36. Belize City

We've made it up to where this trip was supposed to start. We pulled into Cucumber Beach Marina in Belize City on the 11th. We have power (which equals air conditioning at night), free water (SHOWERS), laundry (they SO needed it) and a steady supply of cold Belikin (the beer of Belize). We've been hanging out at the marina, eating at the restaurant, chatting with other cruisers and puttering aroung the boat. Capt Jim and the Mr took the bus into Belize City to restock the fridge in the city yesterday and brought back an unexpected treat - Snickers - from the central grocery store. I've never been so happy to see a bite size bar in my entire life. Heaven.



Here's the local fruit stand. It isn't exactly Bristol Farms, but the fruit has been flavorful and I try not to think about the other stuff.



Today, the Mr and I took the city bus out to the Belize Zoo for a little National Geographic (at the zoo and on the bus). The zoo is compact with about 25 animals indiginous to Belize. We practically had the place to ourselves and didn't see a single screaming child. Cameron Diaz has even been there. Highlights were definitely the Cotamondi, cute little rodent things with piggish snouts (I supsect Paris Hilton already has one as a pet), the black and spotted jaguars and some cute little owls who behaved like love birds. The Tapirs were particularly attracted to Scott's camera. He has a few pictures on his blog. I spent most of the visit swatting mosquitos. I can't understand why they're so attracted to me. The boys have their own theories, of course. The Mr thinks I'm too clean and compared to him, it's certainly a possibility. Capt Jim maintains that daily doses of garlic tablets are the key. Allegedly, garlic will ward off bugs as well as Montezuma's Revenge and stomach bacteria. On our first trip to Belize in 2005, no matter where we went, I was bug bait. For the second trip, I decided to test his theory and started taking garlic tablets every day for about a month before the trip. I had garlic breath and garlic burps for the entire month and still got bit. I started taking his odorless gel caps a week or so after I got here. No garlic breath or burps, but I'm still bug bait, but haven't had any of the other problems.

I swear I'm having more fun at the zoo than it looks in this photo.



I've also started knitting up a third and hopefully final black watch cap for the Mr, ala Jacque Cousteau, but not red. I've been putting it off and feeling a little Goldilocks about the whole thing. The first was too small. The second too big. So we'll see how this one turns out. I'm working it up in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran on US size 6 with 3 1/2 inches of a 3x3 rib for the bottom and then will finish it up in stockinette. It'll be dense and seems ridiculous in this heat, but perhpas he'll need it during the Gulf crossing. And after the toothpicks I've been knitting socks on, the 6s feel good in my hands.

Anyway, I think we'll probably be here until Sunday and then head out to Caye Caulker, which will probably be our last stop in Belize before checking into Mexico. We are slowly, very slowly, making our way North. Do we have a plan? Not so much. One of the things I am working on is just going with the flow. How's that working for me?...um, yeah...I've learned that I am a girl who likes a plan and a schedule. But then who am I kidding? We already knew that.