Foodies BS Thread.

Provo, Turks.
That island going back to the 80s and 90s was almost untouched (physically).
Since then, it has been REALLY developed into a quiet, calm hideaway to go and do nothing. There is some stuff, obviously like parasailing and wind surfing and whatnot, but the BIG drive I saw was basically "Come here, sit, and do nothing". Whereas a lot of the other islands are "Come, hike, dive, bike, do a bunch of stuff!"

Maybe I'm wrong, but that was my experience there. And don't get me wrong, it was a WONDERFUL week of going there, sitting, and doing nothing (and drinking WAY more wine than any person should).

 

We were in the Dominican Republic for a week in January and the most strenuous thing I did all week was played sand volleyball.

And if you replace wine with rum, I'm right there with you on the drinking too much.

 

On (I think?) Wednesday I tried the stand up paddleboarding.
My back still hurts from heaving myself up on that thing so many times and immediately falling off. it was like a comedy sketch.
I went in and immediately got more wine after that.

Booze was stupid expensive there. A 4x6 pack of bottles (case) of Corona was 90$.
BUT bottles of Waitrose white easy-drinking table wine type of stuff were 12$.
So the wine....the wine flowed last week.

I put down about a bottle of this a day, plus some others mixed in for good measure

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-crisp-and-floral-italian-white/864449-226906-226907

It was a nice break. It was only a week, felt too short while I was there, felt a lot longer than a week when I got back.

 

We bought a couple of inflatable SUPs that we take to the lake a few times each summer. They aren't too bad... until we bought some new ones that are like a pontoon. Those things don't turn for crap but they're incredibly stable. I was on an old one and my wife was on a new one. Her balance isn't as good as mine but when a boat went by and the wake hit us, I was in the lake and she was fine. That's all I needed to see to know I needed the new one, too.

We were at an all inclusive resort so the drinks were "free". I'm not much of a drinker usually but there were some days that I was heading over for a pina colada at 10:30am, right as they were opening the bar.

 

10:30? That's late!

We weren't all inclusive, some places you have to be though. So we stockpiled the wine and went to town.

I don't know what these boards were. I got some good stretches, just need practice i think. i kayak with the dog in the boat so I'm not shy about the water and balance. But doing it as a one off without ever having done it before - wasn't a recipe for success. Might give one a go again sometime.

 

I think some of the other bars are open earlier, just not the one on the beach.

They guy with the coffee cart at breakfast asked us if we wanted coffee. We said yes.

As he was pouring he asked if we wanted tequila.

We laughed and said no.

So he asked if we wanted marijuana.

Yeah, I'm going to pass on that one.

 

News today, Canadian woman with instant amputation of both hands from a shark bite at Blue Hills, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

 

That happened, if I remember correctly, the day we landed (if not the day before). I think it got her leg, and then took off both hands.

Media is saying that it was her trying to take a photo with the shark, but I'm also seeing other people saying that story was BS and not sure why that was released as the reason. Sharks be sharkin', but I don't think she was egging it on or doing something stupid.

Oddly/macabre thought - once an animal tastes humans, they want more. Humans are a sweeter, fattier, leaner cut than they're used to. We're good eatin' for animals. Tigers who have never attacked a human who have a go at one have to be killed at zoos because keepers will never be safe again, they'll see humans as the tastiest treat EVER! Happens with bears in the rockies, too. Once a bear gets a taste, they want more and will hunt humans instead of being scared away by them.

 

Popular snorkeling spot in Belize is Shark Ray Alley where you roll off the boat into water teaming with sharks and rays (boat captain chums the water as he steers in). Always impressive but they are nurse sharks (4-5 feet long) that can't open their mouth wide enough to bite you. My mother came to visit when I lived there and we took her snorkeling with the sharks for her 80th Bday.

So as not to derail the thread too much, shark does taste great. Especially smoked.

 

tell me more about living in Belize

(cough cough @cartter469 )

I know @TreeFortRichard dives too (dived? still at it?)

Peep my plate - I got a shark on it



https://www.atlanticsharkinstitute.org/licenseplate




I mean if we HAVE to stay on topic - turns out baked potatoes are a piece of cake in an instant pot. Load it up, hit go, and walk away. Doesn't heat up the whole kitchen for 2 hours to do them.

Does anyone have a newer crock pot? My old(ish) one cracked a plastic piece on the lid, and a new lid is more expensive than a whole new unit. BUT the new 7QT I got buzzes on low and warm, but not on high. Wondering if others have the same issue or I'm just odd.

 

Do it you won’t. Pussy.

Potatoes are good in basically any form factor. Seasoned, diced, and fried in the cast iron is my go to

 

Shark have some of the highest mercury levels of anything in the ocean.

 

I moved from Jamaica to Belize in '96. Moved back to Canada in 2001 as the company shut down the projects there. My projects in Jamaica had run their course so I went to Belize to assist on those and look at few things in Guate. I lived in San Ignacio, inland near the Guate border, much cooler than the coast. Blz $ is fixed 2:1 US$ though the black market rate is not close to that. English speaking, though Spanish is handy as almost everyone speaks it. German (Mennonites) Chinese (recent Taiwan immigrants who control all the grocery stores) is also handy but not needed. First glance the country is very racially mixed but if you look closer there is a deep division between the hispanic and the black populations. Mennonites as a rule stick to themselves but the community has encouraged the young to seek out hispanic brides when the can to keep the gene pool from getting stale.

Anyone who can afford it goes to Mexico for major shopping or healthcare (Merida hospitals are good). Cheap shopping across the Guate border in Melchor, everything you'd expect of a Guate border town and less. The fixed exchange rate means it isn't the cheapest place to live but you can live comfortably and still be frugal. Anywhere on the coast is subject to tropical storm flooding or demolition from hurricanes.

Inland is Mayan ruins and ruined Mayans.

Food is good, typical tropics, rice and beans, fresh fruits of whatever is in season. San Ignacio has the best farmers market in the country.

I was in camp in the Mayan Mtns for a month, got to town and took the wife to Caye Caulker for a few days. Turns out it was Lobsterfest, a large styrofoam cup of lobster ceviche for $2.50US. I'll take two, or three or four ...

Side note; Shine Barrow, the rapper who took the murder charge for the NYC shooting Diddy was involved in is the son of the former Prime Minister and Shine is current leader of the opposition (though no one takes him seriously).

My '97 Hilux, I drove it new off the lot in Guate City. I've driven that bridge with 4" of water flowing over it and have seen it under more than 10' of water.

 

From the news story on the shark attack

“The shark then circled around and bit her thigh. Not satisfied, the shark came back again and when she put both hands in front of her to protect herself, the shark cut off both of her hands, one at mid forearm and the other at the wrist,”

 

Still certified...Wish I lived someplace where diving was more than craggy rocks and zero visibility. My next vacation is not dive friendly!

 

This is funny. I love paddle boarding. Here I am about to transport all our gear for a day at the beach down the tidal river...
I can stay dry

but I do have a dry bag just in case

 

https://youtu.be/6-5HHscqzHE?si=Ss2Cusb-K4LPXK68

When I see a bag of crawfish The Radiators immediately come to mind.

 

Skrimps… but Crawfish are in season…