Magic Jack is smoke and mirrors

Just in case you are thinking about getting the Magic Jack, don't bother. I bought the Magic Jack from a Radio Shack in Austin, Texas and took it to Belize with me. I set it up and it actually did work for a couple of calls. That's where thinks went wrong. 

I've been online chatting twice now with technical support. To their credit, they tried to be helpful. We actually got it up and running last time. HOWEVER, once again it doesn't work. You dial and it immediately hangs up.  It will do this repeatedly.  Maybe it will work inside of the USA but here in Central America it seems like a bad joke. 

So you spend time with customer service and that time adds up. It's not worth the hassle of "upgrading to Vista" and rebooting it this often. Now that I'm here in Central America for the next few months, I probably won't get a refund when I get back. I'm also sure that they'll have some excuse concocted.

Regards,

Ben

San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, Belize: Martha's Kitchen

I wound up with the Preston family and friends eating at Martha's Kitchen. It's a restaurant in San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, Belize and a pretty good one. It was Maria's birthday today. This one will be short and sweet since I'm short on time right now. 

The food was excellent. I had the Chia Burrito. Chia is the leave of a shrub in Central America and very tasty steamed or mixed with eggs too. Most everyone's plates looked good and the portions and prices were good. Mine was $12.00 BZD ($6.00 USD).  The staff was polite and responsive. The downside was the wait. 

It took about 45 minutes for me to get my food. Our party of twelve waited forever and the time difference from the first to the last dinner served on our table was probably about 45 minutes. Some of the first guests to eat had left far before the last meal was served. They simply don't have the capacity to handle a busy room.

Regards,

Ben

San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, Belize: J and K Bar

If you're having a red meat attack try J&K Grill.  It's not too hard to find. I'll try and get a picture up later. The local boys here think of it as a steak house and their probably right. Gary and I went there to eat last night. Gary tipped me off about this place. Maria's sister also thinks it's the best steak in town.

J&K is pretty basic but clean. They've got a small bar and the rest is seated tables. It looks as if it's all outside dining but covered for rain. A good idea around here since it's all rain forest. I usually inspect the dining area to understand the cleanliness of the kitchen. It's pretty clean and well kept and casual and unassuming.

Gary ordered the porterhouse rare with baked potato (butter and sour cream), salad with ranch dressing and hot tea. I went with the same except no potato and double the salad, steak medium rare and bottled water. We each received at least 24 oz. steaks cooked to order. The service was fast but the place was empty since it was chilly last night.  

The food was excellent although the steak did have some grizzle. A good quality steak here for Belize, cooked right, and with good service. I think that Gary and I got out of there for the same price of $26.50 BZD ($13.25). I tipped $1.50 BZD on top of that. I don't think she expected a tip either. 

J&K is not hard to find and most cab drivers seem to know it's behind the Saddleback Grill. A cab seems to be the standard $5.00 BZD to get anywhere around town. The also have sirloin for $25.00, lobster for $45.00, surf and turf for $45.00 and other less expensive dishes too. This place is a bargain and they serve beer too.