Belize... Name That Plant!

Ok folks... this is a "Yucca" type plant with very sharp spikes that seems to blossom every several months. It has grown to a height of 3-4 feet. Any ideas what this is?

Name that Toad...

This little guy has decided to make my desk and work space his home territory. So let's name that toad...
Maybe if I start having conversations with him he'll stay out of my printer!

Any ideas?

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 Collage

Collage of the 5 minute walk!

A Five Minute Walk In Belize...

A 5 minute walk in our back yard this morning yielded this splash of colors!

More on Obama and PM Dean Barrow (Channel 7 News)

Barrow on Barack's Visit to Belize
posted (April 22, 2009)
And moving on to the subject that’s been quite the buzz recently, the PM discussed his meeting with US President Barack Obama and the possibility – however remote – that he could come to Belize. The two leader shared a table at the official summit dinner on Saturday night in Port of Spain and Barrow says it was Obama who asked him about Belize.

Hon. Dean Barrow,
“He was extremely friendly, it is not just what he said but the body language that accompanied his pronouncements, suggested this is somebody serious about a fresh start in terms of hemispheric relations. He appeared genuinely interested in Belize. He didn’t know about Belize and when he said that he would like to visit and that he is recording an intention to visit, I took him seriously. As I said to Adele in Trinidad and Tobago, he told me that he proposes within the next month to six weeks to nominate an Ambassador to Belize.

The person he has in mind is, I think he described him as an old college buddy, and we all know of the sorts of friendships that are formed between and among college buddies. But my sense that he was choosing his pick for Belize very carefully, that it was deliberate that this was somebody personally close to him and that it would be a question of good looking out for Belize under the watch of the new Ambassador. Of course the nomination has to go to Congress and nobody can be certain that Congress will approve. The President also made the point that once the new Ambassador is in place, that would make it even easier or certainly less difficult to arrange the logistics of his visit to Belize. So I took him very seriously.”

Cancun to Belize City Air Connection ???

Apparently Belize's Maya Island Air is telling those who ask, that they hope to have their service between Cancun and Belize City running by "mid-summer." Although I have seen nothing on rates or schedules, this is bound to at least make a pretty good size dent in the total cost of getting here from the US, Canada and Europe. For Canadians and Europeans it will mean being able to bypass transiting the US. This is a huge plus for them.

P.M. Barrow: President Obama to Visit Belize

Belmopan, Belize, 20 April 2009 - (Belizean.com) - Prime Minister Dean Barrow stated in a radio interview in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Saturday, that U.S.A. President Barrack Obama will visit Belize. The Belize Prime Minister who was attending the Fifth Summit of the Americas In Trinidad, was interviewed by KREM radio reporter Adele Ramos.

The Prime Minister's interview was broadcast in Belize yesterday Sunday April 19th. Prime Minister Barrow stated that over dinner on Friday, President Barack Obama had expressed an interest in visiting Belize. According to Barrow, President Obama indicated that he will put forward to congress within the next month or six weeks, his nomination for a new U.S.A. ambassador in Belize. "After this we will be in a better position to start to make arrangements for the logistics of the President's visit," stated Mr. Barrow.

Belize Beach Cabanas

I discovered a photo of our original Belize cabanas taken shortly after they were constructed. We tend to forget that landscaping and mother nature are such an important part of the ambiance of the "places" we create in our lives. The photo taken currently, shows, over time, how we have slowly worked toward the right combination of natural beauty, relaxing atmosphere and privacy. The pictures were shot from the road side of the cabanas, looking toward the ocean. It's a startling contrast and humbling reminder of how much some time and "mother nature" contribute to our lives. More photos of the cabana suites are here.

Are the Iguanas in Belize Spying On Us?

So I was up early one morning and heard a rustling noise as I sat out in the garden palapa. Took me a while to figure out where the noise was coming from. When I spotted him, this guy just calmly and slowly moved his head back and forth eye-balling me... one at a time! While sitting in that comfy gutter, I'm sure he was probably thinking about what he was going to tell the rest of his crowd about the nice digs he discovered.

Belize Guest Photos... Always a Treat!

The Eyers family has been enjoying Belize and The Maine Stay for two weeks and Rob was kind enough to share some of his excellent photos of their various travels. The photo below is of Robert's Caye. More of their pics are posted here.

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.

Lazy Belize Day in the Sun...

Lazy Day in the Sun
Originally uploaded by traversbelize

Do you suppose these guys are resting from their tireless efforts to keep away the various monsters that try to invade the Kokomo compound? Or maybe they just need a break from the run out to the Marina and quick dip in the water (well... not Little Bit!). Bowdoin (on the lounger) and Sir Charles seem totally unfazed by the whole thing.

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!

Proud Grandparents in Belize...

Good Morning... to Eva Kathren Whitmore, 7 pounds 13 ounces, born February 24th, 2009 to Kristen and Christopher Whitmore and three year old brother Tate of Wiscasset, Maine. More pics here.

Belize Dirt & Road Dust... and Dogs!

If you keep up with this blog (and you can do that easily here)... then you know we have dogs. Five, actually... Iris, Sir Charles, Little Bit, Bowdoin and Rambo (don't ask... we didn't name him). Well, that also means we deal with sand and dirt from doggie tracks all the time. In addition to the road dust that just floats in with every truck or bus going by. We constantly deal with keeping computer keyboards and screens cleaned up and it has become a real quandry... especially what to do about the inside of laptops and, in particular the back side of the display screen. I knew that there had to be a way, so a quick google search turned up the perfect solution. Take a look at the best screen cleaner we could find... here.

Pizza on the Grill in Belize

Our friends, Mary Ann and Eldon Mead from Arkansas, recently drove a motor home here and are working on the beginnings of their beach front home just north of Singing Sands. Today, Eldon treated us to his awesome home made pizza done on our outdoor grill. Here's a peek... with more photos of the whole process here.

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.

Living & Finding Things In Belize... Resources

I presume at least a few of the readers of this blog either live here in Belize or visit enough that they know finding "things" and services that are needed for construction, or just household projects can be a struggle. Not long ago, I vowed to try to make a list of the resources I had discovered from exploration, friends and just by accident. That led to the spreadsheet that you see here (just a sample of it) and that is now available for everyone to check out and use here. I hope that folks who have additions (or corrections) to this list will contribute!

Does It Get Any Better Than This?

Our son Kevin and his wife Marcia were here recently with grandson Zack. This shot was taken on the palapa at the end of our pier.