Settled at Last

I'm just short of a month since my arrival in Belize, but as I have just officially unpacked and stowed my suitcases, today has a bit of a settled in feel that has been lacking and therefore it seems fitting to make my inaugural blog post.
Blogging is new to me, but at some point over the summer it seemed like a good idea.  An idea that I've shared with too many people to back out now.  So, while I live and work in the jungle, I will be attempting this scary adventure into uncharted territory, the internet blog-o-sphere.  

A bit about my new home:

Gallon Jug, the 'city' where I live, was the brainchild of Sir Barry Bowen, a visionary entrepreneur,  who purchased a tract of land making up roughly 1/6 of the country of Belize in the 1980's.  The Gallon Jug area, named for discarded gallon jugs discovered at an abandoned Spanish camp, presently consists of 130,000 acres of mostly jungle.  
Though Sir Barry Bowen passed away in a tragic plane crash in 2010, his vision for this beautiful area continues.  At present the Gallon Jug farm includes a working cattle operation, with around 900 head of cattle, by my count 17 horses (they are my neighbors), a 150 acre coffee plantation, a lumber operation, the world renowned Chan Chich Lodge, and a sauce factory where delicious hot sauces named Maya Fyah, Mango Tango, and my personal favorite Lissette's Secret Sauce are made.
The Chan Chich lodge, home for my first two weeks in Gallon Jug, is simply breathtaking.  The lodge was built in the plaza of an ancient Mayan city, with the original intent of dissuading looters that had been pillaging the ancient ruins.

The villas and casitas that provide housing for the guests of the lodge are interspersed around unexcavated Mayan temples.

The exotic feel and world class accommodations bring to mind Jurassic Park.  You get the distinct feeling that Sir Barry Bowen was the sort of guy that said 'Spared no expense' a lot.  Additionally, the jungle around the lodge gives the look and feel of a place dinosaurs would hangout, along with the sounds...that is until you learn that the loud moans and groans that can be heard often during the day are howler monkeys.

My permanent home at Gallon Jug is The Loft, which is situated above the stables.  While I spend my days helping to educate the youth of the area, real live cowboys patrol the Gallon Jug ranch on the horses that are my downstairs neighbors. 

The loft is in the process of being renovated.  With a new deck that has given new meaning to 'million dollar view' and an almost complete two room suite for me, the place is feeling more like home everyday. 

Especially with a Belikin in hand at sunset.