We Made It!

Hopefully no one is too upset with my paraphrasing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous quote. Although, I have to say, our euphoria at getting our passports back from the Department of Immigration with the Permanent Resident stamp in them felt quite uplifting and liberating!

Residents at last! Residents at last!
Thank God almighty, we're residents at last!

Two years and here we are. Wow!

Arriving At Belmopan for the big event
and Thanks to Doug - He Took All of the Photos

It took us a while to get organized - even before we started from Corozal. Oh, we got underway sharply at around 7:00 AM, like we'd planned (hoping to miss the many school buses since this was the first really big day of school).

Then we had to stop at their "guarantor's" shop up on the highway (essentially acting as their sponsor). Doug and Twyla had used his Belizean passport as the document on their Surety Bond form guaranteeing that he was a Belizean and that he would make sure they got plane tickets out of the country should they turn out to be deadbeats anytime in the next three years.

Major Malfunction On Duty Here

Yesterday, Dianna and I made the trek over to Belmopan to visit the Immigration Department to complete on of the final bits in our quest for residency.
We had the required money (in our case being US citizens, the dunnage was $2,000 BZD each), our passports, and copies of the passport pages that had changed from the last time we turned in a copy of our passport.

An uneventful trip under gray skies for the most part saw us wheeling into Belmopan after a good couple of hours on the road. Luckily, we found a parking space right away just across the street from the Immigration building.

We grabbed the folder holding our stuff and headed in. After a somewhat short wait, we talked with the girl who had been helping us before and she asked for our Security Bond papers. Both Dianna and I were sure we had turned those in on the last trip and told her they must be in the package. She said "No. If you had attempted to turn them in then, I would have refused to take them as that would have been out of sequence and I would have signed here that you turned them in," showing us the blank signature space on her form.

Back and forth for a minute or so like that, until I called Doug and Twyla, who are at the same stage in the process as we are and in fact, had been with us on the previous trip. Twyla said, "Oh no, you were supposed to turn those in on this trip." Then, my memory started working again. Talk about feeling like a total drooling dolt. I'm chalking it up to getting older. What else could it be?

So, profuse apologies to the girl behind the counter. Dianna had the foresight to ask her if we could turn in the money as we really didn't like walking around with beaucoup of cash in our pockets. This we could do.

Then, after depositing the money and getting a receipt we headed back to the young lady, who took our receipts, making copies of them for our file, and returned the originals to us.

Doug and Twyla had not accompanied us on this trip as their application package apparently got placed in a different pile than ours. Ours got the go-ahead by the Director, and their had to wait for two weeks as the Director was going to be out of the office during that time.

Anyway, with our forgetfulness regarding the Security Bond papers, we're now back at exactly the same stage as the four of us were before. I've already made arrangements to ride back over with Doug and Twyla to Belmopan (with the correct papers this time).

What will happen is this: I turn in our Security Bond papers; Doug and Twyla, turn in theirs as well and pay their money (slightly different amount as they're Canadian); we all turn in our passports, obtaining a receipt for each. Then we go back home for a week or two (not sure exactly how long), head back to Belmopan and collect our passports all with a nice pretty stamp in them saying we are legal residents of Belize.

So, unless there's another brain cramp, or worse, between now and then, it should be about another three weeks and the four of us will be residents. Woohoo!

We plan to go to Chetumal for a movie and dinner to celebrate our new status. I can't wait!!!!

Onward and Upward

Woo Hoo! Guess what we did Monday morning? Doug and Twyla, Dianna and I all went together over to Belmopan for our interview at the Department of Immigration and Nationality.

First though, I took the girls for their daily walk into town. On the way back from collecting the mail, I managed to grab another shot along the waterfront.

Early Fisherman Prepping His Castnet

It took us about 2-hours to make the drive from Corozal to Belmopan, about what it takes to drive to Belize City. It started off kind of rainy, but gradually cleared the closer we got to Belmopan.

When we got to Belmopan, we found a little Italian place for lunch across the street from the Belize National Police Academy. That way we could all ensure we had good, strong odors of garlic just before we went in for our interviews. What were we thinking?

After a bit of fumbling around, we found the Immigration Building and amazingly, a parking spot directly across the street from it.

Doug checked at the main door and found we had to go around to the side entrance for the Nationality and Residence Section, where we sat and waited. Naturally, we got there at about 12:30 PM. Our first appointment was at 1:00 PM, so that meant we still had a good hour and a half wait if Belize punctuality held true.

Here we are all waiting for our interviews. None of us really had a firm idea what to expect. We'd heard stories all over the map, as to what they asked, was there an interview panel, etc., etc.

The Posted Schedule

We checked at the counter, "Was this the right place?"... It was, but they were closed for lunch. We could wait outside, so that's where we waited.

At 1:00 PM, we trooped inside and sat on benches there. We thought it was a lost cause as there were piles of green folders all over - on desks, on top of every filing cabinet, in every filing cabinet, and on top of everything else.

I checked in with the counter clerk who ticked off my name in her log book. Surprisingly, she found our folder on top of one of the file cabinets in about 30 seconds. Wow! Their system really did have a method to the madness.

Showing Lots of Optimism Before Our Interview

Showing a Little Apprehension Before the Interview

At about 1:30, I got called for my interview. No committee, just a single interviewer who only asked 4 or 5 of the most innocuous and mundane questions about our property, why we wanted to become residents, and where we had traveled in the past 10 years. It took about 10 minutes. Dianna was called right after me to the same interviewer.

I came back and sat out front with Doug and Twyla. They were singled out for special attention. They got to go into a private office for their interview. Doug went first, followed in short order by Twyla.

Twyla and Doug Pensively Waiting

We got done - a successfully of course, although Dianna said with her clowning around with the interviewer, that she probably got marked as being "dull" - one of the things that could get you disqualified. As if that was likely to happen with her.

Naturally, while we were being interviewed, it began to rain - at times quite hard. But, by the time we were done, it let up for a few minutes as you can see as the group is leaving the Immigration Building, all quite happy.

What a Relief - It's Over

Immigration Sign

Since we got done with our interviews so early, we had time for a quick trip to Builder's Hardware to do some sight-seeing there. Of course, we weren't expecting to do that, so we hadn't brought our lists of stuff we needed for the guest house. I did get some mildicide for paint and three roller handle extensions.

A bit of a bummer there. While Dianna and I were waiting outside the hardware store, under the awning from the rain, two dogs were running around the parking lot playing. Some asshole came flying into the lot in a pickup and struck one of the dogs who began howling and severely limping away. The driver calmly got out of his truck, took a quick glance at the dog and continued on his way into the store. I asked him (I'm sure in the most calm manner) if he was doing to do anything for the dog. His answer was that it wasn't his fault!

After letting him know what I thought of that answer, we talked to a couple of the workers at the store (the dog had already recovered somewhat and had run off with his playmate). One of the workers said he used to work for the guy and that he treated his workers the same as the dog. I hope he's ready for a bucket-load of karma one of these days.

So, after collecting Doug and Twyla, we zoomed off uneventfully back to Corozal, getting back to our homes about 5:30 PM, just as the light began to fail for the day.

The following day, Tuesday, the workers tackled the roof and worked hard all day, setting up the forms for pouring the roof tying and shaping rebar, and making sure the Polyducto for wiring was all in place.

While they did that, I climbed up to the roof and took a few shots of the surrounding area. Here we are looking toward:

Bob's (our contractor) Place

Robert and Lynn's Almond Tree Inn

View of the Bay Improves

Our Canal Boat Slip-To-Be

A View of the Swimming Pool

Couple of Views of the Swimming Pool

Mae and Craig's Place In the Distance

Our House

 

A Look At the Drain Field Garden

Here's shots of the work actually being done to get ready for the pour.

Back of the Guest House

From the Utility Room Roof

Completing Forms For Concrete

Bob and Isidoro Completing Wiring Using Polyducto

Lots of Polyducto

Bob Supervising

A Splash Screen Set Up To Protect the Pool Deck From Concrete Droplets

The guys thought they might be able to pour Tuesday afternoon. That wasn't the case as the wiring, Polyducto, rebar and forms took too long to get ready. What concerned me was that they had a whole bunch of guys on hand to actually mix and carry the concrete. Since that wasn't happening Tuesday, they climbed on their bicycles and headed home. No one seemed upset about it.

Ready To Pour - But Not Quite

Later, I asked Isidoro how that worked, as far as their pay. He told me they only get paid if they're moving concrete. It wasn't unusual to have to go home without pouring concrete, and since none had regular jobs anyway, they weren't out anything since nothing happened.

Ok. Wow. This is just one example of some of the (from a Gringo perspective) of the severe labor problems and abuses that are an everyday occurrence in this country. As a former Chief union Steward for our local (Washington Federation of State Employees), I can see plenty of opportunities for organizing in probably another 20 or 30 years. In the meantime, no one seemed upset in the least.

While the guys were working at getting ready to pour, we went across the street for a bit to Mae and Craigs place to see more of the progress of their new place. It's really looking good.

Dianna Just Got Luis' Number

Dave and Mae At the Gate

Kelly, Twyla's Brother and Mae

So, on to Wednesday morning. I unlocked the gate at 5:30 AM and by 5:45 AM, guys started riding up waiting for Isidoro and his crew to show up.

The dogs and I left for our walk at 6:00 AM, and by the time we returned at about 7:10, they were better than half done with the pour.

Mix and Fill, Carry and Pour... Repeat Till Done

Vibrating the Poured Concrete

Humping 5-Gallon Buckets Full of Concrete

 Up and Down Home-made Ladders

Mixing Like a House Afire

Hump and Dump

Hump and Dump - A Young Man's Game

Troweling and Floating the Mix Smooth

Troweling and Vibrating the Mix Smooth

By 8:30 AM, the pour was complete. As these things go, it was a small pour. About another half hour cleaning tools and bodies, and then Poof - No workers. Everyone left for the day. My guess is, plum-tuckered out. I would be, or in the hospital.

Business and Pleasure - The Important Stuff and Return Home

For the rest of the journey, you'll have to trust me. Remember, the camera is really out of it due to an untimely bath while we were canoing.

After getting done canoing, we got back to Midas Resort. Mae, the only smart one in the bunch, had previously made an appointment for a massage with a lady in town, so she took off for that.

The rest of us were going to meet Mae along with her masseuse and her husband for a late dinner at an Indian restaurant in San Ignacio. Which we did, and it was good food too. A nice evening all in all.

Back to the resort and to bed.

Friday dawns as usual. We all get up, pack, and settle our accounts at the front office and head into town for breakfast. Again Mae took off - to the French bakery where she had reserved several loaves of bread and rolls to take back to Corozal.

After breakfast we hit the road for Belmopan and - are you ready for it - the business part of the trip. I bet you thought I either forgot about it or just was never going to get around to it. Well, here it is.

When we got to Belmopan, Craig dropped Mae off at the Business and Corporations Department (or something like that) and dropped us off at the Immigration Department.

We wanted to find out the straight skinny on all the rumors we had heard regarding the residency program Belize offers, and we wanted to get an up-to-date checklist and application packet for the same.

As luck would have it, we got inside the Immigration building and there were a few people waiting to be taken care of. The Receptionist asked if she could help us, and wonder of wonders, she really did. She dispelled the rumor of applying for residency now taking two years and that you had to hire an expediter to push you application through. She said it sounded to her like someone wanted us to spend our money.

She said the process, once you submit your application, should take anywhere from three to six months, as long as there's no adverse police report, etc.

She very kindly gave us the application packet and checklist, and explained both parts to us.

We were done inside of five minutes!

Dianna and I waited on the front steps of Immigration for Mae and Craig to return from their stuff at the other department. When they showed up, we stopped at Brodies (http://www.brodiesbelize.com/) (a department store here that has a couple stores in Belize City and one in Belmopan. I'm not sure if they have other outlets - none near us anyway. After buying some snacks and water (and not finding what we were looking for), we headed home to Corozal.

We did stop at Brodies in Belize City to look for what we wanted (silverware, etc.). While we were getting our goodies stashed into the car so we could head home, a car pulled up behind us and the guy driving motioned like he wanted us to move so he could get the parking place.

My initial reaction was, Wow! What nerve, especially with parking spaces open all around us. It was like he was saying, this is my lucky parking space and you're in it, so move.

Then we recognized the woman in the vehicle with him... Lola - it was Jonathon and Lola from Punta Gorda, way down south. They used to live in Corozal, and for some reason, wanted to move down there. Anyway, it was great to see them. So we all stood in the parking lot, gabbing for a few minutes.

Then we took off for the last leg of the journey home.

Just so you don't think we're totally devoid of pictures now, we're not. Dianna has an identical camera to my ruined one, so I'll be using that till I can replace it. I'm thinking of a waterproof, compact digital. I'll have to shop around a bit and see what's available.

Anyway, here's a few miscellaneous shots showing what's been going on at home.

Dianna decided to paint the utility or laundry room. Here's a shot of it in progress. Quite an improvement too, I might add.

Laundry/Utility Room Undergoing Renovation

We also got some of the burglar bars and doors that we had ordered from Isaiel. Here he is installing four of the six burglar bars for the windows and a steel door for the generator room.

Isaiel Installing Burglar Bars and

Generator Room Door

We're still waiting for him to bring the two burglar bar doors for the main downstairs area and the two fancy burglar bars for the driveway side windows downstairs as well.

We thought he was going to be here this last Saturday, but forgot this is a holiday weekend (Soverign's Day was Saturday), so it probably won't happen till next weekend. We're keen to get all that in, cause then we can finally unload the rest of our goodies from the truck, and put the truck up for sale. Yea!!!

We are also expecting to take delivery of our office built-in desk, bookcases, and cabinets. Maybe Tuesday. We'll see. This is Belize after all. Things happen here when they happen and not a minute too soon. If you get my drift.

Our friends, Doug and Twyla are building a house on the corner of our road and the cross street. They will be our closest neighbors (roadwise). There place is projected to be completed by the end of July (see paragraph above for reality check on that).

Doug and Twyla

Doug and Twyla's House

We had Christmas in May as our shipments from the states via Clifford Marage finally showed up.

We got locks from Owen and Sandy (they're all installed and work really well). One key for the whole house!!! Modern technology at work!

We got blankets, books and toys for Cindy from Don and Brenda. Books are like gold down here. I didn't believe it when we first got here, but it's true. They really become valuable commodities. The blanket will be greatly appreciated this winter when it gets back down to the low 60's... I know, I know. 60 degrees. But believe me, when you acclimate, that's bloody cold!

Thank you Owen and Sandy, and Don and Brenda. We really do appreciate all of the goodies - a lot.

And finally, we got a new HP 5-in-1 printer from Amazon.com. It works great. We can make copies and print and scan and - well, we can't fax. We don't have a land line for the phone. But everything else works great.

Dianna Unwrapping Christmas Presents

Dianna Unwrapping More Christmas Presents

Just so you stay aware, here a couple of shots of our ongoing landscaping. So far, we've brought in about 6 loads of black dirt (top soil), and still need to have more brought in.

Landscaping Move Ahead

Landscaping Houseside

We are tending to use the palapa more and more. I just got an additional six chairs from Cinty's for the palapa. This next month, I'll be hosting our Corozal Men's Group meeting on the first Saturday of June. We'll be meeting under the palapa.

New Furniture for the Palapa

And, finally. For all those who may have thought we'd never get our pool - You were wrong. Here it is.

Well, maybe not in its final form. But, this will work temporarily till we get the real one built. We've been using this one daily since we got it put up.

Dianna had to go for a doctor's appointment over to Chetumal, Mexico, so I went along. My first trip there. Craig drove us. Mae also came along as she wanted to see the doctor too, and we all wanted to shop at Chedraui (http://www.chedraui.com.mx/chui/). A big department store in Chetumal. That was where we got the pool.

Our Pool

Ok, so now everything is up-to-date, till the next entry. Sorry it's taken so long, but our days down here are just so full there's little time to do things, y'know?