“Like a Virgin” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

If I may use the term loosely (and I mean VERY loosely) I’ve been suffering from writer’s block recently.

I’ve still been spending my early morning quality ‘me time’ out on the veranda, the western, lagoon facing one with a mug of black (instant) coffee and the iPad. Clothed appropriately – because the mornings (and evenings too for that matter) have been, to say the least, a little chilly- in a sweat top. But , try as I might, I couldn’t think of anything to write about that had a semblance of reason (( I know, I know that most of what I write could be described as the ramblings of a troubled mind but I do like to think (misguidedly perhaps) that somewhere within an edition is a theme)).

Struggling to come up with something to write about I thought a change of vista might unlock that stream of thought so I headed off to Estel’s Dine By the Sea for breakfast. Hopefully you’re now starting to understand and appreciate the sacrifices I’m prepared to make to get an edition out!

I’m not far away from being a martyr to the cause!

The breakfast and the view were both as good as they always are but neither proved to be the stimulus that I needed. I was ready to concede defeat – oh how easily I give in now! But when I got home and opened the front gate it hit me. No not the gate, but an idea for an edition. I looked south and there it was.

Placards displaying the beaming and confident face of the incumbent ‘UDP‘Mayor, Daniel (‘Danny’) Guerrero.

With only just over a month to go (March 4) until the municipal elections the propaganda campaigns by both parties, the other party being ‘PUP‘ are well and truly underway with signage promoting one or other of the two parties (sometimes both) on virtually every street on the island.

‘PUP’ has gone on the offensive with some rather aggressive placards that pose questions of the opposition. With many of these boards placed immediately beneath the ‘UDP’ publicity material.

And the first banner I’ve sighted for PUP’s Mayoral candidate Doctor Giovanni Solorzano.

So why would some political banners get me thinking about an edition you’re thinking. Simple really. Having registered to vote (as a member of the British Commonwealth) and been issued with my voter’s I.D. Card

I’ve been waiting patiently to be wooed. Obviously being the age I am I’m more than used to the electioneering process in Britain and the way the political parties campaign for votes. But Belize? Well, if you think about it I’m a complete novice. One might even a bit like a virgin.

The headline for today’s edition is based on (surprise, surprise) the single released in 1984 by Madonna which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the UK Singles Chart.

Oh, and before I forget, if you’re thinking of buying property in Belize then please do give Pelican Properties Limited/Belize Real Estate Limited the chance to help you find what you’re looking for. Please – my future prosperity might depend on it!

“First Time for Everything” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

It will seventeen years this year since Rose and I first ‘found’ San Pedro and in all that time we’ve never been to a Jerry Jeff Walker Pickin Party. These Pickin Parties are organised by the ardent and loyal Jerry Jeff Walker fans that follow him here to Belize for the concerts he gives annually. It’s quite amazing really that we’ve never been to one when you consider that he first started his musical visits here shortly after our first visit.

Now I don’t know when the Pickin Parties started (and quite honestly I really can’t be bothered to spend an inordinate amount of time on the Internet trying to ascertain this information) but I’m pretty confident that they’ve been ‘going on’ for quite some considerable time.

Part of the reason may be that I’m not a big fan of Country Music. I don’t dislike it but it’s not my style of music of choice. Let’s put it this way, if there was a juke box with only ten songs on it and nine of them were Country then I’d probably choose the one that wasn’t. That is unless it was Heavy Metal or Punk. Get the drift.

I can’t say the same for Rose though. She is a big, and I mean BIG, Country Music fan. Remember she’s Irish (born there and not claiming heritage from a forbear from three of four generations ago) and the Irish (yes I am type casting) generally love Country Music.

Although it’s not my favourite genre of music I’ve actually been to Nashville twice and on both occasions have gone with Rose (well I wouldn’t have gone on my own) to the Grand Ole Opry and have actually stood on the stage so going to a Pickin Party with Rose didn’t seem like such a tremendous sacrifice for me to make. And anyway you’re hearing generally deteriorates the older you get!

So on Thursday,after a hearty breakfast at Estel’s Dine By the Sea and running a few errands in ‘Town , I returned home (enjoying the paved road right to my front gate) and waited for Rose to get ready (I do this quite a lot by the way) and eventually (and I mean EVENTUALLY) we set off for the Pickin Party that was being held at Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar & Grill stopping on the way to pick up faithful, long time, long term island visitors Melissa and Ken.

We all got there shortly after 13.00 hours and the place was already busy

and they hadn’t even finished setting up the stage.

Rose and I grabbed places at the filling up bar

Rose is the one with the long hair!
(Photo courtesy of Melissa Fellure – thank you Melissa)

and settled down – with the assistance of a Belikin or three – to enjoy the music.

The enthusiasm of the musicians was there to see and the large audience rapturously applauded every song.

Rose and I, like everyone else there, had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Just goes to show that there’s a first time for everything!

Oh, before I bring today’s edition to an end it’s time for that not so subtle reminder. If your thinking of buying property in Belize do then do please give Pelican Properties Limited/Belize Real Estate Limited the chance to help you find what you are looking for.

The headline for today’s edition is based on the single released in 1992 by Little Texas which reached number thirteen on the Hot Country Songs chart.

“Breakfast in Bed” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Ever feel like you’ve done twelve rounds with Rocky Marciano? Or like someone has jumped up and down repeatedly on your kidneys? No. Well that’s how I have felt for around the last nine or ten days.

Regular readers will know that a few weeks ago I contracted an ear infection that appeared to ‘hang around’ for what seemed like an age. Well I eventually managed to clear that up and was starting to feel like my usual self when, blow me down with a feather (and you probably could have done, I felt so weak) I managed to catch a cold. But not your run of the mill cold. Oh no, that just wasn’t good enough for me. I ‘went’ for one that appeared to affect every part of my body.

I had the head cold that gave me that blocked up feeling. It ran across my chest and, not content with that, took over my back to produce that ‘beaten up boxer’ feeing. And ,as Aussies say , I generally felt “crock”.

I’m sure that someone in my distant past had told me that you need to feed a cold. So I followed their advice and made sure that every day (aside from Tuesday of course) during my illness I went to Estel’s Dine By the Sea for breakfast! C’mon, I was following medical advice! What I really could have done with though is for Estel’s to offer a delivery service. Why? Well then I could have had breakfast in bed!

I’ve got to be honest though and admit that this course of action didn’t shift it quick enough (well quick enough for an impatient patient like me anyway) and I had to resort to some medication and a couple of daytime extended periods in bed.

I wasn’t incapacitated though. It was only a cold after all. And I’m so pleased that I wasn’t because I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of some really nice people.

First up was Jay. Now I think Jay ‘found’ me via the postings of my blog that I put on Facebook. Jay is currently having his house built and moves here permanently this year when he will open Stella’s Smile, a wine bar and cafe quite close to the Palapa Bar turn-off. It was a pleasure meeting Jay. Even before he paid for my breakfast!

Rose and I then had the delight of meeting Nova and Kevin, a couple from Canada (well Kevin actually originates from South Africa) who have bought land here and are now working on their five year plan for a permanent move. Nova is a long time reader of this blog and I’m so pleased that she and Kevin introduced themselves to Rose and me.

We then met Jackie and Roy. I ‘came across’ Roy purely by chance. He’d posed a question via a Facebook group and I was one of many that gave an opinion . He was looking for suggestions for bars and restaurants to go to when he arrived back (he last visited thirty-five years ago when serving here as a member of the British Army) on the island.

I suggested a number of places and Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar & Grill was amongst them and that’s exactly where we met them when Roy came over and introduced himself. It was the start of a nightly occurrence until they left six days later.

Roy’s first sighting of me. Behind a bottle of Belikin!

They enjoyed themselves so much that they plan on coming back in October. No thirty-five year gap this time around!

From left to right: me ( with the sweat top, I had a bad cold remember), Roy, Rose and Jackie.

Now in the last edition (yes, I know it was an age ago) I left you on tenterhooks as to whether we ever would get a paved road in front of our house. Well after in a lapse of around five days (waiting for materials we understand) work recommenced when they started to put the plastic sheeting and rebar in place.

And then last night shortly after the sun went down for the day they started to pour the cement.

And when I got up this morning and opened the front gate there it was –

a lovely, lovely new road.

This makes north Ambergris Caye so much more accessible. And don’t forget that if you’re thinking of buying property in Belize do please give Pelican Properties Limited/ Belize Real Estate Limited the opportunity of helping you find what you are looking for.

Oh and don’t forget, if you see me at Estel’s or across a crowded bar then do please come up and say “hello”.

The headline for today’s (much awaited) edition is based on the single released in 1988 by UB40 (featuring Chrissie Hynde) which reached number six on the UK Singles Charts.

“She’s Leaving Home” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Since moving here to Ambergris Caye, Belize in May 2012 ,and especially since I started this blog, I have been asked innumerable times ” So what do you miss from home” (‘home’ being the UK)?

I’ve nearly always responded with ” Not a lot actually”. I miss my family and friends and I sometimes think about how nice (what a weak and bland word that is) it would be to be able to go to the shops and buy whatever you need. However as we approach our third year here I now know that what you think you need is actually better described as what you want. And, what you want is not always what you need!

After a while here you get used to ‘this’ or ‘that’ not being available. It’s not terribly uncommon to find that carrots or potatoes are available, let alone more ‘exotic’ vegetables or fruits, anywhere on the island. It’s no big deal though, you just see what is available and adapt (well Rose does as far as preparing and cooking it and I do my ‘bit’ when I eat it!).

This acceptance though doesn’t stop you from occasionally hankering after something that you just know that you can’t get in Belize, let alone the island.

My last hanker ( sounds rude doesn’t it or something that the New Zealand rugby team might do) was around nine to ten weeks ago when I started to think dreamily of English toffee. Creamy English toffee that is.

I cast these evil thoughts aside but they were reawakened five weeks back when a friend told me that he was going back to England and then asked me if I wanted anything brought back. My initial response was that he should use the spare space he had within his baggage allowance for stuff that he wanted. But he insisted that he had space. So what could I do … Yep. Toffee. Oh, and some stock for Rose (and me of course). And , not forgetting Rose, some almonds.

He got back in to Belize last week and came to stay with us for the New Year break and below is what he brought with him.

I asked for toffee but I didn’t expect nearly five pounds of it. And two boxes of Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts ( I’d opened one by the time I took the photo!). I reckon that they’ll probably last me for between six to nine months. And you know what. I’ve not opened a bag of toffee yet!

Anyway, enough of my fixation with toffee. What else have I been doing? Trawling the Internet looking for flights to the UK. Why? No, not for the next toffee run! For Rose, that’s why. She’s leaving home in February to go back to her family.

Changng subjects ((regular readers will know that I rarely, if ever, do this type of thing (sic))I’ve heard that the bar in Boca Del Rio that started life as Dreddy’s ( he of Cholo’s ‘fame’) will be opening at the end of the month as ‘ Double D’s’.

Still a lot to do but I’m reliably informed ( the new owners no less) that not long after opening it will have a fully operational kitchen so that the offering will include food.

I’ll provide updates on progress but remember, ” You read it here first”.

Now this new bar should benefit from the new hotel that’s being built just across the road ( I told you about this new development last November).

If you didn’t read that edition ( why on earth not!) the new hotel is very close to the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge and will overlook the basketball court in Boca Del Rio. Oh, and it will also ‘look out’ on to the Caribbean Sea.

Work on it appears to be progressing well.

(Photos especially for you Robert!).

Now going completely off subject (who me!) I’ve been asked recently to include more photos of Ziggy. So here goes.

‘Mommy’ and ‘son’ shot. Told you he really, really likes Rose!

By the way don’t despair, I’ve still found time to enjoy my early morning ‘me time’ out on the veranda – yep, the western, lagoon facing one, with a mug of black coffee and my iPad.

Now for another totally unconnected subject. If you’re thinking of buying property in Belize then please don’t forget to give the team at Pelican Properties Limited/Belize Real Estate Limited the chance to help you to realise your dream. I need to get the money to book the return ticket for Rose!

The headline for today’s (bit of a non-event) edition is based on the sixth track of side one of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band, the album released by The Beatles in 1967 which reached number one on the US Billboard Top LPs and the UK Albums Chart.