Thanks for reading! I am back and writing about my week visit to Belize! What a trip it was. I got to see two very different perspectives on this island and will detail them throughout this post. Let me know if you have any similar or different experiences! Keep traveling people!
Background:
Belize is a small country roughly 8,800 sq miles with an estimated population of 330,000. It is located in Central America with Guatemala surrounding it's south and western boarder, while Mexico is just north and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Belize has a rich history surrounding Mayans.
I got to enjoy this relaxed tropical environment for about a week's time. It was truly beautiful with much of the country still in it's natural state. Meaning there are a lot of foreign influences in Belize within the real estate industry, so some places are built up for tourists and some are yet untouched.
The coastal area and reef is protected nationally so they are taking precautions against all of the tourism that Belize receives from year to year.
My Experience:
I stayed at Ambergis Caye, an island right off the coast of Belize. The main town on the island is called San Pedro. The photo to the right is a picture of one of the main streets on the main strip in San Pedro. There were lots of bikes, golf carts, motorcycles, and occasionally cars. A big part of San Pedro is it's tourism industry. I feel like most businesses around this town are centered toward tourism and necessary goods. Many families survive on tourism alone.
Before we could get to the island however, we had to either take a very slow ship or a puddle jumper to the island. The plane we flew over in is pictured to the left. This seemingly single propeller plane holds up to two pilots and 12 additional passengers.
Our flight from Belize City to San Pedro was about 15-20 minutes. Everything with the airport (Tropical Air) went smoothly arriving and departing. I would fly with this company again if ever to come back to Ambergris Caye.
My experience started with a stay at Coco Beach Resort. It was placed right on the ocean/sea front. There were two pools with a swim up bar and a hot tub surrounded in the middle of a cool shallow water pool. It was pretty extravagant and a bit expensive for my tastes. I didn't visit the swim up bar often because we stocked up on liquor at the airport. Buying your alcohol while you are at the airport will save you lots of money in the long run. When you get into town everything is jacked up for tourists. As a local you can often get things for a discount rate.
The conversation rate for US Dollars to Belizean Dolar is: 2 BZD to 1 USD.
So your money is basically doubled if you are using USD. =D
Coco Beach Resort had a in-pool rock wall/slide. It was great for kids and adults alike. I enjoyed scaling the sides and then diving into the 8 foot water surrounding the structure. All of the staff was very friendly at this resort and I got to know a few of them personally. One person in particular that stands out is a young man named Marcus. We were going to have him take us to the reef which spans along the coast for over 100 miles. The reef itself lies about one mile from the shore of where we were staying. So if we wanted to reach it we could take a kayak out and anchor it when we got near the reef. You are not supposed to touch the coral when you visit the reefs because the oil from our skin tends to kill coral. My mother sprained her ankle the day before so we unfortunately did not pursue this adventure to the reef with Marcus. Marcus was a relaxed local resort staff who was studying in his off time to become a tour guide. Meeting Marcus gave me an entirely different perspective on Belizean life that really I hadn't previously considered before visiting.
San Pedro:
On a poppin saturday night, I got to go explore the town of San Pedro and see what it had to offer. The town basically consists of 3 main streets with vendors, restaurants, and stores scattered among them. When my mother left to go back to the hotel, I got to enjoy the local way to hang out. I met up with Marcus and Dewayne for a night out. We drank Belikin Beer Stout mixed with some Campari, it was definitely a sippin' drink. After we chilled at the park, we headed to the Jaugar club, which only opens on the weekends. There were two floors of wild people getting their groove on. This club was pretty cool and I would go there again.
After the night was coming to a close, we started our 20 minute walk back to Marcus and Dewayne's house, if you could call it that. I asked them if I could crash there because I wanted to see how they lived and had no other way to get back to my hotel safely so late. Let me tell you, I was in for a surprise.
I had realized right when I got to the island that the people were hungry for money. I hadn't realized why they were so hungry for money until I got to experience the daily accommodations of the typical locals. When we arrived to their house. There was a gate to get into the common area that they shared with 3 other families. in the middle there stood a rather large house, maybe 20ft x 20ft with two floors. This obviously housed a bigger family. Then once you go back a little ways in their "courtyard" there were 3 rooms basically in the back that were about 10ft x 10ft a piece. Marcus opened the door and I was amazed that TWO people lived there, I didn't think there was enough for one. There was one bed, two tables, one tv, a clothes rack, and some heating equipment for cooking food. If anyone wanted water they had to go to the faucet on the outside of the building. All 4 families shared 2 bathrooms which were basically holes in the ground in their "courtyard." This style of living was in complete poverty. I couldn't imagine having to do that from day to day but I suppose they have gotten used to it. The thing I thought was most special was that they seemed in fairly high spirits and they didn't let their living situation effect them. Basically they just went through the daily grind like everyone else. I really hope I meet them one day when I have more money so I could help them out with some of their expenses, they deserve much more then they have. Such is life sometimes though..
Chicken Drop:
On a lighter note... The San Pedro keno system is run through CHICKENS!!!!!
That's right, chickens, and plenty of em. Every thursday night there is a local bar that has an event called "Chicken Drop." Basically it's a lottery system. You buy tickets for different time slots and then you wait.Each ticket costs around 1 BZD and you can win 100 BZD. So the twist is basically that there is a number board with netting around it and they let people shake a chicken and then blow on it and throw it into the square. Then the chicken does it's thang and drops a deuce on the lucky number. Hopefully the number is yours because then you'll win the sweet 100 BZD prize. (100 BZD = $50 USD). I bought 20 BZD worth of tickets but didn't get my number shat on at all. Tough luck. I did meet some cool people from the US and Canada, Joann and Cole, but unfortunately it was my last night there and didn't get to chill with them for long. I forgot to mention, the TIME! The time the time, oh sweet time. The belizeans really have a relaxed viewing of time. I had to get used to this because I am a very timely person. By the end of the week I didn't care what time it was and I could estimate the time of day by the sun's position in the sky. Living simply gave me a real break from life. A break that was much needed.
Anyways this experience was awesome and saddening at the
same time. When I returned to my luxurious hotel I felt the unbalance of the way people live and survive around Belize. I will truly take this lesson to heart and be more humble in my living and always keep an open mind to the way I live. Realizing that we have it so good in the United States really strikes you when you are away. I hope to take more adventures and see what the world has to offer. Next stop, ASIA! I'm thinking Taiwan or South Korea, but who knows!
Thanks again for reading. I hope you enjoyed the little bit of Belize I shared with you. Til next time!
