BEACHES AND BIRTHDAYS

Aloha!  Andrew and I just got back from a (much needed) two-week vacation in Hawaii.  While Andrew has traveled back to the states for work occasionally, I’ve been in Belize since May and was eager for a change of scenery, a break from the grind of dealing with unruly Americans, and some down time to relax and unwind.  Mission accomplished!  Now, I know what you’re thinking.  “You went from one tropical location to another tropical location for your vacation?”  It may seem that way.  But I assure you that Belmopan (where we live and spend the majority of our time) is the steamy, jungly innards of Belize.  It is decidedly NOT a tropical paradise.  And even though Belize’s beaches have sand and palm trees, they do not have the breezy trade winds to cut through the oppressive humidity, the clean, safe and well-maintained open spaces, and the variety of places to go and things to do.  I mean, besides just hanging out on the beach, we went to TARGET!  We saw a movie in a MOVIE THEATER!  We had GOOD WINE (and mai tais)!  We GOLFED!  These are true luxuries coming from Belize, and it was a lovely and relaxing vacation.

Our first stop when we landed in Oahu - a tiki bar called La Mariana Sailing Club.  We love the kitschy vibe of this place.  It's a regular stop when we're on Oahu.

Our dining companion for lunch at La Mariana.

...and our second stop after we landed.  [Insert sound of angels singing here.]

We stayed at the same place (Ko Olina on Oahu) and retraced our footsteps to the spot where we got married.  We even celebrated my birthday with dinner at the same restaurant.  (Hard to believe that was almost four years ago!)  Thanks to all of you for the birthday messages and well wishes!

The view from our room by day...

...and at sunset.  Ahhhhh.  You can see the relaxation.

Birthday dinner overlooking Diamond Head and Waikiki.

But before I cast too dark of a shadow on Belize, we have had some truly memorable moments here.  Before we left for Hawaii, we headed west to the little town of Bullet Tree to the studio of artist Walter Castillo to pick up a painting that we had commissioned.  We met Walter awhile back and had been to his studio a few times previously.  Last time we were there, we talked with him about creating a painting for us that would remind us of the Belize that we want to remember – the colors of the water and forests, the fun-loving and easy-going people, the overall joy of the place.  THAT is how I want to think back on our time here.  He showed us the painting and talked about how he had interpreted our vision and the creative process that went into it.  He pointed out lots of little nuances to it.  And we love it!  I think he completely captured the way we’ll remember this place. 

That's Walter Castillo, showing us the beautiful painting he created for us.

Et voila!  If you look closely, you can spot me and Andrew dancing on the beach.  :)

And we will certainly remember the day we picked it up.  We visited his studio with several friends from work and then had a long lunch afterwards at an off-the-radar, no-name spot that one of our party had visited previously.  It was up in the hills with awesome views of the valley below, and since it was BYOB and everything was made to order, we lingered over lunch for several hours while we talked with each other and the husband and wife proprietors (and drank some wine).  Days like that are what have made our time here truly special.

The view from our lunch spot.

Of course, I shouldn’t make it sound like our time here is finished.  My last day will be February 8, so we still have a bit of a haul to go.  And we will have more beaches and birthdays to come – including Andrew’s birthday next month.