Split Peas, Pig Tail and Rice and Beans

Split peas, Pig Tail, RIce and Beans..........

Shopping for food in Belize is an experience in itself. My first reaction was that of panic when I discovered the limitations I was feeling in noticing the absence of some of my favourite foods. No one could argue about the traditional food of Belize being Rice and Beans, which is not to be confused with Beans and Rice. A sister dish, but definitely different, is beans-and-rice, which is the stewed beans served with white rice (not cooked together). I have come to the conclusion that this has to be a favourite dish as when I asked two separate classes what their favourite food would be, the unanimous response was "Rice and Beans!" Belizeans are proud of their National Dish. Another staple Belizean dish is Ceviche with Conch and Shrimp. My first attempt started one morning while on an early walk. A young boy asked us if we wanted to buy lobster. In my ignorance, I truly thought we were buying lobster until he placed the conch in my hand. On the internet I discovered that lobster is another name for conch. I was curious how the boy could sell seafood and get to school on time and when I asked him what school he attended, his response was that he did not attend school. When we got home, I cut the conch into tiny pieces and boiled it for a very short time. Conch is very notorious for being tough. I added the juice of several limes, tomatoes, cilantro, onions and cucumbers.

The breakfast favourites seem to be either Fry Jacks which are fluffy fried dough crescents or Johnny Cakes which are flattened baking powder biscuits. The latter I successfully made without measuring utensils or cups! Most of the coffee served in this country is instant despite the local coffee industry. Mexican fast food stands can be found everywhere in Belize with options of Tamales and garnaches which are crispy tortillas under a small mound of tomatoes, cabbage, cheese and the ubiquitous Marie Sharpe hot sauce. Numerous Chinese restaurants can be found everywhere. James and TJ have had fun with take outs more than once. Tonight it was chop suey, sweet and sour chicken and chow mein. I was shocked to see the amount of earth "unfriendly" styrofoam used in Belize for anything disposable.......despite having said that....I have yet to see anything in aluminum cans. The soda is like a blast from the past with the long glass coke and fanta bottles and all beer comes in bottles as well.

The Mennonites supply the domestic market with eggs, dairy, fresh milk, cheese and vegetables. They also are involved with cattle and feed farming. Practicing organic farming, they grow peanut, potato, corn, beans, tomato, watermelon, carrot, papaya, sweet pepper (green peppers are called sweet peppers here because they are not hot peppers), cabbage and cilantro. Everyday there is fresh cilantro at the market. They are easily identified by their old fashioned apparel. The women wear long, dark dresses with aprons and hats while the men wear coveralls, checkered shirts and cowboy hats. I have not seen them as vendors in the market but have seen them supplying their products to the vendors.

Food can even be purchased on your doorstep if you happen to hear the daily morning call of "Baked Goods" along with a distinctive squeaky bike horn. Panades are little meat pies and sold all over town on numerous bikes.

The things people may notice being different from kitchens in Canada would perhaps be the painted, brown concrete floor, cold water only in taps, open face shelving that exposes the plumbing and three very large empty vegetable oil containers holding our supply of water. The rat traps under the counter are luckily for us intact and empty. We have resident geckos also in the kitchen who have a nightly ritual of leaving us little droppings on the counter for us to wake up to. Our decor on our counter would be that of local jumbo pineapples (note the plural). I have given up trying to keep the kitchen free of the ever present film of dust and layer of dirt on everything. In the end, coffee still is as satisfying especially after locating a local Belizean source of organic java. Ahhh! Don't you just love it when some things are the same?






Here is a recipe for Rice and Beans for fun!

1 lb. Red Kidney Beans
2 cloves Garlic (crushed)
1 tsp. Salt 1 cup coconut Milk (either squeezed from grated coconut or bought prepared, canned, or made from powered variety) I use the powder.
½ tsp. Black pepper
½ tsp. Thyme
2 lbs. cleaned Rice
1 medium Onion (sliced)
6-8 cups of water
1 small pigtail or salt beef or pieces of bacon

Method

1. Wash the beans, then soak beans for 4 hours, using the 6-8 cups of water. If you are using distilled water, then soaked beans only needs 2 hours to soften.

2. Boil beans until tender, with the garlic, onion and pig’s tail/or salted beef or bacon pieces. Note: pre-wash the pigtail or salt beef and cut off excess fat. You can use a pressure cooker to cut down on the time.

3. Season beans with black pepper, thyme and salt. Note: You may opt not to add the salt if you used salt beef or pigtail above.

4. Add coconut milk. Stir and then let boil.

5. Add rice to seasoned beans. Stir, then cover. Cook on low heat until the water is absorbed and rice is tender. If necessary, add more water gradually until rice is tender. Note: Usually, one cup of rice absorbs two cups of water, although rice grains can vary in the amount of water they absorb.

Uniforms,School Children, Mad Dogs and Boa Constrictors

We are settling into a seemingly predictable schedule yet inevitably with unpredictable results. TJ appears to be enjoying 1st Form at Corozal Community College but he would rather die than admit it to me. After all........he was supposed to be home schooled but his mother deviously changed her mind and enrolled him in local school! Lack of qualification was my plea. None the less...........he looks handsome in his new uniform with the green epaulettes.
The highlight of my day is the afternoons when I volunteer at St. Paul's by the Sea Anglican Primary School. There are currently 180 students in the school that is connected to the church by a common courtyard. The backdrop is the amazing view of Corozal Bay which is a continuation of the Caribbean Sea, punctuated by palms. I love it when I get to engage the class in conversation especially when I read to them but mostly I work one on one.
This morning I drove to the market instead of walking with my backpack as I had planned on buying fresh chicken. Everything has to be orchestrated in a different key here rather than at home. Food preparation takes more effort and time as space and supply offers. I had just enough time to get my errands done before I walked to school after lunch. After crossing the busy highway that leads to Mexico, a large,vicious, black dog appears out of nowhere and attempts to attack me. The dog is going for my face and all I can think about is getting away. I manage to run to the parallel lane where the dog corners me. As I am screaming, I look for help at the house I am next to but the lady walks away from the open doorway. My heart beating through my mouth, I feel so lucky that I am unscathed and intact and run home as fast as I can. Andy and I decide to drive to where the incident took place only to find the dog chained in the yard of that very same house! The owner admits his wife saw the dog trying to attack me and agrees to Andy's request to keep the dog on a chain. Yikes! My daily walk to school now must include a detour for safety. Thoughts of a black dog baring his teeth are soothed after spending time with the children. I took these photos today to share with everyone.
Yesterday morning as Andy and I went for a walk, I noticed a large snake dead in our driveway. I reasoned that the snake must have been poisonous as it had a geometric pattern of diamonds on it's skin. When Marco arrived that morning, instead of asking him cooking or food questions, I ask him if he can identify the snake for me. My reaction to his response that it was a Boa Constrictor initially makes me laugh nervously. We reason that Andy must have killed the snake when he drove over it taking TJ to school. What a hero! Now I refuse to walk through long grass!!

Reflections of Corozal

Papayas Grow in Corozal

Driving to Corozal from Belize City took two hours including a stop for soft chicken tacos at a roadside stand in Orange Walk. The land here is low and plain with vast fields of sugar cane and the road is paved and narrow. We have been advised against driving in the dark due to the unlit ubiquitous speed bumps on The Northern Highway and the lack of street lights.
Corozal is a quiet seaside town only eight miles from the border of Chetumal Mexico and has 9,000 inhabitants. Spanish is spoken prevalently.
Upon arriving eight days ago, we were greeted by Marco and Graham who have been working on our house non stop. The interior of the house has been freshly painted with a robin egg blue and a sage green trim. I keep pinching myself to think that we have such a dazzling turquoise blue water view to look at from our house! Andy and TJ swim in the water which is only a mere walk across the road. We found out yesterday that there are crocodiles in that very area when the water gets murky. Yikes! There is a steady stream of traffic passing by our house at all hours of the day and night. Yesterday an 18 wheeler semi lost it's front wheel next to our house. How lucky that no one was hurt. Passengers who sit in the back of an open truck are a common sight.
School started for TJ on Monday at Corozal Community College which is 1.5 miles away from our house.. The only way to purchase a uniform is to buy the required fabric and have a tailor sew it. The tailored white shirt includes epaulettes and khaki pants. I think he looks pretty sophisticated now! TJ seems to like school and has been making friends. Getting to school at 7:30 is a new challenge as everything starts early here.
Our first night was torture with the canine residents and unfortunate for us, we live next door to some very large guard dogs who insist on serenading us through the entire night. After 2 PM, I successfully found earplugs that gave me some much needed relief.
We were greeted at St. Paul's by the Sea on the first Sunday with a packed service including the children from the connecting Anglican school. It was so very heartwarming to have so many people attending. Bishop Philip Wright conducted the service which included prayers for Andy, James, TJ and myself.
My daily routine also includes an afternoon visit to the school where I am helping with literacy on a one to one basis. To familiarize myself with the children, I visited two classrooms and read to each class. I wanted to engage them in conversation and suggested we could have a show of hands indicating how many children had dogs. Much of the class raised their hands and to my amusement just as many hands were lifted when I asked how many children did not have a dog. Smiles are given more than generously and whenever I am outside in the shade with a student, there are always curious onlookers nearby. These children have the most wonderful and loving hearts. I truly love them and feel quite popular in their company. It is so sad to think that some children are HIV positive. Frequently to my delight while walking in Corozal, I hear "Hello Miss Sandy".
We have just got WiFi in the house. We were surprised how expensive the service is and how SLOW the connection is. Getting this blog posted will definitely take some patience.
Our morning quest usually consists of going to the market and searching for fruit and veggies. Local papayas and pineapples are our favourites. There is not a huge selection of veggies and basically all the vendors sell the same varieties. We became friends with Dora who sold us a humungous papaya and Antonio who sells us his tiny apple bananas that are sold for $1.The Mennonites raise fresh poultry so we have been eating chicken frequently. Today on our walk, we were greeted by a very young boy who was selling conch (pronounced conk and also known locally as lobster). When I asked him what school he attended, his response was that he instead worked with his dad fishing. We decided to buy some to celebrate James arriving yesterday from Mexico. Although it is the meat from a shell, it reminds me of octopus and not overcooking it can be quite a challenge. We all agreed today at lunch that conch needs lots of chewing. Hmmmm......I hope that is not a reflection of my culinary skills which have been put to the test recently! The first day I arrived home after paying an over inflated tourist's price for red snapper, Marco was quite shocked to think that I was throwing the head away........yup.......eyeballs and all in the trash. He insisted I cook the most nourishing part of the fish to make soup. Without any recipe and a quick run to the market, I concocted up a curry fish soup and to my amazement it was delicious. Marco is now my cooking guru. It is him whom I ask when I cannot figure out what to do with an oddly shaped vegetable that has an unrecognizable name.
Our SUV has broken down more than once but luckily Marco has a broad range of skills besides sharpening my knife! The vehicle is now once again back on the road for us to share. Andy also purchased a new bike to give us options and especially for when he will be away more than a couple of days on the road leaving us carless.
Our next door neighbour Mr. Chavez invited us to a party last night at his house. The food was mostly Mexican/Belizean and the music lively. At one point Andy and I decided to join in the dancing. Fancy footwork is not our strength but at one point everyone oohed and ahhed and clapped. Initially I was curious at to whether I missed something but alas they definitely were applauding either our lack of skill or bravery but I highly doubt it was our talent! My next challenge was to try and be gracious and stifle my laughter. I wanted to laugh until I cried. Mr. Chavez lives in quite an opulent house. The wealthy in Belize is definitely a minority.
Going and leaving our house requires a locking a series of doors, gates and chains. Even our washing machine must be chained and padlocked. Whenever we are out and about, the jingle of keys can be heard in our pockets.
I was sworn at very loud this morning at the market with some pretty vulgar words when I refused to give a Creole man any money. He was shouting profanities to me which definitely caught everyone's attention. Luckily this is the exception. The people of Corozal have been very welcoming. Every time I hear Miss Sandy on the street, my heart leaps with joy.

Saying Goodbye to Friends

Today is our last day in Belize City. The city was busy today with tourists with three cruise ships in the port to be tendered. We will come back for visits from time to time during our stay in Corozal. We will visit Cordelia and purchase pineapples. We took two for the road today. We will visit Irene who sells the best selection of produce and Mr Cadrones who owns the bakery. We may even meet up with Emmerson the wood carver on the seawall or John the self appointed tour guide.

Reflections of Belize City

A Pineapple a Day and a Cacophony of Dogs

After an uneventful flight to Seattle and afterwards an overnight in Dallas Fort Worth Texas, we were almost denied boarding our flight to Belize. American Airlines seemed to think that Visas were necessary. Luckily after what seemed like ages, we were issued our tickets and on our way. Prior to that while we were standing at the ticket desk, I was psyching myself to think that the hotel we stayed at wasn't that bad to return for another evening despite the freezing temperature. The microwaved egg sandwiches in the lobby restaurant were even okay.

As we flew over the jungle of Belize, my first impression was that of amazement. Lush green trees that seemed to go on forever were the palate of the landscape from up above. Belize City doesn't really seem like I city...... I have been told that there are three traffic lights but have yet to see any. We are staying in the Diocese Guest House which is situated one building away from the Caribbean Sea. The weather is hot and humid for us but apparently the locals are telling us this is not hot.

Bordered to the north by Mexico and to the west and south by Guatemala, Belize has the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. The country is relatively small with a population of 275,000. The largest ethnic group is Creole.....descendants of British Settler and African slaves. The majority of Creoles reside in Belize City. Half of the population is Mestizo which is a mix of Spanish and Native American heritage. The Garifuna represent another large ethnic segment of African slaves and the Carib and Arawak Indians. There are also Mennonites, Belizean and ancient Mayans.

One could say that walking through Belize City stimulates all senses. There is definitely a Caribbean flavour to this Central American country. Walking in the streets of Belize, one must continually gaze down at the haphazardly edged sidewalks. The city has been a hotspot in the country for serious crime and yesterday this was in the headlines http://edition.channel5belize.com/?p=27643
Despite the dangers that the citizens face, the people are warm and friendly. The intoxicating aroma of food from street vendors and restaurants are everywhere, as is noxious vehicle fumes and open sewers. We have been regular customers with Cordelia who sells mouth watering, fresh pineapple and have met Emmerson by the seawall next to our guest house. At first glance, Emmerson appeared to be a weathered older man riding a bike but when he stopped to carve his piece of mahogany wood with his machete next to where we were sitting (yes we had that thought too), we soon found out he was our age. Andy was playing his guitar and the waters had few lights in the port after the cruise ships left.

The staff at the Anglican Diocese in Belize City have been incredibly helpful and supportive. Cecile (who is the Bishop's secretary) took us out for a seafood lunch yesterday. Today the Bishop took us out for a beautiful lunch that included grilled conch. Tomorrow the Bishop will be taking us to the Cayo district which is close to the Guatemala border. Joe took us to the Belize zoo today which houses the endangered species of Belize. What an afternoon!

My last impression of Belize City was tonight on our way home from the Supermarket. A ramshackle house was getting moved and while it slowly inched its way though the streets in the darkness, we noticed two men standing on the top of the moving house. One man in rubber boots would lift the sagging power lines with a 1x4 wooden stick, while the other man would push down on the metal roofing to allow the house to proceed. People congregated everywhere to watch the spectacle.

We will travel to Corozal on Friday morning to see the parish we will be serving in. St. Paul by the Sea we are told is a gorgeous location and is eight miles from the Mexican border.

One last comment is that of the dog residents in the city. Dogs roam freely in the city so today on my morning seawall walk, I was surprised to see a dog owner walking his dog on a leash. My surprise turned to that of shock. While holding onto the leash, the owner threw his dog into the sea. Maybe this is a new thing........express dog wash! While I write this, the nightly cacophony of dogs barking, rings in my ears. Our resident dogs, Lassie and Rambo live in the yard of the Diocese Guest House. They are quite the characters but I am starting to think they are nocturnal.