When my partner Cully Erdman and I were just getting started running Slickrock Adventures in Belize, we never dreamed the stuff we would eventually have to learn. Sure we knew how to kayak, and fix great meals, and we were learning the names of all of the fish. But the diversity of subjects required to create and operate a resort in Belize on a tiny remote island boggles the mind. And one of the strangest skills we have had to master is dealing with the coconut tree disease.

Long Caye Belize by Lucy Wallingford

When we first moved out to Glover’s Reef in 1991, no one had ever heard of a coconut tree disease. Our 13-acre island Long Caye was covered with something like 1500 coconut trees. We leased 1/2 of the island from an American businessman, who had recently bought it from a Belizean.

In 1997, rumors began floating around Belize about an approaching catastrophe: Yellow Leaf (YL) disease (also called Lethal Yellowing disease). It first arrived in Florida, and took something like 20 years to get to Belize. Everyone who owned palm trees, whether they had 10 or 2000, vigorously denied it was going to be a problem. But by mid-1998 there were reports of signs of YL at both islands and coastal towns throughout Belize.

Yellow leaf disease by Lucy Wallingford

Once the disease takes hold of a tree, the coconuts are shed from the tree, and it ceases to flower. Then the leaves turn yellow and as they die their stems break, leaving a characteristic signature of broken, hanging dead leaves. Eventually the crown rots and falls off the tree, leaving a dead trunk that can stand for years. YL disease is 95% fatal to most palm trees, in particular the Jamaican Tall variety which is the most common coconut palm found throughout the Caribbean. The disease spreads rapidly, and is found almost everywhere in the tropical latitudes of our hemisphere.

YL disease is caused by an organism that attacks the head of the palm tree where its growth is concentrated, and causes the tree to die when this part of the tree rots away. The organism is spread from tree to tree through the leaf hopper insect, which feeds on the leaves.

Belize was lucky in that the disease arrived first in southern Florida, where they had so many more resources than Belize

Yellow leaf disease treatment by Lucy Wallingford

would ever have to figure out how protect palm forests. Horticulturalists in Florida studied the disease and developed a system to vaccinate the trees which prevents infection.

When we first started seeing our trees dying we told the owner of the island about it. He was back in the states. His answer was “I have a lot of palm trees.” We would say again “No really, it’s a major problem, you have to do something!” He would just say, “I can spare a few trees, no problem.” Just like everyone else, he was in complete denial.

But there was one person in Belize who confronted the problem head-on. Chris Berlin of Ambergris Caye, was running the dive shop at Victoria House. He heard the rumors like everyone else. But instead of denying it, he flew to Florida and found out how to treat the disease. He got the proper medications and equipment, and brought them back to Belize. He started out by treating Victoria House’s trees.

Coconut disease

We heard about him. By this time we were beginning to realize that if Long Caye trees were going to be saved, we were going to have to do it ourselves, even though we didn’t own the trees. We had already lost at least 50 trees. We hired Chris to come out and treat our trees on Long Caye. It takes days to treat that many trees (we have about 500 we are currently treating) and so Chris would have to cancel his whole life to come out to Glover’s Reef and do it. After two such trips out to Glover’s he said “Lucy, why don’t you do it yourselves?” So I flew to Ambergris Caye in March of 1999 (my first trip to San
Pedro!) and met with Chris and he taught me how to do it. I took copious notes, and got everything he told me to get. It’s an odd list of gear: golf tees, horse syringes, bullet casings (for a really fun time, try to get them past Homeland Security when flying from the states), and special tree medicine from Tree Savers in Florida.

Our island caretaker, Apolitico Salam, of Silk Grass Village, treats our trees 4 times a year. It’s easy to see the success of the treatment because we only treated the half of the island we were leasing and the trees on the other half all died. Several years later the owner finally visited the caye, and shortly thereafter agreed to sell us our part of the island. I believe  it was because we saved the trees that he decided to let us have it. The other half is still abandoned, it’s kind of hot down there. It’s really sad because there were originally many more trees down on that end than our end before the disease hit.

Since buying the island we have planted over 500 ‘hybrid’ palm trees that have been bred to be disease resistant. We bought these palm starts from the Belize government, which purchased the nuts from a facility in Jamaica. We even planted about 40 trees down on the other end of the island because it looked so pathetic. We don’t do any plantings anymore because there is no more room! These trees have grown very fast and have replaced those that we lost, so our end of the island is once again covered with a thick forest of palm trees.

When I think about this, I am always so grateful to Chris Berlin for NOT just saying-it-ain’t-so, and taking a proactive approach above and beyond what anyone else did. He saved our island.

Lucy Wallingford and Cully Erdman own Slickrock Adventures. They have a water sports center out on Long Caye at Glover’s Reef in Belize.

Palms at Glovers Reef by Lucy Wallingford

Long Caye Belize by Lucy Wallingford

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We first thought about running the Caves Branch River in the mid 1980’s. This was the only underground river run we had ever heard of. We had some basic information about the run from a friend in our hometown of Moab, Utah who had actually been on the first river trip through the caves a few years before. That group of cavers had carefully explored the river cave system from the bottom end up before taking their first trip downstream on inner tubes. So, we knew that the caves were navigable with the exception of one cave that ‘sumped’ underground, but which had a portage route around it to another entrance below.

The Caves Branch River passes through four caves as it runs through the limestone foothills of the Maya Mountains. The caves also have numerous ‘windows’, or openings, to the outside where the cave ceiling has collapsed. The surrounding terrain is thick jungle with no roads or trails, so it is a real adventure to run this stretch of the river, and we were excited.

We in Belize running numerous rivers with a group of friends who were all river guides, and although we knew where the put in and take out were located, and that there was a portage around a dry part of the stream somewhere, we didn’t know which cave had the portage. We planned on asking a local expert, Ian Anderson, at the put in where he was building a jungle lodge. Unfortunately he was not there when we arrived, so we launched anyway.

After paddling a few miles we arrived at the entrance to the first cave. It was a bit nerve-wracking because we knew one of the caves did not go through, but since we were all strong paddlers we figured we could handle it. The first cave had very fast current and the river was wall to wall. But we were able to see light downstream from the first window so we knew it was a ‘go’. We continued on, and again we could discern light downstream so we were able to relax in knowing it went through. After exiting the first cave, we started down into the second. However, we could not see light as we descended into the darkness, and about 200 yards in we came upon the sump. Fortunately it was quiet current at the sump so we were not swept into it. Now we had to back track back out of the cave, which proved quite difficult since there was a small rapid. A couple of our stronger kayakers were able to eddy hop back up however, and then they lowered throw ropes back down so the others could haul themselves up and out of the cave. We were all quite nervous and were thinking about what would have happened to us had we not been able to get back up that current!

Now we were faced with a portage, but there were no paths and we were in the middle of thick rainforest and had no idea of where the river went from there. So we sent out scouts in several directions. Fortunately, one person did find an overflow channel that he knew must lead back to the river eventually, and it did. He returned after a half hour and we were then able to portage and get back on the river through a cave window.

We were really nervous by this time because we did not know if there was another sump, and we were not seeing any further light down the cave. But, the current was much slower and we knew we could paddle back upstream if we found another sump.

The next anxious moment occurred when we heard a roaring sound approaching, which sounded like a large rapid. As we cautiously proceeded, we eventually came to a side stream that joined the main river, and the sound of its small waterfalls had only been amplified by the cave. The main river continued on as slow water, and we were much relieved when we finally emerged from the last cave.

After scouting the river successfully, we began to run the Caves Branch in kayaks and rafts as part of Slickrock’s Belize Adventure Week trip, and it is still the highlight of the trip today!

Cully Erdman started Slickrock Adventures in 1977, teaching kayaking on the Colorado River near Moab, Utah. He soon branched out to guiding rivers in Mexico, and it was only a matter of time before he discovered Belize. Eventually he and his partner Lucy Wallingford purchased a Belize island for their tours: Long Caye at Glover’s Reef.

Caves Branch picture from Lucy Wallingford of Slickrock

Belize cave tubing picture - Caves Branch photo gallery

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Don’t forget if you are looking for something to do tonight big Party at Pedro’s Sports Bar $20 all you can eat pizza, Cindy’s seriously strong rum punch and live music with Gino and the Shack Shakers.

The Church..Revolution Brewery, Paonia by Ken Butcher

Weather comparison shot for Paonia Colorado to Belize was taken on my way to the beach.

People catching the last rays at Banana Beach Resort

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If you regularly read the tacogirl blog, you’ve probably dreamed of living on Ambergris Caye. Maybe it’s time to test it out… Or dip your toe into an investment… If you’re considering living here, the first step is to decide whether you’ll rent first, or invest in a property right away.

Most of the on-line international lifestyle e-zines will suggest that you rent first. This is a very good idea for people who don’t really know the island well. The exception is if you’ve visited Ambergris Caye several times, know the area well, and have an investment approach in mind. In that case, if you run into a good deal, it may be best to grab it while you can.

Investing vs. Living on the Island

If you’re considering an investment your perspective will be quite different than if you plan to live here.

For example – a couple in their 70s first visited the island in September of 2010. They took a tour of the island. They were immediately charmed by our Isla Bonita… Jim and Nancy knew that they wanted to invest and spend part of their time here. But given their age, they didn’t want to waste precious time. They quickly did their homework, then returned to the island within a month.

On their second trip Jim and Nancy found a one bedroom condo in an older development. They snagged the condo for under $140,000 US! Then they renovated it. Since then they’ve returned several times – to enjoy their time here.

If Jim and Nancy had waited a year, they now would pay about $200,000 for a similar unit.

Test Drive the Island Lifestyle

Possibly you’re ready to explore living on our quirky little Caribbean island. In that case, it’s best to rent first, even if just for a month. Get past the “Margarita Madness” phase. Find out if you’ll love the island lifestyle. Azure blue waters, balmy Caribbean breezes and tasty tropical Pina Coladas make for a memorable vacation. But it’s best to honestly look at the day-to-day lifestyle of fulltime expats…

While you’re renting, pay attention to the cost of living on the island. Be sure to shop at a variety of stores. Determine if you can realistically afford to live here. Ambergris Caye is reasonable compared to many areas of the USA. It’s cheap compared to other Caribbean islands. But it’s not cheap. There’s an add-on cost for shipping goods to the island. After all, this is a tourist mecca. So the prices are higher than on the mainland. But expats who live here will be happy to share their ideas for cutting the cost of living here.

The next thing is to check out a variety of neighborhoods. Talk to expats who live here full time, or most of the time. You’ll find out that some lovely neighborhoods have serious issues to consider.

For example, my husband and I love the north side of the island. But we sold our property up north years ago. We decided to build our home in town. It’s a major hassle to drive back and forth on the unkempt north island roads. And we wanted to participate actively in the wonderful community. So we’ve opted to spend time up north on the weekends, instead. Now it’s like a mini-vacation to head north for the day.

If You Decide to Rent

If you’re planning a visit in November, it should be fairly easy to find a decent rental, at a good price. On the beach you will pay over $900 US/month. Off beach, I’ve known people to find a place for as low as $350 US/month (for a small unit in a home). Usually, you’ll pay over $700 US/month for an off beach unit.

In the high season, owners will usually demand more. And there is less property available to rent. Keep in mind that there are few places available for rent for only a short 1-2 month period. Most owners will only rent for six months, at a minimum.

Ask expats who have lived on the island for several years to suggest a reputable property rental/management specialist. Rental management specialists have the largest rental property inventories to choose from.

Once on the island you’ll also hear about places for rent by word-of-mouth.
Future Guest Blogs

I will be doing ongoing guest posts for tacogirl blog about property and real estate topics on Ambergris Caye. Future topics will include “beachfront vs. off beach” and “buying a condo vs. a house”.  You will also find my other bi-weekly blog posts, about the Ambergris Caye lifestyle, on Grand Baymen blog.

Bio

Ann Kuffner is a full time resident of Ambergris Caye and a Qualified Retirement Person in Belize. She and her husband bought property on the island in 1999. She moved to Ambergris Caye full time in 2008. Prior to that she worked as a VP of marketing in a fortune 500 company.

She gladly left the stress and strain of corporate life far behind…

She is now the Belize Correspondent for Live and Invest Overseas. Ann also contributes articles
to International Living.

Ann has totally changed her life and loves living on Ambergris Caye. She’s a regular speaker at international lifestyle conferences. She enjoys speaking about the Ambergris Caye lifestyle. She is a travel and copywriter, with many published articles and contributions. She now regularly blogs, as well.

Ann enjoys helping potential expats figure out if this island will be a good fit for them… She is the lead blogger for Grand Baymen Belize. She also leads their Chill Weekend island tours. Feel free to comment on Ann’s posts. You can also contact her at kuffnera@gmail.com.

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Weather you are thinking of renting,  buying or even just a vacation, I am sure you will enjoy today’s pictures – view from a luxury penthouse condominium on the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed my tour from Cowboy Doug and we both agreed we could see ourselves living there in a heart beat – I am sure many of you will too.

It was hard to narrow down my pictures for a few reasons, Grand Caribe penthouse is huge, there were so many interesting details to photograph and what a view. To the east overlooking the Caribbean sea and largest pool in Belize, and fantastic sunrise option. From some of the second floor rooms, there is a great sunset lagoon view to the west and north south road view.[will title pics later t aking a break]

Don’t forget to check out taco cam page with 24h Live streaming Belize webcam – sunrise, Caribbean sea, Barrier reef, dock and occasional boat view. Stream Courtesy of Storm Chasers Belize.

Pictures taken with my Cannon PowerShot S5 IS

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How did you spend Garifuna Day? Here is Paula’s version and a few of her pictures.

Nov. 19, 2011

Cloudy skies filled with promises of rain, didn’t stop me from getting up early today. Dick, Gigi, Laurie, and I went downtown to see the reenactment of the Garifuna’s arrival to Belize. Declared “Garifuna Settlement Day”, local Rastafarians rowed ashore about 7AM, dressed in regalia, ready to celebrate and reenact when their ancestors first came to this island in 1832. There was a small parade that followed with drummers and dancers waving palm branches and banana bunches! I had no idea what that represented but I was curious. Quoting an article I later found, “Each year in Belize, when locals reenact the arrival in that land, they slip out to sea in boats, then ride the surf onto shore, waving palm fronds and banana leaves to symbolize the cassava that sustained their ancestors.”  The drums reach out to you if you reeeeally listen and I for one, can’t help but move my feet to the rhythm.

The parade slowly made its way to the Catholic Church in the heart of San Pedro. I was pleasantly surprised when the Priest began to lead us in Holy Mass. I’m not Catholic but that didn’t matter. The spiritual refreshment was sweet. The service delivered a message of hope and unity. The singing was lovely. The last thing I expected to do was attend a church service this morning, but as my grandma used to say, “God works in mysterious ways”.

After Mass, the Garifuna left the church the same way they entered … in parade fashion; drums beating in celebration, dancing or walking to the rhythm, and waving their palm fronds and banana leaves. Everyone ended up in San Pedro’s Central Park, where crafts, food, and Garifuna music was abundant. Families were there for the day with their beach spot staked-out. Locals were there to mingle, ready to share with anyone the traditions of their culture. Us gringos where there to take it all in!

Late morning we came back south and went our separate ways for a siesta … getting up at the crack of dawn will cause need for one! After resting up, we climbed in Gigi’s golf-cart to make our way back into town. We chose to sit in a nearby café for refreshment as we listend to the music. Afterwards, back in the park some folk obviously had not taken a siesta! They were there for the long-haul, as we say back in Alabama. We, on the other hand, were not. A long walk on the beach seemed like the perfect way to end the day, so we took off walking. Ironically, up the beach were a group of Rastas selling their wares. Gigi wanted photos of them and their things, so she snapped away.

After hearing a message of peace from each Garifuna/Rastafarian all day, it was shocking to hear one of the Rastas get irate! If I wasn’t smart, he’d have undone all I’d heard that day. There’s principals that cross all cultural boundaries; one bad apple can spoil the bunch is one of them. That is unless you find it early and toss it out. Which is just what I did. I tried to reason with him, but he was beyond that. So I tossed him a peace sign and went about my business. We all came to the conclusion he was just mad because none of us made a purchase!

All in all it was a fun day and well worth getting up early for. I’ll do it again next year. Maybe the weather will be kinder for 2012 Garifuna Settlement Day. This year, the sun peeping through the clouds made for some beautiful early morning photos. I tend to make the best of things so IT WAS ALL GOOD! Now for the next holiday … and the people of Belize have plenty of them. If there’s not a festival or holiday, that’s all good too. Being here is reason enough to celebrate every day the beauty of this island and all it gives us; gorgeous sunrises, crystal clear aqua water filled with nature’s artwork, tropical temps, cool breezes, and sunsets that make you say aaaahhhh. For those of you who have pondered moving to the tropics to escape the rat-race, I encourage you to do as I did. Take the plunge. Live the possible dream!

Paula Segrest

Captions for Paula’s pictures.

1. The boats meet under cloudy skies as the sun peeps through the clouds. I wonder what the weather was like in 1832. 2. No floats or marching bands here, but a parade for sure! 3. Reverance and Celebration can be combined.
4. I believe God was smiling upon us. 5. I also believe prayer works! 6. Laurie, Gigi, and Dick chillaxin!

After reading hers, here is what I wrote.

Not at all how I expected to spend my Garifuna Settlement day but what a great day it turned out to be. It was an unusual morning I woke up at 430am,  did a good stretch session and decided to text Dick at 5:30 am for a sunrise walk. Instead we ended up doing the 6:00am Garifuna Settlement Day Celebrations with Paula and Gigi. Being so early it was only natural that 6:00am quickly turned into 6:20am for heading to town.  I love it when being on Belize time is on time, we walked up to the pier just as the first boat was pulling in.

After the 2 boats docked everyone headed to the church for more. While Paula took in the full service, Dick Gigi and I went for a joy ride to show her the other side of the airport. We got back just as the service was ending and spent time in the park talking to people about Garifuna day and learning more about the history of Belize.

It was not long before we all agreed it was time to  head home and recharge ourselves. Half way there we found out Gigi’s golf cart needed a charge as well. We just made it to her house and made plans at touching base at 1:30 and heading back to town for 2:00pm.

After editing my pictures, I was happy to spend some time with my hot water jar and roll a few kinks out of my neck. All my much needed resting has made my muscles tighten.  Thankfully I was able to get in enough down time before they came to pick me up for town.

We sat and had a drink on the Cuban patio and listened to the Garifuna music coming from the park. We  decided the weather was right for a walk on the beach. We got as north as far as the Tides Hotel when Paula decided some lounge chair time was in order before heading back to town to pick up the cart and go home.

Link to pictures from 2007 Garifuna Day celebrations and Parade – tacogirl blog. Will post afternoon beach walk pictures sometime soon.

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Those of us who are not able to go to Vegas are all invited to the big Bob Bounahra party at Pedro’s Sports bar Nov 6th. If all goes well tech wise the party will be shown live via taco cam tacogirl blog. There will be Indian Poker, a live cash tournament. Bob Bounahra’s twitter feed will be showing on tv, Pedro’s poker room has a new large flat screen tv especially bought for this event. I am sure the bell will be rung many times. Facebook invite and more details on time coming this week.

Congratulations to Danyelle who won the freeroll tournament last night at Pedro’s Sports bar and to Jock who came  and Jason for third.

Today’s guest post comes from Nisha Sharma

5 Reasons to Visit Vegas This November

Billing itself as “The Entertainment Capitol of the World”, Las Vegas is a hedonistic adult playground where the fun never stops. Twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week there are a wealth of things to see and do in Sin City. Since Las Vegas first emerged from the desert a little over a century ago, it has evolved into a fantasy land where thirty-seven and a half million people come every year to play. Five reasons why you should consider visiting Vegas this November are:

1.      Non-Stop Gambling Action

With more than seventeen hundred licensed gambling outlets in Vegas, there are probably more ways to win and lose money here than anyplace else in the world. This November, everything that happens in Vegas is definitely not going to stay in Vegas, as the eyes of poker fans the world over will be on the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, The No-limit Texas Hold‘em World Championship, as it unfolds at the Rio Hotel and Casino, Nov. 6^th to Nov. 8^th. The World Series began earlier this year with six thousand, eight hundred and sixty-five entrants. That field has been whittled down to the top nine players who come from seven different countries.

One of the most interesting players of the “November Nine” is Bob Badih Bounahra, who hails from the tiny Central American country of Belize. Bounahra is unique among the players, first because at forty-nine he is far older than the others, but also because he is the only amateur in the group. The other players are pros, some of whom have been to the Main Event before, and they all spend much of their time playing on-line. Bounahra only plays live. This year $8.7 million will go the winner, $5.4 to the runner-up and each of the other players is guaranteed to walk away with close to eight hundred thousand dollars. Currently, Bounahra isn’t favored to win, but he has gotten this far and in Vegas anything can happen.

2.      Great Weather

In other parts of the world, snow may have already begun to fall by November, but not in Las Vegas. The city enjoys nearly year-round sunshine and you can expect temperatures in November hovering around the high 60s or 20 degrees Celsius, perfect for a comfortable stroll down the Strip.

3.      Fabulous Shows and a Legendary Nightlife

Vegas has shows for every taste and budget with seven Cirque du Soleil shows, performances from the worlds most famous recording artists, comedians and magicians, Broadway hits and burlesque shows. Celine Dion fans will be pleased to discover that she is back in town with an all-new show. Vegas comes alive after dark, so whether you are in the mood for a great show, a wild dance club, or a trendy lounge, you won’t be disappointed.

4.      Sumptuous Food

Vegas is an epicurean delight and a dream destination for all foodies. You’ll find sixteen Michelin-rated restaurants in town and some of the world’s most famous chefs. The great cuisines of the world can all be found on the Vegas Strip, including some of the finest French cuisine you’ll find outside of Paris.

5.      Luxurious Hotels

You can bask in 5-Star luxury in one of Las Vegas’ fabulous themed hotels for prices which offer stiff competition for resorts in other cities. You can even find better bargains by mid-November when the high season ends and hotel rates drop.

By the way, you can follow Bob Bounahra’s exploits at the table on Facebook and Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/bobbounahra. He’ll be keeping his fans up to date on the action during the Main Event. Official Bob Bounahra website.

Hello my name is Nisha Sharma I represent a site called JackpotParty.com. I love to write about holidays and having fun! Feel free to visit our site for some great slots and casino games (US players can play for fun!).

[front page picture courtesy of Full Tilt Poker blog]

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I saw these cute projects in our Std 5 (Grade 7) classes, and they brought such a smile to my face that I could not resist sharing. They’ve been studying Noah’s ark, and building models out of whatever is at hand. By the way – those realistic waves are made of hair gel! The kids had a lot of fun, and were very proud of their work.

We’d love your help to do something FUN and ENCOURAGING for the kids. To match the theme our our amazing new mural of postcards of love from around the world, we’d like to do a huge bulletin board of postcards/letter from you to our children, telling them a bit about where you live, and encouraging them to continue to study hard.  Either do it small with a post card just from you, or dream big and have your youth group, congregation or colleagues fill out post cards and send  them this way. Got relatives overseas – ask them to send a post card too!

Post cards and letters should be sent to: Holy Cross Anglican School, PO Box 59, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America.

Thank you so much
Lydia Brown

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Sea turtle

Belize, a small country located in Central America, is nestled between the countries of Guatemala and Mexico. Bordered by the dazzling turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, it is a favorite for divers and those seeking a tranquil getaway. Along the coast are a series of tiny islands or cayes and a stunning coral reef system, second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in size. The Belize Barrier Reef offers refuge to an incredibly diverse marine ecosystem. It is home to many varieties of coral, playful dolphins, a stunning array of colorful fish and an underwater universe of intriguing marine life. Thanks to this amazing diversity, Belize has become one of the top diving destinations in the world.

Lamanai Maya ruin

Once home to the great Maya civilization, the jungles of Belize continue to reveal the secrets of this fierce people. The ruins that have been discovered offer a glimpse into Maya life and, due to the density of the jungle, there is no telling what other treasures are yet to be discovered. More than 15 Maya cities have been found to date with excavation ongoing.

These include the spectacular ancient city of Altun Ha or “Water on the Rock,” Cahal Pech, the palace and former home of Maya royalty and Caracol, which is situated in the highlands on the Vaca Plateau. One of the most important Mayan cities discovered in northern Belize is Lamanai. Archaeological research has found evidence that the city was inhabited continuously beginning somewhere around 1500 BC and continued until the last known Maya civilization that ended in around the 18th century. To date, over 700 structures have been found at Lamanai.

Spiny Lobster Belize

Once coming in from the splendor of the Belizean landscape, it’s time to sample the local cuisine! Seafood of all varieties is a staple in the coastal areas of Belize. Moving farther inland, the fare leans more toward beef, chicken and pork, frequently simmered in a savory stew served with rice and beans. No matter what part of Belize you visit the one thing that doesn’t change are the delectable sweets of seemingly endless varieties. This is a natural outgrowth of the culture due to the main industry of the country: sugar production.

Friendly face of Belize

The people of Belize are very hospitable and friendly, making visitors feel welcome. The culture is relaxed and informal, adding to the charm of this lovely country. Several distinct cultural groups are found throughout Belize: Maya, Mestizos, Garifuna, Creole, Mennonite, Chinese, East Indian and Arab. The tranquil surroundings seem to bring out the best in people as most residents of Belize live in harmony. This harmony makes Belize a wonderful place to visit and live.

My name is Nisha Sharma I work as the editor for Holiday365. I have been representing the business for the last 2 years now. Holiday365 offers some great deals in the UK, please visit our website to see offers on holiday parks.

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The Party will be held at Senate House, Malet Street, London where they will be toasting with Caribbean rum cocktails – the high commissioner, Kamela Palma is confirmed to attend.

While looking at Kate’s photo albums I came across one called Belize top 10 – of course that is what sparked the idea to have her ring in the new years first tacogirl top ten list. I always enjoy looking at other peoples Belize photo’s as it gives a great perspective on the beauty here. Kate has captured the feeling in her wonderful images from different areas of Belize.

Kate’s Introduction – Looking back over these photographs, taken to illustrate my new book – Belize: A Great Destination, fills my mind with so many special memories. I think this selection gives a flavour of the diversity of Belize and its wealth of natural beauty. I’d love to put together another top ten gallery showcasing the people of Belize. Their eclectic culture makes this nation even greater than the sum of its parts – Kate Joynes-Burgess – Photographer and Author of  Belize A Great Destination by Countryman Press.

Sunset over Dangriga - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

Dangriga doesn’t feature highly on the tourist trail. It’s dusty and a little ramshackle with its aged clapboard buildings but it’s absolutely crammed with character. If you want to experience real Garifuna and Belizean culture then make a beeline here, especially at festival time. It’s my favourite place to spend 19 November celebrations for Garifuna Settlement Day. For some reason, the sunsets are always sensational.

Tobacco Caye copywrite by Kate Joynes-Burgess

For me, this picture sums up Tobacco Caye. It’s a bit of a hippy hang-out for socialising, snorkeling, scuba and watching the sun go down over the Caribbean. Belikin in hand, of course. It’s cheap to get to and you can tuck into down home food from guesthouse to guesthouse. Stay in colourful clapboard cabanas, some on stilts over the water, or pitch a tent on the sand. What a low-fi adventure.

Rufous-taile hummingbird and hibiscus flower - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

The intensity of these colours really makes my heart sing. They take me back to Cayo District. I love getting up early to go wildlife watching in the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve and Chiquibul Forest. Birding guides in Belize are among the best in the world. You’ll find some exemplary ornithologists at Hidden Valley Inn, DuPlooy’s, Crystal Paradise and Ka’ana.

Candy-coloured Placencia - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

Traditional clapboard buildings teeter on stilts, trying to escape inevitable floodwaters, while blithely ignoring the risk of hurricanes. They’re part of the Belizean landscape and I love them for their characteristic Caribbean colours. Exterior walls in hot pink, zesty orange and yellow, intense turquoise and electric blue, are set against russet red—or simply rusty—corrugated iron roofs. Relentless rays and heavy rains peel away paintwork, allowing blanched planks to peep through.

Canoeing at Barton Creek - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

Paddle power is the only way to explore Barton Creek Cave’s geological and archaeological riches. It’s a hauntingly beautiful experience—especially if you manage to escape the crowds. Belize’s original means of transport provides a popular pastime for locals and visitors alike. Regular canoe races are imprinted on the Belizean calendar. The Ruta Maya River Challenge—covering 175 miles from San Ignacio to Belize City—is the most important, taking place every March.

Sunrise over the lagoon at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

Crooked Tree is a peaceful, friendly place to spend a few days—or even a week of quiet reflection—canoeing on the lagoon, sampling cashew wine, and eating your fill of home-cooked fare from local lodges to famous fry chicken at Carrie’s Kitchen. One of the oldest settlements in Belize, Crooked Tree was founded by English and Scottish logwood cutters in the early 1800s. The knarled trees they came to harvest still line the swampy edges of its waterways.

Altun Ha - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

Short of time but still want to tick off a Mayan ruin? Altun Ha is a compact archaeological site—with carefully reconstructed, iconic pyramids—just 31 miles north of Belize City. Altun Ha has given rise to more than one Belizean icon. Here archaeologists unearthed the largest, most exquisite, jade sculpture found anywhere in the Mayan world. The Jade Head—adorning every Belizean banknote—depicts the Sun God Kinich Ahau. It was hidden inside the pyramid that inspired the logo for Belikin beer.

St George's Caye - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

St George’s Caye has earned its place in Belizean history. For 100 years it was the seat of government. Later a short conflict staged here gave Belize its foundational myth. These days the island is the preferred weekend bolthole for elite business people. Without Belizean friends in high places, there’s only one place to stay on the caye. Thankfully, I found the only resort—St George’s Caye Lodge—rather lovely. It strikes an elusive balance between informal Caribbean style and excellent service.

Red-footed Booby at Half Moon Caye Natural Monument - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

Some creatures are undeniably endearing. Red-footed boobies—like puffins and penguins—are firmly in that category. Perhaps it’s their wide-eyed innocence or their comical little waddle. But something about them taps into our childlike sense of wonder. Whatever it is, I love it and I love Half Moon Caye. It’s not only a site of serious research. It’s a manifest ode to the booby. Climb up the observation tower and see for yourself.

Historic Belize City - copyright by Kate Joynes-Burgess

Those speeding through Belize City require a powerful pair of rose-tinted spectacles to recognise its beauty. This mini metropolis has been through a lot. Hurricanes and hellish infernos have decimated its erstwhile architectural elegance but I still have a soft spot for this defiant place. The House of Culture shines out among Belize’s best preserved colonial mansions. Across the street, St John’s Cathedral is the oldest edifice from that era. The Swing Bridge and the Supreme Court still stand proud.

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The year was 1992, and I was heading south from Canada and into the US. I had no set plans, but after watching Michael Douglas in ‘Romancing The Stone’, I knew I needed to get to South America, and in particular Colombia. After stopping in Los Angeles for a week or so, I managed to pick up some work at the ‘Banana Bungalow‘ youth hostel. I had a great time working there, but my feet were getting itchy again, and it was time to move on.

Whilst finishing my last day of cleaning bathrooms and sweeping floors, I was pondering my next move. I knew I was heading south, but I had no idea on where I was going. That afternoon I was kicking back in the hostels foyer, chilling out and having a few drinks with some fellow hostel workers, discussing our future travel plans. I glanced up at the large world map on the wall, and scanned my eyes in a southerly direction from LA, and over the countries of Central America, until I became fixated on the small country named Belize. In my early years of travel, my geography wasn’t the best. To be quiet honest, I’d never heard of the place, but it was time for me to move on, so I jumped up and said, “ I’m going to Belize, who’s coming with me?”

I managed to get a few people signed up for my adventure, and the deal was done. Tomorrow we would begin our overland trip through Central America, with our main goal of reaching the tiny nation of Belize. After a couple of weeks of overland travel through Mexico and Guatemala, we arrived in Belize City. For those that have been there, you’d know that it’s certainly a place you need to keep your wits about you, especially when walking the streets at night, but from day one I loved the place.

I’m not sure why they call it Belize City, as it’s more of a town, with a mere population of somewhere around 70,000. I suppose Belize Town just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Maybe It was a bit of forethought by the founders, as in a few centuries it will eventually become a city. Whilst making our way overland to Belize, we spoke with other travellers that were heading in the opposite direction, and they all mentioned that Caye Caulker was a must visit, and was a great place to chill out and relax. Caye Caulker was only a short 45 minute water taxi ride from Belize City, so we loaded our backpacks and off we went, for a week of relaxation, on this tiny limestone coral island.

Caye Caulker was exactly as I pictured it, a real travellers hang out, with cheap food and hammocks galore to spend the days lazing around. To give you some perspective of what the place was like back then, there were no credit card facilities and cash was king, without it you would go hungry. To make matters worse, there was only one place where you could get cash on the island, and this was a small outlet, that was basically opened by appointment only. Whilst there we also organised a snorkeling trip out to Belize’s famed reef, and it was on this day that we met our infamous captain. He quoted us a very reasonable price for the days snorkeling, that also included a trip over to Caye Caulkers bigger brother, Ambergris Caye.

As it so happened, our day trip was arranged for September 21st, this being the 10th anniversary of Belize Independence. We arranged to meet early in the morning so we could get some snorkeling done before it got to hot, and then spend the middle of the day at San Pedro to soak up the atmosphere, and grab a bite to eat, before heading back to Caye Caulker in the late afternoon. Once in town, our captain advised us to go and join in the fun, and to meet him back at the pier no later than 4.30pm. This would give us enough time to sail back to Caye Caulker, as doing so in the dark would be dangerous due to the reef, and our boat with it’s tiny engine was a little slow to say the least.

Snorkelling Belize’s famed reef was great, but the real adventure of this day was about to begin. The town of San Pedro was a buzz with activities, and we would spend the remainder of the day soaking up the Independence Day atmosphere, and gorged our selves on a large seafood lunch before heading back to the jetty to meet our captain. We were back at the jetty right on time, but there was no sign of our illustrious Captain. We waited and waited, but to no avail, what were we to do now? The time was now a little after 5.00pm, and a couple of the girls on our trip were beginning to worry, as the weather was also beginning to look a little worse for wear. It was still a beautiful sunny day, but the wind was starting to pick up.

A couple of us went looking for him, whilst the others stayed at the jetty with the boat. We hunted high and low, and were about to give up and head back, when we chanced upon him staggering down one of San Pedro’s small alleyways. It seemed our captain had also been enjoying the festivities a little to much, and to put it mildly he was completely smashed, I mean legless! What were we going to do now, none of us were experienced enough to sail back to Caye Caulker, but the captain kept telling us with slurred speech and eye’s rolling back in his head, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get us back safely’.

We walked the captain back to the boat, as a couple of the girls were becoming a little unhinged, and people were beginning to argue on what we should do. To make matters worse, Tim and I were laughing and taking photo’s with our drunken captain. The way I saw it, we only had two options, try and find some accommodation and stay the night, or roll the dice and try and get back by ourselves.

After some quick deliberation, we chose the latter, and quickly swung into action, force feeding the captain a litre or so of water, and put him behind the wheel. We unhooked the ropes and pushed off the jetty. Whilst casting off, there was a group of onlookers, some laughing while others had a slight look of concern on their faces. The whole time our captain was adamant, he would get us back safely. We had to try and make him believe he was still in control of the boat, when In reality it was us who were steering the vessel, with the odd direction uttered by the captain.

I’m sure he’d sailed this route many times, and even in his state, he still seemed to know where to go. It was hilarious, there we were bobbing up and down with the swell, with the captain barely with enough strength to stand and hold the wheel, with the sun slowly making it’s way beyond the horizon. He was singing Kriol songs, and as a team we safely guided our selves back to Caye Caulker, arriving a little after dark.

To be quite honest, after a few minutes we were pretty confident of making it back safely, and the hardest part of the journey was docking the boat at Caye Caulkers jetty, in the dark. Once back on dry land, we left our captain with some of his friends, and headed back to our guest house, laughing at what had just taken place. To this day, the captains name still eludes me as it was almost twenty years ago, and I hope he is still in good health. He was quite a character, and looking at the photo above, I always get a great laugh, thinking about the day we were left with the decision of ‘What shall we do with a drunken sailor?’

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