Gettin’ Round—Part 2—On Your Golf Cart

In addition to bicycles, golf carts are probably the most favorite mode of transportation here on the island.   There is seemingly an endless variety of types of golf carts.  There is the most popular four-seater.

Some of these get pretty fancy with leather seats and all.

 

There are many of the sporty 2-seaters as well.

There is also the popular six-seater which is mostly used as a taxi.

Then there are those designed as utility vehicles,

And delivery vehicles.

It would seem that solar powered golf carts would be a viable option here.  To my knowledge, however, this has never been considered, possibly because of the expense.  Almost all of the golf carts here are gas powered.  The argument is that although gas is almost $5US per gallon, electric golf carts are difficult to keep energized, do not go far enough on a single charge, and are dangerous to pedestrians because they can not be heard coming.  Gas golf carts on Ambergris Caye are here to stay—at least for now.

Gettin’ Round—Part 1—Bicycles

There are many modes of transportation here on Ambergris Caye.   Almost all of them involve wheels.  There are even a few methods of getting around on the water that require wheels.

But there is much more diversity on land.   Probably the two most common means of transportation are the bicycle and the golf cart.  Here is the “parking lot” at one of the local grocery stores.

For many people the bicycle is their only means of transportation so they use it very effectively.

It is used for grocery shopping and just taking the family around.

The bicycle style is used for many different things.  It is used by the street cleaner.

It is used by people selling popsicles, ice cream and sodas.

It is used as a traveling vegetable stand.

Even though many of the streets are a long way from being smooth, the island is totally flat.  This helps to make the bicycle an important, cheap, and effective means of transportation here in San Pedro.

You Can Tell When It’s Laundry Day……

You can tell when it’s laundry day just by looking at the railing of our condo's second floor balcony.

Earlier in our blog (November), we showed you a picture of our washing machine.

The only thing that has changed is that the mechanism is now male instead of female.  Somehow I got on the washing end of this machine.  However, once we finish washing the clothes we have to find a place to hang them to dry...that is Gail’s department.  She starts on the balcony and drapes clothes over the railing and all of the chairs.

We have also “inherited” some clothes line and clothes pins from friends (thanks Jackie and Glen from Canada) who have gone home and left these items for us to use.  Gail has strung a three-prong line in one of the guest bedrooms, which can easily handle a big laundry day.

When we do the bed linens we hang them over the railing on the stairs.

Although laundry day does provide some good exercise...especially a good upper body workout with  all of the scrubbing and wringing out...it is going to be nice to have a real washer and dryer when we get home!!

Watching TV- The Hard Way

The other night we were watching Dancing With The Stars and I began thinking how silly we must look.  The furniture in our condo is made of concrete.

The couch is tall so it can have the queen sized bed under it.  Most people’s feet do not touch the ground.    And, although it is covered with pillows, it is extremely hard and uncomfortable.  Also, since our TV is small and the couch is across the room, it is very hard to see the picture if you are on the couch.  So, I have devised a way to sit in the concrete chair.

I place one pillow on one side of the chair and two small pillows on the other side.  I can then drape myself sideways over the concrete arms and face the TV.  The back of the chair works great to hold drinks and the remote.  You also have storage under the concrete chair for beer and soda, which we buy by the case to save money.   This works pretty well for about  an hour or so and then my back begins to ache and I have to rearrange and just walk around or stretch out on the couch for a while.

We only have one wooden chair in the condo and it is like an office chair—not comfortable for TV watching.  So, we have brought in a plastic patio chair for Gail.

This works pretty good when you add a footstool, another stool for a side table, and a pillow or two.

 

We have learned to make do with what we have but it sure will be nice to have a comfortable couch again.

                                                          

More Things You Don’t See In NW Arkansas-2

Beach Bowling

Constructing a building without using 2x4’s

Making friends with the Pelicans and Frigates while cleaning fish.

Lobster traps stored when the Lobster season is closed.

Parking on the right side of the street from the 1^st to the 15^th of the month and on the left from the 16^th to the end of the month.

Non-refrigerated eggs at the grocery store.

Restaurants with outdoor stoves.

Clothes drying outdoors.

Full Moon

Last Saturday night there was a full moon that was the largest and brightest full moon in the last eighteen years.  At about nine o’clock I stepped out on our balcony and took a picture of it.  There were people down at the Palapa playing games but other than that the only light available was from the moon.  These pictures have not been computer enhanced; they are just as it looked that night.

More Things You Don’t See In NW Arkansas-1

Streets with no double yellow center line.  You can pass any time and any where as long as you think you can make it.

Trash cans along the streets that people actually use.

Streets lined with Bougainvilleas of all colors.

School children not allowed to leave the school property while school is in session.  Here they are buying lunch and snacks through the fence.

No Seat Belt.

Beautiful ladies buying and selling Mangos along side the road.

Crocodiles on the beach.

Uncovered garbage trucks and they still don't lose anything and litter the roads.