05/30/2008, Written in Placencia - Posted in Rio Dulce
This morning I'm sitting Angel's cockpit sipping coffee and taking in the grandeur of sunrise over Placencia. The drops of the first rain that has fallen on Angel's back in the last two months are still not yet evaporated by the soon to be intense tropical sun. The Maya Mountains of Southern Belize, for the first time since I have been here, are visible on the western horizon over the low lying scrub of the coastal plain. I look out over an anchorage full of boats bobbing peacefully on their snubbers, pirouetting in a silent syncronicity of homage the wind, their ultimate master. For me this morning and ones like it are the payoff, the end game of the cruising lifestyle where the winds are fair, the anchorage secure, the sun and wind kindly and gentle and the mind totally at rest.
Placencia is a cruiser's anchorage. There are some thirty or so boats at anchor, about half of which are charter boats from the Moorings base here, the rest are the cruisers. Each boat is a story in and to itself. One of the few things that I suspected prior to setting out and still find it to be absolutely true is the fact that one of the greatest joys of cruising is the people that you meet. And they seem to get nicer, happier and more interesting the further you get away from civilization.
Back in San Pedro I met for the first time Patrick and Rebecca on Brick House, a Valiant 40 from Rhode Island. I recognized the name on the boat as one of the sailblogs I had been following for months before I left. Since then we have crossed paths in the atolls and now here in Placencia. They are truly unique, full of adventure and have a story that most would not believe. My second night in Placencia I saw them roll in to the anchorage and they called me on the radio to invite me to dinner aboard LITBE, a Hardin Sea Wolf owned by Tory and Barb. I would hate to be the kind of hardened curmudgeon who could sit in Tory and Barb's company and not be totally entertained and delighted. Luckily I am not. Then there is a wonderful Canadian family, Richard and Selma (I sincerely hope I got those names right, not sure) and their two college age children, a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman whose names I cannot remember due to my early onset Alzheimer's. They sail a steel schooner and are cruising along the same path as me. From all appearances this is what a functional cruising family looks like. You cannot fake the kind of happiness they have and live for an extended time on a small boat. Selma is delightful and quick with a laugh, the kids super intelligent, funny and totally at ease amongst a group of older people, and Richard, a former chemist turned Sailing Master is totally aware of how fortunate he is to have them.
For a little local color we have Terry the Bartender, a wizard at her craft, Rob the former Alaskan and proprietor of the Placenica Yacht Club, my adopted local waterfront bar, Shrimper Dan who hails from many places including Texas but whose boat bears the homeport of Coden, Alabama and Bocci Bob, Placencia's premier Beat poet. Then there's Brenda, a local woman who cooks and sells various food at the base of the town dock. I first heard about Brenda from Steve on Dynasty back in Isla Mujeres who told me the rather gruesome story about Brenda getting stabbed by her boyfriend a in a crowded bar in Placencia several months ago. Today you can see the scar, right in the center of her rather ample cleavage. Brenda hits on me unmercifully every time I walk by. I mentioned this at the bar, thinking myself a little special in some way but wouldn't ya know they say she does this to everyone. So much for special.
I have now just returned to the boat from my trip over to Big Creek in the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi to clear out. It was a bit of a scavenger hunt but we got it done. There were six boat captains and crews there to clear out and the immigration officer decided to sleep in this morning and did not arrive at the office until around 10am. We were there at 8am. It's quite a little micro-economy, the check out process. The water taxi is $12 round trip, the exit tax was $90 and the land taxi to take us from the water taxi to Customs and Immigration was $25 per person round trip. For a country that cost you nothing to enter it's a bit of a shock that it costs about $127 to get out. Of course that is in Belize dollars, US dollars is half that.
Appalled at the cost of cab fare, Rebecca hoped out of the cab in downtown Independence to sit and wait for the two plus hours while Patrick and I and the rest went to the Port of Belize to see Customs and the Port Captain. As the cab drew off I noticed the throng of loitering Belizians standing around start to close the circle around her. I had an fleeting image of the cab coming back to find her up in a tree chasing would-be suitors off with a stick and said to Patrick "You think it'll be OK? I mean a pretty white girl her all by herself like that among all those local guys?" to which he sort of snorted, glanced back and offhandedly said " Well...... they should be OK as long as they keep their distance and don't piss her off". You're one lucky fella, Patrick but then you already know that.
So once again sad to leave a fine and fun anchorage for the unknown I will shove off tomorrow morning for Livingston, Guatemala and the Rio Dulce. I am getting close to the end of this segment of my little journey here and will admit that I am getting a little "barn sour". Those of you who have had horses will know what that means. So after arriving at the Rio I will seek out suitable accommodations for Wayward Angel to live for hurricane season and will head back home to earn some money and treat my mild case of homesickness.
But I still got the Rio to go.
HEA
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Comments [3]
05/27/2008, Purple Space Monkey, Placencia, Belize
Well I had this long blog written on my computer complete with photos and left the boat withouth my computer bag. Crap. I'll post it later. Tomorrow morning I'm headed out towards Livingston, Guatemala and the Rio Dulce. The plan is to read to Seal Cay for a snorkel around and then to Cabo Tres Puntas for a little cruiser party and anchor for the night. Then its on to Livingston the next day. There are many boats heading up that way.
Placencia has been a fantastic place. But it's time to move on.
HEA
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05/23/2008, Placencia, Belize
Today makes day two of our stay in Placencia, a lovely little seaside village on a narrow peninsula off the mainland of southern Belize. Survey says that the top ranking adjective most commonly used to describe this little town is "laid back" followed closely by "sleepy" then "lots of bars with funny names". There's the "Purple Space Monkey", the "Tipsy Tuna" the "Pickled Parrott" (notice a theme here?) and the most famous drink would be the "Pantirippa" (think about it). Have not tried the Pantirippa yet. I'll let you know.
Tonight is Friday, a big night in Placencia and I'm told by Stephie, a pretty French backpacker type selling handmade jewelry along the boardwalk (which is by the way cement) that if I go to a place called "The Driftwood" that I will see Garifuna dancing the likes of which I have most assuredly never ever in my life before seen. She opened her eyes very wide and then quickly shut them tight as an animated emphasis to her point.
Then she knitted her brow and said "Wat ees dis word "dreeftwood" ? My eengleesh ....ehhh.... not so good."
I say "it's a piece of wood...... you know wood, right?" and rapped a knuckle on the table top. She nods and I continue ".........that, you know, floated up on the beach...." and mimicked with my hand a little piece of wood floating up on the beach.
"Oh!" she says "you mean like sheep explode..." and she makes a big explosion noise complete with hand gestures simulating the explosion and the pieces-parts raining down then floating up on the beach and looks up nodding hopefully and says "Yes?"
"Well.....not really.....sheep??" I say.
"Huh?" she says.
"Sheep........why would sheep explode?" I say. I looked puzzled.
"Ahhhh.....I dunno.....maybe....... de petrol tank catch fire?...." with a shrug.
"I wasn't aware that sheep had a gas tank" "Is that just French sheep or is that sheep everywhere? I mean, I admit I don't know all that much about sheep, but I thought they ran on meadow grass or something...."
"NOOOO...... not sheep...... SHEEP!
Then I got the eye-roll. With the French it's less apparently than 30 minutes. Damn the Franc. At length I bought some homemade French backpacker jewelry I'll never wear.
I'll agree that Placencia is indeed "laid back" and quite a pleasant contrast to the much more touristy San Pedro, the student-ghetto atmosphere of Cay Caulker and the urban jungle of Belize City. I like it here very much. And there is a cruiser population here in the anchorage intermixed with the big catamarans of the Moorings charter base located here.
Jason and I have just spent a full week exploring the offshore atolls of Turneffe and Lighthouse Reef. These are the best and most beautiful that Belize has to offer. We went spear fishing and snorkeling along miles of pristine reef and out at Lighthouse even had the benefit of mooring balls to make the nights more stress-free. There was a sheer wall face nearly right under the boat were the reef dropped down into the abyss much further than I could see. Too bad we had no tanks. The wind died down while we were out there which is a bit of a double edged sword as the heat and the bugs can find you then. We walked ashore on Long Key at Lighthouse and promptly met a woman who, when she goes back to the States lives in my hometown of Fairhope and works at the local Rite Aid. Small world, huh?
Jason has been a pleasure to have aboard. He's picking up the sailing stuff pretty quick and certainly enjoys the diving and the whole experience. Jason is a pretty smart guy, currently getting a degree in Biology at UNC Asheville and is a well-spring of scientific information. It's been great having him on board and having a good mind to talk to. I knew we would get along the first night when while sitting at the bar having a Belikin or twelve the following verbal exchange took place:
Jason: "Well...... waddya think?"
Me: "I gave up thinking back in January"
Jason: "Oh..............(and with a nod)...good thinking......""
I don't know yet how much longer he'll be aboard, he wants to do some diving and perhaps inland travel here in Belize and I'll probably be heading south soon.
So Placencia is essentially my last stop before clearing out of Belize and heading for Guatemala. I've met some cruisers here from Houston and they have confirmed the stunning nature of the experience of heading up the Rio Dulce for the first time. I've had my fill of beaches and clear water...... as beautiful as they are. I'm ready for a little jungle cruise adventure.
HEA
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