Slices of Life from Belize - 10/2/12

More fun facts and bits and bobs about living here in Belize.

Wash House Makeover

One of the outbuildings on our property is the home for our washer. This is what it looked like when we bought the place:

Kinda’ dreary, kinda’ sad, kinda’ dingy. Not exactly a welcoming place to do laundry. We thought it was overdue for a facelift.

So a couple of months ago, we had some guys come in and give it a surface coat:

Already an improvement.

Then I went to work with some paint:

I still need to paint the back and give the whole thing a second coat, but it’s definitely looking way better. Bright! Clean! Pretty!

Lighten Up

Tonic water – a lovely refreshment all on its own, but even better mixed with some vodka. We buy our tonic water – Fanta -- by the case, and here’s a funky little fact: It’s pink. 

But if you place the bottles in a sunny location, the water turns clear. After doing some Web research, it seems that Fanta colors the tonic water so it isn’t mistaken for soda water. But just to make sure you know which is which, even the bottle caps for the tonic water sport a pink color. We’ve tried it in its pink stage and once it’s lightened up, but haven’t noticed any difference in taste. Bottoms Up!

A Taste of Fantasy Island

One of the many documents we had to sign when we purchased our house in North Carolina was a waiver that essentially said our house might be in the flight path for Asheville airport and we couldn’t bitch and moan about the roar of any jet engines overhead.

Here in Corozal, things are a bit different. We don’t have no stinkin’ waivers.

As you can see from this shot...

...the end of the Corozal airstrip (which is actually in Ranchito) isn’t that far from our house. Matter of fact, it’s only .11 miles away. In other words, it’s close. 

While the runway is paved, there are no lights, no control, no facilities, or services. And with it being only 1,970 feet, the strip is only used for small passenger/freight offices for Tropic Air (they use Cessna Caravans), Maya Air, and the occasional private prop plane. Not surprisingly, only daytime flights are allowed.

The first time we saw one of the planes come over the house, we immediately thought of that old show. Fantasy Island. Almost simultaneously, we both uttered the immortal words of Tattoo, “Da plane! Da plane!” If you’re not old enough to remember this show, please don’t tell me.

Anyhow, flights are sporadic with most destined for San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye.  Believe it or not, we rather like seeing the planes take off. If we’re outside, you can wave to the passengers. Seriously. The noise hasn’t been a problem, well, except when you’re on the phone. But you just politely ask the caller to hold for a moment until the plane has moved farther away. Everyone who lives here understands and is very patient about it.

So while the air traffic, such as it is, isn't for everyone, we find it adds a touch of rustic romance to our slice of paradise. 

P.S. Should you be interested in seeing exactly where we are in Corozal, plug the following coordinates into Google Earth: 18 22'56.39 N (Latitude) 88 24'22.93 W (Longitude).