Pierogi and Other Foods, Customs Update, and Builder #3
It's been a long week!
The King Tide continues to torture us. The full moon was a few days ago, we had hoped it would take all of the water with it. It did not. So we now park our cart on the driveway into our bodega.
Monday night I decided to make pierogi for the first time ever. My grandmas both cranked these out when I was little, but I was not involved, so this was 100% Internet Learning. It was Nathan's idea - something that we could keep on hand in the freezer for when we don't want to battle going out, and don't have anything fresh in the fridge to cook. The recipe was easy to follow, and the ingredients are fairly inexpensive on the island...fairly. I did pay $8.50US for a 5lb bag of flour, but that may be because we are experiencing a country-wide flour shortage. I hope.
The recipe said it would take about 2 hours, 15 minutes in total. Between my rudimentary kitchen and my inexperience in making pierogi, I clocked in at right around 3.5 hours in total. Did I eat any of them..? No. I had leftover "filling" (potatoes, butter, cheese, onions) to finish off! But I did pan-fry some up for Nathan and he said they were good. I made 64 in total and put the remaining 58 in the freezer for a rainy day. They aren't pretty, but they'll do!
Tuesday morning, I received a Whatsapp message from Belize Freight - it had an invoice for our Customs Duty and instructions on how to pay it! YES!!! I had to save the invoice to a USB, take it to a print store in town to be printed, and then take the invoice to Atlantic Bank (which usually has a line around the block). We bank at Heritage, simply because we had a referral from our first real estate agent. If you are not in the know, it's incredibly difficult to open a bank account as a foreigner; lots of hoops to jump through. Even with our reference, we still had to show proof we owned property, provide 2 letters of recommendation from a U.S. Bank (good luck with that....!) and our CPA, copies of utility bills and passports...maybe something else. All that is sent to the Central Bank for approval, which takes weeks and sometimes, months.
At any rate, I traveled to town with a check from Heritage Bank, presuming I could simply write a local check to another local bank.
I was the 17th person in line that morning, and when I reached the window, the teller had to ask a supervisor if I could pay with a check from a different bank. That answer was NO. I could do a cash advance on a credit card, but the daily limit on that is $3,000BZ, and my invoice was above that.
I took my check to Heritage Bank to write it to myself and get the necessary cash. I first stopped at Customer Service and my debit card was finally in! I had to sign for it, and that paper will be sent to the main branch in Belize City the next day, then I can log in to set up a PIN. They would not release Nathan's card to me from our joint account, so he'll have to go in during business hours to claim his card.
When I reached the teller, she would not cash the check - to me, from our account - as I didn't have Nathan's signature on it. Well, shit. So I drove back to the villa, had him sign it, then back to Heritage Bank to get the cash.
At Atlantic Bank, the line was shorter now that it was after lunch - I was 11th in line. It took a bit for that transaction to complete, the teller seemed new, but at least it was done! I sent a photo of the deposit receipt to Belize Freight and asked what was next/what did our timeline look like? They will now schedule our items to be inspected by Customs; apparently, the invoice was just what Belize Freight thought we would be assessed, not that our goods have actually cleared Customs. We have Independence Day in Belize on Saturday but most celebrations start Friday...so we are not expecting to hear anything this week, and honestly, with the high tide, that's probably for the best.
It was well after 1 and I was hangry - I wanted something cheap and FAST so I could also bring Nathan lunch. 7 Day Express Food came to my rescue again! They cook plates fresh - with chicken, fried rice and chow mein are each $12BZ/$6U.S. and come in a clamshell stuffed to the top! Nathan wanted double chicken in his (not shown). They charged me $4BZ for that! Worth it.
Chicken Chow Mein from 7 Day Express Food
Wednesday I had a hair appointment in town, so since I was headed that way, I loaded up our cart with donations for Hope Haven, a Children's Home - they house neglected and abused children with hopes of reuniting them with their families after counseling and education. The previous ladies that lived in our villa left curtains, comforters, pillows, shower curtains, sheet sets, and more that aren't to our taste. I could have sold them, but would much rather send them to Hope Haven; they're a non-profit that can truly use whatever they can get!
I had ordered dry cat food to be shipped down by Belizean Queen and it didn't make the cutoff to ship with the wet food, it left the next week. It was estimated to the island on September 11th, but it had not been delivered...after my hair appointment, I went Caribbean Queen's office, the barge that brings items from the mainland to the island. They said they didn't have it, so I again asked Belizean Queen for an update.
Hours later when I was home, I saw Nathan in the front yard/lake talking to guys in a large, unmarked truck and popped my head out - it was Caribbean Queen! They had found my parcel and were delivering it. The delivery guys did not look excited to tread through our front yard, so Nathan walked out to get it and pay them.
Thursday we had a meeting set with potential homebuilder #3; we met at a dock to go by boat to our property.
We spent about an hour out there reviewing logistics and plans; they have some things to look into, as do we.
There are pros and cons to all three builders we have met with, it is very difficult to sort out who will be the best fit! We're really going to drill it down this weekend and see what we come up with.
I had to go to town to get shrimp, so I stopped at the Police Station - one of our neighbors had said the police have barracks out back for new recruits and appreciate furniture donations. We had some pieces in our bodega (left by the previous ladies) taking up valuable space with our belongings hopefully coming soon! The officer I spoke with took my phone number and asked to call later to take a look.
The officers were probably not expecting to need a boat! We had them back up into our driveway, then they shimmied down the truck bed to keep their shoes dry.
Take 'er away, officers!
Thursday for dinner I made lemon-butter-garlic shrimp, mashed potatoes, and chaya (Mayan Spinach) and we set up our projector so we could watch Thursday Night Football in bed. It worked out pretty well!
Today (Friday) we have a guy sanding down our villa's pergola - it was completed in March but the stain and top coat were already failing. The contractor that did the work stated most likely it was too wet when they applied the finishes. So we're listening to an orbital hand sander alllllll day. I don't have an excuse to go anywhere, or else I would!
Cindy from The Lunchbox makes amazing dips, cheeses, jerky, and meals...we picked up a few things over the weekend from her, but she posted a Chinese Chicken Salad for delivery today that I have seen her post before...but I wasn't sure how she works. You order the day before, and she delivers for free. Her special of the day on Fridays, or anything else she makes. It was $16BZ and one of the best Chinese Chicken Salads I have ever had! I walked out to meet her so she didn't have to tread through our yard - our neighbor from 2 houses down drove by and knows Cindy, and started a conversation. I guess he raised his property a few feet and it's dry under his home and in his yard....which is now housing crocs, boas, AND raccoons! He legitimately has Noah's Ark down there, island-style!
Have a great weekend!