Second stop, Belize City! This was one of my anticipated stops due to the buzz that I heard about this country. The weather: 81 degrees and 45 percent humidity.
Belize i/bəˈliːz/ (formerly British Honduras) is a country located on the north eastern coast of Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. Belize is bordered to the north by Mexico, south and west by Guatemala, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. Belize’s mainland is about 290 kilometres (180 mi) long and 110 kilometres (68 mi) wide. Source: Wikipedia
We dropped anchor outside the port and were transported to the city by a boat that accommodated about fifty passengers. This is due to the barrier reef, one of the largest coral reef in the world following Australia’s and New Celadonia’s.
As we approached the city, we noticed the water was getting browner. Oh no! Where did the pretty turquoise water go? We later found out that the rivers cause this and that’s why if you want the white sand and blue waters, you will need to go to the islets which is locally known as cayes (keys) and not in the city. So we decided to take the “City and Country Tour”.
During the sales pitch we were told we would make stops to take pictures. Well, that didn’t happen so the pictures I had were either blurry or lopsided taken from a very crowded van and could not post much. Correction, we stopped once when the tour guide saw a lizard but stayed in the van and we slowed down to watch the Prime Minister of Belize as he was being driven home for lunch. The “Country” part of the tour was a five minute drive around the suburbs. I was expecting to see trees and monkeys! Instead we saw bushes and stray dogs. We did learn some inetersting facts about the city’s demographics and why there were so many chinese restaurants, its geography and some history but I must say this is where I wished I booked an excursion through the cruise lines. Overall, it was a good day. Next time I visit Belize, it will be on the islands, and not the city.
After the disappointing tour we decided to try some local cuisine. The tour guide raved about the rice and beans and she was right. It was yummy! Then my daughter got haggled into getting braids, so we sat and listened to the local boy band while she was getting her braids then we walked around town for an hour.
With the sun in our eyes, we bid adieu to Belize to rest up for the next day’s adventure. A seven hour excursion to the Mayan Ruins in Costa Maya!
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