AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye When was your first time to San Pedro?

A good friend of my parents had just graduated from UVA Law (1970ish) so he and his brother wanted to 'road trip' south of the border and see how far they got with out running out of money. They ended up in Belize City and were in a bar when this island girl came up to them pimping her hotel on an island right off of the reef. She asked them if they liked to fish and eat good food and they of course said yes but asked her "what if we don't catch anything or don't like it?" Her reply was "You don't like it, you don't pay" so off they went to Ambergris Caye and stayed at Holiday Hotel with Celi McCorkle playing that island girl.
I think it was '78 when my parents made the trip down for a week of fishing with Manuel and they were hooked from the moment they landed in Belize City and met this little airport bar owner named Jet. I finally got to go down there in '79 and when I didn't want to go fishing (like everyday) I was able to explore, play soccer with the school kids when at recess, and able to run wild all over the island on a bicycle, it was great.
The last time I had been down to San Pedro was in 1995 as my parents had divorced and I had just gotten married and was doing cruises and trips like that. I think it was 2003 when Ms Trumpet, our NYC good friend/traveling companion and I talked of making a trip to Belize and to the island. Maria had friends who spent a week at XXX resort and they loved it and we should all do that and also rent a villa. I recall standing there making the 'No Face" and explained that if Celi or Ms Kim found out that I had snuck onto the island and didn't stay with them at Holiday then that they would kick my arse up and down the island. You see those two women used to look after me when Chico Flores and I would 'get into trouble' and they kept it from my parents, so I have some good history with them. We made the trip and both Ms Trumpet and Maria fell in love with the island, the hotel, and the friends that we have made over the years and the rest is history.

It may be your first, but I can guarantee you it will not be your last!

Lester Langdon put ad ad in the Wall Street Journal that read "100 acres $100. per acre call 501 226-...."
I called.
I realized it was a fake ad but got intrigued by Lester enough to visit December 1986. I stayed at the Lajoya, Micky, Ramon Nunez's wife, was the cook and it was owned by some guy that was half Salvadorian and half New Jersey he introduced me to Ivan Stanes,we became friends and I started bringing down dive groups.

Fake ad??? Oh no..not Lester...

My mister first went to Belize in 1975 on a Brock University Environmental Biology field trip to do research on Tobacco Caye. Our first Christmas together in 1976 he gave me a beautiful leather carry all with a promise that he would take me to Belize one day. That day came in honour of my 50th birthday in 2005, almost 30 years later.

This January we made our 6th trip in as many years. Why? I can't really put an exact finger on it.

We live in a small town so friendly locals are not unique to us. Our house is within spitting distance of beautiful Lake Huron so we are very used to fishing, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling etc. in gorgeous clear blue waters. I have wonderful friends and family nearby whom I love dearly.

Perhaps it's the food, the beer, the smiles, the rum, the never failing welcome, the relentless pounding of the surf on the reef... the je ne sais quoi. Whatever it is, it keeps calling until I can not resist and absolutely must book another trip.

Ya, I drank one too many pantie rippas tonight so I'm a little sentimental. But once this bottle of Traveler's Coconut Rum is gone I'll be following my heart and making my plans for 2011...and, because he made me wait so long, the mister had just better toe the line.

2004, two tired and weary souls in need of some R&R.

Like many, got bit by the AC bug : )
and managed two more trips. Almost made it last year, but had to cancel due to health reasons.

Will we make it back, probably not, BUT will always, always, have the memories stored safely in my heart.

"The truly happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery even when he must take a detour" - Anonymous

I feel like such a newbie. I first came down in January 2008 for Jerry Jeff's Camp Belize. I'd known Lil Red many years ago and she introduced me to Dennis Wolfe, Drummer Dan and a lot of the island musicians. Also on the second day my friend and I were having breakfast at Estel's when an old man asked if he could sit down and talk with us. That was the first time I met Charlie Worthington and I ended up spending most of my daylight hours that first trip listening to and talking about music with him. Everyone I met up and down the beach smiled and said Hello when we passed. The food was excellent and the music was even better. Jerry Jeff is right. Your heart never leaves once you've been down in Belize.

I loved the place so much that when Jerry Jeff announced a 3rd week at the end of May 2008 I was one of the first to sign up. Even though Tropical Storm Arthur tried to stop the party mid-week the music went on throughout the wind and rain. I made even more good friends (JJWers and locals) on that trip and I was pretty much hooked.

I've been back at least once a year since those two trips and I'll keep coming back every chance I get. Now I don't come down to see Jerry Jeff (thought I'm still a huge fan of his music), I come back to see my friends.

I've been all over the world and no place made me feel as good as I feel when I'm in San Pedro.

Lots of great stories on here, and I know there are so many more.
I first went to AC Feb 01, just 3 weeks after my son passed away. It was supposed to be a "get-away", little did I know it would be the beginning of such an adventure. We stayed at Playador, and I met so many people. We went looking at properties our next to last day, and on a whim, made an offer on a house. The next morning, our agent called and said "congrads, you own a house in Belize". OMG---- anyway, almost a decade later, one divorce, one business venture later, and over 25 plane trips down, I can tell you one thing. "I made a lot of friends I'll keep for life".

Spring Break 2007, after a couple of years doing the "break" in Cancun (fun but too many young-ins) then Domincan Republic (major depressed and not allowed to venture onto other properties) then Ambergris. Been back every year since... and will be there again 40 days!!!! We miss all our favorite bartenders!

1998 and I was with my best friend, his son, and my eldest son. We took them there for a week bonefishing and diving. We were staying at Ramon's and as luck would have it so were the Boston Proper models doing a shoot. A lot of them would sun them selves topless on the beach and at the pool. I thought heaven has nothing on this place and thought that was the norm. After being back about 10 times I realized I just hit the lottery that time! Well of course the girls could not keep their hands off of me and when I got home my son told my wife. Been single ever since:0( HELLO JANE,VICKI,DEBBIE,CHOOCH, and all!!!! I need my man Tulu back on AC!