Placencia

                       

"In many ways the Placencia Peninsula presents a microcosm of the best Belize has to offer. Over twelve miles of untrammeled golden beaches look out onto scores of enchanting cayes, the barrier reef and beyond that the pristine atolls. It’s an ideal base for amazing diving and snorkeling – including our famous whale sharks, as well as world class fly fishing and trolling. But marine attractions are only half the story. Across the Placencia Lagoon via a perfectly paved road lay all the wonders of the southern mainland: the majestic Maya Mountains, cascading waterfalls, rushing rivers and the inspiring cities of the ancient Maya. Some visitors even manage to experience both surf and turf in the same day.

-Placencia Website-

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Unfortunately, I did not do any of the Placencia activities because I was on a mission to get out of Belize and into Honduras, but I did eat some amazing Creole Grub-Fresh lobster with some yam bisque. Again, this Creole food rarely disappoints my stomach and it rarely makes it to the camera. I am just sitting and enjoying it bite by bite thinking how do they make this amazing food.  

Hover Cover

When I eat in Belize I literally hover over my plate like a turtle. The food has been so good including the chicken. Being a pescatarian (fish and eggs), I decided to start eating white meat more consistently and I am enjoying it very much. 

 Whenever I eat, I think where do they get these chickens? They are clearly right off the farm and just like an organic chicken breast from Whole Foods-except they are half the price. The usual meal in Belize and Guatemala includes chicken. It's cooked as jerk chicken, barbecue, roasted, sweet chili, and it's delicious! 

Again, I just sit and wonder how I do they make this- it's so good. 

That's what goes on in my head during a typical Belizian meal.

Food Coma's

The food in Belize consists of a Creole style kitchen with amazing pastries, cakes, French toast/waffles, cornbread, chicken cooked all different kinds of ways, rice and beans, mashed potatoes, green beans and squash cooked as a souffle.  It kind of reminded me of New Orleans kind of cooking, which is full of great flavors and spice.  The food was not expected to be great and when you least expect something sometimes that is when it comes through full power.

The traditional local, Belizian food was the best selection –not the tourist restaurants.  The best food was the food in the Monkey Bay kitchen made by a local staff, but the best cook was Shovonda. Shavonda was a young, heavier Black woman around 25 who had been cooking since she was a child.  She told me that they had a generational line of cooking that had been passed down for years and years.

  She had something special in her food and she cooked with love. She happened to be a mother from the MH community so we sat and had many talks about the community-problems, needs, etc. She lived in MH with her 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter.  She would walk back and forth to work each day and she worked 6 days a week. She knew how much I loved her food because I told her everyday she was the best cook. She knew it, I knew it, and everyone knew it, but it was unspoken.  Everything she made I ate it all and I would often just sit and think, “This is so good.” Or my favorite one was,”How does  she make this taste like this?” Her chocolate cake and her peach cobbler-best ever and French toast to dream about.                   

One day I was taking the bus out early to St Ignacio and I was going to miss breakfast. I walked into the kitchen to ask what she was making and she said, ‘French toast and corn bread.” I literally sat there contemplating not going and staying back just for her French toast! I ended up leaving and I heard people raving about it. I asked her to please make it again, but they had a schedule they had to follow.   

I will never live down missing the French toast of Shavonda- never. She is the best cook ever! 

       Homemade Food that touches the soul.

           

Love Before Sight

Of course, there is the standard love at first sight, but there is also that love before sight.  When you are so proud of someones words, their accomplishments, their intention, and their persistence. You may be in contact with this person solely through email and you can tell that you are going to have a special relationship with them. You can tell that your similar ideas, philosophies, and desires are going to collide into a powerful and intriguing conversation when you meet.  You want to spend time with that person getting to know all about them, share your stories, experiences, and your hopeful beliefs for people and community. 

When I first met Mrs. Francis, this is exactly what happened. I was arriving down the dirt road trail in the heat and I could see her in a distance. A beautiful older woman in her 60s with short blond hair ,little freckles, a white crocheted top, and jeans. We gave each other a big hug and looked like two old friends reuniting.  She was so sweet and concerned about all my time on the bus. She had my lunch prepared for me and my room all ready. 

It was the start of a beautiful friendship and from there she served as a friend, a listener, a teacher, and almost like a long lost mother. We sat in her office sharing our life experiences and  her journeys through Africa.  I sat and shared my theories about community poverty and how we can improve the MH community. She explained how the project distribution and funding component work. I learned a lot about the non-profit sponsoring, grants, and funding and how that plays out.  It was just active discussions on how we can improve things and make things better in MH and the world.

That is the most wonderful part of a good organization-the good people who want to engage in teamwork and truly listen and learn from you. There is no jealousy or competition rather there is an open environment to learn and appreciate each other.  This is when things really get done.