Neris Tacos

Our neighbor told us about a little restaurant called Neris.  According to him, they have the best Tacos on the island.  And, even better, you get two for a dollar (that’s Belize dollars so really they are only twenty five cents each US).  He quickly added that it would take about six tacos to fill you up.  He also told us the chicken tacos are good but pork is the best.  He then gave us very good directions on how to find it.

We decided one day, while on a trip to town on our bicycles, to see if we could find the restaurant.  And, after some searching, we finally found it.  However, even though it was noon time, it was closed but at least we knew where it was.

Later that week we decided again to try Neris tacos.  Once again we found the restaurant and once again it was closed.  This time, however, there was a gentleman setting out front who told us they would be open at around 4:00 pm. 

Several days later we decided to try again and this time we showed up around five o’clock.  They were open!  We parked our bikes across the street and I quickly went to the counter and asked for twelve pork tacos.

Much to my dismay and total frustration, I was informed that they only serve tacos in the morning from five thirty until around eleven.  And, they only serve pork tacos on Sunday mornings. 

Well POOP!

We went ahead and ordered some other food-which was very good-but it wasn’t pork tacos.  We were now more determined than ever to get a pork taco.

The next Sunday morning we were there.   There was a long line of people but I didn’t care.  I was going to get pork tacos.  You could tell all of the people in line were locals so that was a good sign.  They all ordered in Spanish but Spanish for “tacos” is still “tacos”.

I finally got to the front of the line and ordered “doce tacos por favor” and stood right there and watched them make them.

There were a total of nine women making food and two guys taking orders.

The tacos were made by spooning a pork mixture on to a soft shell and then rolling it into a tube about five or six inches long.  I would guess this lady could do at least twenty of these per minute.  I don’t know what spices they use but they really were worth the multiple trips. 

We have gone a second time for tacos and will no doubt return for more.  We just have to be hungry for a pork taco breakfast on Sunday morning.

Sunrise, Sunset #2

 

I posted an earlier Blog about the beautiful sunrises and sunsets here in Belize.  However, they are so beautiful I think they deserve another entry.

Chuck and Sharon Cobbs, our friends from Atlanta, were visiting last week.  On Saturday evening we went to the Lazy Croc for dinner.  When we left, the Manager took out picture with the sunset behind us.

We got up on Sunday morning with the sun rising over the reef.  

Nothing more to be said.

Options for Tyson

Gail stopped working at Tyson a few days before we left Arkansas to come to Belize.   She thinks and talks about Tyson and the people there quite often.

In comparison to Tyson, one of the larger employers here on Ambergris Caye is the Belikin beer distributor.  They have their own distrribution warehouse.

You go to the Belikin “depot”, order a case of beer, and they will deliver it to you.  When they deliver the beer they also pick up your empty bottles and the plastic carrying case.  The bottles are worth twenty five cents each and the case is five dollars.  You see the John Deere tractors going around the island all of the time pulling a wagon full of beer to be delivered.

The other day when we went to order a case of beer, Gail commented on the parking lot and how Tyson Foods could save a lot of room and money if the employees would start using the same mode of transportation as they use here.

We also saw the break room which Gail thought would be another good way for Tyson to save some money.

Now that Gail is no longer at Tyson, what a “Company Girl” she has turned out to be!!!!!

FISH

Our condo is about fifty paces from the ocean.  We have a pier that goes about a hundred feet into the water. 

At the end of the pier there is a school of several thousand fish. 

There are Red Snapper, silver fish with a black split tail called Jacks, and some called Grunts because they make a funny noise when you catch them, and Angel fish.  All of these are from about eight inches to twelve inches long.  They should be bigger but there are so many that I don’t see how they can find enough food to survive let alone grow. 

Because of this school of fish there are also Barracuda that feed on them.   We saw Tarpon, Manta Ray, and Bone fish off the end of the dock the other evening as well.  (People come from around the world to catch the Bone fish.  They are supposed to be stronger per inch than any other fish.  Many people use fly rods to catch them.  They do not eat them, only catch and release.) 

Not only is the variety of fish amazing but the quantity is as well.  The last several weeks we have been having Sardines by the tens of thousands.  They are caught in nets commercially and also  used by the fishermen for bait.   Our neighbor caught some the other day off the dock for us to use.

One of the guys who works at the tour company next door threw out his net from his boat and caught so many Sardines he could not lift the net.  He had to release some of the fish in order to get the net into the boat.

The Pelicans love the Sardines also.  They fly overhead until they see some in the water and then they dive and scoop them up in their large bills.

After they finish eating, they come and relax on our dock.

Our friends went out in their boat fishing for Grouper.  They were gone for only a couple hours and came home with some really nice fish.

Here is a thirty two pound Wahoo.  These fish can get up to eighty pounds and they have a Wahoo contest each year.

This fish is called a Lion fish.  It is pretty in the water but it has spines, or fins, that are poisonous.  Thye are not good to eat and are abrasive to the reef.  They have no natural enemy so it is encouraged to catch or spear these fish to get rid of them.

Every night at some time you see Tarpon come to the end of our dock.  I took pictures of them the other night.  Although they are about four feet long I had to use a flash in order for them to show.  When I looked at the picture it appeared as though their eyes were glowing.  Kinda eerie.

Overall, if you like fish, this is a great place to be.

The Wall

On the southern end of town, across the street from the library, is the San Pedro Elementary school.  It is a two story building with many small individual rooms.  It reminds me very much of a Motel 6.  The school and soccer field are surrounded by a wall about six feet high made of concrete block covered with stucco.  It used to be painted a plain, dull beige.

One day Gail and I went to the library.  I DID NOT TAKE MY CAMERA.  While we were at the library, across the street, some of the teachers and students were painting the wall.  The adults were painting murals of fish and sea creatures.  The children had round dobbers full of paint and were covering the wall with bubbles.

The wall used to be plain.

Now it has character.

Sunrise, Sunset

Our condo faces almost directly east.  We see some fantastic sunrises.

Almost every day is different.

The various cloud conditions make each sunrise beautiful.

And, at the end of the day, eventhough the sun sets on the opposite of the island, it creates a beautiful glow to the sky on this side. 

Even this sunset on a rainy day provided a spectacular rainbow.

After dark there are hundreds of brilliant stars in the sky.  I think they appear brighter here than back in Arkansas because there are no trees here to block your view.  And, every Thursday we see cruise ships pass by going from Belize city to the Cancun area. 

Actually, when you think about it,  there is really not a part of the day that is not beautiful.

Cemetery

Gail and I have been riding our bikes and investigating many of the aspects of the island.  One of the things we have not encountered is a cemetery.  While we were downtown I asked one of the ladies selling jewelry if there was one on the island.  She told us to just go down to the beach and we would see this white wall behind which is the cemetery.

We found the wall and it is hard to believe the cemetery is located so close to the beach.

 The ground, of course, is totally sand and very susceptible to storm surges.  However, we were told the wall was recently rebuilt to protect the cemetery from these large waves.  Prior to being rebuilt, the wall was only about waist high.  Inside the wall is a lovely cemetery.

The cemetery is very small and we were told that normally when someone dies their remains are sent back to where their family originated.  Also the cemetery used to be larger but a developer bought part of it somehow and built a hotel right on top of the graves (Wasn't it the movie The Exorcist where a neighborhood was built on a cemetery and the bodies started to rise from the ground?).

Although it is very small, it is a very beautiful spot in the heart of San Pedro.