We arrived back in Placencia just as the weather changed from beautiful blue skies to grey and squally. What a weather forecaster - but I learned it all from Nash.
Cool and wet gave us a perfect time to get some chores done. We gave all the stainless on the boat a good cleaning, fixed a vent hose that was in a very difficult location and cooked enough red beans to put lots away in the freezer.
Of course, even that allowed for afternoons over at Yoli's Bar which was good as it put us smack in the middle of wedding plans made on Wednesday with vows on Friday. Who says Island time has to be slow. Below is the bride and groom on Yoli's deck looking out on the harbor.
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| Laundry |
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| Placencia's famous sidewalk - go here to nearly everywhere. |
Getting stuff is always a trip, sometimes literally. For instance to fill up with fuel and water means sailing (well motoring) to the Big Creek Ship Channel South of Placencia then turning out of that to inch our way over the 5-1/2ft bar that leads to the lagoon (we draw 5ft 3in - tides are important), then up the lagoon about 3 miles to fill up at Robert's Grove Marina. The whole trip, there and back takes 4 - 5 hours as we must go slow, slow in the shallow lagoon. That was a large part of one day. Laundry is good here as we found someone to do our laundry for $7 a load (wash, dry and fold). We just haul everything there and back from the boat to the dinghy and over to her house, then back again. Believe me that's not a bad deal!
Finding provisions can be both fun and frustrating and a repeat of boat to dinghy to dock to store(s). Placencia has two vegetable stands, 2 grocery stores - 1 with beer, 1 with liquor, plus John the Bakerman. Oh and Belikan comes only in bottles, you didn't think there might be something else did you? Basically when you see something you want better get it as it probably won't be there next time. This especially applies to fresh produce and bread. I learned an important lesson - don't turn your nose up at head lettuce. If you do you'll go without!
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| Conch Fritters! Yummy. |
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| Monkey River Town |
The weather improved on Thursday so we hired a guide and took a trip to Monkey River Town. We saw everything there is to see by land (during a Jungle Hike) and sea (from the guide's Panga boat) - Crocodiles, Howler Monkeys, Giant Bamboo, Montesuma birds with their strange hanging nests and long yellow tails and lots of Manatees.
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Howler Monkey - this troop had a big male, 2 females and 1 baby. Hope the video in the email works.
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We've spent 10 days hanging around and getting chores done. We even bought 5 lbs of conch on the last day of conch season and watched all of "Breaking Bad" season 4. Today, which we think is our last one here, we had quite a treat. Together with another sailing couple, Tom and Coleen, we dinghyed around the point and up in front of town (Placencia is a long curving peninsula) to Turtle Inn for lunch. Turtle Inn is one of two resorts in Belize owned by Frances Ford Coppola. Needless to say this was a far cry from rice and beans with stewed chicken.
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| Turtle Inn |
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| Lunch at Turtle Inn |
Tomorrow if the weather stays as forecast we'll buddy sail with Tom and Coleen to Whippari Cay then out to Glover's Reef, one of Belize's atolls.
While we love the hustle and bustle of San Pedro and the old Colonial charm of Belize City, Placencia has a special place in our hearts as the place we decided to live together way, way, way back when!
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| Placencia Beach |
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| Looks like "our spot" |
Cool and wet gave us a perfect time to get some chores done. We gave all the stainless on the boat a good cleaning, fixed a vent hose that was in a very difficult location and cooked enough red beans to put lots away in the freezer.
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