Adventures in Belize: WHAT TO TAKE - PACK LIGHT

Adventures in Belize: WHAT TO TAKE - PACK LIGHT: When packing for your trip, pack light, take way less than you think you will need in the way of clothing. No need for any kind of "dre...

WHAT TO TAKE - PACK LIGHT

When packing for your trip, pack light, take way less than you think you will need in the way of clothing. No need for any kind of "dressy" clothes. The most dressed up I got was a sun dress. Life is shorts, shirts (tanks or tees), a light jacket, maybe one pair of long pants in case you go caving & swim suits!!!!
In just about every town you will find ladies who will do laundry really cheap. Drop off in the morning & pick up in the afternoon all clean & folded. Just ask at your hotel & they can tell you where to find someone, or they may even do it there.
We are going for almost 3 weeks & are taking about 8 pair of shorts, maybe 10 shirts, a pair of long pants & light jacket, rain jacket, sandals, tennis shoes (as we plan on being in the jungle) & I'm taking a sun dress. Of course you need to take you unmentionables. We also take our snorkel gear & Ron is taking fishing stuff. everything fits in 2 carry ons & one checked piece of luggage.
A few things to make sure you pack are sunscreen, bug spray, & all your personal care items,
everything is more expensive to buy there. A note on bug spray, everybody there says use deet, but since I refuse to use that nasty stuff, I take our natural bug spray & it works just fine, I did add some peppermint oil to it for the sand fleas, which can be nasty. If you don't know about sand fleas, they are not fleas, but tiny crab like crittters. they attach to your ankles with pinchers then sting like a mosquito. I had a bunch of bites last time, they didn't bother me, just left red dots on me, but if you are allergic they can be nasty. I researched & so we are trying the peppermint oil to keep them away. We layer on the trip down as it will be really cold when we leave Michigan, long pants over shorts & layers on top. those will be the long pants & jackets that we take with us.
Make sure to take cash with you, many places do not accept credit cards, & if they do there is a fee for using the card internationally. have plenty of small bills as 1US$ = 2BZ$ & small shops don't always have change.
The biggest thing to remember is if you live & eat like a Belizean it is cheap, if you need luxuries that are imported it is more expensive.

PLANNING OUR NEXT TRIP

There are different ways to see Belize. I know some people who have spent weeks at all inclusive resorts & loved it, this is also probably the most expensive way to go. When we decided to go to Belize we wanted to see the country & meet the people, really get a feel for what it was like there. I chose to plan everything myself. Since we are pretty flexible, I looked for cheap air fare. Cheap is relative when flying to Belize. There is only one airport & the taxes are pretty high, so it is more expensive than many other countries at the present time (they are planning a second airport which may bring the costs down). We decided to focus on March or April. I use sites like Priceline & trip advisor. We found the cheapest flights for those months to be in March. Days of the week for departure & return make a difference too. After considerable research I found air fare for under $700 each departing on March 3(a Monday) & returning March 20. Before I booked the flight I checked hotels in the towns we wanted to stay in for availability, it's kind of important at this time of year as this is the busy season, if you go in the fall you can get great deals & not much problem with availability. We had chosen to stay in Placencia again, Hopkins, & a few days on Caye Caukler. Hopkins & Placenica are in the same general region in the southern part of Belize, & we chose them as we plan on looking for property while there.
To find hotels I first try the town's web page. This usually lists the hotels, I then check the websites for hotels if they are available & trip advisor for ratings. Placencia was easy we stayed at the Sea Spray last time, it was very reasonable & right on the ocean & we really liked it. It's steps away from our favorite place to eat the Barefoot Beach Bar.

The room has Refrigerator, microwave, safe, & air conditioning (which we don't use) this time in the busy season it's $57.50 including tax a night. It's also right on the sidewalk, which is the main drag in Placencia.

In Hopkins we found the Windschief. We have the small cabana right on the beach, it has a refrigerator & it's $30 tax included a night.

On caye caulker, we decided on De real Macaw. Pretty much everything on the caye is on the beach as it is an island. there are no cars, you get around by walking, bikes, or golf carts. This is a beach view room at $52.00 tax included a night. The time we are spending on  Cake Caukler is purely for fun. Since it is part of the Barrier reef, snorkeling is super cheap & 15 minute boat ride away. Fishing is great as well.

Once hotels are set, I booked our flight. We then contacted the rental car company AQ auto rentals. They didn't require any kind of deposit as we had used them before. They are by far the cheapest rental company & they give you a cell phone (you just have to buy minutes) & a cooler. You just have to request with your reservation. they will meet us at the air port. You don't need a car if you are staying in one place, you can take a bus or a small plane, but since we plan on driving around to look at property we are renting the car for the first 2 weeks. If you decide you want a car for a day or 2, most towns have car rental places. You can also rent golf carts & bikes. Be prepared that many places in Belize do not accept credit cards & if they do there is a fee for international charges. Make sure you check before you go. We usually just take cash & use the credit card for the car, but that's about it. Since we are trying to save money we have decided to use the local markets to buy fresh fruit & breads or fry jacks for breakfast rather than eating out.

Lunch will be fast food Belizean style

Everything is ready to go now it's just counting down the days & looking at things you might like to do while you are there. the Belize home site can give you tips as can the District sites & town sites.

there is something for everyone. The Belize Zoo is a definite do if you have time. Mayan ruins are everywhere. There are jungle excursions like cave tubing, zip lining, waterfall rapeling (we are doing this for sure). If you love the water, there is never a shortage of things to do, Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world, so snorkeling & scuba dive are awesome. Many hotels have kayaks for you to use & of course fishing is great, some restaurants will cook your catch for you. Of course you can always just chill in a hammock on the beach if you choose. Just remember never sit or stand under a coconut tree!

We will be back in Belize in 10 days!

DON'T STAND UNDER A COCONUT TREE & OTHER INTERESTING NOTES

We learned never to stand under a coconut tree - the coconuts fall with no warning, unless you know what to listen for. People get hurt & killed by getting hit in the head by a falling coconut.

Fast food as we know it doesn't exist in Belize.  These are examples of Belizean fast food. I'm pretty sure it's much healthier than all those burgers & fries we eat in the US. The food in general is healthy. Belizeans eat what they grow or catch. they don't use hormones & such in their growing. The food tastes so much better, we couldn't believe how good the chicken tasted,  I am sure that is due to the fact that it is natural.

If you're a Pepsi drinker, forget it, Coke is the only thing you'll find & it tastes different, more syrupy. Everyone drinks it.

Local beer is cheaper than water most places, so people drink a lot of beer. You have to be careful if you are out in the countryside to make sure the water is safe to drink or drink bottled water, we got a cooler with our rental car & kept water with us just in case.

People are so friendly, you can hardly walk down the street & carry on a conversation because everyone says hello & smiles. They are very welcoming & accepting of others.

They are a happy people, everyone smiles, including the children. They take care of their families, there are often 3 or 4 generations in one house that is maybe 600 square feet in size.

Crime is much lower than in the US. Although the two large cities - Belize city & Belmopan have some areas of crime, the rest of the country experiences very little crime. It is mostly petty crime, like theft & B & E's. I went for walks after dark in Placencia Town & felt totally safe, which is something I can't do at home even in our small town.

Churches play a very active role in the communities. There are many different denominations, with the most notable being the Roman catholic. The churches run the schools for the most part, with the government's approval. All of the kids wear uniforms, each school has a different color uniform. the kids either walk to school  or walk to the bus stop.

The country overall is pretty low tech. One hotel we stayed at had VHS tapes for us to use. There is WIFI in most hotels, but not out in the country. Adults have cell phones, but everything is prepaid. Most people don't have air conditioning, even some hotels don't have it. Electricity is one of the few things that is expensive.

Kids are happy & smiling like the adults. They play outside, swimming in the ocean & rivers, riding bikes or playing some kind of ball - soccer is big. they don't have a ton of toys, but appear to be happy with what they have.

Belize is an easy country to visit & get around. It is  English speaking, so communicating is pretty simple. Their currency is a Belizean $ & the exchange rate is simple one US$ = two BZ$, It's the same everywhere no negotiating. there are only four main highways - Northern, Western, Southern & Hummingbird. Highways is a term used leniently - they are 2 lane roads with a speed limit of 50mph. We rarely did that as you never knew when you would happen upon a small village (most of which aren't marked) & the crazy speed bumps to slow you down, often these weren't marked & if you went over them at 50mph you probably damaged the bottom of your car. the only thing you knew for sure that if you came to one speed bump there would be a second at the other end of the village. There are also speed humps at all the schools. These are like cross walks, only elevated like a huge speed bump. The bridges are all one lane, so whoever gets there first goes.

 With a decent map, it really isn't hard to get around, & people are helpful if you need directions.

Belize reminds me of the US of my childhood. Maybe that is why I fell in love, or it could be the beautiful country that has average temperatures in the 70's & 80's year round, or the ocean, or the jungles, or waterfalls. Not sure, but before we left we were already planning to return, now in a matter of days we will be back in Beautiful Belize.

Adventures in Belize: OUR LAST DAY IN BELIZE - FOR NOW

Adventures in Belize: OUR LAST DAY IN BELIZE - FOR NOW: It's Wednesday morning & Ron was up early for a "business" meeting, basically it was a coffee club with Tom & the owne...

OUR LAST DAY IN BELIZE - FOR NOW

It's Wednesday morning & Ron was up early for a "business" meeting, basically it was a coffee club with Tom & the owner of our hotel & a couple of other guys. It was good for him to meet contacts for our future visits. Back in the room I'm finishing packing. One last breakfast at Omar's & we hit the road. Have to make a detour back to Lower Dover to pick up my camera charger, then it's back to Belize City, which we have managed to avoid until now. This is like driving in the US only worse! Found the bus terminal, but can't buy tickets for the overnight ride until 5pm, so it's time for late lunch. "King James" from the water taxi company recommended a restaurant to us & pointed us in the right direction. The main streets in the city are worse than the highways. Two lanes, but with cars parked it's almost impossible to get through the streets, finally out of the downtown & out by the water to the restaurant & our last meal overlooking the ocean.

Now it's time to find our way out of the city - fun!  Dropped off our rental car & they drove us back to the bus terminal for our 5 hour wait for the overnight bus to Cancun! this bus terminal is about as bad as the one in Cancun, except no place to check luggage & no McDonalds.  We stocked up on water & a few snacks & waited for our bus, which of course was late.  Once the drunk on the bus settled down we were on our way about 8pm. Of course we now have our 2 customs stops. Belize is very simple, but going through Mexico is fun again, of course. They have a simple red light, green light system. You push a button - green light means you go right through, red means they search - & I do mean search your luggage! One passenger right behind Ron got searched. Finally we are on our way again & when we can get the drunk back to sleep, I'm out until we get to the airport, at least this time we don't have to go to downtown Cancun, just the airport. Of course, nobody knows where Delta flies from & nobody speaks English. so we hang around the lobby, there is one restaurant that of course is outrageously expensive, but we had breakfast. Again we have a wait from about 5am til 11 am when Delta finally opens & we can check our luggage, & go through security. There is a food court here, but again food is crazy expensive & like everywhere in Mexico you get change in pesos. Since I don't ever plan on retuning to Mexico, I really don't want many pesos left. Finally we board our plane & we are  on our way home. So may wonderful memories, a few not so wonderful that I will definitely remember so I don't make those mistakes again, & a definite plan to return to Belize as soon as we can for a longer stay. We miss the beautiful country & people already. So many friends made in such a short time. We have definitely found our special place on earth!

Adventures in Belize: OUR LAST DAY IN PLACENCIA!

Adventures in Belize: OUR LAST DAY IN PLACENCIA!: It's Tuesday & our vacation is quickly coming to an end. this is our last day in Placencia (also known as Paradise) tomorrow we hit ...

OUR LAST DAY IN PLACENCIA!

It's Tuesday & our vacation is quickly coming to an end. this is our last day in Placencia (also known as Paradise) tomorrow we hit the road back to Belize City for our bus ride to Cancun. Need to make the most of this day!
Snorkel that was rained out yesterday is on for today although not so sure about the skies, this is the rainy season. First stop is breakfast at Omar's for our usual, which they remember. Omar has doubts about the weather too, but wishes us luck. We board the boat with 3 young people from Germany, & two young ladies from California, and we are off to our first snorkel site. the weather quickly takes a turn for the worse! really dark skies, wind & really rough seas. We stop at a small caye that is owned by Julian, a fly fishing guide (we find out later that he is our friend Pearl's brother) & his wife a Pennsylvania native & their son. they are very friendly. We are stranded there for several hours, kind of felt like Gilligan's Island, but what an adventure it turned into! this caye like all cayes is a part of the barrier reef. It is coral & sand. The walkways are made of large conch shells with gravel & a small amount of cement on top. There are shells everywhere, so even though it was raining, I was busy collecting shells for the grandkids. Found some really amazing shells, & some tiny crab-like creatures among them, that were pretty amazing to watch. I think they were sand fleas, now that I know what sand fleas look like. There were so many beautiful conch shells everywhere - their colors were amazing from light pink to a really bright vibrant pink to orange, I wished I had room to fit one in my luggage to take home. After getting soaking wet, while Ron was talking fishing with Julian, I joined them under the gazebo, for some wonderful hot coffee & a bite of hot homemade conch fritters. YUM! Spent some time talking to Julian's wife, getting her perspective on living in Belize, she has been here for 13 years & survived one hurricane that destroyed their island. She would do it all over again in a second. Finally a short break between storms, with another big one coming, so snorkeling is cancelled & we head back to Placencia, trying to beat the storm! Everyone else had another day & rescheduled their snorkel, since we were leaving, they refunded our total fees no questions asked, didn't even charge us for the gas they used that day. Couldn't help but think, it would never be that simple in the US.
Back to the room for a shower & our last happy hour & dinner at the Barefoot Beach Bar.

Enjoyed dinner - shrimp again! Why not a pound of jumbo shrimp & all the fixin' for $11US - I will miss those shrimp when I get home! A couple of local beers with Tom & Pearl & surprise the young ladies from California that we met on the snorkel trip dropped by for a picture & a drink! Lots of fun on our last night, we hated saying goodbye, but we already know we will be back soon for an extended stay! Off to bed with sweet dreams of beautiful Belize!

Adventures in Belize: PLACENCIA OUR FAVORITE PLACE!

Adventures in Belize: PLACENCIA OUR FAVORITE PLACE!: Sunday we were off to Placencia, after a drive down the mountains, through beautify scenery along the Hummingbird Highway, past fields of ba...

PLACENCIA OUR FAVORITE PLACE!

Sunday we were off to Placencia, after a drive down the mountains, through beautify scenery along the Hummingbird Highway, past fields of bananas we made it to the ocean.

 Finally we arrive on  the beautiful Placencia Peninsula, with the town of Placencia at the tip. The minute we stepped out of the car, I felt like I had found heaven! We checked in at the Sea Spray Hotel, our room had a private balcony with a hammock right on the beach with the ocean just 60 feet away. We immediately opened the windows for the wonderful ocean breeze.

It's off to explore town. Of course, like most everywhere in Belize, you walk or ride a bike. So we walked, the beach, the sidewalk, the road, so much to see. Stopped at a bar called the Tipsy Tuna for something to drink & immediately met the owner, who surprise was from New Jersey & moved here a year ago & like most others would never move back! Talked to another couple who had been there 4 months & just bought property right off the beach for really cheap! More walking & it was time for dinner at the Barefoot Beach Bar Grill. We sit down at the bar, & the guy next to me has on a shirt that says "Lake Michigan Unsalted" funny because Ron has on one that says "Lake Huron Unsalted". Of course we quickly started up a conversation & Tom became our first friend. He is from Saint Clair Shores, which is right around the corner from where I grew up & he has been in Belize for11 years. We later met his lady friend, Pearl, a Belizean, who is so sweet. We met them for drinks every night from then on, & met lots of others through them. Head back to the hotel & find a flat tire on our car, & no camera charger for me. Both can wait til tomorrow after snorkeling.

Monday we woke up to rain, so no snorkeling, so off to breakfast at Omar's. We spent a few mornings having breakfast with Omar. Mainly because the food was excellent & he was so interesting to talk to. He is native Belizean & had stories to tell about Placencia, before it became so populated. I discovered one of my favorite Belizean foods FRY JACKS! They are basically fried dough, but sooo good! Ron liked them with homemade Guava jelly, I just liked them hot with butter!

We decided to head to the Chinese grocery store & look for an umbrella, which the had, of course it stopped raining right after I bought it. time to fix the tire. Ron had no shortage of help, people walking by just offered to help. Once the spare was on it was time to get the tire fixed. Wouldn't expect that to be a problem, however, many businesses were closed as it was a holiday. We finally found a guy who had keys to a garage with a compressor, so got a repair kit & filled the tire. Everyone went out of their way to help, it was such a pleasant change from the states. Decided to take a drive & look at some of the property for sale. Saw some we really liked. We walked down to the Tipsy Tuna again & even though it was our second time there, the owner remembered us. We had lunch, we could easily have shared one entrée it was way too much food. Ron decided to try his hand at some fishing, so he rented a rod & reel & bought some bait - a double handful of jumbo shrimp for less than $1US. He didn't catch anything, but made friends with lots of local kids by sharing his bait with them. Meanwhile I walked back to the hotel, stopping a some shops that were open & visiting with people, then I relaxed on the beach til he came back in time for dinner again at the Barefoot Bar. Happy hour rum drinks are all $2 & $3US found my favorite, which happens to be the national drink of Belize, Coconut Rum & Pineapple juice called the Panty Ripper. This is our second night & already we are recognized here. Lots of fun visiting. Early to bed for snorkeling the next day.