Bettie and Trevor's adventures continue, with special guest the notorious K.I.M.

Disclaimer:  this is a pretty long blog entry, with lots of photos.  Take heart, however- there are monkeys.  lots of them.

Ok, so with that out of the way, welcome to Belize! AKA British Honduras a long time ago, AKA this very strange place where the people speak English/Spanish/AND Kriol, and they even have their own special way to tell time (basically, just be 15 minutes late to everything, then you've got it).

Trev, Kim and I had all reached our respective boiling points at work, and desperately needed a break, sun, and Belikin beer.  We arrive midday and set off to Orange Walk Town, a small town near the Northwest corner of the state which is near THE longest standing functional Mayan civilization, Lamanai.

On the way, we thought- hey.  What about monkeys?  yeah.  Lets check out some monkeys.

First stop- Community Baboon Sanctuary!

We drove down some questionable roads for a definitely questionable period of time when we were flagged down by a rasta dude and directed into what may or may not have been our intended destination.  Still, our guide, Shane, was awesome, apparently studied in NYC and London, and came home to Belize to start his own tourist attraction/sustainable monkey community.  He was a vegetarian, liked to rescue lost carpenter ants, and had VERY strong feelings about the colors red green and yellow.  He was cool.

Shane led us on a gentle hike through the jungle where we saw.......

Howler Monkey!

They are really baboons, but they are locally and historically known as black howler monkeys for their undeniably creepy howls.  See Trev's youtube station here for recordings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1dQ3z-0X4c

They say George Romero recorded these very sounds for his zombie flicks.

Bettie is not the best photographer, but she makes up for it later.  keep reading.

the gang under a giant, really old tree! Shane gave us those weird swishy thingies to swat flies off ourselves while we walked through the jungle.

Next, we drove to the site of inspiration for label on Belize's national beer, Belikin.   It looks something like this:

belikin-its  not that bad!

Altun Ha on a Sunday afternoon was in general snoozing, except for this one guy- he told us his name probably 3 or 4 times, but I'm still not sure (Puck?) but he was incredible awesome at harvesting coconut for us.  After he dropped a few pieces on the ground, no biggie.  5 second rule applies double abroad.

We enjoyed some ruins, did a fair amount of climbing up ancient rocks.

If you look closely, you can see Bettie at the top
guess the beer label is pretty accurate.

On the way out from the ruin site, we wondered why we had to fly from CT to NC to BTZ when Boston was just a short drive away...

We arrive in the sleepy, romantic, and overall run-down (read- poverty-striken) town of Orange Walk Town hungry, tired and full of sun and happiness.  We find one singular road stand open, eat him out of house and tortas, and call it a night.

Next morning, we take a boat ride down the "river of strangers" to Lamanai, the land of the submerged crocodile.  We met a few friends along the way.

Giant blue heron

thoughtful looking Bettie

Thoughtful looking Kim

See the tiny, barely noticeable somewhat diamond shaped dark brown spots on this tree? those are bats.  Who would know?! our guide said these are the only pleasant bats in the entire country, as they are vegetarians or something.  The validity of most guide spoken statements needs to be validated, but interesting nonetheless.

Driving along, the guide asks our motley (read- everyone is 60+ except for us) crew whether we like monkeys.  Oh, DO WE EVER!  I think some days Trevor wishes he were born a monkey.

We motor over to a tree grove, with bananas in hand, and spider monkeys come flying onto our boat demanding our women and our bootey!  Not really, but they were somewhat pirate-like. We escaped unscathed, however later on we heard a story of a young boy getting casually mauled by a spider monkey over something shiny.  We hoped a few members of our awkward and at times obnoxious boat tourist group would suffer the same fate, but to no avail. I can say honestly I will never, ever wear a skort after this trip. But I digress.

Bettie redeems herself in photographic prowess! Trev and Monkey bond.

Playmonkey Centerfold April 2012

We safely arrive at Lamanai, the longest lasting Mayan civilization known.  This particular temple was incredibly impressive, until we were informed that they faces carved in the side were in fact replicas placed directly on top of the real thing, to protect the original carving.  Oh, lies!  Still, the temples were really cool and really old.

the guide told us that although this was a Mayan civilization, the faces had a  Olmec-like features, indicating some level of cross-cultural love affairs.
(wasn't Olmec the name of the talking foam thing on legends of the hidden temple on nickelodeon?)

We climbed to the top of a truly terrifying, cliff wall-like temple (The High Temple, aptly named) and got an incredible view probably all the way to Guatemala.

Sometimes it's tough to choose between "watch your step" and "don't look down"

More howler monkeys made themselves known with their telltale horrifying rumble!

good thing I didn't spend a good part of the last year watching The Walking Dead with  the walkers howler-like wails...oh, wait.  the zombie world will never be the same again.

jaguar temple, complete with un-retouched jaguar countenance on its base.  The Mayans  believed Jaguars had religious and mystical powers, and could cross between the world of the living and the dead.  

CROCODILE!!!!!

After a day of boating and archaeology, we explore a bit and find a tortilla chip factory right in town.  Considering we are a group of chip connoisseurs, we are obviously obliged to buy a bag and promptly eat all of it.  With salsa and beer.

We head out from Orange Walk Town, and  make our way to the island paradise of Ambergris.

We check in at our literal and figurative dream house at Hotel del Rio!  thatched roof, private deck, and ocean view all included :)

We spend our nights out eating delicious foods and drinking the island specialties.

the people who took this photo thought we might be British royals.   Couldn't say why.

We decide a golf cart tour of the island is clearly the thing to do!  This became a day full of near misses, ridiculous antics, curious onlookers, and hysterical signage.  When unsure of the way, repetition is always helpful (see below)

we are driving so fast in this photo! It was awesome that a perfect stranger would run next to us to get this high speed shot!

Ok, take road road.  You will go until the road road bears to the left left, and make sure you watch out for dog dog.  

On our travels, we find basically the best bar with the best gimmick I have ever seen- you get to sit in an inner tube, and the double-decker-deck-on-the-ocean bar will bucket you down refills.  As one patron so deftly put it (in permanent marker on the side of the bar as so many had also done in the past) "Best bar ever- you can pee while you drink!"  As far as I am aware, none of our party partook in this clear bar benefit.

Each night was as stunning sunset right outside our door...

So, last time Trev and I and our dear college friends Patty and Jenny went to Belize, I made everyone go on this expensive and sadly boring boat tour looking for manatees.  We had no trouble this time around finding a manatee, on the shore nonetheless! I think this manatee had PTSD, but no biggie.  We are often found riding monuments and the like (research "Worcester turtle boy" if curious about the background of this Bettie-Trevor-Kim practice).

There are things the manatee has seen. Terrible things. Horrible things, that would make a lesser manatee tremble in despair

Trev pets a coatimundi!

Along the beach, the Belizeans have made it their job to entertain the tourist masses and make a buck any way they can.  This is the chicken drop- sounds disgusting, and it IS, but not for the reason you are thinking.  The chickens are not dropped but gently released onto the board, and whoever has bought the square where the chicken first poops, you win!!! What FUN!  This was bizarre, but drew the biggest crowd on the whole island.

We have yet to try Snuba.  We did do a lot of snorkeling, which I'm guessing is  like a distant cousin to snuba.

rebel.

Speaking of SNUBA!  ok, so we are just snorkeling, but look at the bold and fearless underwater wildlife! We signed up for a catamaran cruise with the intention to sun on the deck, drink rum punch and in general have a beautiful day.  We did, although it was punctuated by an intense onslaught of rain during our trip from one snorkel site to the tiny island of Caye Caulker.  Our patience and fortitude was rewarded with copious rum punch, snacks, and a delicious lunch on the Caye.  All in all, we snorkeled Hol Chan reserve, shark and ray alley, Tres Cocos, and Mexico rocks, each with a different spin on underwater wildlife. We saw nurse sharks, rays, tons of fishes, a sea turtle, a squid, a morey eel, loads of awesome coral, and of course conch.

Kim held this shark like a champ, and much impressed our diving guide

feeding frenzy!  oh yes, dive in!

morey eel

this turtle is missing one fin, probably from a prior epic battle

one of the many rays we saw on our underwater tour!

Sadly, we had to leave this island paradise with its charming but untimely inhabitants, its cheap beer, its (mostly!) warm waters and hot sun. We returned to the real world begrudgingly but rejuvenated.

San Fran (continued and conquered!)

Cue: alarm clock going off during vacation (confusing, I know).  Who in their right mind would plan to wake up at the crack of dawn on the day after Turkey coma? The DeGrush ladies, of course.  Welcome to BLACK FRIDAY, California style!

 Ok, so it wasn't so crazy busy as back home, but it was still a very profitable early morning venture.  We were a bit punchy after a few hours of the consumer grind, as you can see....

 Then Bill drove us  across the Golden Gate North to see the beautiful redwood forests... This drive was foggy, mysterious and even perilous at times, making life all the more interesting :)  People live in unbelievably valuable properties so high up in the hills they are stuck in the clouds, buried deep in mossy ancient trees and audis.

 This whole experience felt a bit like Rivendell for those of you nerdy enough to appreciate.  Except it was full of Californians and not Elves.

 Phew.  We made it in the ancient volvo up all the crazy twists and turns and parking catastrophes to the Muir Woods National Park.

 Funny, they let Laura in despite her Lone Star state residence.  Probably because she is so adorable.

 Really really tall, old redwoods!

 They let Trevor in for free because they thought he might just be the lumberjack they have been looking for. 

 California banana slug! How horribly gross! These lined the trail threatening to make you slip at your next faulty step.

 Then we stopped to check out the Pacific.  Its kind of like the Atlantic, except more laid back.

 The next day we set out to find Jerry Garcia, who is most assuredly still alive and living on Haight Street. No Luck.  We did see a Janis Joplin memorial, right next to a Amy Winehous memorial. Does it seem strange that Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and probably countless other terribly famous people died at 27?!  Never been so excited for my next birthday...in case you were wondering, Mamma Cass was 32.  All "facts" thanks to wikipedia.

 Haight and Ashbury was buzzing with coffee shops, head shops, vintage shops, oh yeah... and hippies!  We also had significant hippie sightings at Golden Gate Park's self proclaimed "hippie hill" where Bill promptly tore off his shirt and shoes and began a game of loosely organized frisbee with the family to the beat of tribal drums and tambourines in the background. 
      Later that afternoon, we explored a place Trev and I had seen years ago when we visited San Fran per the recommendation of an old friend- The Sutro Bath Ruins are along the coast, and are really just a bunch of old stone structures left to crumble in interesting patterns on the beach.  At one point in the 1920's I believe it was the site of a very elite bath-house.  Air temperature was probably above 50 degrees, which meant it was perfect swimming weather for Dad. 

love from San Fran

We played on the beach until it was time to eat burgers at BURGERMEISTER!  The evening ended with drinks and games at a local bar where I realized that beer does not make you better at basketball, or any other game for that matter.  All in all, a great mini vacation in a great city with my great family.

Turkey day!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  The DeGrushes head out froj the Warwick hotel in downtown San Fran to prepare for the day at WillBill's apartment.

By the way, when you stay at a classy hotel, you are immediately class-ified. and smarter. handsomer.

 Along the way to the supermarket T-day madness, we see some poignant grafiti in the Mission.
 Here we all are pre Turkey.....

 Anna, Bills lovely roomie, is a great hostess, decorator extraordinaire, and she and her awesome family are all great cooks too. 

 We saw this on one (of many....) emergency trips to the supermarket to get forgotten necessities.

 Since its California, things are just better. warmer.  and still in bloom. PS, we had at least 6 inches of snow in Worcester MA on Halloween. Just Saying.

 We took a pre-turkey-trot up the hill in the park near WillBills place, which had the most impressive view of the whole city. This was one of those requisite moments where someone feels they must teach another the sacred "Monkeys" walk.

Just kidding! We never went anywere! I just glued Trevor in front of a fake looking San Fran backdrop!
or so it appears.

 Ok, Jump to the greatest appetizer spread, to be followed up with the greatest Turkey Day spread. This spread included artichoke spread, homemade salsa and guac, devilled eggs, cheese, veggies, homemade tamales....so good.

 Mom and Dad enjoy the moment!

This will be my next home, in my next lifetime.

 Mission street (?) from above

 The Golden gate!

 This hill is very deceiving. Trevor is actually MUCH much shorter than all of us (just kidding)

 They even let people who life in Texas, who wear ostritch leather boots, into California.  Sometimes.

Lets all be thankful for families, friends, endless food  and drink, digital cameras, and the internet :)
Black Friday madness T minus 10 hours. 

West Coast, meet East Coast!

The DeGrushes (and Trevor-honorarily a DeGrush of course) have picked up their annual tradition of picking one child and thoroughly invading their lovely city. Needless to say, Worcester/Bettie was NOT the chosen child this year. Bill has been in San Fran working with the AmeriCorp doing awesome things at a local elementary school while also living THE LIFE! We decided he was the obvious invasion candidate this year.
"It's a trumpet tree! Quick, take a picture"We all flew out of our respective ports and met up with Billiam, who gave us a fabulous (with surprisingly/impressively polite driving etiquette for a big city) driving tour of San Fran. We ended up in the mission and had tacos el pastor, enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas as big as your head with endless chips at a clearly very popular hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. Delicious.
Then we wandered onto a very quirky little bar-
Our tables were made of maps of the world circa USSR era, and a map of Paris (my personal favorite). We had sangria, flan, and dominoes. The walls, ceiling, floor, and inhabitants were literally covered in tchotchkes, art and artifacts.


Bill then drove us to his really fabulous apartment where he and all his other do-gooder Americorp people live. It has quite the impressive view.



Then off to bed- Loli to arrive soon!

South Padre Island- DeGrush Takeover!

Dr. Lolo-nonono is wary of hearing BilliamFunkFunk's bass lines

Thanks to the wonderful generosity of their parents, the DeGrush children traveled down to the unique world of Texas, specifically South Padre Island, to enjoy the spoils of Laura's new beachy life.  Bill and Beth greet Texas, Laura and Jared with a very traditional Dub-Step dance performance at the bus stop.  Laura and Bill serenaded me with home-written songs for graduation, complete with a crown, beth-a-scope, and lovely earring gifts!!!

Queen Princesa Dr. Bethula beholds her own majesty

 From there, its shenanigans, sand, seemingly excessive amounts of sunscreen, and just a bit of sunburn.  We rode our bikes around town, wake boarded until the waves won, and enjoyed BBQ in the backyard overlooking the beautiful sunset.

His most Graciousness Sir William beholds the vastness of his kingdom

 Laura is working two jobs currently- she teaches beginner kayaking, and also waitresses at a bay-side seafood joint.  We went to see her teach huge groups of army kids learning to kayak (they were very polite and obedient!) and then had dinner "with" her later at Steamers.

Just enjoying the sunset is all...

We then visited the "pulga" or literally the flea market, and enjoyed raspas (shaved ice with glorious fruity and chocolaty toppings- absolutely necessary in the unforgiving Texas sun). 

Heat, humidity, sugary snackums, and lots and lots of cheap crappums which you might find useful

Juiceeeee! Juuuuuuuice!

 Beach yoga was then in order, after a gorgeous beach walk to spy on all the spring break beach bodies.  Two more days to go, and what more adventures can we get ourselves into?

Once we achieve equilibrium we can start rolling down the beach like a unified tire

 

Building bridges