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Joined: Oct 2000
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SFJeff Offline OP
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So is there a REASON why the power has gone out up north around 6:00-6:30 pm every night for the last 4 nights (tonight included.) It's getting to be an F'in joke to try to run a business...

Joined: Dec 2001
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I believe the first one was due to lightning. The one from yesterday was apparently a blown transformer near Captain Morgan's. When I called Elder today he sounded depressed to hear that the power went again. Luckily it didn't take too long this time. One problem can trigger more problems and I hope they have it under control now. Anyway, we'll be on stand by near our generator tomorrow around 6:30.

A few years ago I wanted to write something very negative about the power outages, but when I researched the internet came to the conclusion that it isn't so bad here. In other developing countries in Africa and Asia, power outages can last days, weeks even months. BEL is generally very quick to react and they have a 24 hour control center you can call: 221 5048.

Now I consider it the price for living in paradise.
Jan

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SFJeff Offline OP
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Sure, comparatively speaking it isn't too bad...

Comparatively speaking violence in Belize City is not too bad either (we could be in Rwanda, Afghanistan, etc) still, that does not mean that I'd want to hang out there, nor expect for it to be a magnet for tourists.

Personally, sure, I can deal with cooking in the dark in a 120 degree kitchen as we go through the routine of switching over to our generators. If you're a tourist here on vacation for a week though, and 75% of the nights you are here the current goes out, you might think twice about choosing a alternate "paradise" to visit next time. The complaints we've heard this week alone (from visitors renting houses, etc) is significant....

I sympathize for Elder as he must have a daunting job of keeping the islands infrastructure cobbled together...


Joined: Dec 2006
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Yep! realllll annoying!
But imaging trucking down that muddy lagoon road in the dark and climbing a electric pole in the storm....enough to make me love my job ;-)


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Agree it's very very tiresome!

For basic health and safety reasons I believe that licensed tourist rentals should have some kind of back-up power source.

They should also be required to provide alternate lighting (some big bright flashlights) communications and information to the guest on what to do, who to call, what to expect.

Most hotels elsewhere have emergency lights that go on the minute the power fails --- do we have anything at all akin to that? Might want to think of that.

Even with our new power lines and all that, we're probably going to face more outages not less. Mexico supplies our power and they have plenty of new rooms and resorts eager to use it. Tulum is a bustling tourist destination. It does not have power "yet". Electrification is planned, and when they get it I think we'll suffer a significant loss of available juice.

Joined: Nov 2003
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I would think that anyone doing a private house rental would have some essentials in place (candles, battery powered lanterns, matches, flashlights and of course a cell phone with numbers that would allow you to contact someone to make sure they understand that you have no power and you can get an idea of when to expect it). The most frustrating things is not knowing what is going on. Especially if it is happening frequently.

I agree Jeff this could be something that would make me think about other destinations if it was as frequent as it has been.

Elder is Amazing. He receives calls from friends and island residents in the middle of the night and he just goes about his business. Nice to know that there is a responsible individual out there doing what he can.

By the way Diane we have such "emergency lights" in our new office.


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Josh I assume you are on top of it - most full-timers are ------ but I see so many rental properties that have part-time owners who absolutely refuse to buy a generator.


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