[AfterMyNap]

Kay, or anyone, have you personally seen or explored the Great Blue Hole of the shore in the Atolls area of Belize? It's phenomenal and I know I'll never be able to dive it. Do tell!

[CayoKay]

lol, Cindy.

I don't dive... and haven't snorkeled since Tahiti (with the ray mantas, oooooh la LAH!)

but I've seen photographs and heard first-hand accounts of people who've done it.



apparently, it's cool to look at, and spectacular to dive...

but there's even *better* places to dive, since Belize has the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, and the 2nd longest in the world.



info about The Blue Hole:

http://www.deeperblue.net/article.php/675/16

[AfterMyNap]

Do any of them use a dive cam? I've been googling too, but not finding much in the way of good dive pics. Cursed disease! I never get to do anything fun anymore!

[sugarboo]

Originally Posted by CayoKay

lol, Cindy.

I don't dive... and haven't snorkeled since Tahiti (with the ray mantas, oooooh la LAH!)

but I've seen photographs and heard first-hand accounts of people who've done it.



apparently, it's cool to look at, and spectacular to dive...

but there's even *better* places to dive, since Belize has the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, and the 2nd longest in the world.



info about The Blue Hole:

http://www.deeperblue.net/article.php/675/16

OMG...THAT IS BEAUTIFUL!!! I WANNA GOOOOOO~~

[hollym]

CayoKay - I have a question for you. Feel free to not answer if it's too personal. I'm just curious about how you ended up moving to Belize. It's fascinating to me when people pick up and move to a foreign country.

I watch House Hunters International religiously and live vicariously through people who follow their dreams. Most people on that show go somewhere tropical and that is a dream of mine.

[CayoKay]

well, Holly, I'm not sure how *detailed* an answer ya want...

I guess, foremostly, it was an issue of... "If I'm gonna be mostly-housebound, I should at least have a nice view.", and Belize is beautiful.

secondly, the life I wanted to have was no longer affordable in the US, on the scale I wanted, around 10 acres, raising free-range animals (goats, pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, rabbits, geese, guinea pigs), an orchard, an organic garden, blabbitty blab blab blab...

thirdly, I wanted to have my own rainwater collection and storage system - and not be dependent on some company for my water:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2004/thirst/about.html

I now have a 15 thousand gallon underground cistern, and it's FULL!

fourth, land and construction costs here are a fraction of the cost in the US.

fifth, I thought long and hard about the effects of food and lifestyle on my MS, and decided live more healthily, despite being where there are no DMDs available, and only one neuro in the whole country.

six, I lived through the rolling brownouts and blackouts in California, and wanted to be responsible for my own back-up power - difficult in CA, as our WELL was electric, (so, no water), and with the MS, no fans or A/C, (not so good!) now, we have generators, batteries, and solar power arrays.

seventh, there were financial considerations... living in the Sierra Nevadas, way back in 2004, we had a bird's eye view of the impending mortgage crisis.

Stockton, CA is the EPICENTER, with the highest foreclosure rate in the US:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/...l.1-113806.php

so, I knew the crisis was coming, and sold out at the top of the market, and got my money out.

eighth, I didn't much care for the direction the US was headed politically.

lastly, my 3 children were all off to college, and I could finally follow my dream.

[Girlie Girl]

Originally Posted by CayoKay

well, Holly, I'm not sure how *detailed* an answer ya want...

I guess, foremostly, it was an issue of... "If I'm gonna be mostly-housebound, I should at least have a nice view.", and Belize is beautiful.

secondly, the life I wanted to have was no longer affordable in the US, on the scale I wanted, around 10 acres, raising free-range animals (goats, pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, rabbits, geese, guinea pigs), an orchard, an organic garden, blabbitty blab blab blab...

thirdly, I wanted to have my own rainwater collection and storage system - and not be dependent on some company for my water:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2004/thirst/about.html

I now have a 15 thousand gallon underground cistern, and it's FULL!

fourth, land and construction costs here are a fraction of the cost in the US.

fifth, I thought long and hard about the effects of food and lifestyle on my MS, and decided live more healthily, despite being where there are no DMDs available, and only one neuro in the whole country.

six, I lived through the rolling brownouts and blackouts in California, and wanted to be responsible for my own back-up power - difficult in CA, as our WELL was electric, (so, no water), and with the MS, no fans or A/C, (not so good!) now, we have generators, batteries, and solar power arrays.

seventh, there were financial considerations... living in the Sierra Nevadas, way back in 2004, we had a bird's eye view of the impending mortgage crisis.

Stockton, CA is the EPICENTER, with the highest foreclosure rate in the US:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/...l.1-113806.php

so, I knew the crisis was coming, and sold out at the top of the market, and got my money out.

eighth, I didn't much care for the direction the US was headed politically.

lastly, my 3 children were all off to college, and I could finally follow my dream.

Good for you! I am very jealous and impressed that you can do all that! I am too much of a homebody to leave MA so I will live out my travel fantasies through you!

[CayoKay]

Originally Posted by Girlie Girl

Good for you! I am very jealous and impressed that you can do all that! I am too much of a homebody to leave MA so I will live out my travel fantasies through you!

my husband does 90% of the work, and I do 10%, lol.

and we live on my SSDI, so I guess that's fair.

[SandyC]

Here are a few dives on Youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WMQgEhB2E5k&feature=related

When you go to this video there will be quite a few more on the side from various dives. Amazing video.

[hollym]

Kay - It certainly does sound like a dream come true. I am most impressed with you. Good for you for thinking it all through and making it a reality. *raising beer in salute*

You mentioned the Sierra Nevadas and I just had to mention that I lived in June Lake when I was wee little. I still love to visit Tahoe when I can.