Belize by Bike

---

It must be about 20 years since I last rode a bike and I can't recall ever seeing Ian ride one, but it's like they say, something you never forget how once you've learned how. The tires are flat but otherwise the bikes here in the condo are in really good shape. After we borrow the hand pump from the caretaker, our first stop is the Road Kill Tire Shop to get them a little more pumped up. It's maybe half a mile. After that - we're ready to go.

There's only one road in Placencia and so we head North along the Penninsula towards the airport (I use that term loosely, more like an airstrip.) We pass by lots of residences and notice tons and tons are for sale. There's also lots of developments or at least starts of developments where someone obviously has a dream but for now it's a big empty lot with a sign - those will take quite a bit of effort to get off the ground if ever, a little off the beaten path. The road wraps around one end of the airstrip so if a plane is coming in, you have to stop and wait it passes over the road. This riding bike stuff seems like more work than I remember, I make Ian switch bikes with me for a while, certain that there's something wrong with mine, but his bike is just as hard to ride as mine. After about 4 or 5 miles, I think its time to turn around or I might not make it back!

We stop at a couple of rental car places thinking we might like to rent a car for a day but no one has any cars so we might need a new plan. We stop by the Turtle Inn, a high end resort and take a look around. Really nice, we feel like the Griswald's in there, this place is too fancy schmancy for us. We walk around trying to fit in but obviously it's not working that great since here's a picture of Ian getting kicked out by one of the security people.

We stop at a local taco stand for some lunch, surprizingly good. Ian has a burrito and saboute which was like a tostada but not so hard and folded in half, I have some chicken tacos, those are 50 cents each. We pick up some groceries, loading up the baskets on our bikes, then head back to the condo determined to cook a better meal tonight. Bbq chicken sounds just fine, I'm starving from all this fresh air and exercise.

---