Must We Have Drama

The crew arrrived at the lot to discover their tools were missing.  Upon further investigation, the tools were discovered in the canal.  There is no proof of who such an adolescent perpetrator might be, but there are increasingly well founded suspicions that will not be detailed here.

The boat slip excavation left lumpy marl masses smeared over the lot surface so that it could dry out before the lot was leveled.  We were fortunate this rainy season to have several days of minimal rain.  The leveling was scheduled for 10:00 Monday morning.  I arrived early to take before and after pictures.

At 1:30 pm the bulldozer arrives.  It was promised at various earlier times throughout the morning.  Possibly it is considered impolite to state a realistic arrival time your costumer doesn't want to hear.  Punctually is not regarded as a Belizian virtue.  I've conditioned  myself to expect this. I've seen others, who have lived here for a decade or better, still become irritated by lax time commitments.  Possibly this is a difference between a working person and a retired person.

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The bulldozer and crew set to work leveling the lot.  This machine is equipped with a 14 foot wide blade.  The driver is equipped with a bee suit for protection against africanized bees.  Dirt was piled up against the stone wall to block a bee's nest entrance and it remains blocked after the leveling, which is fine with me.

This is the lumpy lot before leveling.

This is the lot after leveling.  The marl was a bit too wet for this operation, but the bulldozer operator is commended for putting in more time than expected and for the best leveling job possible under the circumstances.

The neighbor had stacked a pile of boulders on my lot that the crew had carefully moved to the front of the neighbor's property before constructing the retaining wall.  One boulder had a carved face that has since disappeared.  Accusations were made that the crew made off with it and that someone should pay for the disappeared stone.  

I'm having difficulty finding any sympathy for the neighbor's loss.  I explained to the neighbor my plans to remove the trees and build a retaining wall weeks before anything was started.  He hardly listened and made no effort to move any of the boulders onto his property nor did he pay for the removal the trees he planted on my lot.  Likely his precious boulder was scooped up with the trees I paid to have removed.  I'm forming the opinion that the best thing about this neighbor is that he is mostly out of town and that he is selling the place.  Drama queens are tiresome and tranquility is restored in their absence.

Raw Lot

I identified three lots of interest during my first Corozal visit in 2014.  All three lots were still available two years later.  I've observed the Corozal real estate for some years and the properties do not seem to turn over very fast.  This may serve as a cautionary tale for those assuming quick profits might be realized in Belize real estate deals.  Fortunately for me I was able to purchase the lot at the top of my list.

The lot is over grown from the first time I saw it, but I hired a Belizian to "chop" it for me.  I came back later to find an army of guys clearing the lot in no time at all.  I had to hustle and round up the cash so everyone could get paid right away!

I was suprized and not pleased to learn the neighbor had planted palms and other plants on my lot.  Some palms were an elegant variety, but I did not look forward to the constant task of palm frond disposal.  My lot is 19" higher than the neighbor's lot so a retaining wall is necessary to level the lot.  These plants couldn't be buried and had to go!  I offered the neighbor a chance to salvage the plants, but he was not interested as he is attempting to sell the property.  I did manage to have a few salvaged by a friend who owns a nursery.

The lot's appeal is that it is on a peninsula formed on the east by the bay and to the south, a canal that turns to pass the property's west side.  This provides a measure of security with one dead end road leading in/out.  The lot is close to town with power and water utilities available.  A seawall with boat slip provides further attractions.  Interesting creatures inhabit the neighborhood:

Kudamundi, I'm told it is a neighbor's pet

Iguana, the neighborhood has some about four feet long

The canal is filled with tropical water lilies that were expensive additions to my ornamental ponds in the U.S.  I have heard (grunting), but not seen the crocodiles that also inhabit the canal.

The boat slip measures 7' x 30', but this is not suitable for the beamy boat I have in mind. 

This is the machine that will make short work of enlarging the slip to 30' x 30'.  It will make even shorter work of removing the undesired palms and plants.  

The slip enlargement is nearly completed.  Rubble will fill the space between the block walls before capping blocks are installed.

The palms and other plants are replaced by a retaining wall and fence to be installed the next day.

The excavated materail, marl, is used to level the lot.  Marl is a 

lime rich clay that is hard like concrete when dry and often used for roadways.  The excavator bucket smeared the wet spoils over the entire lot so that it will dry out for several days before final leveling by a bulldozer. Unfortunately, this is the rainy season and it has rained nearly every day, no telling when the leveling will take place.  

Tomorrow I expect to have everything in place for electrical service.  I keep proding the water utility to hook me up, but I lack whatever juice it takes to get any motion.  The best I can do is be sweet to the nice lady who works the water utility desk.  Other than competing the boat slip, I don't expect to see much action until early September.  I'll await house plans and building authority approval in the mean time.  This may imply a time gap in the Squier of Corozal episodes.

The Back Story

I've been visiting Belize about every other year since 2001.  I'm drawn to the country by its' beauty, diversity, the wild gumbo mix of people, the Caribbean ambience and the friendly, fun loving, English-speaking Belizians.  In 2012, my mechanical engineering career had pretty much fizzled out with the tea party's brilliant government spending sequester that cost the tax payers 24 billion dollars.  It was at that time that I began to make preparations for a life in Belize's more pleasant alternate reality.

These preparations required a market ready house, a house much in need of scraping and painting as well as attention to other neglected details.  Efforts in this area resulted in a sold house after less than a week on the market.  Much time and effort was required for bulk disposal of my possessions. Surprisingly, I felt less attachment to most items than I would have thought.  There were exceptions:

So long my beautiful 2000 BMW M roadster.  Sold to friends Shelly and Keith who previously bought my first BMW, a 1986 325e I purchased new and drove for 14 years.

So long delightful 1959 Austin Healey Sprite.

Things that wouldn't sell on Craigs list, weren't taken to Goodwill or the dump were given away.

Sister and brother in law score big with living room and outdoor furniture.

There were some items that I could not part with.  These items filled my shop and required the construction of 17 crates to ship weighty machinery and tools.

The crated and boxed items will remain in storage until my new home is established or a storage facility becomes available in Corozal.

My preparations were drawn out over a period of years.   I chose to wait on the Belize move until I had aged enough to begin drawing a small pension early in 2016.  In the mean time I kept a low profile by staying home, quitting cigarettes and learning to economize.  This served me well for I am able to cover my Belize living and entertainment expenses from the small pension alone.
In 2014 I came to Corozal for the first time on a real estate scouting mission.  I stayed a week before leaving for the cayes to meet up with friends.  I must say, I left Corozal without a great enthusiasm for the place, but I did identify three lots of interest and judged the place had potent for a more interesting future.

I could continue living a boring existence in the U.S. growing ever more stagnant with ever diminishing expectations or I could throw the dice, step off the cliff and hope for the best.  May 3, 2016 I stepped off a plane in Ladyville, Belize and never looked back or experienced the slightest regret.  I'm into my fourth month here and I love it more than I ever would have thought possible.

I image above is from the table where I enjoyed breakfast during my first few days here.  Most everyday I'm stuck by the beauty surrounding me.

I've made many fun/good friends!

We've found ways to cool off and enjoy ourselves.

Trip to Sarteneja Video

This blog will document the many adventures and surprises Belize has to offer.  I've ignored the common wisdom of renting for a year before purchasing property.  Late in July I purchased a canal lot.  The canal leads to the bay that allows travel to the Caribbean Sea and earth's second largest barrier reef protecting Belize's coast line.  Just across the road are empty beach front lots.  I term my lot as future beach front.  The lot is higher than the present beach front lots that will submerge with the changing climate.  The lot is being prepared for the construction of my house, but that description will await the next "Squier of Corozal" episode.