Island Paradise Day 39

When the water is not pristine for snorkeling and the easterlies are blowing, it is a great time to walk the length of the south shore. Today our friend Tigra (actually her name is el tigre but we call her Tigra) accompanied us. She has decided we are her humans, and she follow us everywhere. Last week we walked the mile to Neptune’s to catch the ferry to Utila town, and when we came home to Jack Neal beach Tigra was not here. We did not see her for three days. The next time we went to the ferry, there she was. She had stayed there waiting for us and had somehow missed us when we returned that day. When she saw us, she ran up to us wagging her tail and started crying. She had waited there for us for three days! We brought her home and she has not left our side since.

She runs ahead of us chasing crabs and iguanas, and whenever she does Stephane yells out "squirrel!"

Mostly our walks involve stopping to admire the scenery along the way: beautiful flowers and creeping vines, shady passageways through the forest, beach rocks, and of course new houses being built.

After our walk we were invited to go to town to a gathering of xpats at "Blue Bayou" a rustic bar in Utila. There we met a couple who were headed to Ajijic (Lake Chapala) to house sit. That is where we are headed next - to house sit as well, so we exchanged emails and will get together next month. They said they are leaving here after 8 years because they think it is too expensive. They found Lake Chapala less so - which is strange since we found it cheaper here than in Mexico. However, the town of Lake Chapala is more local Mexicans versus Ajijic where we will be which has a larger expat community. Our experience has been that the more xpats, the higher the prices - for everything.

After the get together we went out for sushi - only I had ravioli instead (Mango Tango has a varied menu), and it was the best I have ever had. Sweet potato with a creamy walnut sauce. It was amazing.

Island Paradise Day 38

When we first arrived here I wrote about how there are so many new homes in Utila just sitting empty. Some of it is for the reasons I expressed: people did not know what they were getting into (re living in the tropics), or they built on speculation (just before the crash of 2008), expecting to sell at a profit, and they are still waiting for that. But now that we have been here awhile we have a better understanding of the other reasons why there are so many houses here sitting empty most of the time.

Utila is such a unique and special place that many people who come here just want to stay. It was how I felt 11 years ago, and it is how I feel now. However, if you want to stay here as a renter, even though there are lots of empty houses here, the rental possibilities are really slim. No one wants to rent to you long term because people who own homes here want to come here themselves off and on throughout the year – because they love it too! So most owners are only willing to do short term rentals. If a person wants to stay here long term, they often have no choice but to buy.

There are a lot of homes for sale on Utila – homes built before the crash when people thought (as did I back then) that Utila would become the next Roatan. Prior to 2007 people were making 25% a year on real estate here, so when the crash came, it came hard. Many people had numerous pieces of property here that they bought on speculation, only to get stuck with them for the 11 years since the crash. The market is picking up here, but prices are no better than they were then - and the next crash is just around the corner.

Used homes are overpriced as people selling them want to recoup not only what they paid, but their 10% real estate commission, and all the costs they have incurred in the past 11 years. Unfortunately that is a goofy notion, and not how value is determined. Value is determined by what a prudent buyer is willing to pay in an open market, and any prudent buyer can see that it is cheaper to build here right now than to pay the unrealistic prices owners want for their used homes. Thus, people who want to stay here on the south shore long term have no prudent choice except to buy a lot and build.

For example, you can pick up this half acre lot with 100 feet of white sandy beach here at Jack Neal for about $120,000 U.S. (based on the most recent sale here just a short time ago).



Building a modern, island style home will set you back only $80-$100 a square foot. So for $220,000 you can build a beautiful new 1000 square foot home. The cheapest used home on the south shore is $250,000 and it has a smaller lot and a pile of bat shit on the deck.

The temptation to buy a lot and build increases even more when you compare what $220,000 buys elsewhere. One of the homes I own in Oliver (the one I rent to my son) we considered moving into for retirement. It would sell for $340,000 and it is a 50 year old 850 square foot house in need of renovation. An ocean front home in a small community within an hour of an international airport in Mexico, would set us back $350,000. Additionally, if I were to actually find a place to rent here and my rent were $1200/month and we were to stay until we are both collecting our Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security (12 years from now), we would have spent $172,800 on rent.

So (stay with me here) if I spent $220,000 on building a house here and bought an ATV, a boat, and a boat slip, I would be out about $260,000. If then, in 12 years, I wanted to go back to Canada, I could sell my home. I don't need to try to sell it for what I paid...I only need to be able to sell it for $87,200. Obviously I would WANT to try to get my original investment back - but for it to make financial sense, I do not NEED to get my initial investment back. Anything more than $87,200 would be gravy. Why you ask? Because if I pocketed $87,200 at the end of 12 years, I would be out no more money than I would have been had I rented. ($260,000 minus the $172,800 = $87,200). So since I KNOW I could unload my property quickly for $87,200 (and likely a lot more than that), the real deciding factor becomes: would I want to stay here for 12 years?

The idea of this daily part of my blog called “Island Paradise” was about comparing reality to “the Caribbean dream.” And what we are learning is that most of the inconveniences of being here – like the walk into town and the dysfunctional kitchen would be solved if we built our own place. We could simply buy an ATV and a boat; buy a boat slip on the lagoon; build a house with a more functional design; fumigate monthly; and install solar panels on the house so that we could run the air conditioner all night. That would end the air conditioning wars; end the inconvenience of walking to town; end the Neptune's ferry rides; end the power outages; and end the bugs…

Indeed, what we are learning about the dream versus reality is that the dream is pretty dreamy.

P.S. For those of you math geniuses...yes, I have considered the fact that there is inflation and if I spend $260,000 on a house here, that is $260,000 that is not invested elsewhere, and is not necessarily growing at the same rate here as it would have had I invested it in the stock market or a more traditional housing market...but, I decided to keep the numbers simple for the sake of readers who are not into that level of detail. Besides, at the rate I am going with my day trading ventures, and with the current market volatility and a looming housing bubble in Canada and the U.S...that may not be so relevant.

Island Paradise Day 36 and 37

Since I was high on pain killers yesterday, I decided I best not write a post. Our trip to La Ceiba to go to the dentist began on a high note when a group of dolphins decided to swim by our ferry. There is just something amazing about those animals. Upon arrival in La Ceiba we checked into our hotel, which was, um, how can I say, modest. It was located above a row of stores on a small side street.

I booked it because the one I had been recommended to was fully booked, and this one was located a half block to the Medicentro where my appointment was. Steph's face was priceless as the taxi pulled up to the front door, which was barred and locked. We had to ring the bell to get in, so they could come down and undo the three locks on the door, which they quickly locked again after we entered. Hmmmmm.

It was very clean and run by a Christian family who seemed overjoyed to have gringos staying in their humble place. Our room was very small, with a small double bed (not so good for Steph who is 6 foot two inches), but there was a functioning air conditioner – the most important thing – and a bathroom - secondarily important to the air conditioner). No windows. The only window was outside our room in the hallway – and it was covered by bars. Should there be a fire in that building, I suspect all the guests would be fried chicken!

Anyway, we left right away to go scout out where the periodontist office was, and to find a restaurant for supper. We decided to go to Jardin de Susana - a locally owned restaurant. When we got there, you would never know it was a restaurant as it was in the yard of a home, which had a large metal gate around it and rolls of razor wire atop the fence. We had to ring a bell to get in. Once in, we found ourselves in a lovely garden with an outdoor kitchen and bar. It was cool and quiet, and Steph ate a whole deep fried red snapper!

In the morning we went straight away to the dentist who was another young female who spoke very good English. She got to work quickly, and the whole procedure was over in 1.5 hours. She sent me on my way with a couple of prescriptions, and the total bill was under $200. My mouth around one of my molars now has 4 millimeters less bone, and is all prepped for a new crown. I have a couple of stitches in my mouth, and will have to chew only on one side for 10 days, but all in all I feel great. I did not even need my third of five doses of pain medication.

While waiting for our afternoon ferry to return to Utila, we decided to walk around La Ceiba. It is not really a very pretty town, few redeeming features from the tourists’ perspective (except for the gorgeous mountains). It reminded me of many of the places I have visited in the developing world, as they all have one thing in common: the most amazing display of wires going in and out of buildings.

We entered a small shoe shop because I had to buy some new flip flops, and while in there Stephane noticed a man paying a little too much attention to us while pretending to “shop.” Soon the store keeper came up to us and in very good English said, “You are being stalked by a man who is waiting outside the shop for you. Please do not leave the store or you will be robbed.” We hung around for a while, and eventually she came back and said, “Come with me, I will put you in a taxi.” And so she did, and all was fine. So we headed back to the better part of town and went to a sports bar where we enjoyed some lunch and a couple of beers (these went particularly well with the pain killers).

By the way, I am not usually a beer drinker, but here it is so hot and humid that you need to constantly be drinking and the idea of drinking that much juice or pop is not appealing to me. (yes, I know I can drink water - but seriously - we are always being told that we should concerve water, and if I drank water it would have to be bottled water - in yet another single use plastic bottle, whereas beer is in a recyclable glass bottle. You see? My beer habit is simply my commitment to the environment!)

As we left la Ceiba on the ferry, I was feeling a little sleepy, but before I lay down, I caught a few photos of the stormy evening sky over the La Ceiba harbour.

While laying on Steph's lap, I also took a few other pics...








When we arrived back in Utila we were surprised to see our neighbours Mike and Susan had unexpectedly come to pick us up. Bless Susan’s heart, she assumed I would be feeling wretched and insisted Mike come to get us to save us the journey home. She had also prepared a lovely supper for us all so I would not have to cook. I have said it before – good neighbours and good relationships are a prominent criteria for us in choosing where to stay, and we sure lucked out here on Jack Neal Beach.

Island Paradise Day 35

Cayos Cochinos consist of two small islands and 13 small coral cays situated about an hour and a half from Utila. Although geographically separate, they belong to the Bay Islands and are technically a part of Roatán.

The islands are in a Marine Protected Area so there is no fishing or netting allowed and the coral reef there is part of the same coral reef system as here in Utila – the Mesoamerican reef. The snorkeling there is supposed to be magnificent. There is a scientific research station on Cayo Menor, the smaller of the two main islands, where tourists can stay in dorm style rooms – usually filled with marine biologists and research scientists.

Also of interest to us are two Garifuna fishing villages where culture has been preserved and the people live much as they have for hundreds of years. We are hoping to go there for a day or two next week when I go back to La Ceiba for my dental follow up as there is a ferry from La Ceiba that only takes an hour.

We are on the countdown to leaving on June 16th and there have been many things we have wanted to do here since arriving, but we have done none of them. It seems just too hard to drag ourselves away from here – too much to see right in front of our house. Last night, for instance, as we were standing at the water’s edge watching the moon shine off the waves, Mike said, “hey look” and there at our feet, literally inches away, was a huge stingray, literally parked there in just a few inches of water. Spectacular!

Island Paradise Day 34

Today we walked Natalie and her friend to the Neptunes ferry so they could go back to Roatan, and we decided to stay there for a few hours and snorkel and have lunch. The snorkeling was not as good as here at Jack Neal beach, but the tuna sliders were amazing!

While we were there we watched a young Honduran woman taking pictures of herself. While that is not uncommon these days and we have gotten used to seeing Millennials snap pics of themselves, this woman was a little obsessed. For the better part of 30 minutes she stood in one location smiling at her camera, trying on various poses. It was bizarre. All around her was this beautiful scenery, gorgeous water, and she saw none of it - except through the lens of an iPhone. Kinda weird.

After we got home we decided to take a nap on the dock in the hammocks. We feel a little behind on our sleep given our bad night when the power was out, so a nap was definitely in order. The air conditioning issue has been difficult for us. Steph and I both have very different heat tolerance. So finding a compromise has been hard. He will be laying on the bed spread eagle with his face pushed up against the fan, and I will be curled up in fetal position in my pajamas with a blanket on. Needless to say, I hate air-conditioning - and he loves it. We had agreed before we came here however, that running the air all night was not an option - as it is so expensive here, and we were already over budget on our rent. So Steph has been sucking it up, and living without air - though at times we do turn it on before bed to cool down the room.

The resident dog that belongs to Mario the grounds keeper is named Tigra. Tigra has adopted us, and stays at our door all night, is there in the morning waiting for us, walks us to the ferry, and sleeps on the dock when we are in the hammocks. She lives a pretty miserable life - and has a bad case of mange. She is covered in huge sore patches, and is constantly itching. We are debating whether or not we should go to the vet tomorrow and ask for some medicine for her. Apparently it involves a needle a day for five days, and we are not certain we will be able to manage that with her. Clearly she will not get the help she needs from her owners - who she runs from whenever they come to get her. She loves us, of course, because we feed her. Tomorrow we are heading to La Ceiba for my dental work so we could visit a vet there.

It is tough because there are so many mangy dogs here - so many that need care, but you cannot save them all. Besides, we do not want to offend Mario and his family, so we are not sure if treating the dog would be considered a good thing or not.

The developing world is full of tough choices and difficult conversations. Tonight we were talking with neighbours about over fishing the reef. It is in critical condition, and the fishing needs to be stopped. On the other hand, how do you tell a poor Honduran that they cannot feed their children? I have no answers. For me, the best I can do is wear reef safe sunscreen, and share the news with others of the necessity to protect these valuable resources.

Island Paradise Day 33

Yesterday, just as the sun was setting and I was beginning to prepare supper for our guests, the power went out again. We had just bought groceries, so the fridge was stocked full, so we hoped it would not last long ruining yet another fridge full of food. We lit some candles and I carried on cooking while Stephane played some music on his guitar. I was in a great mood because Stephane’s sister brought with her 4 bottles of good wine from Canada. It was so great to taste a decent New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which we polished off before dinner, and a lovely Pinot Noir with our Filet Mignon! Good wine, good company, good food by candlelight, and the sound of waves crashing on shore – it does not get much better than that – but it did!

After our candlelight supper we all went out on the deck and were mesmerized by bio-luminescent waves! It was stunning and the first time we have seen this in the ocean. As each wave turned over, it lit up like blue flame, and twinkled all the way into the sand. I presume this is the same algae that caused the water in the lagoon to glow but a different thing than the glow in the dark worms at the full moon. Such entertainment we have here at Jack Neal beach!

By bedtime last night the wind had died down, and the power was still out, so we gathered up what we could from the fridge and took it over to Susan and Mike’s to store in their fridge. Given how often the power goes out here it is incredible to me that not everyone has a generator or solar back up power. Needless to say, with no power, there was no electricity to run fans or air-conditioning, and it was a long, miserable, very hot night.

Our guests slept on the dock in the hammock, to try to catch a few breezes, and Steph and I tried sleeping on every different bed and couch in the house, but could find no space with so much as a whisper of wind. We just could not fall asleep. By one a.m. we were sitting on the porch in wooden chairs simply moaning about how tired we were. Shortly after that, Natalie came in – she had been eaten alive by mosquitoes, and had not slept a wink either.

I finally determined that our best hope for sleep was to take cold showers, and lay on the bed wet, allowing evaporation from our skin to cool us. It worked, and finally we slept a few hours. The good news is we awoke to power which came on around 7 a.m. so we could have coffee – almost as important as good wine! Unfortunately it was back off by 8:30 a.m.

This morning we spent a few hours showing off our reef, already Natalie has seen a giant sea turtle and an eagle ray. Next up - strawberry margaritas.

Island Paradise Day 32

Today’s post is short as we have our first -and probably only- guest arriving this afternoon and we need to head to town to pick her up at the ferry. And after that we will be far too busy making (and drinking) mango margaritas to be writing blog posts.

It is too bad that there is a weather system related to the first named tropical storm of the season, (Alberto, which incidentally formed just a few hundred kilometers east of the Bay Islands) that is clouding the skies and bringing unstable air to the area. Last night we got to enjoy our first tropical thunderstorm. We were awakened by a barrage of "marbles" on our metal roof. It was quite a clamor as the strong winds blew in the storm and brought down hundreds of tropical pine seed pods. The lightening was spectacular, though the storm never got closer than a few miles from here. As much as I like storms, we really wanted Natalie to see how beautiful the water and snorkeling are here, and they are never as nice when the water is rough and there is no sunshine to lighten the water. Stephane is hopeful we will have a sunny spell to show off "our" beach.

Our guest, Stephane’s sister Natalie, was able to get a good price on an all- inclusive in Roatan for this week. Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, and is an hour ferry ride from Utila (or a short small plane ride of 15 minutes). Most major cities in the U.S. and Canada have direct charter flights to Roatan as it is a major tourist hub in the Caribbean with an international airport and a large new cruise port. While that makes Roatan a little more accessible than Utila – it also makes it far busier and more expensive. The main beach there – West Bay – is inundated with tourist every time the cruise ships come in.

Having said that, being somewhere easy to get to is an important factor to consider when choosing a place to retire (or winter): especially if having family and friends come to visit is a priority for you – which it is for us. Getting to Utila was not easy for us last month as we were coming from Mexico, but had we been coming from Calgary or Montreal, we could have been here in a day – and for us, that is a pretty important factor.

Island living on Utila has its drawbacks for sure, and getting on and off the island is one of them – but that extra ferry ride or plane ride, in my opinion, is worth the added value here of deserted beaches, few tourists, and affordable island living.

Island Paradise Day 31

One of my goals in retirement has been to learn more about the stock market and investments so as to be able to manage my own portfolio and thus save management fees I have had to pay in the past. Now many people do not really understand the true cost of these fees. The typical mutual fund charges you (up front when you buy) around 1.2 %. You don't really see or feel that fee - cause it is only reflected in a reduced number of shares. You give your broker $100,000 and $100,000 less the mutual company's fee is invested. Then your broker (advisor) charges typically an additional 1% fee per year (based on your portfolio value). So if you have $100,000, he/she is taking $1000 a year. This total amount of fees (2.1% ) may not seem so bad...but that is not the whole picture.

If your $100,000 fund is returning to you 6% a year - you are making $6000 a year in interest minus the $2100 in fees. That means 35% of your returns are going to the broker! (Divide 2.1% in fees by the 6% expected market return before fees). That’s a lot!! It gets worse though...if the market is bad - and your fund only returns 4 % - the broker is now getting 52.5% of your returns!

I have always known this was eating into my RRSP growth, but at the time there was just no delight in market watching, and every time I tried to pay attention my stamina for learning was minimal and I quickly lost interest (no pun intended). I was just not into it. It felt like work to do all the learning necessary. It bored me. Besides, at the time I was too busy working and making up for those losses by earning an income. But now that I am retired, I have no excuse, and I truly cannot afford to lose 40% of my investment income to someone who is probably way richer than I am!

So, like I tend to do in life, I took a big breath and jumped!

I took back my money. Basically I transferred all of my RRSP investments which I previously had with Edward Jones into a Scotia iTrade account. Having thruster control forced me into taking action…it “motivated” me. It was sink or swim time.

I started by reading the Stock Market for Dummies book. An easy read that gave me the basics of a “buy and hold” investment strategy: look for quality companies that have a great track record, impeccable books, projected growth, and that are currently undervalued. In other words, instead of rushing out and buying a cheap sweater at Walmart that looks good today (but will likely fall apart in months), look for a high quality sweater from a well-known brand and wait until it is on sale – then buy it! I also bought access to an online program called Simply Wall St. It is a fun to use program that allows you to access research and analysis on companies - but the work is all done for you - and it is expressed in colourful graphics...a child could make good investment decisions with this program. They offer a free two week trial, and I would encourage you to check it out. (hint...look for a big green snowflake).

I then moved on to reading a few more complicated books on day trading and momentum trading strategies. These are riskier investment strategies but also have the potential for higher returns in the short term (I mean, hey, I am not getting any younger). I am still learning about these methods of investing and I have done a little bit of trading with some great wins, but also some losses.

Most people cannot stomach this sort of thing, but as someone who is driven by the need to control my own destiny, it actually gives me a sense of relief to know that if I lose money – it is my fault. That feels better to me than someone else losing my money. That really pisses me off. So I have decided to give myself a year: if my returns are not greater than the returns on the money I placed in a Clean Tech Socially Responsible ETF with Wealthsimple, (an online robo advisor with extremely low fees) in November 2017, which has so far returned 4.7%, then I will put the remainder of the money I am currently working with into a few different ETFs and walk away – not a failure, but wiser for having tried.

The truth of the matter is I have always done best with real estate investments – so the majority of my modest net worth is in my two homes in B.C. I do, however, take seriously the adage that one should not have all their eggs in one basket, and the uber safe alternative (GIC’s) is just not palatable to me because with 2-3 % inflation, cash and GICs actually lose value if they are paying out less than that in interest. It is a negative return - you'd be better off spending your money at that rate!

On the other hand, having a chunk of cash right now allows me to buy some very good quality sweaters - I mean - stocks “on sale” when the inevitable crash comes. And it will come! I try to look forward to that as I am following Warren Buffet’s strategy of “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” In other words, when everyone is selling, that is when you should buy. Don't sweat that your good quality stocks are going down in value, but rather, think of it as a great buying opportunity. A blue light special, so to speak. Interestingly, that has always been my real estate strategy. But low, sell high, and don’t get greedy. It works.

Managing your own money is certainly not for everyone – but I trust myself to act rationally, do my homework and due diligence, and if all fails and at the end of the year I have lost some money – oh well. Shit happens. Just like Michael Jordan said, “I can accept failure. Everybody fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.”

Island Paradise Day 30

Spontaneous get togethers have always been a favorite thing for Steph and me. It is one of the things we love about Oliver – we have friends there that will pop over to say hi – showing up unannounced – and before you know it we are collaborating on food and sharing a meal.

That has also happened a number of times here at Jack Neal with our good neighbours Susan and Mike. They regularly invite us over for “happy hour” where we sit on the porch and have a drink and visit. We have shared many meals together already, and often Mike and Susan are our “audience” for music practice. They love to sing too so Stephane plays the guitar and we have sing-a-longs.

I have written before about community – and how for us that is an important element when deciding if we ‘fit in” somewhere. We have been pleasantly surprised by how welcomed we have been here. Living at Jack Neal beach full time – like Mike and Susan do – could be quite lonely as they are the only full time people here – and yet they seem to have a fairly full and active social life, going to town often: Tapas Tuesdays, Tuna Fridays, Wednesday ladies lunch, etc. and having groups of people out here for beach parties and pizza parties.

I am not certain what our experience would have been like here on the south shore if Mike and Susan were not here. They have become as much a part of our experience as the dog snapper who visits us every day when we snorkel. We bump into them every day on the beach, in the water, snorkeling, and at happy hour.

Without them we would have felt too secluded. Steph and I love each other’s company and we can talk for hours every day, but having other people to share with has certainly enhanced our experience. I am grateful to have kind and gracious neighbours who share a love for music and good food. Jack Neal Beach may not be a large community, but it is a community in the truest sense.

Island Paradise Day 29

Stephane and I have several things in common, things that attracted us to each other, and one of them is music. We both love to sing, and making music together have been a big part of our almost daily routine. Back home we practice every single day. Usually between preparing supper and eating it there is a period of time while things are cooking that is the perfect time to pour a glass of wine and practice.

Just before we left Oliver on our trip we performed at a concert hall in Oliver – we were the opening act for Kenny Blues Boss Wayne – a Juno Award winning artist who performed a Fats Domino concert there. It was a thrill for us to be able to perform in such a great venue, and to be among such great performing artists.

When we left on our trip we severely limited our clothing so as to make room for the guitar, the binder full of music, and a few pots and pans - clearly we have our priorities straight! We were determined that we would continue to practice; we would transfer all of our music onto the iPad and move our act into the 21rst century by doing away with sheet music; and we would learn a bunch of new songs.

In Mexico we found an open mic night at the Salty Caesar, a Canadian owned bar in Old Town Puerto Vallarta so we had a place to perform which meant we had to practice, but we never really managed to find time to learn new music. In Bucerias, we found an open mic place – but in the three months we lived there, we only went once. I thought for sure when we got here to Utila there would be nothing to do but play music – so I was sure we would be able to accomplish all those things on our list.

I am sad to report that we are half way done our time here and we have accomplished very little of our music goals. I do not know what the heck we keep ourselves busy doing, (snorkeling, grocery shopping, snorkeling, grocery shopping, snorkeling, grocery shopping) but we have hardly practiced at all; we have only learned three new songs; and the music is still all in a binder. Sigh.

Steph blames it on the heat; I blame it on the snorkeling, grocery shopping, snorkeling, grocery shopping, snorkeling…

We were pleased to find out that there are a couple of places here in Utila town that have open mic nights, and I am sure we could find an outlet for our music if we lived in town – but living on the south shore makes that kind of impossible. The ferry across the lagoon stops at 6pm, and even if it didn't, we are not keen on the long walk through the jungle at night…it’s those damn spooky crabs!!

Island Paradise Day 28

Our time in Utila is almost half over. I do not know where the time has gone. I truly thought I was going to be really bored here, but in the past four weeks I have not felt that way. In fact, we have been so enamored with our front yard (the amazing coral reef) that we have not done any of the things we thought we would, and truthfully we have very little interest in doing so. We want to stay here and soak it all in for another month. I mean, really, how can we be bored when we can look out over an ocean that is as still as a lake to see the dramatic mountains of the mainland staring back at us?

We may go to Roatan this week for a day or two. Stephane’s sister is there for a week at an all inclusive, and she brought down our new credit cards. Besides, the weather forecast here is for rain for the next two weeks! That is weird at this time of year. I suspect we will see mostly pop up thunderstorms as a large low pressure system has formed east of here. It has a 20% chance of becoming a tropical storm – but it is Florida that would bear the brunt – not us.

Also, I am curious to see how Roatan has changed these past 11 years. I have heard it has changed for the worse – but how bad can it be? They have a real wine shop! I also wanted to show Stephane the house I tried to buy there in 2009. It was just a few hundred meters from where his sister will be so I thought it might be fun to go see it. It’s strange - twice I have tried to become a home owner in the Bay Islands, once when I bought the lot here in Utila in 2007, and again the house in West Bay in 2009, and twice I was thwarted – through no doing of my own. Maybe it was not meant to be?

I went to town today to look at some houses for rent. I wanted to see how things compare to the place we booked in Bucerias, and see how they compare to here at Jack Neal. The only one I liked was ocean front – but not on a lovely beach like we have here. However, it is on the ocean just east of town – so one needs not hike and ferry to get groceries. The apartment is part of a larger house and it is brand new and is a two bedroom. We really want a two bedroom so that we can have friends and family come stay for a visit. The property manager does not know the price yet, so we will have to wait and see if it is on our budget. Only then can we see how it compares to what we have booked for next winter in Bucerias.

Island Paradise Day 27

I thought I would share a few random pictures of things we have seen and enjoyed. Here are some of the fish we have seen (in order): Rainbow Parrotfish, Squirrelfish, Spotlight Parrotfish

Queen Angelfish, Dog snapper (this guy swims around us regularily and he is about 2.5 feet long!), Foureyed Butterflyfish

We enjoy the quirkiness of Utila town and it's colourful people and places as well (in order):The corner near where the ferry comes in is where several older and younger dudes hang out; the vehicles of Utila, "Treetanic" a whimsical treetop bar created by a local artist with a love of recycling

Our favorite sight of all is right out front of our house. Rain or shine, Jack Neal Beach is the prettiest place on the island!

Island Paradise Day 26

Yesterday we had another power outage for five hours and then lost our internet for an additional 12 hours. Cell service was also down, and has been for a few days. It is a weird feeling to be so disconnected – literally. You do not realize how dependent you are – at least psychologically – until these modern conveniences are gone.

Supper making is always fun by candlelight though - it feels like camping - and while Stephane hates camping, I do not. I lived a whole summer at my cabin in Grand Forks with no stove or oven, just a BBQ, an electric frying pan (for rainy days) and a rice cooker. It was a challenge to cook "gourmet" that way, but I love a challenge. Anyway, last night we were very lucky that power was back on in time for bed so we could have a fan on. We have been trying to not use the air conditioner – but some nights it is just too hot and humid, so we turn it on for an hour before bed, and then usually the wind is quite strong, and the breeze and fans are enough. Occasionally I wake up in the night to find Stephane upside down in bed with his face pushed up against the fan. Poor soul - he really is struggling with the heat.

I tried to make bread today and it turned out horrible. It was my second failed attempt. Yesterday I threw an entire batch of dough that refused to rise in the garbage. Must be the humidity. I have also tried to make yogurt three times. I have been doing it successfully for years and yet it has not worked out once! I give up.I have no idea why it is not working.

Tonight I made Indian food – at least that turned out: Garlic okra, spicy eggplant, and pretend lamb balls. Pretend because I have not yet found lamb, so I had to use ground beef. It all turned out really well, I was just sad to not have a nice Gewürztraminer to drink with it. Oh well.

Our fumigation was a success. Every day we pick up a few dead or dying roaches, always turned upside down on their backs. We were told to expect to see dead bugs for up to a week. He also told us that although the termites are not eating the house, they are entering the house through the big stupid “marble tree” (my name for it).

The tree is a tropical pine and it is a pain in the ass. Not only does it drops needles that keep us sweeping all day, and seed pods (marbles) that land on the metal roof all night, but it is a soft and hollow tree that has been used by the termites as a super highway to get from other places further back in the jungle, into our house.

Notice how I wrote "our house"? Interesting. I must be feeling at home here.

About two hours ago, just as I was getting ready to post this, the power went out yet again! Amazing to me that every house does not have a generator or solar power because you certainly need one here. Fortunately the outage was short lived. They had to turn off the power to fix the power outage further down the beach. Something to do with not wanting to electrocute themselves. No problem. We have come to love the ambiance of reading my flashlight. At least it is back on in time to watch the news and turn some AC on in the bedroom, so Stephane can sleep tonight.

Island Paradise Day 25

Choosing a place to winter in retirement (or move to permanently) must surely include a look at health care. At the age of retirement, all kinds of things can go wrong, and knowing where you can go for care is important. On Utila there are two clinics, each can manage minor complaints, and well trained nurses can surely stabilize a person, but anything requiring urgent care must be dealt with in La Ceiba. That is not so bad if you need to go to a prescheduled appointment, but if one were to have a heart attack – getting to La Ceiba is not as easy as calling an ambulance – especially from the south shore.

I have heard stories of how the community pulls together to ensure that somehow people who need urgent care can get off the island. For example, one time someone required urgent care but it was nighttime, and there would be no ferry until morning. They called on the small 4 seat charter aircraft that flies out of here, and within minutes, people from town were driving their golf carts and scooters to the airport where, lights on, they lined the runway so the plane could see to take off and get the patient to the mainland where there is a very good critical care hospital. I asked my friend Susan what she would do if she had to get to La Ceiba quick, and she said she, “I would call Mr. Herman – the old guy on the cay. He would come with his boat and take us across if at all possible.”

I cannot say I would relish the idea of a rough boat ride if I were in bad condition – and a small boat would take many hours to get there, and I can only think that people who choose to live here either do not have any serious health conditions or things like heart disease in their family history, or they simply don’t care – choosing to take the risk. I am not sure I can do that. I like to have a plan A, and B for everything.

On the other hand, for people with chronic conditions that require frequent visits to specialists – the system here is great – just like in Mexico. There is a large center in La Ceiba (an hour ferry ride away) called Medicentro, where specialists of all sorts are located. There is also a 24 hour emergency clinic there. If someone needs tests, all the labs, ultrasounds etc. are right there, as is the pharmacy. You do not need an appointment; you can just walk in to any specialist’s office and wait to see them. No waiting for 12 months as is the case in Canada.

I have done a little research, and found a company called Air Evac International. They provide both rotor and fixed wing air evacuation and their aircraft are equipped with all advanced equipment to respond to cardiac, serious trauma, neurological, emergencies, etc. And they have a base in Roatan. I suspect it is a pricey service, but I am pretty sure that would not matter to me if it meant a life saving trip to a hospital. And many expat/travel insurance packages cover air evacuation.



Needless to say, that's my plan A. I have contacted them, and written their number on my fridge. When you live out here, being proactive could save your life. Plan B is Steph runs me in a wheel barrel down the beach and we steal a boat at Neptune's.

Island Paradise Day 24

Today we were busy getting ready for the fumigator. We emptied all the cupboards and closets, and moved everything into the center of each room and covered it in tarps. It was actually a good opportunity to give this place a really good cleaning which was desperately needed.

The problem with places like this is they sit empty most of the year (not a good idea in the tropics). Owners hire local help to manage and maintain the property, but in the owners absence things are not really as they might think. For example, the caretaker here is paid to guard and maintain the grounds, clean the beach etc. We have been here almost a month, and he has only raked/cleaned the beach once – and that is only because we asked him for a rake so that we could clean it. I am out there picking up plastic on the beach - not him. He spends a lot of time raking leaves, yet it seems to me, the plastic is the bigger concern. He is supposed to take out garbage and burn it, yet, we do it ourselves, because if we leave it outside the door, the birds/dogs get into it and spread it all over the place before he comes around to get it. The beautiful dock here is covered in bird shit, but if we don't clean it, it does not get done.

While the owners think they have provided very good quality linens, for example, what they don’t know is that the linens have been in the closet for over a year with the bugs and the geckos nesting in it. As we took things out of the closet today, we found perfectly good, high quality, brand new linens, still in the package, completely ruined by bugs and various vermin. We have washed what we could and repackaged, but chances are this place will sit empty again for a length of time and things will get ruined again. We see first-hand how the “dream” of owning a part time house in the tropics is not all it is cracked up to be. The reality is, bugs, and mold, and salt, and bats, and snakes are the real owners. And “caretakers” can be paid squatters on the land if you are not around to supervise.

Tenants are not the problem in vacation homes. Vacancy is the problem. Nature takes over in the absence of people. When people buy homes here (or in Mexico) they are often convinced by realtors that they can rent their house out, and make lots of money, but in reality, most properties bring in relatively little income, and the costs to maintain them can be high. Also, the quality of maintenance is not always so good. For example, the guy who cleaned this place before we came to rent it, said to us today, as he delivered the fumigator guy, “I was just here and there were no bugs. We cleaned this place top to bottom.” Well, he says that, but the truth is, the day we moved in we found so much gecko poo and dead bugs and dust and filth everywhere we had to clean for two days to get the place livable. The linens in the closet had clearly not been so much as looked at in years let alone cleaned.

I am amazed that so many people are willing to leave their properties empty here, fearing tenants will ruin their house, when in reality, nature ruins their home.

Anyway, we are happy to have had our home fumigated, and as a result of getting things ready for the fumigator, we have moved a lot of junk (old kitchen gadgets that no longer work, bug infested linens, etc.) into the storage room, so the house is now cleaner and better organized that it was when we arrived.

This evening we were once again invited to dinner, and had a lovely visit with neighbours. We are so very pleased with how welcome we feel, and hope to go looking at other properties that may be for rent. I am not convinced I want to buy here, but I am not convince I do not want to stay – so we will check out a few rentals and see if we can find a place that is a little more conducive to long term rental.We are already committed to leave here and go back to Mexico, but we have our whole lives ahea of us, and paradise is not a bad place to hand out for awhile!

Island Paradise Day 23

Today I was invited to go to lunch with a group of women who meet up every month. We ate at a lovely restaurant on the water in Utila Town called Mango Tango. Mango Tango is owned by a woman named Monica from Guatemala (who joined us for lunch). Monica is a foodie, and has a delightful menu which she has designed herself. Her food is good, and she uses a variety of ingredients, so I decided I should pick her brain about where she gets all her good stuff. She said in the beginning it was very rough because “back then, Utila did not have lettuces, it made me want to cry.” But now she has a variety of methods for obtaining things including having Serrano ham mailed to her from Spain. Anyway, seeing what she has on the menu gave me hope that with some good planning and creativity one can eat well here. I even found out that there is a good wine store in Roatan – they bring in decent wine from all over the world, and for 17 Limpiras they will ship a case over on the ferry. That information alone was worth the price of lunch!

People here have been very welcoming and friendly, always wanting to help out. If only they knew how to give directions! It happened again today. We asked someone where Johnny's water was, and some young fellow went to great pains to explain that it was up the road to the left, then on the right hand side. Well, we walked and walked, and as we started up the hill and got into what looked very residential, we finally realized we had once again been duped. We asked a woman coming down the road if we were headed in the right direction to go to Johnny's water and she literally started laughing at us! "ooooooooooo, lawdy, es way ovah deh by da pok!" So back the other way we went, three large empty water jugs in tow to find "da pok." We eventually did find Johnny's where we met by far the funniest looking man I have ever seen. He was at least three hundred years old, and weighed about 14 pounds! He moved and talked like this.

The best part of my day happened when walking to the Mango Tango. I looked out over the water and saw the most amazing water spout between Utila and mainland Honduras. A water spout is basically a tornado that forms over the water. This one was larger than any of the others I have seen, and came out of the base of a very large thunderstorm. It was really beautiful. I had Stephane’s blackberry with me, and unfortunately it takes about 3 minutes to turn on, so by the time it was on so I could take a picture, the water spout had already begun to dissipate up into the cloud,. The picture I have posted here I did not take, however, I looked long and hard to find one that resembled the one I saw!

Tomorrow the exterminator is coming – wahahahahaha – be gone roaches from hell!!

Island Paradise Day 22

We are finding that our internal clocks are getting into rhythm with the sun. We are waking up earlier and earlier, and going to seep earlier and earlier. I suppose it has to do with the fact that it is very dark here when the sun goes down. It is not like in town where street lights and businesses light the way. Here you have only the stars and moon, and when the moon is not out and when it is cloudy, it is incredibly dark. Walking from one room to another without a light is impossible. Going outside is not an option…so by 6:30 it feels like midnight. There is nothing to do but read (makes us tired), watch Netflix (also makes us tired) and listen to the waves, which, let’s face it, is quite sleep inducing.

Needless to say, we often find ourselves up before six a.m. enjoying the only part of the day that is not steamy hot. Early is a good time to go walking, though we have not managed to do that yet as we truly enjoy drinking our coffee and reading the news. Steph gets caught up on the sports scores and standings and what is going on in the world, and I read the financial news and make investment decisions for the day. By the time we are done it is already very hot for walking, so our walks usually involve swim stops along the way. Or we skip the walk and go in snorkeling.

By 6 p.m. we are exhausted and often skip supper, watch a show, and head to bed. It sounds pathetic, I know, but in reality, we are satisfied. The heat is energy zapping, and we have decided we just cannot fight it. Why run around trying to “do” things in the sticky heat. It is so much more pleasurable to stand up to our necks in the clear water and wiggle our toes in the sand and talk, or read in the side by side hammock on the dock where there is a nice breeze.

I have been meaning to make bread for over a week. I have all the ingredients I need, but I just cannot seem to get around to it. I would do it now, except it is 7:18 p.m. and I am getting sleepy…

Island Paradise Day 21

Three weeks in paradise and I cannot say I am sick of it yet – though last night’s close encounter with two cockroaches just about did me in. The first was running laps up and down the kitchen cupboard. Steph grabbed the raid, and began spraying – sending me running faster than the roach. Fortunately, a few minutes later it was the roach laying on its back wiggling and not me.

Of course that meant this morning I felt compelled to wipe down every surface in the kitchen and empty every cupboard and disinfect all the contents: probably needed to be done anyway.

The second roach encounter was at 3 a.m. I got up to pee. I turned on the light to do the cursory bug check before entering the bathroom, and when all was well, entered and sat down. For a second I thought I felt something brush my thigh – but did not pay attention, but when it happened again I looked down, and holy mother of God there was a small cockroach on the inside of my leg. I screamed a scream that sounded like death itself and jumped up so fast that I somehow exiting the bathroom without my feet even touching the floor, leaving my jammy bottoms in a heap behind me. Poor Steph – what a way to get woken up! I jumped back into the safety of my bug netted bed but all night long I had the willies, and every time the air from the fan brushed across my exposed skin I thought it was a bug and my body would convulse. Fortunately my dear husband, despite the heat, snuggled me back to sleep – safe in his arms.

Somehow roachageddon was all forgotten today as I once again marveled at the colours of the underwater forest we visit every day in front of our house. Today we saw long burgundy sponge tubes and a tower of bright orange sponge that looked like a castle. We saw squirrel fish and a large turtle that quickly disappeared in the reef as we swam by. Yesterday we saw a large porgy fish – at least three feet long and once again we saw the large blue-gray sting ray flapping in the sand. This time I swam calmly overhead. Snorkling is becoming like a form of meditation. I glide along in the warm water - suspended only by the air in my lungs, breathing in and out slowly - it relaxes me. The silence of the water and the almost heavenly sun rays that come through are beyond description. I am addicted to this underwater paradise.

As I write this the sky is turning a light pink as it sets behind me, and the wind has once again died down so the water is calm. The soft lapping on the shore is relaxing as we sit here on our screened porch drinking hibiscus iced tea. This week has been the first time since we left Canada in October where I did not feel like I should be doing something productive. For some reason, cherishing these most perfect moments in nature seems far more important.

Island Paradise Day 20

I have been a lover of weather ever since I learned to fly airplanes when I was 18. A big part of flying is meteorology and I guess that piqued my interest. From then on I loved learning about weather, following weather, watching weather, and chasing weather. The more wicked the weather, the better I like it!

While I am moderately knowledgeable about tornadoes (like the one on the left I took a picture of) and super cell storms that develop in Canada and the United States, I cannot say I have really followed Caribbean weather patterns much. To me, it has always just been “tropical” which is always better than cold. What I am learning is that just like back home, there are changes in weather: good days and bad days. The interesting part is that what might be considered a “bad weather day” while on vacation, is more often than not a good day for those that live here.

For example, yesterday was sunny and hot and there was no wind, so the water was calm as a lake. Perfect, right? Well, yes, if you are in a pool with a swim up bar drinking mojitos. For us, last night was almost unbearably hot. The water was calm because there was no breeze, but that meant there were tons of sand fleas finding their way into our house, up our pant legs, and dining on our “filets.” Filets are the soft flabby part under your arm – apparently quite a delicacy for sand fleas. Well today the easterly winds began to blow again and while that made the water rough and wavy - not great for snorkeling - it finally blew away the sand fleas, and we can open our windows and get some air in here. We are going on a full seven months in the tropics, so are beginning to appreciate other types of weather besides calm, sunny, and hot.

Yesterday we watched our first thunderstorm move over the mainland. There was lots of cloud to cloud lightning, and the palm trees looked amazing all back lit by the light show. And in between the lightening, there were amazing flashes from an abundance of fireflies. The forecast is for thunderstorms again tonight, so once again we will put away the Netflix and enjoy the show outside. I hope, like last night, it does not rain, as we are hoping to head to town tomorrow with the neighbours to see some live music at a favorite expat hang out. If it rains, the back road will be too muddy to get in to town, and if this wind keeps up, it will be too rough for a water taxi.

I have figured out why Cooper the water taxi guy (pictured below) goes into town at 8 am and back at 11 am. At first I just thought it was bad business – but having now studied the data on the wind finder website, I see that at this time of year there is limited wind between 8 and 11, before and after which wind speed picks up creating big swells, making it just too wavy to safely travel to town.