Foreign!

We are adjusting to life without air conditioning. At night we open our window slats and have the fans blowing across us. Sunday the temperature reached 104 and Dennis got a bit overheated, but a cool shower fixed him right up. The bird song we hear outside our windows is a constant reminder that we are not in the USA. We hear toucans often but have not seen one as of yet.

Dennis likes Belize but wouldn't want to live in a country with no toy stores, he says. He enjoyed touring the ruins at Cahal Pech yesterday. This is the area's oldest Mayan settlement. It was amazing to explore rooms that were built 3000 years ago! We climbed and explored as much as we cared to before sharing a delicious lunch at San Ignacio Resort Hotel. We have eaten rice and beans several times--it comes with chicken, pork, or beef, and is accompanied by potato salad and fried plantains. It seems to be the staple meal around here. We are also enjoying lime juice and lots of fresh fruit, and chocolate croissants from the French Bakery.

Yesterday afternoon we played around at Rio on Pools, walking/wading/swimming around and having a lovely frolic. The road there was very exciting, to say the least, and we did enjoy views of the Mayan Mountains and Big Pine Ridge, where they are (sadly) suffering from the southern pine beetle that is the same critter busily eating up Alabama forests.

Today we will visit the Belize Zoo (the only thing I remember from my last vacation here, which was a short hop off the cruise ship). Dennis is very excited to see it. And tomorrow we will visit the beach! Things are slow and relaxed here. I have seen no traffic lights, and road lanes seem to be merely suggestions. Our shower is cold water only, but that was preferable the first day! Now that temps have settled in the low 80s with a breeze, we haven't been getting in the pool as often. It's overcast, and that's actually quite a bit nicer than a hot tropical sun beating down on us.