Pictures of home

Good morning!  And again it is a hot and humid one!  Since the locals are complaining about it being too hot, may I join them?  So far I have not had to walk the half mile to or from work, but Dave almost stranded me there last night.  He was in Punta Gorda for the second time yesterday, and I was ready to leave the centre.  Fortunately for me, Giovanni, who is in Rotary and works for a construction company that just completed our building, was out front in his pickup--so I hitched a ride home!

I'm going to include some pictures of the neighborhood and house.  This area is such a mix of homes and businesses in homes.  I have seen a "boutique" sign in front of what looks like a house.  Another house seems to have a computer repair business, but it is so diskempt that I'll not go there!  There are many churches with schools attached to them, in addition to the technical high school, seemingly all in the same area!

 To the left is a picture looking up Hopkins Street from out front our house.

 To the right is Dave getting into Rattletrap.  Rattletrap does not
look too bad, but it is SO rattly and noisy!  And dirty.  I wish
Dave would clean it up!  All in due time, I'm sure

 To the left is the outside of the house.  Our unit is on the right, and Angelo lives in the unit on the left.  He is seldom there.  We saw him for a week, and now he is in Mexico and the UK until July.  However, he has Arlette, the housekeeper, come over frequently.

 To the right is the center courtyard with our door to the right.

This is the house across the street with the mango tree laden with fruit!  There are several schoolboys who climb the fence after school daily to steal the mangos.  I frown, to no avail!

To the right is the technical/vocational high school across the street from us.  High school fees are high, ranging upward from $400 or $500 depending on the prestige of the school.  In fact there are fees at all levels of education, but the high school fees are high enough to preclude many students from attending.  High school is not mandatory.


We walk two blocks down the street behind the high school to arrive at the meat market.  The store is air conditioned to the max, so it is a refreshing place to visit!!  Around the corner from them is an ice cream shop.  Up the street about three blocks is the fruit/vegetable stand. We have shopped at the big air-conditioned stores, which carry much of what you'd find in the U.S.  I have also been to Publics, which is not air-conditioned and has cheaper prices.  Belize is said to be the most expensive of the Central American countries, and I would confirm that.  The economy is a difficult one to figure out.  A young medic told Dave that he cannot figure out how to find an affordable, but nice place to live.

And update on the airplane saga:  Dave took the plane for its routine maintenance, and it was proclaimed in great shape!  Then he went out yesterday for 3 runs, and on the last one, one of the two brakes failed!  He was picking up someone, or dropping them off in Dangriga, and he had to figure out how to maneuver turning only one direction.  Then he could not park the plane once arriving at home base, as he drives it into the hangar--and he couldn't stop in a straight line!  (You'd have to see the configuration of the hangar to understand the challenge!)  Anyway, he called the mechanic and is at the airport with him examining the problem.  I have not heard back from him or seen him in a couple of hours (and I really want a ride to work in a few minutes)!  So Dave has transported 10 patients in 9 days, logging 23 hours, and handled the plane missing a brake!  I'd say he is a pretty accomplished pilot!