Thoughts on Belize

In the four and a half months that we have called Ambergris Caye our home we have come to appreciate the pace and style of life here. From the morning runs, to watching the daily rush hour of workers on their bicycles making their way to and from work six days a week it is a great pace here.

We were also very fortunate to have friends and family come and visit us near the end of our time here. It allowed us to share some of our knowledge and appreciate what we have here.

As I have said many times before our favourite place to go and relax has been the Palapa Bar and Grill. For those of you old enough to remember the TV show “Cheers” you can understand the idea “Where Everybody Knows Your Name“. It certainly has been one of the many reasons we have enjoyed our countless hours there. Ivan, Abner, Rony, and all the staff there always make you feel welcome in addition to acknowledging you when they see you in Town away from the bar. It has been many years since I have looked forward to spending time in a bar, but the Palapa Bar has reminded me of the positives that can occur in that environment.

Another establishment that deserves mention is Legend’s Burger House. They are a small restaurant and bar about a half mile north of the toll bridge where they make some of the best burgers we tasted on the island. If you want different food go somewhere else because they serve burgers, period. It takes quite a long time for them to be served to your table, but they are worth the wait, have another beer. The breeze coming off the sea keeps you cool while you enjoy the view. Also if you come by on Tuesday evenings you can enjoy some great music on Jam Night.

There is no way I can go on about the island without speaking about Belize Pro Dive Center.

This group of people had an incredibly positive effect on our stay here. The owner, Junior, runs a well organized professional shop that many others could learn from. All of our email enquiries were always answered promptly and their ability to arrive to pick us up at the dock near where we were staying exactly when they said they would be there was outstanding. I took my Rescue Diver Course with them and Karen and I both did our Night Diving Specialty with them. Our instructor, Ian, was fantastic. He covered the required material without cutting corners while constantly keeping it fun and enjoyable. This is a young man who has a great future in this industry, I believe. The other Dive Masters and staff we dove with were all excellent. The briefings were always professional and complete and the dives beautifully paced. Thank you to Ian, Tony, Pedro, Bernie, and Beth for a job well done. As well we had the opportunity to do two snorkelling excursions with them to Hol Chan and Shark/Ray Alley when our friends and my sister visited. Luis and Santy showed amazing patience in dealing with people who were initially very nervous about getting in the water, and the non stop flow of information while we were snorkelling was incredible. I have to also acknowledge Bernie’s obvious enjoyment of swimming with the Sting Rays, it was very enjoyable to watch.

The last person I wanted to mention was Fish Man Johnson. He would come by regularly with a great selection of Grouper, Snapper, Lobster, and Shrimp

We are sad to be leaving Belize but are looking forward to the next chapter in our adventure.