AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums About Belize History Old Belizean characters

The following is a list of old Belizean characters started by a friend last summer. It includes inputs by several folks. If there are any other old names and characters that you recall, let's add them to the list. This is not intended to make fun of anyone, but simply to remember the good old times.

Aunt Marie Dingers nanny and made the most delicious lemon curd tarts for children's parties

Baron Bliss Cripple with handcrank wheelchair (not the benefactor)

Bero(l) Rode horses at the Barracks/laughed just like one

Bredda Roy Used to seel sweets, fruits, etc from a cart in front of Holy redeemer

Brother Jake Holy redeemer boy scouts

Bug Miasi bug (?)

Buns Mulecart operator with large mules

Cassa Policeman with cane, would lash you eena line dah teatah

Catate Another original battyman

Chacalaka Singing drunk from Foreshore

Chapoose Caye Caulker taxman and general gopher

Chen Chen Caye Caulker garbage man and handyman

Chicken Wizened old story weaver, with a per machete named Cutcunny

Chicky-chick Spitter and founder of BACK (Belize Assoc. of Kaka Carriers)

Choati Another original battyman

Cleavy Notorious tief, could run faster backwards than forward

Comics Caye Caulker drunking man

Corner Shot Paraplegic fisherman fished alone from his smack at the Barracks

Day Ghost Albino

Diggy-Batty-Ruby Self explanatory

Dilo Another original with bicycle cart and would tief eggs, "Eggs eggs eggs"

DoDo Another Caye Caulker drunking man

Don Marin Old man, vendor at Holy Redeemer

Dougal Cow killer

Dummy Deaf mute, was crew and worked on Bunny M.

Fr. Sullivan Drove around the Fort at night flashing light in couples faces

Florine Beggar lady, wore layers of clothes and a brown felt hat

Fresh dead Funeral parlor operator and maybe necrophiliac

George McKenzie Voice behind Anansi stories on old BHBS

Greasy man Shaved, greased, cat burglar

Guilty Used to sell pepitos(Macoby seed) all over the city

Harold Shealy/DeShield Likeable drunk from St. Georges Caye

Hilly Lewis Gardener who could manicure a lawn with his machete and could always find manure for the flowers

Jackie Vasquez Great white hunter & botanist, knew all the native plants by scientific names and supposed to have had The Powers

Jack Slade Aspinal (black til e blu til e shine) taught Spanish at SJC and rode bike with his heels on the peddles

Joe Young Legendary fisherman, harpooner & shipwright

John Little John Colorful renegade type always running from something

Johnny Midget

Johnson sistersDe wahn whe ker do sleck pan

Kobuh Derelict, allegedly from Ireland, would moon the nuns at convent

Mackay Owned Bunny M.

Major May Lamb The best cook in town, kept other domestics inline, hence the name

Masked Man Covered up in disguise/bicycle cart

Mavis Another drunk, sell di ting fi shilling

Merngue Kid Yard cutter who would do tricks with his machete

Mr. Parks Owned the boat Mermaid

National Velvet Lady of the evening, morning and afternoon

Necktie Jesus dis wahn use to heng out by City Council and wear som ches wahma

Nice and Nasty Used to sell food at Bridgefoot, good food-not so good hygiene

Obeah Man Dis dah mi wahn crazy ras balli, mi liv baka Ebeneezer

Panadero Sold sweet breads (greasygreasy) from a bicycle all over the city

Pandy Cab driver, Harry Bellafonte wannabee

Piece Ears Witch Would hang by slaughterhouse, tief hog

Pissa Bed Old drunk who always smelled like [#%!]

Quashie Man Belizean term for a rapist

Ramsey East Indian mulecart operator, gospel preacher

Rudy Cabral Cross dresser and another original

Seferino Claudino Coleman Clown act and maybe another original

Shadow ebony skinned with large ivory teeth

Shekle Mulecart operator with small mules

Skinny Walked the streets with wild animals for sale

Smell Shit Name self explanatory, used to hang out by Distributors

Tablada The policeman whe would pull you over for traffic stuff

Titiwaya Mulecart operator with very small mules

Tools Boxer, ABC/XYZ, laughed like a mule

Trussa Little children were told that he would take them away if they misbehaved

Vivi Washed clothes in Foreshore water, hung them on fences, business slogan was "�. you fi 5 cents"

Walter Disabled fellow with long tongue "Tongue pan chest"

Willy Whiley Ice cream parlor operator

Winnis Beggar woman and maybe Greg's prom date

Cleavy was a notorious theif when he out of jail, everybody lock up dem house. Use to run back way faster than he could run front way.

Piece ears Witch. Used to hang by slaughter house. took me one night one a move where we wap out a big hog from hostel and sell the mean and made chicarun from the skin and guts.

Tasarina nuh memba much

Dougal who used to kill cow. forget his nickname but he is still around town though in pretty bad shape.

You did include diggy e batty Ruby, right?

Bolo. Used to have a sweet stall by Agusto Quan. quite a character. We used to help him pull out the jars because he couldn't bend over. we would fill our pockets with sweet.

national velvet was in Winnis style.

Dillo was another original battyman around the time of catate. It is said dat he theif egg and would always be saying, egg,egg,egg, egg. He had a bicycle cart and lived behind Lyons bakery.

Also, Smell Shit and Roy are one and the same. He currently runs a bicycle cart from Queen Square Market and looks the same as he ever did.

from a friend....
We have had a few characters in Caye Caulker that can be added to the list:

Chapoose (RIP), the island tax collector/messenger/multi-task person

Chen Chen - used to collect garbage, run errands, handyman

Comics (Pablo), notorious drunk (RIP)

DoDo (Deodoro Alamina) - still alive, also a notorious drunking man on the island, also happens to be my relative

Panadero man (Mr. Reyes), I believe he passed on a few years ago, used to sell delicious sweet breads (greasy greasy) all around Belize City on his bicycle.

Cleavy was a notorious theif when he out of jail, everybody lock up dem house. Use to run back way faster than he could run front way.
Piece ears Witch. Used to hang by slaughter house. took me one night one a move where we wap out a big hog from hostel and sell the mean and made chicarun from the skin and guts.
Tasarina nuh memba much
Dougal who used to kill cow. forget his nickname but he is still around town though in pretty bad shape.
You did include diggy e batty Ruby, right?
Bolo. Used to have a sweet stall by Agusto Quan. quite a character. We used to help him pull out the jars because he couldn't bend over. we would fill our pockets with sweet.

Who is the guy that almost always walked daily (maybe still does) back and forth between San Ignacio and Belmopan with no shirt and carrying a machete along the Western highway?

Wasn't there a cross dresser Shirley? Ended up running a bar by the canal?

and I always thought a Quashie was more a scamp who was always screwing other men's wives, sneaking around at night - that the women were willing, rather than victims of a rapist. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyone familiar with "Prince Charles Paris" in Belize City? When we were there in April he stopped us on the street and was spinning a tale (interesting though incorrect it seems) about Mayan history and Princess Belkini - I gave him $5.00 just for the story. When we went to eat - can't think of the place "El ... something or other" - he'd insisted we mention his name there as they'd know him - so we did - the girl was unresponsive - kind of "whatever" - but he was entertaining for sure.