It sounds like I made it up, but no, the hokey pokey water taxi to mango creek is the name of the boat trip that was the final leg of our journey from Granada, Nicaragua to Placencia, Belize. There was a bus ride on offer for less money than the boat, but with a name like the above there's only one choice really! It took three days to reach Placencia, much of the way using the bus company Tica Bus and backtracking through most of the Central American countries we've visited so far. Long days in the bus over nighting in [View Full Entry]

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As soon as I got back from the Great North, we had one week until Aly and Zach moved back to Wisconsin and we knew we had to maximize every minute! Karaoke (called Karleoke here, after our gracious host, Karl) was the usual spectacular of performances, and we met some legendary people that week. One in particular was a girl that was rapping with Zach all night long, Angela from SF who is traveling around central america for 8 months. The next day when she walked into Barefoot, all of us started cheering and yelling for the amazing new rapper and [View Full Entry]

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I tried uploading some pictures, but it didn't work so you'll have to wait a bit longer for them sorry! I'm in Placencia at the moment, which is a beach resort about 2 and a half hours from Punta Gorda. It's very nice here - chilled out, lots of sand, palm trees and sunshine! We are staying two nights in the Seaspray hotel which we managed to get pretty cheaply. After arriving last night we went to the bar nearby for some dinner and a few rum and cokes and some dancing which was fun. Today we have been on a [View Full Entry]

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April 22, Wednesday Happy birthday to me. I've never been 51 before, so I'm not sure how to act, but I'll just keep on faking it as I've done for the last 50 years and everything will work out fine. I decided to sign up for the Open Water Scuba course at the Splash Dive Shop. Cost is $350 USD and it includes all gear, books and 4 dives out on the reef. Today was all academic work, I read some of the manual and watched 5 videos. Patty, the owner, who has certificates plastered all over the walls of both [View Full Entry]

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April 19, Sunday We were up fairly early and packed, then I had the desk clerk call the Mayan Air office to reserve a couple of spots on the 9:00 flight. She told me that the flights for Corozal are at 7:00 am and 10:00 am, so we booked the 10:00 and got a taxi ride to the airstrip where we dropped off our duffel bag, and then walked into town for a bit of last minute shopping. San Pedro is several streets wide, all of them packed with shops and houses, and the traffic is busy busy busy with bicycles, [View Full Entry]

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Birthdays are my favorite time to be happy, wear crazy hats, and drink brightly colored drinks! This year was no exception, as I was sharing my birthday with two other Aries legends, Zach Polman and Chris Jackson! As per every other birthday, I had about a week’s worth of events planned for me and anyone who was lucky to be caught in my hurricane. The festivities started on April 4th when I left the house in my “29 Forever” tiara and Aly with a pocket full of glow sticks! It was time to show this peninsula what they didn’t know they’ve [View Full Entry]

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I have been lucky to spend a great deal of time observing and thinking about the seas this summer through snorkeling and diving with educated guides and reading some amazing scientific and science-fiction books. The ocean is a living, breathing, and adapting organism with a geologic evolution we can barely appreciate! Because Belize’s entire coastline is protected by a 170 mile barrier reef, there is an abundance of small islands and shallow waters teaming with marine life in close proximity to Placencia. I am finding equal joy in snorkeling or diving, as there are different kinds [View Full Entry]

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Hello my dearest family and friends! A heartfelt birthday THANK YOU to every one of you who made my day soooo special from so many miles away! (Especially MOM!!) The Friday before my birthday I was able to find the 39 minute slot our post office was open (and had duty tax receipts!) and excited to see a huge birthday box from my mom! Now, in order to pay duty tax, we are required to open the boxes at the post office and in this way they determine the value and tax paid. Since I knew I wanted to keep it [View Full Entry]

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I sit here at my six month anniversary of expatriation and wonder where the days have gone! I came to Belize hoping to accomplish many goals and finish numerous projects - all of them still patiently listed on the back of a Suduko puzzle. Somehow, when making that list, I forgot to factor in the People of Placencia! I recently read a captivating story called “There’s No Place Like Here” by Cecilia Ahern. It’s a tale of a girl who finds herself in a town called Here, This town is home to everything that’s ever gone missing - that ring you [View Full Entry]

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