Back to the USA

On the way to Phoenix from Miami we had numerous mini-lightshows of 4th of July fireworks while ascending and descending. We had a very short night after arriving in Phoenix at 10:30pm. We woke up at 4:45am were out the motel door by 5:00am. We had to catch the 6:20 to Seattle. What a thrill to be served beans and tortillas in First Class. Best breakfast EVAAAH!!!

We arrived in LuRue favorite place in the Seattle airport, the N gates. We did a lap around the airport. Walked and "trained" to the C, S, A, and B gates and finally returned to C gates where our plane to Fairbanks leaves (and where there is a Freshens!)

Nearly home again after tropical Belize, stifling Phoenix (reached 118 last week!), and now headed to cool Alaska.

A Day of Surprises

We had time to spare before our taxi came to take us to the airport. So, in those couple hours, we struck modeling poses from Vanity Fair Magazine, which we found in the apartment. Here are two pictures of the women destined to be models.

Our plane landed in Placencia to pick up extra passengers, but there was not enough room for all, so one of the workers told Montana to go sit in the co-pilot's seat. Both LuRue and Montana were very surprised. So, on the way back to Belize City, Montana rode shot gun, watching how the pilot flew the plane. She can now fly an F-16 with no problems.



When we arrived in Belize City, and got settled back into our room, and found a soft, cuddly elephant on our bed. We dealt with it as if it was a normal everyday thing.

The B&B hostess gave us the letter we had been hoping for. It was an official notification from an ichthyologist saying, "You have indeed identified the rare tomato fish. We are thrilled that you have been able to capture an image of an entire family of tomato fish...that is extremely rare." They also said we should put our photo into National Geographic; there's no question that it would win the photo contest. Here is our picture of the rare tomato fish family:

To learn more about this rare fish, go to en.wikipedia.org/tomato_fish

What a day we've had! Ready to leave now...not sure we can take any more of this excitement!

Special Edition-Big Falls Adventure

Montana Zip Lining

LuRue ready to take off

At the Warm Springs Pool

Some Mayan Women Bathing and Washing Clothes

Montana Feeling the Pain of Getting Her Picture Taken

LuRue River Tubing

An Almost Debut

Today was a day full of getting packed. We walked downtown and went to the first, and best Chinese restaurant we have been to. We both got sweet and sour chicken con ensalada. YUM!

After lunch we stopped by the Snack Shack and got an Oreo mint milkshake, which we both decided was the best in town. However, there aren’t many places to get milkshakes in Punta Gorda.

Yesterday, Ray from the Drum School had called and suggested that we come this afternoon to his place to work on Montana’s song. He and his brother, Ivan, were getting ideas on how to combine the song with Garifuna drumming and liked the challenge of combining two different types of music. Ray said, “Once I get started on something, I don’t want to stop.”

We went to Ray’s place at 4 o’clock, as planned, but as we were driving up, he pulled up in his motorcycle and started doing something with a sunflower, almost as if to say,  “I’ve been here all along, you did not just see me pull up on that motorcycle.” They tried to get a hold of the third guy, the guy who plays keyboard, but he was just getting home from work and wasn’t quite ready. We suggested that maybe we should just forget the whole thing, but Ray refused to give up just yet. After we talked it over more, Ray suggested that we should meet at 7 at the Sea Splash restaurant, after their performance at another hotel. The Sea Splash restaurant had a music room with drums, piano, etc., which they were allowed to use.

However, the restaurant turned out to be closed on Tuesday nights, and the man with the key never showed up as promised. We waited for over an hour, but then our hope started disintegrating. Montana introduced Garage Band to everyone else at the table, INCLUDING LuRue. They all seemed very interested in it, but LuRue was too old for that kind of stuff, so she just sat back and asked questions about the Garifuna culture, which is much more interesting than Garage Band!!!  We finally said good night and took a taxi home.

 Some good pictures from yesterday, but too late tonight, so there will have to be a special edition of July 1st photos!

Big Falls Adventure

We’re getting to be regulars on the 8:00am James bus that comes along just a block from the Blue Belize.

Today we were headed for the Big Falls Extreme Adventures. This was the same place we had gotten off before when we went to the Living Maya Experience. Yesterday Montana had called to make arrangements for a combination tour—zip lining, river tubing, warm springs swim, and dinner.

We were the only two guests so got very specialized attention. There were 6 lines to zip across…twice across the river, then we were driven to a location up river to put in with the tubes. As we floated along, we had to dodge some low-hanging trees, but some were good for grabbing & spinning ourselves around. Though we splashed each other, it didn’t matter much as it began pouring rain.

While floating along, we watched women on the river edges, bathing themselves & their children, as well as washing their clothes. Some ignored us, but others waved and called out as we floated past. About half-way through the float, we stopped at the pull-out for the warm springs. A small pool a bit warmer than the river, but nice to splash around in. Back to the river for the rest of the tubing trip. It took about an hour in all.

We finished up at the lodge where we ate lunch…something new & different—chicken, rice & beans, salad, & soda. At least this time there was a strip of fried plantain across the rice.

The bus was due anytime so we left the lodge & got to the bus stop just before another downpour.

It was a day of adventure in more ways than one. A good day we’ll remember!

**No pictures for now, because the internet is being annoying and not letting us post any pictures. 

Before the Drumming (The Making)

We did nothing exciting this morning, before our second drum school. We got our duffels packed as much as possible and LuRue, with some help from Montana, got her money organized, and Montana made the reservations for tomorrow. LuRue said, “She felt so tired, she would need to be carried home if she went into town.”

At 2:45, we went outside to wait for our taxi, but it didn’t come. We figured out that the taxi never got notified, because she wasn’t answering any of her calls from Esmé, the assistant for Kate while Kate is gone. Esmé finally called another taxi and we arrived at the drum place only 5 minutes late.

Today, the drum school was about making drums, which we decided neither of us would want to do in our free time. Ray, the instructor, had us open up the inside with a hammer and chisel. Part of it was already done though, so it was much easier than it would have been to do from the start. Also, this particular tree, termites ate their way through the center to make a home, so that made it easier too. Ray also had us plane and sand the outside. Planing is when you use a planer to take off the bumps on the outside of the drum. We never did finish a drum completely though.

After he taught us how to make drums, Ray and his younger brother, Ivan, worked with Montana on a song she sent them earlier in the week. LuRue had fun watching them work and it looked like Ray and Ivan were having a good time helping Montana. So, everyone seemed to be having a good time.

At around 5, we called a taxi to pick us up and he drove us back to Blue Belize.

Ranger for a Day

An early bus meant setting an alarm for this morning. We caught the bus around 8:00am & headed for the Ya'axché Conservation Trust...about a 2-hour bus ride.

A couple from Britain was on the bus for the same trip. We met briefly with two wardens who explained the protected areas in the Toledo district & how there was some encroachment from Guatemala for some decorative leaves.

We were split into two groups, each guide starting from opposite ends of the trail--we met & passed in the middle. The other group had a young boy with them. Apparently they had stumbled into three boys & their dogs poaching animals. Two boys ran off & the other tried to hide, but his dog was barking to protect him, so he was caught. The ranger eventually took him home to his village, where the village elders will deal with him.

There were lots of plants, vines, trees, and other vegetation to see, but little in the way of animal life. We did see a few butterflies, a hummingbird, some caterpillars, some insects, spiders, and ants, and also heard some bird songs, but the most interesting thing was the brown basilisk. Montana devoted herself to taking lots of pictures, while LuRue quizzed Coy on his life.

Doesn't that look inviting?

This is what rich caterpillars look like

This is the Basilisk 

One of the things he mentioned was the interaction between his people (Mayan) and the Amish/Mennonites in the area. He said that things are better now, but not long ago, the Amish/Mennonite people would have nothing to do with the Mayans as they believed that the Mayans were cannibals. He told about one time that he approached a house to try to make friends, but since the man of the house was gone, the women and children locked themselves in the house & refused to answer the door.

After the tour was over & we were waiting for the bus back to town, the English couple told about seeing a snake trying to eat a lizard...but it was unsuccessful. Their walk had more action than ours!

After coming back to town, we cleaned up from head to toe...lots of mud since it had been raining when we started the walk. Into town to the bank, the grocery store, and an extremely noisy Chinese restaurant. Food was good, but neither of us cared for the Saturday night crowd.