Real Life Recess - A blog for & about Aspiring Expats, Vacation Addicts, and Beach Bums

Culture and Cuisine

Nov 20 2019

The school Mitch attends, Peninsula International Academy, hosted their annual International Family Feast Day on Monday. It’s a fun event allowing students to showcase a dish that is significant to their cultural heritage and it’s a great excuse to hit the buffet line! Belize is it’s own little melting pot of peoples- Mayan, Kriol, Garifuna, Mennonites, East Indian, Chinese and more. This is evident in the local cuisine, a smash-up of world influences. Walk down the road at lunch time and you can find Mexican tacos, pupusas from…

Nov 17 2019

Friday night Hobbs Brewing Company released their latest brew at a launch party held at Barefoot Beach Bar. Hobbs is currently the only craft brewery in Belize and debuted early in 2019 with two beers: the Hummingbird Golden Ale and the Wildcat IPA What beautiful cans AND they’re 12 ounces not the puny 9 ounces a Belikin is bringing to the table. I was never an IPA person but I totally enjoy a Wildcat on occasion simply because it’s so different than anything Belikin is offering. Back in…

Nov 14 2019

In my assessment it’s been a whirlwind of a week! Of course, you may not agree with my assessment because I’m used to a much slower pace than most other people but it seemed like we were going going going the past few days. I’m probably in need of a few lazy beach days and margaritas to recover- note to self to pencil that in to my calendar. And the beach has been gorgeous! Look how calm clean clear! So, what have I been busy with you ask?…

Nov 09 2019

Wow what a week here in Placencia Village. It felt like an early Christmas with small miracles and wonders. I found lemons at the vegetable stand! You think that’s not a small miracle?! Well I’ll tell you it’s the first proper lemon I’ve ever seen in Belize… and trust me they’re as rare as unicorns. It was delightful with dill on some Basa fish fillets. Don’t get me wrong, I love the limes. But sometimes when life hands you a lemon you celebrate and savor that little yellow…

Nov 01 2019

I’m feeling nostalgic and a bit emotional today. I’ve just posted Mitch’s baby bike seat for sale on a Facebook classified page. We’re finally updating our ride; my little guy is growing up. One of the major lifestyle changes we made when we moved to Belize was going without a motorized vehicle. We made a conscious choice not to get a vehicle here, forcing us to be more active and walk or bike the peninsula. It’s been surprisingly easy! Most days I never even wish for a car;…

Another batsh*t crazy rappel

Oct 25 2019

The Black Hole Drop is another of those “only in Belize” experiences that is a leap off the beaten tourist path and just a bit insane. It’s available through Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Resort and is just up the road from St. Herman’s Cave and Blue Hole. Begin by boarding your jungle limosuine for a ten minute ride from the resort to the back of an orange grove. An unassuming path in to the jungle is the start of your challenging one-hour hike. Luckily our guides provided snacks…

Oct 24 2019

The PVFD and Barefoot Beach bar hosted a fun and unique fundraiser this past Sunday- a village wide scavenger hunt. Participants donated $30 per person and formed teams to compete for a $500 cash grand prize (donated by local businesses and individuals). It’s no secret that our Fire Department is woefully underfunded by the National Fire Service; national resources must be shared and are limited and I’m sure we’re not the only community that feels we could do with an injection of capital to maintain and upgrade…

Staying busy in Belize

Oct 10 2019

Vacationers we encounter are often curious about our expat life. After finding out that we live in this tropical paradise full time they usually ask us, “Well what do you do? What do you DO down here all day?” and we usually joke that we do a whole lot of nothing or that we’re beach bums or bar flies or we’re retired. The truth is there is PLENTY to do down here besides laying on the beach drinking rum punch… but if you MADE me, I could totally…

Oct 02 2019

My friend, Cindy Flowers, and I have recently been collaborating on fundraising for the Peninsula Volunteer Fire Department. Specifically, to get Placencia (and the whole 18-mile peninsula really) a new fire truck. The one currently in use here is STRUGGLING, it’s literally cracking in half and can barely hold any water. Luckily for us, the department has a 6 X 4 vehicle and two independent pumps so that lines can be thrown into a water source (like the lagoon or sea) and hoses can be run that way….

World Tourism Day- Yeah that’s a thing!

Sep 27 2019

September 27th is World Tourism Day… didn’t you know? I didn’t either until this morning when I opened an email from the Belize Tourism Board describing a 2 day expo in the city. Apparently, World Tourism Day has been a thing since 1980. I didn’t know! And each year there’s a different theme; this year’s slogan is “Tourism and Jobs: A better future for all.” I looked up past themes which have included sustainability and the digital transformation. The purpose of World Tourism Day is to “foster awareness…