This is tooo funny. You should write for a travel magazine. And I thought stuff like this only happened to my hubby and me. Glad to know we aren't the only ones who can find humor in an otherwise frustrating event. Please give San Pedro and the mainland another try. I promise you will love it.

Working with resorts here in Belize for over fifteen years, there is always that one guest(s) that everything goes wrong, EVERYTHING. No matter how hard you try, it's just bad.

So unfortunate MR didn't come through for you. Perhaps someone can pick-up the PR and FedEx it to you?

Now, if you are to "just report" your story, leave out the exagerations. For one, you didn't walk through the "bad part" of Belize City, trust me on that one (I know - the good part looks bad). It is not "drug town" and staying in Belize does not equate to "death or worse". Well, most folks make it through the night at the Raddisson.

One the bright side!.....next trip can only be better!

SIN

Ripped up shacks and a fire station without a garage door - vs- Manhattan.

anyone?

have stayed at mr several times, as well as stopping at the bar there many times with nary a problem. my question is; why didn't security do something about these shady characters that were hanging around? did you ever get an explanation for that?

Mr. Newton.

You are right. I took artistic license. First lesson of writing - think about the intended audience. I hadn't intended this to be a "just a report." More of a compelling narrative.

Let me state that for the record.

why would their be doors on the fire station? they are there 24 hr a day.

regarding police. I have had 3 encounters with the police here and they were FAR more responsive and FASTER than the 2 police encounters I had in the US.

Agree, Manhattan would not be a good vacation for Dan, far worse. You admited you left your bag on the balcony for anyone to take walking by. I guaruntee this would have happened in the 2 states I lived in and has nothing to do with "obstacles you might come across in any developing country." unless Minnesota and Nevada are developing countries.

The story I got from the Mata Rocks guard was that the security guard who noticed the two "shady characters" was working at the next resort over - Banana something I think.

She apparently didn't feel she was responsible for anything over the imaginary line between the two resorts. She only informed the MR security guard about the characters later. He never saw them himself.

Three things for ke:

1. I don't need or want to take a vacation to Manhattan. I live already live there.

2. It wasn't the fire station that had no doors. It was the police station that looked like a fire station with no garage door.

3. I wasn't referring to the theft as an "obstacle," but rather the run-around at the embassy and the police stations.

lol!!!!!!!!!!! the police station has doors, they do not use them because it is 24 hours a day, of course, and makes more sense to have the doors open...fresh air because it is hot here! VS using an a/c.

It was really not intended to be a put-down, but rather a description of what the building looked like, as in:

"It looked like a fire station with no garage door."