The Prep Work Begins for the Beams and Plumbing

Now that the rebar structure is beginning to take shape, the design of the house and lot is becoming clearer. Joe, the electrician, came by today and we went through the complete electrical layout for the entire house. I wanted to make sure that there were enough outlets, switches and fans and in the right locations. You won't get a second chance with concrete.

John was on site for most of the day fitting all the plumbing for the hot and cold water fixtures. The greywater and sewage pipes will go in after the beams are poured, so the location of the toilet pipes will be exact. We've decided on where the greywater discharge is going to be placed but we still haven't figured out where the septic tank will be. I need to position the garage before we can deal with that problem.

Tomorrow we head over to Chetumal to check out a vinyl window manufacturer. John hasn't been there yet, so it will be a new experience for us all. Also going with us will be Donna and Jeanne. Donna has somehow got John to take us to Bacalar, a beautiful lagoon about 20 miles north of Chetumal, for lunch and a swim. I'm looking forward to that.

Careful what you wish for

Another night of pouring rain has decended on to Consejo. It rained again last night, sometimes hard enough to wake me up. We need the rain, just not in torrents. The work site was a sloppy mess, with lots of water, but work continued.

I am finally seeing progress on the main structure of the house, and not just the stuff behind the scenes. The rebar for the support beams has been assembled and put in place. Now the job is to tie the support beams all together and form the support for the whole house. After that, they will make forms for the cement beams and probably pour them on Saturday or Monday. My time is running short, and as much as I am looking forward to returning to my Mischelle and the dogs, I still want to track the progress on my own. You just need to have faith in your contractor and discuss all the options ahead of time so there are no surprises for both you and the contractor. John, I'm sure, will take care of everything, and if he does have questions, I will know far enough ahead, as not to disrupt the construction schedule.

I see a couple of problems in the cistern, but nothing that can't be readily fixed. John and I are scheduled to go to Chetumal on Friday, instead of Thursday. I am looking forward to that visit, although I'm not really sure what I will be looking at or what I will be looking for. I am looking for a quality product, that will hold up over time. I think Mischelle and I have decided on French doors rather than sliding doors, just because they offer double the area open to the breeze. I don't think screens will be that much of a problem, but if we don't get the doors right the first time, it will be something we will have to live with. So, I think we are right in choosing the French doors and we will deal with the screens later. I think the same may apply to the other windows, but I need to see what they offer.

Finally, we have rain

It has been a while since we have had a good rain, but last night it poured for a good hour or so. It also put on a good light show on the distant clouds, with lightning about every couple of seconds. It was too far away to hear the thunder, but the light show was enough. There has been rain in Chetumal and in Corozal, just not here in Consejo. It just seems to pass us by.

The work site was a mess with all the mud and water and they needed to empty the cistern and pool before they could start their work, so things got off to a slow start. But they had a job pouring concrete around the pool and cistern that needed to be done today. A little rain won't stop these guys. They did need to dig a small trench to drain some of the water from around the retaining wall but the concrete pour went ahead as scheduled. Things are starting to move along.

John has scheduled us to go over to Chetumal, Mexico on Friday, to look at a window manufacturer that may have a better price and/or quality than he is getting right now. With so few construction jobs going on in the area right now, suppliers are lining up to do business with him. He stresses quality first, then price. I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to offer.

On Saturday, Phil Freytag was looking for company on the drive down to Orange Walk, a medium size town about an hour or so drive from Consejo. I had no plans that day, so I said sure. I had only been through Orange Walk once, and that was driving through at night, after I had flown into Belize City. Phil had some places he needed to visit, but was willing to show me around the town and stop in the few places that I had wanted to see. We stopped in a couple of tile shops and hardware stores that he thought I should know about. It's a much different city than Corozal. It's geared more towards the business sector and manufacturing and had many more big businesses than Corozal. The tile shops had a nice selection of tiles and trim, so I don't think we will have a problem finding tiles that we like. The hardware store, though, is no Home Depot. They are more like a small town hardware store, but unfortunately, what they have is what you get. There is not a lot of selection and you must be willing to improvise with what you do have access to.

After showing me around Orange Walk, he took me to a wonderful Chinese resturant, Mr. Lee's, where we had a plentiful lunch and a price that couldn't be beat. Three entrees', a Belikin, Coke and water cost all of $38 Belize, or about $19US. That meal would have been double that in Camarillo. I haven't had the guts to try any of the many Chinese food places in Corozal. They just don't look that appetizing.

After lunch we went over to where they made the pilings that they drove for me at the Shores. Quite an operation they have there, making pilings, T-bars and pre-manufactured septic tanks. It was really dusty though and probably a miserable place to work when the wind kicks up. I'm sure last nights' rain helped that situation. They showed us around all of the manufacuring facilities and how they pre-stress the concrete.

After that we went over to another brick and pre-stressed concrete manufacturing facility, Rick's, that was in town. They are a business that really wants to expand their product line and are looking for new ways to do just that. Phil had worked with some of Rick's clients before, so they were able to "talk shop" and catch up on old connections.

It was getting late in the afternoon, around 3PM and we had been gone for about 6 hours, so it was time to head back to Consejo. It was a pleasant drive with everchanging scenery and even a Mayan ruin or two. We were back in Consejo in no time. It was a very informative trip that I will probably do again before I leave.

I am, again, Connected to the World

I have an internet connection once again. BTL came out today and reset the modem and put a new modular end on the ethernet cable to see if that would resolve our connection issues. We had a few problems along the way, but they think they have solved the problem. Only time will tell (and the next power outage). I can now update the blog with new pictures.

Construction continues on the retaining wall, pool and cistern. It's really starting to show some progress.

But, before they can begin work on the structural beams, I need to make changes to the 2nd floor Master bathroom. Even though we won't begin work on that for a year or two, we need to have all the plumbing in the right location so everything will be there later when we do build. I also need to decide the final placement of the electrical outlets, fans, track lighting, wall sconces and outside lights. And other considerations are for phone/internet, satellite TV and speaker placement. I've had most of these on the original drawings but have decided to scale back some lighting and fans. We just won't need as much as I had originally planned. I also need to plan for the satellite dish placement. With the equator so close, the satellites are more spaced apart than they would be in the States, even though they are in a geosynchronous orbit. It just means that I need to have a full view of the southern skies from wherever I decide to put the dish on the roof. Another item to consider for the future is the satellite TV provider. Not everything is legal down here and it requires permits to import satellite dishes. Most providers don't want to provide service outside the US or Canada probably due to copyright laws.

Will I be Connected?

It's Sunday and it's a beautiful day here in Belize. The wind was almost non-existant today making the temperatures a little warm. So I packed up and headed for the beach... the beach in front of our lot. It's not much, but it's ours, and with the temps so high, it was nice and comfortable by the water.






I'm still waiting for an internet connection, but I do get a stray signal now and then. It allows me to update the blog, but with few pictures. BTL is due out tomorrow, but we'll see how that goes. Until then I have to keep it short and sweet.



I see lightning off in the distance. Maybe we'll get rain tonight. This area sure needs it. The rainy season starts in about two weeks. It's been tempting us by raining in Chetumal and in Corozal, but here on the Consejo point, we just watch the clouds roll by.

Still No Internet and the Blog Suffers

It has been almost a week with VERY limited internet access. With all of the power interuptions, it has taken its' toll on the modem. BTL, the local telephone monopoly, said they would be out Thursday, by noon, to fix the problem, but this is Belize. Thursday came and went with no BTL technician in sight. A call to BTL was of no help, as they said they were quite busy and they might be out Friday. Well, Friday has come and gone and again, no BTL technician. They are closed on the weekends, so, no internet until at least Monday.

The building on the lot is progressing and we hope to start pouring the support beams sometime late next week. They are just finishing up work on the cistern, pool and retaining wall. It's beginning to look like something instead of a big hole in the ground that just sucks up money. John has got a great crew working on our house and they have all but finished on Pip and Jason's house. Work on our place should start to move at a good clip from here.

John has picked up all the jobs he is going to do for the rest of the year and into the first part of next year. He's smart in not getting stretched too thin, as that is the problem that has confronted other builders here in Belize. John seems to be the only builder with a backlog of home builds while others here are idle. He's trying to build a good reputation and seems to be doing a good job of that. It's getting to the point where he's going to need office space in town to handle all of the things going on. He has sold the house he is currently residing in and is clearing the lot for his new home. He has a new architect, Dan, that will help design homes for people looking to build in the future. He is currently working on John's new home design and will probably have a good challenge working on new layouts based on living in the tropics.

The weather here has just been wonderful, now that the winds have died down. The last couple of nights I have spent time lying in the hammock, listening to some Jazz music and looking up at the stars. It is such a different sky than we have in Camarillo, with a whole new set of stars and constellations above and a much darker sky. I'm looking forward to bringing down my telescope so I can begin to explore.

No Power, No Internet, No Power of the Internet

It has been a few days since I’ve had access to the internet. With sporadic power outages throughout town and especially in Consejo, the internet connection has suffered. I am still trying to figure out what the problem is, but will soon have the best minds in the Shores working on it. I’m sure we will figure out what is wrong, but until then, my blog will be running behind schedule. Even my friend, Donna, is posting more than I am. Sunday, we were without power in Consejo almost all day due to a transformer burning up in the Shores. I realize the need for a back-up generator. I went over to Dave and Cindy’s, who live in a beautiful home about 2 miles from town, and they are completely off the grid. They had cold beers and they even sent me home with ice for the rum and cokes later. Now they have a nice setup.

The last couple of days there hasn’t been a lot of work going on at our place, as they try and finish all the work on Pip and Jason’s place before they shut down and move over to our place. The work on the retaining wall has begun and the pool is not far behind. They need to finish the retaining wall, cistern and pool work before they can start the support beam structure. John is planning for the beam structure work to begin a week from this Monday. I was hoping that we might be further along in the construction than we are right now, but this IS Belize. My return to the States is planned for June 2nd or 3rd. Right now, I don’t know when I will return to Belize, but I don’t think I will be returning on June 24th , as currently planned. I was planning on being here for the roof pour, but that now seems unlikely. At least I will oversee most of the plumbing and electrical work that needs to be done.

We are stopping the build, just after the windows are in, so the building is secure. I want to wait for Mischelle to pick out tiles and fixtures, before we move ahead, and the money for that won’t be available until after the 1st of the year. So, John will put us on the back burner, just like Pip and Jason, until we are ready. We are trying to find a suitable window manufacturer that we both like, that will do the job to our satisfaction. The windows I have seen recently need to have some slight changes made to them and we also need to think of airflow and how we can incorporate screens into the design.

John and I visited a few different homes today to look at everything from stucco coloring, hurricane shutters, screens, etc., to doors and windows. John has been very open to change and is willing to do whatever we want. The problem is, if it is available in Belize or do we have to special order from the States or somewhere else. Cost is also a factor somewhere in that equation. John does his best to stay within budget, but I keep thinking of ways to blow the budget. Window upgrades, toilet upgrades, pool upgrades. You get the idea. Nothing is cheap in Belize, except maybe the labor. And if you want the better labor pool, you pay a little more for that too.

While John has been busy with his work, I have been busy meeting our neighbors and maybe soon to be neighbors. This week I spent time with Dave and Kristen, who currently live in Texas. They have explored most of the area that Belize has to offer and have decided that they want to concentrate on the Corozal district as a place for their next adventure. A very nice couple that would probably fit right in the Consejo area. There seems enough volunteer work to keep Kristen busy for years to come. And Dave, I’m sure would have no problem finding things to keep him entertained. Kristen had already organized a pot luck dinner, and she doesn’t even live here. And while she went to the gardening club meeting, Dave and I did some kayaking over to a neighboring development that has a large lagoon/marina. It was said that there were a few large crocs in the lagoon, but Dave and I didn’t find any and neither of us wanted to slip in the water to attract some for photo opps (even though we didn’t bring a camera).

We also managed to visit the local Mayan ruin that is in the nearby town of Santa Rita. Not much as Mayan ruins go, but climbing to the top of the ruin gave you a beautiful view of Corozal town and a view of the other ruin across the Corozal Bay, at Cerros.

For Dave and Kristen, two weeks time went by much too fast. They will have a lot to think about when they return home. After being on Belize time, I think they will take their time and maybe rent a place for a while before buying. It’s good choice for anyone planning on relocating to Belize. Even though there is lots of material to read about Belize, and even more on the internet, there is nothing like being here. It takes some adjustments, but it is not unlike living in a small town. You find where to go and when, and realize that it may take more than one trip or day to finish your shopping. Fresh veggies on Tuesday and Saturday, the butcher closes early on Saturday and Sunday, government offices and utilities are closed on weekends. You get the idea. A small town full of friendly people, just living the simple life. I think we’ll fit right in. I’m ready now!

Learning the Layout of the Land

Because things are a little visually slow at the construction site, there hasn't been a lot to post. So in my ample spare time, I have been exploring the neighborhoods throughout the Corozal area. I am slowly learning my way around and where everything is. Well, not quite everything. I found the beer and soda distributor, the electric company offices, the Department of Works, the telephone company, and a few other places that you need to know. I'm still looking for the Immigration office. I need to have my visa renewed by the 15th of this month.

I have had intermittent dsl service, so my posts have been lacking. As soon as I can get the problem solved, there will be more posts to follow.

New Friends

Yesterday, I was able to meet a follower of our blog who is out here to check out the lot they have bought on Four Mile lagoon. Donna and her mom, Jeanne, are here from Canada and up until now, we had only exchanged e-mails. So finally getting to meet Donna was a real pleasure. They too had plans to start building soon, but economic realities set in and I think they have postponed building until at least December.

Donna, Bob and Jeanne

They found me working (yes, working) at the seaside, clearing dead and soon to be dead tree stumps. They had driven out to Consejo with Canadian Bob to see Bobs' work at Mayan Seaside and to look for me. Bob was building a house for Brian and Laura that is just about complete. He also showed her a building constructed by John Harris that was in the finishing stages.

Recently completed house by John Harris

Work has begun on a retaining wall that will sit on the seaside portion of the lot and raise a large area about 3 feet higher than the current ground level. This area will also have the pool and a large grassy area but more important, it will raise the area to the house level, which is about 10 to 11 feet above sea level. That is hopefully higher than any storm surge that may occur from a hurricane. But only time will tell.

Today, Dave, Kristen and I went to town for lunch and we discussed their recent travel to the Cayo district and areas of Hopkins and Stann Creek. After looking at the properties and land in the area, they decided not to go further south and returned to the Corozal district. It was too low lying and close to the jungles, which could (would) mean flooding and bugs. So at this point, I think they are undecided about what to do and will probably go home to Texas to sort things out. It's a good idea and with the economy, and there may be better deals in the future.

It's a Sad Day

My contractor, John Harris, has invited me out to his home on Four Mile lagoon a couple of times since I have been here. I've posted on the blog about the wonderful curry rice dishes that he can cook up. I may be able to squeeze the recipe out of him, in time.

He also has 3 dogs, one of which is Winston, an English Bulldog puppy, not quite a year old. Think of a Boxer with the red brindle look. The only pictures I seem to have of him are of his butt or sleeping under a table. A cute, personable dog that only wants attention.

Unfortunately, Winston was in an accident yesterday evening and there was nothing the Vet could do to save him. My heart goes out to John and his girlfriend, Ada, over their loss. Having a couple of dogs myself, they become a member of the family, especially a puppy. It's funny how they can change your outlook after a long day. They don't care how your day went. You're home now and that's all they care about.

It makes me miss my dogs that much more. But, there is a reason dogs don't live as long as we do. It's so they can be there at heavens gate to help show us the way. And they'll keep waiting for you there, just like they keep waiting for you to get home.

Bocce Ball Sundays

It's Sunday, and that means Bocce Ball at Bob and Martha's. It was another beautiful Belizian evening and we had a several teams to play Bocce Ball. Usually with the snowbirds gone, the game gets down to only a few teams. But tonight, we had visitors that were both locals and soon to be locals. Marvi and her family, including her dad, Joe, all came out to enjoy the day and evening at a nearby beach, and soon were drawn to our game. Joe and I teamed up for a come from behind win and everyone was really having a good time playing Bocce ball. Another new couple was Kristen and Jack, who were visiting from Texas. They are here to explore what Belize has to offer, and who knows, maybe find their own version of paradise.

As you can see, everyone is in shorts, the temps in the low 80's. Does it get any better? Bocce Ball by the sea, warm temps, a little breeze and very few bugs. Oh, and a couple of Belikins and One Barrel rum and Cokes.

It's Sunday in Belize. Relax and enjoy. Life's too short, so go have some fun.

Sign of the Times

With most of the stores in town closed today, Sundays are a good day to sit and relax. I just wish I had my Sunday Times to read. The online version doesn't seem to work and they are forever telling me that a system administrator has been notified.







I guess they can't figure it out, or maybe there is nobody left working in that department due to all the layoffs. Looks as though I will be cancelling my subscription to the Times after 32 years.


It was one of my first jobs, delivering papers for the Times in downtown LA. I was 18, had a new truck and new payments. It was tough getting out of bed at 3 or 4 in the morning, seven days a week, so you could fold or package all the papers on your route and get them delivered by 6:30AM. But it was also interesting, seeing the big city so quiet, not to mention all the strange folks out at time of the morning.


It's funny how life works, but it was through that job, delivering the Times, that I met another gentleman, Carl Conklin, and that meeting would change the direction of my entire life. He told me a company that he was working for, was looking for a messenger to pick up and deliver files, payroll checks, etc, to their offices around the greater LA area. This company delivered the Yellow Pages to your door in various cities throughout the US. One of my stops would be at the Pacific Bell building in the mid-Wilshire district of LA.


It was there, that a year later I applied to become a clerk at Pacific Bell (Ma Bell/AT&T), and to work in that same mid-Wilshire office. Thirty years later, and 5 name changes later (AT&T, Pacific Bell, Pacific Telesis, SBC, and then back to AT&T), I retired from the same company I hired on to as a 20 year old, AT&T. I guess the more things change, the more they remain the same.


I'm sorry to see the dire straits that our newspapers around the country are facing, and some do first rate reporting, but I can't see paying for something I can't read while I'm here in Belize. Maybe I'll start the paper again when I return home, but some how, I don't think so. I don't really miss all the bad news and I have become blissfully ignorant. I can see how Belize is already changing me. Is it time for a Belikin yet? It's got to be noon somewhere.

May Day - It's our 16 year Anniversary

It's May 1st and here in Belize it is Labor Day, a holiday. Everything is closed, except the chinese stores (which there are a lot of), but work is still being done at the construction site. The fill has been put in to the level of the pilings and the form has started for the cistern. The work on the support beams may start late next week.

Mischelle and I are celebrating our 16 year anniversary, today. But like last year, we are not together. Last year at this time, Mischelle was on a cruise thoughout Italy, with her mom, brother and sister-in-law. For her, it was a trip of a lifetime. For me, I was remodeling the guest bathroom and laundry room. It was easier on me because I had the dogs to keep me company, my friend Mike was visiting from Hawaii and I was busy remodeling. This time, I am the one that is gone. But this is my job, to oversee the construction of our house, and to make sure we get things right. I could probably leave the job to my contractor and have all the confidence in the world that it would be done right, but sometimes he and I are not quite on the same page and there is nothing like being here to help clear some of the confusion. There are also add-ons and changes that need to be discussed, and it helps that I am here so there are no additional delays to the construction schedule.

But it still doesn't help that we are 3000 miles apart. But at least we can keep in touch by phone or e-mail. I miss her and the dogs and I am looking forward to returning in early June. It just seems so far away, but I'm sure it will probably go quickly. But I still miss the smile on Mischelle's face when she sees me and the greetings from the dogs that I get at the door. That cannot be replaced.

So, Happy Anniversary Misch. I love you and I'm thinking of you always. I'm hard at work building your dream home here in Belize.

THE CREW - No Belize time here

These are the guys, THE CREW, that poured Pip and Jason's roof. What a great job these guys do. No whining, no bitching, no excuses, nothing! These guys are here to do a job, and they can get it done. And they earn every dollar. I'd like to see the all the people in the States that are complaining about working too hard, or not getting a five, six (or even seven) figure bonus, come down here and do this for a week. Five gallon buckets of cement at a time. Forty tons of it. They never seemed to rest. Just like ants. Just as strong, just as determined.

And these guys are a happy bunch. Not afraid to come over and talk to some tidy, clean guy, standing on the side lines as they labor on. My hats off to THE CREW. I'm looking forward to their commitment when it comes to building our place.

Back on Belize time

The last few days have been a little quiet around the construction site. The bulldozer and front loader have come in and dug out the area for the cistern and pool area. They pushed the cut off remains of the pilings into the hole they created and we will use them for ground support under the cistern and pool. That is not really a necessity but what else do you do with a couple of tons of excess pilings.

They have started to bring in fill dirt, or actually marl, to the site, and that will be used to bring the level of the lot up to the height of the pilings. After that, they will start to make the forms that will become the support beams for the house. Because the pilings did not go straight in to the ground, some extra work is required to make sure all the beams are tied together. Most of the pilings are off by only inches, but there is always one troublemaker. So to accommodate that one piling, the house has grown wider by six inches.

The roof for Pip and Jason’s place was poured Tuesday. It was done just in time for Jason to see the completion of the roof, because he leaves Wednesday to fly back to Canada. It is amazing to watch the workers pour that roof, five gallon buckets at a time. They worked like ants going up and down those ladders, with buckets of cement on their heads. And they would make these little hats out of the cement bags and put the buckets right on top. These guys worked virtually non-stop, for hours. Ah, to be young.

See, pouring cement roofs isn't dirty work

Roof pour at 11AM

Same view at 5PM

The winds have died down enough that I went kayaking today. I got another view of the construction site, from the water, but it doesn’t look like much. It was beautiful in the bay today and the sea was probably in the 80 degree range. I guess I’ll have to come back out when the house starts to go up. It’s a tough job, but I think I’m up to it.