The saga of the mink blanket (continued)

Seattle, Washington

I am happy to say that I am back on my bike and taking on the hills of Mercer Island once again. As I headed through Bellevue, I decided to stop in at Hmart to get some kim chee. And there it was: another mink blanket! Now we have THREE and there will be no more squabbling about who doesn't get one. Getting it home on my bike was ridiculous, but I did it!

Learning from my daughter

Enroute BZE-LAX

We fly a fair amount but until this morning I had never tried any of the games on the airplane--despite repeated requests over the years. Today, with my book finished, I gave in at last and tried Bejeweled. At first I tried it "blind" without much thought to strategy. Then my daughter offered some hints. And then I was hooked. It felt like gambling (not that I've ever gambled); my score went higher and higher and I couldn't stop. When it FINALLY all came to an end, I made a firm decision: no more airplane games for me. Too addicting.

(On the upside, the flight to LAX almost COMPLETELY vanished.) Almost home!

The Belize Zoo: don't miss it!

Mile 29, Western Highway, Belize

In general I've pretty much had it with zoos. My daughter is older (though she still loves animals), so we don't "do" zoos much anymore. Before our drive back to Belize City someone recommended that we stop at the Zoo, but I was still highly skeptical. Then we read the guidebook and learned that all the Zoo's animals are native to Belize and that all its animals were either rescued animals, given to the zoo, or born in captivity to existing zoo animals. That sounded good to me--and rest of my family was enthusiastic. It's actually a really wonderful place with very natural settings for most of the animals. It's actually a challenge to see/find some of animals in their enclosures. Although we were only there about an hour, it was definitely worthwhile!

One word of warning, however: apply some mosquito repellent before entering or you will pay....

Moonglow: Read it!

Hopkins, Belize

I have always been a big reader, but I just haven't felt like reading for the past year or so. Truthfully, I've watched a lot of murder mysteries in the past year (mostly of the Midsommer Murders or Father Brown variety). This vacation in Belize was a chance to try reading again--without distractions or interruptions. I chose Moonglow by Michael Chabon because it's been on the bedside table for months casting me mildly reproachful glances--and because I still remember how much I LOVED The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay however many years ago I read it.

Vacation was just what I needed to really sink into this book--especially one as "confusing" as this one is in terms of how it unfolds. The space race, World War II, mental illness, and a great family drama all rolled into one convoluted, fascinating, and suspenseful story. It takes a while to figure out how to read this book, but if you hang in there long enough, you will marvel at the thing...5 stars!

The power of smell

San Ignacio, Belize 

We are staying at the Venus Hotel in San Ignacio, Cayo District, near the Guatemalan border. It's a simple place (though for New Year's Eve we checked into the super-nice Family Suite). The free breakfast is also very modest: bread, margarine, jam, peanut butter, bananas, toast, biscuits, coffee, and tea. This morning as I opened the loaf-of-bread shaped Tupperware to get some bread out, I caught a whiff of "blah white bread," and I was ABSOLUTELY transported to summer 1977 when I visited my aunt and uncle in Barbados.

Smells often have the power to transport me. The mere wisp of a smell will take me back decades in time or continents away. I caught a whiff of coal smoke the other day, and it was Nanjing in 1987. But what's particularly striking about today is that that white bread is so bland and flavorless it's amazing that it has ANY smell at all. And yet, in an instant I was 11 and sitting in my aunt's breakfast nook in an old plantation house in Barbados. Though perhaps I was remembering Girl Scout summer camp in the 70s...

Cahal Pech

San Ignacio, Belize

Late this morning we drove up to the other Mayan ruin in San Ignacio: Cahal Pech. It lies right on the edge of town but feels equally magical as Xunantunich--and certainly has fewer tourists. We climbed to the top of the largest structure and marveled at our place in the tree tops. All throughout the site, trees are working hard to reclaim the site--which reminded me a great deal of Angkor Wat. Best of all were the many smaller rooms and maze-like passageways to explore. We stopped at the gift store on the way out for a few tiny mementos. Lovely place!

Xunantunich (shoe-nan-too-niche)

San Ignacio, Belize

We spent the morning exploring the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich. The day started with a drive to a tiny hand-pulled 4-car ferry, a 2-minute ride across the river, and a mile (by car) through the jungle to Xunantunich (or Stone Lady). The ruins were wonderful and had a very UNtouristy feel--as in no hawkers and only a few would-be guides who were easily evaded.

The ruins reminded me of Ayutthaya in Thailand--serene, well-tended grass, and the restorations that have been done are not obtrusive--and certainly do NOT attempt to "Disney-fy" the place. Climbing El Castillo was doable for someone like me (who has a healthy fear of heights) despite hardly a railing in sight. And the views from the top of El Castillo (135 ft) were spectacular!

If you're anywhere near San Ignacio, so NOT miss this place!