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19.12.2004

Yeah exactly two month later I think I gotta say something here, otherwise you really forget about me!
A lot changed again - of course - we already started painting! The "caribbean hat" is back on, built by a Mayan, they know best about thatched roofs they say :o)
Ok I didn't start with the tiles yet, first of all we want to get the internet room ready. What holds me back is the design, but good thing takes time right? (or money, which is done by now). So I'm working on that one these days.
Now we're goin for christmas - my second belizean one! I will spend it together with Pamelas family and my dearest friends Melli & Tottie from Berlin, who are visiting and hopefully enjoying their stay with us :o)
It is getting quite chilly these days as they call it winter time elsewhere, so I gotta install the hot shower soon, I can't take it no more! Yet the sun is almost always there, that keeps the mood up in the green...

19.10.2004

...is it October again? Gee time flies by! So guess what - the concrete building is covered! BUT I was told it's not the raw walls and roof which give you the most work and take the most money - it's the finishing! Oh great. Anybody interested in a working vacation? Just got some tiles to spread, a littlebit of painting, you know, only the finishing..... ;o)
Moses is the man for plastering, he'll be done in about 3 weeks (he sais).
Other than in different parts of the world we enjoy great weather (again - it was kinda grey and rainy the last week), I can tell that helps for positive vibration on the building site.
No wind for some real windsurfing though, but I don't have time for that right now anyway. My daily work consists of takin' trash away and getting cement back here - therefore I put a new working horse on duty (actually close to 200) - well new is different, that babe is 10 years old but she sure looks "as good as new" :o) ... and behaves the same way!

(this is for the guys :o) here she is:
F150 V8 5.0 4x4 yaaaaaah


ok ok back to the main thing - the house which will be bar/internet/kitchen/storage


Thats it for now. Massive greetings!

12.09.2004

Yaah!
Sad but true - our master architect Hotten left us, he's on the way back to Germany, hope he makes his way around hurricane Ivan! And we also hope that this fellow Ivan makes his way far away from us. It is kinda scary to know, that a thing like that could destroy everything we just built.
Anyway the walls are coming up - it already looks like a house!
By the way - here is Hotten's page with blueprints, plans and pix and some German explaination...
Alright, Hotten - if you read this - take care in Babylon, do your thing and come back quick! In the meantime I try to keep on building your ideas, I already like it very much, can't wait until it is finished. Thanks again to you for all you did here! We miss you!

...and the latest development:

23.08.2004

upps recieved a little spankin' there for not anouncing, that I - Oliver Guthoff - am engaged!! HA! That was the last you guys expect from me huh?! well find the right partner and it's easy!
We had a nice trip to Caracol and let the ancient Mayas wittness that great event...


Ok hope I get a kiss now ;o)
here is some more of master architect Hotten - thats how it's gonna look like - more or less - a little fantasy is still asked for understanding the whole thing but it's close already.


oh and before I get the next spanking - here's pam's page

19.08.2004

eieieieieiiiii what? Is that me? knock-knock! yeeeaaah I'm alive!
What can I say - can't find no apologies no more. Except well you know I was busy and well it was just toooo hot to sit on a computer and well there was a long black out... noo thats a lie :o)
much happened though, lots of work, lots of fun, lots of heat, and I mean HEAT, lots of fun in the heat. Man have you ever dug a hole 3x3 ft 4 feet deep in the beach sand, with the sun frying your brain at about 37�C, where as the sand is good for frying eggs so its actually hotter when you look down?
Well I can tell ya from life-experience the hole ain't gonna be 3x3, at the end its 6x6 'cause the sand keeps falling in. GREAT! but it's done, also the work before we could even start - tearing down the thatched building.
So we moved the internet cafe and our kitchen into the new cabanas, Hotten's bed is also in the kitchen, close to the fridge, which is no good for the beer's always gone.
The old building went to the dumpside, we thought we leave the nice roof at least for the digging time so we have some shade - no nada niente, it came down by itself! GREAT again! Then cracking up concrete, the old foundation - thats a lot of fun, too (same conditions of course)
But hey it must sound like I live in hell - nooooooo I still live in paradise (I think) - whenever I got enough I jump in the caribbean sea and let them do what they want.... :o))))
Yesterday was breaking-grounds, the new foundation is almost done and the new kitchen/bar and internet cafe will grow next week. BUT I was told that it'll take something like three months - well I didn't choose the simplest style...

ok my fingers are bloody, your eyes are red, let's call it a day and go to bed....

Later from tha
Oligator

05.05.2004

Good news again - construction started! First will be two wooden cabanas connected through a concrete bathroom unit. Wood is ordered, the bathrooms are almost finished already.

24.04.2004

Good news everyone!
I can see clearly now, the houses are gone.... yepp you're reading right! I bought Jeanie's land (120x60ft beachfront)and she took her cabanas and got outta here!
(no no don't get me wrong, not that I don't like her, but now I can finally start building my dreams!)
Just Pam and me left - and a lot of work!
Well it sure looks kinda strange without them buildings there, but there are already some nice plans made by Hotten, which include two cabanas, a beachbar and a spacy internet room. I'm so much looking forward to extract those plans to reality, I'd love to start right now! I just have to wait for the final touch...

The internet business slowed down again, since high season is over, so it's about time we add some new income sources.

Good news from the BTB (Belize Tourism Board) - they finally let my application for working permit through and sent a letter of recommendation back to the Labour Dept. From there it shouldn't take not much more time. At least I can start already knowing that it was approved and that I'll get it soon.
So you can consider the business to be officially open!

Here some pix of that amazing procedure "How do I move without leaving my house?"
later.....

13.03.2004

HOLY COW!
2 months gone and I let you sit inna di darkness! SORRY!
Ok some news to pick up - we finally opened the Beach WLAN-Internet Cafe! (click on "websurfing" in the menu)
Business is pickin' up quick, since it's the only one of its kind in Hopkins so far. Anyone who come down here bring a laptop and we trade! So there is hope that I'll survive.

Working permit for windsurfing instructor is still pending, although the Tourism Board now has everything they need, should just be a matter of time now - days hopefully, weeks maybe, months - oh hell, years - nooooo!

My sis' is here with her family, enjoying tha Belize breeze, and I'm also very much looking forward to welcome Hotten - a very good friend of mine - next week to stay for half a year!

Oh the webcam - I gotta find a good place to install it, probably need a longer USB-cable then, so that'll take some more time, but I'll take a nice shot every now and then....

Alright, enough again and like always I'm happy about anything in my inbox...
read ya later from tha
Oligator!

13.01.2004

Good morning Belize!
...and happy New Year !
Thanks for the lovely greetings you sent over here.
I spent New Years eve on top of Caracol, together with Jan and Pam - that was a nice adventure. Also the way there - 3 hours through mood. In the middle of the jungle we met people coming out of 5 cars with german licence plates! Land Rover on tour. Not too bad though after all to hear a "Frohes Neues!".
Back in Hopkins the finishing of the house keeps me busy, just ran out of varnish again.

A new feature for the beach business: I have a small sail boat now! For everybody who doesn't get along with those tippy windsurfers - go sit your butt down in that boat and enjoy the breeze anyway!

OK folks, keep me updated with whatever is going on outthere...
IRIE

18.12.2003

Wow it's been over a month since my last message!?! Well I've been busy. Biggest thing, MY house is almost finished! They raised it today - 9 feet in the air!
And I'm just back from a great trip to Mexico. Dropped my parents at the airport - we had some really joyfull days in Playa del Carmen together with my princess - yepp I'm happy again :o)

Santa Claus is coming soon, and they told me he also will arive over here, although I can't really imagine - just doesn't fit with sandy beaches and palm trees. but I'll get used to it! no prob!
And I'm getting older...... hey the party will be right here on the 23rd! like always *gg*
Do it like Jan and come over here!
So Merry Christmas to all of you!

15.11.2003

A new section just opened on this page! yes I've got a guestbook now, so feel free........

Greetings to the Berliners! How is it going back home?

09.11.2003

by the way, I'm online in MSN Messenger (look for olibert@gmx.net) and ICQ (#221528416).
read ya!

08.11.2003

oh it's getting wet, just about right for everybody crawling into the celebration tent for the election of Miss Garifuna of Belize. It's a big weekend for Hopkins, lot of visitors.

Hey you know what?!? This page is gonna be uploaded through a wooden wall, about 400m of Hopkins air through another wall through a couple of devices and finally into space!!! the beach-W-LAN is up!

Greetings from MoGreens! Let him tell ya - windsurfing is fun!
check this out!

25.10.2003

Upps somebody must have gotten offended by my last words - next thing I knew I had a friggin' satelite dish hangin' right in front of my door!!!! I don't know how, I don't know why, sometimes things just happen yibbiiiieee
No, of course it was not a miracle, guess I just got lucky to call the right guy at the right time.
So I'm back online, waiting almost in vain for the parts I need to put up a LAN and a webcam.

Next thing: I just negotiated with JungleJeanie that I'm gonna put a small house on her premises, which will be my home for at least the next year. Still looking for my own piece of land though, not givin' up!

alright folks that's it for now.
so long...

19.10.2003

After all I'm back in the game! Not that I was out but things're keeping me busy.
A while ago I went to Mexiko (Playa del Carmen) to drop off my friends from Cologne - thanks for your visit guys (and girls :-), we sure had a great time!
With the same ride back came part of my family to continue working on an HIV-prevention project (www.hiv-belize.de).
I also very much enjoyed the company of Henni & Doreen from Berlin, it was good to see you again!

Now comes some improvement for the business:
I went to the airport and picked up 3 brand new beginners equipments - 290er Hifly Motion, 220liters. Nice boards!
Special thanks to my Dad and my brother! They arranged the shipping and everything.

I'm still working on getting a satelite dish for internet. Like always it is a matter of time. Nothing will be done tomorrow! Next week maybe, next month possibly.... (excuse me being sarcastic :o) You betta belize it!
So I guess you still have to wait for some live-pix from Hopkins. By the way, where do you want me to install the webcam? ;o)
read ya later!

15.09.2003

Now this was a trip!
Went to Caracol, a Mayan ruin site in the middle of the jungle. App. 1% is excavated yet, it is supposed to be one of the biggest sites in Central America, 150.000 people used to live there thousands of years ago.
We spent the night in hammocks beneath a thatched roof, saying good-night to Howler Monkeys, toucans, parrots and more.
Back to civilization we took a boat to Caye Caulker, a small island at the barrier reef - very relaxed and laid-back.
So, back in Hopkins my friends enjoy their last days in Belize (which is not very hard, as they can tell ;o)

and more pix:

05.09.2003

waahooooo that was a good day, snorkeling at the reef, enjoying a paradise island. Manatees, dolphins, all kinds of fishes and corals...
The day was completed by a great lobster dinner caught the same day, homemade on a camp fire at the beach.
Greetings to all of you also from Miri, Radka & Falk!

here some pix

27.08.2003

Hello folks!
Did some uploading again - a slight new design and also thanks to Sharon from Sittee-Internet (Sittee River Village) for some nice pictures.

It is very calm these days - not much to surf fast, but good for learning!
Although everybody is watching some tropical waves passing the Carribean with potential to become tropical depressions or even storms - yepp it's hurricane season!
Lets hope they don't choose the way through here this year! (and the next and the next and the.....)

I'm working on a link page, so let me know if you are interested to have your link on there.

so long........

23.08.2003

ok I fixed some bugs which were probably responsible for that some of you couldn't see everything of the site, if you don't have the latest version of your browser. I don't say I fixed all of it - there's still much to do, but I work on it :o)
Anyway no news from here - except another encounter with a manatee - that one really gave me a big spleash with its tail and almost got me off the board!!!

16.08.2003

updated again.... everytime a littlebit and I'm getting there!
Thanks for your comments, critics and tips!
For my friend Patrick: no - I haven't seen any sharks around so far :o) although I once almost ran over a manatee!
And that one day when I came back from surfing somebody told me "hey there was a dolphin swimming behind you!".
He was a local so I trust him that he knew what he was talking about and it really was a dolphin (since I suppose one could only see THE FIN!)
Cheers

12.08.2003

So finally I made it to put up this page! Although not everything works yet.
Took me a long time to find out the password - yepp my brain is already going with the wind......

You see I have some serious plans about that business. Unfortunatly people keep throwing big rocks into my way. But I guess everybody would do it if it would be easy.

So the first rock is finding a spot of my own. It's very hard these days since many people have the same idea.
That puts me into the situation I'm in right now - working together with somebody named Jungle Jeanie - a nice Lady from Canada, who also is very much into that windsurfing thing.
That will be my near future: working together - may be in a partnership - with her. I'm happy to be working together with the only competition in town and I think she is happy that somebody around her cares for windsurfing and takes charge of that.
At the moment I'm staying at the Jungle Jeanie's Resort, taking care of it and enjoying it very much.
Jean and her husband John will be coming back somewhen next month and then we'll talk about everything. Until then I just do my thing - having a very good time :o).
Oh I could do that forever if it wouldn't be for the money! I really have to start some business soon.
That's where we come to the next big rock in my way.
The first two or three weeks I started renting out the room I have next to mine. I did that until I heard people talking: "What is this guy doing there? Does he have a license??"
That was the point when I decided to stop doing illegal business and apply for a working permission. Until today I'm waiting for reply from the officials. (it's been almost 7 weeks ago!)

Anyway sometimes I meet people who are interested in learning how to windsurf or just want to rent a board. I would be dumb to say no, so I do it in private and for a very reasonable price, lets call it a "friends donation".

As you see it is not as easy as it seems. Especially after someone broke into my cabana and took away several things I really enjoyed, it was hard to keep track. But I decided to not let me get down too easy...

After all I definately don't regret having found my way over here. I think I made the right decision for my life, I just have to work it out now!

To the windsurfing itself:
I got one board and six sails of my own down here in Belize, 3 more boards of Jeanies I can use to rent out and give lessons.
The serious thing will start as soon as I have the whole stuff shipped over here I still have in Germany (about 23 equipments plus spare parts) Until then I have to get along with what I got here, and without a working permit I can't really rock'n'roll anyways. My family is working on a way to get that stuff over here as soon as possible.

I'm very happy and proud for having a great family and dear friends in Germany who support me in any way they can.

I'm also looking forward to be chosen as travel destination by some very close friends pretty soon. We'll have lots of fun!!!

Ok that's it for now. I (try to :o) keep this page updated every once in a while. Also check the gallery for the latest visions I have to share with you....
Comments are very welcome!
cu
Oliver