Belize

[EElizabeth]

I'll be traveling to Belize soon. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Schmooches!

[kgraves]

haven't been, but definitely interested in going. just trying to bump this post so someone will chime in with any info...

one
kg

[EElizabeth]

Thanks! I leave very very soon..........and I'll be there four weeks.....perhaps someone has been to Central America and could give some insight.........

[trubliss]

Soory i have never been but it is on my lists of places to go. Please let us know how your trip went.

[mo-down]

[quote]
I'll be traveling to Belize soon. Any information would be greatly appreciated.


I traveled to Belize last fall. It is a beautiful place with beautiful, friendly people. We have to remember that this is a 3rd world place so things are different. The police didn't carry guns, except at the bank of course. The food was ridiculously great! The people speak English & French - I believe, Creole. My DH and I were saying it's just American Ebonics. :) It's a great place. Hope that helps you.

ETA: One lady told us the homes are cheap, so they have seen a rise in people from the US retiring there. They specialize in seafood. Also, the graves are above ground - no wonder since 6 feet below would be at the water level.

[EElizabeth]

[quote]
I'll be traveling to Belize soon. Any information would be greatly appreciated.


I traveled to Belize last fall. It is a beautiful place with beautiful, friendly people. We have to remember that this is a 3rd world place so things are different. The police didn't carry guns, except at the bank of course. The food was ridiculously great! The people speak English & French - I believe, Creole. My DH and I were saying it's just American Ebonics. :) It's a great place. Hope that helps you.

ETA: One lady told us the homes are cheap, so they have seen a rise in people from the US retiring there. They specialize in seafood. Also, the graves are above ground - no wonder since 6 feet below would be at the water level.

870200



:D Thanks Mo-Down!

[SwtHoney]

I spent a few hourse there a couple of years ago. It was one of the ports of call on a cruise. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that it was very depressing and i actually cut my time off of the ship short. I didn't want to be there at all. Dirty and boring.

but, everyone has their own opinions. plus, i was a very immature spoiled brat at the time, and did not know how to appreciate the difference. Who knows what i'd think about it at another time in my life.

[natural-gal]

Originally posted by SwtHoney@Sep 27 2005, 07:36 PM
I spent a few hourse there a couple of years ago. It was one of the ports of call on a cruise. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that it was very depressing and i actually cut my time off of the ship short. I didn't want to be there at all. Dirty and boring.


1014561



Same here. It was a port of call on a cruise i went to in 2003. I didn't like it. Mostly because of the "houses" i had seen. People are poor and I hated seeing that. I felt bad. :(
The place was also dirty. I didn't really like it. If Belize is on the itinerary the next time I go on a cruise, I think i'll stay on board.

[ReRoyalty]

I went on a cruise a year and a half ago and though we also went to the Cayman Islands and Cozumel, Belize was my favorite. The people were great. I went on a 5 hour tour of Belize City and smaller cities in surrounding area where we saw some Mayan ruins which was awesome.

I must say, it was a culture shock to see the poverty. but it's real. A couple of interesting facts I learned... they don't do much car driving because at that time, when gas prices here were normal, gas there was already over $3. So they ride lots of bikes. Ummm, you can go see the Prime Minister (I think that is the title, equivalent to our president) on Wednesdays. He apparently has a no appointment needed day. There are many different ethnic groups including many African descendants. Citizens are entitled to land. The Creole they speak is a lot more difficult to understand that I expected, but it was neat to hear. Dancehall is big!

So again, I loved it primarily because the Belizians I met were GREAT and so welcoming. Our tour guide was my age and well of our huge, filled charter tour bus, me and my four friends were the only non-White folks so maybe that is why people were so excited to see us. To each his/her own though.

[cmsheart]

I am on my way there as of December 9th until the 16th, I am already in Mexico. If you are coming around that time, I would love to meet up... email me at voodosjourney@gmail.com because using this site with Mexico's internet takes a loooooonnnngggg time to access! :angry:

cmsheart

[AuNappturale]

*bump*

Anyone traveled to Belize recently? I'm planning a week's vacation there in April and wanted any advice offered by my fellow nappies.

TIA (Thanks In Advance)

[cmsheart]

Eww, I can't add a post!!! Anyhow, I went to Punta Gorda (in order to get to Honduras) nothing to do there but get sick off the food they feed you straight out of the water.

San Ignacio is a cool little town. Then again nothing to do there either but I love horseback riding, exploring the ruins and cave hiking. Therefore I did all that and had an awesome time. I stayed at a hotel that cost me $12 per night and it was a cute little spot. Clean and safe.

From San Ig. I took a cab (I got a hook-up, pays to be attractive, mkeep that in mind) to Guatemala and explored Tikal. Highly recommended trip and you can stay overnight in Tikal and see so much more than I did guaranteed! Or head back to S.I. and be bored. The only thing they have is a Casino that's pretty sad.

I have so much to say but first I need to remember it.
Belize City, uhh, nooooo. Stay out unless you go with someone. Dangringa is suppose to be the 'hood. I'll keep my comments to myself for now because I need to word it correctly (PC) even though I'm a little peeved myself.
I have pictures but I need to get them from my Mom's house (my computer crashed and deleted everything but fortuantely I saved all 200+ pictures from Belize on a disk.
Don't get tempted to go to Honduras from Belize (which you can for $20 on a plane) unless you know exactly what you want to do there and do it then leave. I'm still sad that I didn't get to climb a volcanoe and see the rainforest!
I will try to help as much as I can.
I lost contact with the dude (my hook-up/chump) who could get you to Guatemala for cheap. I have his email address but I know he won't write me back.

I forgot to add the free zone!! If you want to go shopping the free zon is right at the border of Mexico and Belize. Girl!!! I bought some cute clothes for less than $5 (once translated back to american dollars). Shoot, when I go to MX in May, I might head back down there and buy some more clothes from the Indian shop and a few swimsuits!!!

Catching a bus to the free zone is easy and if you want to get into MX from there, a bus is right over the bridge past the casino (can you tell, I've been there too many times?). You don't have to pay if you don't stay. But MX officials and BElize officials are going to rip you off anyhow, so be prepared to pay $10-30.
I wish you were going in May. I was originally going to MX in April but my Mom's b-day is in April and she wants to see Niagara Falls. So May it is.

[AuNappturale]

Cmsheart, thanks for the info! I'm really interested in the free zone. I could use a few new swimsuits, myself. $12/night? Wow! Ya'll know that's right up my alley. I'll have to PM you back for more details.

Thanks, again!

[cmsheart]

Girl please $12. This one guy has a place for $7! (Trek stop or something of the sort) But I didn't stay there because he was far away for the bus station. I'm going to keep this thread alive so that others will have info.

[AuNappturale]

Okay, I've decided to head to Belize next week 10 days.

At first, I was just excited about visiting the rain forests and enjoying the warm, humid weather. (My hair is going to love it!) Now, I'm super excited because during my research, I found there's a population of descendants of Nigerian slaves, who were shipwrecked on the island of St. Vincent in 1635. Their history is quite fascinating. Unable to make them slaves, the British deported them, so the Africans eventually made their way to Belize and other destinations along the Caribbean coast. They soon mixed with the native peoples and today, their capital is the city of Dangriga, Belize and they are called the GarÃÂÂ*funa. I definitely plan to spend time there.

The back of my Frommer's Belize guide book offers an appendix of Creole terms of the GarÃÂÂ*funa and I am crackin' up at what is easily American Ebonics. (It's amazing to me how much Africans are alike around the world, despite having different cultures, i.e. language, dance, love of drums and bass, call-and-response, etc.)

Here are some examples:

An And
Bwai Boy
Daata Daughter
Doe Door
Di The
Fo For
Shudda Shoud have
Waata Water
Wudda Would have

More info: http://www.belize.com http://www.garifuna.org/

I will blog my experience, so feel free to read and leave comments at http://blkgrl.blogspot.com

I'll miss ya'll!

[EElizabeth]

AuNappturale,

I visited Belize, twice; both times I was there for a month each summer. I went to teach at Corozal Jr. College. It was an experience I would do again and again and again…… I could talk for days on my experiences, so I’ll just give you highlights.

I did get shots before I traveled and took malaria medicine. I also took lots of sunscreen and I used two bottles of Off in 4 weeks, for the mosquitoes. It was my new perfume. Both times I flew into Belize City and traveled by private vehicle north to Corozal Town. It is the district closest to the city of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, and the Free Zone. Leaving Belize City, we shopped at grocery store called Brody’s. I am glad I did because it was the last store I saw in Belize which faintly resembled a US grocery store. Corozal is a quiet, sweet, friendly town, from my experience. I lived near Hotel Maya the first year, about a block from the sea and the second summer (2006) I lived on the sea. I never got in the water there because it was brown.

I was extremely picky on where to eat I think, I can’t remember all the names although Patio is fine, as well as Patty’s Bistro, Tony’s, Al’s Café and Jo-El restaurants. Wherever you eat, they must use filtered/purified water and don’t be afraid to ask if the do.

On the water…….used bottled water for everything that goes in your mouth……including brushing your teeth. Be careful on the ice too. Nuff said??

My first summer I took a Guatemalan bus, Linea Doralda (sp?) from Corozal, thru Belize City, thru San Ignacio, across the border into Guatemala. I was humbled, humbled. I went to Guatemala to see Tikal, which is beautiful. We (another professor who was teaching in San Ignacio) stayed in Flores, Guatemala…….exquisite! !! A beautiful city/island. It was worth staying in Flores (the US $ was phenomenal) and traveling 1 hour into Tikal. Go to Tikal early and pay a tour guide to walk you through the park. Flores was just wonderful.

I traveled into Chetumal (the locals call it Chet) regularly for shopping, hanging out and eating. There is a mall in Chet and a store that resembles any Super XXX-Mart, which I loved, for food, like dairy products – specifically refrigerated eggs. The store is Chedrauri. I did have to pay each time I crossed the Mexican/Belizean border.

The highlight of each summer was my weekend trip to San Pedro….La Isla Bonita!!! Fabulously beautiful! I stayed, both times, at Blue Tang Inn, ate many places, though the two best places were El Patio and Fee-Doos (where you feed and doze). You must also snorkel with Reef Seekers. It doesn’t matter that you do not snorkel. If you are in Belize, you are minutes from, what I understand, the second most beautiful barrier reef, the first being located in Australia. I also took a few hour trip over to Caye Caulker, from San Pedro. It’s a smaller caye, quieter, that I felt I needed to see since I was there.

My first year I returned home thru Belize City, as Hurricane Emily kicked me out of the country. The second year I returned home by driving from Corozal, thru Mexico to Cancun, then flying out of Cancun.

What to take……..I took some snacks so that I had familiar snacks (crackers, cheese crackers, tuna pouches, raisins, gum, etc.) and individual packets of Crystal Light for a 12/16 oz bottle of water. I also took a little tiny soft-sided lunch box, plenty of Ziploc bags, hand sanitizer, wipes and the stuff you are used to carrying.

I think I have a few pictures posted on a website, somewhere….and I did not blog – just sent regular updates to friends. I can share them with you, if you’d like, my friends they were great….especially the one about the scorpion in my apartment……

Smooches!

[AuNappturale]

^^^ Thanks SO much for the info, Elizabeth. I'm having a hard trying to figure out how to cram all I want to do while I'm there. San Ignacio (cave tubing, Mayan ruins), Dangriga (Garifuna capital city), Placencia (snorkeling, relaxing), and Caye Caulker (snorkeling) are on my to-do list.

I've been given enough warnings about Tikal, including one from a native, so I'll have to visit a less spectacular site in Belize. Thanks for the tips on the restaurants and the water, too. I was going to chance it, since I have a strong stomach, but I think I'll stick w/ the bottled water, like most visitors.

I would LOVE to read the info you shared w/ your friends. Being prepared w/ inside info is key to a wonderful journey, IMO. Again, thanks for responding.

[gcandis]

Hey AuNappturale...I know you PM'd me about this but I didn't go to Belize. So be sure to update your blog and tell us all about it!! I hear its beautiful

[cmsheart]

Thanks for the tips on the restaurants and the water, too. I was going to chance it, since I have a strong stomach, but I think I'll stick w/ the bottled water, like most visitors.
[/b]
Whew. Please don't do that. I'm telling you I got so sick from eating fish in Punta Gorda. I looked like Skeletor's offspring from all the weight loss.

[AuNappturale]

Update: Okay, I get home last Friday night and plan to finish packing in anticipation of my departure for Belize on Saturday. Before I began, I decided to check my email and there's one from pritymity. The email goes on about immunizations and surely I've started my malaria prophylaxis. Huh?? I didn't read anything about shots & malaria. :unsure:

Well, I go to the CDC website and sure enough, the following are recommended:
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Typhoid, Yellow Fever (optional), and updated boosters for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. This is supposed to be done 4-6 weeks before departure. In all my research, I DO NOT understand how I missed this important piece of information. :banghead: I felt so blessed that I was asked about it before I got on that flight. I would've been down in Belize eating and drinking and wondering what's wrong a day or so later. The CDC also posts real horror stories about the effects of malaria and notes, in red lettering, to take it seriously. That was good enough for me. I cancelled my flight reservations. :(

After scouring the CDC website, I found it's pretty safe to go to the Virgin Islands, so that's where I decided to go, since I've already set aside the days for travel. I've always wanted to island-hop. I'll post pics soon.

If you have any plans to travel outside of the USA, check the CDC's website for up-to-date travelers' health information. http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

[cmsheart]

I'm so sad to hear you had to cancel your flight. Honestly though, I didn't do anything besides getting the HEPA shots. The reason I got sick while in Punta Gorda was because I ate some fish that a man just pulled out of the water and was walking down the street with it. Mind you all kinds of flies were probably around it just like I saw another man's. Yes, I ate at a restaurant.

Sorry to here this. I'm wondering had you just gotten the HEPA shots would you have been ok?

Again, this may have been a regional incidence. I've been to Belize 2X and didn't get sick the 1st time which was my longer stay versus when I went to Honduras and just crossed through from Punta Gorda, Belize.

:(

[EElizabeth]

Sorry you had to change your plans although..........St Thomas is quite nice.

Returned just a few days ago...... :D

Check out the US Virgin Islands/British Virgin Islands link in this forum for more information.

Tootles!

[DarkLocs98]

*Bump*

Has anyone been to Belize recently? I plan to go the first week in March. One of my coworkers recommended the Jaguar Reef Resort but I would love to get some other recommendations.

Thanks in advance.

[ChandraNH]

the hubby and I are thinking of going in April for a week or so. I've been reading up (budget travel) that we should stay away from Belize City and spend out time in Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker or Placencia.

He is certified to scuba and I'm learning to swim so I can snorkel with him. We both love new places, but also want someplace that we can just unwind.

Any thoughts?

[ChandraNH]

Here's more info on Belize http://www.belizeforum.com/belize/

[Impy!]

glad to find this thread