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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Belize Rain Report by Cowboy Doug via sms – catching up a few days worth. This morning 1/10th of an inch since 8am,  yesterday evening – Gonna give ya a rainfall reading… IF IT WOULD EVER QUIT!!! 1inch and 6/10ths WOW! We just got the road graded too. January 29th 30/100ths less than a 10th and January 28th Jeeze! a little over 2/10ths.

Enough about our rainy morning weather and onto some Belize History with  from Lucy Wallingford from Slickrock Adventures.  Lucy also does an interesting Belize blog – Behind the Scenes at a Belize Adventure Company. Lucy sent the email below when we were going back and forth for her Exploring Caves Branch River in the early 80s guest post. It struck me as a wonderful memory in time and I was glad she agreed to let me share it with you.

Hi Laurie,

We do have old pics, but they are all in slide form. But the really old ones I don’t have. When we first started kayak trips in Placencia in 1986 we rented a beach at the last house, which was near the old Kitty’s Place. We could only shop for food on Saturdays and you had to take your wheelbarrel down the sidewalk and take a number and wait 2 hours to get called to give them your list. Meanwhile our tourists are sitting back on the beach packing their kayaks waiting for me to get back with the food…. but only memories! No pictures. Funny how when you are in your 20s (at least back then) you couldn’t imagine that what you were doing at the time you would like to look back on and have pictures to prove it!

We came to Belize because we were running trips in Chiapas, Mexico and one day my partner Cully just thought he’d go check out Belize. He hired some guy with a sailboat to take him the whole length of the Barrier Reef and picked the itinerary still used by kayak companies today: Placencia,  Bugle Caye,  Laughing Bird Caye, Water Caye, Silk Cayes, Pumpkin Caye and Ranguana Caye. A 7 day trip. No one was out there back then but a few rasta fishermen; it was incredible.

I never even visited Ambergris until we got the coconut tree disease in 1998. I flew out there and Chris Berlin taught me how to treat coconut trees. Still today we use that method on Long Caye. We have treated our 500 trees every 3 months since then! Chris Berlin saved our island with this knowledge he freely shared with us.

Thanks,
Lucy

Find Slickrock Adventures  on Twitter and facebook.
Upcoming Palm tree disease article from Lucy next week.

Daily catch on Laughing Bird Caye. No problem catching dinner back then!

Camp on Laughing Bird Caye. It is now forbidden to camp there, a national park.

Kids of Placencia hung out around us all of the time. Of course these guys are much older now, this was 1987.

My partner Cully negotiating with the propriator of the Sea Spray Hotel in Placencia. I can't remember her name.

Beach scene, where we rented in Placencia. I bet the beach we rented was a couple of acres and I don't remember how much it cost but it wasn't much! This was the front yard of Mr. Clive and Miss Pearl.

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Today’s post comes from – Chris Rowlands-Barber – Travel insurance expert. He highlights a short span of  what to do for 4 days on the island. You could add 3 days on the mainland to get the full jungle and beach vacation experience, or just spend the rest of your week enjoying your time at the beach.

A Four day Belize Itinerary

If you are lucky enough to visit Belize in your lifetime, you might choose to just lie back and soak up the sun and the sights, rather than risk having to make a claim on that cheap holiday insurance you purchased. But Belize has a wonderful range of adrenaline-pumping activities for those who aren’t afraid to get their feet wet and their heart racing.

Here is a plan for four days of non-stop action around Belize that will give you a real flavor of what life in Central America’s northernmost country is all about.

Day One
Touch down at Belize International Airport and treat yourself to a Belikin or rum punch at Jets Bar, he is quite a character.  Then enjoy the Caribbean Sea view on short Tropic Air flight to San Pedro town, you might even spot some rays or big fish on the way. As soon as you land you will be instantly captivated by its beauty, and friendly people.  After settling in with a welcome drink at  The Phoenix resort, you might  find yourself tempted to spend hours just walking the beach or end up getting caught up at  BC’s beach bar.

Enjoy dinner at one of the many delicious restaurants in town followed by a night of live music at one of the local San Pedro bars. There are many talented musicians and on the island and  Lola’s Pub, Legends Burger House and Crazy Canucks at Exotic Caye are  all great places to find them.

Day Two
If you haven’t taken a swim the sea yet, your second day is a great time enjoy a water adventure, grab your flippers and head for a  half day snorkel  at  Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Where you will get up close and personal with coral, rays, lobsters, fish and if you are lucky you might see dolphins.

For lunch indulge yourself in some local Belize food,  there are many great local places around town to choose from like My Secret Deli near Belize Bank and and Neri’s tacos near the south end of town . At night visit the park is also fun, there are many food stands, where you will be able to sample a variety of reasonably priced local food. Head around the corner to DandE’s frozen custard for dessert.

Day Three
Adventure time and you will find many options to choose from. Celebrate 2012 with some Maya history and a trip to Altun Ha, Laminai , Cahal Pech or one of the other Maya ruins. If you are an animal lover, take a boat ride to the mainland and head up the river to Belize Zoo. Adventure lovers, try your hand at zip-lining through the trees and witness the spectacular views from a unique vantage point, before stopping in at the jungle lodge for lunch.

By the time you arrive back in San Pedro, you’ll have worked up quite an appetite. A simple solution lies at Pedro’s Pizza, eat in or delivery option available. Great thin crust pizza and they do trivia every other Thursday, live music and food special every Friday.

Day Four
Your fourth day is a day to explore the island some more. Why not head south to Marco Gonzalez Maya Ruins,  definitely worth seeing. If you prefer to enjoy relaxing lunch by the pool take a tropical drive to Cowboy Doug’s pool bar and Grill located in North Ambergris Caye.

Belize provides as much action, activity, serenity and splendor as you could ever wish for. And there’s no reason to hold back if you’re not as young as you used to be – travel insurance over 65 is readily available.

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Belize Blog update
“Cable Woes and Cayo Connection Meeting”  – Wealth Ships
Why YOU Should Visit Belize in January – San Pedro Scoop
15 Top Tips For Sellers – San Pedro Belize – Invest in Belize Real Estate blog

Canadian news – World’s top islands: Frommers picks Tahiti, Belize, Tobago and more – The Toronto Star news paper.

Belize Travel News - Some of you may have seen the good news already but for those of you who haven’t, several Belize resorts scored major points in the trip advisor 2012 Travelers Choice Hotel Awards. Congratulations to all who made the cut.

Top 25 Hotels in the World
1. The Phoenix Resort
3. Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort

Top 25 Hotels in Central America
1. Phoenix
2. Hamanasi
3. Xanadu
5 Coco Plum Island Resort
7 Turneffe Island Resort
10 Victoria House
13 Belcampo Lodge
20 Las Terrazzas
23 Chaa Creek
24 Mata Chica
25 Grand Caribe

Belize Rain report by Cowboy Doug of Cowboy Doug’s Pool bar and Grill – text received January 20th 1/2 an inch of rain last night starting at 11:40pm. Don’t forget Tomorrow is pool party day, head on up and say hi to the cowboy.

Saga Humane Society Update
I hope this finds you well and enjoying the New Year.  There seems to be a buzz in the air with 2012, let’s hope it’s a good year for all of us!

Saga Humane Society would like to give a big thanks to Mojito Bar and their great staff for hosting our Pasta Cook-off. Friday the 13th turned out to be a lucky day for the Saga shelter animals with an anonymous donor pledging to match all proceeds from this event; Saga was able to raise just over $3,000. There was a great turnout of visitors and locals who enjoyed all the fine Pasta dishes presented.

Winners were: 3rd Place: Chicken Fettuccini ala Parmesan from Faride Salinas who received a Cutlery Set; 2nd Place: Pineapple Chipotle Pasta from Xenika Nicole Armstrong who received a lovely set of 8 Pub Glasses; and 1st Place: Pork Chow Mein from Sharon Metcalfe who Received a Toaster Oven.

We would also like to thank our other entries for their wonderful dishes. Pasta Fiesta Salad – Pineapples Restaurant; Dill Macaroni Salad – LouAnn LeClaire; Bow Ties a Ragu de Tonno – Rosa LaRosa; Shrimp Roulade with Prosecco Tarragon Cream Sauce – Chap Ross & Kathy Neimic; Tia’s Salad – Tia Hindson; and Veggie Callaloni – Mathieu’s Deli.

Raffle Prizes: Kim Gonzalez won a Full Groom from Pampered Paws sponsored by George’s Kitchen. A visiting tourist won a Rod & Reel courtesy of Captain Sharks. And Eliza and her parents Jessica Waters & Stephen Card won Dinner for 2 plus a Mojito courtesy of Mojito Bar.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event a success. Heather Beck Janina Canales, Grant Crimmins,
Ingrid Juarez, Joe LaRosa, Rosa LaRosa, Bob LeClaire, LouAnn LeClaire, Ingrid Lima, Katia Marin, Sharon Metcalfe
Lori Purdy, Nancy Rountree, Jonny Woodward.

Saga Humane Society would like to thank everyone for their continued support.

[front page picture of The Phoenix Resort by Matt Lankes and Demian Solano]

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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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What I did not mention is that they are still looking for the perfect couple and accepting more entries. You and your significant other still have a chance to enter and win your place at a breathtaking ceremony on the steps of an ancient Maya Palace at the 3200-year-old Mayan City of Cahal Pech on 12/12/12.

I often facebook contests with Belize prizes and can honestly say this romantically adventurous Maya ruin wedding is definitely tops the chart for prizes. Now that I have some of your wheels turning, get your pen and paper and start brainstorming why there is a Maya Palace step with your names on it for the fabulous 2012 Maya Marriage of Many party. If you are in it to win it visit 2012 Weddings Belize website for facebook contest tips.

For those of you who are already married or not quite ready to take the plunge, you can still book yourself in on the guest list Please put your thinking caps on and pass this info along to any couples you know who are destined to tie the knot in a spectacular way. Thanks for helping helping find the dynamic duo who is meant to win.

[Photos from Romantic Travel Belize website]

Read below to learn a bit more about about the Maya Marriage of Many presented by Lara Goldman of Romantic Travel Belize in conjunction with luxury wedding planner Lisa Light of Lisa Light Destinations and celebrity photographer Terry Gruber.

Does 2012 Signal the End of Time? Belizeans Say No

Maya Descendants Believe End of Calendar Brings New Beginnings

December 21, 2011 (San Pedro, Belize) — Only 365 days remain until the end of the 5126-year-old Mayan calendar next year, and the beliefs of many will be tested as time ticks down in 2012. On December 21, 2012, the world as we know it will end – or so it’s thought by those who believe next year’s end to the 5126-year-old Mayan calendar signals the end of time. However, Maya descendants in Belize, the epicenter of the ancient Mayan world, reject popular doomsday scenarios, and instead see the calendar’s end as a joyous time of spiritual rebirth and new beginnings.

In honor of this historic moment, Belize is hosting the “Maya Marriage of Many,” scheduled for the last of the alliteration dates on 12/12/12. There are thirty-six available slots for couples, along with 218 of their closest friends and family, to take part in an exclusive and unique wedding celebration in Belize, staged on the steps of an ancient Maya Palace at the 3200-year-old Mayan City of Cahal Pech. This will be the first and only time a mass marriage will be permitted to take place on the ruins as each couple’s love story is forever woven in the fabric of Mayan culture and tradition.

“As the home of the Western Hemisphere’s largest barrier reef and majestic mountains dotted with Maya sites, Belize is a culturally rich destination wedding location for those looking to celebrate their love and good fortune in a truly epic way,” says to Lara Goldman, a destination management consultant and owner and founder of Romantic Travel Belize. “And, since this is the only place in the Yucatan where you can get married on the Maya Palace itself (dating back to 1200 BC), guests will experience something extraordinarily different.”

In celebration of this unique ceremony, 2012 Weddings Belize is holding a Facebook essay contest for a chance to win one slot in the coveted destination wedding at the “Maya Marriage of Many”. The grand-prize winner will be awarded with a luxurious wedding package valued at over $15,000, including an exotic wedding ceremony complete with honeymoon in Belize. The ceremony will be orchestrated by Lara Goldman of Romantic Travel Belize in conjunction with luxury wedding planner Lisa Light of Lisa Light Destinations and celebrity photographer Terry Gruber, among others.

To enter the contest, visit 2012 Weddings Belize facebook page. The contest will officially close on January 31, 2012 and the grand prize winner will be announced on February 14, 2012.

For more information about the Maya Marriage of Many, such as what bridal packages include and pricing please visit 2012 weddings Belize.

Here’s a sample entry:

There is a time and place for everything and I’m daring to dream. My fiance has chosen the date of our wedding as 12.12.12. The reason he gave me for this date was simple. He said it’s once in a lifetime and it’s as unique as we are. Furthermore, there are rumors that 12.12.12 could mark the end of life on earth as we know it. Even though I don’t buy into it, he asked me to (imagine for a moment) and acknowledge the romantic notion that he’d want to spend his last day on earth desiring to hear the words, “You may now kiss the bride”. I teased him. I said that perhaps he chose the day in hopes that he wouldn’t have to go through with it at all. After a shared laugh, I used a search engine to find out what others were saying about this date as a wedding. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I hadn’t appreciated his gesture the way I should have. I remembered back to all those unanswered dreams and longing for romance and my heart sank as I realized that I nearly let this one slip past me unnoticed and unappreciated. So here I am. Humbled by the thought that I could participate in something so rare with him. Driven by the desire to return the romantic gesture that he gave to me. Fumbling awkwardly with the words to say, but daring to dream. Please help me to do that. Please choose us to be a part of this event.

[Front page Maya ruin photo from Duploy's]

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This next piece below comes from a very talented yoga aficionado Ashanti Airbender Garcia. Some of you will remember her from the post I did on Belize News Exchange Magazine – she was the featured Living Fit article for their one year anniversary issue. More details coming as mentioned in Ashanti’s email, but I figured I would post it now so that people who wanted to make plans to go to Cayo for the weekend would have some prep time.

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to inform you that on Saturday, November 26th, I will be performing my third yoga-dance fusion for the Cayo Arts Festival which is scheduled between 4:30pm and 8:30pm near Columbus Park in San Ignacio.  Sheldon Bodden, a Finalist for Masters of the Floor in 2009, has helped me with the choreography.  I will update you with the exact times I will be performing (yes, I am scheduled to perform more than once!)

Regards, Ashanti Garcia (Airbender)

I have borrowed a few pictures from Ashanti’s Airbender facebook page. If you appreciate how talented this girl is please leave comment and or show her some facebook love.

Ashanti Garcia Airbender

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They socialized, played poker, ate great food, and did some sight seeing. A few of them even helped one of the guys move some stuff from a storage unit in an effort to lighten his load and not see his stuff on Storage Wars.

After I took a break from working on this post last night, I caught Cupcake Wars WSOP challenge. Teams had to impress the judges with delicious poker themed and flavored cupcakes. The winning two teams went on to refine their recipe’s and design a 1000 cupcake display that best represented the World Series of Poker. Interestingly enough the winning baker won because her display was more identifiable with the World Series of Poker’s logo design. Video is worth watching if you like competition shows.

Pictures by tacoboy – Sony Cybershot camera

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Back later with more pictures going webcam Dick on coconut phone so he can see the place and  go relax  for a bit. I was thinking to go for a swim but the thought of a cat nap in a luxurious king size bed facing the sea is winning.

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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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