Caye Caulker, Belize

It's been two months since the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, but there is still time to enjoy some time with family and friends. For the ultimate get-way, try the island of Caye Caulker (key call-ker). [2015]

Belize City, Belize

The Fort George Lighthouse guards the entrance to Belize's harbor. The tower's image became attached to the country's identity and has become an iconic part of the broader nation-building landscape. More than anything else, it is associated with Belikan, the beer of Belize, which has named one of its lagers "Lighthouse." Perfect for a light beer! [2015] 

Caye Caulker, Belize

Real islands are accessible only by ferry. And, being on a real island always gives you a chance to re-frame the world. This year, though, we don't need a Caribbean isle to give us the island experience. This year, each home has become an island unto itself, with ferry connections limited to work or the grocery store. [2015]

Caye Caulker, Belize

Smile Please! Sorry, that was two days ago. But, the Caribbean island of Caye Caulker will surely put a smile on your face: sandy beaches, wind surfing, an underwater cave, conch and lobster, the Belize Barrier Reef not far offshore, and a water taxi connection to the mainland. [2015] P.S.: Look. I posted this same picture in 2016! A memorial to fading memory.

Belize City, Belize

He is not your typical taxi driver. Then again, this is not your typical taxi. It is Belize City's water taxi. You can even find one to take you to Mexico: 2 hours and 45 minutes! But you would be missing so much if you didn't stop at Caye Caulker or San Pedro. [2015]

Belize City, Belize

It's neither central market nor sidewalk market. So, we need a third category: terminal market. It is located at the bus terminal, where it is convenient for the neighborhood and patrons who come to the city from neighboring towns. [2015]

Belize City, Belize

Amish? No! Mennonite. Although his head covering and beard, plus the colors of his garb, point to Amish heritage, he is one of the 'Russian Mennonites' who came to Belize via a circuitous route through Manitoba and Mexico. The Mennonites of Belize number over 10,000 and are known for their agricultural and mechanical skills. [2015]

Caye Caulker, Belize

Caye: pronounced Key. Belize has tons of cayes, but this one actually has a resident population, albeit small, just like the island itself. Don't bother with a car; everything is within walking, cycling, or boating distance. As for getting here, take the water taxi or an airplane ride. [2015]

Belize City, Belize

When you arrive in Belize City at Novelo's bus terminal, don't jump in a taxi and head out right away. Spend a little time next door at the newly renovated market and meet some of the friendly folks who keep Belize fed. [2015]

Caye Caulker, Belize

You may not be in the tropics, but you are already thinking about getting the boating and windsurfing season started, right? It might seem logical to assume that windsurfing began in tropical seas, but it actually began as sailboarding on Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River in the 1960s. [2015]

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Welcome to the village of San Pedro in the English-speaking country of Belize. Did you experience any cognitive dissonance in reading the last sentence? If you are in Anglophonia, you should be in Saint Peter, right? Feel free to discuss it with one of the saints of San Pedro. [2015]

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Thanking my barbers for 2015: First, my English-fluent coiffeur on Ambergris Caye. Then, left to right: Cannon Lane in Gibraltar; Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Georgia; Paris, Kentucky; Bastrop, Texas; Lemoyne, Pennsylvania; Fulton, Missouri; and Redlands, California. Eight barbers, eight chaetophiles. [2015]

Belize City, Belize

Soon these boats will be at sea,
Where knowledge of geography,
Will be the key,
To feeling safe; in fact, carefree.
For if you need return to shore,
If you seek a place to moor,
On the wind you must depend,
And to that end,
You must know,
Wherefrom the winds do blow.
Direction east? Direction west?
It's really not much of a test.
For if you be in tropic sea,
Then, the Trades these must be,
Consistent, steady, pushing west,
Captain, you have passed the test,
For to the shore we have returned,
Our only problem: too sunburned!
[2015]

Caye Caulker, Belize

In a city, windows frame the world for participant observers, but on a tropical island, palm trees do the job, all the while holding down the sand and holding up the sky. [2015]

Caye Caulker, Belize

Belikin is the beer of Belize. Ever notice how native beers become rallying points of nationalism (and tribalism)? Ever wonder what the most popular beer is in other countries?  It seems like they all have a Belikin of their own, and maybe a dialect that contributes to the nation-building task as well. [2015]

Belize City, Belize

If you knew that Belize used to be British Honduras, you would be in a better position to understand Belize City's cultural landscape. See all the English language? Belize is an Anglophone country surrounded by Spanish-speakers, so guess what is happening to Anglophone monoglots. [2015]

Caye Caulker, Belize

Caye Caulker is nothing more than a small sandbar with a small village and a small number of hotels and restaurants. Perfect for relaxation if not for the night life. Sunbathing and windsurfing are its specialties. Let's see how fast things change now that Southwest has begun flights into Belize City, a short water-taxi ride away. [2015]

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Belize's Mennonites are self-sufficient farmers and skilled mechanics. Their ancestors came to Canada from the German frontier of the Russian Empire, thence to Mexico, and finally Belize. It is unusual to find Mennonites on the barrier reef islands, but this father and his two sons took the ferry to San Pedro to repair (and perhaps buy) an engine. [2015]

Caye Caulker, Belize

Caye Caulker is one of the larger islands in the world's second largest barrier reef, the one off the coast of Belize. If all you want to do is relax, Caye Caulker is the laid-back place to go. [2015]

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

San Pedro is a tourist town located on Ambergris Caye. Having breakfast here is not a tourist, however, but a native who will help keep San Pedro looking good for visitors.  His day will be spent painting houses and shops. [2015]