Updates on my Belizean Life

I realize it's been awhile sine an update - not intentional...just happen to be working far more than playing.  That tends not to make the best updates (well some of this stuff would, but shouldn't really be public information).

"Other Buddy" Status - So there's this local homeless guy, member of the "Red Top Society" (a collection of rum addicted folks), named Marcos Ash.  He's a most excellent member of society, served in the Belizean military under our very own boat captain Charlie.  Unfortunately he found a rum bottle one day and never found his way out.  Despite his station in life he cleans the beach, fishes, washes people golf carts, and keeps an eye out for all of us in the neighborhood.  He knows my parents by name (and Koda!), he also knows my brother by name...Kendall is apparently too tough.  Despite the fact that I was the first to learn his name; oh well.  I used to be "BUDDY!!" when we walked down the street; now Eric is 'Buddy', and I am 'other buddy' or '2nd buddy'.  I'm okay with it - as long as I'm his buddy.

Lion Fish Hunting (Shark Wrestling) - Lion Fish hunting inevitably leads to shark wrestling.  I've only been out hunting once so far, but as soon as these silly tourists stop filling my dive boats - I'm going again!  Killed 5 of the little coral killing fish slaughtering bastards (it's my blog and I'll curse if I want to).  By far the best part of is making friends with nurse sharks.

See the nurse sharks actually recognize the spears and will start to follow when you enter the water.  Once you kill your first Lion Fish - it's game on.  They will usually shoot into the cave and pull the fish off the spear before you can even get it out of the cave.  Once the shark got in a cave too quick (before me) so I literally had to reach down, grab the shark and pull him out...then I went in for the kill.  Sure in retrospect perhaps pulling a shark out of a cave so I could go in front of him...not the brightest thing I'd done that day.  However I'm pretty sure this shark knew we were friends.  He started finding the fish and taking me to them!  He would come hit my spear or actually nudge me, then swim off - finally I followed him (figured Timmy fell in a well or something).  Sure enough the little guy (5 foot shark) was showing me Lion Fish...genius.  All beats were off when the 13 foot Reef shark started circling.  That's when you put the spear away and point at the guy beside you, 'pretty sure he did it Mr. Shark.'

Paddle Boarding (and falling, and falling, and falling) - I'm like totally a professional paddle boarder now.  Maybe not.  It's however amazingly fun.  I've been once, made it all the way to the reef and had a sit, quiet calm of just the ocean shuffling over the reef.  Next time I'm packing a sandwich in a plastic bag, tying off to a buoy, and spending a little more time in natural contemplation.   I did not successfully manage any standing time...but can manage pretty well on my knees (not like that perverts).

Real Life - It Ain't All Fun (but none of it's bad) - It has been a long month...lots of work.  We've hit busy season and we've got charters and divers and and and.  I actually work for a change.  I can at least see a light at the end - we have a good plan, we've learned our teams skill sets and are ready to adjust things properly.  Unfortunately we keep getting run over by trains as we attempt to get to that light.  We're making progress.

Every One Loves My Hat - Really how could one not love this hat. Sometimes I don't wear it because I get tired of saying "thank you" and "yes, I made it."  Perhaps I'll open a shop, sell them from the dock.