Amandala
Shopkeeper, 90, chopped to death in grocery store
A 90-year-old shopkeeper of August Pine Ridge, in the Orange Walk District, is the country’s latest homicide victim.
According to police reports, sometime after 2 p.m. today, Thursday, Pedro Pol was inside his grocery shop when he was tied up and robbed by two Hispanic men.
Before leaving the scene, the assailants, armed with machetes, reportedly chopped Pol multiple times in his face and body, and left him for dead.
However, a customer who visited the shop minutes later saw Pol lying on the floor bleeding profusely, and immediately called Terencio Pol, 59, his son, who quickly transported his father to the hospital.
Teacher Naomi Taylor McKenzie, 26, dies in traffic accident
A 26-year-old teacher of Wagierale, Naomi Taylor McKenzie, died after she was knocked down on Ecumenical Drive by a motorcycle while riding home after school on her bicycle at about 4:30 this evening.
Police said that the motorcycle was being driven at the time by Michael Estero, 22, who had a passenger, Calvin Williams, 17, both of Dangriga. The motorcycle collided with the back of the bicycle, and McKenzie was thrown of the bicycle and landed on the pavement. She suffered massive head and body injuries, and died on the scene.
Noel Leal, Jr., son of ACP Noel Leal, Sr., and Ralph Belisle charged with trafficking 14 pounds of weed
Noel Leal, Jr., 32, an auto dealer who is the son of Assistant Commissioner of Police Noel Leal, Sr., and Ralph Belisle, 21, a bodyworks man, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon to answer to a charge of drug trafficking for 14 pounds of high-grade cannabis that police busted them with yesterday.
The two accused drug traffickers appeared along with their attorney, Herbert Panton, before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser.
After reading the police facts of the case, Magistrate Fraser said, “If I am going by this, it is damning.”
Derek’s bombshell!
In its entry on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says, “As of 28 May 2008, only two countries still use the 3-mile (4.8 km) limit: Jordan and Palau. That limit is also used in certain Australian islands, an area of Belize, some Japanese straits, certain areas of Papua New Guinea, and a few British Overseas Territories, such as Anguilla.”
Just how Belize came to limit its territorial sea to 3 miles, instead of the 12-mile limit to which it is entitled under the Law of the Sea Convention has to do with a major concession to Guatemala that was orchestrated by the United Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel in 1984-1989 and passed into law by the People’s United Party government of 1989-1993, led by Prime Minister George Price.
David Arnold, 25, arraigned for the murder of Andrew “DJ Hard Rock” Bennett, 42
A Crimes Investigation Branch (CIB) vehicle pulled up at the Magistrate’s Court Regent Street side this morning and some remanded persons were taken out of the court’s holding cell and loaded into the pan of the CIB pickup.
One of the men protested when court reporters “opened fire” on him with their cameras, saying “I no get charge yet, so no tek mi picture!”
That same man was brought back to court to be arraigned in the afternoon session.
Police charged David Richard Arnold, 25, a construction worker of 7 Armadillo Street, for the murder of Andrew “DJ Hard Rock” Bennett, 42, who was killed execution-style on Wednesday, May 24, near his Central American Boulevard home.
Ady Pacheco won’t respond to Senate Select Committee’s questions without her lawyer
Over four months ago, senior Immigration officer Ady Pacheco was summoned to appear before the Senate Select Committee.
However, she claimed that she was unable to do so because she was at the time pregnant and had experienced a number of complications.
Today, Wednesday, Pacheco sat before the committee, but she would not comment on the Won Hong Kim scandal – which involved Kim, a South Korean national, receiving a Belizean nationality certificate and passport while in a Taiwanese prison.
He had reportedly never set foot in Belize.
According to former Immigration Director Maria Marin, Pacheco had facilitated the issuance of the nationality certificate, which was riddled with irregularities.
Championship finals and awards for Simeon Lopez Kids
The Belmopan Football Association (BFA) held First and Second Round Finals over the weekend for the Simeon Lopez Kids, Youth & Female Cup 2017 Tournament. The games were played at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, and awards were issued after the championship finals on Sunday. Third place matches preceded the first round finals on Saturday, June 10; and on Sunday, June 11, championship finals were held for all 4 categories.
Saturday – finals first round
In the U-15 3rd place game on Saturday, Armenia FC and Las Flores Wild Cats drew 1-1 in regulation. Santos Beltran (3’) put Las Flores in front, but Josue Enriquez (17’) equalized for Armenia. In the penalty shootout, Las Flores Wild Cats prevailed, 4-2, with goals from Kevin Alas, Carlos Montalvo, Anthony Castillo and Gohali Alvarez; while only Anner Mess and Josue Enriquez converted for Armenia. In the U-15 first-round final which followed, Mountain View Revolution dropped Piccini Rising Star, 3-0, with goals from Kelvin Gordon (20’ & 44’) and Bryan Raymundo (41’).
Cricket Corner – Summer Fever burns Wicked 11 with high temperature
Hello, cricket fans! Thanks mucho to our sponsor of this year’s cricket season, Bowen & Bowen. Under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association, the Harrison Parks 2017 Cricket Competition continued over the weekend.
On Saturday, the tie-breaker has come and gone, with Summer Fever sending Wicked 11 away. This game was played in Lords Bank in front of a large crowd. Summer Fever took to bat first, and the spirit on both sides was high, as this game will tell who goes to the semifinal and meet three-time champ Easy Does It. Summer Fever won the toss, and went to bat first. At the starting, the Wicked boys thought that this game was theirs, as the first wicket fell for 4 runs. Then the second fell for 10.
National Over-40 Week 2 results
The National Over-40 Football Tournament continued over the weekend with 1 game on Saturday, June 10, and 3 games on Sunday, June 11.
On Saturday night, Pickstock Lake I travelled to San Pedro and drew 0-0 with San Pedro Veterans at the San Pedro Stadium.
On Sunday afternoon at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, Kulture Yabra Veterans droped BDF Veterans, 3-1, with 2 goals from Francis McCaulay (18’ & 49’) and 1 from Rudolph McKoy (41’), while Gregory “Paisa” Cantun (89’) scored for BDF. Meanwhile, at the Santa Cruz Football Field, San Ignacio Quintas won by the same 3-1 margin over Benque Veterans.
Coby returns for annual Basketball Camp & 3 on 3 Knockout Tournaments
CEO of COBY Foundation, legendary Belize basketball star Evondale “Coby” Coburn says he will be back in the Jewel on Monday, June 19, to finalize preparations for next weekend’s event.
For the 9th year running, COBY Foundation, in collaboration with Hoop Dreams, FIBA 33 Youth Basketball & GBED, will be holding its annual COBY Basketball Camp & 3 on 3 Knockout Tournaments in Belize City.
This year’s event takes place at St. Catherine’s Academy Gym from Thursday to Saturday, June 22-24.
A 2-Day Basketball Clinic will be held on Thursday and Friday, June 22-23, going from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. daily.
Editorial: The real of the deal
In the aftermath of the Citizen Kim passport scandal back there in 2013, there had been an occasion when Belize Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Dean O. Barrow, said publicly to his Cabinet Ministers that if anything could bring down his United Democratic Party (UDP) government, it was immigration irregularities, and he publicly begged his Cabinet Ministers to “stop it!”
The less said about the Senate Committee inquiry performance of former Immigration Minister, Carlos Perdomo, the Caribbean Shores area representative who served as Immigration Minister in the first Barrow administration (2008-2012), the better. These last two Wednesdays in the National Assembly building, Mr. Perdomo has given the nation of Belize reason to understand why Prime Minister Barrow went looking for five Belizeans to bring into Cabinet as Ministers through the Senate for his second term as Prime Minister (2012-2015).
From the Publisher
Short term, the sedition arrest of February 1970 was a mistake by the ruling People’s United Party (PUP), but over the long term the sedition arrest benefited the power structure in Belize. What it did, was force the UBAD cultural movement into conventional political party thinking, and this led to UBAD’s demise by early 1973.
I will accept all the blame for the political party decision in August of 1970 following our sedition acquittal in Supreme Court the month before. Because I saw the sedition arrest as a political arrest, I felt that the best way to prepare for such arrests in the future, which I expected, would be to organize ourselves along party political lines.
In September of 1971 the Methodist Church in Belize gave me a job teaching English at Wesley College, which I did for the 1971/72 school year. (The principal of Wesley College during the 1970/1971 school year, the late Rev. Coleridge Barnett, had been one of four witnesses for our defence during the sedition trial. Having left Belize with his ailing wife after the 70/71 school year, Rev. Barnett had been replaced by the man Joey Belisle.) It was only a few weeks after I began teaching at Wesley that Hon. Philip Goldson’s National Independence Party (NIP) approached the UBAD Party in order for us to enter into a coalition with the NIP for the December 1971 Belize City Council election.
Czarnecki’s column
Dear Editor,
With each passing day, I’m increasingly dismayed, as it becomes easier to conclude that the Government of Belize has no fealty to anything resembling the Rule of Law, with Ministries riddled with gifters, whose only desire is for material wealth and gain.
Plagued with corruption, a compromised judiciary and a poorly educated constabulary, Belize continues its downward spiral, slowed only by the courageous reporting found in the pages of this newspaper.
But even if you have a good story, it might get lost in the telling when being forced to deal with liars and men with no honor. This is why it’s no longer about UDP or PUP, or in the U.S., Republicans or Democrats.
Kaina Martinez seeks assistance for youth sports program
My name is Kaina Martinez, and I have worked very hard to earn the recognition as one of Belize’s most outstanding athletes. I am 11 times an All-American track athlete, 2 times an NCAA Champion, Olympian, Central American and Belize record holder for 100m, but above all, I am a young woman who finds passion and love in contributing to create positive change.
Cognizant of the multitude of challenges facing my beloved community on a daily basis, I developed a focus to use sport as a catalyst to motivate the young and to nurture their minds, so that I could help build strong individuals who are willing to work hard – just like me – despite life’s limitations.
The annual Kaina Martinez Track and Field Games targets children ages 4 to 14 years old, and has been hosted at the football (soccer) field in Seine Bight Village. Children of Seine Bight Village are not the only ones who can benefit from these games; all kids from the Placencia Peninsula are welcome to participate.
RIGHT TO THE POINT: Women… marriages … and children…
I am of the opinion that systems in society, especially the law, were designed to benefit a certain class of people, but those people are surely not the poor, the academically disadvantaged, the Indigenous or the oppressed. Unfortunately, the common law legal system we inherited from the British was never designed to meet our local needs and surely was never meant to be understood by the common man. However, one of the legal maxims on which our law is premised is that your ignorance of the law is no excuse for your not knowing the law and breaking the law. So even if you genuinely did not know it as illegal, per law, to do something, yet you did it, you cannot turn around and use as your defence your ignorance of the law. Sounds crazy, right?
It’s even crazier when you put that in context with the reality of our education system, our social system and or governance system. So in theory, our Common Law system presumes that we ALL know the law and because we all know it, we know when we are breaking it.
Magistrate Blake of Corozal
The Magistrate of Corozal, a man named Blake, who had business contact with the Cruzob, hurried up to help the survivors. He offered 2,500 pesos in ransom to Venancio Puc, but found that he had to deal with a higher authority: the Speaking Cross, or a substitute, had come down to rule the captured town. That night the Englishman watched the Maya assemble before a house in which the Cross was kept, and listened to the praying and a military band until around eleven o’clock, when the prisoners were brought out — men, women, and children— and forced to kneel in the street. Over the children’s crying, he heard “a squeaking, whistling noise.” The Cross wanted 4,000 pesos. Blake went back to Corozal for the money, returning on March 1 with Captain Anderson of the Second West Indian Regiment and a message from the Superintendent of Belize. But neither the message nor the money had the desired effect on the Cross; that night it gave new orders. As Henry Fowler later reported it:
Novel consumer complaint platform to report “dangerous” goods being finalized
Consumers in Belize and the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will soon have access to a cutting-edge online platform where they can file complaints about dangerous or potentially harmful products, originating both within and outside of the region.
A press release from the CARICOM Secretariat issued on Monday, June 12, said that the CARREX Online Electronic Platform (which will be available online at www.carrex.caricom.org) is a public interface which will also provide alerts on dangerous non-food consumer goods on the market in all 15 CARICOM Member States.
Rodolfo Gutierrez, Consumer Protection Liaison Officer, at the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS), has been a part of the cadre of Caribbean professionals which has been working with the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana to help develop the novel online electronic platform.
Two men committed to Supreme Court trial for possession of false nationality certificates
Two men, one from the Corozal District and the other from the Belize District, will be indicted in the upcoming June session of the Supreme Court for being in possession of 13 false Belizean nationality certificates, a preliminary inquiry determined today.
Marcos Bastro, an unemployed resident of Corozal, and Mark Antonio Rosales, an unemployed resident of San Pedro Town, Belize District, have a prima facie case to answer for being in possession of nationality certificates to which they were not entitled.
The two were first charged in November 2015, with 13 counts of “being in possession of false documents.”
Former Immigration minister, Carlos Perdomo, “doesn’t agree,” “doesn’t know anything”
When the UDP became the ruling administration in 2008, Carlos Perdomo, a one-term Cabinet Minister, was the first person inside Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s Cabinet with responsibility for the Immigration Department.
However, his name would become entangled with questionable Immigration processes in the Auditor General’s audit of the Immigration Department for the period 2011-2013.
Last Wednesday, Perdomo appeared before the Senate Select Committee after retired immigration officer Therese Chavarria told the committee that he had instructed that a passport be issued to an applicant who applied with a suspected fraudulent Belizean birth certificate in 2011.
The Reporter
PUP takes aim at UDP party chairman
The People’s United Party (PUP) is calling on the Government of Belize to remove United Democratic Party (UDP) Chairman, Alberto August, from his post as Chairman of the Board of Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL). The PUP condemned August for his role in disrupting the […]
Taiwan-Belize cultural exchange program 2017 officially launched
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (Taiwan), through its embassy in Belize, launched the first ever Belize-Taiwan cultural exchange program, this morning at the House of Culture in Belize City. The program, hosted by the The Primary and Secondary Art Skills Training […]
Tropical storm could form by next week
There is a likelihood that a tropical storm could develop in the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico early next week. Weather experts are monitoring an area of rain and clouds in the area of the northwestern Caribbean Sea and Yucatan Peninsula that has the […]
Ninety-year-old man chopped to death by thieves
A 90-year-old shop keeper is dead after he was chopped multiple times and then tied up by two machete-wielding thieves. The thieves struck his place of business in August Pine Ridge village, Orange Walk at around 2:30 p.m., on Thursday. The deceased, Pedro Pol, was […]
IPC appeals, GOB stands to lose millions
IPC Corporate Services Limited, a company forcibly closed down by the Financial Intelligence Unit in 2014, is mounting an appeal against the Government of Belize, potentially worth millions of dollars. IPC has already been vindicated in the Supreme Court of Belize, when the court ruled […]
Big Red is not dead!
about Big Red, the Scarlet Macaw sent to Harvest Caye. Of great concern, is the stand taken by known and respected Belize Forest Department officials, on this crucial issue. […]
Western Regional Hospital gets new emergency building
On Tuesday, officials from the 2017 Beyond The Horizon project held a ribbon cutting exercise at the Western Regional Hospital In Belmopan City. The ceremony was held to officially mark the opening of a new emergency room building and a new medical waste incinerator building. The emergency […]
Belize’s fire service to receive aid from US
The Belize National Fire Service is expected to receive much-needed aid from the US government, after surveys are completed for a new fire station in Belmopan and a budget is approved for a donation of fire trucks and equipment for the country. Defense Attache at […]
Earthquake in Guatemala felt in Belize
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale, which shook Guatemala near its border with Mexico, was felt in Belize early Wednesday. The tremor struck just short of five miles southwest of Tajumulco, Guatemala, at 1.29 a.m., local time, killing a man, […]
Family says PM’s sister taking their land
A Belize City family is fighting to keep their family land, this week, after Denise “Sista B” Barrow, sister of the Prime Minister allegedly commissioned houses to be built on the property without the family’s consent. The Usher family, explained this week, that Barrow had already built […]
Mounting financial concerns for GOB
The Government of Belize is under continued financial pressure this week as the former owners of BTL pursue millions of dollars in arbitration award settlements. Reports are that Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin lifted the injunction barring the Belize Bank from claiming its US $50 million award, handed […]
Belmopan to Bridgeton, tourism minister wants closer ties to Barbados
Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia Jr. is making an effort to strengthen Belize’s working relationship with the government of Barbados, saying that tourism in both countries can benefit from closer collaboration. Heredia, in an interview with Barbados Today, said that he has already began talks with Barbados’ Tourism Minister, Richard […]
Elderly man fights off armed attacker in Orange Walk
An elderly Orange Walk resident and well-known businessman is lucky to be alive after he was attacked and stabbed multiple times by an assailant who police claims to be a mental patient. The incident, which occurred around 12:25 on Saturday, June 10 left 84-year-old Pablo Zenon Reyes […]
One detained for Cotton Tree shooting
Police have detained one man, in an ongoing investigation into the shooting death of 21-year-old Cotton Tree Resident, Omar Barahona Jr. Senior Superintendent of Police Howell Gillett, explained that since police have not charged the individual, they did not disclose his name. Gillett said that the detainee […]
Police shoots and kills Chunox man outside his home
A Chunox resident is dead after he was shot multiple times by a group of four police officers attached to the Corozal Police Station. Officers claim they were forced to shoot him down after he attacked them with a machete last Friday. Richard Allen Garcia, 44, died […]
Toledo Teachers Credit Union loses over $100,000 to burglars
The Toledo Teachers Credit Union in Bella Vista village, Toledo District was burglarized by two bandits who stole over $100,000 in cash between last Thursday night and Friday morning. Police were called to the credit union at 8:45 a.m, on Friday June 9 where cops observed a […]
High school teacher investigated for impregnating student
A teacher at Eden Seventh Day Adventist high school in Santa Elena, Cayo, is under investigation by San Ignacio police and the Ministry of Education, on allegations of sexual misconduct with as many as four of his students. One of the girls may have had […]
FFB fears election boycott
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) said this week, that its standing could be compromised if members boycott the upcoming Annual Congress. The federation issued a statement on Wednesday, after barred FFB presidential candidate Serjio Chuc, claimed to have secured the support of 60 percent […]
Chan takes the stand, Perdomo reappears before Senate
The Senate Special Select Committee had two witnesses this week, Police Inspector Rochelle Chan and former Immigration Minister Carlos Perdomo, making his second appearance. In his testimony, Chan denied all allegations made against him by last week’s most memorable witness, Alvarene Burgess. Burgess had named […]
Dangriga teacher killed when motorbike slams into her
A teacher of Stann Creek was killed Thursday evening when a motorcycle slammed into her in Dangriga.. Naomi Abigail Taylor, 26, a teacher of Kids First school, was riding a bicycle on Ecumenical Drive in the Wagierale area around 4:15 p.m., when a motorcycle crashed […]
Breaking Belize News
Mother pleads for assistance in finding missing son
A mother is pleading for the public’s assistance in finding her son, Erin Linarez. 32 year old Linarez has been missing since May 23. Linarez was admitted at REMAR rehabilitation center in Bullet Tree Village, Cayo. Reports to BBN is that Linarez stayed at […]
Minister Castro’s son reportedly caught with contraband
Confirmed reports to BBN is that one of NEMO Minister, Edmond Castro’s son is detained at this moment by Orange Walk customs. The young Castro was reportedly caught with 89 cases of beer and is being held at the Orange Walk police station. BBN […]
Murder in Santa Elena, Cayo
Confirmed reports to BBN is that a man was gunned down near the Convention Center in Santa Elena, Cayo a short while ago. The name of the victim is being withheld as BBN could not confirm if the family has been informed. Police are […]
NEMO issues advisory on incoming weather system
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), in close collaboration with the National Meteorological Service, is informing the general public that a large area of disturbed weather has formed over the northwest Caribbean Sea and adjacent land areas of Central America. The system is unlikely […]
Outlook for Belize weak, IMF says
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), this morning, released a statement following its recent 2017 Article IV mission to Belize calling the country’s medium-term financial outlook “weak” and making several recommendations to GOB, including raising the General Sales Tax (GST) and implementing further fiscal consolidation measures. […]
Belize: We need to address the source of the Cancer
By Charles Leslie Jr. : “Poverty is the worse form of violence.” Mahatma Gandhi CRIME AND POVERTY IN BELIZE Crime is a result of deprivation. Deprivation is a result of imbalance and lack of equity. Imbalance and lack of equity is due to our Constitution giving arbitrary […]
Erwin Contreras tours SIF Projects
By Delroy Cuthkelvin: Minister Erwin Contreras is currently on a nationwide tour and inspection of projects implemented by the government of Belize through the Social Investment Fund (SIF), some recently completed; others in progress. Some of the projects inspected by the Minister on the most recent leg […]
Belmopan City Council launches ‘My Safetipin’ app
The National Security Council Secretariat through the InfoSegura Project launched its Safer City Pilot Project in August 2016. As a part of the Safer City Project, the My Safetipin mobile application was developed. The Belmopan City Council has officially launched the app. Citizens of […]
Fatal road traffic accident in Dangriga
According to police reports, around 4:15 yesterday evening, Naomi Taylor, 26, of the Wagerale area of Dangriga was riding her bike on Ecumenical Drive when a motorcycle collided into the back of her bike. The motorcycle was driven at the time by Micheal Estero, […]
Celebration of the Incorporation of the Belize Association of Museums
On Thursday, June 22, senior members of the Belize Association of Museums (BAM) will be signing their incorporation documents, marking the official formation of BAM. The members of BAM first convened in March 2016, through a planning workshop hosted by the Museum of Belize. […]
UNICEF highlights ‘Super Dads’
UNICEF Belize joins UNICEF’s global ‘Super Dads’ campaign to highlight the critical role that fathers play in the early development of their children. Early childhood development has been recognized for the role it can play in the achievement of multiple goals in the sustainable […]
NICH and San Pedro House of Culture celebrate Lobster Fest 2017
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) through the Museum Of Belize and the San Pedro House of Culture is inviting the public to participate in the rich traditions of San Pedro during the month of June. For the next two weeks San Pedro […]
Beyond the Horizon 2017, valued at US$11.5 million, completed
The Beyond the Horizon (BTH) 2017 program, an effort between the U.S. government and Belize, officially came to a close yesterday. The U.S. Embassy and the government of Belize, in coordination with U.S. Army South, celebrated the successful completion of the Beyond the Horizon […]
NHC monitoring two tropical systems
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring two tropical systems with the potential to impact the Caribbean over the next several days. According to the NHC, cloudiness and showers are expected associated with a tropical wave located southwest of the Cabo Verde islands. The […]
Belize participates in regional security talks
Belize is taking part in the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America, a two-day conference on regional security hosted by the Governments of the United States and Mexico. Belize joins Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the European Union, Nicaragua, Panama and Spain, […]
Mata Grande Grocery – North AC’s best little shop
North Ambergris Caye has expanded significantly, and with roads taking us further up the coast of this island, chances are you’ll get thirsty or a bit hungry along the way. Maybe you jumped on your golf cart too quickly, and forgot a few essentials, like, water and snacks. Have no fear… Mata Grande Grocery has you covered. From cookies, chips, COLD beers, water, juices and sodas and even a bathroom for a quick roadside break, this is a life-saving little shop!
Owners Tami and Justin Romsa moved their shop to best fit the new road, and even expanded with a shady palapa and picnic tables. Hot and thirsty travelers can take a little break under the shade, sipping a refreshing beverage or two or nibble on a snack before continuing on their journey.
What guests say they wish they knew before they came to Belize...26 tips from past guests!
We like to revisit this topic periodically - facts change over time, and we aim to keep our guests as well informed as possible so you can fully enjoy and relax during your time with us! Here is some recent feedback, right from our past guests, about what they wish they'd known before they got to Belize/Placencia:
I wish I'd known that...
I didn't need to pack so much - no need to haul things like sunscreen, SPF, etc, as these were available readily in the village. No fancy clothes/shoes/jewelry needed!!
Nowhere would really take American Express - Visa and MC were ok. Also call your cc companies/bank and let them know you are traveling so your card is not declined here.
More of an fyi for future guests - if you like the all inclusive resort style, this will not be for you. Exploring the village and beyond is what Belize is about.
“What a Fool Believes” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Yes, I know, it’s been a long, long while since I last published an edition. Now I could say I’ve been extremely busy. I could. But I won’t , because I haven’t really been that busy.
Rose and I did go to the UK in April. Me for nine nights and Rose for a month. We stayed in Central London (Tottenham Court Road if you are at all interested) which put us close to Theatreland and we took full advantage of this and went to see Kinky Boots
Being in the West End we obviously went shopping. Well, I more tagged along than actually went shopping! We also got to sample cuisine that we don’t get to enjoy very often now and managed to get into Simpson’s in the Strand before it closed for major refurbishment . If you’ve never been there you should go when next in London. The roast beef, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding are scrumptious.
Christmas and New Year's in Belize
December and January may be a time of bitter cold, snow, and short, gray days in North America, but it's one of the best times to visit Belize. December and January fall during the "dry season," a long stretch of clear blue skies, warmer temperatures, and fabulous weather that is ideal for snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving, hiking, and working on your tan.
Best of all, increased competition means that airfare to Belize is now more affordable than ever. For travelers in the United States, all four of the biggest airlines have non-stop routes from major cities to Belize. Southwest has three routes (Denver - DIA, Houston - HOU, and Fort Lauderdale - FLL) to Belize City (BZE) while American, Delta, and United have routes from Los Angeles, Dallas, Newark, Atlanta, Miami, and many more cities.
Canadians too are now able to enjoy an unforgettable Christmas and New Year's in Belize thanks to the announcement by Air Canada that it will be joining rival WestJet in offering direct service to Belize City (BZE) from Toronto (YYZ).
Here are a few things you can look forward to on your winter vacation in Belize:
10 Reasons Why a Honeymoon In Belize Is So Amazing
Located just 2-5 hours flying time from major cities across the United States, Belize is a wonderland of tropical islands, pristine rainforests, an eclectic mix of Caribbean cultures, and exotic ancient Maya temples and palaces, so it's no surprise that it's also one of the top spots in the world for enjoying an unforgettable honeymoon.
Here are 10 amazing reasons why people love honeymooning in Belize:
Composed of hundreds of islands and coral atolls, the Belize Barrier Reef is a paradise for snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and sailing.
2 - English.
Belize is the only country in Central America that is a former British colony. English is the official language, making it easy to get around and chat with the friendly locals.
Simone Biles is back in Belize with a group of friends
A famous Belizean/American Gymnastic is back in Belize vacationing with her group of friends. She had been tweeting on Twitter Simone Biles Twitter in Belize.
In the photos shown below shows that she was enjoying herself along with her friends. They all went snorkeling, and swimming by the reef touching starfish and viewing the lemon sharks. Simone Arianne Biles is an American artistic gymnast. Biles is the 2016 Olympic individual all-around, vault and floor gold medalist. She was part of the gold medal-winning team dubbed the "Final Five" at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Have you savored the flavor of Belize? Part II
Last time I blogged about how a city can transform stranded assets, like cemeteries and abandoned properties, into magnets for urban regeneration. The new flavor of the week is “canals”.
Belize City is located at the mouth of the Belize River and Haulover Creek, a location that early settlers perhaps chose due to its importance for the then-booming timber trade because it provided access to the city’s natural harbor. Over the years, as Belize City grew, canals were built and dredged, changing the natural flow of the rivers and creeks, and some mangrove swamps in low-lying areas were filled in. These changes contributed to periodic flooding episodes by affecting the drainage capacity of the city, especially during major storms, including the deadly hurricane of 1931, Hurricane Hattie in 1961 (which prompted relocation of the country’s capital inland, to Belmopan), and more recently, Hurricane Earl in 2016.
International Sources
The Western Caribbean & The Central & Eastern Atlantic Will Need To Be Monitored Closely For Tropical Development This Weekend
Western Caribbean Tropical Development Remains Quite Possible This Weekend: The combination of a tropical wave now located over the western Caribbean and a trough of low pressure located over Central America has the potential to gel into an area of low pressure that develops over the northwestern Caribbean this weekend. This low pressure system has a decent shot of developing into a tropical depression or a tropical storm later this weekend into next week as it moves west-northwest and northwest towards the western Caribbean.
Two Named Storms May Be Forming in the Atlantic
Two tropical waves—one in the western Caribbean, the other in the central tropical Atlantic—both have potential to grow into tropical storms over the next 5 or 6 days. It’s not so uncommon to get a named storm in the Atlantic during June—last year brought us Colin and Danielle, the earliest C and D storms on record—but it’s remarkable to have two potential tropical cyclones at the same time during mid-June. The next two names on the list of Atlantic storms for 2017 are Bret and Cindy.
The NOAA/NWS National Hurricane Center (NHC) designated the central Atlantic wave as Invest 92L on Friday morning, which kicks off the process of tracking and forecasting this wave in greater detail.
This Incredibly Creepy 3,000-Year-Old Mask Could Rewrite South American History
A square-shaped copper mask dug up in north-west Argentina has been dated to around 3,000 years ago – and it could radically change our thinking on when people in that area began working with metal.
Most experts assume metallurgy – the study of the physical and chemical properties of metal – in South America was first developed in Peru, but the copper mask was found hundreds of kilometres away down the Andes mountains, and is from an even earlier time than similar artefacts uncovered in Peru.
Videos
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