The last night – 09/14/08

After a great weekend together (which seemed all too short to me), Steve surprised me with a romantic dinner for two in a palapa right on the water. It was a special night!

Cancun & Tulum – 09/13/08

Steve and I had a fabulous vacation. Cancun felt like “Little America”…first world luxuries and service, everyone spoke English, and there was an American restaurant chain on every corner (don't worry, we didn't eat at any).

We stayed at the JW Marriott, which was lovely. It had a huge wrap around lagoon style infinity pool, many wonderful restaurants, and excellent service.

While we were in Cancun, Hurricane Ike was just about to hit land in Texas. We were very lucky and had sunny skies but high tide and winds the whole weekend. So we weren’t able to swim in the sea, but we spent many hours relaxing by the pool.

Believe it or not, we did actually leave the hotel! We went into downtown Cancun to go to the market – Mercado 28. Here locals sold their crafts, blankets, clothing, silver jewelry, herbs, pottery, etc. We definitely stood out as tourists which made it less fun to shop. Later, we walked off the beaten path a bit and found a little hole in the wall place to get some authentic tacos.

We also took a day trip and drove to Tulum. This Mayan walled city was built right on a cliff just above the Caribbean Sea. Tulum was inhabited from around 1220- 1500 AD, and was a Mayan trade center of goods arriving by land and by sea.

Steve - 09/11/08

I don’t think most of you need an introduction to Steve, but just in case, here it is. Steve, also known as “Mr. Pickle”, is my wonderful boyfriend of about 4-5 months. We actually met on Match.com.









Why do I so fondly call him “Mr. Pickle” you ask? Because he is president of VanHolten’s pickle factory in Waterloo, WI. If you haven’t yet, you must try a pickle in a pouch! http://www.vanholtenpickles.com/

Steve laughed when he first heard of his nickname and embraces it proudly. Thankfully he has a great sense of humor and likes to laugh just as much as me.
Another thing we share in common is our love for travel. Steve, like myself, has lived abroad…although he lived on the other side of the world from me in Australia, England, and China. Therefore, he had no problem traveling to Mexico to see me. He also plans to visit me in Belize for a couple of weeks in November at which time we have a vacation to Guatemala planned as well.

Illegal Alien - 09/10/08

Steve and I planned a rendezvous in Cancun…a place neither of us had ever thought we would visit as it was not high on our "list of places to visit". But it turned out to be a great place to meet up for a long weekend.

Melina and George were very kind to offer me their car so I could drive. After much research and talking with a lot of people, I decided that the drive to Cancun would be long but would be safe. I was up for the adventure.

So today I set off on my road trip. My plan was to drive to Belize City and then head north to Corozal. There I would cross the border and spend the night in the Mexican border town of Chetumal. It happened to be St. George’s holiday in Belize so I was stopped at 3 police check points along the way – they asked me for my driver’s license, checked to make sure I had driver’s insurance, and then sent me on my way.

It was smooth sailing north of Belize City. A bit of a boring drive with not much to see. There were many unmarked roads but I some how managed to take the correct route. There also were many unmarked speed bumps which made for some last minute close calls…

The excitement picked up a notch when I reached the border. I paid my exit fees in Belize, got back in the car, and crossed the border. Next, I drove over a bridge and it looked like I was driving right into a small Mexican town. As I am looking around and taking it all in, I drive myself right up to the Customs booth. I realize quickly that somehow I have missed the Immigration building and I am now locked into the Customs line with 3 vehicles behind me. Uh oh! No one is in the Customs booth. I tried to wave to the agents sitting a few yards away chatting on folding chairs but they dismissed me. I look up and see the “green light” and hear the Customs agents yelling at me “pase!”(go!). So what do I do? I go! That’s right! No stamp in my passport. No documentation filled out. I am now an illegal alien in Mexico. I have successfully skipped the border. It is not so hard to do after all!

Celebrity in the House - 9/6/08

George received a call earlier in the week from the manager of Blancaneaux Lodge – the Francis Ford Coppola resort about 5 miles away from the farm – asking if Eddie Bauer could use one of their Land Rovers for a photo shoot. That’s right, Eddie Bauer in Belize!

After several days of back and forth it was decided that they would use one of the Land Rovers but George (being the wise man that he is) said he would not trust anyone else to drive the truck.

I of course was intrigued and wanted to go along to “just take a peek”. George thought it would be a long boring day so Melina had the idea to pack up a lunch for George and we would just stop by for lunch.

The photo shoot took place at Barton Creek, not too far from a Mennonite community. The Mennonite here wear simple traditional clothing and ride horses for transportation.

When we arrived, Sean, the production manager, greeted us and made us feel right at home. George was busy driving the Rover in creek bed while models hung out the window and off the back of the truck. It was really fun to see everyone in action, from the models, to photographers, videographers, make-up artists, etc.

Sean shared that the photos and video from this shoot would be used by corporate on their website and signage in the stores. So some time in the Spring of 2009, you should be seeing the Land Rover -- and possibly George -- online and in the stores. We have an Eddie Bauer celebrity in the house!
Later we were invited to eat lunch with the crew which was really fun and interesting. Many of the crew members were free lancers but most lived in Seattle. One of the models was from the Canary Islands and the man hired for security was living in Panama City.

Who ever thought it would take living in the mountains of Belize to attend a photo shoot?

Orchids and Waterfalls - 9/3/08

First, I want to apologize for being MIA (missing in action)! What can I say? I got distracted and instead of spending time on the computer, I was out and about enjoying the great outdoors and the people in my life. So I will attempt to get caught up…

Paul (Melina’s stepdad) and I took several hikes this week. The first was along Clear Creek. We found many pretty spots.























Here you can see a lovely patch of orchids and a view from the trail.























And what are these?? Alien eggs? Are there extraterrestrials in Belize? If you happen to have any idea of what these are make sure you post a comment.




We ended at Secret Falls.

Later, we hiked to Butterfly Falls. I am assuming it was named Butterfly Falls because the Blue Morpho butterflies usually congregate here – but not today. We have seen them often on our hikes though and they are gorgeous. I would have loved to post a photo but they move way too fast. Paul and I hiked in a light rain most of the morning which actually was quite refreshing. It was another great adventure.

Here is a great photo of "my family". From left to right: George, Melina, Julie, Raye, Paul

Caracol - 8/31/08

Today we visited Caracol, a large Mayan city (in Belize) that was inhabited and prosperous from around 599 to 859 AD. It was just rediscovered in 1937 by a logger (a "chiclero" looking for trees used to make gum). The ancient city was given its name, Caracol (which means “snail” in Spanish), by a man who explored it in 1938 and found many snails.

Caracol is huge - 88 square kilometers - and once had a population of 150,000! Today, only a small fraction of the buildings and structures are fully excavated.

Caana is the largest and tallest excavated structure. Here they found 4 tombs. There was quite a climb to the top and we kept wondering how the Mayans managed these oversized steps. The view of the jungle canopy and the plaza below were quite impressive.
Not only did we see ruins today but also spider monkeys dangling in the trees above us. It was a lot of fun watching them skillfully run along tree branches. One actually straddled itself on a tree branch right above us – he was a Curious George.

Raye and Melina














Julie, Raye & Melina on Caana
Later we stopped at Rio On pools and falls for a refreshing dip! Not bad!