Monday, March 23, 2020

Good bye from St. Thomas

March 23rd - Well, plans have changed.  I’m very sad to say COVID has postponed our travels for now.  Southern Europe is not allowing travelers into their countries at this time.  We are leaving St. Thomas this morning and will be back in Minnesota by midnight, if all goes as expected.  When it’s safe we will continue our journey.  (I’ll let you know in case you want to continue to follow along)
BTW; one of the options we considered was just staying here until the pandemic settled.  There are currently only a hand full of cases on the island.  People here are aware of the pandemic of course but no one panics.  The stores are full of food including meat and TP etc.  People don’t hoard stuff, they just buy what they need.  They explain it this way.  They have been through devastating hurricanes that effect every man, woman & child.  They have no choice but to work together and help each other  through it.
The last 3 months have been amazing, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.  I’m touched by the number of people who have joined me virtually on this adventure.  Thank you.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

What do I miss in the US?

What do I miss in the US...two beautiful girls!  Lauren is an English teacher, I’m sure she has rolled her eyes several times reading my blog with my poor grammar & spelling.  Danielle is a CPA, if algebra was needed in this blog she would be rolling her eyes too.  We do share one trait, we all love an adventure.  This is us last fall at Yosemite.  Our motto is; we can do anything!

I believe; out of all of the daughters in the whole world I got the very best ones :-).
PS; Happy Birthday Lauren!!!

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Wild donkeys

March 21st - St. John’s  has hundreds of wild donkeys that roam the island.  As I mentioned earlier most of St. John’s is a protected national park so they are free to feel at home.  The donkeys love the tourists and they are happy to stick their heads in a car window for a pet or a carrot.  No social distancing needed :-)

Social distancing

Reef Bay - Because of “social distancing” we are not as connected to the locals and their conversations - I hate that!

Friday, March 20, 2020

One macho frog..

March 20th - They grow some very big frogs here!  I googled this one and they will actually eat mice.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Safari taxis

These safari taxis buzz around the island for a few dollars a ride.  They were originally a pick-up and they customized them with 4 rows of bench seats.  When tourists get on them they quietly take a seat.  When locals get on them they say a big, cheery “good morning” to everyone on the taxi.  Since we have been here 3 weeks now and we consider ourselves locals, we get on the taxis and say a big, cheery “good morning” to everyone on the taxi :-)

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

St Thomas High School

 

There is a high school close to our home so every day we see students coming and going.  They look cute in their matching pink and plaid uniforms.  They also deserve an A+ in hair braiding & design!

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Pedophile island

There are two smaller islands next to St. Thomas (at the top of this picture) that the locals call “pedophile island” because they were owned by Jeff Epstein.   The judge for his estate has stopped any construction or changes while his estate is being sorted out.  There estimated value is $86,000,000.  Personally, I think all proceeds from a sales of these islands should go to the prevention of human sex trafficking.

Monday, March 16, 2020

Underwater photo

Alan took this picture of sergeant major fish.  He bought an underwater casing for his I-phone and took the plunge.  We saw a school of large brilliant blue tang fish, Alan took a picture but discovered he had the camera on “selfie” so we have a picture of Alan instead...LOL :-)

We also saw a caribbean reef shark, sea turtles and a graceful spotted eagle ray.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Rainbow

Sunday, March 15th - we had a brief shower yesterday but we were rewarded by this beautiful rainbow.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

The Shaving Brush Flower



 
June is the owner of this VRBO, she’s a lovely person and works hard to make our stay as wonderful as possible.  She lived on a sail boat with her husband for over 20 years and then they sold their boat and built this home.  Several times June has brought us this flower they call a Shaving Brush Flower.  It starts out looking like a hot dog (if you think it looks like anything else you should get your mind out of the gutter).  At 7:07pm it bursts into the beautiful flower you see in the second photo.

Friday, March 13, 2020

The Caribbean - Living on the Top!

There are over 7,000 islands in the Caribbean but only about 100 are inhabited.  One of the locals here said “just think about the islands as a string of mountains between Florida to South America with only the tops exposed.  And we are living on the top!”

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Strong legs & hearts...

March 12th - Our place is the white one in the middle, it’s half way up a small mountain.  Everything we need is at the bottom by the ocean; grocery store, restaurants, the ferry etc.  So at least twice a day we walk down & up...no rental car for us!  We have also started hiking to the top most days for a little more exercise (Rona you would be proud).  The best views are at the top!  I am predicting strong legs & hearts by the time we leave for Portugal on April 3rd.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Full Moon

There was a full moon last night, it’s called a Super Moon and is said to be brighter than most.  It was challenging to let enough light in without moving the camera.  It definitely brightens up the sky over the ocean.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

A little rain must fall

We had a rare rainy day yesterday so we cozied in and watched an old movie (The Intern) with pizza.
The locals love it because they do not get enough water here and they are careful to conserve it.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Life is good!

March 9th - This is definitely my favorite place in our home here in St Thomas.  Without that silly, annoying thing called employment my brain is uncluttered and I have the time to read many great books.
La vita es buena!

Sunday, March 8, 2020

I hate snakes!

We love the great hiking in St. Thomas & St. John’s.  This trail is much more jungle”y” if that’s a word than the others we have hiked.  There were snake holes as big as my fist!  This made me a little nervous...no scratch that, it made me very nervous because I HATE snakes.  Fortunately, we only saw birds and turtles and lizards.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Beaches

We have briefly visited a few beaches here and they are unbelievably beautiful!  The sand is soft & white and the color of the water is a lovely aqua blue.  We’re looking forward to snorkeling as well as just laying on our towel and watching the afternoon go by...

Friday, March 6, 2020

An odd thing about St. Thomas..

March 6th - There are chickens everywhere in St. Thomas.  Rumor has it, most of the locals had chicken coups and a hurricane came along and freed all the chickens.  They breed quickly and there are not many predators so before you know it there are chickens everywhere!
I thought roasters only crowed at sunrise; nope, they crow all the time; morning noon & night but you get used to it.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

St John’s Island

We went to St. John yesterday, it’s only a 15 minute ferry ride from St. Thomas.  It’s a small island with a population of only 5,100.  The really cool thing about St John’s is 2/3 the island is a national park.  In 1956 Laurence Rockefeller donated this generous gift to protect the island for everyone to enjoy.  (Laurence you rock!!)  There are 27 miles of wonderful trails and beautiful beaches.  We hiked in the morning and then hung out at Honeymoon Bay.


Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Sunrise in St Thomas

St Thomas is about 25 miles across and has a population of about 50,000.  90% are locals and 10% are expats mainly from the US.  Unfortunately 22% of the locals live below the poverty line.  From the looks of the yachts and some of the homes in the mountains many of the expats are doing quite well.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

St Thomas tree house

March 3rd - this is our home in St Thomas for the month of March.  They call it the tree house because it’s elevated on the side of a hill and is surrounded by trees so it feels like we are in a tree house.  It has a beautiful view of the marina and St. John’s Island in the distance.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Today we leave Belize tomorrow St Thomas

March 1 - Kind of sad to go!  I think if I had one word for this island it would be Sea-Breeze, ok that might be 2 words but who’s counting?  There is always a breeze here, it changes directions, it’s more intense at times but it never stops moving.  We kept all of the windows open all the time so it was free air conditioning in the day and at night there was a soft breeze that sailed over our bed as we slept....aahhh.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Let’s be honest...

Feb. 29th - one of my friends said to me before we left for this trip; so you and your husband (significant other) are going to be together for a year, 24/7?  I’m not sure I could do that.  As much as Alan & I love each other we both need our own personal space.  I will take my camera and go off to be totally immersed in taking pictures.  Alan will go to a local coffee shop to talk about business with the owner.  But at about 5pm we both circle back to this dock for a glass of wine & to watch the sunset...and all is good.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Fresh red snapper

Feb. 28th - There is a grounds keeper at our home by the name of Diego.  He is very sweet and is always around to answer our questions or give us guidance about the island.  Yesterday we asked him if there was a place we could buy fresh fish to go with the vegetables that we had.  He said he would get some for us.  We said; are you sure it’s not too much trouble?  He said; not at all.  We gave him some money and he got on his bike and rode to the other end of the island to get these.  We had to force him to take a tip......I’m going to miss these people!

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Reefs

We went snorkeling at a reserve called Mexican Rocks yesterday.  It was beautiful and teaming with reef fish as well as sea turtles, eagle rays & large lobsters.  Fortunately, the reefs here are still pretty healthy.
BTW - About 25% of all marine species live in coral reefs.  According to scientists about 70-90% of reefs are expected to disappear in the next 20 years due to climate change.  Coral is very sensitive to temperature and it cannot adapt to our warming oceans.  The coral turns white (bleaches) then dies.  If you want to learn more about it there is a great documentary call Chasing Coral on Netflix.  You can see the trailer at chasingcoral.com.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry & narrow mindedness

This sign is in downtown San Pedro.  The people here generally make a point to not put down other people, other groups or other countries.  It’s a refreshing change.

Monday, February 24, 2020

How the locals live

The locals do not live as well as we do however they seem just as happy....hhhmmmm

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Passions

Have you ever thought about your “passions” in life?  Or written them down?  I have and I’m going to share mine with you.  My closest friends will not be surprised and if you have been following this blog you won’t be surprised either.  Here you are...
Travel - dah
Photography - I love the art of telling a story with photographs
Nature - the more I am outside and “in one with nature” the happier I am
Caring for the environment - I will proudly say I am a “tree hugger”
Caring for my health & body  - As I mentioned before, not for vanity reasons but to be able to go on adventures when I’m 80
Giving back - I have been so blessed in my life, I feel it’s the right thing to do.  There are many charities that are happy to take my money but I give my time & money to organizations that line up with my values, such as environmental causes and helping people that have the biggest challenges and the smallest voice.


Saturday, February 22, 2020

If you are squeamish don’t look at this...

This is a 3 inch black scorpion.  I was picking up some clothes on the floor when I saw it.  At first I thought it was a twig...then it moved!  Of course I yelled for Alan to come and kill it. (while I stood on the bed).  We later learned it is rare to see them especially in our home.  They are not poisonous but they have a painful sting.

Friday, February 21, 2020

My happy place

Feb. 21 - This is my happy place in this VRBO.  I have a long list of excellent books that friends have recommended and I’ve spent many hours here reading them.  Other times I just sit and look at the ocean and contemplate life.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Sharks!

While sailing yesterday we stopped to snorkel with about a dozen nurse sharks, they were 8 to 10 feet long.  Nurse sharks are not dangerous - unless harassed or provoked.  I’ve always had a fascination with sharks.  I’ve seen them several times while scuba diving, it’s always a thrill!  They are very graceful and elegant in the water.


Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Sailing

We went sailing yesterday, I love to sail but I don’t get to do it very often.  We sailed to Caye Caulker, which is a sleepy little island with about 1,000 permanent residents.  We stopped at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve to snorkel.  It was awesome!  The water was warm, clear & teaming with beautiful reef fish.  This reserve was organized by Belize and other environmental groups that are concerned about the future of our reefs & oceans.
Also....we got to see several 9 foot sharks, I’ll tell you more about them tomorrow :-)

Monday, February 17, 2020

Have & have not

Feb. 17th - On this small island almost everything needs to be brought in.  The grocery stores have a very limited selection and they are often out of the basics.  The exception to this are fruits and vegetables.  Every other morning Andreas & Alejandro bring a cart full of fresh fruits & vegetables to our back door and we can purchase as much as we want.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Fill your life with adventure not things

Before we left on this year long adventure we were talking with a dear friend of ours, she said “what are you going to do with all of the things you buy on your travels?  Are you going to ship them back?”  We had kind of a deer in the headlights look and kindly said we probably won’t buy anything.  According to a National Geographic article Americans are tremendous consumers and we have more “stuff” per capita than any other country in the world.  I also know that much of our stuff ends up in a landfill.  I’ve been making an effort to give away anything that is not necessary or does not bring me joy.  It’s really very freeing.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Best seat in the house

Feb. 15th - Best seat in the house, oops I meant best seat in the ocean.  We stopped at an ocean side bar and they had 5 or 6 tables in the ocean, it was calm, crystal clear and about 4 feet deep.  We spent an hour or so at this table with a cocktail and enjoyed the fish swimming around our feet.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Talk to me

Talk to me!  The locals love to talk to us and we love to talk to the locals.  The people who grew up on this island speak 3 to 4 languages.  Mayan was their original language but it is starting to fade away.  Everyone speaks Spanish at home.  All children (like Serrina above) are required to learn English in school.  With friends they speak a cool lauguage of their own called Creole.  It has a Carribiean sound similar to Jamaican.  If they slow it way down for us we can begin to understand it :-)

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Lobster Party!

Lobster Party!....not us, the lobsters.  Saturday is the end of the lobster season.  The lobster get some time to relax and make babies.  Lobsters are plentiful here and much less expensive then the US so we have been enjoying them.  However on Saturday.....all good things come to an end.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

It’s a Secret

Feb. 11th - yesterday we rented a golf cart and drove about 8 miles to The Secret Beach.  The funny thing is everyone knows about The “Secret” Beach.

Monday, February 10, 2020

Beautiful crystal clear Belize waters

Feb. 10th - the turquoise water here is so incredibley beautiful mainly due to the reef.  The reef is 182 miles long and is about 1/2 mile off shore.  The water within the reef is less then 15 feet deep so the white sand reflecting the sky gives it those lovely aqua colors.  The reef is respected and cared for which is critical to it’s health.  Beyond the reef it turns into the deeper and darker waters of the golf of Mexico.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

No worries, be happy!

Feb. 9th - No worries, be happy!  How could I NOT take a picture of this handsome guy.  To quote Bob Marley; every little thing is going to be alright...

Saturday, February 8, 2020

The 2nd best reason to leave the US in 2020

Of course the best reason for this trip is to see many incredible places around the world.  The 2nd best reason to leave the US this year is to avoid political ads in an election year!  It doesn’t matter if you are left or right, they are insulting to our intelligence, mind numbing and filled with distortions.  I do read the news each morning.  I avoid so called news that is far left (MSNBC) or far right (Fox) I don’t need anyone telling me how to hate the other side.  I seek news outlets that are fair, factual and use journalists providing information that has been fact checked and vetted.  I still do my own fact checking after that.
One thing is for sure; we will vote this fall, we have arranged for absentee ballots from Greece.  I am looking for a candidate that is; honest, has integrity, is intelligent and will help heal our very divided country.  That removes Donald Trump from the list.

Friday, February 7, 2020

Those who wonder are not lost

Those who wonder are not lost....almost every day we hike this trail along the ocean.  It goes for miles and miles and miles.  Almost every day we see or find something new.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

The good, the bad & the ugly


The good news is Belize has beautiful silky sand beaches.  The bad news is every day hundreds of ugly pieces of plastic wash up on shore.  It comes from Brazil, the US, Africa and every other country in between. The world uses 1.5 billion plastic bottles every day but only about 22% are recycled.  A bottle not recycled takes about 450 years to decompose.  I am sure if everyone cared and everyone worked together we could solve this problem.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

LandShark beer

Drink LandShark beer; it won’t solve your problems but neither will water.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Grocery shopping on the island

Feb. 4th - Grocery shopping on the island - Only the best!  Oop’s I meant; Only the basics!

Monday, February 3, 2020

about Belize

Feb 3rd - Belize is a small country in Central America next to the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world (the largest is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia).  It’s a melting pot of many different cultures, countries and skin colors.  No one seemed to want to conquer it or take it over so they all just moved in and get along pretty well.  Ambergris Caye is the largest of it’s 200 islands and has great scuba diving!  The only town here is San Pedro, it’s VERY laid-back and earth friendly.  They try to keep cruise ships out & structures no taller than a coconut tree.  The perfect spot to decompress from work life!