AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Suggestions for Places to Get Info From Ex Pats?

I'm going to be spending a week in San Pedro from the 10th partially with the objective of scouting the island as a place to live either permanently or part of the year. Are there some hang-outs where existing ex-pats frequent? I'd like to get some decent info on how the QRP/Residency options are working out at the moment, as well as pros and cons of buying property. I'm just looking to ask around for other people's experiences so that I can get a sense of what the reality is. Any suggestions welcome. Philip

Hi Philip,

I just finished a trip to AC doing the same thing you are planning. I found that Estell's restaurant was a good place to talk to expats and has great food. BC's during the afternoon and on Friday nights was a good source of information from expats, loads of interesting people with various opinions and stories.
Also Roadkill on Wednesday night for their Karoake there was a pretty good group of expats there. Sunday at Crazy Canuks jam night on Sunday was really good too.
Good luck. I found that a few of the people I talked to were really talking about how much growth and what a great idea it was to move down here turned out to be real estate agents.
I found this board was very helpful in answering a lot of my questions. I just searched diffrent topics to see what other people had asked before me and the answers they were given.
Good luck. I hope this was helpful.

I don't live there full time but I am participating in the QRP program and I own a home there. If there are any particular questions you may have please feel free to send me a private email. I qualified under the QRP program in 2008 and usually spend 6 to 10 weeks a year there. So, I am not a full time expat resident but I certainly have learned a lot since first buying property and doing the QRP bit.

Welcome to Belize !
This forum has a wealth of info, and the other suggestions for neighborhood gathering places are good ones. One caveat --- perhaps this is obvious, so forgive me if this sounds like a lecture ........ if you get your information in bars you get information from people with a certain lifestyle. Not that it's a bad one mind you, but it's not the only one one the island. Many ex-pats don't hang out in bars at all. Lots of them have kids and are home doing homework with them after supper. Others don't live in the heart of San Pedro and therefore can't be found there even if they do hang out. Others build their lives around church-related activities. Anyway - there are several ways to live and not all are apparent at first blush.
Additionally I find that "moving here" stories are a lot like fish stories --- people tend to embellish the unusual aspects of things quite a bit.
I'm not saying don't ask and don't listen - I'm just saying "have your own experience" and also take people's comments in context.
I had a neighbor (long ago, nobody reading this need worry) who complained about everything around here - nobody gave him a chance at business, licenses were impossible etc etc --- when he and family were packing up to go (they lasted about a year) I asked his 6 year old daughter how many places she had lived - she said eight. This family had not been happy in any of these 8 places. Having lived in more than one "paradise at the end of a rainbow" it's become evident to me that a certain % of the folks relocating there (or here) do so chasing a dream they will never find.
Belize is not for everybody - but it is amazingly fantastic for some. The critical issue is to find out if it's right for YOU.
For me Belize is about the sunrise, the birds, the sea, the fresh breeze, the coconuts and dogs and dragonflies ...... the chance to be a "beginner" in a new culture ....... people here are nice, tolerant and want to enjoy life. If you want easy and fast and rich, forget it, but if you find that Belize steals your heart, you are probably in the right place.

But if you are inclined towards bar, ones that are ex-pat heavy seem to be: BC's, Crazy Canuck's (particularly Sunday afternoon), Roadkill on Wednesday for Karaoke.

DIANE SO WELL SAID ,A GREAT POST .
ALL SHOULD READ IT ..BRAVO ..

Hear hear Diane!

I sit on my porch here at Birdland and marvel at the assortment of creatures that entertain me; some are even Homo sapiens!
Yesterday, just as the rain changed from a drizzle, one of my northern neighbors was heading for the bridge. He pulled in and we chatted the rain away. Taking life as it comes at you is one of the best activities you can do here

could not have said it better Diane.

Thanks for this and the other responses. I've moved between countries a few times so I have some experience of having to cope with cultural adjustment and the time it takes to settle in and assimilate. I also realise that the International Living description of any destination needs to be diluted with a good dose of reality so that's what I'm hoping to achieve when in town. I'll check out the places mentioned. Philip

Another nice Ex-Pat venue is the wine social at Wine De Vine on Friday's. You can then skip over to BC's for trivia. If you're a diver then dive with Chuck and Robbie's - lots of nice folks that live here full and part time use them.