Mar 9th 10
Posted in Belize News // No Comments
Scuba diving in Belize
Life too stressed? Holidays too hectic? Get a taste of the Caribbean in English-speaking Belize, Central America
In the words of Fyodor Dostoevsky, I find myself in some difficulty: on the one hand, I feel professionally compelled to lift myself from this wooden bench-seat, leave this tiny open bar, with its wooden jetty reaching out into the tranquil, turquoise sea, and head off down the sandy street in search of the essential Belize. On the other, I feel personally compelled to have another beer. This place seems to have that effect.
Belize sits below Mexico, to the right of Guatemala and to the left of the Caribbean, which here, now, is a balmy 26C and contains one of the most glorious sets of islands and atolls in the western hemisphere. It’s a former British colony, it’s the only Central American country that officially speaks English and, of course, it’s where Lord Ashcroft may, or may not, be domiciled.
So far, so Wikipedia; what’s harder to explain is why so few people in the UK know it, or why so many of those who do — often ex-servicemen or diplomats who’ve been stationed there — have a habit of making it their home. Okay, so there’s the white coral sand, the tropical jungle, the sea life — but there’s something about Belize they really like.
First off, it’s not large. The vogue for describing land areas in terms of Wales works perfectly here: it’s about the size of Wales. Yet the population is only that of Cardiff, so a lot of the country has nobody in it. Culturally and ecologically, it’s both Central American and Caribbean, so, given its diminutive size, there’s a great variety of easily accessible experiences on offer, from the rainforests, caves and Mayan remains inland to the coast and islands in the east. (Continue Reading)
Mar 9th 10
Posted in Belize News // No Comments
Breakfast with the Mennonites in Belize
The Caribbean is full of surprises. During our recent road trip through the Central American country of Belize, staff photographer Zach Stovall and I enjoyed a rare treat, thanks to Mark Howells, the Aussie owner of the Lamanai Outpost Lodge: We ate breakfast with a nearby Mennonite family. Belize has some 10,000 Mennonites — about 3 percent of the total population — who live in small communities all over the country. Defiantly nonviolent and anti-military, they left Europe in droves to escape religious persecution; Belize is one of about 65 countries where you’ll find them.
Over a long table laden with fresh eggs, pork, black beans, cucumbers, milk and home-made bread, patriarch Abraham Wiebe — Abe to his friends — did all the talking, partly out of patriarchal privilege and partly because of a language barrier. Mennonites in Belize speak an unusual amalgam of German and Dutch called Plautdietsch, though in the interest of working and doing business here, a few, such as Abe, have learned English and Spanish too. The somber faces family photo you see here belie the Wiebes’ warmth, hospitality and good humor.
Three thousand calories later, Abe gave us an impromptu tour of his farm — gorgeous rows of tomatoes and beans growing without pesticides or artificial fertilizers, chickens producing the eggs we’d just eaten. There was the family’s horse-drawn buggy and carriage, and the horses snacking on mashed sugar cane. The Mennonite faith has some very firm notions about technology’s ability to corrupt, so they shun its influence wherever possible. To wit, horse-drawn vehicles can use rubber tires, but motorized transportation — a farm tractor, for instance — cannot. Abe’s tractor has wheels fashioned out of steel, with a “tread” comprised of welded-on segments of rebar. It seems at first like a needlessly challenging lifestyle, but after spending a little time with these people, you start to see the beauty in their ways. Life here isn’t always easy, but it works.
Our feature story appears in the May issue of CT+L, on newsstands April 27. Source: Caribbean Travel + Life
Mar 9th 10
Posted in International News // No Comments
Bear Grylls in Belize
Twelve people from the UK, aged between 19 and 40, have flown out to the heart of the South American jungle to undergo a four month intensive survival training course. The trip has been organised by Trekforce, part of the Gapforce organisation responsible for bringing a group of Maasai warriors to the UK to compete in the 2009 London Marathon.
The 12 adventurers will be able to live out their dreams of following in the footsteps of celebrity adventurer Bear Grylls, known for his pursuits across some of the globes most inhospitable regions, as well as sleeping inside dead camels in the desert.
The Expedition Leader Course will put the recruits through their paces over the ensuing four months, teaching them a range of skills from surviving alone in the wilderness to navigating through raging rivers and testing terrain.
Gapforce spokesman Marcus Watts said: “Not everyone has the physical and mental power to complete this type of training. It is intense, it is tough and it pushes the human body to the extremes. The rise in the popularity of celebrity adventurers such as Bear Grylls is making this type of challenge more appealing to the everyday person.”
Recruits will take part in real time scenarios with the Army, practicing helicopter rescues, animal trapping, night navigation and river crossings. (Continue Reading)
Mar 8th 10
Posted in San Pedro Weather // No Comments
IR Satellite Photo
General Situation: High pressure influence and relatively dry conditions prevail. 24hr Forecast: Mainly fair conditions with only isolated rain. Winds: East at 10 to 20 knots. Sea State: Choppy/Moderate. Outlook: Through Tuesday: Mainly Fair with only isolated showers. Highs: 28°C/82°F – Lows: 21°C/70°F
Mar 8th 10
Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories // No Comments
DJ Flex rocks San Pedro’s stage!
Spectators lined the street in front of San Pedro Jets Express in anticipation of the arrival of DJ Flex to the island. On Saturday, he was expected to headline a concert at the Old Football Field and the crowd got their first glimpse of the star at about 3:00 p.m. when he arrived. Panamanian Reggaeton artist DJ Flex, also known as ‘Nigga’ is famous for his hits Dime si te vas con el and Te amo tanto and the crowd patiently waited for a couple hours until they could wait no more.
Their resounding screams could be heard as the boat made its final approach. Flex delighted his crowd and proceeded to invite everyone to the show. Mayor Elsa Paz was present, as well, giving him a warm welcome to the island community. Island Productions, the entertainment company responsible for promoting the show, also welcomed the artist and offered a wooden sculpture as a memento of his visit.
Flex was more than happy to meet his fans and sign autographs, stating that he never thought that he would arrive to such a wonderful reception on Ambergris Caye. “Had I known I would have dressed a bit better,” he joked.
That same night, the stage was set, the lights were ready and sound engineers had prepped, the DJ Flex concert was about to begin. He took to the stage and rocked it out. The lights, the smoke, the sound, everything was on point and the show was a tremendous success. Fans sang hit after hit, begging for more. Along with his two back up dancers, guitarist and musicians the show was visible through the two projection screens ensuring that everyone enjoyed the show. (Continue Reading)
Mar 8th 10
Posted in International News // 1 Comment
It was with great sadness that I read of the death of Sir Barry Bowen. I remember him as a generous man, a rare mix of entrepreneur and environmentalist who helped develop his country into a worldwide ecotourism destination.
A fifth-generation Belizean, he made a fortune paving his tiny country’s few highways, selling and buying real estate, and bottling Beliken beer. His personal wealth and influence were impressive, but how he used them was even more impressive, especially to anyone interested in conservation. Here are just two examples:
I got to know Barry Bowen in the 1990s, first while working as a writer for International Wildlife magazine, and later while I was on assignment writing “Adventuring in Belize” for Sierra Club Books. I was operating on a shoestring budget, and he helped me see the most remote wild areas in his country by flying me over them, for free. He was a meticulous pilot, and once aloft he beamed with excitement pointing to Mayan ruins and river systems that peeked out of the verdant rainforest.
We passed over the Belize Zoo, located on a swath, cut out of unusable lowland rainforest, in the country’s center. The zoo probably would never have existed if it weren’t for Barry Bowen. When a young American named Sharon Matola rounded up the discarded and starving jungle animals left behind by a foreign movie company, Barry Bowen took a chance and helped fund her vision of an animal-friendly zoo.
The Belize Zoo has grown into a model for third world countries, emphasizing environmental education for school children and housing native animals in large natural looking enclosures. When I wrote a story about Matola for International Wildlife I asked Bowen why he funded someone with no experience running zoos. He replied, “She worked so hard and was so passionate I didn’t see an alternative but to help and see where it would go.” (Continue Reading)
Mar 8th 10
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IDB president Luis Alberto Moreno
The Latin American economy is poised to expand 3% or more in 2010, the year that will signal the beginning of recovery for the region according to the Inter American Development Bank, (IDB), President Luis Alberto Moreno.
“This year we are witnessing a recovery of the global economy, and we are hopeful that in Latinamerica overall growth will be above 3%”, said Moreno at the closing ceremony of the IDB Central American and Dominican Republic governors meeting held over the weekend in El Salvador.
However Moreno pointed out that the world’ main economies will not experience significant growth rates this year or in 2011.
“What the technical staff of the IDB are telling me is that before 2013 or 2014 we are not going to see a situation similar to those numbers the global economy was showing before the crisis”, said Moreno. He went on to praise the Salvador meeting because “governors did a full sincere immersion into what is happening in the region, and the world”.
“We obviously did a balance of what happened last year, but above all projections of the years to come, the challenges we must confront”, added the IDB president. Among those issues was increasing the working capital of the multilateral organization and issues related to “social aspects and the integration process”. (Continue Reading)
Mar 6th 10
Posted in San Pedro Weather // No Comments
IR Satellite Photo
High pressure ridge over country continues to support fair and mostly dry weather.
24hr Forecast: Sunny skies today with a few cloudy spells. Mostly clear and cool tonight.
Winds: Northeasterly at 5 to 15 knots.
Sea State: Choppy.
Outlook: Through Monday: Similar weather conditions prevail.
Highs: 27°C/80°F –
Lows: 20°C/68°F
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