Currently Browsing: Ambergris Caye Stories
Sep 1st 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
Queen of the Bay Contestants Visit San Pedro
Ambergris Today | Ten beautiful contestants of the Queen of the Bay pageant arrived this morning in San Pedro, along with the reigning queen Miss Reena Usher for a short visit to tour the island as part of their activities prior to pageant night.
Pictured above (left to right) are Miss Freewtown – 19-year-old – Audralee Enriquez, Queen of the West – 16-year-old – Daniellie Rodriquez, Queen of the Bay Corozal – 17-year-old – Salomie Cardinez, Miss Belize City – 17-year-old – Diana Hemmans, Miss Punta Gorda – 18-year-old – Julie Vargas, Queen of the Bay 2009-2010 – Miss Reena Usher, Miss Independence – 19-year-old – Lisa Gutierrez, Queen of the Bay Belmopan – 20-year-old – Shaina Evelyn, Miss Placencia – 17-year-old – Ashley Glenn, Miss Belizean Pride – 17-year-old- Shanice Flowers and Miss Belizean Heaven – 18-year-old Shanice Skeen.
The contestants were greeted by Deputy Mayor Pablo Ico along with other members of the San Pedro Town Council and Mr. Eiden Salazar of the Reef Radio. The Queen of the Bay Pageant takes place this Saturday, September 4 at 7:00p.m. at Byrd’s Isle in Belize City.
Councilors Pablo Ico and Juan Alamilla present the contestants with gifts on behalf of the San Pedro Town Council. They were hosted for lunch at BC’s Bar & Grill.
Aug 31st 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
Police are currently investigating a drowning death that occurred on Monday evening on North Ambergris Caye. According to reports, the incident took place during an annual staff party at Mata Chica Resort at approximately 6:30 pm. These reports indicate that a fight broke out amongst a number of staff members in attendance, which lead to the death. The body was transported from the resort to Fido’s dock, and then taken into custody by the San Pedro Police. A number of people involved were arrested and taken to San Pedro Police Station for questioning. Mata Chica’s staff are refusing to discuss this matter and the management are saying everything is in the hands of the police. More as the story unfolds
Aug 31st 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
Cayo Espanto Belize
| Sure North Carolina has great beaches, and you can bet on a good time in the Bahamas. But these three honeymoon destinations not only bring the wow-factor – they offer out-of-this-world experiences plus accommodations and services that seriously redefine luxury.
Our love affair with Belize unfolds at Cayo Espanto, a four-acre private island with only seven villas – one of them over water – in Ambergris Caye. Guests fly into Belize City, take a small plane to San Pedro and a short motorboat transfer to the island. Or, opt to arrive by helicopter.
Our 1,500-plus-square-foot villa, Casa Manana, was designed with romance in mind: indoor and outdoor showers, high-ceilings, a king-size bed with luxurious linens, and willowy netting positioned over the bed at nightfall courtesy of our houseman, Obed.
At Cayo Espanto, there’s no agenda – just time to focus on each other, whether in your private pool or on matching lounge chairs at the end of your private pier. At the latter, Obed stopped by with a small cooler of beer, water and soft drinks so we didn’t even have to walk the few feet to the villa’s mini-fridge.
Villas are partially open-air, but not to worry: Your houseman will call out his pending arrival in respect of your privacy. Each day, the chef dropped by the villa to ask our preferences for that night’s menu. Candlelit dinners for two were set up on different parts of the island. We never knew where the next would be until Obed escorted us there.
Belize offers Mayan ruins, rainforest treks, bonefishing, diving and snorkeling at the famed Blue Hole or right off the beach at South Water Caye or along the world’s second largest reef. Plus, for a getaway on your getaway, a motorboat can drop you off – with picnic basket, champagne and walkie-talkie – on your own deserted beach. (more…)
Aug 30th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
Ray's Grand Slam Week of Fishing on Ambergris Caye
El Pescador | This was one of those weeks I just love my job. I count my blessings all the time, believe me, but this week just kept a big grin on my face! Donna and Jim are celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary, and they ran around here like teenagers. They grew to love their guide Cesar, and then found it necessary to extend their stay here for three more days. We started calling Donna, “Cuda Queen”, because she landed so many barracuda. In one picture the cuda is bigger than Donna! You go girl. And then Natalie and George here for their sixth wedding anniversary and they landed their first bonefish.
But the star of the show this week was Ray. He and Ty were here from the Florida Keys and they wanted a grand slam. Well, Ray got his wish. He has been fly fishing since he was 10. Now retired, Ray “got a dream.” This is what Antonio, our bartender here at EP, was telling us when he and I were out fishing with Captain Emir. Antonio was telling me and Emir that his Uncle always says, “Give me a dream,” and just as he is telling us this, a 3 lb bonefish eats his fly by Deer Caye! Yep. This was Antonio’s very first bonefish on fly. Elated. Emir and I just looked at him and said, “You are lucky! Enjoy it.” (more…)
Aug 27th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
Melani Paz, San Pedro Lion's Club President
San Pedro Sun | Zone 59 Chairman Baldemar Graniel then read the Lions Code of Ethics to the gathered crowd. Lion Marina Graniel-Kay then welcomed everyone to the event, adding that she hoped that all those members present would join with the new board in bringing the San Pedro Lions ever more forward.
Melanie Paz, who was unanimously re-elected to continue the Presidency, highlighted the various achievements of the club in the past year. She stated that many of the activities accomplished during the Lion year 2009-2010 are attributed to the hard work of the club and the partnership of the community and business sector. Friday night’s Bingo and BBQ special has once again been revived, and it is now a family activity that many people look forward to attending. The Lions’ park in the Mosquito Coast area has been revamped, and a new palapa has been constructed, and now families who want to spend some time on the beach have great facilities to use while in that area. Also especially important in the list of accomplishments is the return of BCVI (Belize Council for the Visually Impaired) to give free eye clinics on the first Thursday of every month. The Lions office, which was previously used as a storage area upstairs at the Lion’s Den, has been converted into the treatment area for 20-25 patients a month. There are several other goals that the Lions Club hopes to accomplish, and President Paz called on all members to join and renew their efforts to make 2010-2011 an even bigger success. (more…)
Aug 26th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
San Mateo, Ambergris Caye
tacogirl.com | This is a very interesting and important time in the history of Ambergris Caye and Belize. Last night Heather, Cathy and I literally had a great brainstorming session. By the end of our chat we had filled in a couple of new puzzle pieces for Direct Abundance Belize.
Heather and Cathy went to Holy Cross school today, met with Vernon & Eric and then walked through to the back of San Mateo. They had both been to this area before and agreed that going further back and walking the London bridges was a high impact moment – especially after stopping to watch a young girl run with confidence and ease along the narrow planks of wood.
After hearing Heathers plans – Vernon gave a two thumbs up for having a waste water garden at the school to go along with their new state of the art composting flush toilets. The school is also willing to help Direct Abundance in carrying out the fantastic plan Heather has come up with to do phase one of basic composting toilets for all residents in San Mateo.
The school will donate lumber towards the project as well as use of tools and work space to the community so the structures for the compost toilets can be built. They recognize how invaluable this project is to clean up the neighborhood from the ground on up. Tim Tam from the Word at Work ministries is also on board with the idea and he is already making plans to help Direct Abundance move forward on this idea and a seed has been planted for getting composting toilets happening on mainland Belize areas in need. With over 1/3 of Belize’s land being protected this whole project will be huge and far reaching to keep Belize Green.
While on their tour yesterday Veron and Eric took them to meet Shirley who was featured in Travis’s Current tv documentary on San Mateo and Holy Cross – she has agreed to be one of the first houses to get up and running with a composting toilet. Heather is hoping to get a few model units on the go asap so that she can see what they are dealing with in preparation for a mass build. (more…)
Aug 26th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
Louisiana Lions donate to San Pedro Polyclinic
San Pedro Sun | Mack, Keith, Kevin, Glen and Casey are five members of the Louisiana chapter of the International Lions Club. Mack and Keith have traveled several times to the island, donating many items to the Poly Clinic II with every trip. This trip was no exception, and their friends, who were first time visitors, got to witness the handing over of some much needed medical supplies and blankets and towels to the Clinic!
Aug 25th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
3 Comments
Aaron Humes, Amandala | Matti Ruben and Linda Bade, backpackers from Germany, spent only two days in Belize, from August 3 to 5, 2010, after arriving via private boat from Mexico. However, allegations they have made of a scam allegedly being run by officials in the Immigration and Customs Departments on San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, may leave Belize with a seriously wounded reputation.
According to proprietor of Pedro’s Hotel and Inn in San Pedro, Peter Lawrence, the couple arrived around lunchtime on the 3rd of August asking, “How expensive is it to visit Belize?”
After the couple told him that they had had to pay $120 to enter the country – $80 to Immigration and $40 to Customs – Lawrence said he contacted Immigration officials who told him that since the couple had arrived during lunchtime, they would have to pay. When Lawrence pointed out that the couple could have waited until after lunch and that since the doors were open, there was no clear indication that it was lunchtime, the official he was speaking with told him that it was “none of his business.”
Ruben and Bade told the San Pedro Sun’s Dennis Craft (Lawrence told us he contacted the island newspaper after his fruitless call to Immigration) that they had chartered a boat in Xcalak, Mexico, called the “Yirien”, en route to San Pedro.
On their arrival, the captain, identified in the couple’s formal report to the BTB (as seen by Amandala) as Gabrino Patto, took them to the Immigration office, the door of which was closed. They then went to the Customs office next door, where they apparently met the Immigration official on duty, who took them back across to the Immigration office.
In the office, the Immigration officer, a woman, demanded US$40 (BZ$80) for a “boarding fee.” The couple said they did not have US dollars, but she would not accept their Mexican pesos and told them in response to their questions that they would have to pay a similar amount next door at Customs. (more…)
Aug 25th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
0 Comments
Barrington Castillo Wins 3rd Place in Carnival Song Competition
Ambergris Today | San Pedro’s Barrington Castillo has done it again! For the second consecutive year, Barrington has won third place in the National Song Competition for the September Celebrations in Belize. Last year Barrington Castillo captured third place with $1,000.00 and a trophy for his song “Shout Belize” in the Carnival Song Competition and this year he has done the same with a new song titled “Jump Up”.
The National Celebrations Commission in association with Atlantic International Bank would like to present the winners of this years’ National Song Competition held at the Memorial Park on Saturday August 21st at the Memorial Park.
Patriotic Seniors
- 1st Place – $3000.00 and Trophy – Silas Sabal “Rememba Semptemba”
- 2nd Place- $2000.00 and Trophy- Leroy “Bass” Castillo “Teach Wi Children”
- 3rd Place- $1000.00 and Trophy – Ferron Hartshorn “Belize, Belize”
Patriotic Juniors
- 1st Place – $1500.00 – Jaryl Mariano & Carlton Carr “My Belize”
- 2nd Place- $500.00 – Kyle Zuniga & Terrick Magdaleno “I Love Belize
- 3rd Place- $150.00 – Teejay Sambula “Show Mi Di Way”
Carnival Seniors
- 1st Place – $3000.00 and Trophy – Tanya Carter “My Belize – Belizean Pride”
- 2nd Place- $2000.00 and Trophy- Ernestine Carballo “On Dis Tah Carnival Day”
- 3rd Place- $1000.00 and Trophy – Barrington Castillo “Jump Up”
Congratulations Barrington!
Aug 25th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories.
1 Comment
Hyperbaric Chamber in San Pedro Belize
Love FM | An information session for divers was held in San Pedro Town over the weekend. The Sub Aquatic of Belize Limited is the only recompression Chamber in Belize. If fact, chances are that if a diver suffers any medical difficulty, that individual will end up at the Sub Aquatic of Belize Limited Chamber based in San Pedro Town. In many instances, the first to respond to a diver’s aid when suffering from decompression illness during a dive is the tour guides, dive master or even an instructor. Hence it is important that first respondents to have a clear idea how to carry out basic neurological examination relating to decompression illness. In an effort to raise awareness and update divers, dive masters dive instructors and tour guides, Sub Aquatics conducted a 4 hours session on DCI neurological examination and Lion Fish stings. Some 20 people participated in the session on Saturday night at the Angel Nunez Auditorium in San Pedro Town. Love News spoke to the Manager of Sub Aquatic of Belize Limited, Antonia Guerrero who explained more. (more…)
