Life in the mountainous jungle can be very pleasant, but just like anything else, it’s not perfect. We succeeded in setting up a comfortable good size house with full solar electricity, satellite internet, hot water, A/C… yeah, comfort!
The climate certainly has great sides. Most people think that the down side comparing to the North American living is that you don’t have the four seasons. Although not as drastic as in North America, there are very distinct seasons throughout the year, which can be seen from changes in the surrounding wildlife, fruit trees which produce at different times, the considerable variation in vegetation, and of course the temperature. Also there is a “wet” and a “dry” season, the dry season lasting approximately from late November through May, and the “wet” pretty much parallels hurricane season, which is June through November.
While quite hot, low to mid 90ºs F (32º C) during summer afternoons, as soon as the sun sets behind the mountains it cools off beautifully. This sub-tropical climate is a dream for sleeping. Winter season, nights can get down to the mid 50ºs F (10º C) to mid 60ºs F (16º C). It can get cold enough that you will even close your windows! One thing I miss during that time is my big fleece bath robe which I never thought I would need!
Get awakened daily by birds and other creatures welcoming the sun! The temperature remaining cold (I personally use cats as heaters!) until the sun rises over the mountain tops, it is very easy to lounge in your comfy warm bed with a view of the jungle, the mountains and the creek. From the constant changes of the jungle sounds, you can also easily identify the changes in season.
The humidity can also be a factor. When transiting from 55º F (13º C) to 85º F (29º C) within a 4 hours range, things have a tendency to get damp! And the things prone to catch mold will! Some of those are leather, or wood not from the habitat. A picture frame made of soft Canadian pine doesn’t do well in this climate! But by afternoon everything is dry again.
The place I am talking about is Barton Creek in the Cayo District of Belize, Central America. Belize is tucked in between Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Caribbean Sea. With a total of 8,867 square miles (22,965 sq. km.), it is one of the smallest countries in Central America. With a population of approximately 300,000 there are a lot of open spaces. The population being spread out, there are not many highly populated areas. The main one being Belize City which is comprised of just over 1/4 of the population for this entire little country!
TropiCat
Other Posts:
1 ~ Producing And Storing Your Own Electricity, You Have The Power To!
2 ~ Building Off-Grid In The Jungle Of Belize
3 ~ Easy Broadband Satellite Internet Access
4 ~ Water Supply Considerations, Off-Grid In The Jungle
5 ~ The Domestic Cats’ Life In The Jungle
6 ~ The Belize Mennonite’s Lifestyle
7 ~ How To Live As An Expat In A Foreign Country
8 ~ The Invasion Of The Flood Flies
9 ~ Living In Paradise! But, Where Is It?
10 ~ Solar Panel Placement & Sun Chart Creator
11 ~ Health Issues When Living Abroad
12 ~ Telecommunication Challenges In A 3rd World Country
13 ~ Fleas & Ticks In The Jungle
14 ~ The Dangers Of The Black Poisonwood Tree
15 ~ To Buy Or To Rent When Moving Abroad
16 ~ Home Schooling When Living Abroad
17 ~ Tips & Hints On Things To Watch Out For During Construction – Part 1 of 2
18 ~ Tips & Hints On Things To Watch Out For During Construction – Part 2
Filed under: expat, lifestyle, nature, places, Uncategorized | Tagged: belize, central america, jungle, lifestyle, places, solar power, travel |
TropiCat's Blog 
That’s unbelievably wonderful – living that close to mother nature! Most interesting.
I think it would scare the living daylights out of me. I would not mind putting up with the lack of some comforts but the creepy crawlies, insects and most especially SNAKES would be enough to finish me. LOL.
You should publish a book about your life in the wilderness.
Cheers,
I am absolutely intrigued by the idea of living in the jungle in Central America. I stayed in the Jungle in Costa Rica for some time and have found it difficult to come home to America every since. I like the idea of simple life and the sense of accomplishment that you would get from living that lifestyle. Kuddos to you ! ! I sincerely wish that there was a way at this time in my life to do just as you have done….
Hi Rick!
Yes, the jungle is absolutely beautiful. My favorite time is the morning laying in bed looking out and listening to the birds 🙂
And you are right about this life being fulfilling! The rewards are priceless. We have learned more here than we have ever learned anywhere!
As for a way, or a time, to do this (leave everything behind and take the plunge) all it takes is the will, a deep desire to do it, and not being afraid to take risk! I believe that we only live once and should follow our dreams, and not postpone them for too long!
I have been looking at at your site for the the last few months..got to to say I think it’s absolutely fabulous..very informative.
I’m very envious because I had the luck to run a small resort near Belmopan for
two years before,for various reasons, I had to move back to London.
Still thinking of revisiting Belize soon. Love the look of your place….
Kind regards and good luck with everything.
Pete.
Hi Pete,
Thanks for reading my blog! If you do come to Belize for a visit, please stop by. You can send me an email and I’ll send you directions.
thanks so much for sharing all this information!! My family and I are coming for vacation in Jan 09!! Cant wait!!!!
Thanks
debbie
dvinedesigns.etsy.com
I am really enjoying your blog and LOVE your property. If I cold I would buy it right now! My husband and I are considering it, but still have investigations to do before making any real plans. We have a 10 month old daughter and am wondering about wild life that we need to be watchful of, i.e. snakes, wild cats, etc. What precautions would we need to take? Also, how close are you to the nearest medical facility? I realize it would probably be more primitive than here in the US, but can you get basic medical care nearby? And what about importing prescription drugs? One more thing…do your two worker cabins have electric, propane, water, etc. Your home is beautiful! Thanks for sharing it with us and for your answers.
Hi Patricia,
The wildlife is not much of an issue as they usually stay away from houses and people. Mosquitos and other stinging insects would be more worrisome for the baby! A simple mosquito net over the baby’s bed would do perfect.
Our property is about an hour away from San Ignacio or Belmopan hospital. But in an emergency, I have done it in 30 minutes! Medical care are basic, but good. There are also private hospital with more sophisticated care. La Luma Luz Hospital is located on the Western Highway just before San Ignacio. In an emergency (where you drive with complete disregard to your vehicle!), you can reach that hospital in 30 min. as well. Prescription drugs are readily available (and easily without a prescription) but often it is another brand, but with the same ingredients. My husband has had Nexium sent to him by regular mail and the post office has never looked at it, even though it was labeled Nexium.
Our workers houses have all the amenities, except not complete wiring inside. But the current reaches all buildings from the power shed where the solar system is located.
If you do come to Belize for a visit, please do come by!
i replace a 15 year ancient unit. the replacement was exact in every way except the nametplate which read Nataulus rather than Broan. it is obviously the same fine unitshould last another 15 years.
Your life seems wonderful ! My 9yr old son and I spent some time in the jungles of Costa Rica this summer, it was amazing. We had an incredibly hard coming home to the jungles of Oakland Ca. I have been racking my brain trying to find away we could stay there for good. Like how can I make a living ( I’m a teacher) and could we stay legally so he could attend school. Its great to hear of someone who made it happen ! It gives me HOPE!!
Cheers
-Niq
Hi, I was hoping to find someone to tell me more firsthand about living in Belize. Would you mind?
I am looking at options to living in the US. Belize came up, but my daughter discovered the high murder rate…is the crime mostly confined to Belize City and resort/ tourist area petty theft ? What is the insect and poisonous creature situation like?..Again this is my daughter’s big co ncern. She just turned 12 🙂
Your daughter is very smart! Yes, the crime is Belize is an issue. Belize City is by far the worst, but all over is not that good either. The problem is that you are a “white gringa” and therefore you are rich. No matter what you say or how you live, in their eyes you are made of money. The people are more a threat than the insects and other critters. But the insects are still a pain, and you pretty much always have a few bites and wounds on your body. We used to use a lot of rubbing alcohol daily! In the end, what made us leave Belize was more the crime than the critters 🙂
I am so jealous…
Tropicat, it’s interesting to hear that you left Belize due to crime. Did you have any personal encounters that you could tell us about? Was it violent crime, or things like petty theft? Are there any areas, to your knowledge, less affected by crime?
Hi Zachary!
It’s mostly petty theft… we had a solar panel stolen. But violent crime does lurks around. Also, you can’t trust anyone and we did not like living that way. As far as worst or better areas, it is hard to tell. I unfortunately would say that you are not safe anywhere 😦