Ambergris Daily - Daily News from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Aug 31st 10 Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories // No Comments

North Ambergris Caye Drowning being investigated

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 San Pedro Weather // No Comments

Daily San Pedro Belize Weather Forecast August 31st

IR Satellite Photo

General Situation: Generally good weather prevail. 24hr Forecast: Sunny with cloudy spells today and partially cloudy tonight. Isolated showers may occur. Winds: Easterly at 5 to 15 knots. Sea State: Light Chop/Choppy. Outlook: Through Thursday: Partly cloudy with the chance of isolated showers. Highs: 32°C/90°F Lows: 25°C/77°F.

Tropical Weather Outlook: At 5:00am powerful Hurricane Earl was centered about 175north northwest of San Juan Puerto Rico with maximum winds of 135 mph and was moving to the west-northwest at 13 mph. At 3:00am Tropical Storm Fiona was centered about 590miles east of the Leeward Islands with maximum winds of 40 mph and was moving to the west at 23 mph. A tropical wave has formed several hundred miles south southwest of the Cape Verde Is. Development, if any, is expected to be slow to occur.

Aug 31st 10 Posted in Belize News // No Comments

2010 September Celebrations Kick Off

Official Plaque

San Pedro Sun | Sunday August 29th 2010 marked the official Opening of 2010 September Celebrations. Under the theme “United and Proud – Moving Forward – I am Belize!” The opening ceremonies took place at the St. George’s Caye Cemetery. The day included presentations by: Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture; Dr. Jaime Awe, Ms. Diane Haylock, Mr. John Searle, Jr. among others. Food and entertainment were provided.

Aug 31st 10 Posted in Belize Video // No Comments

Chicken Drop at Pier Lounge, San Pedro, Belize

Aug 31st 10 Posted in Ambergris Caye Stories // No Comments

Over the Top Honeymoon Spots – Cayo Espanto

Cayo Espanto Belize

Charlotte Observer | 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. (Continue Reading)

Aug 31st 10 Posted in Belize News // No Comments

St. George’s Caye to become the newest village in Belize

St George's Caye Belize - photo by Astrum Helicopters

Love FM | Yesterday, at the official opening of the September Celebration, it was declared that St. George’s Caye would become the newest village in the country. This past Tuesday Cabinet approved a request made by the St. George’s Caye Community Council for the official designation of St. George’s Caye to village status. Gabriel Martinez is the Minister of Rural Development.

Gabriel Martinez; Minister of Culture

“I would like to premise my remarks by first of all conveying my congratulations as Minister with responsibility for Rural Development to the members of the St. George’s Caye community on having garnered the consent of the Government of Belize to become the newest village among the 194 villages and communities in Belize. Needless to say this is a stealer accomplishment particularly for the members of this community who for many years have envisioned village status for this caye. I also must congratulate the members of the St. George’s Caye Community Council going as far back as 1998 under the chairmanship of Mr. Karl Menzies for seeing St. George’s Caye not only as a historical land mark in Belize, which it is and which we Belizeans are proud of, but as a place to be preserved and properly administered.”

The residents of St. George’s Caye, almost one hundred strong, will now have more control over the affairs of the caye as the community council will now be replaced with a village council. (Continue Reading)

Aug 31st 10 Posted in Belize News // No Comments

Belize students improve in more than half of CXC subjects

Amandala | The preliminary May/June 2010 results of the regional examinations for secondary schools and junior colleges have been released, noting substantial improvements over the 2009 performance on a range of subjects, in some cases showing better results than the average regional performance for the Caribbean.

The release informs, “English A and English B demonstrated notable improvements of 16.5 and 24.3 percent increase respectively in the proportion of subject entries receiving satisfactory level of performance or above (grades I-III). Mathematics exhibited a 1.7 percent increase for grades I–III.”

For Belize, “Preliminary [CXC] results show that of the 31 subjects sat, performance improved in 18 subjects; declined in 12 and 1 remained the same.” Regionally, of the 34 CSEC subjects offered, performance improved in 14 subjects, declined in 14 subjects and remained the same in six subjects.

Belize performed above the regional average in Information Technology with 90% passes versus the 83% regional amount of passes. “The reoccurring challenges of Programming and Database Management were once again cited as weakness of candidates,” said the regional CXC office. “In addition, the examining committee has recommended that teachers pay more attention to the areas of Problem Solving, Programming, Database Management and Binary Arithmetic.” (Continue Reading)

Aug 30th 10 Posted in San Pedro Weather // No Comments

Daily San Pedro Belize Weather Forecast August 30th

IR Satellite Photo

General Situation: Somewhat moist conditions prevail. 24hr Forecast: Sunny with cloudy spells today and partially cloudy tonight. Winds: Easterly at 10 to 20 knots. Sea State: Moderate. Outlook: Through Wednesday: Cloudy spells with the chance of isolated showers. Highs: 32°C/89°F Lows: 25°C/77°F.

Tropical Weather Outlook: At 3:00am Hurricane Earl was centered about 50mls east northeast of St. Martin with max winds of 105mph and moving to the west-northwest at 15mph. At 3:00am Hurricane Danielle was centered about 440mls south of Cape Race Newfoundland with maximum winds of 75mph and moving to the northeast at 17 mph. A low pressure system located midway between the west coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression during the next day or two.

Aug 30th 10 Posted in Ambergris Caye Events // No Comments

Blood Donation Drive in San Pedro

San Pedro Sun | A Blood Donation Drive will be happening in San Pedro on September 4th from 9am. The location is next to El Torito and Island Adventures – right in town. Blood can only be stored for a short period of time which is why the hospitals need a constant supply of fresh donations. A healthy adult can donate a pint quite easily and the body makes more over a short period of time.

Donors must be between the ages of 18 – 65 years.
You must eat an adequate size meal prior to making the donation.
Your last donation must have been at least 3 months prior to donating.
Your latest tatoos must be at least a year old.
Menstruation must have stopped at least a week prior to donating.
It must have been a year since your last major surgery, transfusion of blood, pregnancy or miscarriage.
You must wait 2 years after your last malaria infection.
You cannot donate blood if you have HIV, AIDS, if you have had hepatitis over the age of 11 years, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease or if you are presently ill.