Today's Belize News: July 20, 2014 - Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Less than 0.1% comes back to Belize's biggest tourism earner
For years residents on Ambergris Caye have been asking successive governments for more returns from Central Government, especially considering the economic contribution the island makes to the country through tourism revenue. In fact, the business sector on the island has been very critical pointing out that the Government of Belize (GOB) is not doing enough to "protect the goose that lays the golden egg." The People's United Party (PUP), through their local candidates on Ambergris Caye, made a public announcement that if their party forms the next government, Ambergris Caye "will get its fair share of the economic pie." The announcement was made on Friday July 11th on a local radio and television show on Ambergris Caye. The PUP San Pedro Town Council candidates and the PUP Standard Bearer for Belize Rural South Elito Arceo discussed their campaign platform. "After several discussions with Party Leader Honorable Francis Fonseca, he has agreed that when PUP forms the next government, the island will get an increase in percentage from all the taxes collected from Ambergris Caye," said Arceo. "Those monies will help address the issues affecting the island." The economic contribution of Ambergris Caye is huge and to appreciate how much money is generated on the island, it is important to point out some statistics. San Pedro has 154 registered hotels and resorts out of a total of 765 in the entire country. That is equivalent to 1,774 rooms out of the 7,210 registered in the entire country.

28 receive Associate's Degrees from San Pedro Junior College
The San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) held its 13th Commencement Exercise on Saturday July 12th at the Rafael Angel Nunez Auditorium. During the graduation ceremony, 28 students received Associate's Degrees in three different areas of study. Pascual Pacheco took top honors in the 2014 graduating class and was the Valedictorian. The Salutatorian address was delivered by Honor Roll student (and The San Pedro Sun staff reporter) Janelle Cowo, one of the six that graduated with an Associate's Degree in Business Administration, Majoring in Accounting. Following Cowo's warm remarks, Guest Speaker Dr. Vincent Palacio who is the Dean for the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Belize addressed the students.

Police continue investigations into the murder of Jeffrey Eiley
It's been four months since the murder of San Pedrano Jeffrey Eiley, and San Pedro Police are still searching for Rafael Juarez. Eiley was shot and killed in the early hours of Thursday, March 6th, and Juarez is believed to have vital information about the shooting incident. Police have also reviewed surveillance footage from an establishment at the crime scene. Police have stated that the footage is unclear, shows only silhouettes and only partial times of the shooting. "There is no clear evidence in the surveillance footage captured so it cannot be used in the investigation," said Castellanos. Police do continue their investigations and believe that Juarez will be located using the help of foreign entities. Anyone with any information that could lead to the location of Juarez or can contribute to the investigation can do so by contacting the San Pedro Police at 206-2022. For those wishing to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers Belize may be notified at 0-800-922-8477.

Misc Belizean Sources

NORTH NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING MONDAY JULY 21, 3PM AT EL PESCADO
AGENDA 1. Introduction and job description of the new Deputy Inspector of Police Henry Jemmott. 2. Crime report by Inspector of Police Lewis Castellanos 3.Review of the neighborhood watch presidents meeting of Monday, January 14 a. Cadet program = Brittany b. Crimestoppers- Steve c. youth curfew- Deputy Inspector Jemmott d. Freddie Gonzales- trip e. open issues Please R.S.V.P if you will be able to attend

Have an invention in mind?
INVENTORS WANTED - The Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology and Public Utilities (MESTPU) is inviting Belizeans inventors from across the country to take part in the 4th Annual Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIS Tech 1) competition. The competition, an initiative from American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the United States Department of State, focuses on young scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs, who have either an idea or start-up in the subject areas of agriculture, energy, health, and communication technologies. Applicants will have the opportunity to win up to $15,000.00 USD in individual funding and up to $70,000.00 USD in total prize money, a year membership to AAAS and every finalist will also receive up to three months one-on-one mentorship with top experts in their field or subject of interest. Deadline for application is July 21. Applicants must be between the ages of 18-40 and must write a 750 word proposal accompanied by a 90 second video to the GIS website. An expert panel will review applications and the top 30 finalists will win an all-inclusive paid trip to Morocco to participate in the Finals at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Thirsty Thursdays Coming to Cayo
Thirsty Thursdays will soon have a club in Cayo. They are completely refurbishing the old Piache grounds across from the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. They hope to open in August. More pictures to come. Picture album on G+. "Thirsty Thursdays is opening a club in Cayo! They are totally renovating the old Piache grounds. Just about everything but the thatch is going."

Cayo Classifieds - Issue 25
This week's issue of Buy and Sell Weekly Classifieds. Read all about Mountain Pine Ridge in this issue.

I Found My Ideal Water View In Belize
My husband and I just returned from a trip back to the USA, to spend quality time with our family. After such a trip it's natural to reflect upon why we relish our lifestyle in Belize�and there are many good reasons. We first visited Belize in 1999; almost a decade later, in 2008, I moved permanently to Ambergris Caye. And yet, each time we visit friends and family in the USA someone asks "when do you plan to move back?" It's a befuddling question since we have no plans to move back fulltime. As a child I spent part of each summer splashing in Michigan's abundant lakes� As a young adult I made my way to San Francisco, with its dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean� But for me neither compares to the breathtaking beauty of the Caribbean Sea. Its hues range from aquamarine or turquoise green to deep topaz blue. As a seasoned diver, each time I gaze out to sea I give thanks for the abundant, colorful fish and coral that flourish off our protected coast�

EOD techs conduct demolition training in Belize
Navy explosive ordnance disposal technicians from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 3 conducted a joint demolition training evolution with members of the Belize military as part of Southern Partnership Station 2014. Southern Partnership Station is a deployment that sends U.S. Navy subject matter experts to countries in Central and South America to work and train alongside local subject matter experts. For the demolition evolution, the technicians from EODMU 3 were working with soldiers and sailors from the Belize Defense Force and the Belize Coast Guard. "We've got three different groups represented here today," said Lt. Mike Slagh, assigned to EODMU 3. "We're focusing on demolition initiation techniques, and how to be safe when we're doing that." The group used small amounts of explosives and focused on different ways to detonate the explosives.

URGENT...Saving Orphaned Manatees in Belize
Wildtracks hosts Belize's Manatee Rehabilitation Centre, providing care for orphaned and injured West Indian Manatees as part of the national initiative to ensure that this endangered species continues to live in Belize's waters. The two recently arrived orphaned calves bring the total number of manatees in care at the Manatee Rehabilitation Centre to five....a record number reflecting the increasing threats to the population. We URGENTLY need to upgrade the infrastructure to cope with the increasing numbers. With only three pools, and one lagoon enclosure (for larger juveniles), we urgently need to upgrade our infrastructure to cope with the additional calves - and there is no guarantee that we won't get yet another calf tomorrow!

LOVE FM

SSB Awards Scholarships to 55 Students
The Social Security Board held its 13th Scholarship Program today at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City. Of the hundreds countrywide who applied for these scholarships only fifty five students were awarded from the high school, college and vocational/technical levels. Love News spoke to Gale Ozaeta, the Communications Officer for the Social Security Board about the scholarship program. GALE OZAETA "Today we are awarding 55 scholarship recipients. These are students who have satisfied the criteria that we were looking for as we were preparing to offer these scholarships. Today marks our 13th Social Security Scholarship Awards ceremony and we are looking at our scholarships as giving back to the Belizean students. We looked at their academic performances, we looked at their financial needs and we also looked at the way they crafted their application letter and also their commitment to education. From each category, it's a total of 55 students. We had 15 sixth form scholarships that were awarded, we had 37 high school scholarships and we had 3 from the TecVoc (technical/vocational) section."

Ariel Rosado Foundation Moves Forward Without Bruce Sanchez
The Ariel Rosado Memorial Education Foundation has been in existence for more than 2 years. According to the Foundation's website, the purpose of the foundation is to provide funding for educational scholarships and sporting activities to encourage Belizean youths to develop healthy minds in healthy bodies�..but the President of the foundation, Dr. Alvaro Rosado, is now in a legal feud with one of the founding members of the foundation, Bruce Sanchez Sr. Yesterday, after Rosado's comments on Wednesday, Sanchez Sr. hosted a press brief to share his side of the entire situation. According to Sanchez, he and his son ceased signing cheques because they believe that no proper accounting was occurring. Yesterday, Sanchez Sr. pointed out to two cheques that were signed by Dr. Rosado. Dr. Rosado explained those cheques today during a press conference called by the Board of the Foundation. DR. ALVARO ROSADO "The cheque that Mr. Sanchez showed, if I remember, he showed two cheques. One cheque was made out to Shelly Bradley. Shelly Bradley is the Secretary for the Belize Sailing Association and we were required to get lifejackets for the sailors that are on our scholarships. Ms Bradley, because of her knowledge of sailing agreed to get the lifejackets for us.

Preacher Man Stabbed Four Times
The body of 28-year-old, Oscar John Lambey was found early this morning in an abandoned lot on Wilson Street. He had been stabbed four times, once to the chest and three times to the back. His friends say that Lambey was a man of God-walking around Belize City preaching the word of God. He was always seen with a Bible in hand and up to his death he had a bible with him. He is described as a peaceful individual. The question on his friends and family's minds is, 'why would anyone want to kill him? With the story on this latest case of homicide, we join Hipolito Novelo for the story. HIPOLITO NOVELO "The body of 28 year old Oscar John Lambey was found early this morning in an abandoned lot on Wilson Street. He had been stabbed four times; once to the chest and three times to the back. His friends say that Lambey was a man of religion, walking around Belize city preaching the word of God. He was always seen with a Bible in hand and up to his death he had the bible with him. He is described as a peaceful individual. So, the question as to why anyone would want to kill him has left his family and friends puzzled.

Death Penalty Project Audits Belize Central Prison
Today a report by Joseph Middleton on the Belize Central Prison was presented to the Bar Association of Belize. The report was on an exploratory visit for the Death Penalty Project between July and August in 2013. The report looked at several issues like mentally ill inmates, young offenders, condemned prisoners and inmates serving life sentences. In terms of mentally ill inmates, the report found that there is a dire shortage of resources available for the diagnosis and treatment of mentally ill prisoners. The report states that the availability of effective psychiatric care in the prison is inadequate and does not comply with international minimum standards. Presently there is one condemned prisoner who the report states was given an unlawful mandatory death sentence in 2001. According to Parvais Jabbar, Co-Executive Director of the Death Penalty Project, the purpose of the report was to solely state facts. PARVAIS JABBAR "We have been working in Belize for well over two decades and in doing the work, as I had mentioned, during those years a number of concerns have been highlighted in some of the litigation that we have been involved in, some of the cases that have happened. Our involvement really was a shared understanding that there were some common concerns about some of the issues within the prison system to the extent that some of the categories of offenders may require some review in terms of the practice and procedure within the prison.

Morris Acquitted in Case of Police’s Stolen Gun
Thirty-three year old Karim Morris, charged with kept firearm and ammunition without a gun license for a .38 revolver that was stolen from a police constable, was acquitted of the charges today by Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart. Magistrate Stuart found Morris not guilty due to insufficient evidence. The incident occurred in March 2011. The police constable, White, was shot and his .38 revolver was stolen from him while he was at Belama sub station. The gun had 4 rounds of ammunition in it. Police later recover the gun and the ammunition in a bushy area near the river at Belama Phase 3. The police had alleged that it was Morris and another man Eldon Smith who took them to where the gun and ammunition were hidden. Morris had called one witness, his girlfriend, who testified that he was elsewhere when the gun and ammunition were found. Smith was charged jointly with Morris but he was acquitted of the charges about 2 months ago.

Magistrate Rules Guilty for Stolen Windows and Basin
Two persons, 20 year old Keron Swasey and 19 year old Christopher Gillett, charged with burglary, were found guilty of the charge today by Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Swasey, who was not present in court and whose trial was done ex-parte, was sentenced to 5 years with the stipulation that his sentence is to run consecutively to a sentence of 6 years he got last week from Senior magistrate Fraser for another burglary conviction, pertaining to a burglary that happened on February 17, 2011, around the same time the burglary occurred for which he was sentenced to 5 years. Gillett was much more fortunate. Because he was a minor, 17 years old when the burglary occurred, Senior Magistrate Fraser declined to give him a custodial sentence.

Tasher Says He Rented The Car; Owner Says It Was Stolen
Forty year old Winfield Tasher, a construction worker of a Chetumal Street address, who allegedly stole a 1992 Toyota car, was charged with theft when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Tasher pled not guilty to the charge. He was offered a bail of $4,000 and his case was adjourned until September 11. The incident occurred between March 6 and March 7, 2014.Thirty-four year old naturalized Belizean chika Essel, a security guard who is originally from Nigeria, reported to the police that he left his car parked in front of his house on March 6, and when he returned home the following day around 6 p.m. he discovered that his car was missing. He said that his car has a value of $6,000. He also said that Tasher had come to him on March 6 and had asked him to rent the car to him for $40 per day to do taxi service and he had refused. Tasher said that Essel had rented the car to him and he was taking some tourists on the Phillip Goldson Highway when the car broke down at mile 8. Tasher said he left the car at mile 8 and when he returned the following day the car was gone. The car has not been recovered.

The People’s Front Weighs in On Mismanagement of Monies at Hospitals
The stories on several financial irregularities in the Ministry of Health, particularly, the Central and Southern Region and the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City have raised concerns all around��earlier today, the Belize People Front, sent out a release condemning the irregularities. The release reads, in part, "the Belize People Front has learned there may be some irregularities happening at KHMH regarding its now former financial officer. While the Ministry is taking steps to find out what exactly occurred, it is after the fact. Why do we wait for damage to be done then assess and pay the costly price of repairing the damage?" The release goes on to say, "The people of Belize are provided second and third tier health care. Healthcare should be a national priority. The people of our nation are the wealth of our nation.

Gov’t Supports Barranco in Agricultural Development
Residents of Barranco Village in the Stann Creek District are preparing to embark on agricultural projects as earlier this morning the village Chairman, Dr. Joseph Palacio got the process started by handing over thirty nine land applications to the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize, Gaspar Vega. The applications are for farmlands that came about via a meeting between the village council representatives and the Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, earlier this year. In that meeting with the Prime Minister, it was expressed by the village council that they are looking to get the villagers involved in agriculture as part of their plans for sustainable development. Vega assured the council that the applications will be processed and finalized within a month which falls in line with the plans of the council as they believe that it is a crucial step towards renewed economic development. Barranco is one of the oldest villages in southern Belize with a recorded settlement dated back to the 1860s. The handing over took place at the office of the Barranco Village Council. Aside from the Village Chairman, the Secretary, Dr. Francis Arzu was also on hand for the presentation.

Isreali Military Weapon Found in Belize
While Police at Precinct 3 are trying to figure out who killed Oscar Lambey and why, police in Precinct 2 managed to take off a high calibre weapon off the streets earlier today. Assistant Superintendent of Police and Deputy OC at Precinct 2, Calbert Flowers, explained that a search in an abandoned lot led police to a 5.54 agile assault rifle. ASP CALBERT FLOWERS "We know that these weapons are produced in Israel, their origin is Israel and they have been used a lot in the Guatemalan Army up to 2008 when they stopped being used by the military in Guatemala. We believe that his weapon belonged to some of the gang members in the south side of Belize City." LOCAL REPORTER: "Does it concern you, the calibre of weapon that these gang members have at their disposal?" ASP CALBERT FLOWERS "Certainly it concerns us. We know prior to this that these gangs are operating with these weapons, we know that they have these weapons out there and based on our intelligence we continue to go at them to try to recover some of these weapons."

PlusTV

PENNERGATE VIDEO: Rise and Shine Show; DETAILS of Citizen Kim’s Belize Passport
We discuss the Details of the COLA leaked Auditor General’s preliminary report. This episode focuses specifically on the acquisition of a Belizean Passport by Won Hong Kim while still in a Taiwanese Prison awaiting extradition to South Korea.

Street preacher stabbed and killed in Belize City
On Friday morning there was a fatal stabbing incident in Belize City, about exactly 24 hours after Thursday’s shooting death of Lionel Sampson on Antelope Street Extension. The deceased is Oscar Lambey, whose body was found in an abandoned lot on Wilson Street in Belize City around 6:00 a.m....

Audit report on Central Prison to be released
The Death Penalty Project, based in London, has been working to give legal assistance to persons accused of serious crimes, particularly those under the death penalty. Its attorneys have worked on some of the biggest criminal cases in Belize’s history. While there is no one currently on death row...

Ariel Rosado Foundation responds to charges
We have been covering the sudden rift between members of the Ariel Rosado Memorial Education Foundation, formed to honor the life and legacy of cyclist and attorney Ariel Rosado. Ariel’s parents, Drs. Alvaro and Dorla Rosado, are embroiled in something of a legal feud with Bruce Sanchez Sr., and...

Man knocked off bicycle on highway dies
William Montero Jr. was laid to rest on Thursday at his family home in Esperanza. Last Friday, Montero Jr. was knocked down and killed in Esperanza village while he was riding his bicycle. We spoke to police Officer Dinzdale Thompson. Dinsdale Thompson – Officer in Charge of San Ignacio...

Taxi operator accused of stealing rented car
A dispute over a 1992 Toyota car lost on the Philip Goldson Highway has landed in the Magistrate’s Court. Security guard Chika Essel, 34, a naturalized Belizean-Nigerian, accuses 40 year old Winfield Tasher, construction worker and by his account a taxi operator, of stealing his vehicle after Mr Essel...

Youths convicted for burglaries
Christopher Gillett In separate cases of burglaries, Belize City youths Keron Swasey, 20, and Christopher Gillett, 19, were handed differing sentences. Keron Swasey failed to appear in court for the separate burglary charges he faced, and when the authorities catch up to him he...

Acquittal on charges for stolen firearm
In March of 2011, P.C. Nigel White was shot in the Belama Police Substation on Chetumal Street, now Precinct Four Headquarters. Four men were charged for attempted murder, robbery and keeping firearm and ammunition without a gun license. Two of the men accused of the latter, 33 year old...

$1000 fine for stolen $200 bike
He stole a $275 bike and now has to pay $1000 in court fines. Marlon Charlie pleaded guilty Friday morning to theft in the Corozal court. A messenger had left his bicycle in front of the Corozal Town Hall but it was stolen. The bike was later recovered from...

National Song Competition eliminations this weekend
The competition to find Belize’s best songwriters and singers is in its first stages of elimination. At Fort Cairns Plaza in Orange Walk Town�on Thursday�night, winners in the Belize and Carnival Song Competitions were selected for the Northern Region. With more here is Creative Arts Development Officer at the...

NICH hosts summer programs for children
A highlight of the school vacations in July and August is summer camps for any and every discipline across the country. The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) has one teaching expressive arts. We spoke to Youth Development Officer for NICH, Kimberly Vasquez. Kimberly Vasquez �- Youth Development...

Caye Caulker Chronicles

San Pedro Sailing Regatta (4 photos)
Congratulations to our Caye Caulker sailors! Yes Yes that 1st place medal went around her neck! She is a beginner and won the beginner division.....

The Reporter

Police: Evangelist's murder appears to be robbery
Police say they believe that the murder of Oscar John Lambey, 28, was the result of robbery. Police base their theory on the fact that Lambey's pants pockets were turned out when they moved his corpse on Friday morning. Lambey's body was found in an open lot adjacent to Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church and primary school on Wilson Street on Belize City. The evangelist, who voluntarily preached from a Bible he carried, was reportedly seen on the church compound in the company of an employee of the same institution around 10 that night. While police have detained one suspect, they have not yet filed any charges.

Man's body found in pond
Police.on Friday night retrieved the body of an elderly man in La Democracia Village. Police told The Reporter that the body of the elderly man, not yet identified, was discovered in a pond in the village. No further details are available at this time, except that police are labeling the death as an apparent drowning.

Fire officials believe Friday night blaze was "accidental"
Fire officials say that the cause of Friday night's fire at 225 Prince Street that left 10 persons homeless was "accidental". A fire official who spoke to The Reporter on Saturday said that thr blaze was likely started by a child playing with a lighter on a bed. The occupant of the two-story wooden house, Ian Mahler Sr., told this newspaper that he was asleep with his two youngest children, aged one and two, sometime after 8 p.m. on Friday when the smell of smoke woke him up. Mahler said he tried to put out the blaze but in the process, had to move his children and realised that the fire had grown out of control. The father of four said that his family lost all their velongings and are staying with relatives. The lower flat of the house was not burnt but suffered water damage. They too are staying with relatives.

WEEKEND NEWS / WORLD
Bolivia has introduced a new legal working age of 10 years old, provided the children are self-employed and also attend school. The new law also permits 12-year-olds to be contracted to work with parental iauthorisation. The legislation sets harsher punishment, however, for violence against children, with a 30-year jail sentence [�]

Patrick Jones

Belize is represented at Living Earth Festival
The Garcia Sisters from San Antonio village in the Cayo district are representing Belize at the Living Earth Festival underway in Washington, D.C. The event, which culminates on Sunday, is being hosted by the National Museum of the American Indian. According to organizers, the Living Earth Festival is designed to showcase the Yucatec Maya Culture and Arts. Paulita Garcia explains that her group's input at the Festival is to demonstrate how to carve a Mayan stela on slate. Belize's participation in the Living Earth Festival is sponsored by the National Museum of the American Indian.

Blogs

Galen University Belize Fall 2014 schedule
Galen University Belize has released its fall 2014 schedule of classes and among them are Chinese Business Partnerships & Economic Development, and Marketing Research. Both of these classes have real world applications for Belizean professionals who want to engage in business in Belize, whether it's international or domestic. Galen University has long been known as an institution of higher education for those in Belize who want to go on to develop themselves further with careers in government, banking, higher education, and other esteemed vocations. Many Galen alumni hold positions within the most respectable organizations, and while "who you know" is indeed important in the world of business networking, at Galen, students learn the specifics on how business can benefit Belize.

SALAD BAR - CAPRI SALAD
Using a sharp knife, cut the tomatoes into thin slices. Drain the mozzarella if necessary, and cut into slices and stone the black olives before slicing into rings. Layer the tomatoes, mozzarella slices, olives, and basil leaves in 4 stacks, finish with a layer of cheese on top. Place each stack under a preheated hot broiler for 2-3 minutes or just long enough to melt the mozzarella. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and season to taste with the little salt and pepper.

International Sources

Harvest Caye: Are NCL and the Belize Department of Environment Con Artists and Lackeys?
Earlier this month, we talked about the efforts of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) to slow down or block the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) "mega cruise development" on Harvest Caye in Southern Belize. You can read our article here. It seems that Belize's Department of Environment (DOE),under pressure from Miami-based NCL, rushed the massive and environmentally unsound project and avoided consulting with the public in Belize. We have seen other cruise lines destroy ancient coral reef and mangroves during dredging and land-clearing projects to build one-sided projects designed to suck the money and resources out of Caribbean countries. Today I ran across a "letter to the editor" from the Chairman of the Placencia Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association. Characterizing the NCL executives who pitched the project as "con men" and those Belizeans who are hastily moving the project ahead without public participation in the environmental impact analysis as "lackeys," the tourism president asked some compelling questions about the Harvest Caye project. You can read the article here. NCL will carve up the mangroves and tear out the reefs to build their fantasy resort and wedge their massive ships in. Once projects like this are plotted and hatched here in Miami, the wishes of the local people are irrelevant. Its only a matter of time before the bulldozers rip out the mangroves and the indigenous flora and fauna are replaced by the fill of crushed reefs.

Tiny Belize offers jungle ruins, ocean adventures
The same turquoise waters that lure tourists to Caribbean destinations slosh around Belize's island chain. But tiny Belize has a major advantage in reeling in the holidaymakers - spectacular Maya ruins tucked away in lush jungle. The nation is home to more prehistoric buildings than modern-day ones, according to its Institute of Archaeology. That ancient appeal draws in backpackers eager for adventure as well as divers ready to gawk at its bustling reefs or plunge into its famed Blue Hole. Belize has all the ingredients for a surf and turf vacation - at least for those who don't mind the odd giant cockroach or neon green frog that may invade their jungle dwellings. Evidence of human sacrifice in Maya times litters the floors of the Actun Tunichil Muknal caves, where the skeletons are welded in place by limestone sediment. Mayan pottery is also frozen in time there, with archeologists opting to leave most artifacts as they were centuries ago. To get to the caves, visitors are led down a gentle jungle trail that includes several river crossings. Next, comes an invigorating swim across a frigid pool of water at the cave's mouth (which is patrolled by a resident vine snake). Water winds throughout the cave, and visitors have to squeeze through impossible-looking openings before being rewarded with the archaeological trove. But don't expect to plaster social media with photos documenting the adventure. Clumsy tourists - including one who left a camera-sized hole in the skull of a sacrificed child - led to a ban on cameras at the site.

5 adventures to go on while visiting Belize
Belize is the perfect country for both adventurers and people wanting to relax. The country is only about 1/6 the size of Utah, but it's blessed with extensive and impressive displays of natural wonders. And Belize seems determined to keep it that way. Nearly half of the country is made up of national parks and nature preserves. For starters, Belize has 240 miles of beautiful, Caribbean coastline which have produced the kind of beaches where palm trees grow just 20 yards inland; and, if you're like me, you'll be happy to see that many of these palm trees have been hung with nap-tastic hammocks or shaded beach chairs. Belize is home to the world's second largest barrier reef. Its 200 mile-long coral reef is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world with more than 100 different species of coral, 500 species of fish and numerous invertebrates such as crabs, octopus and starfish. This diversity of life makes for some of the best fishing, snorkeling and SCUBA diving in the world.

CAYO CAULKER, BELICE. Nadando entre tiburones, tortugas y rayas.
Despu�s de visitar Guatemala y de hacer un largu�simo trayecto desde Livingston, Guatemala (donde disfrutamos del pueblo gar�funa) hasta Belice, ten�amos ganas de llegar a Caye Caulker, uno de los lugares de nuestro viaje por Guatemala, Honduras y Belice que esper�bamos con m�s deleite. El estado de Belice, el �nico de Centroam�rica donde la lengua oficial es el ingl�s y no el espa�ol, es conocido por su enorme barrera de coral, la segunda m�s grande del mundo despu�s de la de Australia y por ser uno de los mejores lugares para bucear, e incluso para el snorkell. La posibilidad de nadar entre tiburones, rayas y tortugas marinas nos ten�a especialmente expectantes. La barrera de coral de Belice forma parte de la lista del Patrimonio de la Humanidad. COMO IR DE BELICE CITY A CAYO CAULKER. Lo m�s habitual es hacerlo en el taxi acu�tico (water taxi, lo llaman aqu�) que une Belice City con Caulker. Hay varias empresas que hacen el trayecto, como Caye Caulker Water Taxi o San Pedro Belice Express water taxi. Hay varias salidas en cada direcci�n (pr�cticamente cada hora hasta las 17.30) y el trayecto dura 45 minutos. Nosotros hicimos el trayecto con San Pedro Belice Express water. El mismo taxi acu�tico que llega a Caulker, sigue trayecto hasta San Pedro, capital de Caye Ambergys. El precio de ida y vuelta (22.5 USD en 2014) es un poco m�s barato que si se compran 2 trayectos por separado (12.50 USD cada uno). Los ni�os, de 4 a 10 a�os, tienen descuento (15 USD i/v, 7.5 USD, un trayecto).

Videos

Video: Belize 2014, 4min.
from Alex Maldonado

Video: Belize Scuba Diving, 4min.
Scuba diving in Belize. Locations include the Great Blue Hole, Turneffe Atol, and Lighthouse Reef. Footage is quite blue and a little dark as most of the time we were between 50-70 feet deep and the camera doesn't do as well in low light situations.

Video: Mayor of Belize Visits Los Angeles, 10min.
Mayor of Belize Visits Los Angeles

Video: Belize Snorkelling, 4min.

Video: 2014 Belize Vacation Part 4: Burrell Boom/Ziplining/Cave Tubing/Mayan Ruin, 4min.
Blue Hole/Belize Zoo/Burrell Boom/Ziplining/Cave Tubing/Mayan Ruin.

Video: 2014 Belize Vacation Part 3: Glover's Atoll, 6min.

Video: Portofino Beach - Belize - Day One, 1.5min.
Wandering the beautiful grounds...

Video: 202days, 10min.
202 days. Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, USA.

Video: Partnerships Matter: Explosive Ordnance Disposal in Belize, 1.5min.
I'm on a four-month deployment to Central and South America. We are wrapping up a six-week stop in Belize. Next stop is Guatemala (Colombia and Honduras after that). During the Belize leg of the deployment, I decided to work mostly in black-and-white. For the title and ID screens I was going for a look reminiscent of old jazz album covers. I think the b/w has run its course, and I'm going to work on a new look in Guatemala. I may keep the record-cover title screens, but I'm not sure. -bc

Video: Ambergris Caye - Belize, shark ray alley, 8min.
snorkelling in shark ray alley.

Video: Belize!, 5min.
A short video of today's dive at the San Pedro Canyons in Belize.

Video: The paradise that is Belize, 4min.
A awesome week spent in Ambergris Caye, Belize with a couple GoPro's.

Video: Yellow-headed Parrot Nest Box Project, Belize, 20min.
Our January-Februray 2014 nest box installation trip to southern Belize and accompanying travel photos.