Your Escape Blueprint

“In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog.”

When travelling to a new place, one way to get an instant read on a community is to observe the condition of the local cats and dogs. We were pleased to see that the local dog and cat population in Placencia is generally very healthy, well fed, and surprisingly many of them neutered.

Talking to a local resident revealed that this was not always the case here. He and his partner who is a vet have been very active with the local humane society and a veterinary surgeon from Belize City (who volunteers his services) to ensure the local domesticated animal population is as healthy as it is.

The resident we spoke to said this is not the case for all of Belize. Apparently in Punta Gorda the local animals don’t fare as well as their neighbours to the North. To be fair this is probably also true of the residents as it is a much poorer area of Belize.

In some parts of the world cats and dogs barley exist, they live miserable lives, fending for themselves, they barely eat, and are host to horrible pests and debilitating disease. For instance on a prior trip to Tobago we were shocked by the condition of the local dog population. None of the dogs appeared to be owned let alone spayed or neutered. Besides being generally under nourished the large population of stray dogs were infested with mange.

You have all heard the saying “Mangy Mutt”, but this saying does not hold much meaning if you have never witnessed the horrific effects of this disease on an animal. Mange is a skin disease caused by parasitic mites. These mites embed themselves either in skin or hair follicles of the animal. The result is disturbing, especially if untreated.

Localized mange occurs in one or two small, confined area, resulting in isolated scaly bald patches causing a spotted appearance. In bad cases generalized mange can affect a dog’s entire body. Secondary bacterial infections often results with a dog with very itchy and often horrible smelling skin. To see a dog that is ravished with mange is heart breaking.

Younger dogs often recover fully from mange with medication, but adult dogs often require long-term therapy to control the disease. Sadly the willpower and the means to provide this help is often non-existent. The reality is mange ravishes the local dog population in places where the human population is generally very poor themselves.

As an outsider I can’t help but think “how you do anything is how you do everything”, or how you treat others including other species, is a reflection on the value you place on life!

However before reserving judgement one must keep in mind:

”In the desert, an old monk had once advised a traveler, the voices of God and the Devil are scarcely distinguishable”. Loren Eisely

Thank you and all  credit to those who volunteer their time and money to make the world a bit more perfect even if it is one dog at a time.

Did your mother ever tell you to never talk to strangers? That was maybe sage advice when you were three! When you are all grown up and travelling the world, ignore it and talk to as many as you can.

We know from personal experience that whenever we are in unfamiliar territory, whether in a new country or new area, the best advice comes from other travelers or the residents.

Walking up to strangers and striking up conversations is worth the effort, even if only for recommendations on the best places to eat.  If the very thought of doing this makes you cringe, don’t worry it is not as hard as it seems.

Don’t be shy – just look for a friendly ice breaker to start the conversation – Canadian travelers love to flash the distinct red maple leaf – Just stop them in the streets and ask what part of the country they are from. This works really well if you are a fellow Canadian and very well with our American neighbors too.

Yvonne who strangely enough was terribly shy as a child is a natural at this and you can soon learn the skill. Keep your ears open for a familiar accent or language and strike up a conversation. People especially expats, are always very happy to share their local knowledge. Before you know it, you can get the insiders slant on the best places to shop, eat and even snorkel.

The reality is people and especially travelers, love to share their experiences – the good the bad and the scary.

We have gleaned useful tips and many good recommendations by just striking up a conversation. Even in this information age Google does not have all the answers, especially when visiting places far from the tourist trail. On the ground, up to date local information can save you a lot of time and money.

The information network is probably the greatest advantage of staying in backpacker hostels. During our 1995 world tour we found that the communication and connection between travelers is strong, you are plugged into a network of like-minded people looking for a similar experience.

Your backpacking days may be over and you may find as we have, that renting private accommodations means you are more isolated. That’s why it is important to get out of your shell and talk to strangers.

The quality of your life (or travels in this case) is directly related to the quality of the questions you ask. In this case Momma was wrong!

“Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast. In the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish.” –Ovid

Some of you have asked how we find the places we stay at…….. the truth is it is acombination of internet research, reading guide books and checking out some of the online booking sites.For instance I had heard about airbnb odd name, the idea being that it is a place for home owners from around the world who wish to rent out a spare room or the whole house. The advantage for the prospective tenant or guest is that the rent is paid directly to Airbnb upon booking. This money is then held by them, it is not paid out to the owner until 24 hours after your arrival…….. therefore giving you the security of knowing that your money is protected if all is not as promised!

Sounds great doesn’t it? That’s what we thought and had contacted several places listed in Belize and Honduras, the majority of the owners replied promptly, answered my questions and quoted rates etc. These can be negotiable by the way, especially if visiting off season……….

I had found what appeared to be a perfect spot at a great rate the owner seemed willing to accommodate us and offered us a larger two bedroom unit for the same price as a smaller one bed unit…. (the catch was that she was currently adding a bathroom to this second bedroom…… hhmmm visions of workmen wandering in and out of our pad). This set off some alarm bells, so I decided to do a little more research. Her house name was included in her listing so I was able to “google” the place (Airbnb does not allow people to post website links etc.) Surprise, surprise she did indeed have her own website with posted rates ………. Which were lower than the total rates I had been quoted!!!!!!

This of course is a bit of a shock; however I do know that many of these booking sites charge the owner a hefty percentage for using their services.  Upon further investigation Airbnb do not charge the owner, at least according to the FAQ, they make their money by charging you an additional 6 to 12% of the rental rate all paid up front!

What this added up to was that I was being quoted the price for a one bedroom unit, plus being charged an additional 11% by Airbnb, add in a what appeared to be a slightly inflated US$ exchange rate……… not so much of a good deal after all.

I do have a tendency of being rather direct about these type of things and therefore contacted the owner via her own site and asked for clarification on the discrepancy…….. needless to say there was no logical answer, however I did get a somewhat terse email from Airbnb saying that I was breaking their rules by contacting the owner directly and circumventing them!

Hey! I am not saying don’t use them or any other similar site, just do your homework beforehand and know exactly what any additional costs are. You might also want to double check whether any of those neat places have an online presence of their own before you contact them through these sites.

You never know, it might just save you a ton of money and a whole lot of hassle! Happy hunting!

Is where we decided to kick off our Central American adventure, mainly because it has one of the best beaches in Belize, access to great diving and a very cool laid back vibe.

The reality is this peninsula feels very much like an island, in some places the spit is so skinny you can see sea and lagoon on either side of the road that runs along its spine. Our home for the next month is a two bedroomed cottage or cabana at Captain Jaks, located on the lagoon side of the spit and a short walk from the village itself, with a even shorter walk to the beach.

This way we get the best of both worlds, we can watch the fish hunt and jump in the lagoon, wave at the fisherman and water taxis as they go bye and then for a change of scene pop over to the other side for a swim or stroll along the beach.

Our temporary home has a full sized fridge and all we need for cooking, a lounge, one and a half bathrooms, two decks to relax and bird watch from, the upper  is screened in which keeps most of those little bloodsucking flying beastie’s out! All in all a very neat little spot, the only downside is the wooden construction, not much soundproofing here……. earplugs come in very handy, especially on a Saturday night!

What has really stood out for us, is the friendliness here, everyone has a smile and a cheery hello!

Oh yes, the local Belikin beer is around a $1 a bottle and the local Rum anywhere from $7 to $10 a bottle……. Life’s good!

I confess our nap at 2pm yesterday turned into a full night…….. that’s what happens when you miss a full night’s sleep.

The upside is that we woke refreshed and ready to go around 7pm this morning……. What woke me was the strange noises drifting through the window. The resort is indeed away from it all; our neighbours are mostly of the feathered kind. I have yet to identify where these mysterious calls came from which makes them all the more exotic. Upon stepping out onto our balcony, I spotted hummingbirds, grackles and a variety of yet to be identified species…….. the blue, yellow, red, orange and black feathered flashes, hopped, bounced and swooped through the nearby trees and bushes.

Hunger drove us in for breakfast, a “Belizean breakfast” is coffee, scrambled eggs, bacon, re-fried beans, fruit and fried jacks ( a flat round of dough, cut in half and deep fried, resulting in a very tasty puffy pocket to fill) yum!

Our breakfast finished we wandered back to our room to find two howler monkeys partaking of their breakfast in “our” tree. These two were quietly picking off and eating the flesh of the bountiful pods. Howler monkeys are often seen and heard here; after all we are in the jungle! It never ceases to amaze me how such a relatively small animal can make such a huge guttural howl!!! Guess that generous chin and throat is put to good use……….  according to the Guinness book of world records their vocalization’s can be heard for 20 miles.

Maybe we will get another kind of wakeup call tomorrow?

We arrived safe and sound! No delays, technical difficulties or missed connections, I am pleased to report. We emerged from the air-conditioned cocoon of the plane into a balmy 29°, down a flexing staircase onto the tarmac and into the terminal, where we whisked through immigration.  Belize City airport is very small and compact compared to the mammoth places we are used to. It is in Ladyville approximately 20 minutes’ drive away from the city. More importantly we had no issues with Belize immigration even though we do not have a return or onward ticket, we were issued the standard 30 day visa (this applies to US & Canadian citizens). We do have a ticket from Panama back to Canada six months from now, wonder how much truth is in  the information we received from travel agents before we left, stating that we would need either an onward or return ticket to satisfy immigration officials.

After travelling for over 24 hours it was a relief to see the smiling face of Clarence or “Brown Sugar” as he likes to be known, waiting for us at the airport! He was also waiting for one other passenger who had been delayed in customs; this gave us the opportunity to chat with her daughter who helps runs a Clinic in Punta Gorda. The Belize customs form is tricky, if your items are for personal uses do not declare them (read the small print very closely). Unfortunately our fellow passenger ran afoul of customs which ended up costing a small fortune. Fortunately for us her patiently waiting daughter was able to give us some insights into potential places to stay if we decide to visit PG. Travel tip: get the low down from a local!

Most people head straight into Belize City to overnight or catch connections, we headed the other direction and stayed at the Black Orchid Resort this Hotel has a very well-deserved reputation, situated right on the river and surrounded by lush forest, it is a delightful spot to recover from a mammoth travelling day. For us this was a much better choice than dealing with the hustle, bustle and somewhat seedy Belize City.

Dryane checked us in, gave us a tour while “Brown Sugar” dropped our bags off, ten minutes later we are in the pool……… aah!!! A quick shower and time to eat, rice, beans and baked chicken washed down of course with Belikan Beer. We also got to meet the resident parrot, who hangs out around the resort as they feed him in style here ( his open “villa” sits in his favourite tree).

That missed night of sleep catches up with us and it is nap time! So ends a perfect first day in Belize….