time 2 hours and 34 minutes.

United Airlines 22.20 hours flight to Ministro Pistarini International Airport . Scheduled flight time 10 hours and 20 minutes

I need to back up though. I’m moving too fast. Not a good thing at my advancing age !

First of all we had to make arrangements for Ziggy to be looked after while we were away.

Now as regular readers will know we normally book Ziggy’s “time away from us” with Pampered Paws but, like Jack Woltz in The Godfather , we got an offer we couldn’t refuse . Frank – long time readers will recall that it was Frank , when serving here on his first posting to Belize by the British Army – that found a very, very young Ziggy (he wasn’t called that at the time though) and his brother Grizzly .

Ziggy is the little ‘blondie’ on the left.

Frank though, very quickly taught Ziggy bad habits that we have had to contend with since he came to live with us !

Anyway, back to The Godfather . Frank offered to look after Ziggy during our holiday. It was an offer we could not refuse so the weekend before we were due to set off Frank came over to Ambergris Caye and spent the day with us all.

We went to Secret Beach first when we visited our next door neighbours (neighbors for non UK readers) Maresha and Jason’s Bar, Pirates Bar at Not So Secret Beach and then on to

At Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar

before taking the water taxi to Belize City

Bye Frank. Bye Ziggy

and then on to Price Barracks, Ladyville. Ziggy was temporarily rejoining BATSUB as a Reservist.

It was a very strange three days at home for Rose me without having Ziggy at our heels or having to step over him while he was recharging (sic) but the time for us to depart eventually arrived.

Waiting to leave the island at Tropic Air’s Departure Lounge (never , ever thought I would use such words when we first came to Ambergris Caye ).

Arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (really plush following it’s fairly recent restyling ) .

Our plane to Buenos Aires is on time so

time for a little tipple . On the Rum. A refreshing little cocktail of caño brava white rum, fresh mint, lime juice and riondo Prosecco.

Once settled on the plane I watched two films – the Green Book (a really enjoyable film ) and Dumbo (I know, I know) I switched to sleep mode and woke up just in time for breakfast. And seemed like I’d just cleared the plate when we joined the queue for Immigration.

We cleared Immigration and Customs fairly quickly and saw a sign being held aloft with my name on it. Our pre-arranged taxi. Sixty minutes later (it could have taken a lot longer but I think our driver was Juan Manuel Fangio) we were at our hotel.

After unpacking, a quick shower and change of clothes we ventured out for our first ‘taste’ of Buenos Aires. On the advice of the Receptionist we went to Julio Cortázar Square (“Serrano “) . And enjoyed the walk there.

Enough walking. Time for a cerveza (we didn’t share the bottle, honest )

and a bite to eat.

On our walk back to the hotel we ‘discovered ‘ the Subte .

Buenos Aries had just ‘opened up’ to us. The next day we were going underground !

Look out for the next thrilling installment as we find our way around Buenos Airies, the Paris of South America.

The headline for this edition is based on the single released in 1980 by The Jam which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.

“A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That “ when away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

Rose had only been back from our trip to London for four weeks when we were heading off again. Being retired can be so tiring !

This time we were making a return visit to Nicaragua. Granada, Nicaragua to be precise.

For those of you that may be thinking of making the same trip our outbound travel itinerary was :

Tropic Air flight to Philip Goldson International Airport departing at 14.00 hours (15 minute flight time ).

Avianca flight to El Salvador at 17.10 hours ( 1 hour 24 minute flight time )..

Avianca flight to Managua at 20.25 hours ( 50 minute flight time ).

We have now landed in Managua three times and (hoping I’m not tempting providence) have never had a problem clearing Immigration and Customs. The other good thing when landing there is that you can use the Duty Free outlets before leaving the airport.

Our taxi – pre-arranged with the hotel – was waiting for us as we exited the airport and the driver, Eduardo, identified himself to us by way of an iPad held aloft with our surname on the screen. Cost of the eighty minute journey was US$ 40.

On our last visit we had stayed at the Hotel Plaza Colon and it was very good but for this visit we decided we would try somewhere else and we chose Hotel Real La Merced .

A conveniently located hotel just a few minutes walk away from the park (Parque Central )in the center of the city .

A quick ‘look’ around our hotel.

A pink marble staircase.

A selfie !

The view from the breakfast area.

It had everything we needed !

During our eleven nights there we roamed the streets, enjoyed the wonderful colonial buildings , ate the food, drank the beer (and Rose drank the wine too ) and enjoyed time with the very friendly people.

The famous life size representation of a horse carriage on the main access road to Granada.

The real deal.

Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral

The Fire Station

Not dramatically different to the one in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

Granada, Nicaragua, a nice friendly place that, once you get there, is relatively inexpensive.

A huge bowl of chicken soup (more like a stew really) for the equivalent of US$ 4

And shrimp pasta for around US$ 6

Topped off with a couple of beers.

A Sol for just over US$ 2 and

a bottle of Victoria Frost, a Nicaraguan beer, at just under US$ 1.

It – like here in Belize – was the rainy season when we were there so we got to use the brollies.

We also, unfortunately, got to watch Arsenal’s hugely embarrassing defeat to Chelsea in the Europa League Final and Liverpool triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League Final.

At half-time we got ready for the second half with

Queso fritos con plátanos maduros (fried cheese with mature plantains). A yummy little bite for around US$ 4) .

We ‘managed’ to spare a little time to wander around the grocery stores

When we are away we try to mix things up a bit. A little bit of this, a little bit of that !

The exchange rate is around 33 Córdoba to 1US$ so you can do some price comparisons!

Before we knew it our time was up, time to go . But not before our photo shoot together.

All went swimmingly the next day with our journey to Managua (Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport ) airport and the check in was a breeze

as was the flight to El Salvador but then our Avianca curse ( 2 years ago our scheduled plane from Managua was cancelled and we had to spend an unplanned night in a hotel ) struck.

Everyone had boarded the plane when the announcement was made ” Will all passengers exit the plane “. Apparently the full roster of crew had not appeared for work.

So we found a comfy spot in the airport until an announcement was made. But it never was.

They were looking for us though and they came to take us to the departure gate.

We caught the plane ! Until the next holiday .

The headline for this edition is based upon the album released by D Mob in 1989 and reached number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 42 on the UK Albums Chart.

“Don’t You (Forget About Me ) “ when I’m away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Now when I left you it was just after a resounding victory (OK so it was a one nil win with a bit of a flukey goal) by Arsenal over Watford FC.

The next day was the day for what has now become an annual pub crawl with my friend John (yes , aka Harry the Hornet,the Watford supporter ).

After a (very) hearty breakfast (if you read the first in this series you know what this means. If you didn’t read it , you must) I set off to cross the Thames .

I took the underground. You didn’t think I walked across . Did you ?

To our favourite meeting point. The Royal Oak at the Borough

where real ale is sold

and customers are happy.

After a few (quite a few actually) beers and a bite to eat we headed north of the Thames. We were on a pub crawl after all.

John trying to look cool and stylish. But failing miserably.

I think we went to three pubs – we normally ‘hit’ six or seven but I was still struggling from the broken ankle I suffered just before Christmas – but that didn’t limit the amount of alcohol we consumed. It had to be done.

The thoughts of a sage.

The next day, after another hearty breakfast (it’s the only way to start a day – or at least that’s what they tell me at Estel’s Dine By the Sea ) Rose and I set off for some retail therapy. But I had a surprise for her. I booked tickets for the matinee of a show that had just opened in London.

When I could see that Rose was starting to look like the therapy had worked I suggested that we head for Haymarket where there were a couple of good pubs. I chose the Tom Cribb.

Over our drinks I broke the surprise when I showed her the tickets .

We were going to see the stage show of Only Fools And Horses , recognised by many as one of Britain’s greatest ever TV comedy shows.

Tickets to see the show was not the only surprise that Rose got. Oh, no. During the Intermission she found that she was sitting next to Joanna Lumley .

It was the second time we’d met Joanna Lumley (although it didn’t appear that she remembered!). The first time was around twenty-two years ago when I was working for the company that published OK! Magazine and the owner at the time used to host celebrity parties to generate a photo library for the magazine.

It’s a great show and one that I highly recommend if you find yourself in London during its run. It’s , as Del Boy would say, “Cushty“.

The next day we had to travel across London and once again found ourselves celebrity (sic) spotting. Eagle-eyed Rose spotted that Paul Burrell , former butler to Princess Diana was in our carriage.

The not-so-loyal butler is fifth from the left.

Oh, I digressed. We were traveling across London to meet up with Jacqueline and Roy who had travelled down from Yorkshire to spend some time with us. We first met Jacqueline and Roy at Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar in San Pedro and immediately struck a friendship. It was Jacqueline it was her first visit to Belize but for Roy it was a return visit. He’d served here with the British Army in the mid seventies .

We had arranged to meet at The Moon Under Water

a JD Wetherspoon pub.

For those of you that have not frequented a ‘Wetherspoon’s , they are generally quite large and well appointed establishments that offer a good menu and a range of good beers and very reasonable prices when compared to pubs in the adjacent area (and no, I’m not on the payroll ).

With all of our planned meet-ups completed Rose and I spent the Easter weekend meandering around Central London in weather conditions that had been arranged just for us !

I do like a good bookshop.

And an olde English sweet (candy for non UK readers) shop. Catch the name of the shop next door ! Snog

Rose so wanted to get Ziggy one.

Rose’s favourite stage play.

My how things have changed since we immigrated.

A devastated Rose after finding that her favourite bead shop in London is no more. Now it’s a shop that sells paper

Very, very expensive Japanese paper.

With the weather being so good we even managed to take in some ‘street food’.

All too soon it was time for Rose and I to have our last breakfast together for awhile.

Doesn’t she hide the sadness well ! But before we got up from the table she looked at me intently and said “Don’t you forget about me ” (she didn’t really but I was stuck for a song title for the ‘headline’).

With breakfast over I contacted Uber for vehicles to take Rose to her sister’s and one to take me to my friend John’s house.

First task when I arrived there was to unwrap the stuff I had delivered there ( I use it as a ‘mailbox’ ) and pack it in my suitcases.

With that task completed John and I headed to Watford for the game against Southampton. It wasn’t the greatest game but it was my last chance to watch live Premiership football ( the S word for readers from the US ). It ended a one all draw with a goal scored in the first minute and the equaliser in the ninetieth.

The next morning Janet, John and I were up early so he could take me to Heathrow airport so I could catch the United Airlines 09.30hours flight to Houston. I caught it and after an uneventful journey was in my hotel room by 19.30 hours.

I stayed in Houston for two nights so that I could treat myself to some retail therapy!

I also managed to have dinner with Caesar a friend from Ambergris Caye but it was time to head home.

The first I did after picking up my golf cart was to go a get Ziggy. I had some stuff for him.

Meet Ziggy’s newest ‘friends’. Sophia the Snow Leopard (this is actually Ziggy’s third Snow Leopard ) and Basil the Badger.

And

some chew sticks to keep his teeth in good order.

The headline (contrived) for this edition is based on the song released in 1985 by Simple Minds which reached number 7 on the UK Singles chart and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Streets of London” when away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

At the end of last month Rose and I celebrated our 7th anniversary of moving permanently to Ambergris Caye, Belize. Seven years. They’ve flown by so fast.

Nothing to do with celebrating the anniversary but around a month before it we took a little time out from island life and made a visit to our previous stamping ground . London. England. United Kingdom no less.

Long time readers of this blog will probably have (quite rightly ) formed the opinion that I am somewhat a creature of habit. If I like something then I generally tend to stick with it (just ask Rose !). So, for our trip to London, I booked air tickets with United Airlines out of Houston and the Radisson Blu Grafton in Tottenham Court Road for our accommodation.

We caught the 09.00 hours Tropic Air flight to the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport

and had checked in for our first flight to Houston , gone through security and were sitting at Jet’s Bar

and by

I had a

in front of me .

The short flight ( 2hours and 20 minutes ) to Houston was uneventful but we got a rude awakening when we approached the Immigration zone. It was packed. Horrendously packed (readers please do not moan about delays when visiting Belize ).

We eventually (around 90 minutes later ) cleared Immigration, got our plane and arrived at Heathrow around 11.30 hours the next day. We cleared Immigration and then Customs very quick;y and were in an Uber car (I love Uber ) no more than twenty-five minutes after touching down and in our hotel forty-five minutes after that.

Quickly checking in at Reception

quickly unpacking our ‘cases and a freshen-up and we were ready to ‘hit’ the shops ! We had some presents to buy .

With shopping over it was time for Rose and I to reacquaint ourselves with

and then for a good night’s sleep.

Breakfast the next morning .

Now what shall I have ?

Not quite an ‘Estel’s Dine By the Sea ‘ but …

With breakfast over it was time for us to reacquaint ourselves with the UK’s transport system.

An unusually empty railway carriage.

Around thirty minutes later we were collected by my nephew Bradley so that we could spend the day with his partner Shorona and lovely (Shorona is lovely too) children Lottie and Cody. Cody is with me in the photo below.

And then it was present trying on time for Lottie (it was her third birthday the week before we arrived).

“C’mon Lottie . Cheer up “.

“Stop hiding . We can see you”.

it was like a fashion parade. And we managed to get the right size !

We had an amazingly enjoyable day and didn’t get back to our hotel until around 22.30 hours. We had to get some sleep in. We had an appointment the next day With my friend John and his wife Janet for a traditional British Sunday lunch !

But first to savor the lovely Spring day with a walk-in the streets of London.

My friend had booked a table (who knew you need to do that with pubs too now) and not long after sitting down I was devouring my lunch (sorry, only remembered to take a photo after I’d started eating it ).

All friends before the big match . Watford versus Arsenal the next day. Janet and John both support the Hornets and Rose and I, the Gunners and I was going to the game with John.

After breakfast the next morning

-something a little different –

there was time for a little bit of shopping with Rose before heading off to meet my friends and ex workmates John and Jon for a pre match appetiser . Oh, and a few beers !

And after a bite we moved on, yes you’ve guessed it, to another pub!

This one with more Watford fans in it. I was outnumbered.

And then onto to game but not before there was a photo call.

Me surrounded by a load of plonkers.

Enough tomfoolery it was time for the serious stuff.

One nil to the Arsenal.Not unsurprisingly I wasn’t the most popular person in that section of the ground .Time to make a hasty exit and head back to my hotel !

More exciting adventures in the next edition which I’ll try to publish real soon. Can’t wait, can you.

The headline for this edition is based on the song (which I have to admit is one that I don’t particularly like ) released in 1972 by Ralph McTell which reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart.

“Let Me Entertain You” when away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

At our hotel in Cartagena, Hotel Casa Cochera Del Gobernador, we started every day with a breakfast. My favourite (favorite for non-UK readers ) was

Huevos estrallados con jamón y papas. Followed by a plate of fresh fruit. And all ‘washed down’ with ? What else. A mug of Colombian coffee. And again. And again.

With a full stomach we were ready to continue our exploration of Cartagena . And now, so are you !

Where to next ? How about a bit of torture! The Palacio de la Inquisición :

After a few hours in the museum we needed refreshing so we found ourselves a table

and who should come along to entertain us ? Miss Colombia, who else. She heard the shouts from the street rappers , gave a look towards us as if to say “Let me entertain you” and gave an impromptu performance.

And then it was time to continue with our walk-about. But first a little browsing.

And then for Rose. It had to be done.

Yes, that is a tree in the store.

A study of concentration.

A few hours later (this comment WILL cost me but …) we got back to the streets.

See the manacle on the ankle.

By now we were feeling peckish so it was time for something to eat.

Rose has just seen the menu.

And then a beer.

I can’t recall what this was called. I can ,though, recall how good it tasted.

Watch out for the next thrilling installment to find out how we bravely go beyond the wall. And how we end up in Russia !

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1998 by Robbie Williams which reached number three on the UK Singles chart.

“Statues “ away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

The city of Cartagena is steeped in history and we found the best way to soak it up was to walk the streets. Well, at least within the walled part.

Spanish architecture abounds and it is patently obvious that a considerable amount of money has been spent to renovate many of the buildings and when we were there a lot more projects were underway.

There are also a lot of street statues :

Pope John Paul 11. Behind the Cathedral Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

A series of statues around Plaza de San Pedro Claver.

Oh, that’s me !

The Reclining Fat Woman in Plaza Santa Domingo.

I know it’s in bad taste but it just had to be done !

And then the ramparts of Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas.

With all this walking -and it was hot- there was only one thing to do.Find a Street cafe !

And after a few of those it was time to make some new friends.

Easy. And he was shorter than me.

Look out for the next edition in which there’ll be a bit of torture and some culinary delights.

The headline for today’s edition is based on track ten of the Foo Fighters’ Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace which reached number three on the US Billboard 200 chart and number one on the UK Albums Chart.

“Streetwalkin’ away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize “.

When Rose and I moved to Ambergris Caye just over six and a half years ago we promised ourselves that once our house had been built we would use our Central America base to travel and experience the countries around us.

We’ve been to the USA four or five times – we’ve spent time in Texas , the Carolinas, Mérida (a few times), Panama , Cuba, Nicaragua, Chetumal and, not surprisingly, the UK and it was definitely time to try something different.

So one morning I made my usual mug of coffee – instant, black and unsweetened- and headed to the veranda, the western, lagoon facing one with the coffee and my trusty iPad .

“Where to go, where to go, where to go ?” (I’d obviously seen the Christopher Robin film trailer too many times) I muttered to Ziggy (he’s normally my early morning companion ). He opened his eyes, wagged his tail but offered no suggestions before he closed his eyes again and got back to ‘chill mode’.

So I had a sip of coffee and that’s when it hit me. Caffeine, why not chase the caffeine? How about a little trip to Colombia, I thought. Another sip and my fingers went to work on the keyboard of the iPad and before I’d finished my mug of coffee I’d got a trip mapped out. Seven nights in Cartagena .

A few weeks later we loaded our suitcases on the golf cart, dropped Ziggy off at his home away from home ( Pampered Paws ) and took the 15 minute flight to the ‘International airport . At ‘International we boarded the Copa Airlines flight to Tocumen International Airport where , after a nearly four hour stopover, we caught the flight to Cartagena.

Just over an hour and a half later we had cleared immigration and customs and went outside the airport where we saw a chap (guy for non-UK readers ) holding up an iPad with my name on the screen. It was the taxi I’d booked with the hotel we were going to. Casa Cocherada Del Gobernador.

In just over thirty minutes we reached the hotel, booked in and were in our room ready for a good sleep. The time by then was 23.15 hours. It had been a long day.

We awoke the following day suitably refreshed and after breakfast started our exploration of Cartagena with some streetwalkin’ and for day one we confined ourselves to within the wall.

But first a glimpse of the hotel I had chosen.

And then to the streets of Cartagena. Well, within the wall anyway.

Time to sample the local beer !

Pretty good too.

Back to the street tour.

In the next edition we venture further afield and sample some of the culinary delights that Cartagena has to offer. Can’t wait, can you !

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released by Shakatak which reached number thirty-eight on the UK Singles chart.

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’.

Unbelievable. Four editions produced in nine days. That’s what a good dosage of omega 3 can do for you! But I don’t know about you but I’m getting a bit bored with it now so I’ll wrap up our trip to New Orleans with this edition. Thank goodness, did I hear you say ? Shame on you. I’ve been away a long time so …

Amazingly we were up early after watching the Saints play the Falcons the previous night and after breakfast we headed off for, yes, you’ve guessed it, a bit more shopping. After all it was the

I’d done a little research at home and based on this we elected to go to the Lakeside Shopping Center. We loved traveling on the extremely economical streetcar/bus system but really didn’t fancy the multiple changes required for 8+ miles journey. So, using the AT & T tourist plan we bought on our first day I booked with Uber and we there in just over ten minutes.

Look at all those people.

After what seemed like days ( weeks more like it ) we’d finished our shopping. I bought some new polo shirts and shots – since packing up smoking in March I’ve gained a few pounds. Locally my friends used to call me flaco but just recently it’s become gordo ! Oh, Rose did a bit (read BIT ) of shopping too. I digress. With the shopping out of the way it was time to eat. What else ? I’ve now got an appetite.

So it was back to Bourbon Street and the

for

a choice of

and

for Rose and

for me.

On the Saturday we hopped on a streetcar, paid our US$ 3 each and took the twenty odd minute ride to the National World War ll Museum .

Names of serving military engraved in pavement bricked leading to museum entrance.

For an entrance fee of US$ 28 – US$ 35 if you include watching the Beyond All Boundaries film (narrated by Tom Hanks) and you should include it – you get a tremendously informative and enjoyable experience. Rose and I were in there over four and a half hours and could have stayed longer. So much to see.

Boo.

Hurrah.

And another one.

Just to show you that I really did go there.

The next day we took to the Mississippi River for a cruise on the Natchez , the last authentic Steamboat on the river.

It rained. It was cold. But we still had a great time.

And then we got the stair-rods .

And then just as we were about to moor up the weather changed. For the better. It was still cold but the rain had stopped. Time to find somewhere warm.

A bar with a real fire.

I looked at Rose as she warmed herself up and then glanced outside and saw people huddled together in the bitterly cold wind and couldn’t stop myself (you know what’s coming don’t you ) as I said (I really can’t believe I’m about to type this ) “Baby, it’s cold outside “.

Our time in New Orleans quickly came to an end and it was time to head back home to San Pedro. The bummer was though that our first flight – New Orleans to Houston – had a departure time of 05.29 hours.

The corny headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1949 by Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark which reached number 4 on the Billboard Best Seller chart.

‘Rock the Boat’ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

On our first day back from our trip to New Orleans Rose and I received a really lovely invitation to be part of an event that we have been watchers of since its inception. The San Pedro Holiday Lighted Boat Parade. Only one answer. ” Yes please”.

So yesterday evening Rose, our friend Frank and myself got to the dock at Ramon’s Village Resort by 16.50 hours to meet the crew and our fellow seafarers.

Rose is the one in the middle.

Rayo, our Captain, in the yellow shirt.

Last minute attention to the Nativity scene.

Our sister boat from Ramon’s.

Our hosts Celi and Rick. They’re obviously camera shy !

And then it was time to head north. Destination Wayo’s .

From our great vantage point we able to quite close to the rest of the boats

And the viewing stations.

We , along with all the other participating boats, moored up on the Sandbar dock, went to the bar and waited expectantly for the judges decisions. We weren’t disappointment (well not too much) . The boat we were on came 4th but our sister boat won first prize.

The overall winner.

With huge amplifiers and a sound system on our upper deck we blasted out Christmas musical favourites the entire trip. Ramon’s truly did rock the boat .

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released in 1974 by The Hues Corporation which reached number 6 on the UK Singles chart and number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Tell It Like It Is “ when away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Now where were we ? Oh yes, I left you all after Rose and I had enjoyed a shucking good day two in New Orleans.

Day three proved to be just as enjoyable. No, that’s not true. It was more enjoyable.

I’d already made arrangements for our Thanksgiving Day evening entertainment so we decided that during the daytime we’d have a leisurely walk around and take in the sights, sounds and smells.

Now I didn’t go in here

or here

Although they did ask me !

A sad side of New Orleans. Well, anywhere for that matter.

And then a walk down to the Mississippi River.

as we meandered to The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk .

After a spot of shopping during which I had the temerity to tell Rose that a particular blouse she liked didn’t suit her – I’m a great believer that you need to tell it like it is – we took time out for a bite at New Orleans Creole Cookery for, you guessed it, some oysters.

Just enough time for half a dozen chilled on the half shell and half a dozen chargrilled before we had to head back to our hotel to get ready for the night’s entertainment.

A quick shower and change of clothes followed by a twenty minute walk and we were there.

The Mercedes Benz Superdome to watch the New Orleans Saints play the Atlanta Falcons. When I saw the stadium I almost uttered “This is awesome. You didn’t really believe that did you ?

We took our seats and watch the spectacle unfold.

The game started and noise was unbelievable. I’ve been to some noisy football ( soccer for non- UK readers – now wash your mouth out John ) stadiums in England but none of them came close with constant chanting of “Who dat” echoing around the stadium. With support like that the Falcons never stood a chance. They lost 31-17.

And so ends another thrilling installment. Watch out for the next (probably the last ) in the series.

Look closely to see watch the marching band spelt.

The headline for today’s edition is based on the song (one of my all time favourites ) released by Aaron Neville in 1966 which reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

‘The World is My Oyster’ away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

I know, I know. It’s been a while since I last produced an edition. A long while.

I’ve actually sat down to write something a few times. In fact each time we’ve been on holiday this year – London, Nashville and Cartagena- or family or friends have come to stay with us I’ve knocked a few paragraphs out but then lost the drive to finish what I started.

Well, Rose and I have just got back from a trip to New Orleans and I think the virtually exclusive diet of omega 3 ( more later) has had a substantial effect upon my energy levels. And appears – how long this may last I have no idea – to have instilled a degree of discipline into me again.

Anyway, back to our little trip away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

We narrowed it down that we would take our break in the United States. But where? Well, the place must have music and good food. How about New Orleans we thought, it had been twenty-five years since our last visit. Actually now I think about it , I thought of it and suggested it to Rose. She gave the ‘thumbs up’.

With the plan approved I set about making the arrangements. Flights booked with United Airlines- we are members of MileagePlus, it’s loyalty programme (program for non-UK readers) – and then I booked 7 nights at Homewood Suites by Hilton. A hotel conveniently located just 3 blocks away from Bourbon Street.

With our arrangements made I then booked Ziggy’s holiday. An 8 night stay (this made for a less busy outbound day for us) at his favourite (favorite for non- UK readers) hotel and spa on the island. Pampered Paws . Where else !

For the inquisitive amongst you (this presumes that someone has actually bothered to read this) we caught the 11.00 hours Tropic Air flight to the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport where we connected with the United Airlines 13.14 hours flight to Houston where – after a bite to eat and something to drink – we caught the United Airlines 18.39 hours flight to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Upon landing we collected our suitcases fairly quickly, caught a taxi and were in our hotel room at 20.30 hours. And just forty-five minutes later we were in a bar in Bourbon Street!

The next day after eating breakfast -nothing like the view I usually enjoy at – Estel’s Dine By the Sea – we took the bus (US$ 3 each for unlimited travel) to the nearest Walmart. It had to be done so my view was to get it out of the way early and then start enjoying ourselves !

It wasn’t too painful and we completed the mission within a couple of hours and amongst our purchases we got enough Dentastix to last Ziggy half a year.

A joyous Ziggy guarding his ‘stuff’ on our return.

With the horrible shopping out of the way it was time to ‘hit’ the French Quarter for a shucking good time!

“They need a good shucking”.

Meet Lorenzo and

just look

and see how he shucks!

And for only US$ 13.50 for a dozen. At that price the world is my oyster !

Today’s headline is based on the second track on side one of the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome released in 1984 by Frankie Goes to Hollywood which reached number 33 on the US Billboard 200 and number 1 on the UK Albums Chart .

For another shucking good read keep your InBox open.

“Lovely Day” off the coast of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

I know , I know. It’s been awhile. A long while. Since I’ve written an edition , that is. I’ve had the urge (who hasn’t from time to time) to knock one out but then the feeling has just as quickly passed only to be replaced by my alter ego, Mr Lackadaisical .

But there are still some things that can re-energise my creative juices (just humour me please ) and yesterday I was fortunate to experience such a catalyst.

What could it have been, you’re thinking. You weren’t ? Well, why not! Oh. You knew I was going to tell you anyway. OK, so I shall.

Every year in Belize a Reef Week is held. Reef Week promotes , and has as its goal, sustainability within the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef . Events are held throughout Belize including one that for the last few years I have wanted to attend. The Lionfish Tournament and Cook Off.

Actually I attended part of it last year – when the divers come ashore with their catches – as a guest for the Cook Off at Estel’s Dine By the Sea. But I’ve really wanted to accompany a team of spear divers and last Friday I got my wish when Dylan (Rose’s nephew who is staying with us for a couple of weeks ) and I were kindly allowed to go out with the team representing Ramon’s Village Divers .

It meant an early start but , as longtime readers will know , I’m an early riser and I still had time to enjoy a mug of coffee – instant, black and unsweetened- on the veranda – the western, lagoon facing one – before Dylan and I set off for ‘Town for our 05.45 hours ‘appointment ‘ at Ramon’s Village Resort’s dock.

When we arrived the team were already there and preparing for the tournament. We boarded our boat just in time to see a group of divers set of for the Blue Hole.

Embarking on the long trip to the Blue Hole.

Next to go was us but not before we’d stored our gear.

“Get the beer in the cool box Dylan”.

“Goodbye San Pedro”.

We headed south for over an hour and then the guys started to get ready for their first dive.

Rolando aka Rayo.

Chris chooses his spear for the first dive.

And away they go!

And then it was time for Edgar and Johnny.

Johnny about to submerge.

Edgar joins him.

Around an hour later Rayo and Chris ascended with their catch.

Not as many as we had expected. But Rick (Rick is the Manager of Ramon’s Village Divers ) pointed out that we should take this as a positive sign. I didn’t understand what he meant and the expression on my face must have conveyed this because Rick then explained that a small catch tends to indicate that the constant (most dive operators take the opportunity to catch Lionfish on every dive ) culling is having a positive effect.

Edgar and Johnny broke surface around 10 minutes later with their catches.

With the team back onboard for surface interval time the fishing rods came out.

And Rick got a go too!

And he showed his ‘boys’ how it is done !

Dylan then had his first stab at sea fishing.

Taking advice from Rick.

And he’s hooked one.

Doesn’t he look pleased with himself.

For each of the guys’ remains three dives we moved position getting ever closer to the Reef.

Low tide and the Reef is exposed.

Just look at the happiness on Chris’ face.

With the final dive the guys took the total of Lionfish caught up to one hundred and thoughts now turned to the next stage. The filleting contest.

Rayo honing his knife for action watched upon by Joshua our boat Captain (taking a well earned break ) for the day.

When we got to Estel’s – this is where the judging and filleting contest takes place – it became obvious that we were not going to finish in first place.

The Amigos Del Mar Dive Shop haul.

We found out later that the Amigos’ dive team only took three dives to rid the sea of these predators. Four hundred and fifteen of them! Each diver spearing aa average of a whopping thirty-four Lionfish on each dive.

We (see how I cleverly included myself in the team) didn’t spear the most but did catch the biggest.

Well done Rayo, Chris, Edgar, Johnny and Joshua. Third biggest catch and biggest fish. And well done to the other teams too.

And thank you Rick for a lovely day .

Note to self : learn to spearfish without spearing myself !

Oh, the headline for today’s edition is based on the single released by Bill Withers in 1977 which reached number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

“Gates of Tomorrow” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

You build a house anywhere in the world it will need remedial work over time. In Belize – and I can only really talk about Ambergris Caye – this remedial work occurs more often. The sun and salty air wreak havoc on external elements of the house (and inside for that matter) . What started out as lovely dark red mahogany entrance doors ( that’s what we started out with) very quickly become bleached and peeling. Not an attractive sight. A bit like someone who has been sunbathing too much and losing all that dead skin ! Hopefully you’re not reading this while eating . If you are, then sorry, switch off now and come back ( please come back ) later.

The rainy season fills up your rainwater collection system ( we live off- grid and collect our own water) but it also ‘washes’ away your garden. It sinks. It rains again, and deep pools of water form. Great for the mosquitos but …

Those lovely plycem ceilings over the verandas start to look very tired. The joints between the boards start to open up. The paint starts to fall away. What was once (and for us it’s only 4 years ago that we moved in) that pristine new home starts to look tired and a little disheveled.

Now I’ve never, ever been good at DIY , not that I’ve really put a great deal of effort or time trying to be, but I’m not bad at planning and organising things. So, with a couple of early mornings out on the veranda (the western, lagoon facing one) with a mug of coffee (instant, black, unsweetened ) it was time to start pondering. Comes easy to me, I’m one of life’s great ponderers !

Make a list first. Not a real list. I’m not really a written list person. Oh no, a mental list. The memory is still good – I think – so give it some practice.

Five of the six external doors ( the Pump room door away from sunlight and wth a level of protection from the sea air has fared quire well) were looking very ‘tired’. Time to get them stripped, restained and varnished. Now who to do it? Ponder John, ponder. The answer is there. Moses.

Four years ago a younger Moses ( on the right) installing our kitchen cabinetry.

I pondered some more and then it hit me ( not literally of course). Move the front gate !

Move it where you’re thinking. You are, aren’t you.

Well when we had the gate installed the road – well more oft times more than not a muddy, potholed dirt track- was relatively quite. But since our house was built in Tres Cocos and major development has taken place, the road has got busier and busier. So what’s the problem ? Well, when pulling into the house the majority of the golf cart was in the road and remained a road blockage until I unlocked the gate and drove the ‘cart into the garden (yard for North American readers).

So the result of my pondering was move the gate 16 feet into the garden. Clever right ! These would be our gates of tomorrow ! Wish I could claim the credit but I can’t , it was Rose’s idea ( she ponders sometimes too). My pondering just reminded me of it.

When to get the work undertaken ? Time for a ponder . The Christmas and New Year period . Stupid, you’re thinking. You are, aren’t you ?

Well it’s not so stupid. Construction sites shut down during this period and everyone likes a bit more money. So there’s a plentiful labour force and you can usually choose who you want. And I wanted Moses. So I made the call and I’m pleased to say that he and his business partner Fred were up for it.

Moses with the nearly finished original gate four years ago.

Original gate pre-concrete road. Note it’s proximity to the road.

New off-road gate .

And note the signage

At entrance to off-road area.

Pride of place on the front gate.

Fred proudly trying out the newly positioned gate to make sure that it worked before creating

our very own speed bump.

Yes, I got impatient and went out before it had set. I can now ponder on that every time I drive in and out !

In between making the the fence sections Moses and Fred set to work on the doors. Two at a time. Taking them away and a few days later bringing them back to me and to to ‘life’.

Looking beautiful again.

Also on my ponder ‘list’ was to get our lot next to our house cleaned up. Oh, and our garden too. Lloyd aka Flaco ,although I think he gained the nickname long before he started gaining weight , was just the man for this job.

Vacant lot post Lloyd and his team of Ian and Dave.

Eastern section.

Western section.

And then it was time for our garden.

“Good job Lloyd”.

While all this was going on Nicholas, ably assisted by his brother Angel and Julio, set to on the external ceilings.

Tired, peeling joints. I’m talking about between the plycem boards, not an old reefer !

The first task for the terrific three was to remove the old filler. Very time consuming and dusty work ( yes, they all wore masks and glasses).

And when enough joints had been cleaned out Nicholas set about on the equally time consuming job of filling them again. This time around with a first stage mix of adhesive and grout. Followed up with tape and then finished off with the adhesive and grout mix.

A poor picture of Nicholas applying the magical (we hope) mix.

After sanding down the joints it was then time to apply a first coat of paint.

This job still has around a week to go ( the guys are back at work now but are completing it of an evening after that have finished their day jobs. Who said Belizeans are lazy !) but we can already see the improvement. And the care and attention that Nicholas brings to any job he undertakes.

So what was I doing why all this work was taking place, you’re thinking. Why, I was pondering of course !

The headline for this edition is based on track 6 of Iron Maiden’s Dance of Death album which was released in 2002 and reached number 2 on the UK’s Official Album Chart and number 18 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

“Hot Dog” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Hi, Ziggy here.

I know, I know, it’s been an absolute age since I last managed to get my paws on John’s iPad.

Since he stupidly shattered his wrist he’s been spending hours with it in his hands (the iPad, not his now repairing wrist) because he’s ((as he repeatedly (some may say whiningly) points out)) unable do a lot of the chores that he did before the accident. My Mum Rose has been marvellous though, she’s not only done the stuff she normally does but most of the stuff that he (or so he said) used to do.

I’m pleased to report though that he’s slowly but surely getting the use of it back although I know I’ve still got to be careful and not jump on his arm or run into it.

A short while ago I celebrated my 5th birthday which roughly coincided with my 3rd anniversary of being adopted by Rose and John. I know, I know, doesn’t time fly by.

I’ve still got my job as Head of Security for Highbury House which, to be honest, is now a bit of a doddle. The occasional patrol of the grounds (sounds a lot grander than run around the garden, doesn’t it), bark at any bikes that go by, jump at the gate and bark before I verify their credentials and go to the gate and greet Rose and John whenever they return home. As I said, it’s a doddle.

On sentry duty at the front gate.

The payment package is good too. Endless places to sleep:

I am partial to the western, lagoon facing, veranda ( as is John, by the way ). A great place to catch the breeze.

My bed obviously.

I quite like the cooling effect of the floor tiles too.

And there’s so much of it to sleep on.

I can sleep in the toilet (restroom for non UK readers) if I want to.

Or sleep near John when he takes one of his (many) naps.

Or snuggle down next to Rose when she takes one of her very infrequent (she works so hard) 30 winks (told you she works hard, he has 40!).

Or get Rose to take my bed outside so I can be really comfortable.

It’s a big bed

so there’s always room for Rose. Have I mentioned that I really, really like her.

What’s not to like (love) !

Remuneration also includes all meals and as many treats as I can coerce out of Rose (you know the drill, wag my tail, smile at her, put my head in her lap. They all work. I’ve just got to remember to mix them up a bit)and a dental stick every day to keep the old pearly whites in tip-top condition. I’ve also got a medical package that provides preventative care to make sure I don’t get fleas or ticks or heartworm ( sounds ghastly, doesn’t it).

Then there’s the grooming element of my ‘salary’ package , the deluxe shampoo (no haircut because Rose prefers me to keep it long) at the Pampered Paws spa.

Oh, and a lifetime membership of a huge gymnasium (otherwise referred to as ‘the garden) where I can chase iguanas all day long . I’ve just got to remember not to catch them. They taste horrible and make me sick.

And if that wasn’t enough I also get free holidays when I get to stay at the fantastic 5 Paws Hotel Pampered Paws where I get to meet up with my old friends and, if I’m lucky – and I usually am -make new ones.

At a recent stay at my favourite resort taking an early morning stroll. I’m the exceptionally good looking ‘boy’ on the right .One hot dog !

I have a great time on holiday and I normally get to take 2 or 3 a year. Spoilt ? Maybe. But like L’Oréal, I’m worth it . And Rose always brings me back a present or two.

Rose bought these for me when she and John were recently in Nicaragua. I much prefer the real thing but these are great fun too.

Anyway, got to dash. John’s moaning about not being able to find his iPad . Maybe when they next go away they’ll get one just for me.

The headline for today’s (much awaited) edition is based on track 4 of side 1 of In Through the Out Door, the album released by Led Zepplin in 1979 which reached number 1 on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard Hot 200.

“Don’t Get Me Wrong ” when away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Now where was I ? Oh, that’s right, in a taxi in Nicaragua heading from Léon to Granada.

We’d been told that the taxi ride would take around 90 minutes but this proved to be far from accurate. It actually took around 130 minutes, but there’s no doubt that the heavy rain that we experienced for a good part of the journey did slow things somewhat.

The time passed quickly though (what an inane comment that is ie time is time ) because there was lots to see as we passed through village after village, most of them serving farming communities.

We knew that we were nearly there when in front of us we saw the Horse Carriage Monument . I’d love to be able to include a photo but we were moving too fast. Or did I move too slow ? Now I know that I’m a little ( massive understatement here) biased but I think it was the former.

By the time I’d put the camera away ( and I was quick, honest ) we were there, in front of our hotel, Hotel Plaza Colon .

A quick sign in at Reception

but our room wasn’t ready so they gave us a welcome drink ( I had a mojito if you’ve really got to know ) but before I’d had a chance to finish mine (I drink slowly too) we were told that the room preparation had been completed. And in a couple of slugs and maybe a slurp or two we were in it. And very nice it was too.

And close at hand was the pool and the terrace where breakfast is taken .

Quickly unpacking we then freshened-up and it was time to hit the streets ( or calles for the linguistically minded) and there was one street in particular that we just had to visit.

A bit of class in Granada. And the street name is classy too !

Apologies for lowering the standard but it just HAD to be done.

Now what follows covers our 5 days in the charming city of Granada ( I’m really far to lazy to stretch this out over a couple of editions. I could but … ).

A visit to the local market.(Mercado Municipal ) where a throng of people vied with each – to the extent that there was a deal of pushing and shoving – other to pick up the day’s bargains.

Walking the streets and being enchanted ( a bit over the top ? ) by the brightly coloured and sometimes very ornate buildings.

Sitting in the plaza and just people watching (we all do it !) .

Preparing for a day of selling. Hopefully !

If you’ve got a drum you’ve got to use it .

The brightly coloured carriages .

We always though found time for a

Yes, it’s a mojito. I’d got the taste by now !

On another day we took a day trip to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.

A fun ride on the better class of bus. Twenty-six miles and all for US$ 1 .

At every bus stop the conductor got out to try to drum up trade. I assume he was on commission.

“There’s got to be a customer somewhere”.

And he’s snagged another one !

A walk around the artisan market.

We just had to go into the only

in Nicaragua. But we passed on

and on this one too .And instead settled for

Plantain with grilled cheese with a couple of beers. How much , you ask. US$ 4.50!

And then it was time to head back to Granada via the bus station.

A very busy bus station where vendors were jumping on every departing bus

to ply their wares.

It was a bus station like I’d never seen or experienced before with its own market and loads of eateries as well.

Amongst the 100s of buses (OK a bit of an exaggeration but there were a lot ) we found our one – not too difficult really with it having Granada emblazoned across the front – found 2 seats and paid the equivalent of US$ 0.50 each and settled down for the journey ‘home’.

Now don’t get me wrong , I enjoyed the bus journeys but give me a taxi anytime .

Most evenings we took the short stroll to Calle La Libertad, a street that’s lined either side with restaurants and bars, and some that are both.

Rose in the distance sitting at our table waiting patiently for me to stop playing around with my camera.

After 5 fun filled days and nights it was time to leave Nicaragua. Or so we thought. We got to Augusto C. Sandino International Airport , went straight to the Avianca check in desk , presented our documents only to be told our flight to San Salvador had been cancelled. So they put us up in a hotel nearby (arranging transport for us), fed us and we caught the 06.30 hours flight the next morning and we’re back home on Ambergris Caye by 17.00 hours .

The headline for today’s edition is based on the single released by The Pretenders in 1986 which reached number 10 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the U.K. Singles Chart .

“Whatcha Gonna Do About It” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Before we set off for a short trip to Nicaragua (some editions about this will follow in the very near future) I sat out on the veranda, the western, lagoon facing, one for a good few mornings with a mug of black coffee – instant and unsweetened – contemplating what I could arrange for Rose’s upcoming birthday.

Now I could have taken the very easy and lazy route (something that I’m normally quite adroit at) and said that the Nicaraguan holiday was an early birthday present. But no, I was not going to do that.

I contemplated some more. I could have pondered (I’m good at that too) but this matter needed serious thought and attention.

Morning after morning I supped my coffee and contemplated. I found myself talking to myself. “Whatcha gonna do about it?” I asked myself (just lately I’ve found that I talk to myself quite a lot). “I really don’t know”, I replied. And then, from nowhere, the inspiration came. A sunset cruise on Seduced By Belize‘s “SEA’S d Day, a 58 feet houseboat equipped with everything one could want for a meander around the lagoon side of Ambergris Caye.

So I had the date. I had the theme for the evening. It just needed close friends to make the occasion as special as I could for Rose. Five messages/texts later and the guest list was complete. Just the birthday cake to organise and a stop at Casa Pan Dulce on the way home from breakfast at Estel’s Dine By the Sea one morning knocked that one off the list and everything was organised before we set off for the trip to Nicaragua.

When we got back from our trip I told Rose that I’d booked 2 tickets on a sunset cruise to celebrate her birthday but I didn’t mention that we would share the evening with some close friends. And that’s the way it remained until we turned up at Seduced By Belize’s dock and two by two the guests turned up. And then the penny dropped .

We boarded the boat and were greeted by Elito, the owner of the tour company. Elito is an all-round nice guy apart from being a Manchester City fan. But I forgive him for that. At least it’s not Manchester United.

We climbed the spiral staircase to reach the huge upper deck where Elito introduced us to his team. Edwin aka “Fish, we already knew, but there was also Daisy and Monique to look after our every need. And they did straight away with mojitos, rum punch or beer!

We took our seats and took in the views as SEA’S d Day moved slowly away from the dock

Birthday “girl” Rose waiting for her drink to arrive.

“She’s happy now she’s got a drink”.

Renae and Dave getting “loved up”.

And the ‘Runway bar’s “boys”

with their (much) better halves.

We hadn’t been moving for too long before Rose decided that because it was her birthday she was going to take over Captain’s duties.

Fortunately Elito moved exceptionally fast and SAVED d Day (yes, it’s terrible) and with a bit of persuasion (we promised her another beer) we got Rose to the right side of the bar.