Tim's Web Journal

JE 124

London

January 12, 2024January 12, 2024 Tim4 Comments

Thursday, January 11 – Harrow on the Hill

You’ve been on edge, waiting to hear how I slept, haven’t you? Well, I have some surprisingly good news to report. By 7:30 last night I was done. Unable to keep my eyes open. So I gave in and went to bed. Fell asleep straight away. And then I woke up at 12:30am. Ugh! Fortunately though after about 30 minutes of reading I was ready to go back to sleep. I didn’t wake up again until 8:30am. Awesome! I wasn’t in a hurry to get out of bed either; spent the next couple hours there reading. A nice morning!

I spent the afternoon working on my first Journal Entry for this trip. It took longer than expected, as I ended up writing more than typical (sorry about that!). Also, getting things set up for the new separate London trip page took some time; especially since I had forgotten how I had formatted the pages for the other trips from when I did the editing last summer! I’m a mess!

I had a fun evening though. My hosts, Mary & Tony, invited me to join them for dinner. A home-cooked meal? Yes, please!

Mary & Tony as we prepare to sit down to dinner. It was a wonderful evening with a delicious meal. Thank you!

Friday, January 12 – Harrow on the Hill

Even though I left several years ago, I’ve remained on the emailing list of several London museums and entertainment venues. I guess I could have stopped the emails, but I kind of like reading them. And yesterday I received a very interesting email from The Royal Albert Hall. It announced two shows in March by The Who, to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust. I would definitely like to attend that! Tickets went on sale this morning at 9am. I logged into the RAH website at around 8:50 and was informed that I had been placed in a holding area with all of the other interested folks; at 9am we would then be placed in a random order queue to acquire tickets. Okay. Well, 9am rolls around, and my number is…4,000 something. Yikes! (not Taylor Swift terrible at least!). It took me about an hour to get to the head of the line, and by then I figured my chance of getting a decent seat was minimal. However, I ended up snagging one in the 7th row of the stalls, which I was pleased with. I imagine the fact that they’re doing two shows, and I only needed one ticket, helped get me to a good spot. So I now have two concerts to attend at The RAH during my stay here. Some of you know about the other one, but I’ll hold back those details for later.

After being a slug all day yesterday, I decided I needed to get out today and do some walking around. I went down to the South Harrow area and continued out further to Northolt. On the way back I picked up some groceries at ALDI. (This is exciting stuff, isn’t it?) The only two photos of (questionable) interest from my walk are presented below…

Here’s a belated picture of an SL9 (Superloop) bus; the type that was my ride from the airport on Wednesday.

Those of you that have been following this journal for a while know that I have a weird fascination with fuel prices. I can’t explain it, I’m just off. Anyway, this converts to $6.81/gallon. Not so bad in the States after all, is it?

Travel Notes

In Journal Entries from past trips I’ve gone through some of the things I’ve done to prepare for an extended time away from home and outside of the U.S. Probably not worth repeated them here, other than to say I basically have done all of the same things, including items like using a VPN in conjunction with local wireless internet access, and purchasing travel medical insurance. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

One additional thing I’ve done for this trip relates to my phone. Last summer I finally upgraded from my iPhone 6. It was long ago no longer supported by Apple, and some of the apps stopped working. I gave in to planned obsolescence! In addition to the physical SIM card, the new iPhones now also offer the option of installing two eSIMs. I used one of those eSIMs for my AT&T service in the U.S., and for this trip I downloaded a U.K. data-only eSIM. This U.K. SIM cost $6, offering 3Gb of data with a 30 day validity. This compares to AT&T charging me $10/day for international service (with a maximum of $100 over a 30 day period). The caveat is that the U.K. SIM is data-only, so voice service is not included. But that’s not a big deal for me. (I can make cheap (or free) phone calls when I have WiFi access) Also, the 3Gb of data may not seem like a lot, but I have the option of topping it up if I run low before the 30 days are up.

While we’re on the subject of new electronics, I also bought a new laptop over the Black Friday / Cyber Monday weekend. My previous one was 12 years old, running Windows 7 (also no longer supported). The wake up moment occurred in the fall when it booted up to the dreaded blue screen! I was able to restore its settings, but was a little concerned! (Remember when I dropped the laptop at the Bogota airport security checkpoint last year? And it kept on ticking? I have to say that laptop was a trooper)

The new laptop. A little bigger than I planned, but I loved the specs combined with the price. It’s the same brand as my last one – ASUS. (The desktop picture is from Barbados last year)

Final piece of housekeeping…

Here’s the extent of stuff I have in my check luggage this year. A little more that last year due to the cold(er) weather aspect!

So I have the extra duffel bag this time. I probably could have got everything in the duffel, but I wanted to have the smaller piece for the side trips. You may also notice that I replaced last year’s haggard backpack!

But I decided to keep my holey shoes! I bought these new for the Hawaii trip. Then wore them again last year. They’re rough, but comfortable! We’ll see how it goes…

These first two Journal Entries have been brutally boring, I know. But bear with me, I promise it will get better. I plan on heading into the city tomorrow and do some roaming around. Hopefully some good photos will be the result!

JE 123

London

January 11, 2024February 21, 2024 Tim10 Comments

Tuesday, January 9 & Wednesday January 10 – transit from Madison to London

Welcome back everyone! Thank you for continuing to follow along as I once again escape a Wisconsin winter.

Before I begin to document this latest adventure, I wanted to make you aware of updates I’ve made to the website. This main page of the site remains unchanged; a continuous reverse chronological scroll of all of my Journal Entries dating back to day one (January 10, 2019) . Added though are some menu items. There are now separate pages for each trip I’ve taken since the origin of the journal (e.g., 2019 South America, 2022 Hawaii). These new pages are set up in a grid style for each trip, with each Journal Entry having its own individual link (no scrolling). The entries are identified by number, location, and date. Also, the Google Map created to track my island hopping last year was pretty popular, so I’ve gone back and developed maps for the previous trips too (and there will be one this year as well). In addition to the Journal Entry grid on each of the new trip pages, there is also a link to the Trip Map. Please let me know what you think of the changes. Hopefully you will find them helpful. And I’m open to any suggestions regarding other format changes.

Okay, let’s get on with it…

After last year’s manic pace (13 countries/territories over 100 days), I decided this year to base myself in one location and take short out-and-back trips from there. It required little contemplation to determine that London was the logical place to plant myself. Although it’s not exactly an escape from cold weather, it’s generally an improvement over Madison (as I write this it is 42 degrees here and 23 degrees in Madison). It’s definitely a less crowded time of year to be here. It provides easy travel access to a multitude of places. And finally, I really enjoyed my time living here and am thankful I have the opportunity to return for an extended stay.

I had an early departure from Madison on Tuesday (6:44am). This proved fortuitous, as a winter snow storm arrived overnight Monday and was expected to last into Wednesday morning. I decided to wake up at 1am on Tuesday to see how much snow had accumulated and check the status of flights. Fortunately there were only flurries at this time and no flight disruptions. The previous day I reserved a 4am Lyft ride to the airport; much earlier than I normally would for a 6:44 flight, but I wasn’t sure what the road conditions would be like, and I wanted to have time to put a contingency plan in place in case the Lyft driver bailed on me! Once again, luck prevailed as the snowfall remained light, my driver arrived on schedule, and the flight remained slated for an on-time departure. The only hiccup occurred after the plane pulled away from the gate. Since it had been sitting overnight, the plane had accumulated some snow and ice and required deicing. The wait for the deicing trucks and the actual deicing of the plane resulted in a one hour departure delay. But again, I lucked out because I had a massive layover of 8 hours in Newark.

As the airlines continue to devalue the use of their airmiles, I decided to cash in some of mine for a business class ticket to Heathrow on United. The one-way fare cost me 80k miles + $6 (I like the six dollars part!). In addition to having the business class seat, I was also able to access a lounge at Newark reserved for business class travelers on international flights. This was a nice bonus, considering my long layover.

The lounge was basically deserted when I arrived mid-morning, but was packed by late afternoon, as most of the transatlantic flights departed in the evening (mine was at 6pm).

The flight was comfortable, but uneventful. The meals were alright, but I thought the entertainment options were pretty thin. The interior of the plane seemed outdated too (a Boeing 767). And I didn’t sleep very much.

We landed around 6:30am on Wednesday (12:30am in Madison). One final advantage of the business class upgrade was the availability of an Arrivals Lounge that United has at Heathrow. It isn’t very big, but has many private shower rooms, which I am sure is its main drawing card. I definitely took advantage of this perk. Following the shower, I chilled out a bit in the lounge and then made my way to the Heathrow bus terminal for the ride into London.

A tube strike was planned in London for this week, so that transport option from the airport was off the table. I have to say though that during my time here I ended up taking the bus to and from the airport more often than not. When compared to taking the train, it’s much less expensive (cost: £1.75), requires no transfers, stops at the same place (South Harrow Station), and probably now takes less time with the Superloop express service to Harrow (thanks for the tip Mary!). It’s funny, at Christmas Holly and I were reminiscing about her visit here, with the late night arrival at Heathrow and our bus ride back to my place.

Sidenote: The tube strike was called off by the time I arrived in London, but as I noted above, the bus was the better option anyway.

Many of you who read this journal came to visit when I lived in London (specifically, Harrow on the Hill), and I’m thankful for that – a lot of great memories. Well, I’m very happy to say that my accommodation this winter will be in the same house in which I lived from 2007 to 2010 (can’t believe it’s been 17 years since I arrived to work in London, thanks again for recruiting me Ed!).

Look familiar to some of you? I lived in the two bedroom flat on the top floor of this picture.

I became friends with Mary & Tony, the owners of Byron House, during my time here and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. I last visited them during my Europe trip in January of 2020. Well, in addition to the two flats on the top floor of the house which are currently under long-term lease, they also have two smaller flatlets on the second floor. And one of those was fortunately available for me to rent from January through April. Perfect!

A lovely accommodation! And the rent is a reasonable £850 per month, which includes weekly washing of sheets and towels and access to the washer and dryer for my personal laundry. Thank you so much Mary & Tony! (and for the arrival goodies!)

I arrived at Byron House around 10:30am and enjoyed catching up with Mary & Tony over tea. Following that I figured it would be best if I got out and did some walking around, to both enjoy the beautiful day and fight back any urge I had to fall asleep!

For those of you who haven’t visited, Harrow on the Hill is a quaint, historic village located northwest of London near Wembley Stadium. It is probably best know for being home to the Harrow School, a prestigious boarding school for boys. Founded in 1572, the school’s list of distinguished alumni includes seven former British Prime Ministers (Churchill amongst them).

To follow are some pictures from my walk around the Hill…

I noticed these signs placed in front of many of the Harrow School buildings. These are new to me. Mary explained that they come as result of some abuse of the grounds and buildings by the public while the students were taught remotely during the Covid lock down. So sad…

I’ve always liked this cute little house on the Hill!

The Old Etonian Hotel & Restaurant. Kari & Tom stayed here when they came to visit with my Dad. And I stayed here when I came back for business trips. Enjoyed a work Christmas lunch here too. Sadly, it is now closed (a Covid casualty).

For the rest of my walk I ventured down to Greenford, where I used to work. The next few pictures are from that area, and will probably only interest those of you readers who worked there. For the rest, feel free to scroll on past!

The Tower was sold several years ago and converted into flats.

It looks like a 2nd phase of conversion is planned. It’s interesting that the Kellogg Tower sign is still in place!

The Brokengate is still here! A popular lunch spot.

Surprisingly, the Wenzel’s sandwich, bread & pastry shop is gone. That was another popular lunch spot for us expats!

It looks like there was a fire at the Rising Sun…

Let me know if you’d like me to check out any other of your favorite spots from the past!

I spent the evening getting settled in, unpacking, and attempting to stay awake as long as possible! Was I able to avoid jet lag and get a good night’s sleep? Check back next time to find out! (quite the cliffhanger, right?!?)

JE 122

Favorite Trip Photos

April 25, 2023June 26, 2023 Tim2 Comments

Photo Recap

I snapped over 3,500 pictures during the course of the trip. Here are a few of my favorites…

My buddy Daniel on the Panama Canal cruise

St. George’s Harbor, Grenada (one of Holly’s favorites too!)

With Anthony, on the rim of La Soufrière Volcano, Saint Vincent

English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour, from Shirley Heights in Antigua

Montego Bay, Jamaica (now the desktop photo on my laptop!)

The Snorkeling Gang on Caye Caulker, Belize

Caye Caulker, Belize (Kari also liked this one!)

A lot of beach photos, I know. But come on, it was (mainly) the Caribbean after all!

JE 121

Placencia to Belize City to Madison

April 21, 2023August 31, 2023 Tim4 Comments

Monday, April 17 – Placencia

And now, the end is near…

Today is my last full day in one place as the trip draws to a close. Tomorrow I’ll be traveling back to Belize City, and on Wednesday to Madison. I’m thinking this will be a day of leisure.

I took a walk on the beach, worked on a journal entry and spent the rest of the day by the pool and on the patio (sound familiar?).

I’ve learned about Sargassum seaweed during my travels around the Caribbean. I’ve seen it on several of my stops. Some history: Beginning in 2011, unprecedented quantities of Sargassum began inundating coastal areas in Brazil, the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the east coast of Florida. These events cost millions of dollars in lost revenue for the tourism industry, especially hurting small Caribbean countries whose economies are highly dependent on seasonal tourism. Apparently there are three main factors behind the increased presence of the seaweed in the Caribbean: a) a nutrient influx into the seawater (from the Amazon, Congo and Mississippi Rivers); b) Trade Winds and Currents; and c) Human Effects (deforestation, waste-water runoff, and commercial agriculture fertilizer). For me personally, the beach here in Placencia is where I’ve seen the greatest presence of Sargassum on the trip.

Tuesday, April 18 – transit from Placencia to Belize City

I’m back on Tropic Air early this afternoon to Belize City; this time to the international airport.

A 10 USD taxi ride brought me to the Tropic Air “terminal” at the Placencia airport.

Looking out from the plane. It kind of reminds me of a rural train station stop!

Including the pilot, there were 4 of us on board. The flight lasted 25 minutes.

On the ground at Belize International Airport.

I’m spending the night at the River Bend Resort…

…it’s located on a peninsula, and can only be reached by boat.

96 USD for the night, including breakfast.

I choose this accommodation mainly because it’s located close to the airport and provides free shuttle service. It has good reviews too!

Belize Information

Currency: Belize Dollar
Language: English
Vehicle Traffic: Drive on the right
Weather: Highs in the upper 80s, Lows in the upper 70s, moderately high humidity
Covid Entry Requirements: None
Mask Wearing: Rare
Electrical Outlets: U.S. Type
Drinkable Tap Water: No
Timezone: Same as U.S. Mountain Time

Wednesday, April 19 – transit from Belize to Madison

Breakfast was nothing special this morning, but I think Montego Bay raised my expectations!

There’s a cute little puppy living on the property! Her name is Maya…

…I ended up playing with her a bit this morning before I had to depart for the airport.

I’m on American Airlines today back to Madison, via Dallas. I departed Belize around 1pm and landed in Madison at 11pm (home around midnight). Both flights were on 737s, and they were full! I again used miles for these flights; the cost was $78 + 36,000 miles. The Lyft ride in Madison was $30.

Travel Note: The line for immigration in Dallas was massive! However, I have Global Entry, and there were zero people waiting there. I walked right through! Awesome! Much of the time though the weak link in the Global Entry process is the baggage claim. You might get through immigration quickly, but there is still that wait for your luggage. Not today! Non-stop through immigration….and my bag is waiting for me! Wow! Full disclosure however: When I entered the U.S. in Fort Lauderdale a couple weeks ago Global Entry provided no advantage; there was no wait at immigration for the travelers without GE.

Another Travel Note: I was going to mention this earlier in the journal, but didn’t want to jinx myself. Have you noticed the lack of rain days during my trip? Like Hawaii last year, I’ve been unbelievably fortunate. Crazy! I might have had a couple days of rain this year, but that’s it.

In case you were wondering…

This has been an amazing trip! I know it could have been better if I had done some advanced planning, but I’m happy with the way it turned out. There’s been a LOT of moving around though. I foresee next winter’s escape being based in one place, with short out and back trips from that location.

Thanks to all of you for following along. I hope you haven’t been too bored, or felt obligated to read all of the entries. That’s not my intent. And much appreciation for all of your comments and questions, via this website and through phone calls, emails, and texts. While traveling solo the interaction with you means a lot to me. Until next year…

Epilogue

Throughout this journey I’ve compiled some trip-related lists. One caveat: While reading them over please remind yourself of my weirdness! The lists are random and in no particular order.

Favorite Experiences

Panama Canal Cruise
Volcano Hike
Using the Public (mini)Buses
Mantego Bay B&B
Caye Caulker Snorkeling

Favorite Places

Grenada
- Beachside Grilled Fish Meals
- Picturesque Harbor
- Waffle Cones
- Roti Stand
Antigua
- Amazing Blues of the Ocean
- Beautiful Beaches
- Good walking/hiking
  - Hiking around Nelson’s Dockyard
Caye Caulker
- Atmosphere
- Snorkeling
- Fellow Travelers

Favorite Accommodation

Montego Bay B&B (duh!)

Favorite Airbnbs

Barbados
- Great Porch
- Nice Breeze
- No Mosquitos
- Nearby Café
St. Lucia
- Great Hosts
  - Provided food due to my late arrival
  - Homemade Soup
Dominica (1st time)
- Good Host
- Nice Patio/View
- Least Expensive!

Favorite Meals

Grilled Fish Sandwich and Rum Punch from a food truck on the beach in Barbados
Mahi Mahi and Kale & Mango Smoothie at Ma Cherie Café in Barbados
Grilled Fish and Rum Punch at Beachside Market in Grenada
Roti in Grenada
Grenada Chocolate Ice Cream in a Waffle Cone
Grilled Fish at Dantie’s in Dominica
Homemade Soup from Airbnb hosts in St. Lucia
Rum Punch at Top Bar in Dominica (& Rum Punch in general!)
Coconut Water following the Volcano Hike in St. Vincent
Plantains and Sea Moss drink with Airbnb host in Dominica
Akee & Saltfish Patty in Kingston
All of the breakfasts at the Montego Bay B&B
Smoothies in St. Kitts
Pineapple-Ginger Ice Cream in Jamaica

Least Favorite Experiences

Dominica Ferry Terminal
Dominica Taxis
Taxis in General (no change for minor large bills, among other issues!)
Saturation (This is a travel-related term Xavier introduced me to – he experienced it during a month-long trip in Europe. It describes repeatedly seeing amazing things and becoming immune to the “wow” factor, which is absolutely a terrible thing to have happen. Unfortunately I experienced some of that on this trip – in regards to forts, beaches, & greenery. I’m not happy about it, and desperately fought against it.)

Least Favorite Airbnb

Dominica (2nd time)
- Mosquitos
- Noisy
- Otherwise though, good
  - Location
  - View
  - Host
  - Top Bar

I’m sure I forgot some things, so feel free to call me out if you notice any oversights!

Let’s Look at the Data

Below I’m going to list a bunch of statistics, both from this trip and from all of my previous winter escapes (yes, I’m a dork). Please remember that you’re under no obligation to grind through this stuff!

Countries Visited

I visited 11 new (to me) countries and 2 new territories on this trip. I feel incredibly lucky to say I have now been to 81 countries. Below is a breakdown of visited countries by continent (and the % of countries I’ve been to on each continent):

Africa: 3 (6%) – much yet to see in Africa!
Antarctica: 0 (0%) – maybe this will be my 100^th country?
Asia: 20 (44%)
Europe: 29 (60%)
North America: 19 (83%)
Oceania: 2 (14%)
South America: 8 (67%)

Trip Length

2023 Caribbean: 100 days
2019 South America: 77 days
2022 Hawaii: 66 days
2020 Europe: 33 days
2020 South America: 30 days (cut short due to Covid)

Trip Cost

Total

2023 Caribbean
2022 Hawaii
2019 South America
2020 Europe
2020 South America

Per Day

2022 Hawaii (shocking!)
2019 South America (skewed higher by Galapagos Islands and Easter Island)
2023 Caribbean
2020 South America
2020 Europe (skewed lower due to the use of frequent flyer miles for the transatlantic flights)

Steps

Total

2023 Caribbean: 1.32 million (that’s roughly 600 miles!)
2019 South America: 1.09 million
2022 Hawaii: 1.07 million
2020 Europe: 550 thousand
2020 South America: 440 thousand

Per Day

2022 Hawaii: 16.2 thousand
2020 Europe: 16.1 thousand
2020 South America: 14.5 thousand
2019 South America: 14.4 thousand
2023 Caribbean: 13.2 thousand (embarrassingly low result!)

2023 Extremes

Most: 34.9 thousand in Barbados
Least: 1.3 thousand on the day after the St. Vincent Volcano hike

Postcards

I mailed 11 postcards to Oliver on this trip. Two are still in transit; but as of this writing the shortest delivery time was 12 days from Saint Martin ( a French Territory – I mailed the card during my day visit there from Sint Maarten), and the longest delivery time was 29 days from Dominica.

Planes, Ferries, Buses & Trains

I took 22 flights on this trip (not a great carbon footprint, I know…) totaling a little over 10k miles. The longest flight was from Toronto to Panama City, the shortest from Dangriga to Placencia in Belize.

I also traveled 5 times on ferries/water taxis; twice on buses; and once on a train (Fort Lauderdale to Miami).

Trip Map

The update to my trip map is now complete. The link to it is here.

Favorite Photos

I plan on going through my trip photos over the next few days and uploading a few of my favorites here. Please check back if you’re interested. Thanks!

JE 120

Caye Caulker to Placencia

April 17, 2023June 26, 2023 Tim6 Comments

Wednesday, April 12 – Caye Caulker

Sam and Sophie told me about a yoga class on the island; sounds interesting! I’ll be joining them this morning, and Katie thought she would try it too. Great!

The class took place on the top (3^rd) floor of a building that also houses a cafe. The open air studio was full – probably 20 of us (including my three snorkeling friends). The class lasted an hour and cost 10 USD. It was fun!

After class we all went here to grab something to eat (Tush joined us too).

Sam decided on a smoothie *bowl* and mini donuts with nutella dip. The bowl looked good…

…so I got one too! I chose papaya and banana, with toppings of pineapple, cranberries, granola, and honey. 7.50 USD. (I had one of Sam’s donuts too!)

After brunch we split up and agreed to meet later in the afternoon at a nearby beach for some wildlife viewing.

I spent my afternoon working on a journal entry and taking a bike ride around the island.

This is the property adjacent to my Airbnb, where they have an arrangement that allows their guests to use the chairs. Yes, I took advantage! (and I like this picture, with the shadows!)

I rode my bike by the place where I’ll be meeting the gang later – Stingray Beach. They have these hammocks and swings in the water, which is pretty cool (literally!).

The beach gets its name because of this (and it’s the reason we’ll be back here later today). Basically, the bar on the beach feeds the rays every afternoon to attract them (and customers!). Another case of messing with the ecosystem that leaves me a little uncomfortable.

There’s a sea horse viewing here too. In this case though they’ve set up a natural habitat to bring them to this location – not as objectionable!

It’s later in the afternoon now and I’m back at the beach. The crowd has gathered for the arrival of the rays.

I stayed on the pier and was able to see a couple rays swimming by.

Sadly, my snorkeling friends were all departing in the morning, so we said our goodbyes following the stingray viewing. I had fun hanging out with them.

Unfortunately, the nature of my trip – staying mostly in Airbnbs, and having little opportunity to book group tours – has limited my interaction with other travelers, which is too bad.

Thursday, April 13 – Caye Caulker

When I was staying at the B&B in Belize City I met Yasir, who is from Canada, and was also traveling to Caye Caulker. We’re going to get together for lunch today. While waiting for the meet, I did a little walking around the island.

The island of Caye Caulker was split in two by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Both the airport and the ferry docks are located in the south, which is where I’m staying, and where most of the activity takes place.

There is a ferry service that runs between the north and south sections though.

Yasir and I decided on this roadside stand for lunch.

I went with shrimp kabobs with rice, plantain, and coleslaw. (15 USD) I also got a bottle of tamarind juice. (2.50 USD) Both were very good, but I thought the kabob was overpriced (for street food in Belize).

Yasir is an interesting guy. He lives in Edmonton and owns a wellness center (yoga, massage, nutrition, etc.). After lunch he was joining some locals for a poker game! I’m glad we were able to meet up.

Later in the day I got a hankering for some ice cream (shocking!). The shop I visited previously wasn’t open, but they had a sign up referring customers to their sister company, Nico’s. My flavors are Baileys (awesome!) and soursop (a local fruit). 4 USD. Yummmm.

After all of my eating today, I really wasn’t planning on much for dinner, but did stop here on the way back to the Airbnb for…

…a couple ham & cheese rolls. 1.50 USD each. Hit the spot!

Friday, April 14 – transit from Caye Caulker to Placencia

I’m back on the ferry to Belize City this morning. I’ll then fly from the municipal airport to Placencia, a coastal town to the south.

The crowded departure area in Caye Caulker

The type of boat we’ll be using for today’s trip.

Full capacity. In fact, some of the later arrivals to the terminal who had no advance booking were turned away.

The ferry ride took an hour and then I had a 10 minute ride to the airport (7.50 USD).

Travel Note: On more than a few occasions during this trip I’ve encountered taxi drivers who were unable to provide change for my larger denomination bills (and I’m not talking 100 dollar size here). So annoying! Just another reason why I despise taxi drivers, and utilize Uber/Lyft whenever possible!

The Tropic Air Arrivals/Departures Building. I had a 2 hour wait here, but that was fine; I just relaxed and did some reading. There were no security checks here prior to boarding the plane. Interesting. (and boarding took place 5 minutes before departure!)

The plane had space for 11 passengers. There were 6 of us onboard, including the pilot.

We made a stop in Dangriga on the way to Placencia. In total the trip took 45 minutes. I purchased a round trip ticket that will take me to the Belize City International airport on the 18^th; the cost was 276 USD.

My taxi ride from the Tropic Air office in Placencia to my hotel took 10 minutes and cost 10 USD. (thankfully I had the exact change!)

When I booked this hotel, I chose the cheapest option (of course!), which was a garden view room. Even though it was the lowest cost, it was rather large, with 2 bathrooms. Well, when I arrived for check-in I was asked if I wouldn’t mind switching to a smaller, oceanfront room, as a group of 3 people preferred the larger suite. Yes, please!

Just like in Montego Bay, immediately after check-in I got into my swimsuit and hit the pool! After sufficient chillin’ time, I made a grocery run and that was pretty much it for the day.

Travel Note: I’ve been reading about the flooding in south Florida, and the closing of the Fort Lauderdale airport. A sad situation, and relatable, since I was just there.

Saturday, April 15 – Placencia

What do I usually do on my first day in a new location? That’s right…roam!

Seems like I should stop here, right? Looks a little dodgy though!

Rum Punch. 4 USD. Nice & Strong, and a great price!

Tropical Wave Smoothie (mango, banana, pineapple, coconut). 5 USD. Good price; tasted great!

Grilled Fish Sandwich. 11 USD. Rather mediocre, and seemed overpriced for Belize.

There’s this nice walkway in Placencia that parallels the beach, with shops, inns, and cafes. It took me all the way back to my hotel.

I spent the rest of the day poolside and lounging on my Patio. A good day!

Sunday, April 16 – Placencia

I booked a tour for today. It will include a boat ride through some mangroves and the Caribbean Sea to Monkey River Village, followed by a hike in search of monkeys. Let’s go!

These are lobster traps, in storage because the season ended in February.

We’re now making our way back to Monkey River Village.

Baked whitefish, rice & beans, and coleslaw.

This was a fun tour! There were 8 of us in the group, it lasted 5 hours, and cost 107 USD. I spent the rest of the day on my patio and poolside. Of course!

JE 119

Belize City to Caye Caulker

April 12, 2023June 26, 2023 Tim6 Comments

Sunday, April 9 – Belize City

Good Morning! Breakfast included Sorrel Juice and homemade Johnny Cakes. Good stuff!

As I was on my way to Belize, contemplating my one full day in Belize City, it finally dawned on me that that day will be Easter Sunday. Well, that was kind of stupid planning! Again! Anyway, I’ll make the best of it and take a walk around the city (it’s what I do…)

The walk from the B&B to the far eastern tip of the city should take about an hour.

The Panamanian Embassy is across the street from the B&B.

And the waterfront is a block away from the B&B.

My walk is going to take me mainly along the waterfront. This is the Ramada Inn.

There is a nice walking/biking path along the water.

Baron Bliss Lighthouse, erected in 1885 on the former site of a Spanish fortress which was nearly destroyed after the Battle of St. George’s Caye in September 1798. (Note really sure if it should be called a Lighthouse though!)

It’s kind of hard to see, but the blue-shirted guy in the boat is waving at me to take a picture of him. So I did! Funny!

The Government House (ca. 1814) was first the residence of the Governor of British Honduras and later the residence of the Governor General, the Queen’s representative in Belize. It is now a museum.

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist was constructed from 1812 to 1820 with bricks that had been used as ballast aboard ships. It was the first church to be built in the colony of British Honduras.

The church is located across the street from the Government House Museum.

The fact that my walkabout occurred on Easter Sunday turned out to be a good thing. The city was deserted! The only place that I would have liked to have visited was the Government House Museum.

Fuel Price Check (open on Easter!): 12.32 BZD/gallon; the easy math converts that to 6.16 USD/gallon.

I returned to the B&B in the early afternoon and relaxed in the Jacuzzi. I followed that with some journal work, and a return to the Friendship Restaurant for some dumplings (thank you for being open on Easter!).

The day turned out better than I expected!

Monday, April 10 – transit from Belize City to Caye Caulker

I met some interesting people at breakfast today: a couple from Belgium who have been to Uganda to see the gorillas; a gentleman from Pakistan who now lives in Washington, D.C. and works for the world bank, which has resulted in his visiting over 100 countries; and an entrepreneur from Canada who, like me, will be traveling to Caye Caulker today (on a different schedule though) – we will likely meet up there later in the week.

I have an early afternoon departure from Belize City to Caye Caulker via a water taxi/ferry. My taxi ride to the ferry terminal took 15 minutes and cost 10 USD.

It turns out I had a “stupid, but lucky” moment when I scheduled this portion of my trip. This is the hectic scene at the baggage claim here in Belize City, for the passengers arriving from the islands (including Caye Caulker). I learned that the long Easter weekend (Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays here) is a popular time for the locals to travel to the islands. I dodged the crowded island bullet by waiting until today to depart!

Our boat to Caye Caulker will be the green one (where arrival passengers are now exiting). The larger ferry will be going to Ambergris Caye (more about that later).

On our way! The ride took 40 minutes and cost 43 USD for a round trip (I’ll be returning on the 14th).

Caye Caulker (pronounced “key corker”) is a small island, measuring roughly 5 miles by 1 mile. Along with Ambergris Caye, they are the most popular islands to visit in Belize. One is known for its luxury resorts, excellent (and expensive) restaurants, and a bustling nightlife. The other is smaller and more rustic, attracting travelers seeking a relaxed Caribbean vibe. Based on the island I chose, I’m sure you can guess which is which!

There are no automobiles on Caye Caulker, only golf carts, bicycles, and feet (walking!). The walk to my Airbnb took 10 minutes.

I’m staying at a place called the Gumbo Limbo. I booked it through Airbnb, but it’s available through their own website and other travel booking sites as well.

The lounge area and entrance to my studio apartment.

Bikes available for guests to use. Yes please!

After getting settled in, I took a short walk around the area.

The Gumbo Limbo is located a block away from the waterfront.

One scoop Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, one scoop Belizian Fudge (not what I thought, but the vendor described the flavor to me before I chose it – it’s cinnamon & caramel), all in a homemade waffle cone (4 USD). Awesome!

Tuesday, April 11 – Caye Caulker

My Airbnb host recommended a tour operator to use for a snorkeling excursion. I stopped by their shop yesterday to book a spot for today.

The snorkeling tour is scheduled to last 6 1/2 hours and will take us to three different spots: Coral Gardens, Shark Ray Alley, and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. The cost of the tour was 100 USD, and included equipment, drinks, lunch, and rum punch!

What will be on view in Coral Gardens is self-explanatory. The same goes for Shark Ray Alley, except to point out that the nurse sharks we will be swimming with are harmless. And Hol Chan Marine Reserve covers approximately 4,400 acres of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forest. Hol Chan is Mayan for “little channel”.

(I don’t have a waterproof camera, so sadly the only pictures I have to post are from what I took onboard. Sorry!)

Our snorkeling catamaran. There were 15 passengers and 3 crew members in our group.

A beautiful, calm day for sailing and snorkeling! That’s Sam & Sophie, who I’ll be hanging out with later.

Guess where we are now? We’ll be jumping in to join them imminently!

Lunch included chicken breast, rice, pasta salad, vegetables, and fruit slices. Very good!

The snorkeling is done, time for a rum punch!

Under sail during our leisurely return to Caye Caulker.

This was a fun day! The snorkeling was excellent. Among other things, we saw beautiful coral, parrot fish, barracuda, tarpon, eels, rays, and of course, the nurse sharks. The duration of the snorkeling stops was just right, and each was followed by a slow-paced sail to the next location.

The only issue some of us had was the fact that in order to attract the sharks, they were fed from the stern of the boat. Not sure if that is the best long-term plan for the ecosystem, and ultimately I guess we (the passengers) are culpable by booking and paying for the tour. A complicated issue.

I enjoyed meeting the other snorkelers, and upon returning to Caye Caulker a few of us got together for some more rum punch! (only 4 USD per drink)

A rare Tim sighting in the journal! Joining me (l-r) are Sam, Sophie, Katie, and Tush. They hail from the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. We plan on meeting up again tomorrow too.

JE 118

Montego Bay to Miami to Belize

April 9, 2023June 26, 2023 Tim6 Comments

Thursday, April 6 – transit from Montego Bay, Jamaica to Miami

This Morning’s Menu – last breakfast in Montego Bay

Orange Juice
Fruit Plate
Pepper Steak
Green Banana
Yam
Plantain
Callaloo
Fried Dumplings

I’ve been spoiled. I’m going to miss these breakfasts!

I have an early afternoon flight today to Fort Lauderdale. I used the driver who picked me up at the bus terminal for the ride to the airport – 15 minutes, 15 USD.

Travel Note: The Montego Bay airport is massively busy! It’s well organized though – both the airline check-in and the security screening. (unlike a certain ferry terminal I encountered that shall remain nameless!). Just get there early! I arrived 3 hours before my flight.

I’m flying Southwest today, and I tried checking-in online yesterday but received an error message. Following that I called customer service, who worked on the issue for 45 minutes, to no avail. I was told I would need to check-in at the ticket counter today. Ugh! I’m sure my boarding position is going to be terrible. Yep, it’s C9! Fortunately it’s only a 90 minute flight (where I’ll be stuck in a middle seat…)

Follow-Up: While waiting in the gate area prior to boarding, my name was called amongst a group of passengers being asked to report to the agent. It turns out I was randomly selected by TSA for a bag search. That’s kind of annoying, but it’s also a good thing because the search starts early in the boarding process and once it’s complete I can get on the plane. Nice! I ended up sitting in an exit row aisle seat!

(Did this story just completely bore you to death? Apologies!)

Side Note: I’ve noticed during this trip that when certain airlines are making announcements at the airports, instead of mentioning “passengers” or “customers”, they are now using the term “guests”. Really? Am I now sounding like the old guy yelling at the kids to stay off his lawn? Probably…

I mentioned a while back why I was traveling to Miami on this trip. Here’s a quick refresher: When I was trying to book my transit from Jamaica to Belize it was either going to be prohibitively expensive or of a brutally long duration. This diversion to Miami seemed to be the best alternate. I know what you’re thinking though: After flying in and out of Miami, spending two nights in an accommodation, plus all the other minor associated costs, wouldn’t it have ultimately been less expensive just to shell out for the high cost fare from Jamaica? Probably, but my cheapness just wouldn’t allow me to pull the trigger on a (relatively) massive ticket price. I’m certifiable, I know! (BTW, the cost of the Southwest flight was $208)

Okay, so I’m arriving in Fort Lauderdale, and in a couple days I’ll be flying out of Miami, so I reserved an Airbnb close to the Miami airport. It turns out it’s kind of a long drive between those two airports. (And I’m probably the only one who’s just realizing this!) After collecting my bag, I checked on a Lyft ride to the Airbnb and it was going to cost $65 and take 70 minutes. Mmmm, flashback to Dominica! There has to be an alternate means of transit, right? And after a little research, I discovered that, yes, there is! My route turned out to be as follows:

Shuttle bus from Airport to Train Station: free
Train from Fort Lauderdale Airport Station to Miami Airport Station: $3.75
Lyft from Miami Airport Train Station to Airbnb: $6.00
Total Time: 100 minutes

Side Note: You may be wondering why I chose to use Lyft instead of Uber? Well, I usually compare prices between the two, but in this case I had no choice. That’s because Uber no longer works on my phone! I last used Uber in Panama in January with no issues. Well, since then they’ve issued an update to their app that is no longer compatible with Apple iOS 12, which is what my iPhone 6 is stuck using. I’ve had this phone 8 1/2 years, and it may be getting to the point where I need to get a new one. I hate planned obsolescence!

My Airbnb is a little studio apartment at the back of this house.

Friday, April 7 – Miami

I have a couple places I’d like to check out today.

The first stop is the Vizcaya Museum (thanks for the recommendation Ali!). To get there I’m going to use the Miami Metro system. The walk to the Miami Airport station took 15 minutes; the train to the Vizcaya station cost $2.25; and the walk to the museum lasted 10 minutes. I love public transport!

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is the former villa and estate of James Deering, of the International Harvester fortune, located on Biscayne Bay. The villa was built primarily between 1914 and 1922, and the property originally consisted of 180 acres.

An amazing place! Thanks again Ali! The museum entry fee was $25 and I paid another $5 for a 30-minute guided architectural tour.

My plan is to walk back to the apartment, which should take around 2 hours. On the way is my second stop: Sanguich de Miami – a sandwich shop in Little Havana that I read about.

The line at the door is for indoor seating. I just placed my order at the takeout window.

I went with the Cubano sandwich, and had to try the pineapple soda. ($15 total) I thought the sandwich was good, but not really worth $13. Fun experience though.

Saturday, April 8 – transit from Miami to Belize City

My short Lyft ride to the airport this morning cost $7.

My flight is on American today, and I ended up using miles to book it. The one-way ticket cost $6 + 26,000 miles. However, for an additional 10,000 miles I could upgrade to business class. It’s only a 2 hour flight, but I went with the upgrade mainly so I wouldn’t have to pay to check my bag. Not sure if 10,000 miles are only worth $30, but who knows when I’ll ever utilize the miles? And it turns out the Miami airport was very busy on this Easter weekend, so the access I received to the American lounge via the BC ticket was a nice perk.

I was a little disappointed that the BC passengers did not receive a meal on the flight. I know it was only 2 hours, but I figured we’d a least get a sandwich. Nope! Just an offering of some pretzels, chips, and cookies. I did have 2 mimosas though, so there is that! (And I did some eating in the lounge too!)

Travel Note: I had a check-in problem on American too. I had a feeling I knew what the issue was in this case though, and I was right – my one-way ticket to Belize. It’s the same problem I had on the very first flight of this trip with Air Canada – no return or onward ticket. I was prepared this time however and showed the ticket agent my itinerary to Madison on the 19th…on American Airlines!

Travel Note 2: At not one of the immigration points on this trip was I asked by an officer if I had a return or onward ticket. Thereby confirming my assumption that the policing of this policy is solely under the purview of the airline, ferry operator, or similar. Interesting…

I booked my ride from the airport through the B&B where I’ll be staying. It cost 30 USD for the 20 minute drive.

My room is on the ground floor, in the back corner of the house.

2 nights @ 117 USD/night, including breakfast

And there’s a Jacuzzi in the back (it’s not a hot tub though; the hot water part isn’t really needed here!)

For dinner, the B&B owner recommended a nearby Chinese place. Perfect!

I chose the fried dumplings with steamed vegetables (11 USD). Very good!

The Belize Dollar. The exchange rate to the U.S. Dollar is fixed at 1 USD = 2 BZD.

JE 117

Montego Bay

April 5, 2023June 26, 2023 Tim6 Comments

Tuesday, April 4 – Montego Bay

This Morning’s Menu

Guava-Pineapple Juice
Fruit Plate
Salt Mackerel Fish
Green Banana
Yam
Plantain
Callaloo
Fried Dumplings

Noticed this sailing by this morning…it’s going to be crowded in town today!

No big plans for the day. I’m just going to walk around the area to the north of the B&B. (amongst the cruise passengers)

My B&B is located just up the hill from this “Hip Strip” area of Montego Bay. Basically the road runs along the water and contains restaurants and shops. Tourist-mania!

Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records Restaurant

Like St. Maarten, the Montego Bay airport is located right on the water. However, here they lack the beach with the dramatic views (and photo ops!).

This is Doctor’s Cave Beach. An entry fee is required for access; that automatically excludes it from my list of beaches to visit! And today especially so, because the buses lined up here have unloaded the cruise ship crowd to the beach.

Traffic can get a little ugly along Jimmy Cliff Boulevard!

I eventually made my way back to Harmony Beach Park…

…for another ice cream cone! I chose Chocolate Overload today!

This turned out to be my last meal of the day. These breakfasts fill me up!

*The First Souvenir of My Trip!* I stopped by the post office today to mail Oliver’s postcard, and was sold this stamp for the card. I liked it so much, I bought one for myself!

Wednesday, April 5 – Montego Bay

This Morning’s Menu

Pineapple Juice
Fruit Plate
Callaloo & Swordfish
Yam
Green Banana
Plantain
Fried Dumplings

I noticed another cruise ship in port this morning. And I think I’ve seen pretty much all I want to around here…okay, I talked myself into it – I’ll be hanging out at the B&B today! Worked on this journal entry, did some Miami planning (my next stop), and spent serious time in and alongside the pool! A good day!

I did venture out to Cali Taco to grab two more fish tacos for my last supper in Montego Bay.

That’s the cruise ship sailing off to the right of the sun.

The sun sets on my last night in Montego Bay.

Travel Note: I have a feeling these past few days have been kind of boring to read about. I apologize for that. It’s been a relaxing time for me though. I’ve enjoyed my time here (mainly because of the B&B, obviously!).

Jamaica Information

Currency: Jamaican Dollar
Language: English
Vehicle Traffic: Drive on the left
Weather: It’s hot here! Highs in the upper 80s; Lows in the mid 70s; fairly high humidity
Covid Entry Requirements: There was a health check upon arrival at the airport. It consisted solely of a query regarding travel history over the past six weeks; whether or not a passenger has traveled to a high-risk area during that time period.
Mask Wearing: There are more people wearing masks here that I’ve encountered in the other places I’ve visited on this trip. Still a big minority of the population though.
Electrical Outlets: U.S. Type
Drinkable Tap Water: Yes
Timezone: Same as U.S. Central

JE 116

Montego Bay

April 4, 2023June 26, 2023 Tim2 Comments

Sunday, April 2 – Montego Bay

For breakfast, we have a choice of Jamaican or American style. I plan on going Jamaican throughout my stay! Ya Mon!

This Morning’s Menu

Sorrel Fruit Juice
Fruit Plate
Akee & Saltfish (I had this in a patty from the Devon House Bakery in Kingston)
Yam
Green Banana
Plantain
Callaloo (grown on the property)
Fried Dumplings

The couple sitting next to me at breakfast had brought some of their own fruit, and offered it to me to try. Thank you! This is Custard Apple and Naseberry. Both were very good!

Wow! What a breakfast. I’m stuffed!

That meal left me a little lazy. I ended up spending the entire day on the property. I worked on a journal entry, did some reading, and of course made maximum use of the pool!

There is also a game room here. I spent a little time shooting pool today too. As you would expect, I’m terrible!

Breakfast was so filling that it ended up being my only meal of the day. To be honest though, the fact that the taco shop is closed on Sunday, and my general laziness, might have also played into the decision!

Travel Note: The shower here is great! Plenty of hot water and strong water pressure. It’s pretty much the first time I can say that since I stayed at the hotel in Bogota in January. Generally, the Airbnbs I’ve used throughout the islands have lacked either one or both of those attributes. I’m sure though that if I had instead stayed at resorts, the situation would have been different. Cheapness has its drawbacks!

Another Travel Note: I was talking to Xavier and he asked a good question about my travel map. He noted that when looking at the map, some numbers are missing. Great observation! This occurs when I have stopped at a location more than once. When this happens, one number will overlay on top of the other for that particular spot. This occurs in Panama (I had a layover there on the way to Barbados), Dominica (two stops), Grenada (two stops), and St Kitts (layover there on the way to Antigua). I think that’s all of them! If you have a question about the numbers, you can always refer back to the list.

Here’s a link to the map.

Monday, April 3 – Montego Bay

This Morning’s Menu

Pineapple Juice
Fruit Plate
Escovitch Fish (Red Snapper)
Yam
Breadfruit
Green Banana
Plantain
Callaloo
Fried Dumplings

Another great breakfast!

Okay, I need to get out and walk off some of these calories! My plan is to checkout a few sights to the south of the B&B.

Just down the hill from the B&B is Old Hospital Park – my first stop.

This is what remains of Fort Montego. It has been converted into a private residence!

The view from the hill where Fort Montego is located. The arrow indicates the planned destination for my walk. The route will take me around the bay and hopefully provide some nice views from the peninsula.

Where is everybody? The beach is closed today due to the lack of lifeguards. (the park is open though!)

I made a diversion to Sam Sharpe Square in town. This is the National Museum.

Another view of the square. Kind of uninspiring…

So, my walk out to the peninsula turned out to be like the one I took on the way back from Marigot in St. Maarten – long, and unpicturesque due to the many resorts and private residences blocking access to the waterfront. Bummer! Oh well, I did end up with 28k steps for the day. And to reward myself for the effort (and to sooth my disappointment)…

…there’s a Devon House I Scream in Montego Bay! Alright! It’s located in Harmony Park. I noticed it when I was here earlier and I knew I had to stop on my way back to the B&B.

And unlike the crowded shop in Kingston, I was the only one here at the time!

I chose Pineapple-Ginger (again!). 4 USD.

By the end of the day I was getting a little hungry; time to head back to Cali Taco! Went with 2 fish tacos tonight (7 USD). Eaten poolside, of course!

Sidenote: When I went to Cali Taco on Saturday the counter person there asked for a name to place on the order. So, upon my return today she remembered my name, and so did the cashier. Funny! (Although, they probably don’t get that many old white guys in the shop!)

JE 115

Kingston to Montego Bay

April 2, 2023June 26, 2023 Tim6 Comments

Friday, March 31 – Kingston

I’m kind of behind on my journal entries…a top priority today!

My journal workstation (my room is a little cramped!)

The internet here is rather slow, so it took forever to upload my photos to the journal. Oh well, I’m working on island time!

I finished the journal update by mid-afternoon and decided to go back to the Devon House Bakery to get another patty. I went with fish this time (3 USD). I then roamed around the corner; back to the ice cream shop. But it was jam-packed with people today too! Worse than yesterday. As much as it pained me, I didn’t feel like waiting. Lame, I know!

Travel Note: I meant to mention that the stay at the B&B here marks the first time I have not been in an Airbnb since the hotel in Bogota way back in January. Kind of a long stretch. I just found the Airbnbs to be more economical when visiting the islands.

Saturday, April 1 – transit from Kingston to Montego Bay, Jamaica

I’m taking the 10am bus today to Montego Bay. And I’m happy because I only have a 10 minute walk to get from my B&B to the bus terminal!

The trip took 3 hours, which included a 10 minute rest stop, and cost 30 USD. The bus was 90% full (and 90% of those were locals). I’m staying at another B&B in Montego Bay, and they arranged for a taxi to pick me up at the bus terminal (located at the airport). The 15 minute ride to the B&B cost 15 USD.

Entrance to my room through the french doors on the left.

The upper level balcony, where breakfast will be served.

This B&B is the most expensive place I’ll be staying at on the trip…by far. 247 USD/nt. I’ve been spending less on accommodations than I expected, so I decided to splurge a little. I’m glad I did; this is a nice place!

Immediately after check-in I put on my swimsuit and hit the pool!

By late afternoon I was getting hungry. Crystal, one of the B&B staff, told me about a taco place nearby. I’m there!