Hi ,
We arrived
in Belize and anchored 15 minutes outside Belize City. I tend to write about the positives in all
our adventures and will continue that but I do have to say Belize City is not
really a place to go at all. The harassment factor is about a 9 on a scale of
1-10. The sad thing is the folks , men and prostitutes following us and
constantly asking us to, do this, buy that..and they really have nothing to
offer. During our pre-port diplomatic briefing we were informed that the murder
rate in Belize is #3 in the world per capita! Gangs and drugs are isolated
mostly to the south side of Belize city across the river. So it is obvious
where to avoid, the whole place is desperate. Again it’s a Central American
country / Caribbean nation that was determined to gain their independence from
the British Empire and Belize got their wish in 1962 and promptly realized
economics and expenses of running an independent nation are difficult to
maintain. A friend on the ship went to a 7th grade classroom to see
what they were learning. She told us they were learning exactly what she
learned in 4th grade.
Belize is
beautiful and has wonderful Mayan history and ruins to discover along w/ some
amazing diving opportunities , sailing , island hopping, cave tubing , jungle
zip lining, all kinds of hiking and adventure. You just need to set up somewhere other than
Belize city. If you find yourself there just get on a boat and leave.
Our second
day, Traci was off work so we planned to get to Caye Caulker. After much delay
on Belize time we got there in the rain (it is the beginning of rainy season)
The Island had a great vibe the locals were very friendly the shops restaurants
and housing was primitive Island style. Very cool.
We have met
some good new friends on this voyage and feel truly lucky to have had another
substantial travel Adventure as a family.
“All
journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware” Martin
Burber
Lat – 21’
.31N
Long – 085’.
38W
We are
circumventing Cuba and on our way to Ft. Lauderdale,
See you all
soon thanks for checking out our stories on this whirlwind Central and South
American trip, we created some amazing memories
Capt. J
Looking
forward to local waters East of Cape Cape!!!
Hi John, I had heard about Belize City, from another family that I worked for, and it is to bad that because of a decision made along time ago that there is so much crime & poverty! That's too bad about the 7th graders learning at a 4th grade level. It just makes us appreciate our education! It is great that you got to go Caye Caulker and enjoy more time as a family. As usual love your pictures. Have a safe trip home. I hope to visit you guys this summer! Love, Lisa Pizza
ReplyDeleteHi Doherty"s we just returned from Bermuda and read your blog. I am so surprised by your report of Belize. I thought it was so different. Your pictures are fabulous .I canit believe how you cot the girls in mid air and Traci got Dec sooo high in the air. I am so happy your adventure has been such a success in so many ways, but especially in your life together as a family. Bless you all. Mom
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful sunset. Keep those pictures coming, I'm enjoying them all!
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