Day 13
Today I got up ready to go out to Cay Caulker. While I was running around, I went to the Development Finance Corporation to talk to the man who had come to see me. He wasn’t in, so I came back to the hotel, and he was there waiting for me. We talked, and I told him I was interested in importing Mahanoy to the US. He worked in the industry for a while and took me to the Belize Lumber Company. I had walked by the place on my early morning walk. We went in and negotiated a shipment to the US on February 1, 1984. He said they would ship in an 8/8/20 container for $6,000, and packing, freight, and insurance may only come to $2,000–3,000. A good buy about $2,000 less than I had arranged with the other company: the man who took me over there could be the agent here to send the lumber.
I went out to the Cay and met two elderly white people from Michigan who recommended a place to stay. It was a very nice place to settle down in, Tony Vegas Far Inn. A nice man with a mean daughter who went to school in Wisconsin. She was a very nice young girl. It was strange how I ended up staying at this hotel. When I was on the island earlier, I had passed this place because it was beside the dock where I went swimming. I remember seeing his daughter coming out to the boat the first time. The two white people who recommended the hotel were the people that the daughter stayed with when she went to school in the US. This relationship with these people was going to develop into something.
Tomorrow I’m going out with them on a snorkeling trip. I had fried lobster at Martinez and then retired.
Day 14
A lovely day, and I was up early, sitting on the beach watching the sun come up. Later in the day, I went with a group of tourists on a dive trip about a mile out on the reef, and it was unbelievable. It was like watching Jock Custo, and on the reef, it was like wonderland. Swimming through the channels and just experiencing a whole different area. It freaked the white couple that gave me the advice to come here because it seems that they have never seen black people doing anything. We dove for shells and ate the Conk out of them. There was a white couple from Berkeley, a French couple, two others, and a man from Canada. We stayed out for about three hours before coming back. In the evening, we sat around and talked —what a good evening and an unbelievable day.
It had amazed me that white people had such stereotypes about black people. They were amazed that I had gone to college, graduate school, and could do the kind of things I could do so well, carry on an intelligent conversation, and that I was in Belize, living on my own
Day 15
I got up at daybreak, went out on the pier to meditate and take in the day. I walked around, had some breakfast, came back to the hotel, sat down, and talked to Tony about a bit of investment. He had some land at the end of the island, about 13 Ackers, and part of it is going to be used as an air strip for the island. We will go into more detail about it later. I rested for a while, then went out, got some fish bait, and went fishing. I caught some delicious fish that could be eaten, but since it was too late, I gave it to the fisherman I was fishing with. He had his son, and he gave me a perfect lesson about fishing and things I didn’t believe in. The funny thing about it was the things that I saw swimming in the water I swam in. If people at home saw that, they would not believe it. I had dinner and rested, a good day.
Where I went fishing, I caught a lot of fish. The other man, who was a Caribbean man, I thought was just another native of the village. There was an exciting thing about fishing. I was catching fish like mad, and the other man wasn’t at first, and I didn’t know why. It turned out that the reason was that the kind of fish hooks I was using. I brought them with me from the US; some of the hooks were the type used in stream fishing back in the mountains. They were smaller than the ones used on the island. I began to think about how people in poverty could feed themselves with something as inexpensive and unnoticeable as fishhooks. I recall talking to people about investing in the country, and we discussed big things, but the quality of life and improvements could be as simple as a fishhook.
Day 16
An average day, getting ready to go into town to pick up the rest of my things. I took the boat in, then went into town to call Ma. The telephone connection was alright, but still hard to hear. When you don’t have a telephone, you go to the telephone exchange to make a call. It is a place with telephone booths, and you can make calls anywhere. I went to the hotel and told them I was going back to the island to stay for a while. I didn’t tell them I was planning to stay longer. Mr. Edwards was still there, talking the same business talk (it really feels good to be away from that environment). Mr. Edwards was no longer interesting to me; it was his attitude and manners that mattered. Also, I ran into the man who took me to the lumber company. We talked for a while, and he wants to take me up to the cattle ranch that he told me a man wanted to sell.
I came back to the island and met a white couple who were from the US. I talked to them and they decided to stay at the place. I took it easy, went swimming, and called Paula (sister) from here. The connection was poor, and I will use this phone when needed. On the island, you go to a person’s house, and you sit in the living room waiting for your turn to make a call. On the island, it goes through a marine radio telephone. If the weather is bad, you are cut off from the world. I talked to Maria and retired.
Day 17
Up early, as usual, to watch the sun come out of the water. I took my usual walk around the village, then spent the rest of my day. Took the usual swim and wrote a few letters. I talked to the white couple I met on the boat and found out that she went to Virginia Tech and graduated from the University of Delaware. The man studied International Relations and wants to get involved here in the country, and maybe with me. I have to talk to my friends about that. I spent the rest of the day in my thoughts, and trying to stay away from Martines, but it’s hard. Martines was a bar, restaurant, and hotel. It was a place to visit but not to become a regular. I didn’t want to become a rum addict.
Day 18
A good day, and it’s funny, but I find more things to do on this small island than I could in the city. Just doing the simple times produces. I gave Choc some letters to mail for me in the city. I lay around and did the usual: fish, rest, etc. In the evening, I went to a Halloween party at the village school. It was nice, and there was food, and the kids seemed to have a good time. The simple things at this time were exciting. The party at the village school was exciting. People were interested in me being a foreigner, but also in the everyday things of the island people. It’s something to see and feel the warmth of the people when you don’t put yourself above others and take joy in simple everyday life. At this point, I was becoming an islander. I sat around talking with Tony and Maria, then retired to the room. Tomorrow I am going on a budget.
Day 19
It was a rainy day, and it rained most of the day because it was the beginning of the rainy period. It still was a lovely day because I went swimming and lay around. I had supper at the place I said I wouldn’t go. Maria is getting friendlier, and I wonder where her head is —I will find out. I had the fried lobster at Martines, and everybody is getting to know me. I talked to a lady from New York a while ago, and I will get to know her before I leave. The white lady from NY was interesting. Later, I found out that she was escaping from New York. She had a Rastafarian boyfriend on the island who dealt in the usual. I believe there was some connection, but I couldn’t confirm it. I retired to my room.
Day 20
Out on the dock early this morning, and it was raining. I found a lady who sells bread and got a few loaves. I was lying in the hammock when Maria decided she wanted some fish for lunch and asked if I would catch some. That was no problem; I went down to Martins, got some dead fish for bait, went to the pier, and caught three — enough for lunch. Tony, Maria, and I had lunch of fish and rice. It was a trip to be standing in the water with Maria, cleaning fish, which was the first time I enjoyed cleaning fish. Maria taught me the techniques for cleaning and gutting fish. Something I didn’t want at home, so I guess the presence of a pretty woman made it more enjoyable. She has begun to get to me, and I think she tried to do it. Later, I just lay around and talked to the guy from Delaware.
Day 21
Up early to get the day going. I met Choc as usual to ask if there was any mail. Maria went to the city this morning for a few days. It was wild, and I didn’t know about this situation. I’ll play along and see what happens. It was a strange day without her running around, messing with my head. I found myself becoming addicted to Maria’s presence. It was the companionship and the environment. When she left that day, it was like I was without a purpose. I went swimming as usual and got some mail from home for the first time —Ma, Bob, and Sylvia, all good. I’ll wait a few more days before I respond. I just did the day, washed some clothes, and did the usual.
Day 22
I got out this morning and decided to go on a reef trip. We picked up a few people and went out. A man named West went along, and he expects something from me because he watches all my moves. Have to keep an eye on him. He was learning about the relationship I had developed with the village’s people and was becoming skeptical. The trip to the reef was nice, and there were all kinds of things out there. I surprised myself by swimming out alone in the open sea and got caught in a storm for about fifteen minutes. I would never like to be caught in a storm at sea. We came in and took the rest of the day easy. I had to remember to stop by the man’s house who makes jewelry. Today is Wednesday, and I have to make it to Saturday for the big surprise.