A Giant Metallic Ceiba Borer
August 13
Life in the jungle: There was rain in the night, which is generally my cue to spend most of the day in front of the computer. I published a blog post I started a few days ago called the Do’s and Don’ts of Living in the Jungle. I also did a little bit of research on a future bike touring blog post I plan to write about dealing with dogs on tour. I haven’t written a bike touring blog post since arriving in Belize.
I saw a Facebook group post about dealing with dogs that had a ton of comments. Seeing how I need to add to my bike touring and camping blogs for my bike touring consulting, this one should be an easy one to write. I then reviewed and edited accordingly two old bike touring blog posts called – Biking touring by yourself or with a partner and How to plan your bike tour route.
After feeding the chickens, I headed down the road to chop bamboo. Back in May, I had a bulldozer push the jungle back from the road. There’s a bad spot with heavy spiny bamboo growth. So, I chopped part of that area until 6 PM.
While chopping, my Merlin app picked up an interesting bird
August 14
Life in the jungle: First thing I slaughtered a broiler (meat) chicken. I then mixed a half bag of cement and mostly filled in spaces on the greenhouse floor expansion that I worked on last week.
After lunch, I dealt with an email from my surveyor. He did finally send it yesterday evening. Finally, a pathway forward on this issue. [Which turned out to be a dead-end road.]
Later in the afternoon, I headed back down the road and finished chopping down the bamboo I started yesterday.
August 15
Life in the jungle: I mixed another half bag of cement for some gaps in the greenhouse floor expansion. Shortly thereafter, a delivery of the remaining cement blocks I needed to finish the floor arrived.
After lunch, I laid the very last 85 blocks. The floor isn’t 100% done, but it’s basically done. It was extremely hot and humid, and the job pretty much did me in. I had no choice but to take a short nap in the hammock.
The last part of my day, I planted nine hibiscus plants that I started from cuttings last year. While doing that, I couldn’t help but think about how much work I actually have to do and how utterly overwhelming it is to think about.
A Giant Metallic Ceiba Borer
August 16
Life in the jungle: I woke up at 2 AM and had trouble falling asleep again. With being so overwhelmed with my workload, I wonder if I now need to set my alarm for 4 AM?
There was rumbling thunder in the sky this morning. I slaughtered a broiler (meat) chicken. Just as I finished cleaning him, we had a downpour.
I wrote Belize blog Parts 177 and 178. I then organized all my social media Facebook group notes. In two weeks, I plan to start a regimented posting schedule of one Belize jungle lifestyle blog post to approximately 20ish Belize Facebook Groups and a bike touring and camping blog post to 30ish bike touring Facebook groups. That is a lot of sharing, and the process needs to be very organized to do this efficiently.
I plan to do this in two weeks, as next week I am planning a trip to Placencia and Punta Gorda. I have never been, and Placencia is probably the most popular destination for expats to move to the mainland. Attempting to start a consulting business about the Belize jungle lifestyle and having never even been to one of the most popular villages will make me look quite foolish. The trip will take the better part of a week, as there will be almost two days of travel (return) on buses for me.
The timing of this trip is a little frustrating for me, as I suspect I need to start setting my alarm for 4 AM just to try to get a handle on my current workload as soon as I return.
In the afternoon, I chopped in the coconut field. The humidity must have been way over 100%. It didn’t take long, and I was soaked to the bone in sweat and physically spent. After feeding the chickens, I planted a few more hibiscus around the yard.
I made supper right away to go to bed early.
My Dutchman Pipe vine has to new blooms starting
August 17
Life in the jungle: I was in bed by 8:20 PM, and my alarm was set for 4 AM. I think moving forward, I will make every effort to move as quickly as I can in the evening to aim for an 8 PM bedtime. I plan to use my extra morning time to write my book.
This morning, I did some proofreading of my Mexican chapter of my book – Mexico the Generous. After feeding the chickens, I did some odd jobs in preparation for being gone for the next week. The main job was cleaning up the chicken coops. I then took my mandatory Sunday nap. After a late lunch, I did some housework to ensure I came home next weekend to a clean house.
I went to bed at 8 PM again. I think when I get back from Placencia, this will be my new normal.
Passion fruit blooms
Glossary of Terms
Glossary of words or people that may or may not be part of this particular blog post. This glossary will be at the bottom of every blog post for Belize.
Wayne – He is the son of the original owners of the farm (both owners are deceased). The original farm was two – 30-acre parcels minus two – ¾ acre parcels for my house. In 2017, Wayne sold me 40 acres of land from the original 60 acres (one 30-acre parcel plus 10 acres from the second parcel). Wayne lives in his parents’ house and has a few cows on his remaining 18 acres of land.
The ponds – I have two large (300ft long x 50ft wide x 10ft deep) ponds on my 30-acre parcel of land, which is basically a jungle. I have about 60 coconut trees (mostly mature) around the ponds. In my first two years of living in Belize, I also planted about 250 assorted fruit tree seedlings (Lime, jackfruit, custard apple, pomegranate, and avocado).
The coconut field – I have about 400 coconut trees planted (various growth states) on about 3 acres of cleared land of my 10-acre parcel. I have planted about 350 assorted fruit trees (lemon, starfruit, mango, soursop, cashew, lime, orange), all raised from seed since my arrival in Belize in 2021.
The river lot – my house sits on a ¾ acre lot. I have a second joining ¾ acre lot that allows me river frontage on the Belize River. I call that my river lot.
The dry – Belize has two main seasons. The rainy season and the dry season (no rain). The wet is obviously the rainy season.
Chopping – using my machete to clear brush, vines, weeds, and unwanted trees. Generally, when I chop, I am removing unwanted vegetation around my baby fruit trees.
Andy – A fellow Canadian who rode his dirt bike from Canada to Belize at the end of 2023. When I offered Andy the use of an apartment that I recently built and the use of my greenhouse, Andy decided to stay in Belize permanently and start a hot sauce company here.
