Copyright John Acott
BELIZE IS
DIFFERENT
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BELIZE
- BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
I
guess by now I should know better than to be surprised at some of my clients’
reactions when they first come to Belize. One woman flew all of the way from
England with her young son, stayed the night in a cheap and nasty hotel near
the airport, then flew home the following morning. She had decided that she
didn’t like Belize.
Another
woman arrived in Cayo almost in tears after driving from Belize City. She had
no idea that people could live in little wooden shacks and that some children
walk around without shoes.
I
guess, in a way, arriving in Belize could be a bit of a culture shock if you
have no idea what to expect and hence the purpose of this letter, to give you
some idea of what Belize is really like, before you actually arrive.
Belize
is probably very different to what you are used to. It is a very small country (320,000 people), and it is a poor country.
Poor is a relative word because Belizeans have a higher standard of living than
people in other Central American countries. Of course, Belizeans are generally
poorer than people living in developed countries in North America and Europe. Being such, Belize cannot afford a lot of the
things that the inhabitants of other countries take for granted. What is more
important; large, smooth highways, or schools and hospitals?
Speaking
of roads, you will definitely find ours different to yours. We don’t have any
super highways. Saying that, our roads are not that bad, apart from a pot-hole
here and there. Most of the main roads, including the ones in towns are paved but
you will definitely come across some unpaved road. Drive slowly and don’t drive
near to the edge.
We
don’t have many police patrol cars or any radar speed traps so we mainly use
speed bumps to slow traffic down, normally near schools. Watch out for these if
you are driving because they are not all sign-posted or painted. Likewise,
there are few directional signs in towns so you just have to follow the
direction everybody else is going. Don’t worry, the police are not going to
fine you if you make a mistake. Please note that if you are driving into Belize
from Mexico or Guatemala, 3rd party insurance is mandatory here and
you can buy it by the day or week at the borders. You will be in trouble if you
drive without insurance.
Also, if you are importing a vehicle into Belize, we
have a new law governing the degree of window tint. Dark tinted vehicles
windows are not permitted any more. Low sports cars are also not very practical
in Belize.
Something else on bringing cars into Belize. Import
duty on cars can be expensive. An old, 4 cylinder, pickup will not cost you
much, but a new, 8 cylinder SUV is going to cost a lot. Gasoline and diesel
here are expensive so think twice about bringing a gas-guzzler.
In
many ways, you will find Belize as your own country was 30 or 40 years ago (if
you are that old to remember). Children mainly walk to school, sometimes long
distances; you will see the occasional horse walking through town; women openly
breastfeed their babies; and, as you drive by the rivers, you will often see
women and girls standing up to their waists in water doing their laundry.
Life
is a lot slower in Belize and you will not see many people rushing around in a
hurry to get somewhere. You will see them standing around chatting to their
friends though and they will all have time to say hello to you, even if it
means stopping their car in the middle of the road for a quick chat.
Not
everybody has a car and buses are cheap and frequent, although often full to
bursting. Although not the fastest way of getting around, buses are a good, inexpensive
way of seeing the country. Nobody is going to bother you on the bus.
I
want to put this paragraph somewhere and I guess this place is as good as
anywhere. If you intend seeing different areas of Belize, it makes no sense to
book one hotel for two weeks; especially in Belize City. In fact, there is not
much to see in the City so I would suggest trying to get to your destination
the same day that you arrive, if possible. I always think it makes sense to
book a hotel in San Ignacio or Santa Elena for a few days to give you a chance
to look around and do some tourist stuff and then decide where you are going to
go next. You can always find room in a hotel somewhere.
Ladies,
there is no need to bring your ball gowns to Belize and, gentlemen, likewise,
leave your dinner jackets at home. Belize is a very casual country and most
people just wear shorts or jeans, and casual shirts or t-shirts. Suits and ties
are rarely worn, if ever, and you really don’t need to fill your suitcase with
a whole load of heavy clothes that you will not wear. I have worn a light
sweater once in 25 years.
We do
not have Wal-Mart in Belize. Or any of the other mega stores. With a total
population of 325,000, it wouldn’t make sense. Saying that, you can normally
find everything you will need to live here. If you can’t, there is a large city
called Chetumal just over our northern border in Mexico, and they do have Wal-Mart
and Sam’s club, etc. Or you can take a weekend trip to Cancun or Guatemala City
(US$25 by bus), and go shopping there. Of course, the internet is available
everywhere and you can order goods on-line.
One
of the good things about Belize is that we don’t have all of the annoying laws
and permits and licenses and authorities and regulations, etc. that you have in
your country. And, we are in no hurry to get them.
You
may have seen the beautiful Belizean beaches on your travel agent’s wall, or on
Belize travel shows. Well, here is a disappointment as we don’t have miles and
miles of white sandy beaches. The reason for this is because we have a
magnificent barrier reef (the second largest in the world) along our coastline,
and, while being a snorkeler’s and diver’s paradise, this reef prevents the
pounding wave action that produces beaches. We do have some beaches, naturally,
but if you don’t want to snorkel on the gorgeous reef and check out the spectacular
fish life, but are looking to spend all day traipsing along beautiful beaches,
you should do what I do and drive up to Cancun or Playa del Carmen in Mexico
for a weekend. They really are very close and are good, party cities.
If
you want to live on a beach in Belize, you can really narrow your search to
Placencia or Hopkins on the mainland, or Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
off-shore (caye means “island”). These are popular with North Americans but be
prepared to pay a lot higher prices for property and in the cost of living. Other
towns on the coast but without beaches are Corozal to the north, Dangriga and
Punta Gorda to the south. These places tend to be a little boring and not too
many ex-pats choose to live there. All of the coastal towns are on flat land.
When
you drive west from Belize City on the Western Highway, you will find the land
very flat and boring with just savannah-type vegetation until you reach
Belmopan, the capital of Belize (and the smallest capital in the world)! You
are now in the Cayo District of Belize, very popular with people re-locating to
Belize, and continuing westward, the terrain and vegetation rapidly change to
hills and rivers, forests and jungle. Passing through the twin towns of San
Ignacio and Santa Elena, the Western Highway continues until it reaches Benque
Viejo del Carmen and the border with Guatemala. Melchor de Mencos is the border
town in Guatemala and every day you will find many Belizeans shopping in the
colourful markets there. Just as a matter of interest, several buses full of
Guatemalan children cross the border daily to take the kids to Belizean
schools, where they can get a better education, in English.
You
may hear that Guatemala has a claim to some of the land in Belize. This is
actually true but nobody, including Guatemalans, take it very seriously – and
it is never going to happen.
You should be
aware that it is better to travel to Belize with US dollars as there is a fee
at the banks for changing Canadian dollars, and it can be difficult changing
Euros or Pounds Sterling. US dollars are accepted countrywide at BZ$2 for US$1.
A question I often
get is about the cost of living in Belize. Well, you can live very cheaply
here, especially away from the tourist resorts of Ambergris Caye and Placencia,
and most do, but it all depends on your lifestyle. Electricity and phone calls
are more expensive but things like car insurance, medical bills, car mechanics,
are very much cheaper. Annual property taxes are a fraction of what you are
used to paying. And, surprise, surprise, we don’t have any heating bills.
Medical treatment
is pretty good here, and much, much cheaper than in North America. Occasionally,
the doctor may send you to Merida, Mexico, or to Guatemala City, if it’s really
serious, but it is generally very good here in Belize.
Wherever you go in
Belize, especially if you look like a tourist, you may be approached by a
Belizean guy who is going to hustle you under the pretence of helping you. He
will be very friendly, polite and helpful but just bear in mind that, somewhere
along the line, he is hoping to get something out of this. If you don’t want
his assistance, just be polite and firm and tell him that you don’t need his
help.
Likewise, you will
find Belizeans very friendly and helpful but if you are looking for a car
mechanic or somebody to build your house, etc., don’t necessarily believe
everything they say. Every Belizean is a mechanic and a builder, or their
brother is. Much better to ask another ex-pat living here for a recommendation.
Also, when you buy
a house in Belize there is a good chance that it will be empty, including
appliances. Make sure that you establish what, if anything is staying in the
house. Many sellers will negotiate a reasonable price for their furniture and
appliances, if you are interested.
Belize doesn’t
really have many homeless or hungry people and, unlike some countries, we have
few beggars on our streets. Personally, I will give a little money to a poor
woman with children, or to a man who is handicapped. I never give to a healthy
man who could earn his own money if he wasn’t so lazy, and I never, ever give
to children. This only encourages the parents to keep sending them out begging,
whereas they should be in school, or enjoying their childhood.
Bugs? I don’t know
what to say about these as I live in Cayo and we have few mosquitoes and no
sandflies and they are not a problem here. Some places in Belize are worse than
others and they can be very annoying. I think everybody eventually gets used to
them, though. I don’t know if those anti-bug sprays work but some people swear
that Avon Skin-So-Soft is the best thing.
Here is a little
tip. If you are eating a cashew, take your shirt off or lean well forward.
Cashew is one of those fruits that leave a stain that you just can’t get out -
and I have just ruined a brand new shirt.
Every week I get
asked why we build our homes on stilts. Well, it is nothing to do with snakes
or floods. Traditionally, all homes were made from wood and built on stilts to
catch the cool breeze and to allow the air to flow around and under the house,
to keep it cooler. While many home are now constructed with concrete, the
tradition still carries on and many concrete home are still built on stilts.
Of course we have
snakes in Belize – some poisonous – but you won’t see them, or get attacked by
them. I have been walking through long grass and jungle for years without ever seeing
one. You do see them occasionally crossing the road. I have never heard of
anyone dying from a snake bite.
The same with
crocodiles. Yes, we have them in our rivers and if you are in a boat passing
though the jungle, you may well see one. Once again, I personally have never
heard of anyone being attacked by one and you don’t see them around habited
areas.
Yes, we have crime
in Belize and Belize City is sometimes in the headlines for a gang murder, or
something similar. It’s rather strange but I have many friends who live in the
city but they never feel intimidated by the crime there. I personally would not
want to live there, although I often have business there and feel perfectly
safe walking around the streets. It is much quieter in the districts and, in
the 25 years that I have been living in Cayo, I have never been robbed,
attacked, burgled, threatened, or anything. No, I don’t carry a gun and I have
never felt the need to.
When I first came to Belize, the
majority of Belizeans used to be ‘Creole’, which is an African/European mix,
but in recent years, the ‘Latinos’ have overtaken them and are now 50% of the
population. This is partly due to the thousands of refugees that came here
during the civil unrest problems in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Salvador, etc., many
years ago. We still get a steady influx of immigrants from the surrounding
Spanish speaking countries who come here to make a better life for their
families. In the last couple of years, I also have had families from places
like Costa Rica, Panama, etc., who have decided to move to Belize because of
the increase in crime in their own countries. Anyway, getting back to the
people of Belize, because of the complete hodge-podge of people and races
living here, there are all shades of skin colours and there is no racial
discrimination at all.
The official
language of Belize is English, and just about everybody speaks it, although for
many families, especially near the borders, Spanish is their first language. I
personally feel embarrassed because I have been living here for 25 years, but
never did get around to learning Spanish. You really don’t need to although you
will hear it widely spoken. Perhaps I’ll get around to learning it this year.
There are plenty of cheap “Spanish schools” in Guatemala where you live with a
Guatemalan family and learn Spanish one-on-one for half of the day, and then
become a tourist and relax for the rest of the day.
If you like to
travel, Belize is an ideal place to live. Apart from the easy access to North
America and the Caribbean islands, it is an easy drive to exotic locations in
Mexico and Central America.
Belize is great.
Life is slower and it is much easier and cheaper living in a warm country. Can
you imagine getting out of bed on a January morning and putting just a pair of
shorts on? Then wandering out to your garden to pick a pink grapefruit for your
breakfast. I do have a fairly large garden and I have: avocado, pink
grapefruit, mango, abiu, chinese plum, tangerine, grapes, cherry, sour sop,
sweet sop, loquot, lychee, fig and cherry guava. Trees and plants grow easily
and quickly in the good Cayo soil.
John Acott
