Top 10 Belize Images – Focus on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

The following images were captured by AJ Baxter, an amateur photographer and frequent visitor to Belize. His selection of images for inclusion in the Top Ten was based on displaying the variety of color to be found in San Pedro during 2010. He publishes an image blog called Picture Belize where he displays the visual beauty of Belize.

Image Ajbaxter-1: No Parking: One can only assume that this sign was not intended for bikes! Another possible interpretation is that cyclists do not like beer, cannot read or are so rich that a $25 ticket is no big deal.

Image Ajbaxter-2: Water Taxi Baggage: The colors and lines in this urban beach scene caught my compositional eye as did the rich detail. Moments later the scene was crowded with passengers seeking to retrieve their bags and continue on their journeys.
Image Ajbaxter-3: Guardians of the Dock: Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls – What coastline is complete without at least a couple of 100 of these fine birds? I think as I was looking up at these birds they were sizing me up and thinking about their next meal. There is always a competition between these birds for any scrapes from the fishermen on the docks.

Image ajbaxter-4: Mid-Morning Tranquility: A Snowy Egret looking for a fresh fish breakfast in the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. One of my favourite images – the lighting was perfect!

Image ajbaxter-5: Under the Palms: Along the beach in San Pedro, the palm trees provide shelter from the mid-day sun and each tree becomes a unique back-drop for a moment of rest.

Image ajbaxter-6: Family Stroll: A magical composition captured as the sun is beginning to set and cast long shadows. The resulting side-light provided the defining glow for this family grouping.

Image ajbaxter-7: Middle Street Fruit Stand: The back-drop of light blue paint and white wood trim were perfect for this urban landscape. I just had to wait until there was a lull in golf cart traffic, a lack of pedestrians, and a cloudy day to capture this one!

Image ajbaxter-8: Downtown San Pedro: Central Park, San Pedro as viewed from the Caribbean Sea while returning from a snorkel & sailing trip to Caye Cauker. The palette of blues was offset nicely with the contrast of distant clouds.

Image ajbaxter-9: Flower for the Wife: It takes a lot of skill to be a wildlife photographer. Sometimes the wildlife co-operates and even poses momentarily (until they realize that you see them! ).

Image ajbaxter-10: School Yard Mural: Children painting a mural on the school yard wall in downtown San Pedro.

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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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Carbunkle is not a Top Ten virgin and has submitted 3 other  tacogirl Top Ten lists on San Pedro and Belize.

Top Ten things I miss from back in the day – Carbunkle Trumpet has been coming here since 1979.
Top 10 new Non-Stop Airline Routes To Belize - a bit of wishful thinking for himself and message board friends.
Top Ten San Pedro food joints – must read for foodies.

I had planned on snapping a few pictures around town to go with this post but Tropical Storm Matthew grounded me I have pulled a few from my stock pile.

Now you can say you got a text from robo who is backstage with KC and the sunshine band with Memphis Symphony as back up! Sunset Symphony.

Today would suck for an outside salesman. Thank God I am in shorts as I make calls.

This just asked of me Bacon or Sex? I chose bacon whats yours?  Me can’t I have both?  CT and the greedy one chimes in Sex OR bacon there tg

I can die now as I just shared a prayer with Rev Al Green in his dressing room. Pretty much one of the coolest things I have ever done!

They are pouring a sidewalk in front of our house. Gave Poncho a 5 spot to put a Belikin beer cap in the concrete!

Wow that makes my delivering black bean & corn salsaw/homemade chips to a receptionist who placed a 100 person lunch seem insignificant. Rock Star!

Don’t hate the player, hate the game – ground up beef tenderloin burgers if whats for lunch today.

Rather than send the ‘mundane’ facebook birthday shout out like other I send only a bd text to my dear good friend. Happy Birthday!

My 9am Bride to Be meeting got moved to noon, now the Biotch wants to move it to 3pm. I can already tell she carries her soon 2b husbands Balls in her purse.

Had another great visit with Ebbie W tonight. We both agree San Pedro Brought us together. You too! – I think you replied but it came back in Swahili.

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Top Ten joints you have to eat (so you can say you got the t-shirt)

1.      Estelle’s for Breakfast
2.      Waraguma (sp)
3.      El Fogon
4.      Street Vendors
5.      Tour Guide lunch on your own private section of beach
6.      Celi’s Deli or Ruby’s for Johnny Cakes (by now Taco Girl is wiping her keyboard because she is salivating all over it!)
7.      Pedro’s Pizza made by Walter
8.      Ali Baba’s
9.      Carumba
10.  Lions Club BBQ on Friday night.

The damned bell at Pedro's - Carbunkle Trumpet

My favorite taco maker in Central Park - Carbunkle Trumpet

Luch at Goffs Caye - Carbunkle Trumpet

Fried fish fingers from Celi's Deli the best IMHO - Carbunkle Trumpet

Peter Graniel cooking up our fresh fish lunch - Carbunkle Trumpet

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tacogirl Top Ten funny search terms that somehow led people to my blog…

ambergris caye me
belize funny pets
belize on my mind
hugh hefner roller skating party
mexicans penpal snail online
white samsung taco
girl wetsuit pool
fuzzy’s taco shop
tropical taco
?ovel salami

Today is first day of school in Belize for Little Erin. Jo went with her and is going to go sit in on a few different classes to see what they are like so she has an idea for when she volunteers. Might write more later depending how my day progresses.

I knew I would find something else I wanted to add. While doing twitter emails I got one from H18 – I checked link to his blog Wandering Foodie and in a post asking NYC food bloggers to unite this blurb he has posted caught my attention so I decided to share it with you – I came back from a buddhist retreat earlier this year and learned a lot about myself, the most important thing being that life is too short to not do what you love. If you’re the intended audience for this message, you follow the mantra: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs – ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do it, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” You’ve been making it there (and by postulate, could be making it anywhere) and still found time to pursue your true passion; the creation and appreciation of fine food.

Something else I wanted to mention. Last night we saw a commercial for Quest high speed internet and they were advertising 1.5 Mb for $19.95 – we had to laugh and shake our heads because we pay BTL $350 bzd for 1Mb. Just something to consider for those of you who plan to move here.

It is still chilly willy here – Paul said the cold front is going to continue on this week. Check Ambergris Daily Weather for more detailed updates – AD offers a daily San Pedro Belize Weather forecast and it can be very helpful with your packing.  I am posting a few Caye Caulker pics to keep us all warm.

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A Few of you of you may have already seen this top tell list from Carbunkle Trumpet. A bit of wishful thinking along with people hoping to find Belize travel deals at the moment. He sent it along with his other tacogirl top ten lists – one still in the hopper.

Top 10 new Non-Stop Airline Routes from BZE wishful thinking top ten list by ct

1. Memphis, TN
2. Sacramento, CA with a stop off in San Diego
3. Nova Scotia, Canada
4. Rockport, Maine
5. Pearsall, TX
6. St. Louis, MO
7. Kansas City, KS
8. Bucks County (trying not to snicker) Philly!
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Charleston South Carolina

I have always liked machinery. Back on the farm where tacoboy grew up they had a machine graveyard in the field and we used to spend hours looking at all the cool stuff. He would tell me what it was all for and stories about growing up on the farm while  I took pictures.

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Top Ten things I miss from back in the day

1.      Hand pulled Ferry

2.      Blake House

3.      Sand Streets on Front street with ‘sleeping policemen’

4.      John Grief Sr, Paisano, Ritchie Woods, John Merton, Fred Somes – Rest in Peace my friends I can’t not set foot on the island and not think of you!

5.      Sasha Airlines

6.      Crown Beer (starting to date myself aren’t I?)

7.      Back when Shark bar had the nurse sharks in the pen and you would get bread to feed them.

8.      Can’t think of the name but there was a bar atop a building (maybe a bank?) on middle street near Elvi’s that was neat because they would give me tons of cherries for my sprite!

9.      riding a bike down to Victoria house from town was as treacherous as riding a golf cart north of the bridge

10. WHY THE EFFING BLOODY HELL I DIDN’T BY A CRAPPY PIECE OF LAND WHEN I WAS YOUNG! DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT!

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1. Direct eye contact. When photographing people, Try holding your camera at the subject’s eye level & unleash the power of eye-to-eye contact.  Just as in all real life situations, this is important to release the power of those mesmerizing eyes and engaging facial expressions. Just remember, too, that the subject does not always need to be staring at the camera.  It’s the eye line we are looking for.

2. Backgrounds. Plain backgrounds will highlight the subject.  Plain does not necessarily mean one void of texture but merely distraction fee.  Force yourself to study the surroundings for distractions.  This will help  avoid that flagpole coming out of the top of the grandma’s head (we’ve all done it at one time or another).

3. Flash outdoors! Yes, even outdoors the flash can be your friend. Bright sun can create deep shadows.  Eliminate those and lighten up your subject’s face by using your camera’s flash functions. Many cameras have  “fill-flash” or “full-flash” modes.  If the subject is within five feet, use fill-flash to lighten up those shadows.  Beyond five feet, full-flash may be called for.  On overcast days, fill-flash will brighten up faces and make them stand out in the soft light..  Sometimes, however, an image made without  the flash on an overcast day, can have great results, too, as the soft light creates a quite pleading result.  Experiment.  Digital photography gives us such flexibility and instantaneous results!

4. Get close! Fill the picture area.  Setup as you normally would, then move in a step or two.  A good friend, who is a professional photographer and educator, tells his students to “ Fill the frame and concentrate on the  edges, the center will take care of itself.”  Getting close will give you more detail, like those cute freckles or that arched eyebrow.  Don’t get too close!  Many cameras will not focus within three feet (check your manual) in most modes.

5.  Go off center. Many people think they must place the subject center stage.  Perhaps true if one is a stage performer, but often not so with photography.  Move your subject off to one side.  Think of your viewing screen as a tic-tac-toe board.  Place the important subject at the intersection of one of those lines.  Caution:  if you are using auto-focus, you may need to lock down the focus (tip 6) as most cameras will focus on the center of the viewfinder.  Many newer cameras will also offer a variety of focusing options.  Again, check your manual for your camera’s options.

6. Lock the focus. If your camera is using center auto focusing, you may need to lock down the focus from time to time, if shooting off-centered subjects.  First, center the primary subject. Then, press the shutter half-way and hold. This will lock the focus.  Then, recompose your image, still holding the button half-way down.  Once you are satisfied with the composition, press the shutter the rest of the way down.

7. Flash range. Know the range of your camera’s flash.  The biggest mistake many people make is shooting outside the effective range.  The result? Images will be too dark.  For many camera’s the maximum range is fifteen feet.  Your mileage may vary, so check the manual, or try to stay within ten feet.

8. Photography is all about light. Successful photographers learn how light affects their subjects.  Taking a picture of great-aunt Fanny at a family reunion?  That harsh sun may enhance those wrinkles and you may not live to shoot (no pun intended) another day.  Soft light will subdue those wrinkles and make you her favorite grand-nephew/niece.  For landscapes, early mornings or late afternoons, The Golden Hour, are usually the best times to capture those awesome colors raking across the land and sea.

9. Get vertical. All sorts of things look better, or at least more interesting,  in a vertical format.  Next time your are shooting, try some verticals of the same subject and see how pleasing they can be.  Think Eiffel Tower, or a lighthouse on a craggy cliff.

10. Become the director. Take charge of the image-making process, don’t be a passive shooter..  Stronger images will be made this way.  “Allright, everyone out to the yard.  Girls, put on your sunglasses.  Boys, put the frogs down”  Most pictures are not that involved, but you get the idea.

I came across Il Cantone recently on twitter and think his 2 posts on 10 ways to boost your creativity are a nice compliment to klcmans list.

Creative Thinking: 10 Ways to boost your creativity – Part I
Creative Thinking: 10 Ways to boost your creativity – Part II

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Why is it that the simplest task can often lead you head on into 3 more.  I was starting today’s post and that led me to checking a few posts to see what images were up and that I had categorized them in the guest contributors section which led me to fixing a photo gallery in a past Victoria House and setting images 3 across – much better now. Those 2 things reminded I need to work on my categories a bit juts been slow to open that can of worms ha ha.

Here are 2 must see photographs I came across in my surfing today by juicyjoe and coffetime.

I almost forgot to mention I have asked a few people to submit tacogirl Top Ten lists  so keep a watch for them – kicking it off with Dorry’s list…

Top Ten simple pleasures of living in San Pedro Belize (from someone who has been here for just over 2 weeks)

1. helpful, friendly people
2. cheap fresh fruit and produce in walking distance from home
3. screen doors and ocean breeze
4. warm, homemade tortillas
5. cheap rum
6. riding bikes
7. DandE’s frozen custard
8. cheap taxis (especially coming from NYC!)
9. cashing checks at Milo’s
10. lunch specials with hearty portions and handwritten daily menus

Nice list Dorry – I’ll take # 10 right now followed by# 7.

Tech question anyone know what the best way to reboot g-chat when contacts will not show up?

Stay tuned for more….

Two Interesting tidbits I read on Coast to Coast news… Hindenburg airship beer auctioned – the bottle of beer is one of six that survived the Hindenburg crash. Amazing man who drives car with thought-powered arms after losing limbs in accident.

Found a cool Top Ten list as well – Beaches, Blenders and Bikinis - Luxury Living International’s Top 10 Beach Bars in the Americas.

I just got a pretty funny text from tacoboy… pizza will be in photo shoot then will b home. I ordered a white pizza with peperoni & green peppers and now it has somehow made it into Joe’s photo shoot ha ha.

San Pedro Weather – put on a hoodie this aft and watched a majestic sunset.

One last tidbit to share that I found before closing down for the night… The newest edition of Moon Belize is a gem. Joshua Berman, a travel expert to both Nicaragua and Belize, recently revised the 8th edition of Moon Belize, and the result is a comprehensive, informative guide for any kind of traveler.

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