Arizona 2013: Mariachi Music, Migraines and Other Christmas Memories

The stillness of the desert has a way of amplifying sounds, sights and other senses. The rusted wind chimes in the garden sound like the Carol of the Bells ringing mercilessly in my ears and the Milky Way seems to be close enough to touch. At 3am I was roused from my post-Christmas sleep by mariachi music. The same neighbors that harvest their Prickly Pear cactus also have a love of their Mexican heritage that is sometimes a little too freely shared. It was at this time I realized I had a throbbing migraine, my first since arriving home for the holidays. Probably too much lifting and not enough water.

My time in Coolidge is winding down. My dad had a successful run as Santa's Helper and also enjoyed his 72 birthday. I have seen 3 movies with him in less than a week, which is pretty normal around here.

 My mom, acting as my biggest supporter and part-time manager, staged a jewelry sale for me to peddle some of my handmade baubles. I think I made enough for my next round trip ticket on Allegiant Air. She is pleasantly surprised every time my little niece, Sawyer, runs to her with sheer joy on her face and practically climbs up into her arms. It has been fun to see Christmas through a 14 month old's eyes and remember how great Sesame Street really is - Cookie Monster has gotten much cooler as the years progress.





I accomplished all of the projects my mother tasked me with plus a few unexpected ones:
- caulking the kitchen cabinets against invading creepy crawlies;
- moving dirt and rock into the possible puddle spots in the driveway;
- clearing out the back storage room so my mom can organize her boxes of photos and frames and to make way for my dad's Triumph (a 20 year "project of obsession");
- hanging up oil paintings by my mom and another local artist in the guest room; and
- transplanting cactus bits that have fallen down in a wind gust.

In the course of writing this entry, the Mariachi music has stopped and my migraine is almost gone. One day left before I head back up to Utah and the sub-zero winter. I will spend my time building Lego castles with Sawyer and soaking up the Arizona sunshine.

Arizona 2013: Five Days of Christmas in Coolidge

The clouds of the past few days had dumped all their moisture and went on their way. It was a beautiful warm Sunday afternoon and so I went for a walk out past the train tracks along the canal.  I stumbled upon a field of leftover cotton pods... the closest we ever got to fields of "snowy white". It had been ages since I actually hopped in a hay trailer filled with cotton (not as fun as it sounds) and I had forgotten just how incredibly soft it was fresh from the pod.

On my way back home I found a street filled with deflated lawn decorations and out of place snowmen and penguins. I tried to seek out 12 Days of Christmas, but found only five. Here they are...

Five Friends from the Land of Misfit Toys

Four Balls of Cotton

Three Inflatable Wise Men

Two Pigeon Doves 

And a Drunk Man* Near a Prickly Pear Cactus

 *my mom recognized the sweater on the same man in the park the following morning, so we know he made it out OK.



Arizona 2013: Desert Redesigned

Having been raised in Arizona, I always knew that the sky here was big and wide and that the desert could be both unique an unexpected. Cactus abounds and the Prickly Pear are even farmed by my parent's neighbor for their fruit and juicy "leaves".

Winter weather is very unpredictable. It could be 70 degrees one day and 40 the next with sprinkles quickly followed by torrential downpours. Recent rains stirred up the green and left puddles on the desert floor. On this particular day, the clouds followed no special order in shape, color or composition. They filled the December sky like a grey-blue watercolor. It is only about an hour drive from Coolidge to Phoenix past harvested cotton fields, colorful rooftops on the houses in the Gila River Indian Reservation and soldier-like saguaro along the roadside. As I drove up to my sister's place, I remembered just how important and how far away the "Valley" used to seem.

On Friday, half of my family gathered at the Desert Botanical Gardens to see a desert completely redesigned; over sized swollen cactus were invaded by sleek, colorful sculptures. The artist, Chihuly, had returned to Phoenix to embellish the desert with the sultry hues and textures of blown glass.
 
We braved the nip in the air as we "ooh-ed and awe-ed" with the rest of the spectators. Christmas musician were strategically position throughout the gardens to remind us of the season.  It was a magical night and a great time with my niece, Sawyer, spreading joy and blowing kisses.

Belize 2013: A Tale of Ambergris Caye with Jungle Rain - song 1

From the very beginning of our stay in San Pedro, I was intrigued by the sliver of turquoise sea just along the horizon. By day we could see the white caps of the waves and at night could hear the low rumble as they broke against the barrier reef. The plants were all super sized and the coconut trees filtered just the right amount of sun as we lounged on the beach. Our constant companions were Bruno (who loved to fetch coconuts from the sea) and yellow butterflies that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

Encouraged by Dani, I woke up one morning and wrote down some of my impressions and passed them on to her. She expanded on my thoughts and added her own verses. She already had a tune with an "island" feel which she finessed on her ukulele into this little song.

As soon as we left the island for our last three days on the mainland, nostalgia set in and we decided to record our little song with the morning jungle rain in the background. This was the first time we sang the entire song together and I picked out the harmonies as we went along.


A Tale of Ambergris Caye (Siren's song)

by Dani and Amy in Belize

A warm embrace soothes my cares
And with the tides carries them there
Turquoise sea beckons me like a siren's song

Luring me to what lies beneath
What lies ahead way past the reef
Turquoise sea beckons me like a siren's song

There is a light between the trees
My face is turned to the breeze

Walk on the water if you try
No longer question marks in starry skies

Yellow butterfly flutters by
Carefree across Belizean sky

Butterfly, better wings to fly
Just lead me to my future sky
Just lead me to my future sky

Belize 2013: Goodbye - Adios - Orevwe

Before leaving the Orchid Garden Eco Resort and heading to the airport, we had some time in the morning to wander around the grounds and try to catch sight of the elusive iguanas (Alfredo spotted one the first day, but since then, nothing.) Not so tricky to find were the couple of ducks perched on the Hotel sign. The male duck was raised with dogs and acts like one still...he wags his tail and tries to bark as he follows you around the hotel grounds. Never did find that iguana again, but we enjoyed exploring the Iguana Sanctuary in the steamy jungle air.

I really loved my time in Belize (aside from my brief trip to the San Pedro Police Station to report my computer and camera stolen.) The sights, sounds and sensations were like nothing I ever experienced in Europe and I was glad to have the chance to see what lies a bit farther south of the border. 

So in the languages of Belize - English, Spanish and Belizean Creole - goodbye, adios, orevwa!

Belize 2013: We Found a Zoo

I don't often visit zoos when I am traveling abroad. It is usually museums or ancient ruins that attract my attention. However, this was our last full day in Belize and it began with a downpour, not really beach weather. I noticed that the tour companies all offered trips to the zoo, so there must be something interesting to see.

The Belize Zoo was dedicated strictly to animals native to Belize - no polar bears in cute little igloos here. We were the first ones there and headed to the far end of the park to see the big cats first, before the rains came. Didn't quite make it. Somehow it seemed fitting to be drenched in the jungle while admiring huge birds and amazing cats.

There was a stork as tall as me and a jaguar "Junior" that let guests, willing to pay for the experience, feed and pet him through a wire cage. We ran into one of the handlers and he showed us the black jaguar "Lucky", rescued a year ago from one of the resorts in southern Belize. Lucky approached us like he was tracking prey, the epitome of stealth. A little less intimidating was the toucan - although he did nip at me with his enormous bill when I got too close.  We were drenched by the end, but had a wonderful time discovering the animals and birds of Belize.

Belize 2013: Caye Caulker for the Afternoon

morning rain in the jungle

We awoke to soft rain through the lush jungle trees. With memories of the sea fresh in our minds, we decided to take our chances with the weather and head out to Caye Caulker for the day.  June to November is officially the Rainy Season, so we should have expected it to do just that. Luckily, we left all the rain behind on the mainland.

The bus that comes every 30 minutes just outside our hotel was standing room only so it came and went right past us. We hopped a ride with Alfredo taking some other guests to the water taxi in town.

on the Swing Bridge in Belize City

Caye Caulker Water Taxi was on time and efficient. We ended up with the bags and boxes of produce in the back end of the boat, but that was the best place for a bit of a breeze. After an hour on the sea we landed on sunny Caye Caulker. Much more compact than Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker was more of a sleepy tourist village than a town. We walked the length of the inhabited portion and scoped out our sunning spot.

Swimming was better off the side of the pier in the deeper, light blue water. Dani read and sunbathed while I wandered the sandy streets and took photos. We were both in our favorite elements. I even stumbled across a bakery and so lunch was a ham, cheese and green chili croissant. I think if I ever return to the cayes of Belize, I will head out to Caye Caulker for a few nights of peaceful relaxation.

Belize 2013: Coconut Tarts and Leapin' Lizards

Our days on Ambergris Caye finally came to an end. The overcast skies and impending rain made it a bit easier to depart. Dani mixed up some celebratory smoothies complete with local yogurt, lime, prunes, papaya, and the last apple. For good measure she threw in some of our granola and the coconut filling from our favorite coconut tarts. Never to be imitated, I am sure!

Before heading to the water taxi, we picked up the painting Dani had commissioned from a local artist - Kirt Jason Cruz. He caught our attention the evening before as we were coming out of a local gallery. He used a photo from Dani's phone to paint one of the piers in front of the beach house. He added his own sparkly paint on the coconuts to help "bring the painting alive". It had been 5 years since he was stabbed in the spine and he proudly showed us his new mobility. Painting helped him keep his spirits up and motivate him to walk again.

The water taxi took us past the small island of Caye Caulker full of brightly painted buildings and tiny beaches. I was tempted to hop off the boat right there, but we carried on to Belize City. Friends and travel logs had the same thing to say about Belize City - don't bother spending too much time there. I have to agree. The narrow river of murky water led us to the water taxi terminal by the Swing Bridge. We were glad to have arranged for a pick up from our hotel so we didn't have to navigate the taxi and bus system just yet. Our driver, Alfredo, stopped by a local fast food stand for a bit of lunch - garnachas (like mini tostadas on soft corn tortillas) and Orange Fanta.

The Orchid Eco-Garden Village Hotel is located about 15 miles from Belize City. We were greeted by Christine, the hotel owner and doting hostess. Only 4 other guests were at the hotel that day, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.


Dani took a nap in the hammock hut - complete with mushrooms growing up from the log floor - and I wandered the grounds in search of exotic sites to photograph. I especially enjoyed the flaming orange Flamboyant tree and the orchids growing from tree stumps and in between the limbs high above.

 

I felt like I was transported to the Land of the Lost with all the giant sized plants and palms and exotic sounds echoing from the jungle and plenty of leaping lizards scampering around the pathways. We took the Eco-tour with Alfredo to learn which plants we could eat and which we could use as sand paper. We also toured the "museum" set up on the first floor of Christine's home. Dinner was 5 courses of tasty dishes, many from their own garden. Great first day in the jungle.

Belize 2013: Police and Pupusas

A few days into my trip to Belize, I took a slight detour to the bright yellow and green Police Station on San Pedro. We were so thankful for our air conditioned bedrooms and we woke up to the faint light of the sunrise every morning. It was 4:30am when I ventured out into our steamy living room/kitchen area of Brianna's Beach House. Our morning ritual was to open the back and front doors, held open by heavy conch shells, to get a cross breeze in the house.

one our our blissful bedrooms

 This morning I though the back door was unlocked, but that couldn't be the case, right? Wrong. I immediately noticed that my laptop and the camera I was charging on the table were missing. Another impossibility, right? Wrong. The windows had been left open that night, as we did other nights, but we felt safely snug with the doors locked. Unfortunately, the burglar slit the screen on the kitchen window and was either extremely thin or passed in a child to grab the electronics and exit the back door. We heard nothing over the roar of the air-con. Just happy they were only interested in an easy heist and left us sleeping.

I reported the theft to people we were renting from and they advised me to report it to the police. PC (Police Constable - from their British Honduras days) Martinez took my statement. When I filed the report he made sure to note that I "got up at 4:30 to watch the sunrise." He said they had some ideas who might have broken in since another house further north was hit a few nights earlier. I doubt anything will every come of this entire caper. My only consolation is that my computer was on it's last legs, so burglars wont get much use out of it once it is wiped clean. Lucky for me, I saved my past trip photos onto CDs before my trip since I thought the laptop wouldn't last much longer.

Determined not to let the events of the morning taint my time in Belize, we welcomed our neighbor girls selling coconut and cane sugar goodies to our house once again. A few hours on the beach helped put it out of my mind as well.

That evening we decided to sample the pupusas at the highly recommended Pupuseria Tipico Salvadoreno - corn meal pockets with veggies and/or cheese and/or meat. The ironic thing is that there are two restaurants in San Pedro, right across the street from one another. We picked the one that was there first, only seemed fitting. Loved the food and went back a few days later for seconds. And the best part – they are only BZD$2.50 (1USD = 2BZD) each.