Belize - Laughingbird Caye National Park

Here's a photo from and a link to more spectacular photos of Laughing Bird Caye National Park - from the Southern Environmental Association's Facebook page. Laughingbird is visited by many, many Maine Stay guests while on snorkeling trips.

Xunantunich - "tunasandwich" - Belize Mayan Ruin

Check out the YouTube video of one of the Mayan ruins that many of The Maine Stay guests visit. This is a delightful day trip to the San Ignacio area and is easily combined with a visit to the Cahal Pech ruins about 15 minutes from Xunantunich. Read what Wikipedia has to say about Xunantunich and Cahal Pech.

Maya Island Air... Belize - Cancun Connection?

Is this the plane that will be flying the rumored Maya Island Air Belize City - Cancun route? Don't know for sure, but I do know that this photo was taken June 2nd, 2009 at an unknown location. The ATR 72 is a twin-turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. It seats up to 74 passengers in a single-class configuration and is operated by a two-pilot crew. See Wikipedia for more detailed information.

For those of us in the tourism industry, the prospect of travelers getting to Belize via Cancun is an exciting development... opening up the possibility of significantly better connections and fares for both North American and European passengers.

Belize Video

This is a great new video about Belize... very well done and really highlights how much is packed in to this small English speaking country only 2 hours from the US! When you are done, have a look at one of the best family owned beach cabana suites in the country.

Lunch in Belize Anyone...?

One of our favorite places to get a great lunch and enjoy the scenery in Placencia Village is the Barefoot Beach Bar. It's right off the Sidewalk and the food and drinks are excellent. Cassie and Bryce are great folks and the whole atmosphere is just delightful. And yes the colors in the picture are real and untouched!

Sometimes I Forget...

... what a beautiful expanse of beach and ocean we are fortunate to have and share with our family and guests.



Belize and the Placencia Peninsula is a special place.

Color... sometimes needs to be a big SPLASH!

Euphorbia millii

Common name: Crown of Thorns, Christ Crown, Rosa (Corona) Espinas
Scientific name: Euphorbia milii (old name: E. splendens)
The Crown of Thorns is a member of the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)

Contrasts...

Every once in a while, a moment comes along that makes a great photograph. Early one morning, at the end of the Placencia Airstrip, one of those moments presented itself...

Do It Again, Dad!

We have been having some hot days, so lunch and a swim at the pool at Bella Maya was an easy choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Kevin will get some pictures posted of his great day out fishing with John Ford. Check those and others here and here.

Laughingbird Caye

When you can go to a great place like Laughingbird Caye and swim with Mommy and Grammy... it's a good day!

Zack is here... and all fired up!

One of the first things that is necessary after you arrive in Belize, is making sure that the equipment is running properly and that the sand can be moved around to make the infrastructure work properly. Do you suppose Albert may be getting some competition?




If the boss is taking a morning snack break, it's important to make sure any crumbs that are left over get cleaned up immediately by the hired help.




Then, after lunch, it's very important to rejuvenate from the heat and make sure you are ready to carry on for the rest of the day...



So that the afternoon siesta is comfortable...

Zack Is Coming!

Our 4 year old grandson (and his mom and dad) arrive today. His dad, Kevin, is a graphic designer and artist at Bowdoin College in Maine... so naturally enough Zack will have his own digital journal to record his Belize Adventures. The cover design is a gem. This should be a great visit. Marcia (Zack's mom) and Karen will have their hands full with all the paparazzi around!

Belize Chocolate!!

For quite a while now, I have been planning to write a piece on my addiction to chocolate and my difficulty in finding sources of the "really good stuff" in Belize. It was meant to be witty, humorous and filled with irony and sarcasm... since one of the best sources of great chocolate is now just a few steps down the road from us! Well, much to my delight (and chagrin) someone beat me to it. Check out this wonderful blog entry about Goss Organic Chocolate.

Class Act: BELIZE

Sometimes, as I stumble around looking at various news stories, blog entries and pictures about various trips, tours, and other less easily classified adventures in Belize... I find something that strikes a note of heightened credibility. An article in today's New Orleans Times-Picayune, written by a group of journalism students, captures more of the real flavor of Belize than most.

Mom's Lap is Too Small...

It has become a part of the morning routine for Little Bit to jump on Karen's lap during our coffee time. It's important to have a place to rest your chin!

Bandolero-Tequila Agave... Yes, it's what they make tequila from!

For a long time we have been using what we call "Bandolero" plants in our landscaping. These are a succulent that comes from the Agave family and there are several types. The most common in Belize and the rest of Central America is the Tequila Agave. This is the first one we have seen shooting up a blossom spike and we are suitably impressed with the size of both the plant and the spike (about 20 feet). Unfortunately, after it truly blossoms, it will die.

Photography in Belize

Well... the joy of being an amateur photographer in Belize is hard to beat. In this age of affordable digital cameras, even a klutz can take decent pictures. I've put together a sampling of My Favorites. Maybe it will inspire just one of you to get that camera out and shoot!

Belize Tourism Industry

Tourism is fast becoming the leading economic engine of the country. [4] In a recent speech to the Belize tourism industry, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said:

"The World Travel and Tourism Council has reported that the tourism industry is responsible for 297 million jobs worldwide. It contributes over 8 trillion dollars to the global GDP. In Belize, over 25% of all jobs is tourism-driven or tourism-related, with the industry directly responsible for over 18% of our GDP. According to the Central Bank, tourism last year accounted for 590 million dollars in revenue. This figure was up 90 million over the previous year, despite the effects of Hurricanes Dean and Felix on the industry generally and the cruise sector in particular. And tourism is now, and has been for some time, our number one foreign exchange earner. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, tourism is for Belize very serious business indeed."

Key Note Belize City - 15 May, 2008 - Biltmore Plaza Hotel - Address by Prime Minister, Hon. Dean Barrow to the 10th Annual Industry Presentation.

Placencia Road Contract Signed

Official News Release from The Government of Belize.

Ministry of Works
Signing Ceremony for Placencia Road Project

Belmopan - 11 July, 2008
Official signing ceremonies were held today at the Inn at Robert’s Grove for the upgrading of the Placencia Road between the Government of Belize and Cisco Construction Limited. Upgrading will be done to approximately twenty (20) miles of road between mile 21 on the Southern Highway Junction and the community of Placencia passing thru Maya Beach, Riversdale, Seine Bight and ending at the Placencia Airstrip.

Present at today’s signing was the Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. Dean Barrow. He expressed that he was proud to be a part of history that will realize a project that was initially introduced by the UDP Government in 1998. He thanked the contractor and anticipates that the completion of the project will bring more tourism development in Placencia. Other guest also included the Minister of Works, Hon. Anthony “Boot” Martinez, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hon. Manuel Heredia and Minister of Transport and Area Representative for Stann Creek West, Hon. Melvin Hulse.

The Civil works will consist of the construction of an embankment, side drains, concrete drainage structures and a double lane bituminous running surface. Sidewalks will be provided through the urban areas of Maya Beach and Seine Bight as will pedestrian crossings, speed control devices and lay by facilities for Bus Stops. The contract also includes the construction of a new Multi-purpose facility that will replace the existing Seine Bight Community Center.

The Project is being funded in the amount of BZ$25,881,550.73 by the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Belize. Works have already commenced on the road project and should be completed within a twenty-six (26) months construction period.

Placencia Airstrip Caution Sign

As I pass by the Airstrip almost daily to go to the Village, I barely even notice this sign... but the tourists just love it. I bet it is the most photographed sign on the entire Peninsula.

What is for certain is the need to pay attention to the warning... sometimes the planes are fully loaded and need every bit of that airstrip that we drive around the end of so casually !