Island Christmas

Hello Family and Friends,

Did everyone have a fabulous Christmas?  How much weight did you gain?  OK. OK.  I won't go there.  As a friend of mine, Robert once explained to me, "Phat" is a good thing".  Hummm.

Bob & I had a wonderful Christmas here on the island.  We were recruited to help decorate our favorite watering hole, Manati's.  We had no idea what we were in for but we had a blast.   This was a two day event.  1st day was hanging ornaments, garland, lights and tassels.  The second day was all about hanging balloons.  Geri is very well organized.  She had recruited plenty of help and everything went very smoothly.  Not to mention, she and her husband Al fed us well for lunch.




Cathy & Geri

 We were to report to Manati's by 10:00 in the morning.  I made a gallon of Bloody Mary's.  I had to make sure we had plenty of vitamins and veggies before we got to work.  Sure enough 1 gallon wasn't nearly enough.  The 2nd day, I brought 2 gallons of Bloody Mary's.  Cathy wanted to make sure we had enough and ended up bringing more.  We were not short of supply this day.  



Bob had a lot of jobs.  He hung garland, bar tended
but his most important job was DJ.
Without music, I'm useless.


Among those helping; were a couple from Houston.  They were sailing south, caught wind about Guanaja and decided to stop for a few days to check it out.  Well, those couple of days has now turned into a month.  We're glad they are still with us celebrating the Holidays.  We'll be bringing in the New Year with them.

Carl & Iris Meredith
Sailors from Houston TX

My Argentinian friend, Mercedes & Jim

Al was in charge of blowing up the balloons.
Don't feel sorry for him.  He brought his air compressor with him.

Mercedes & Iris hard at work.

What a Motley Crew.
(Me, Geri, Iris, Cathy and Mercedes)

Did you notice all our elf hats?  Geri's sister made those for us and had them shipped down.  Thank you, Gwen. 

Now for Christmas day.  I volunteered to cook up a turkey for our potluck at Manati's.  I didn't cook one for Thanksgiving and I felt I missed out.  So, Bob put in an order for a turkey at one of the stores in town.   We went to pick up the turkey a few days before Christmas and I thought Bob was going to shit in his pants.  The lady behind the counter retrieves this big Butterball turkey and said, "That will be 900 lempiras".  My friends, 900 lempiras is $50!  Bob mumbled all day long.  I had warned him it was going to be expensive.

Well, there were 3 other folks bringing turkeys.  So, I wanted mine to be different.  I decided to make a "Texican Turkey".  I soaked my turkey in jalapeno/garlic brine for 15 hours.  After the soak, I stuffed the bird w/seasoned jalapenos and grilled it.  That's right, "grill".  Had I ever done this before?  No.  I went online and did my research & it seemed easy.  Just a little higher maintenance but no worries.  Bob & I got up early to prep the grill and to make sure the bird had plenty of time to cook.  According to all my research it should take 3-4 hours for the 17.5 lb turkey.  (Lunch was being served at noon) 

After soaking in a brine; no need season with additional salt.
I did add a little cayenne to the skin.
Jalapenos are stuffed in the cavity and its stuffed in the
meat (breast and thighs)
We did put foil around the wings and tips of the drumsticks
to keep from burning.

The bird was on for about an hour and everything looked good.  I had left for a few minutes to feed the dogs and when I came back...FIRE!  Oh My God!  I'm not talking a little fire.  I'm talking flames were coming out from all areas of the BBQ Pit.   After all my screaming for water, we got the fire under control and the bird was charred.  I was sick.  We paid how much for this bird only to burn it.   We took it off the pit and assessed the damage.  OK. 



Char means flavor, right?
It doesn't look too bad!

 I over reacted.  It wasn't that bad.  We made more adjustments to the grill and got the bird back on.  After 2.5 hours I decided to check the temp with a thermometer.  I was shocked.  The turkey was done.  How can that be?  I must have Flashed Cooked it by charring it.  I check the breast and the thighs several times and sure enough it was done.   We pulled it off the grill, let the turkey rest for 15 mins and then sliced into it.  WOW!  That was a delicious, juicy and a flavorful turkey. 

As I was carving the turkey, I heard this thump and thump.  I turned around; it was our dog, Hero.  We normally call Hero to this window if we have any bacon or left over meat to give him.  But this time he wasn't waiting for the invite.

Hero... "come on I'm ready to place my order".
"I know you have extra for me".
"Come on, please!"

How can I tell him No.  He's so dang cute.

Well, 2011 is knocking on our door.  We wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous year.  We'll see you guys soon.

Much love,
Bob & Bonnie

It's Time.

I have written and re-written and re-written this blog in my head and on paper several times.  I think I can now post this what without some animosity.  Nope, "think" is not correct, I know I feel no animosity what-so-ever.  So with that said, here we go.

It's time I tell you that we are leaving the Bay Islands.  I have shed lots of tears over this decision but together Bob & I have decided it's time to move on. I knew before coming here that a trial living period would be required for us before we made any final decisions or commitments. I also knew before coming here that Bob had his doubts regarding building & settling down here.  So the conclusion is that the lifestyle here on this secluded island is too slow & boring for Bob.  He wants more.  He wants to have more choices of things to do and I do understand his feelings & needs.  The seclusion of this undeveloped and unspoiled island is not for everyone.

It's also time I come to terms with the fact that MY dream of owning a beach bar on this great island is not in the cards right now.   I'll admit I was very upset, hurt, disappointed and flat out pissed about this outcome.  Bob & I worked hard to be where we are today. To come so close to making MY dream come true and then to walk away breaks my heart.  I have learned that we can share the same goals, share the same bed, share the same great memories but that doesn't mean we share the same dreams.  Guanaja has and will always hold a special place in my heart.  But what can I say...my heart belongs to Bob.  I want us to live where we can both love the locale, the culture, the people, the weather & have all the opportunities to fully enjoy living our life's together.

So, it's time to embrace the next chapter of our lives.  We've decided to move back to Mazatlan Mexico.  If you guys have been keeping up with our blogs from the past few years; you know Maz is a special place for us.  We have good friends there and Maz has lots more to do such as golfing, shopping, theaters, dinner outings, spas and gambling to name a few of the offerings.  Bob may regret that Maz offers casinos.  ha ha!  Luckily for him, they don't have table games, at least not for now. Things happen for a reason and I'm trying to find all the positives.  We are blessed & have been fortunate to have seen many great things happen in our lives & I'm confident that the future holds even more wonderful opportunities & rewards that will enrich our souls.  I love Mazatlan and I look forward to calling the "Pearl of the Pacific" our home.

We'll hang on to our property here.  We can't predict what the future holds.  It appears that this time in our walk thru life does not include a long stop here in Guanaja.  That time may be later, maybe our golden years would be spent better here than now.  So we may be back here at a later time, you just never know. 

We will be leaving Guanaja on March 1st.  We'll head back to Houston to visit family and friends and we have a trip to Lake Tahoe planned in late March to do some skiing &; gambling.  Once we get things in order we'll be heading down to Mazatlan.  Here's a special thank you to our friends in Mazatlan.  Your enthusiasm in our return means the world to us.  We'll look forward to seeing you guys and to enjoying some sunset cocktails.

We've had a lot of friends express interest in visiting us down here in Guanaja and I'm very sorry that you will not have that opportunity.  Guanaja is beautiful and you would have had a great time.  BUT, now you can visit us in Mazatlan.  Here's another positive...Flying to Mazatlan will be half the cost as it would have been to fly here. 

We want to thank everyone who did visit us this past year.  We enjoyed your company and it was awesome for us to introduce this small island to you.

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas.  We'll be making the most of our time here till we depart.

Love,
Bonnie & Bob

Funny Story

This is just a funny story I wanted to share with you guys.

One day we were on the Cay.  Remember I told you guys there's a large cay called Bonacca which we just call "The Cay".  This cay is where we do all our shopping, banking, pay bills, etc.  Anyway, I was at the bank while Bob was carting groceries to the boat.

We had parked our boat at the Municipal dock, so as Bob walked down the walkway he heard, "Bob....Bob".  He turned around, looked down the the walkway and saw nobody.  He just shook it off and continued to walk to the boat.  On his way back, he heard it again "Bob...Bob".  He's like what the hell.  He sees no one around, then it hit him.  Someone was calling him from the jail cell.

He's thinking "who the hecks in there that I would know?"  So, he walks to the door and the person behind the door is asking, "Will you please buy me a baleada?  I'm hungry".  The cell is very dark, dreary and you can't see but a few inches thru the bars, so Bob asks who's in there?  He gave his name and sure enough Bob knew him.  The guy would on occasion carry our groceries to our boat.   Bob of course wants to know why this guy is in jail and he told him it was because of a fight.  Bob has his doubts but whatever.    Bob says let me see what I can do.

A baleada is a flour tortilla filled w/refried red beans and cheese.  It's a cheap Honduran snack if eating one.

Anyway, Bob finds me on the cay and tells me what happened.  I asked a friend on the cay if inmates get meals.  She told me absolutely not.  The only way an inmate can get food is by family members or friends that want to take them food.  How about that concept?  Jails here are how it should be back in the US.  Concrete walls, floors, dark and no food, no bed. Gotta love it. 

Bob and I decided to take him a baleada and told him to stay out of trouble.  

We'll be in touch!

Miss you guys. 

We're Famous!

OK...OK.  Maybe saying "We're Famous" is a little exaggerated.  But check this out.
My friend Shari Hernandez gave me the heads up that we (Bob & I) were mentioned in a Travel Magazine. 

December 2010 issue

There we are; in Black & White.  It's not much of an article about "us" but to be mentioned by name is very cool.  

I have no idea what the rest of the article entails; but it looks like it might continue on about Guanaja.  If anyone picks up the magazine; we'll sign it for you.  hahaha!  I'm just joking!  I am proud though.

Big Hugs,
Bonnie & Bob

Holiday Season is Upon Us

Hello Everyone,

We hope all is going well for you and your families.  We're getting lots of inquiries how Holidays are celebrated down here.  Did we have a Thankgiving?  What are our plans for Christmas and New Years?

Well, Bob had asked me back in September if I wanted to get off the island during "rainy" season.  Rainy season kicks off off mid October thru end of January. We had no idea what to expect during "rainy" season but I do know that I love rain & therefore wanted to be here to experience the climate change & to celebrate the Holidays island style.   There's no doubt that we miss our families during this season but we'll stay in touch.

Honduras does not celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving.  Both are Americano traditions.  I really enjoy Halloween but didn't miss it too much this year especially since there wasn't anything to remind what I was missing.

Now Thanksgiving is celebrated by a few local islanders.  Lots of Islanders have lived in the States at some point in their lives or their family heritage is linked somehow to the States.  So, they have carried the tradition down here.  Turkeys are available at the local grocer but just to be absolutely sure you get one; it's best to order ahead of time.  Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE to participate in.  It's always about family and friends gathering and enjoying a feast of fabulous foods.  With the approval of the Pullums (owners of this wonderful island) we hosted our 1st Island Thanksgiving.   We kept it very simple by making it a Potluck Luncheon.  No, I didn't have the honors of cooking the turkey.  Al & Geri stepped up and insisted they bring the birds, dressing and gravy.   Let me tell ya...It was one of the best turkeys we've had; not to mention the dressing and gravy were over the top.

The party kicked off at 10:30 a.m.  We live on an island where there are no cars.  Everyone travels by boat and most prefer to be home before dark; so most parties start and end early.  The guest list had started out small but ended up with 30 guests.  A few sailboaters had recently set anchor and they too wanted to be part of the celebration.  I can't say no to that.   We had so much food and it was wonderful to taste other's creations.  We have some fabulous cooks on the island.  Being the host & hostess we were; we're very sorry to say we have no pictures to display.   I know Bob & I made our way to the apartment numerous times to retrieve the camera but was always interrupted by something.  Just know we had such a great time.  We made some new friends and wish them safe sailings as they continue traveling south and our cravings for Thanksgiving traditions were met.

We're looking forward to our Christmas celebration.  Each year it is celebrated at Manati's amongst all the expats.  Bob & I have volunteered to help decorate the bar and bring Christmas cheer.  It too will be a potluck. 

New Years Eve & Day will be hosted by George & Ginger who own Clearwater Paradise resort.  Not sure how NYE works since most want to be home by dark but I do know they are opening up rooms at their resort for those wanting to stay to bring in the New Year. I'm assuming the real celebration will be New Year's Day.  We'll see how it goes.  Either way will be a good time.

And as far as "rainy" season... The end of October and the beginning of November we had 3-4 weeks of straight rain.  Fortunately we have lots of movies to watch since the heavy rain effects our satellite system.  The 2nd half of November has been absolutely beautiful.  We'll see what December holds for us.  

So, stay tuned!  I won't forget the camera.
Love to all and we wish everyone a Merry Christmas,
Bonnie & Bob