Other Cacao Fest Activities

These gals can DANCE!

 

Lots of dancing fun.  Young feller trying to upstage me after my cartwheels (yeah right).

Mayan hand weaving rugs

Some more pics of the Belizean candy.

This stuff is good fa sure.  Later on I'll post some pics of the factory we visited. 

Party

Chocolate and wine, oh hell yeah!  The annual Cacao Fest was held 20-22 May.  I was amazed to learn how much cacao is grown in southern Belize by mostly Mayan villagers.  Also the surprising to me was the amount and quality of chocolate treats made and sold.  A lot Belizean chocolate is made and sold into international markets.






Wine with chocolate?  Oh hell yes.  It was good. 

Fireworks were very good and made for a nice finale.

A taste of the beans was a bit bitter.  but after they were processed into chocolate the candy was of excellent quality.

Some really cool musica made for a good atmosphere.

Some of the chocolate producers.  I'll have some pics of one of the factories in another blog.  But all I can say is I ate way too much candy, but it was damn good.

All in all, an excellent night.  Chocolate, wine, music, good people, nice atmosphere, and fireworks.  Yup.

The not so good hotel in Punta Gorda

Punta Gorda Cacao Fest 2011

Well boys and girls, like I promised from the start of this here blog, I’ll give ya the naked truth.  All of it – the good bad and ugly – and not try to sell you on some paradise.  So this is the report on the PG Cacao fest in May 2011.

I'll break this into four reports: The hotel; The Cacao Fest activities; Singing and dancing in the streets; and food.

Unfortunatly I'll start on the bad with the hotel, But trust me, the Friday night Wine & Chocolate Party was freaking awsome.  I'll be back soon with pics and notes on that.

The Bad

I really hate to rate the Charlton's Inn under the bad catagorie.  But I must tell the truth as I see it.  Upon arraivle to PG we checked in to our reserved room.  The room is nice, clean and big for a hotel.  It has good air conditioning (which really needed this time of year), a full kitchen sans microwave, TV, and is a convientient location to the Village Center.

Views from the balconony are not great due to all the other structures around, but not bad either considering the location and the price.

I also will give props to the price.  I feel it is a decent price at $40US a night considering I find a LOT of hotels in Belize to be largely over-priced.

Unfortunately there were too many problems that interfered with having a good stay at this hotel in my opinion.  The absolute biggest fator was that after the first night we got up and began to shower, I had to shit and shave, and then the water stopped.  So now I have no way to get cleaned and can’t continue my shower, and have a toilet full of shit.

A little investagtion showed me water was fine up to the 2^rd floor but of on the 3^rd where I was at.  The staff first told me they had turned off the pump and would put it back on.  After a couple hours and still no water they told me they have water pressure problem throughout the town, but with pumps you don’t get water the a 2^nd floor and not the 3^rd.  it seemed obvious to me that while doing some of the construction here someone had turned off a water valve, but the staff didn’t seem to care enough to correct this issue.

So we went to the festivals half cleaned and with shit in the toilet.  They had it cleaned and the water back on by the time we returned around midnight.

Another very irritating problem is that the hotel offers WiFi connection.  But it was only available at most about one hour during my stay 2 day stay here.  Even though I mentioned to the staff early in my stay that it wasn’t on, I was just told it was on and they really didn’t look into the issue.  I have a state-of-the-art laptop and connect to wireless all around Belize.  I can tell when I have a good signal, low signal, or no signal.  I this case once in a while I would get a good strong signal from the hotel.  Then it would just disappear as if being turned of. 

Dogs barking.  Damn dogs about two doors down left tied up underneath the poarch barked all flipping night long.  Pissed me off.  I mean like what’s wrong with those people.  Now that is obviously not the hotel’s fault, but it made sleeping very difficult.

Damn crazy chirren won't let me sleep

I went for a peaceful sleep on the beach-side deck to the sounds of the waves slowing caressing the shoreline.  About 1am I awoke to Mr. Lido licking my face and Mr. Rum biting my ankle.  I don't know what is going on with these chirren.

Guatemala or Punta Gorda?

I was thinking of going to Flores Guatemala this week.  But then heard about the Cacao Fest just a bit south of here.  Either way, I'll write a review and get some pics. 

Which do you think I should do?

http://toledochocolate.com/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Flores_%28Guatemala%29

Red Bank, Belize (DRAFT)

Red Bank Belize is a small Mayan village near mile 36 of the Southern Highway.  There is a sign on the highway showing a road that heads west, The Village is about four miles down a graded dirt road.  Although the road is graded, it’s still very rough so it took me a while to get there has I don’t want to break my pony’s tires. 

BLUF – It’s a good place to visit if you come this away (and I bet most of you don’t know wat BLUF means ha ha ha).

Three things that I know of make Red Bank interesting.  I think the most think interesting to visitors are the Scarlet Macaws.  Thing on that, however, is that they migrate so you have to get there at the right time for that.  I was too late this year, but maybe next time…  Another are the waterfalls.  The river that runs down stream is teaming with fish, so take a hook and a line with ya.  The third thing is the Village itself.  Full of mayan culture, very friendly people, and very much influenced my the Church of Latter Day Saints.  In fact, the main events almost every evening revolve around the Church.  Needless to say I got me some strange looks when I walked into the service with a beer in hand.

But I got there and went for a lil walkabout.  Further west of the Village is a campground and some trails that head out to the waterfalls.

Panaramic view of the camp grounds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCZwBaW9BFs

Scarlet Macaw Bed & Breakfast.  This place is at the eastern most edge of the Village and the only place you can get a beer for miles around.  They have a few very basic rooms, but for $25BZ I was happy

The rooms consist of a bed, a fan, and a light.  But they were clean and secure.  Basic room was $25.  Room was a bed and fan.  That was all I needed.  They have electricity but other than a basic kitchen not much else.  My cell phone wouldn’t connect from out there and that was fine as I didn’t want to hear from anybody anyway. 

Amenities --Biliken $3.50.  Soda $1.  Dinner of hot dog, scrambled eggs, refried beans, and more fried jack than I could possibly fit into my belly was $7.00.  The good conversation with Florentiono and the nice young lady that cooked was free.  So it was a nice place to get some rest and refuel before hiking to the nearby waterfalls.

If you want to tell them you are coming, call the owner Florintino at 660-6320.  It’s not like you have to make a reservation, but if you want dinner or any other amenities it might be good to give time to get supplies.

A few of the bare essentials you need when hiking.  There are more, but these are a definite MUST TAKE. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOKM92n7ef4

Seems most of my videos at the falls, village, and B&B, didn’t come thru.  So this is still in DRAFT.  Guess I have to take me a lil walk back there for some pictures, and get that gal to fix  me up some more dinner to fill my belly.  So more to come later.

BTW, would you stay at the bed & breakfast?  I just wonder how picky you guys are?

Be sure to take a few of the bare essentials you need when hiking.  There are more, but these are a definite MUST TAKE. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOKM92n7ef4

Easy and good recipe

Almond Crusted Chicken Chicken is one of the foods that is very easy to get here in belize.  We get free chicken because they are running around everywhere!  So we try and find different ways to fix them up.  Here is a good one my old hen found.  Easy to make, quick, and very tasty: · 1 egg, 1 lb boneless chicken breast (pounded thin), 1 cup sliced almonds (coarsely chopped), salt and pepper · Whisk egg, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Dip the chicken breast into the egg mixture and dredge in almonds (only on one side). · Heat a skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with unrefined coconut oil. · Sautee chicken on one side (almond side first) over medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through.

Guard Dog

Alex the plumber came over the other day.  My guard dog ran over very quitely and licked his legs.  At two AM this morning Lido was fighting and barking at a piece of rebar I had left in the yard.  He's locked up in the Lido Cave for a while.

Belizean White Fish Recipe

Baked Fish Fillet

· 4 fish fillet, 1 onion (sliced), 1 tomato (chopped), 1 green pepper (chopped), 1 can mushroom

· Butter a baking dish.

· Put onion, fish, mushroom, salt and pepper in the baking dish.

· Put tomatoes and green pepper.

· Pour 3~4 Tbsp cooking (white) wine and 1 Tbsp lime juice and put mayonnaise on the top.

· Cover the dish with foil and bake it at 460 for 25 ~ 30 minutes.

· Use tartar sauce when eating if you like.

The planets are aligning

 Last night I went to the porch and see the planets align. Mr. Rum and Mr. Lido joined me. I didn’t see the planets, but me old hen come and said something angry about me walking around the village all day naked and drinking rum. Then she whacked me over the head with the shovel, I saw lots of stars and slept well all night. Now it’s time to wake her up tell her to make me some damn ice cream!