9 September, Belize

Met a Canadian Living in Belize

My night was a bit rough as my room was right next to the river and the platform. So people sat out there talking and then security in the middle of the night, then first thing kids. So it was broken and I was pretty exhausted. Could see the rings under my eyes. It was checkout at 11am which was good.

I went and grabbed a coffee and went next door. It was like walking into a bar, a few Belizian men sitting around. I went and asked about breakfast. I had US dollars on me just a few left over, so would buy with that. I saw outside under cover overlooking the water. I started writing my diary. Then I saw a white woman at the next table, I felt to talk with her.

Turns out she is Canadian and lives in Belize for 18 years. She used to manage the Belcove nextdoor. She and I talked about life. She said she was from around Burlington, Canada. I was there for a few months with my ex. She said her and her husband of 30 years had copped out. I said it is not a cop out she had realized there was more to life than working for the car, the house etc. She said they had just built a huge place and then they decided to get rid of it all. Her husband had been a helicopter pilot. She said she had felt a connection to Belize and felt she had known her husband before and her children and family members. We talked about reincarnation and I talked about my research in near death. She mentioned 2012 to my surprise. She also felt that changes were coming. I told her I wrote about it in a poem called ‘encryption of a new earth’. She said she had actually seen a UFO and she said it hovered over the top of her, it came back a few times. She said on the last time she felt this pressure on her chest it was so intense she got up and ran to the neighbours house. So she had no doubt they exist. I felt I needed to get to know this woman, she was very spiritual and she had had psychic experiences in her life.

Life in Belize

She said that Belize is both heaven and hell and that they had done a complete about turn. Their friends thought they were crazy to give it all up. They saw nothing in the life in Canada. They ended up finding land here and for some time worked between Belize City and the property. They started off renting a place surrounded by bush. Her husband is a handy man so can pretty much turn his hand to anything. They then made friends with a Belizean farmer down the road who they did a business deal with. They were involved in exotic animal trade (above board), they also had a pet shop so they were interested in animals. They had snakes, crocks and turtles, spiders etc. Apparently the tranchelas here are big but not poisonous, thank god. So they ended up on a piece of land which they set up water tanks, pumping water from the river, which at the moment is very full and they had solar cells. After speaking with Heather (Canadian friend), she said she was visiting a healer, I asked if I could go with her, I was still figuring out where next. Then she suggested I could come to her property, it was a fair way out and there was to be a festival in Belize city. I was tossing which to go. She went to the bank and I came with her. I then was asked to pull out a name in a draw. Then a man next to me got talking and said I could stay in a place for a week for 25 US which was good. So I had an option of staying in Belize, I decided to go to Heather’s place. Turns out I am glad I did.

We caught the old bus with all the Belizians on it. She is one of the few white people living here. They seemed nice. I took a few shots out the window. They have lived in this remote area (1 hour north of Belize City) for 18 years.

Her neighbour came and picked us up from the bus in an old Toyota pick up. We went to the local shop and she bought some food. Up the road further we got some beers. It was hot here and a beer was welcome. The pick up was having mechanical problems it sounded like the fuel-line was blocked, the guy, a mechanic said some water was in the fuel-line. It was suggested that fuel can sometimes have water in it. So it was jumping around which was a nice part of the adventure. We drove down a track (not sealed) with forest on either side, the car broke down. A friend was behind so he took out groceries and bags and we went up to her little bungalows. I met her husband Dan a fit looking man. He had just got back from Canada caring for his parents and doing some work up there. They had challenges with work permits and Heather was going for permanent residency. She will live and die here.

Cancer in the family

She told me about her life and how her daughter got leukemia and how she was a bag of bones towards the end. Her healer friend was mentioned by the daughter as she was being transported to hospital across the boarder. She said she saw him. Turns out the healer was sending healing to her at the exact moment the daughter saw him as they were driving. I felt for Heather, the pain of watching her only daughter die and leaving behind a grandchild, she was only 41. She said they would meet again and that keeps her going. She feels the hole in her life. She said the medication was too much and they had the nurses stop it. She said when Wendy was lucid she said she felt her parents were trying to kill her. Too many chemicals and morphine is pretty horrible. She found the hospital intervention disturbing and wondered if they went another way what the outcome would be. She did realise it was Wendy’s time, and she does believe we all have a time on earth. She told me she dreamed when Wendy was 10 years that she was in a big white building with polished floors and her daughter had cancer. It was a dream she remembered over the years and it turns out the white building was the hospital. She is very sensitive and was aware of the future, albeit a distressing one. She is an incredible woman and I felt deeply privileged to hear her story. So many people have similar stories of losing children to cancer.

Central American Violence and Corruption

I’ve been told about the wars and banditry. The revolutions in El Salvador and Guatemala were to overthrow dictators. These governments just plundered the wealth, it was really appalling and it affected the culture. Dan was saying if you drop your wallet rather than someone saying ‘you dropped your wallet’, they will take it quickly to get the money. Money is everything. They learn the dishonesty from the government who had no integrity. Apparently, the government now is better than the last but there are problems in this part of the world. I was told not to wear anything that looks valuable and to keep a low key, which I will. I will keep out of the big cities and try and couch surf in smaller places. I am told to stay close to tourists. My friend has been held up at gun point and her money pouch taken. She said she was silly to display it openly. So there is a lesson there. Part of me is unsure but I feel pulled to go from a spiritual perspective, I have to go to Tikal in Guatemala (sacred site) and I have to go to Peru (Machu Picchu). I feel I must go, so I will face imagined fears. I do feel I am protected, I do feel it. There are good people everywhere.

Staying in the Forest in Belize

I am staying at their property a few days and learning about Central America. I felt I needed to pause to get a handle on where I am going (Guatemala next stop) and be somewhat prepared. I am staying in a bungalow with toilet and have a comfortable bed. I’ve been told to watch out for tranchelas and scorpions. I have a torch so must get used to looking before I touch anything. Must shake out clothes etc. Dysentery is big in this part of the world and they advised me to cover up and wear insect repellant. They also told me to put lime on a scorpion bite and what it felt like. Apparently there is bot fly and it can lay eggs under your skin, so I have to watch for that too. He used hydrochloric acid in a tube to get the larvae out. Apparently they shoot up little shafts for blow holes so they get oxygen, Dan’s idea was to cut off the oxygen supply then as they gasp and try and get out, you use tweezers, lovely thought ay. Oh well it is reality here.

So far I have found frightening frogs in the toilet, just joking, cute little frogs in there which I clear out before the royal flush. I saw a huge tree frog and am told cane toads are the size of small dogs. I am surrounded by bush and it is very peaceful. This is a place of great diversity and bird life. I can hear howling from the forest apparently that is the monkeys, and I am keen to see them. Last night I had a look at the stars, oh my god so many, it is clear out here. I also saw to my amazement firefly’s. They look like little lights turning on and off as they fly. It was beautiful. There was lightening flashes across the sky. So beautiful. I am lucky the mozies aren’t so bad.

The Environment

I had a chat to Dan and Heather about the environment. They said it has definitely changed here. The weather was clock work up until 5 years ago, then it changed. They have had serious flooding and changes that are unexpected. There have been huge jumps in temperature from 48 Fahrenheit (10 degrees) to 102 Fahrenheit (over 30 degrees).

He said in Canada they had twisters, hurricane’s and he has no doubt climate is changing. I told him about the first tornado in Australia and the fires. He said his neighbour has been a farmer here all his life and he also agrees the weather has changed. They have to plant at certain times, if that changes, then they notice immediately. The land is much drier in their experience. The mozzies (mosquitoes) are less but in reality it is a problem. Dan is watching the frogs. I was thinking the same thing. Dan also told me about the environment in Guatemala and how there was deforestation near the border and then as you go to El Salvador it is bare. I asked him how the people survive, he says there is some cultivation but the place is stripped bare he doesn’t know how they survive. It is the poorest country in Central America. As a pilot he has flown over many countries.

Denial of Change

I think about the Rotarians back in Australia who were supposed to support my work and some of their beliefs that climate change was fallacious, I see such a foolishness in denial of reality. The truth is people don’t want to admit their responsibility and are unwilling to change lifestyle, they want to live the good life, but for how long?

2012

Dan was saying there was an iceberg the size of New York broken off. He thinks we are doomed. I don’t think so, I think we are headed for a major transition that will be remarkable. Heather also feels that. So we will see what the truth is in 2012. If I am wrong then I think Dan is right, as I don’t see any significant changes as I am traveling, it is incredibly business as usual, the earth can’t sustain it. However, I can say there is hope as I was inspired for peace, that didn’t happen for no reason. People don’t seem to be aware, educated or able to change for the next generation. Heather was saying a comet went very close to the planet the last couple of days. Depending on its trajectory it could come back. Heather believes there will be an axis shift (as distinct from a pole shift), a comet could do that. I wrote that in my poetry, so it may happen. That changes the tilt and the wobble of the planet. It could be a major catastrophe, my feeling is to not live near the coast. Heather and I are also discussing the flooding in India. I flew over the Punjab, the bread basket of India. I didn’t realise the flooding was so extensive. I felt deeply concerned when she is speaking in terms of 30 million plus, she was horrified by the numbers. She wondered about the negative energy in India. My thoughts went to Kashmir, holding millions of people under house arrest and controlling their lives, not good karma and history repeating itself, rather than British oppression it became Indian government oppression. It amazes me we don’t learn from the past. I hope my friend is okay in Kashmir. When I get close to wireless I will find out. I found the flooding disturbing, so many people dying and without food or shelter. You cannot imagine how traumatic that must be. I feel some concern when I don’t know where I am staying for one night, what if I am in a disaster, then what. We take so much for granted when safe and sound watching t.v. In reality the television cannot capture the truth of these situations. If they were me, how do we respond?

To finish off this stream of consciousness… ending up in the forest with Heather was no mistake. So I am working on myself spiritually. There is purpose in this trip, I do feel it. That is my strength. The unknown is where I must go.