Adios to San Ignacio

I'll leave in the morning.  I'm heading for Benque Viejo del Carmen -- this place:

  http://benqueresort.com/en/

Benque Viejo del Carmen is rather a spit of a town, but I like those.  Something like 8,000 people.  A border town (Guatemala) where I can, once again, butcher the Spanish language, and make people laugh.

It's a rather pricey hotel, but they have spa services and yoga classes.  Time to pamper myself a little bit.

I'll haunt the town.  It's what I do.  I'll hit every street, become a known quantity, see every sight, and try to eat at every restaurant.  I may even have a beer or three with the locals.  Stay tuned.

I'll stay there until the 19th, then catch a bus back to Belize City, where I'll overnight.  On the 20th, I have a flight booked to Managua, Nicaragua, connecting through San Salvador, El Salvador.

I'll be picked up by the La Mariposa Spanish School & Eco-Hotel.  I'm getting there about 10 days early, so I'll stay a total of over five weeks.  Should be good for my Spanish.

San Ignacio is in the Cayo District -- a bit of a hot area for expatriates.

I get it.

I like it, here.

Much of the time, "like it" has little to do with the tangibles and much to do with the intangibles.  While I still have absolutely no idea what I would DO with my life .... the place just has a good feel to it.

No decisions.  No inklings OF a decision.  Nothing.  Just ... taking note.  The old "real estate site selection" guy in me.

I walked a few hours, this afternoon.  It was -- again -- just brutally hot.  THREE liters of fresh coconut water required :-)

The room a/c barely keeps up (with the ceiling fan AND a floor fan, it's 84* and 41% humidity in here), but the room faces north and west, and is being pounded by the tropical sun.

Laundry is drying remarkably quickly in the room.  That's a good thing :-)

I'm not gone yet, but ... Belize is a fascinating country, rich with more than a few cultures, more than a few languages, and more than a few major types of ethnic food, all of which are superb and healthy.

I met great tourists, here, all of whom were spending more in a week than I am in a month -- substantially more -- so their experiences are a bit different from mine, but all have enjoyed their time.

With what's largely viewed as a wholly dysfunctional and classically corrupt government, there's a bit of a Wild West element at work, in Belize, but ... from an outdoorsy/naturalist standpoint ... it's offerings are rich, its people are friendly, and its real estate/rental is affordable.

But that Creole stuff.  Yeah.  THAT's tough.  Thankfully, they all watch English-language TV, so ... even those who don't speak it very well seem to understand it quite well.

My mind wants to have one last dinner in San Ignacio.  My body is loving the a/c, and won't let me leave.  At 5pm ... the die is pretty well cast :-)  Trail mix will likely be my friend !

So ... Ciao for now ... from San Ignacio ... the Cayo-Pectate (pink) branch of ... the highly motile ... Gulag.