Finish up our month in Belize

I have to apologize for neglecting this blog so much.  I feel it is important to keep up so just as a personal journal for us to revisit when our travels come to an end.  I wish I could come across my grandparent's personal journals or even great grandparent's.  So I will continue to keep up with the many platforms (i.e. Blogspot, Facebook and Instagram), maybe one day a family member will come across them and find them interesting.  

So I left off with our visit to the private island of Ranguana Caye.  I was able to upload one video of our last sunset there.  It is a place we would like to visit again.

Then we headed for Sapodilla Bay to get some protection from a northern coming down and to break our water maker.. hehe yep it happens 

We enjoy the location and come to it for great protection.  

Schooner enjoying life as we all should

It's officially winter in Belize folks, can you Belizeit?  Hahah

Aww we also love the laundry facilities at the marina located in Sapodilla called the Reserve.  It was all in the news and I had to go prove the marina was still up and running, welcoming cruisers.

Evidently, the housing division of the reserve was under investigation but the marina was somehow not part of the investigation.

Plants enjoying the cool weather as well.

We stayed about a week in Sapodilla and then went back to Placencia to complete our check out process.  This is when we started to detect our water maker was not working properly, the water was too salty.  Steve believes the protected waters in Sapodilla was too murky for it and clogged the membrane up. Just another thing to replace. Add it to the list!

So back in Placencia for check out, gelato and some good Lemongrass ice tea.

Beautiful sunsets

Little more authentic Belizean food

(Stewed chicken, coconut rice, cole slaw and split pea soup)

Our next stop is Utila, Honduras

We are off the grid

We now make our own water! Yeah! We make our own power and water so basically self sufficient. How awesome is that?

Steve and Schooner Sailing

Friends boat SV Syrinx

My Herbs

Steve has frankensteined a RO watermaker from using one of these survivor 35 desalinator and a motor. It draws very little power and makes about 1.5 gallons an hour. So not a lot but enough. Tastes so good. There seems to be many cruisers using this same system.

At The Reserve Marina

We have enjoyed our time here in Belize.  We don't enjoy the cost but enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  We have stuck around Placencia and Sapodilla Lagoon. There is a new marina, well one that has been in developed for years in Sapodilla Lagoon. They have finally opened the bar and store so it makes it a great protected area for cruisers. Oh they also have self serve machines to wash laundry. They have been very welcoming to all of us cruisers.

At Anchor in Placencia

We are heading to Isla Mujeres. Which is one of our favorite locations. Our daughter, Samantha, and her boyfriend are flying in for a visit mid April. We are looking forward to the visit and to finally share our world to one of our kids. Neither of them have ever experienced what our current lifestyle is like. So this will be exciting.  

St Paddy's day parade

They have visited us when living on the boat in a marina before leaving the states. But never have they experienced what life on the hook is like. I have to admit, I am also nervous.  Not sure why I am nervous they already think I am crazy.. hahah

Well I guess that is enough for now. Of course, once again I will have to push my grandson's pictures on you.  Oh and remind everyone that I am freelancing as a remote bookkeeper and virtual assistant, in case anyone is in need of some assistance. You can contact me directly or here.

Remember to be good to yourself and to OTHERS

Island Life

Life is good here in Providencia, Colombia. We joined a few other cruisers on the beach last week for a traditional island meal, rundown. We have had something very similar in Guanaja and I believe it is an island dish that has many names depending on which island you are on in the Caribbean. 

Another fun part of that day was taking a launch to the far south tip of the island. We tour the island by land but this time it was by sea. Providencia has some gorgeous waters. 

So the rundown dish consists of all kinds of seafooded and starch and root veggies cooked in fresh coconut milk. 

A local family prepared the dish at the beach on an open fire for us 

The whole family and friends participated. We had a great time and we thank all that made it possible  

This is Isla, she is a stray pup that hangs out at the dock and greets everyone. Because she has this skin condition the locals have shunned her and attempt to keep her away because they are afraid to catch it themselves. 

I believe it is mange  so I have started feeding her daily, trying to give her a high protein diet to help her regain her strength to fight the parisite.  I am also working with the island vet in getting her cured so she can be fixed and find someone to care for her when I leave in a few months. 

I wash and feed her at the docks where the local can see me tend to her. I was laughed at when I had to cary her to get bathed. The next day I met the vet at the docks and several members of the community came out to speak to the vet about their concerns for her. I was please to see that there are a few people that do care about her they just needed a ressurance that they efforts were not wasted.  

The vet was pleased to hear I was sticking around for a few months. He feels we can help her and find her a place in this community 

So here is to island life and their herbs. Even comes in energy drinks which gave me a headache and tasted like redbull

Until next time my friends. Love the ones your with and yourself 

Paradise Isla Providencia

Oh my this place is great! We have been so social here for some reason. We have toured the island and are meeting the locals that have been so kind and welcoming as well as extremely generous. 

I've been taking pictures and would love to share them all with you but for space reasons I'll try to group them as much as possible. I have been posting them on our Facebook page Saga Sea if you want to get sooner. 

I am trying to walk as much as possible but the lack of exercise has soften me. My Fibrocrap is flaring up some so I'm trying to build back up slowly. Steve, on the other hand has hiked up to the highest peak of the island, I will post the video. 

We paired up with another couple and rented a cart and drove around the island. We enjoyed some spectacular views, pirate history, loved seeing all the cotton trees, which they hold sacred and are not allowed to cut down, awesome mosaic sculptures, friendly people, beaches without sand flies, and the amazing island culture. 

  

Their culture and dialects refects that they are mostly descendants of the pirates, slaves and the Puritan settlers. This island may be owned by Colombia but the Columbian culture isn't prominent here. 

Fishing and tourism seems to be the biggest industries here on the island. Yet, unlike the smaller sister island San Andres, Providencia has remained mostly rural. We here the rumors that it might not last much longer. Developers from Colombia has plans to make this paradise more of a resort destination. 

That saddens me a bit, We are enjoying its charm and how welcoming they are to cruisers. That might end when the larger resorts take over. 

The weather so far has been so pleasant. A few high wind days and a couple of showers but mostly very very pleasant. 

During our motor tour we met the local radio DJ and musician, Robert Britton. Some of his music will be on our videos

Oh and this fabulous ship came in 

It is a school and sail ship that had around 20-30 teenage students aboart for six months. They learn to sail while continuing their school work aboard. Awesome opportunity! 

Best of all we got to come aboard 

The galley was amazing 

Everyhing from a coffee maker and coke machine to a walkin cooler. 

They even have a bread mixer and waching machines. Their generator can't handle everything at once so all AC power devices are on an operating schedule

Oh Steve was told this was a converted fishing ship from Denmark.  

If you look closely that is a lady holding a dog under the bowsprit

So this brings us up to last night. We met these three guys while eating dinner in town. 

This is Boogie 

Dogs and alcohol seem to be the common language