My Artwork - August 2017

August 31, 2017 Teressa Jackson

I spent the first week of August in Belize on the small, laid-back island of Caye Caulker. We then took a water taxi and car to Tulum, Mexico, where we weathered Tropical Storm Franklin. Mid-August, we headed up to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and then to the French half of the island of Saint-Martin.

I diverged a little from my art of the past year to do some whimsical "reverse mermaid" paintings. I enjoyed envisioning these fish men just out of reach of water, and the freedom they gave me to use wild colors and fun patterns. I completed a series of six, and consider myself finished with the concept for now - but of course I reserve the right to imagine more of these guys in the future. :-)

It was a good month with a lot of relocating and eleven paintings completed. It's often difficult to maintain my momentum when I'm having to pack and unpack so much, but I overcame in this instance.

I will return to the U.S. on September 3, visiting Tucson, Arizona. My online shop will reopen for business on September 1. I hope to be shipping a lot of packages out on September 4!

Gran Cenote, Tulum, Mexico: 8/11/17, 14:08:21

My Artwork - July 2017

July 31, 2017 Teressa Jackson

July was my first full month in Belize. Aaron and I started out in Hopkins, then spent two weeks in Placencia, traveled to the country's southernmost civilization (and the end of paved roads) in Punta Gorda, and then flew to San Pedro, a.k.a. La Isla Bonita.

Despite being in four different locations, I managed to be relatively prolific, painting nine pieces. The pace of life in Belize is generally slow, and that helps. My work bounced around a bit, from Belize-inspired to pieces reaching back to my travels in the U.S. I certainly have a large stock of inspiration after 9+ months of being a nomad.

Feel free to e-mail me to be added to a list to be notified when artwork is available again (a.k.a. when I return to the U.S.).

Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming: 6/6/17, 18:50:29 — Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming: 6/6/17, 18:50:29

Redwood National Park, California: 5/26/17, 15:05:25

Avenue of the Giants, California: 5/25/17, 16:12:03

Avenue of the Giants, California: 5/24/17, 16:30:59

False Sittee Point, Belize: 6/30/17, 16:01:29

Punta Gorda Town

July 30, 2017 Teressa Jackson

In my last blog, Aaron and I had just arrived in the sleepy town of Punta Gorda (a.k.a. "PG"). PG didn't get much more exciting, with the exception of the enthusiastic storms that felt like they might carry us away to Oz each night.

My main takes on PG were that people were generally really friendly, often intoxicated, and seemed to want to give us things.

Our first experience with the generosity of locals was at the market. Gomier, a super nice guy and owner of a PG vegetarian and vegan restaurant, began talking to us about some of the produce. During the exchange, one of the vendors gave us some fruit to try. It wasn't my favorite, but Gomier was certainly a nice guy and I appreciated his hospitality.

It didn't matter if it was 10 a.m. or 7 p.m., it wasn't uncommon to encounter people who had clearly been sipping (chugging?) some rum or a few Belikin beers. One afternoon, we encountered a man who told us he went by "Taz," "The Devil," or the "Tasmanian Devil." Taz was enjoying some beers, and wanted to buy us some, too. We politely declined, but listened to him talk about his escapades around Belize and the U.S. for around the next 30-45 minutes. He apparently really liked us, because he pledged to protect us from harm from anyone around town. While nice, this was an unnecessary gesture, as we've yet to have an unkind word uttered to us by anyone in all of Belize.

We finally agreed to let Taz buy us a seaweed drink from the guy on the corner. I was a little leery, but the thick off-white concoction was actually pretty good. It was slightly sweet and tasted of nutmeg. He and his friend were adamant that it "cools the body" and that it's "good for you, it's from the sea!" True or not, I'd sip one again.

A man who told us that his name was "Bug" stumbled along beside us one day, asking where we were from and about our travels in Belize. He was insistent upon giving us some conch shells, and we gratefully accepted his gesture of hospitality.

We also renewed our tourist visa while in PG. They had an immigration office there, and as our first month in Belize was coming to a close, we were due to take care of this bit of bureaucracy. If you are in the country for an extended period of time, you must get your passport stamped every 30 days and pay a $25US fee. It was hard to believe that almost a month had already passed since we descended upon this tiny Central American country.

While the residents were kind, our time in PG had two big strikes against it. Although the town is bordered by the Caribbean Sea, there isn't a bit of real beach to speak of, and we really missed the option to enjoy a cool dip in the water. Secondly, the apartment we rented was miserably hot and humid. We rented an air conditioning unit, but it generally only made about a two degree difference, and it was almost impossible to sleep or motivate ourselves to do much of anything because of it. Yes, I suppose we are a little spoiled.

Unable to take the heat any longer, we decided to cut our time in PG short and booked a flight to San Pedro. I'm still glad that we got to experience Belize's southernmost town and its hospitable people, though.

Just outside of PG, shortly after takeoff

Hokey Pokey to Punta Gorda

July 21, 2017 Teressa Jackson

A little Punta Gorda wisdom along the waterfront

It almost looked like it would be a rainy travel day again, but thankfully the skies dried up just before Aaron and I headed out of our accommodations at Imperius Rex. We took a relatively short walk (thankfully, given our heavy loads) to the Hokey Pokey water taxi station, arriving around 9:30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. boat.

I guess we may have been the last tickets before the trip was full, because by 9:40 we were loaded and zipping up the lagoon toward Independence/Mango Creek. The Hokey Pokey is the quickest way to get back to the mainland from the Placencia Peninsula, especially if you are heading south. Cost: $5 US per person.

We had planned to walk through Independence to the bus station. When we got there, though, a taxi driver gave us the irresistible price of $5 US to drive us, and with our loads, we accepted.

Waiting at the bus station, we munched on some snacks and watched the people come and go. There were a few Mennonites and more than a few Mayan people, most of whom in both groups were wearing traditional dress. Even with our unexpected early arrival, the 10:45 bus was at the station before we knew it.

This 2-hour ride took us through jungle, mountains, and several Mayan communities, with lots of large rectangular buildings sporting palm thatch roofs. Somewhere along the way, the Mennonite woman behind us tried to talk to me, and her English was some of the worst I've experienced in Belize. I felt bad, but it was rather hopeless. I do not speak Low German. She seemed nice, though.

The view from the veranda at Mango Manor

At the town called Dump (no joke!), the bus hung a hard left and we were soon gazing at the Caribbean again. In a few more minutes, we were in Punta Gorda. The bus trip cost: $4.50 US per person.

A short hike and golf cart ride later, we were getting settled in at Mango Manor, our new abode. The house overlooks the Gulf of Honduras, and if you walk to the water's edge, you can see Guatemala across the waves.

Punta Gorda is the southernmost end of the paved highway in Belize, and it also appears to be the most inexpensive place we've been. I was able to book Mango Manor, inclusive of wifi and utilities, for just $500 for a month. More importantly, though, is what I'm going to term the "Banana Factor:" it costs $1 BZD (50 cents US) for 6 bananas in Hopkins, $1 BZD for 7 bananas in Placencia, and $1 BZD for 8 bananas in Punta Gorda. We will not develop a potassium deficiency here in Belize.

Having only been here a few days, I'm still taking in Punta Gorda. It's definitely vastly more authentic than Placencia, and even Hopkins. There might be a handful of tourists here at most. There is no beach to speak of, with the land dropping down to the sea, but that doesn't mean you can't dive off a dock if you feel the need to quench yourself with salt water. So far, the highlights have been visits to the Cotton Tree Chocolate Factory and the large outdoor produce market that operates four days a week (MWFSat).

I'm not sure if we'll stay here a full month, but it's nice to have the option. Although PG (as it's known) has four times the residents of Hopkins or Placencia, it's a pretty sleepy feeling place. We're also in the wettest region of Belize during the rainy season... probably a fantastic locale to crank out some artwork if nothing else.

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