Burronada

Reveal thyself.

Homeless Encyclopedia

When we were in Belize City the other day we were approached by a barefoot elderly man in the dark. He started telling us the names of the U.S. state capitals and and other information about each state. He quoted Thomas Payne, the Monroe Doctrine, the Articles of Confederation and knew more about the founders of America than we did. He said a friend sent him books from the Smithsonian library and he memorized everything he read. He explained the difference between commonwealth and colonial status (Belize and Canada share the former), something I'd always been a bit confused by. We tried to stump him on world capitals when we couldn't get him on states and he only missed one of the Stans, Tajekistan maybe. There was some confusion over the capital of United Arab Emirates, because its a confederation of several nations. He even knew the tough ones, like Iceland.

"What about Antarctica?" I said.

"Ah, ha, ha ha! I don't think so!" he said, wagging his finger at me.

While we talked somebody drove by in a truck and said, "Hey Encyclopedia!"

The man said, "that is what they call me."

Then the cops rolled by and yelled something. "They don't like me," the Encyclopedia said.

He told us that the trick to remembering anything is to think it silently to yourself seven times, say it out loud seven times, then form a mental association between the subject and and something else you already know. He demonstrated the technique with our names. He closed his eyes and placed his fingers at his temples in a look of deep contemplation.

"Stacy, Stacy, Stacy, Stacy, Stacy, Stacy, Stacy... Ah! Got it!" Next was my turn. "Juistin, Justin, Justin, Justin, Justin, Justin, Justin." He smiled and nodded.

Then came Sarah. But he must not have heard correctly because he said a different name each time. "Sarah, Cara, Lara--"

"--Uh, its just Sarah," Sarah said.

"Ah, okay."

We all shared a laugh and the Encyclopedia told us his name was Harry and he was homeless because the owner of the house where he lived destroyed his home. A woman was letting him sleep on the porch of the internet cafe see owned in the tourist safe zone, Fort George in Belize City. We gave him five dollar coins and he inspected them all, carefully looking over each one, turning them over in his hands. He became thoughtful, and then said that this would get him two meals. He didn't ask for anything. We shook hands and said goodbye after he quizzed us some more about where we were staying.

sea shack at dusk on caulker

sea shack at dusk on caulker
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

sting ray (2).JPG

sting ray (2).JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

we saw this little feller right outside our hotel on Caye Caulker. He came right up to us like a dog wanting to be petted. He flapped his little wing, and begged for food. Okay, he didn't really beg for food, but he was cute as the dickens anyway. I'm starting to think that not all ocean life wants to eat me, and thats just a darn good thing.

Where Are We Now? Caye Caulker, Belize.

Where Are We Now? Caye Caulker, Belize.
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Caye Caulker Morning

Caye Caulker Morning
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Fire At Midas Resort

Fire At Midas Resort
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

This happened barely a half mile from where we were staying. We read in the local paper how a recent fire was mishandled and a house burned down. Carine Quiroz, wife of Javier and owner of Mana Kai told us that the San Ignacio fire department has yet to SAVE a house. The fire department is all volunteer and consists of one truck. We were told that whether or not the fire house answers the phone or hangs up on you or whether the truck has water all depends of somebody's mood. We watched them "fight" this fire in total disarray and confusion. The fire fighters were half a dozen guys in t-shirts and sandals.

We smelled the smoke for a long time before we realized how close the fire was to our cabin. Then we saw thick ashes blowing in our windows. Then we walked outside and heard the crackling of fire swallowing whole trees. I've never been this close to a fire that out of control. We threw our passports and money in our bags and prepared to flee, but crept closer for a look at the fire, to assess what sort of danger we were in first.

We saw a few tourists on the other side of the ridge fighting the blaze with a garden hose, frantically pulling branches off of trees as the wind blew the blaze to within a few yards of the Midas Cabins. Nice and I rushed to get shovels and go help them dig fire lines but by then the wind had shifted, it was slightly cooler and the blaze went down. Carine said this happens every year.

Caye Caulker Water Taxi

Caye Caulker Water Taxi
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Our ride out to Caye Caulker. Man they are faaaaast!

Its Official: We Leave Tomorrow For Caye Caulker

We leave tomorrow at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. and should be in Belize City around 8:00-9:00 and from there we'll take the first available water taxi to Caye Caulker. We will really miss San Ignacio and all the new friends we've made here but its time to move on.

San Ignacio cemetary

San Ignacio cemetary (3).JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Above ground burials. A little like New Oreleans, from what I've heard about it.

Shane wins for Cayo!

Shane wins for Cayo!
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

The annual bike race from Belize City to San Ignacio and back is the Tour de France of Central America. Shane is the hometown hero representing for Cayo District. He tried for seven years before taking first place this weekend, marking the first total victory for Cayo in thirty years!!! It was a HUGE deal here. We didn't see the win but saw the victory laps through San Ignacio. Everyone went wild, honking horns, screaming, waving the Belize flag. Shane vowed he would not move on to a bigger team until winning for Cayo. He made good.

San Ignacio cemetary

San Ignacio cemetary
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Belize football

Belize football
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

San Ignacio, Cayo District.

Guatemala (white) vs. U.S.A. (yellow) The Guatemalans were superior. They were well disciplined and made great passes and had excellent teamwork. The Belizeians were agressive and put on a crappy defense. They could hardly keep the ball away from their side. The U.S. sucked all around, which is strange because every member of the team except one was from Belize! The Guatemalans went on to play Cayo (Belize) last night and lost to Belize. We watched the games from the roof of the Mana Kai office. It was better than the stadium seats and free. We climbed up and down a rickety ladder and drank Belekins on top. Yes, yes we call it "soccer" in the U.S. but it was pointed out to me by a Dutch friend down here how stupid that is and I agree. The entire world calls it football and so will I.

Belizeian soldiers

Belizeian soldiers
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Playing dominos at the Caracol ruins. When I asked if I could take their picture two said no and one said yes.

betta no litta.JPG

betta no litta.JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

An example of Creole, a dialect of the English languahe spoken throughout the Carribean.

This is at Green Iguana Park, on the Mopan River which originates in Guatemala.

old man.JPG

old man.JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

This guy loves his kitty, pidgeons and listening to the radio on the sidewalk. This is his house. We see him everyday.

mana kai cabin rain.JPG

mana kai cabin rain.JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Our humble home, inside and out during a great little storm.

good friday san ignacio

good friday san ignacio (5).JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Good Friday. San Ignacio, Cayo District. Belize.

Twelve stations of the cross were set up to represent the hours leading up to the death of Christ. We camped out by the twelfth station and took pictures of the procession. At the station they recited Hail Mary and Our Father through a megaphone in English. Four male pall bearers carried a glass casket with a Jesus figure inside. We heard that down the road at Benque Viejo they had a real actor playing Jesus and he ceremonially fell down at each station. At the previous station we could hear them use Spanish so they may have alternated at each station. I'm guessing this gentleman in front is a Catholic bishop and these are alter boys but they might be Lutheran or Anglican.

Where Are We Now? San Ignacio, Cayo District. Belize.

Where Are We Now? San Ignacio, Cayo District. Belize.
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Near the Gutemalan border. We move on to Caye Caulker on Tuesday, going back to Belize City to catch the 45 minute boat ride out to the caye (key) or island.

mennonite.JPG

mennonite.JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

A farmer at the market. We saw some Monnonites on a canoe trip and they were quite rowdy and having a good time. Some were deaf and used sign language to communicate. The men's clothing varied from the more traditional clothing you see here to more "fashionable" clothes and a few were shirtless. The women all wore full length dresses and head scarves, similar to what Catholic nuns wear. They were friendly and wished us well. I hope I get the chance to visit one of their communities before we leave Belize.

puppy need snap.

puppy need snap.JPG
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

"Snap" means photo in Creole. This man clearly loves his puppy. So many here are not loved. It was also in Corazol that we saw some brutality. We were walking through the market when a lady quite unexpectedly picked up a piece of concrete and pelted a starving dog with it, point blank. It turned my stomach. Not that its any excuse but the woman looked like she was starving too, or at least poor and too skinny. Its hard to be too judgemental when you realize that dogs and people compete for resources in a way we cannot imagine back home. Never the less, it was hard to see. We also saw some kids kick a dog when it was falling from a bridge. Had there not been so many of them, I would have scolded but again I have to realize that its not exactly my place to do so. I like this picture because it reminds me that love is shown to animals down here. But it is not a given.

Nice and Ras Far I

Nice and Ras Far I
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Liz, you out there? I got plenty of pictures of rainforest herbs and I took notes. I'll have more later. Ras Far I is a bush doctor who took ous out into the forest where he lives in Bullet Tree.

Francisco Javier

Francisco Javier
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Javier is a highschool agriculture teacher in Belmopan, farmer, exterminator, fruit tree growner, campground owner and all round good guy. He gave us the first fresh coconuts that came to maturity on his newest trees and sghowed us how to drink and eat them.

jungle remedies

jungle remedies
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

"Harry Guy" aka Ras Far I found us in town and took us to his place out in Bullet Tree. We hung out by a river and learned about rainforest herbs.

San Ignacio dusk

San Ignacio dusk
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

This is the view from our porch/balcony after a rain storm.

corazol market

corazol market
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

San Ignacio downtown

San Ignacio downtown
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

I liked the way the lights plays in this photo. Its official, we're almost at the Guatemalan border in San Ignacio, Belize.

Shout outs: Shell, you out there? We've been drinking Belikins since we hit Corozal. Good stuff. I'll drink one for you when we get to to Wet Lizard in Belize City. Passed through there today on the bus.

Nathan! We saw the Guiness truck in Corozal. Guiness, Guiness everywhere.

Eva's Bar San Ignacio

Eva's Bar San Ignacio
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Eva's bar is a nice spot in downtown San Ignacio, Belize.

Set Belize Free! Vote PUP!

Set Belize Free! Vote PUP!
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

PUP being People's United Party, the liberal party

Jo Mel In: Rice and Beans

Jo Mel In: Rice and Beans
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Rumored to be the best rice and beans in Belize. It came with a salsa-like garnish of cut onions, habeneros, water, allspice and a little vinegar and salt. Very good stuff. Thats pork and potato salad on the side.

corazol belize worms

corazol belize worms
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Hotel Big Ben Chetumal, Mexico

Hotel Big Ben Chetumal, Mexico
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Near the border of Mexico and Belize, this was our last stop before crossing. Chetumal is a loud, obnoxious hellhole that smells like sewage and is full of unfriendly people, like everywhere else we went in the Yucatan. The bus service employees of ADO and Oriente were especially rude and arrogant toward us.

Chetumal is nothing more than one vast market selling TVs and skanky dance-wear fror women that feature camoflage, sequins and "Go U.S. Army" printed on the front or G-strings with red crosses on them. Maybe its not for me to judge, but I can't help but think: "go U.S. Army"? What the hell are these folks thinking?

As far as the culture in general goes, Yucatan Mexico seems to like everything fast, loud, impersonal, bright and tacky--a little like Las Vegas. Loud, repetative, brainless music blasts from every shop and street corner 24-7. Posters of scantily clad, artificially enhanced women everywhere sell everything from car mufflers to beer. Belize is the opposite: Reggae, friendly smiles, relaxed pace.

Skiffs and pelicans in Corazol, Belize

Skiffs and pelicans in Corazol, Belize
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

There was a little fish dude selling fishes near here. A Rasta type fellow approached me with a puppy in his arms. He said, "puppy need snap."

I said, "puppy needs a nap?"

"No, needs snap, mon. Need snap."

Snap means picture in Belize, which has to be the friendliest place on Earth, if Corazol is any indication. People just keep coming up to us with stories, curiosity and helpfulness. Its not all about the money either, like it is in Mexico. People are friendly even if you don't have money to give them right at that moment.

Where Are We Now? Click on the map and see.

Where Are We Now? Click on the map and see.
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

Click on this map and move the cursor across it to see where we are. Also, click on any of the pictures to view them larger.

Stacy and Sarah at the Temple of the Warriors

Stacy and Sarah at the Temple of the Warriors
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

It was a hot day but we went in the morning and Chichen Itza had many places to quietly reflect on the magnitude of what we were seeing. Stacy and Nice and I are having lots of fun here.

CHICHEN ITZA

CHICHEN ITZA
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

The big pyramid, not at Pyramide Inn but Chichen Itza ruins. No, really. This place is full of poor people selling their wares. Buying stuff from them helps them make a living. I wish I had room for more stuff. I didn´t, so I only bought one thing: a handkerchief from an elderly Mayan woman with gold teeth and a white flowery dress with a colorful border.

On the way two dozen Mormons got on our bus, leaving Chichen Itza. Some Spanih speaking, some Americans. I wonder how their religion influenced their interpretation of the ruins, or if it did.

Pyramide Inn Piste Mexico

Pyramide Inn Piste Mexico
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

See the little kitty at the far end? Lots of those around. Puppies too. They all seem to like us, and we love them. This hotel was full of nice people who helped us despite my bad Spanish. It has a pool, palm trees and an owner from Australia or New Zealand who gets drunk and talks to his pet parrot outside at night. Hey, no disrespect. More power to that!

Ik Kil Cenote

Ik Kil Cenote
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

We swam here for an hor. It felt like forever. Ah, bliss!

Ik Kil Cenote 2

Ik Kil Cenote 2
Originally uploaded by teerlinck.

A Cenote is a hole in the ground. Guess what we found? Water and cat fishes swimming around. It was cold and pretty. The cenotes were used by the Maya for thousands of years for religious rituals. We went to go cool off after spending a hot day at Chichen Itza nearby.