Free airline miles...

Anybody who has looked at any of my blogs in the last couple of months has seen a link to the Travel Hacker Cartel web site. Their claim of earning a plane ticket every three months sounds like a pretty strong come-on, but I tried it out and it works!

The concept is simple – take advantage of offers to earn airline miles from credit card companies and others that want your business. To earn enough miles on a regular basis requires that you “churn” credit cards. For example, I just applied for a US Airways credit card through Barclays and was approved instantly. As a result, I earned 30,000 US Airways Dividend Miles and if I do a balance transfer, I can earn an additional mile for each dollar transferred, up to 10,000 miles. Once I have used the card and met all the qualifications, I will close the card and open one somewhere else to earn a new bonus. Simple.

Obviously this requires keeping track of the cards you have and knowing a little about how credit works. I never carry a balance on my cards; always pay on time and have worked hard at keeping a high FICO score. American Airlines is my airline of choice and I have had a Citibank AAdvantage card for nearly 20 years. It occurred to me that I really should cancel it, wait six months and apply for another so I can earn the 30,000 to 60,000 bump that is regularly available.

Another great offer was through SunTrust Bank. This one is great because you don’t have to have great credit to get it. Open a checking account online and use your debit card within the first 30 days to get 15,000 Delta SkyMiles. Set up a direct deposit and earn an additional 15,000 miles. It doesn’t get any easier than this! In fact, this is the second time I have done this deal through SunTrust. I kept the last account for seven months and then closed it. Eight months later I opened a new account when the offer came around again.

Depending on your financial situation, there are tons of offers out there you can leverage to build your frequent flyer program balances. I went to the AAdvantage website and found out I could earn 25,000 miles for opening a Fidelity brokerage account. If you have money that is not invested, you’re earning between 0.1% and .5% on your savings or CD. Moving the money to use as a qualifying balance for a checking account or, in this case, a brokerage account gets you a free trip instead of $1.78 interest each month. That’s a pretty easy decision to make as far as I’m concerned.

The Travel Hacker site is great because it not only lists offers as they come available, but there are tutorials on understanding the process and how to get the most out of the frequent flyer miles you earn.

I have a lot of travel experience, but I have learned more from the Travel Hacker Cartel than I thought possible. More to come on earning and spending frequent flyer points. In the meantime, click on the link at the top right of this page and get started earning free airfare!!!

I realize this is a departure from the information related to my Panama trip, so for my additional comments and tips for earning airline miles, please go to my other blog, Brian's New Home.

My final days in San Pedro...

Sunday morning I slept in a bit and had the Belizean breakfast at El Divino, the wonderful on-site restaurant at Banana Beach.  It was a simple but delicious meal of black bean mash, watermelon, eggs, fry jacks, orange juice and dark Belize coffee.   Mike was originally supposed to meet me at 10:00 but emailed me that he was running late so I went for a swim in the warm Caribbean and just laid on a lounge chair looking out over the sea and the waves breaking on reef in a white, frothy line about three-quarters mile off shore.  The beach at Banana Beach is much better than I remembered.  Yes, there is turtle grass in places but the dock for the hotel next door (Mata Rocks Resort) is easily accessible and runs about 80 feet into the ocean.  It was a very pleasant time just soaking in the ambience of the ocean lapping against the sea  wall.

The Cloisters and golf cart parking lot

Mike showed up at 11:00 and we spent a relaxing afternoon with no real plan in mind other than to wander the North end on the other side of the bridge and stopping many places for a beer (so much Belikin and so little time).   First stop was a beach bar before you reach the bridge.  Mike introduced me to the proprietor  and we spent some time talking about the general state of real estate on Ambergris Caye.  Once we hit the road our first stop was at the Cloisters where Mike lives and, of course, had to get another beer  at the Funky Monkey Bar and Grill.  The Cloisters is fairly new and needs some landscaping, but the units themselves look nice and appear to be of quality construction.

Next stop was Captain Morgan's, which I was curious about because they routinely have units for sale.  It is a nice property and very large.  Parts of the resort are probably in the neighborhood of 20 years old and they are still building.  There were a fair number of folks in the pool and at the bar.  We went into their little casino where they have a good variety of table games and slots.  There was not a lot of action going on but it was in the middle of the day on a Sunday so I was not expecting large crowds of people fighting for the chance to throw money away. 

Yeah... It would be tough to look at this every day.

Finally, we got to Coco Beach Resort.  Mike and his partner  Daniel Hartin have an office at Coco Beach (the ReMax Property Center)  and are the official agents for the property.  This is a high end property built by developers who know quality.  The bar staff are great (yes, we had another beer or two) and the new three-level restaurant that is nearing completion is gorgeous.  The units have custom-made Belize mahogany cabinetry and plans that make good use of light and high ceilings.   A lot of the landscaping is in place and I look forward to seeing the resort in a year or so… plants grow so quickly in the tropics that I imagine it will have a whole new feel to it when I go back.

All good days must come to an end and after Mike dropped me off back at the Banana Beach, I took a dip in the pool and then walked towards town to have dinner at  the Blue Water Grill.  I had an excellent grilled grouper with sauce of sautéed tropical fruit that was out of this world. 

On Monday I again walked into town and had breakfast at a Cuban place, mainly for the coffee.  The breakfast was just OK and was overpriced.  But that's what you get in the center of town.  I had fun feeding the resident iguana who was partial to watermelon and bits of toast.  I walked around town to check out the signs in the banks -- all of which confirmed that they were closed for Pan-American day but would be open tomorrow.  Back to Banana Beach for some time on the beach.  I caught a nap between beers and listened to the breeze rustling through the palm fronds.  After a suitable chill out period I rented a golf cart and headed to the South end.  Last time I was there I walked quite a ways south, but having a cart made it possible to cover a long distance in a short time.  The roads in the South are in much better shape than the North. 

A croc in the lagoon south of San Pedro.

I continued past condo developments like La Brisas, Hol Chan Reef Resort and Miramar Villas until I just couldn't go any further without a swamp boat.  There are quite a few nice single family homes in the South and many small condo projects with 4-8 units. 

Tuesday  morning finally arrived.  I checked out of Banana Beach and had myself dropped off at Scotia Bank at 8:15.  The young lady at the desk had no clue I was arriving but didn't let that fluster her.  She got ahold of my contact in Belize City and we got the paperwork done so it can all be forwarded to the Central Bank for review.  The main thing was getting the signature card done because that had to be signed in front of witnesses in a branch location.  With the business part of the trip finally done, I dropped my bag at Tropic Air across the street and set out for a last hour of exploring.  Although I did not go in, I noticed that there is a big store aimed at the hotel and restaurant business.  I'm sure many good things can be had there.  I also stopped by British Caribbean Bank and Belize Bank just to pick up brochures and business cards -- just in case.

My flight to Belize City was uneventful and I bought the obligatory trinkets with the last of my Belize dollars.  I finally arrived home in St. Petersburg around 11:00 p.m. to a band of hungry cats who welcomed me home.

My weekend trip to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize

Here is a run-down on my quickie trip to Belize.

Saturday:  I got up at the ungodly hour of 3:30 am to catch my 6:00 am flight on Delta to Atlanta and then on to Belize.  As usual, Delta found a way to screw things up.

If you print your boarding pass at home the night before departure and there is an equipment change, you have to re-confirm your seats at check-in or the gate.  OK, that makes sense, but if they encourage you to use self service options like printing your boarding pass prior to arriving at the airport,  wouldn't you think they would give you a warning regarding this?  Or suggest that you print your boarding pass in the morning so that it is closer to your departure and any equipment change would be taken into consideration? Or at the very least couldn't they make the announcement at the gate more than 30 minutes before departure time so that half the plane isn't in line waiting to re-confirm seats at the time they start boarding?  Those actions would all make sense so I do not expect Delta to even consider them.  The actual flight to Atlanta was fine and surprisingly, it was on time.  Of course the plane that was taking us to Belize was late getting in and we barely got off on time.  The good news is that the right side of the plane was only two seats across and I had a seat to myself for the approximate three hour flight to Belize City.

Leaving Philip Goldson Airport on Tropic Air

By contrast, once I arrived at BZE (Philip Goldson International Airport) I waltzed through immigration in 10 minutes.  I had no checked baggage so I made a hard left turn just past immigration and went around the corner to customs.  Being one of the first to go through, there was no line.  I remember last time that the customs guy was downright surly, but this time was a different experience.  The customs agent asked if I was bringing in more than $10K in cash (I wish  had that kind of money) or any liquor or tobacco.  I responded appropriately and gave the customs form to a man sitting on a stool next to the exit.  When you leave the customs area you either go to the right to get to the taxis and rental cars, or go to left to the airline counters for ticketing and check-in.

Both Maya Island Air and Tropic Air have people standing at the entry to the check-in hall with print outs of who their passengers are so they can get you processed very quickly and efficiently.  If they can get you on the next flight, they do and expedite your processing.  As it turns out they could squeeze me on the next flight, so I called my buddy Mike and confirmed he could pick me up at noon instead of 1:00.  I got checked  in and went through their version of TSA, proceeded into the departures hall where I waited a whopping 10 minutes before boarding my Tropic Air flight to  San Pedro.

The landscape just South of Belize City

Mike met me at Tropic Air and we stopped at Banana Beach so I could get checked in.  Mike just recently got an iPad and asked me to pick up a leather cover for him.  I sent him a link to Amazon where he chose the one he wanted and I had it shipped to me last week and brought it 
with me.  Had he bought this himself he would have probably paid twice as much with shipping and the horrific import duty imposed by the Belize government.  We went to the Blue Water Grill (at the SunBreeze Hotel) for lunch and a beer.  We talked about what I wanted to do in terms of a real estate purchase and we agreed that while I am not ready to jump in at this point, it would be a good idea to check out the North end of the island to get a better idea of what I do or don't want and, at a minimum, rule out some options.  After a wide ranging discussion of  domestic and US politics, the state of the economy and banking, we agreed to meet on Sunday at 10:00 am to check out a few properties and, no doubt, conduct a serious investigation into the quality of Belikin beer. 

The beach at Banana Beach as seen over my toes.

Mike has been in San Pedro for only ten months and has already made enough in the real estate business to buy a condo.  He is still having problems with his golf cart and has paid a fortune in repairs but is on the verge of purchasing a used Polaris.  Mike also said that the Banana Beach ownership has changed.  The Canadian owners apparently were not able to meet their balloon payment and had to give it back to the previous owner that was holding the note.   It is obvious that there is some delayed maintenance that needs to be taken care of.  Most of it is little stuff but the kind of things that most people notice… rusting door hinges, the need for a good paint job on the doors and stained grout in the bathroom.  The wi-fi connection is still pretty bad so I logged in using the neighboring property's connection (Grand Colony).  Grand Colony is also under receivership.  I have not seen any of the rooms but I understand that it is supposed to be a pretty nice place.  It was originally a combination of time-share, hotel rooms and full ownership.  The Grand Colony property includes a very large section of land just to the North.  If someone had the cash to fully develop this property, the potential for a truly impressive property exists.

Saturday afternoon I walked into town and stopped to take a look from the outside of two properties that are currently advertised for sale.  Both Paz Villas and the Sailwinds condo property are just south of the Ambergris Lake Condos and are about a two block walk to the beach.  Paz Villas looks old and faded.  The pool is small and I did not bother to check out the basketball court and grill area because I was not impressed by the front of the property.  There was a broken down golf cart parked near the entrance and it appeared that some of the units were long-term rentals to locals.  The Sailwinds has great photos on the real estate web site, but the building appears to be built practically on the lot line with maybe a three foot setback.  The building looks nice, but it is right next door to a construction yard filled with heavy equipment. 

Coming in for a landing at the San Pedro air strip, Ambergris Caye

I noticed during the twenty minute walk into town that the place was dead; hardly any tourists around.  When I was here in February the town was jammed with people and all the shops were open and you could here music at the bars you passed.  Now a lot of the shops were "closed for renovations," which is always a euphemism for "we were under capitalized and have gone out of business" or "there is no point in being open during the off season, so we'll open back up when the tourists return."  As it turns out, a lot of people must have arrived on Sunday because there were a lot more people out and about the next day.  Walking through town I came across another property that has units listed for sale.  The Mayan Princess is in heart of town and while the rooms face the  ocean, in season it would be very loud.  I made a mental note to cross this property off my list of possible purchases.

After wandering around the central part of town for a bit I headed over to the central square to find a street vendor and dinner.  After checking out a couple of places I settled on two chicken burritos from a guy who swore that he had the best food in town.  After paying a whopping $5 BZ, I had to wonder if he wasn't right… they were really good and I certainly couldn't argue with the price!  I walked up the beach a bit further and then doubled back down to grab a couple of beers at Crazy Canucks before calling it a night.

A quick banking trip to Belize...

I have to make a quick trip to Belize to take care of some banking matters. It turns out that some of the documentation for the accounts I opened were not completed properly so they need a wet signature on a new signature card and a couple of other minor items to keep the accounts open. At first I was upset to learn this but then I realized that the same thing could happen right here at home; the difference being that a trip to the branch in my case involves flying to another country. I am still glad that I chose Scotiabank since it has a huge presence throughout the Caribbean and Central America in addition to the U.S. and could make future traveling a bit easier.

Having to make this trip presented a timing problem since I have already used all of my vacation days or have them obligated towards my trip to Panama in November. Fortunately, Columbus Day is coming up on October 10, which is a bank holiday in the U.S. but not in Belize. My boss agreed to give me a personal day for the 11th so I will fly down on Saturday the 8th and return on Tuesday the 11th. I was able to get a flight on Delta with frequent flyer miles so my only cost will be a place to stay, in-country transportation and beer money.

I initially thought about renting a car and going up to Corozal to do a bit more investigation of that area while waiting for the branch to open on Monday morning, but ultimately decided to go back to San Pedro instead. It will cost only a bit more for the flight over to Ambergris Caye than it would to rent a car (car rental prices are outrageous in Belize).

After checking around I got a good deal at the Banana Beach Resort for only $50.00 per night. This is where I stayed in February and while I would have preferred to stay some place different just to try something new, the price was just too good for a decent room that has a good location (just a 15 minute walk into town) and it's right on the beach. Quite honestly, it is worth staying at BBR just to have the conch ceviche at El Divino, the excellent restaurant on site.

I emailed the Re-Max realtor I had spent time with on my last trip, Mike Wilson, and he offered to pick me up at the airport. I am flying this time on Tropic Air for no other reason than to check out the other domestic airline. After departing Tampa at the ungodly hour of 6:00 am and making connections in Atlanta, I will arrive in Belize City around 11:20 am. This should give me plenty of time to make it through immigration and customs with time to spare to catch my 12:40 flight to San Pedro. The short hop across the Caribbean to San Pedro should take 15 minutes or so unless we stop at Caye Caulker on the way.

As long as I am in town anyway, I hope to check out some of the real estate listings that look interesting. Both Paz Villas and the Sailwinds condos are only blocks away from Banana Beach with Caribe Island Condos just another mile or so further South. The Mayan Princess is right in town and I can stop by after my banking business on Monday morning. If I have time I might try to head north to check out Captain Morgan's and maybe even take a look around Sapphire Beach. These properties range in size from a compact studio apartment up to a two-bedroom affair and prices come in at somewhere between $79K to $129K. I doubt I would buy on this trip, but it is a good idea to continue to get the lay of the land and gain a better understanding of what my dollar will buy.

While I am at it, and since I will have all my documents with me, I might just check out Belize Bank and Heritage Bank. I can't hurt to spread my money around a bit for safety's sake.

It's definitely Panama...

Ten days in beautiful Panama!  I am really looking forward to the trip, which will be November 3 through November 13.  You can read all about it at Ten Days in Panama.

My next trip...

For those that are wannabe expats like myself, I have decided to take a trip in November that will probably take me to either Panama or the southern Yucatan Peninsula.  I will write another separate blog for that trip once I decide where I will be going.  I learned a lot about my writing and picture taking skills when doing this blog, so next time I will do a better job.  :)

The Sapphire Beach Continuum...

As news regarding the Sapphire Beach debacle continues to develop, I will be adding notes to the end of this blog.  Based on the number of hits I receive on this topic, I figure it is worth some continued attention.

But... since the main point of writing this was to provide a day-by-day story of my trip, I don't want to interrupt the main story with a sidebar.

Planning and prep...

Let me start at the beginning.

Last May I lost my wife of nineteen years, Andrea.  As I got older (I turned 56 in December) Andrea and I had talked frequently about what retirement would look like and where it would take place.  Andrea was Australian and spent the first eight years of her life growing up in Melbourne.  She spent the next six years in the Philippines (Manila) before moving to the United States, followed by studies in Spain.  I, on the other hand, had traveled little outside of American borders before meeting Andrea and had never lived anywhere but the good ol' US of A.

Although we were fortunate to have traveled in many parts of the world before she died, we both had wanted to see and experience more.  We agreed that retiring "elsewhere" would give us the opportunity to continue exploring and get to know more people, places and cultures -- we didn't want life to become a downward spiral with the delivery of the first Social Security check.

When Andrea died, I decided to continue with our dream of spending retirement as expats and began a search for the right place.  To make a long story short, I had read a lot about Belize and decided this would be my first country to explore.

I spent nearly three months planning my trip, reading up on the country and choosing places to visit.  I ultimately decided to start with three days in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye because the Sapphire Beach Resort would cover the cost of my hotel in return for being squired around the development in the hope that I would buy.  Following Ambergris Caye, I would go to the mainland and drive south to Punta Gorda and make my way north through Placencia, Dangriga and finally Corozal Town.  Eight days to see the major towns of coastal Belize.

I originally thought about flying to Cancun and driving down because it would save money, but opted to fly directly into Belize City to save time.

My plan was simple: mosey through each town, checking out local markets and sights and generally getting impressions of the areas as I went.  Can I live here?  Does it fit the lifestyle I envision?  Is the infrastructure sufficiently advanced for me to live comfortably?  I planned on asking lots of questions of locals regarding utilities, internet speed and costs, local rents and general quality of life questions.  I started with the basic question of would I be happy living here and then moving on to the question -- is it practical to live here?  My goal was to find out if Belize is just a nice place to visit or a great place for me to live full time.  That, after all, was the whole point of my visit.

What follows is a sort of day-by-day story of my trip.  Just remember, I really spent less than one whole day in most locations.  Also, these are my impressions influenced by my background, prior knowledge, interests and preconceived notions.

Belize -- Day One

Well...  I arrived in Belize City and made it through immigration and customs in about 10 minutes and then wandered over to the domestic terminal (it turns out that it is in the same building, just a different room and you have to go through security only to be put into the same departure lounge with the international flights).  I was able to get an earlier flight and got an upgrade – from a 7 passenger to a 9 passenger plane!

It was about a 20 minute flight to the San Pedro airport (more like an air strip).  I sat behind the pilot and took this photo over his shoulder as we landed.  The airstrip is in between houses and commercial buildings and we nearly took out somebody’s laundry on a clothesline with the tip of the wing (I’m not kidding… missed it by about a foot).  You get a luggage receipt when you get your ticket and then identify your bag when they bring it to the terminal (an open air building with a shed roof).

Maya Air "Terminal"

It is soooo good to smell the ocean breeze again.  It makes me miss living in Key West.

I can’t quite get out of banker mode… the first building I noticed next to the airport was ScotiaBank (where I later opened an account).

I shared a cab with two other couples and $5 BZ later I was at my hotel.  The Banana Beach is a mid-priced property on the Caribbean side of the island with 66 rooms; a few of them long-term condo rentals.  It has two pools – one small and one medium sized – and a smallish, man-made beach.  There is a decent restaurant on site (I had a conch ceviche that was out of this world) and an activities desk/store that also rents golf carts.

After checking in, I was unpacking when I got a phone call asking me to come back to the front desk; it seems the Sapphire Beach Resort neglected to pay for any of the guests who agreed to do a tour of their property in return for three nights free at Banana Beach.  I later heard all kinds of rumors (who knows if they are true) about the owner being in jail in Florida (check out Ambergris Daily and Update).  I found a mug shot of a woman by the same name on the internet and noticed that the arrest warrant was issued through the US Marshalls – not a good sign.  Someone also told me that the project is in receivership.  So I paid for the hotel at the rate they offered to Sapphire Beach and promptly sent an email to my “host” suggesting that I was no longer interested in their services.  I received a seemingly genuine response saying that it was all a mistake.  Regardless, the experience left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I now needed to get some beer and other necessities.  I was at the street entrance looking up and down the road in hopes of spying a small store when a voice behind me asked in a distinctive Canadian accent if he could help.  I turned around and met Mike – a ReMax agent who lives at the hotel.  After getting directions to the store two blocks away, I also relayed the short version of my story and we agreed to discuss my real estate needs over dinner.

I went for a walk towards town, passed the store and went a bit further to get my bearings.  I immediately noticed that practically everything in San Pedro is either under construction, for sale or both.  There are tons of buildings that have the first floor finished and rebar sticking through the roof in anticipation of adding a second floor.  It looks as though many construction dreams come to an end at the first floor.  No building can be more than four floors in SP, so it has a nice feel to it and does not look like Cancun.  No one tried to sell me beads, trinkets, sunglasses or asked for money.

I decided the best way to cover a lot of ground quickly would be to rent a golf cart so I did an about face, stopped by the store for a couple of Belikins and made arrangements at the activities desk to rent a golf cart (you can't rent an actual car on the island).  More on this later.

Exploring Ambergris Caye

The beach "road"

The three main streets in San Pedro proper are cobblestone (flat, six-sided concrete stones) and everything else is hard pack sand. Most of the "roads" around SP are little more than cow trails with so many pot holes and ruts that you can't go more than 5 to 10 mph.

The driving rules are also interesting.  Drinking and driving, I am told, is allowed (this explains a lot).  It seems that there is only one driving rule, "Don't go smackin' into shit."  I felt safer in a tuk-tuk in Bangkok than driving through downtown San Pedro with tourists, bicycles and golf carts weaving in and out.  On the other hand, it is a tort lawyers dream come true – so many accidents just waiting to happen.

I drove to the far North end of the island where it becomes mostly mangroves and lagoons.  At that point the "road" was about 5 feet wide and after seeing a crocodile run across the road in front of me, I found a place to turn around.   I'm adventurous, but I have my limits.

Prior to my turning back point, the road followed the beach for about half a mile and for good parts of this stretch the road is literally no more than 2 feet from the water and maybe 2 feet above sea level.  In a good Florida-style thunderstorm the waves must be splashing up on the road and maybe going over it.  The road turns inland and about 20 minutes further are several large condo developments with about 600 units total that range in price from about $250K to $1.5million.  Can you imagine spending that kind of money and then being stuck in town on a regular basis, unable to drive on the road to your home?

My impressions are that Ambergris Caye is a combination of Key West 40 years ago, third-world country, tourist haven and Wild West. Everyone is friendly and it seems very safe, but when it comes to business and real estate you need to be cautious and keep a tight grip on your wallet.  I have not done an in-depth market analysis and looked at only a few properties, so please take my comments with a grain of salt.  Remember, the whole point of this trip was not so much to find a property to purchase, but to get general impressions of whether or not this is a country I could retire to.

Condo project in progress


My Canuck real estate friend and I looked at a number of properties the next morning and I generally found that I don't have enough money to buy here.  There is almost no bank financing available and I have heard that a standard contract is 50% down with the balance at 10% over 10 years. Once you buy a property the overhead is pretty cheap: $200-$300 per year for real estate taxes; $500 - $1000 per year for insurance; and $200 - $300 per month for the homeowners association fee (if a condo), which typically includes water, sewer, garbage, common area maintenance and insurance, telephone, cable and internet.  The last three vary a bit, but even at that you get a lot for the money once you buy.

Let me be clear -- I spent a whole two and one half days in San Pedro so I can scarcely be called a market expert, but these are my impressions.  There are a few affordable (obviously a very relative word) houses or condos, but they tend to be near lagoons full of crocs and mosquitoes or they are older, wooden buildings (that I seriously question if they are made to withstand a good hurricane) and are likely to be eaten up by termites in a few years.  Those properties on or close to the Caribbean side tend to be of concrete construction and appear well built, but start at $175K for a one bedroom condo with no financing.  I am hoping to find better prices on the mainland.

I also stopped in a couple of hardware stores and grocery stores.  You can get just about anything, but prices for appliances and anything American are pricey.

Getting to Punta Gorda, Belize...

Prior to leaving San Pedro I asked Mike to present an offer on a condo.  The asking price is $189K and I said to offer $169K, with $100K down and the balance financed over 10 years at 10% with the first payments beginning one year after closing.  This would give me time to sell my house and buy the condo on the water I’ve been looking at nearby, which will substantially lower my living costs and make a second mortgage a possibility.  If I can rent the SP condo out half the time, this could work.  We’ll see.

Coming into Caye Caulker

Tuesday morning I caught the 7:00 am water taxi to Belize City where I was picked up by Budget car rental and driven to the airport to pick up my vehicle, a Suzuki Jimmy.  It is about a 6-7 hour drive to Punta Gorda, which is almost on the Guatemala border.

The water taxi left late because the three genius deck hands couldn’t figure out how to get the mooring line off of the dock post; everything they tried just made it tighter until one of the future engineering prodigies managed to use a claw hammer to loosen it up.  I would guess there were about 50 people aboard.  I sat at the back, which was not enclosed.  As we pulled away from the dock we were backing into the east wind and the waves caused a number of sprays that got several of us square in the face; a bracing way to start the day.  Despite three-foot seas driven by the morning wind, the taxi sliced through them and the ride was quite comfortable.

I was glad that we stopped for a few minutes at Caye Caulker to take on a couple of passengers, because I at least was able to see what the island looked like from the shore line.  All in all, it took about an hour and a half to get to Belize City.  My driver was about 15 minutes late, but he was a fairly pleasant young guy who gave me a bit of geography and history lesson of BC as we went.

On the road from Belmopan to Punta Gorda

It only took about five hours to get to Punta Gorda; not the six to seven I anticipated.  It helped that I was doing about 120 on all the straight stretches (KPH, not MPH).  The area from BC to Belmopan was fairly flat and arid.  As I approached Belmopan there were a lot more hills and the scenery became more interesting.  There is a lot of agricultural activity ranging from cattle to corn to oranges and bananas.  I stopped for gas at a Texaco station on the outskirts of Belmopan, which reminded me of when I was a kid… the attendant with a big star on his red polo shirt filled the tank and told me how much to pay the lady inside the station -- $10.13 BZ per gallon – or $5.065 USD; about what I expected to pay.  Not knowing how often I would find a gas station, I filled up again when I got to Punta Gorda and the price was a full BZ dollar more.

The distance from Belmopan to PG was filled with miles upon miles of orange groves and banana fields.  As I got closer to PG, the poverty of the native Mayans became more striking.  Many of their houses are made totally of thatch or of rough hewn lumber that is not planed to width to make the boards even, so there are one to two inch cracks between the boards and from what I could tell at a distance, most houses were built on grade with dirt floors.

I finally became accustomed to the signs announcing bumps in the road as the signal to slow down because I was approaching yet another town or village or cluster of homes.  Following the bumps were “Pedestrian Ramps” – Belizean for ginormous speed bumps.  These things are about eight feet across and about nine or ten inches high.  As I got closer to PG I was thinking that it must still be quite a distance because I was still in the midst of the hills, but the hills actually come down almost to the ocean so it was a pleasant surprise when I rounded a corner to see the Caribbean dead in front of me.

Looking towards Guatemala from PG

Punta Gorda is an interesting town.  Sadly, the first thing I noticed is that it is filthy.  It reminded me a bit of some neighborhoods of Bangkok; garbage was everywhere.  Styrofoam take-out containers, plastic bags and even disposable diapers were along the road or between buildings in sections away from the downtown area.

I found the Blue Belize Guest House and got settled in.  The owner is a marine biologist specializing in studying sharks and was away on business, so her research assistant got me checked in.

The room was very nice. It was on the second floor of one of the two houses that made up the property and opened out onto a huge, half-covered veranda with hooks for hanging the hammocks found in each room.  I found myself wishing I was staying longer.  As a former B&B owner, I really appreciated the thought that went into each aspect of the room.

Sign for Barber/Financial Adviser/Tutor/Accountant office

The main room was a combination living room and kitchen.  A very comfortable couch was accompanied by a low table facing the flat screen TV.  The large jalousie windows had floor length curtains with tie-backs to allow the maximum amount of sea breeze to flow through the room.  While I found the AC a necessity in San Pedro, the ceiling fan was more than sufficient here because of the constant ocean breeze. The kitchen was arranged along the wall between the bedroom and living area and had a toaster oven, microwave, coffee maker and counter high refrigerator.  The drawers and cupboards revealed a full complement of cooking utensils, pots, pans, silverware and dishes.  The bedroom had nice, locally made tables on either side of the bed and plenty of hanger/storage space.  The bathroom was likewise well thought out and I noticed the tile work was expertly done.  The quality and level of detail far surpassed the Banana Beach.

I took a long walk about town, going up and down each of the main streets at least once.  I came across a chocolate shop whose smell alone made me wish I could move here immediately.  This shop grinds the beans, separates the oil from the mixture and makes the most wonderful chocolate imaginable.  The proprietor gave me a spoonful from the large milk chocolate batch she was making.  I wish I could have brought some home but the heat it would have to endure over the next several days made that impractical.  I did buy one bar that, in the interest of avoiding a melted brown mess, I consumed immediately.  I also bought a chocolate swirl soap bar for my crazy cat lady cat sitter, Melly.  I looked over sidewalk menus of several restaurants before settling on the Olympia Restaurant and Bar, and I’m glad I did.  I had the curried fish with salad, beans and tortillas and it was excellent.  The owner said she had finished the renovations about six months ago and she did a very nice job.

Blogging on the run...

Taken from airplane:  The most important building in Belize

My intention was to blog as I traveled, but that didn't work out quite as I planned.  Between jam-packed days, limited internet access (with speeds reminiscent of dial-up access 15 years ago) and maybe just a few too many Belikins, it just didn't happen.  So I decided to do a day-by-day report of the trip once I returned home.

We are part way through my travels and I just want to remind everyone that I am not a Belize expert.  This is my first foray to the country and I am noting my general impressions only.  If you are thinking of making the move to Belize, do your own research and keep in mind that my reporting is based on my own needs, values, requirements, etc.

More on Punta Gorda...

Before calling it quits for the day, I wandered about Punta Gorda for another hour and then walked home just prior to sunset.  I had a beer (OK, it might have been three) out on the second floor veranda and marveled at how bright the stars were.  There is nothing like viewing the twinkling stars to make all things in life seem quite puny.  Off in the distance you could see a halo of light from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala and I watched a cruise ship some distance off shore followed by a couple of what I assumed from their size were container ships.  It was a glorious evening to just sit and be alone with my thoughts. 

Sunrise in Punta Gorda

I slept with the windows open and was very comfortable with the ceiling fan providing my AC.  I woke a bit before sunrise to an obnoxious banging sound on the veranda.  I had already begun to awaken as the local roosters had been at it for some time already, but I got up to check out the noise.   It turned out that one of the two house dogs had laid on the mat in front of my door and probably had to scratch, causing the screen door to make a clatter like a wood pecker on steroids.  Since I was awake anyway, I made a pot of coffee and read my email while watching the sun rise on the Eastern horizon.  Elizabeth arrived in a bit with fresh orange juice, wonderful homemade banana bread and fruit for breakfast.  After breakfast I said my good-byes and drove the few blocks to the center of town to see the Wednesday morning market.

Wednesday morning market

The market was on the road closest to the water and was mostly sellers of fruits and vegetables, but there was a Mennonite man selling pots and pans and there were a few other stands selling miscellaneous items like sandals or clothing.  Buses, cars, bicyclists and people on foot competed for room on the narrow street.  In the midst of this two-block long affair were two buildings about eight feet apart… one for the fish mongers and the other for meat sellers.  The fish market had half a dozen or so long tables and there were people cleaning grouper, snapper and a few fish I did not recognize.  One guy had a huge Jew Fish that had to be about four feet long and probably weighed well over 100 pounds.  The meat market had six to eight stalls made of white tile, including the counters. About half the stalls were occupied with various home-butchered meats.  Back out on the street I found a small store and bought a new pair of sandals for $6.00 BZ. 

There was a group of four or five American girls and apparently one had lost an earring as they were searching the pavement for something obviously small.  Very quickly several locals joined in the search.  It didn't hurt that these young ladies were fairly attractive, but nonetheless a willingness to help and the natural friendliness of Belizeans was on full display.

I hit the road around 10:00 am for the approximately two hour drive to Placencia, a destination with many new developments and, from what I have seen on the web, high prices.  The town of Placencia sits on the southern tip of a peninsula.  I'll see if the promises of marinas, club houses and other accoutrements is reality or just marketing hype.

Placencia, Belize and the HIE...

Placencia was a whole different experience.  I guessed correctly, and it took about two hours to drive the ninety odd miles from Punta Gorda passing more banana fields and citrus orchards along the way.  I knew immediately that I had arrived on the peninsula as there was water on both sides of the road and at some points it wasn’t more than 100 feet or so from the lagoon to the Caribbean.  It was soon after beginning my drive down the peninsula through Siene Bight into Placencia proper that I had a momentary fit of insanity and total loss of common sense; I picked up a hitch-hiker.  This would NEVER have happened had Andrea been with me because she was much more cautious than I.

Beach at the Sea Spray Hotel

In my defense, I had read that hitching was common in Belize and had seen a few others along the way, but this time I decided to offer a lift to a young woman who was going all the way to Placencia.  I figured I would be there soon anyway, so what could go wrong?  Within a few minutes she launched into hair-raising stories of how her ex-boyfriend or husband beat her, and how her and her two-year old son had to flee and he later ended up in jail for who-knows-what and when he got out and caught up with her, he cut her on her stomach (envision her shirt being lifted up at this point to display the scar as proof of her lurid tale), but she is rid of him now and quite proud of the fact that she got thin again shortly after giving birth and she has no stretch marks like some of her friends.  TMI !!!

Now, you can imagine the things running through my mind while we are driving:  first and foremost, I am in idiot; second, when will this nightmare end; and third, will she roll down the window and start screaming bloody murder just as we go past the police station?  Oh, did I mention the part about how she can’t get a job and would do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g for money?  Yes… it was an absolute stroke of genius to pick her up.  It fortunately ended well when she asked to be let out just past the Chinese grocery store as we drove into Placencia and I quickly drove the remaining block to the turn-off for the Sea Spray Hotel.

Good advice from the Tipsy Tuna

So -- I located the Sea Spray Hotel that I found through Trip Advisor and checked in.  To say that my room was basic is to understate the case dramatically.  After the wonderful accommodations in Punta Gorda, this was a bit of a letdown.  The ventilation was not very good so I had to sleep with the AC on, which was inches above my head and quite noisy.  The bed was hard as a rock (I like a very firm bed, but this was ridiculous) and I did not sleep well, waking with an uncomfortable knot in my shoulder.  But… the room was clean and right on the beach.

Very nice -- but unaffordable

One of the charming things about Placencia is the concrete walkways that run up and down the beach separating the various buildings.  I found the Tipsy Tuna restaurant down the walkway a bit and had (take a good guess) a Belikin or two while breathing in the sea air and getting a good view of the beach from my stool.  After a couple beers I began to recover from my Hitchhiker Insanity Event (HIE) and went for a walk around town.The tourist section of town is not that large so I covered the area between the Chinese store and the fishing pier at a leisurely pace in about an hour or so.  This is a pleasant town with plenty of restaurants and small shops.

Just what I am looking for -- but not for sale

I stopped by a real estate office on the main street and spent some time chatting with the British expat who runs the office.  I quickly learned that my assumptions were right, that most properties cost above what I am willing and/or capable of spending.  The type of property I am looking for (condo in a development or small beach house) is available on the northern end of the peninsula, but too pricey.  There are half-finished properties for sale in the beach area but this would require navigating the building permit process, hiring contractors, etc., which I am loathe to do. 

I also learned that she deals with a bank in Belize City that offers rates in the 7-8% range and she promised to email me the information.  She also confirmed for me that my suspicions regarding many of the developments are true.  Most (but not all) developments are lots with roads and utilities in place, but very little actually built.  Promises and grandiose plans abound, but the reality is that many plots remain undeveloped because the financing disappeared when the recession hit or because the backing never materialized to begin with.  I also looked at the pictures in the window of the ReMax office in town and confirmed that the vast majority of properties are bare ground and the houses available far exceeded my modest budget.

Hurricane disaster waiting to happen

I drove back up the peninsula to check out what I did not notice coming into town due to the HIE.  There are some very nice houses built on both sides of the peninsula and at least one development that has some buildings already completed or in the midst of active construction.

It now struck me that 99% of the peninsula is a hurricane disaster just waiting to happen.  Nearly all of the land is two to four feet above sea level.  One place had sea walls built along what appeared to be man-made canals and these sea walls topped out at no more than two feet above the water.  I learned a thing or two about sea walls while living on Clearwater Beach.  If the sea wall isn't constructed correctly it is a nightmare to repair and extremely expensive.

I was living in Key West in '98 when category three hurricane Georges hit.  My property there was a whopping eleven feet above sea level.  With the house sitting on piers it was probably at about thirteen feet.  I was quite taken aback after the storm when I discovered debris in the street washed up in front of my house.  I can only imagine what would happen here if a medium-sized storm or larger were to hit.  I immediately decided that Placencia was not the place for me.  I know people who were fighting for years after Georges with their insurance company and FEMA about their losses, so I am fairly certain it would be even worse in Belize.  After all, this is a country that moved their capital from Belize City inland to Belmopan after a big hurricane.

Placencia Sunrise

Having come to that conclusion I drove back past the airstrip to the Sea Spray.  The road follows a hairpin loop around the airstrip and when planes are landing, there is a traffic barrier that is lowered until the plane has landed.  I haven't seen anything like that other than in Gibralter.  Once back at the hotel I went for a swim and then downloaded the last couple days of pictures to my netbook before showering and heading back to the Tipsy Tuna for dinner.

Following a swim in the Caribbean, breakfast and yet another glorious sunrise the next day, I put Placencia in my rear view mirror and took off for Dandriga, about an hour down the road.