Checking out the Property - Day 2

Our neighbor met us outside as we arrived on site to check out the property.  We are all geared up with long sleeves and pants with boots while he shows us around in his bare feet and shorts.  While in town we purchased a shovel and machete for the next day on the property.

Arriving in Belize April 12

Volunteers have arrived at San Pedro, Belize.

When we arrived at the airport, customs took our two way radios.  Evidently two way radios are a bigger deal than we anticipated.  They said we could pick them up when we left the country or get a permit to use them.  We don’t know the entire reason, but perhaps it is because they use two way radios in the airport and for security purposes therefore people are not allowed to use them without permits (this is only our observation and best guess at this point).  Unfortunately these radios were going to be our communication with each other while working on the property.  We have much to learn.

Belize Permanent Resident

Belize Permanent Resident

Applications for Belize Permanent Residence are made to the Belize Immigration Department in the City Of Belmopan after you have resided continuously in Belize for one year. You may not leave Belize for a period of 14 consecutive days during this time or your application may be rejected.
You need to fill out the required Permanent Residency Application form, take an HIV test, submit a recent police certificate of no criminal convictions, and provide two recommendations from individuals who have known you for at least one year. These individuals are usually ministers of religion, registered medical practitioners, attorneys at law, Head of a Government Department or Justice of the Peace.
There are several expediters - usually attorneys-at-law, retired immigration officers, Justices Of The Peace and other functionaries who can assist and guide you through this process.
Once your permanent residency has been approved you can seek employment or work for yourself just like any Belizean - there is no need for a work permit. You can move freely within Belize, and travel in and out of Belize without any restrictions. Best of all, the clock starts running and after 5 years you can apply for full citizenship.
It is economical to apply for permanent residency. Application fees for Permanent Residency vary by nationality, ranging from U.S. $250 to $5,000. For U.S. nationals, the fee is US$1,000 per person.
For information and application form, contact: Immigration and Nationality Department Ministry of National Security and Immigration, Belmopan City, Belize, Central America; Tel.: 501-222-4620; fax: 501-222-4056.

Time for approval of a permanent residency application varies. Some find that the process goes fairly quickly, taking only a few months. Others say it takes up to a year, or longer, for approval


Read more: http://www.belize.com/articles/residency-and-retirement-in-belize.html#ixzz1ISfFzmAk

THE POSTAGE STAMP

THE POSTAGE STAMP
I had a little postage stamp,
No bigger than your thumb,
But still it stuck right on the job
Until its work was done
They licked it and they pounded it
‘Til it would make you sick!
But the more it took a lickin’
The tighter it would stick.
Let’s be like the postage stamp
In living the Christian life;
And just keep on a-stickin’
Through the conflict and the strife.
For the stamp stuck to the letter
‘Til it saw it safely through;
There’s no one could do better;
Let’s keep stickin’ and be true.
---Author Unknown

Insect Repellent

Orvis is a brand that makes apparel with insect repellent in it. Insect Shield has no unpleasant smell or feel. The active ingredient, permethrin, is a man-made version of a natural insect repellent found in certain chrysanthemums. It is bonded to the fibers using Insect Shield's patent-pending process.

http://www.orvis.com/intro.asp?subject=3741

Of course I had to see what else the internet said about this ingredient (permethrin):
The insecticide permethrin (in the synthetic pyrethroid family) is widely used on cotton, wheat, corn, alfalfa, and other crops. In addition, over 100 million applications are made annually in and around U.S. homes.
Permethrin, like all synthetic pyrethroids, is a neurotoxin. Symptoms include tremors, incoordination, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior, and disruption of learning. Laboratory tests suggest that permethrin is more acutely toxic to children than to adults.
http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/permethrin/cox-report/cox.htm
So it looks like DEET is for the skin and Permethrin is for clothing/material:
DEET Repellents / Skin
The most effective repellents contain DEET, which is an ingredient used to repel pests like mosquitoes and ticks. DEET has been tested against a variety of biting insects and has been shown to be very effective
Permethrin® Insecticide / Clothing
Permethrin is applied to clothing and material. It bonds to the fibers. When a mosquito, tick, or other insect comes into contact with the Permethrin it absorbs a lethal dose. Unlike DEET, which may harm some fabrics and materials, Permethrin is compatible for use even on fragile fabrics, such as silk.
Permethrin spray is applied to clothing before it is worn. Product is effective for two weeks after being applied. Liquid contains 0.5% Permethrin. This product should not be applied to the skin.
 http://www.traveldoc.com/products/repellents.aspx

Foto Of The Day

The Few

“The Few”

The easy roads are crowded,And the level roads are jammed;The pleasant little riversWith the drifting folks are crammed.But off yonder where it’s rocky,Where you get a better view,You will find the ranks are thinningAnd the travelers are few.

 Where the going’s smooth and pleasantYou will always find the throng,For the man, more’s the pity, Seem to like to drift along.But the steeps that call for courage,And the task that’s hard to do,In the end result in glory
For the never-wavering few

-Edgar A Guest

Albert Einstein during the war years said, "Times such as ours breed defeat and despair.  But there remain, nevertheless, some few among us who believe, who meet and overcome even the greatest challenges of this time.  If we want to avoid defeat, we must know the truth and be courageous enough to act upon it, and we need not despair."