2.26.2007
sinuous...
is how the road is from orange walk to san ignacio. a beautiful drive though. you go from the savanna-like landscape in the north...full of sugar cane fields...to the lush foliage (w/ craggy peaks in the distance) along the western highway.driving in belize is relatively stress-free. the majority of the population is situated in belize city...few belizeans have vehicles (who the hell can afford to spend $4.50 for a gallon of gas?!?). most of the manuevering is around potholes, creaky public buses, schoolkids, or
yep. it seems that sundays in belize are the prime time to hold road cycling events. either there's a pack of guys training or there's a procession of sirens/flashing lights, the cyclists, and their equipment/support entourage trailing them. TWICE we ran into race stages!so...after taking nearly three hours of dodging multiple cyclists and traversing over speed bumps (before and after every village), we made it to our hotel on cahal pech hill.
since it was still morning, much too early to check in, we decided to head to belize's national archaeological treasure, Caracol. it's the largest Maya site in the country. during the seventh century, perhaps 50,000 people lived there. it is one of four MAJOR ceremonial centers in the maya world: Tikal (Guatemala), Calakmul (Mexico), and Copán (Honduras) are the other three.
back to the outrageously priced rental...to the turnoff for san antonio village...through mountain pine ridge...to douglas d'silva (aka, augustine) and to the site.
a mere 53 miles.
this is where pothole hell is defined. the road from san ignacio to caracol epitomizes dangerous driving. razor sharp rocks, extremely eroded limestone paths, narrow wooden bridges that cross wide rivers, and stunning views line this route. if you take 2.5 to 3 hours to make the trip, that's just about right. anyone who has made it to caracol in less than that allotted time was either extremely lucky or his corpse was later found along the road.
i kid you not. the ten miles between douglas d'silva and the paved road that leads into the site is most disastrous road i've seen since our 2001 trip to bolivia (from rurrenabaque to the pampas).
as you may have guessed...a happy razor-sharp rock welcomed us to western belize...on the abovementioned road. luckily, we had a military escort behind us.
military?!?
yes, there are two (9:00 & 11:30) daily military escorts from douglas d'silva on the way to caracol. apparently, there was a rash of armed robberies along this road a couple years ago. and now you can't go to caracol w/o military intervention. usually, they caravan behind the morning tours arriving from mountain pine ridge and san ignacio.
well, we didn't get there until 11:45. nevertheless, the bored soldiers were more than happy to escort us to the site. after all, when we arrived, they were just playing cards and sitting around.
'bout 30 minutes later, we hear a thumpthump. awww...shiiiiiit!
when i got out of the car, i was expecting a flattened tire. not this... as i said, we were extremely lucky because a HUGE, burly soldier by the name of Darren, helped us change the tire. now i know why the soldiers trail your vehicle. had they been ahead of us, we may still be on that road.and Darren...THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU
when we arrived at the site, we bought the three guys a round of soft drinks and thanked them profusely. and just before we headed into the ruins, i dug out the new deck of cards that i brought for the trip and handed it to the big guy. sorry that there were no hardcore pics like their deck at the base, but at least they were new ;)
2.24.2007
aggravating...
we're in belize...got in yesterday at about 3:30. great weather. high 85 degrees. low around 70. of course, that's what it is year round.
it's a good time to be here. dry season starts in february and lasts until the end of may. temps are at their highest in april and the rain pours in october.
the title of the post is because of this damn computer. i'm blogging from the hotel's lobby and although the connection is super fast, there was some major spyware that i had to clean up and a super long disk cleanup wait; i wasted more than ten minutes of my time...
oh well. they only charge a couple bucks an hour. more than enough time to talk about something ;)
right now, we're in orange town...just thirty minutes south of the mexican border town of chetumal. it's a ramshackle town of about 16,000 people. typical caribbean feel about the place. tin roofs...dirt streets...wooden shacks.
people are very hospitable here though. this morning, when we set out in our outrageously overpriced rental car ($108/day), we stopped by a tiny fruit/vegetable stand called "Neggy's." as we bought drinks/snacks, we complained about missing our morning coffee; in most of belize, the coffee is instant (nescafe). i've always found it ironic that some of the world's best coffee (from mexico/guatemala/costa rica) is exported and they resort to instant.
anyway, upon hearing this, the señora offered to make us a couple cups before we headed out...very cool. so we drank our coffee and talked for a good half hour before we decided to get on the road...which is pothole hell.
whoops. looks like they're closing the lobby. arrgh...more aggravation. guess i'll try to find a place tomorrow, when we leave for western belize...san ignacio!
see ya!
it's a good time to be here. dry season starts in february and lasts until the end of may. temps are at their highest in april and the rain pours in october.
the title of the post is because of this damn computer. i'm blogging from the hotel's lobby and although the connection is super fast, there was some major spyware that i had to clean up and a super long disk cleanup wait; i wasted more than ten minutes of my time...
oh well. they only charge a couple bucks an hour. more than enough time to talk about something ;)
right now, we're in orange town...just thirty minutes south of the mexican border town of chetumal. it's a ramshackle town of about 16,000 people. typical caribbean feel about the place. tin roofs...dirt streets...wooden shacks.
people are very hospitable here though. this morning, when we set out in our outrageously overpriced rental car ($108/day), we stopped by a tiny fruit/vegetable stand called "Neggy's." as we bought drinks/snacks, we complained about missing our morning coffee; in most of belize, the coffee is instant (nescafe). i've always found it ironic that some of the world's best coffee (from mexico/guatemala/costa rica) is exported and they resort to instant.
anyway, upon hearing this, the señora offered to make us a couple cups before we headed out...very cool. so we drank our coffee and talked for a good half hour before we decided to get on the road...which is pothole hell.
whoops. looks like they're closing the lobby. arrgh...more aggravation. guess i'll try to find a place tomorrow, when we leave for western belize...san ignacio!
see ya!
2.15.2007
an unexpected...
valentine's day gift.
and it wasn't from lois. i just checked my email and nearly jumped out of my seat. one of the messages was from someone whom i haven't heard from in seventeen years. this person, who lives 5000 miles away, played volleyball with me in a couple leagues in 1988-89. she was one of three scandinavian gals who spent that year nannying for some wealthy families. apparently, she came across a meme that i posted in 2003 when she googled her name. i CANNOT believe she had the gumption to look for my email address and send me a note!
it was kind of awkward writing the reply though. i mean, where do you start after seventeen years? i'm still a bit freaked out about the whole thing because it was totally out of the blue. excuse the grin...but it really made my day.
and it wasn't from lois. i just checked my email and nearly jumped out of my seat. one of the messages was from someone whom i haven't heard from in seventeen years. this person, who lives 5000 miles away, played volleyball with me in a couple leagues in 1988-89. she was one of three scandinavian gals who spent that year nannying for some wealthy families. apparently, she came across a meme that i posted in 2003 when she googled her name. i CANNOT believe she had the gumption to look for my email address and send me a note!
it was kind of awkward writing the reply though. i mean, where do you start after seventeen years? i'm still a bit freaked out about the whole thing because it was totally out of the blue. excuse the grin...but it really made my day.
2.13.2007
surprised...
to say the least.
lois and i went out for our valentine's dinner last night. we figured we'd beat the crowds and impending cold and snow by celebrating two days early.
what did we get each other? well, lois gave me a bag of belvedere chocolate truffles and a gift card. and i...redeemed some miles for two tix to belize. last month, i mentioned wanting to go there in late may. well, those plans have changed. two weeks after that blog posting, american airlines and citicards announced their quarterly reduced mileage destinations (i.e., go somewhere for 5000 miles less). and wouldn't you know it, there were latin american destinations. so...instead of having to redeem 60,000 miles for two award tix, it only took 50,000...and $30 extra for having to book them via phone. still, 10,000 miles or $30...definitely a no-brainer.
keeping the trip secret for the last ten days was nearly impossible. lois has been aching to go somewhere tropical since december. and the belize research i had been conducting online was so surreptitious, i was erasing the history on a daily basis. you'd think i was sneaking porn or sumpin'...
anyway, we're leaving next friday (23rd). i cannot wait to escape the cold and snow. i know we're finally having a typical winter (after many unseasonably warm and dry ones)...but i am just fed up. did you know that the average february high in belize is 80° and the low...71°?
wish we could stay 'til april ;)
lois and i went out for our valentine's dinner last night. we figured we'd beat the crowds and impending cold and snow by celebrating two days early.
what did we get each other? well, lois gave me a bag of belvedere chocolate truffles and a gift card. and i...redeemed some miles for two tix to belize. last month, i mentioned wanting to go there in late may. well, those plans have changed. two weeks after that blog posting, american airlines and citicards announced their quarterly reduced mileage destinations (i.e., go somewhere for 5000 miles less). and wouldn't you know it, there were latin american destinations. so...instead of having to redeem 60,000 miles for two award tix, it only took 50,000...and $30 extra for having to book them via phone. still, 10,000 miles or $30...definitely a no-brainer.keeping the trip secret for the last ten days was nearly impossible. lois has been aching to go somewhere tropical since december. and the belize research i had been conducting online was so surreptitious, i was erasing the history on a daily basis. you'd think i was sneaking porn or sumpin'...
anyway, we're leaving next friday (23rd). i cannot wait to escape the cold and snow. i know we're finally having a typical winter (after many unseasonably warm and dry ones)...but i am just fed up. did you know that the average february high in belize is 80° and the low...71°?
wish we could stay 'til april ;)
2.12.2007
no respect...
is the catchphrase for monday's movie.
yes, people, we're talkin' Rodney Dangerfield...all bug eyed and sweaty browed. he filmed this flick between Caddyshackk and Backk to School. have you guessed it? if you answered, "What is Easy Money?" then alex trebek won't whack you across the forehead.
for some odd reason, i always liked this movie. i'm not sure if it was because of rodney's blue collar character (who stands to inherit $10 million if he can quit his vices for a year) or his excellent supporting cast (Joe Pesci, Candice Azzara, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Jones, and a teenage Jennifer Jason Leigh).
nah
i probably liked this movie because rodney's biting sarcastic humor (but not always in good taste) always appealed to the 13 year-old in me...not vulgar...not cruel...but said under your breath and effective enough to keep your sanity in check. sometimes dumb humor is good humor ;)
yes, people, we're talkin' Rodney Dangerfield...all bug eyed and sweaty browed. he filmed this flick between Caddyshackk and Backk to School. have you guessed it? if you answered, "What is Easy Money?" then alex trebek won't whack you across the forehead.for some odd reason, i always liked this movie. i'm not sure if it was because of rodney's blue collar character (who stands to inherit $10 million if he can quit his vices for a year) or his excellent supporting cast (Joe Pesci, Candice Azzara, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Jones, and a teenage Jennifer Jason Leigh).
nah
i probably liked this movie because rodney's biting sarcastic humor (but not always in good taste) always appealed to the 13 year-old in me...not vulgar...not cruel...but said under your breath and effective enough to keep your sanity in check. sometimes dumb humor is good humor ;)
2.10.2007
out with the old...
(you know the rest)
for many years, i built a printed paper kingdom through multiple magazine subscriptions. volleyball...photography...archaeology...entertainment weekly...nat'l geo...tennis...caribbean islands...stereo review...consumer reports...budget travel...men's journal...all piled high.
i'm sure i had enough tinder to burn down the whole block. one little spark and we're all human bbq.
well, i've been good the last couple years and only kept up the last two in the above list. in fact, i'm even dropping frommer's budget travel in a couple months (although it would be nice to win february's prize for best travel story...a trip to malaysia and singapore!).
in my magazine downsizing glory...i tripped. i've just replaced budget travel w/ travel & leisure AND i've redeemed $30 of e-rewards for a two year subscription to this magazine.
so come on in and pick up a copy...just don't bend the cover back...that drives me crazy!
for many years, i built a printed paper kingdom through multiple magazine subscriptions. volleyball...photography...archaeology...entertainment weekly...nat'l geo...tennis...caribbean islands...stereo review...consumer reports...budget travel...men's journal...all piled high.
i'm sure i had enough tinder to burn down the whole block. one little spark and we're all human bbq.
well, i've been good the last couple years and only kept up the last two in the above list. in fact, i'm even dropping frommer's budget travel in a couple months (although it would be nice to win february's prize for best travel story...a trip to malaysia and singapore!).
in my magazine downsizing glory...i tripped. i've just replaced budget travel w/ travel & leisure AND i've redeemed $30 of e-rewards for a two year subscription to this magazine.
so come on in and pick up a copy...just don't bend the cover back...that drives me crazy!
password...
hell.
in this age of security, we're asked for usernames and passwords on a daily basis if we're online. right now, i have three or four different ones circulating. why? i have no idea...i guess i started with one and added some letters to the 'all-purpose' one when the seven letters weren't adequate. of course, when new passwords required a combination of numbers and letters, i resorted to combining my all-purpose PIN and password. recently, i encountered a situation where my glowing PIN/password was TOO LONG!!!
argh...imagonnahafta simplify...but it's so hard to change a password that has been used for ten years! so...i guess i'm gonna resort to using my all purpose and a shorter combo number+password (when necessary).
life doesn't have to be this complicated...sheesh
in this age of security, we're asked for usernames and passwords on a daily basis if we're online. right now, i have three or four different ones circulating. why? i have no idea...i guess i started with one and added some letters to the 'all-purpose' one when the seven letters weren't adequate. of course, when new passwords required a combination of numbers and letters, i resorted to combining my all-purpose PIN and password. recently, i encountered a situation where my glowing PIN/password was TOO LONG!!!
argh...imagonnahafta simplify...but it's so hard to change a password that has been used for ten years! so...i guess i'm gonna resort to using my all purpose and a shorter combo number+password (when necessary).life doesn't have to be this complicated...sheesh
2.06.2007
the girl...
can scream.
this week's monday movie is up for four academy awards, including best movie and best supporting actress and actor.
yes...i'm talking about Little Miss Sunshine...starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carrell, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, and Paul Dano. it's the story of the Hoover family. the father, Richard (Kinnear), is an out of touch motivational speaker who is one step away from hitting the big time (in his own mind). Sheryl, played by the great Toni Collette, is the embattled mother who is desperately trying to keep some order within the family. Frank (Carrell), Sheryl's brother, is a Proustian scholar. He has come to stay w/ the Hoovers after being released from the hospital where he was being treated for an attempted suicide over a failed affair with one of his male grad students. Dwayne Hoover (Paul Dano), is the 15 year-old son who has sworn to a vow of silence until he is accepted into the Air Force. Grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin) is Richard's foul mouthed, heroin snorting, and ever belligerent father who helps Olive (Abigail Breslin) with her dance routines for the local adolescent beauty pageants.
the movie chronicles this "unique" family and their haphazard (yet soul searching) journey across the southwest, from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, CA...where the Little Miss Sunshine pageant is being held that weekend. it's a study on how the family unit and its jumbled pieces remain intact (and even strengthen) during the most tumultuous times. initially, you wonder (out loud) how such a crazy family doesn't simply implode, until you realize that most of our families are just as dysfunctional and that the "blood is thicker than water" cliché rings true because every family has to suppress its homicidal tendencies for things to work out during crises.
definitely one of the funniest movies of the past year. what a great cast! the chemistry between them was flawless; simply a well oiled acting machine. ya gotta love 'em...especially Alan Arkin's portrayal of an oversexed and very glib grandfather. he is truly one of the industry's most underrated actors. and Abigail Breslin has come a long way since her first role as a minister's daughter who fears idle glasses of water, constantly referring to them as being 'contaminated.'
if you haven't seen the movie...run to netflixx and add it to your queue! make sure it's not on an incline though ;)
this week's monday movie is up for four academy awards, including best movie and best supporting actress and actor.yes...i'm talking about Little Miss Sunshine...starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carrell, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, and Paul Dano. it's the story of the Hoover family. the father, Richard (Kinnear), is an out of touch motivational speaker who is one step away from hitting the big time (in his own mind). Sheryl, played by the great Toni Collette, is the embattled mother who is desperately trying to keep some order within the family. Frank (Carrell), Sheryl's brother, is a Proustian scholar. He has come to stay w/ the Hoovers after being released from the hospital where he was being treated for an attempted suicide over a failed affair with one of his male grad students. Dwayne Hoover (Paul Dano), is the 15 year-old son who has sworn to a vow of silence until he is accepted into the Air Force. Grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin) is Richard's foul mouthed, heroin snorting, and ever belligerent father who helps Olive (Abigail Breslin) with her dance routines for the local adolescent beauty pageants.
the movie chronicles this "unique" family and their haphazard (yet soul searching) journey across the southwest, from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, CA...where the Little Miss Sunshine pageant is being held that weekend. it's a study on how the family unit and its jumbled pieces remain intact (and even strengthen) during the most tumultuous times. initially, you wonder (out loud) how such a crazy family doesn't simply implode, until you realize that most of our families are just as dysfunctional and that the "blood is thicker than water" cliché rings true because every family has to suppress its homicidal tendencies for things to work out during crises.
definitely one of the funniest movies of the past year. what a great cast! the chemistry between them was flawless; simply a well oiled acting machine. ya gotta love 'em...especially Alan Arkin's portrayal of an oversexed and very glib grandfather. he is truly one of the industry's most underrated actors. and Abigail Breslin has come a long way since her first role as a minister's daughter who fears idle glasses of water, constantly referring to them as being 'contaminated.'
if you haven't seen the movie...run to netflixx and add it to your queue! make sure it's not on an incline though ;)
2.04.2007
super...
bowling is what i did tonight. every year the 'big' game is on, we usually go out to eat...catch a movie...go shopping...anything but watch tv. i think in the last thirty years, i've watched two or three super bowls...ugh
so...we made the drive to Mimi's Cafe first. although it's a little out of the way, we go out to the one near I-225 & Alameda. parking is abundant and the service is usually pretty good. ever go there? kinda like a Black Eyed Pea w/ a French Quarter twist. it's a franchise that started in Anaheim in 1978...i think there are over 100 locations now (seven in CO).
anyway, lois likes their quiche, which is served with a salad, fruit, and muffin. tonight, i opted for the turkey (sl-ow roasted) ;) my meal looked EXACTLY like that depicted in the picture but had six(!) slices of turkey...two of which ended up going to the dogs.
after stuffing ourselves, lois accompanied me to the Brunswick Lanes at Heather Ridge. i say 'accompanied' because lois doesn't bowl anymore...but she doesn't mind watching...guess she's an ex-bowler w/ voyeuristic tendencies.
i HAD to go bowling today because bowlbrunswick.com sent me a coupon for $0.41 bowling in commemoration of SuperBowl XLI and i just couldn't pass it up. now, shoe rental was $3.69 but three games and tax only brought the total to $5.01 and you CAN'T pass that up...especially since four shoe rentals and three games each can run $60! and even though there are some specials for $25-$30 (two hours of bowling and shoe rentals for up to six people), they ain't $0.41 games!!!
don't even think we were there for an hour. got three games rolled (138/146/176) in 42 minutes, burned about 300 calories, and were out the door. man, i had some seriously slick shoes. you know, the kind that make you flail because you weren't expecting to slide so far...wheee...doin' that funny dance because you don't want to foul or (even worse) end up halfway down the lane.
kinda miffed though. my ball was just not breaking right tonight. i must've had eight or nine (9 spare frames). oh well, what kind of fun do you want for five bucks? can't be too picky. after all, some people dropped thousands of dollars for $600 face value football tix in Miami...something i cannot relate! AND they got rained on! about as fun as a chipped tooth i tell ya!
so...we made the drive to Mimi's Cafe first. although it's a little out of the way, we go out to the one near I-225 & Alameda. parking is abundant and the service is usually pretty good. ever go there? kinda like a Black Eyed Pea w/ a French Quarter twist. it's a franchise that started in Anaheim in 1978...i think there are over 100 locations now (seven in CO).
anyway, lois likes their quiche, which is served with a salad, fruit, and muffin. tonight, i opted for the turkey (sl-ow roasted) ;) my meal looked EXACTLY like that depicted in the picture but had six(!) slices of turkey...two of which ended up going to the dogs.after stuffing ourselves, lois accompanied me to the Brunswick Lanes at Heather Ridge. i say 'accompanied' because lois doesn't bowl anymore...but she doesn't mind watching...guess she's an ex-bowler w/ voyeuristic tendencies.
i HAD to go bowling today because bowlbrunswick.com sent me a coupon for $0.41 bowling in commemoration of SuperBowl XLI and i just couldn't pass it up. now, shoe rental was $3.69 but three games and tax only brought the total to $5.01 and you CAN'T pass that up...especially since four shoe rentals and three games each can run $60! and even though there are some specials for $25-$30 (two hours of bowling and shoe rentals for up to six people), they ain't $0.41 games!!!don't even think we were there for an hour. got three games rolled (138/146/176) in 42 minutes, burned about 300 calories, and were out the door. man, i had some seriously slick shoes. you know, the kind that make you flail because you weren't expecting to slide so far...wheee...doin' that funny dance because you don't want to foul or (even worse) end up halfway down the lane.
kinda miffed though. my ball was just not breaking right tonight. i must've had eight or nine (9 spare frames). oh well, what kind of fun do you want for five bucks? can't be too picky. after all, some people dropped thousands of dollars for $600 face value football tix in Miami...something i cannot relate! AND they got rained on! about as fun as a chipped tooth i tell ya!
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