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#147294 01/04/03 09:48 AM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 76
K
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K
The following is the first of a bunch of emails I sent off in late Nov/early Dec to family, parrot head friends & the Texas Mermaid School of Floridays & Feminine Ways. Please excuse any likely inaccuracies as I am, quite frankly, a moron. Thanks! K.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ravishing Beauty...Startling Devastation...

Hi, Gang!

It's just another day in paradise...

Got a surprise first-class bump from Miami to Belize City, so that meant gloriously free shrimp, scallops and champagne for K-Wo!!! Geez, I LOVE how the other half lives!

The prop plane flight from Belize City to Placencia (a tiny, coastal fishing village in southern Belize) was entirely too short...and
entirely too beautiful. Some weather was blowing in from the Honduras as we passed the Mayan Mountains (picture the Smokies, but covered with dense jungle growth)...the green peaks were tearing the smoldering clouds and at the furthest point of visibility amid the "smoke" was an incredibly vivid rainbow. Absolutely stunning! (DOH! And some of the best sleeping Robert's done on a plane!)

As the 7 of us deplaned at the block long airstrip (prior to rolling into the impending ocean), Marcia, the innkeeper at Mariposa, stormed the plane and possibly gave me the biggest kiss I've ever received from another
woman! smile She's a Brit...and stitch! Her husband, Peter, is a Yank...and charming, charming, charming. They came down here 8 years ago to dive for two weeks...ended up buying some grossly overgrown oceanfront property...then built their home, Mariposa, from scratch. They are GIFTED!

The inn is breathtaking...our entire bedroom wall has mahogany doors which open out onto fresh, clean and for the most part newly replanted palms,
beauganvillas...and lord knows what other incredible ornamentals! A second set of storms blew in after midnight and we were able to leave
everything wide open and enjoy the whipping of the palm trees and the crashing waves just outside.

The beach is secluded and Marcia and Peter make it perfectly clear that they'll be around only if you need them...otherwise, you won't see them!
We have our own palapa with hammocks right on the water...and the fish are jumping like there's no tomorrow. (Heck, maybe there *is* no tomorrow...maybe it's all about today!) We also have an outdoor shower. PARTY !!!

AND TIKI JO...truly in tribute to you and all the other gorgeous mermaids, I enjoyed the most heartbreakingly beautiful nekkid swim in the pale
moonlight! The sky was black due to a recent storm (mentioned below)...except for the moon which was nearly full. The lunar shine changed the ocean colors varying from dozens of deep blues to cool, cool lavendars. All of this as the cranes landed on my beach towel and
watched me giggling like a lunatic in the warm water nearby.

Got my first crab "bite" in the afternoon. (Poor little guy, I hope he didn't lose a leg when I sorta sideswiped him!)

And gave Robert his first class in "tormentos"...relatively aggressive storms that blow in out of the southwest. (As in, I'm going to make you peddle into town now, in the dark, so we can buy some spaghetti...but
before we can start back, a tormento will blow in so we can peddle through one b*tch of a warm storm in a place we've never seen before--thank
god, there's only one road!--oh, and by the way...there are no lights in Placencia. Enjoy!)

It's a blessing that we've got our "boarder" friends as they were invaluable in helping me with the last minute change to Mariposa. See, Mariposa is maybe 2 miles by bike outta Placencia proper. Placencia was hit by Hurricane Iris about this time last year. Unlike when Mitch hit San Pedro (la Isla Bonita y the "party" island) in 2000, I'm guessing that country (et al) has not been able to quickly come to the financial aid of Placencia. One year after Mitch, San Pedro was seemingly thriving bigger and better than ever...one year after Iris, Placencia still looks striken. A stark difference from where we're lodging even so nearby.

When Iris hit, it stuck to the downtown area and it ground...an churned. Scores of what were gem-colored homes are literally shattered and still in piles around the town. Some tumbled cars and boats remain. Currently, small contained fires burn continually to clear all the dead, once dense foliage that consisently made Placencia one of those "top 10 beach" destinations.

As always, the people here are warm, wonderful and funny as all get out! I have no doubt that with their spirit, love and sheer pride in this beautiful land that Placencia will be healed in a year or two. (Come now before she gets rediscovered! You'll love her...she's funky, independant and glorious in her own right...kinda like a beautiful woman with a black eye promenading up a buzy avenue!)

I can hardly wait to do some boating or snorkeling or DEEP SEA FISHING (wish you were here "Flyby"!) tomorrow.

Love y'all!

K.

#147295 01/06/03 12:15 PM
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 266
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Kim,

I see you mentioned being a Texas Parrothead.. I know a bunch of those through my cabana boy other half and will have hopefully a few with us in Belize this May! If the "Bubbles" you mentioned in one post is from Dallas then thats someone I know and parties with in Key West again this year. We hit San Pedro in March of last year with a small group of 12 orf us and so loved it so much we are heading back again with a small crew of PH friends from here in Atlanta and elsewhere. Can't wait to get back to the islands again.

My next stop w/ Texas PHs is New Orleans in 2 weeks though, gotta work on that tolerance for all the Belikens in May!

Andrea in Atlanta


Andrea in Atlanta
#147296 01/07/03 09:49 AM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 76
K
OP Offline
K
Andrea, Andrea, Andrea...
(as in Monte, Monte, Monte...)

I "Pepper" from "Club Salt & Pepper"...a dubious distinction Bubs and I earned at Margaritaville one night.

More precisely, I'm also the proud renter of the Texas PHC Headquarters at Casa Marina...the infamous ROOM #230. (Ugh, I bet they're still disinfecting that room...got it blocked for next year, though!)

I just pulled outta NOLA as I have to be in Balitmore, Pamona and Miami all before month's end--with a good chance of having to stop in Syracuse to boot. My boss simply doesn't respect the fact that I just wanna HAVE FUN...oh, and be paid !!! wink

You and I briefly spoke Belize on concert Saturday, though, well, yunno...it was concert Saturday. It's amazing *I* rememeber!

Will y'all have a chance to go inland this time around. I think I can give you some great "big group" ideas. (Lord knows I've been trying to figure out how to haul our club down for the past couple of years.)

Cheers to you both...and all those fabulous CABANA BOYS (and FLAMINGO BOYS...and JERSEYBOYZ)!

K.

#147297 01/07/03 10:39 AM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 4,672
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L
Hi Kim and Robert! Enjoying your stories about your trip! Waiting for your travelogue about your time in AC. LOL!! I enjoyed hanging out with you and Robert on the back of your golfcart and keeping me company at the airpot while waiting to fly home. Booo.

I have always wanted to go to Placenica, but will wait for a year or two so it can recover. Then, I am going back - both to Placenica and AC.

#147298 01/07/03 11:41 AM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 683
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Kim it was nice to meet you and your husband. Keep the trip report coming. Happy New Year.

#147299 01/07/03 05:22 PM
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 266
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I thought it was you, just wanted to make sure first! Room 230 will never be the same!

Pam from Austin (aka Hummingbird) is coming to San Pedro with us in May and hopefully Monte's brother Mark too. We are still working on Scooter as well and Molly to join us. I'll see them in NOLA next weekend so will work on them then!

Hope all is going well in Dallas! Tell Bubbles we said hi!

Andrea


Andrea in Atlanta
#147300 01/09/03 01:46 AM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 288
T
Offline
T
Kim, I loved reading your account of staying near Placenica. But sad to hear of all the destruction from the hurricane. WE were there in 2001, pre-hurricane Iris. I was visualizing what it might look like now as I was reading your post.


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