Barefoot on the Beach and The Rasta

My birthday on San Pedro

(to be sung)

Happy birthday to me; Happy birthday to me!  Happy biiiiirrrttthdaaayy  to Meeeee; Happy BIRTHDAY to Meeee!!!

I can’t hardly believe that I am 22!  A multiple of 11 and the beginning of official adult-hood.  Oh dang!

Anyway, I have to tell you what happened on that amazing day—aka May 3.

I spent time with my Savior the night before (which is what I do every year) and looked out onto the ocean when I “rang in” my new year.  I then swung on a hammock on the 2^nd floor of the hotel Blue Tang. 

Because of complicated funding, I was not able to go snorkeling with my group the day before my B’day.  But because of a generous benefactor, I was able to go.  I woke up at 7:ish and this person gave me money so that I could go.  The boat left the dock at 9, so I walked barefoot on the sand to the pier and arrived at about 8:30, paid my money and struck up a conversation with a local—one of my favorite things to do.

This guy was a Rastafari which I talked about in one of my previous blogs.  Basically they live as close to the earth as possible.  They are also referred to as the Black Jews and their religion is based on the Abrahamic lineage.  There is no Rasta church and it’s quite individualistic.  One thing I found quite ironic, according to many Christian beliefs of the States, is that they chant and pray using Scriptures while they are high on weed as weed gives you a feeling that makes you close to God.

He asked me a lot about my life and told me about his.  He’s a 26-year-old virgin which is rare no matter what culture, religion, or country one is in.  He had really thought through his life and had answers for deep stuff and was really fun to talk with.  No, Mom, he doesn’t have my phone number, or my e-mail address!

He did show a lot of interest—none of which was related to my snorkeling abilities.  I was entertained and felt quite honored.  His level of respect for women was much higher than the dudes at MSU.  Then, he told me that he would find me in the States.  I told him that if he could find me, I would think about him in more of a shake-of-a-hand sort of way.  He told me that women within a few seconds knew whether a man was hers or not.  I thought to myself:  “Little do you know, Dude.  Nice, but weed? Don’t think so.”

Good times. 

I got onto the boat and started out on my snorkeling adventure.  I was ecstatic to say the least!!!  Our guide was another Rasta.  He told us to put on sunscreen to protect us from the jellyfish! Now, I must confess something to my blogging audience:  I am REALLY afraid of jellyfish.  Now why, you all ask me?  Well, because of Finding Nemo.  Ever since that movie, I have NOT liked them.  I didn’t like them before, but it’s now official.  We are not friends.

After being in Belize for almost 4 weeks, and since I happen to being quite brown, I have not needed to wear any sunscreen.  So, I had to act like I knew how to put the stuff on because I’m smart and queen of all trades.  Well, I forgot my lips—who needs sunscreen on their lips?  Because of my lack of thoroughness, I got stung on my upper lip twice.  Not cool.

The jellyfish were the size of jumbo macaroni but shaped like half a ziti. They were brown like me.  The tide brought 1,000s of these little critters.  I had to do a whole lot of mind over matter exercises to survive.  When I jumped off the boat, I was overtaken by all the stuff God made that is underwater.  There was coral and big fish and little fish and an eel and my favorite—Mr. Sea Turtle.  Mr. Turtle was just chillin’ on the floor and then randomly decided with his Eeyore personality to start swimming.  I think I saw Dora, but I’m not exactly sure.  Our Rasta tour guide coaxed an eel out from under the coral so we could see his head.  He looked totally ticked off.  We followed our guide at the first location like little guppies.

At the second spot, we were able to explore by ourselves.  There was more coral, but the main attractions were the big fish (I think they were barracuda) and the sharks.  We saw the sharks from the boat and got to swim with them.  They had sandpapery skin and suction-mouth like the Coneheads.

One thing I didn’t realize to the fullest extent was ocean salt water.  Did you know that the ocean water is salty?  Not salty, but SALTY!!!!! I was shocked when it got in my snorkeling gear and into my mouth.  It was the way I like my pop-corn but not in water.

I really wanted to touch a fish, but they could almost feel my inner thoughts and swam away.  I was a bit ticked, but I thought about what I would do if I were in their situation.

We explored the area for about 45 minutes and then got back in the boat.  It was an amazing experience.  Thank you generous benefactor!

I had been craving nachos with no cheese since we first got to San Pedro.  Lily’s Treasure Chest is where we first went on the island to indulge our carnal-non-sexual desires.  I saw they had nachos with one meat choice, sour cream, cheese, beans, and salsa.  For my birthday, I got nachos—with no cheese.  Lily’s was situated next to a dock.  I sat under two palm trees, barefoot in the sand, and with the perfect view.  Ah bliss!

We left San Pedro the same way we came—on a boat named Thunderbolt. We sped through the waves that were much calmer that when we left Corozal. 

A great day to turn 22.

Influenza de Pigs and The Waterbed Song

It’s all over the news—Swine Flu.  It started in either Cancun or Mexico City.  There were some deaths and it was a big scare for the us’s in Belize.  I wasn’t scared of course.  I’m hardcore.

I did find it quite interesting how people in a technology/medical supply-less society cope with a possible pandemic.   Getting lab results is not as easy as picking them up from the lab tech down the road or in one’s local hospital.  For Belizeans, their spit stick has to travel to Trinidad and possibly Miami to be read and then sent back which is why there were 4 undetermined cases for over a week. 

We taught our kids how to wash their hands well using soap and singing the Happy Birthday song.

I am definitely grateful for the healthcare in the States, although I don’t appreciate the health insurance system.  One bonus about paying for health services here in Belize is that you don’t have to—socialized medicine is the way to be!

We had the choice to leave early, but I didn’t want to do that cuz I’m hardcore.  They did change our departure city from Cancun to Belize City. 

As I am typing, I am feeling the outside breeze situated in a cool hand-painted chair about 50 yards from the bluest ocean I have ever seen.  The Blue Tang hotel is quite fabulous.  I had a HOT shower yesterday and just stood there for 15 minutes—bliss!  I am about to go find some nachos without cheese here in a little bit.

Last night, I met some Garifuna people which are the Black natives from Belize.  They were just chillin on their porch talking.  I stayed with them for the afternoon and got to play with them.  He happened to be a musician and played around town.  He said he had instruments at his house.  I told him I was interested and he spun off on his bike. 

He came back with a drum 2 feet in diameter that you put between your legs.  They told me to grip it like I would my boyfriend and I was about to ask them, “Oh!  How do you do that?” 

He also had 2 shakers and 3 tortoise shells that hung down your torso and was tied with a string that you put around your neck.  He needed sticks to beat them with.  So he found a random 1.5x1.5 that you would find in Lowe’s, cut it into two pieces, and used that to beat the tortoise shells.  Belizeans don’t waste anything (For example, I saw two outdoor chairs that were actually car seats at one time in their life plopped outside someone’s door.)

We played for about an hour and he told me about the 5 languages he spoke:  English, Spanish, Creole, Garifuna, and a little Mayan.  There’s nothing like seeing a city from the eyes of a local.

My favorite song that he sang was part English and Garifuna.  The lyrics were:  “She used to have a nice little house/but now she wants a skyscraper. /She used to drive a small car/but now she wants a limousine./We used to make love on the floor/but now she wants a waterbed.”  I was entertained.

I walked on San Pedro (a not-island-island) which is a peninsula to see the vendors catering to Americans.  I found some orange-pineapple sorbet and the BEST $1.50 burrito I have had while here.  I don’t know WHAT they put in that thing.  It’s kinda funny because next to our hotel which is oceanfront, the food is the price of Applebee’s or more.  Two streets down, you can find local food which is mega cheap.  I’ll go for the cheap.

I’m also in the process of preparations for my 22^nd birthday.  I will be a multiple of 11 tomorrow!  I’m pretty psyched about that.  But more on that during my next blog.