RAMBLES AROUND BELIZE 2011 By LAN SLUDER Photos by Rose Lambert-Sluder

Here are some notes from my Rambles Around Belize during June 2011: THE MARKET BELIZE IS MISSING • I know that Belize gets a lot of “adventure tourism” – younger, fairly fit folks who come to Belize for diving, caving, hiking and other active outdoor activities. That’s great, but I think Belize hotels and tourism operators are missing a bet by not offering more for us older, less fit (okay, let’s not mince words, fat) tourists. Belize accommodations and tour facilities are really not set up for visitors who don’t like to climb several flights of stairs to their room, or who would prefer not to have to bend double to get into a small airplane with a 4-foot high ceiling. Handicap access? Forget it, for the most part. Yet the world is getting older and less physically fit. In the U.S., example, one in eight Americans is 65 or older. In Japan and much of Western Europe, one-fifth of the population is 65 or older. The incidence of health problems that affect mobility such as arthritis and hip and knee problems is rising rapidly. And of course obesity is a major problem worldwide. The World Heath Organization estimates that there are 1 billion overweight people in the world, more than 300 million of them clinically obese. The problem is even more acute in places that, uh, feed Belize tourism, including the U.S., Canada and much of Western Europe. There’s a huge market out there of affluent older and less fit travelers who would love to experience Belize … if it had more elevators, more handicap-friendly facilities and more suitable transportation options.

Tropical Paradise hotel in Caye Caulker THE SOUTH RISES AGAIN • Until now I had never really paid much attention to how many tourists to Belize are from the U.S. South. A big part of the reason of course is that the major airline gateways to Belize are in the South -- Houston, DFW, Miami, Atlanta and Charlotte. From most other destinations you have to fly a connecting flight from your home city to one of these gateways, and then you probably will fly or do another type of transfer from Belize City to wherever you're going in Belize. So visitors from anywhere but in the immediate areas around the Southern gateways have a three-leg trip to their destination in Belize. Which makes travel to Belize less appealing (and more expensive) than just hopping on a plane and flying nonstop to Cancun, Aruba, Turks & Caicos, or other fun 'n sun destination. Still, a number of resorts say their #1 U.S. state for guests

is California, which is by far the largest U.S. state, with a population larger than the entire country of Canada. Imagine if Belize had non-stop air service from LA and San Francisco! QUESTIONS THAT DRIVE ME BATTY • Whenever I travel, whether it's to Belize or Mexico or Utah or almost anywhere, the question nearly every tour guide, waiter, street vendor or other tourism contact person asks is: "Where are you from?" The next most-asked question is "Is this your first time here?" And the third most-asked question is "How long have you been here?" If you tend to travel around a lot as I do, staying in many different hotels in many different areas, you hear these questions a LOT. Often scores of times each trip. After a while it starts to drive me crazy. In most cases, I don't think the contact person really cares where you're from. Sometimes I made up a name of a place I'm from -- Wackamolie City or whatever. Personally I think staff training should include a session on how to have a friendly, interactive conversation with tourists without asking the same old hackneyed questions.

Mural at Candelie’s Cabañas in Sarteneja WHAT TOURISTS WANT • One day I’m going to do an accurate count, but over the years I imagine I’ve stayed in at least 150 different hotels in Belize, and probably closer to 200. That may not make me an expert, but I do think it gives me a little insight into what travelers want in the hotels where they spend money. Here’s my take: -- Value for the money. Whether you’re paying BZ$50 or US$500 for a room, you expect value for the money. Obviously, one’s expectations differ depending on what kind of hotel it is, budget

or super deluxe, but across the board you want the same basic qualities: cleanliness, friendliness, safety, convenience and comfort. Many of your guests just don’t care how much it costs for you to operate. They aren’t judging Belize by Belize standards. They are judging by their own standards of value and comparing it to what they paid in Costa Rica or Mexico or the U.S. or wherever, and if you are charging twice as much as what your guests usually pay for the same quality of accommodations, they are probably not going to be very happy. At the very least, you need to be able to offer them something unique and special that makes up for the higher cost. -- Hospitality. I keep running into hotel owners in Belize who have no business being in the hotel business. This is a hospitality business. You have to like people. You have to enjoy meeting and talking with people. You have to maintain a cheerful public face, even if you’re not happy. No matter how nice your hotel, if you don’t make guests feel truly welcome, it’s not going to work.

Grilled lobster at Mambo Restaurant at Mata Chica on North Ambergris -- Conviviality. Okay, sometimes after a hard day on the road I just want to check in, have a bite to eat and a drink, and hit the sack. I don’t want to talk to anybody. Others may feel the same way occasionally. But most of the time I think visitors to Belize enjoy the opportunity to mingle with other hotel guests. You don’t have to force gregariousness on them, require that everyone eat family-style or play games after dinner, but if you can provide a setting where guests can, if they wish, get to know each other in a casual setting, say in the bar before dinner, it will add something valuable to the guest experience. -- Comfort. Belize has really improved in this regard. When I first started coming to Belize more than 20 years ago, you barely could hope for more than a room with thin walls, linoleum on the floor, a thin mattress on the bed, and a fan that worked, sort of. Now, more and more hotels have air conditioning, a swimming pool, cable or satellite TV, free internet and comfortable beds with cotton linens. Yet, so often I stay at hotels where the internet works only intermittently or only in certain locations, where the air conditioning doesn’t really cool the room or the TV picture is fuzzy. Guests expect that the hotel will at least provide the comforts of home, and probably they’re looking for something a little better than they have back home.

-- Neutrality. Many people relocate to Belize, including some who start hotels, because they have a vision of what they want their life to be. Maybe you want to be closer to nature, live off the grid and eat natural foods. That’s great. But. Don’t force your life choices on your guests. They may be spending thousands of dollars to vacation in Belize and just want a relaxing experience; they may not want to save the world. Don’t lecture your guests, whether in your informational materials or in person. Don’t try to impose your views – environmental, political or otherwise – on guests. Or if you must do so, make damn sure they know what you stand for and what they are getting into, before they arrive. REAL ESTATE REALITY Bottom line, the real estate market in Belize has been in a slump, just like the market in the U.S. Real estate agents and developers may sing a different tune, but with few exceptions the fact is the market has been punk. Condos are still a drug on the market, and real estate developments are selling lots mainly if they offer financing. There are signs the market may be beginning to perk up just a bit, however. CAR RENTAL • On arrival in Belize I picked up a rental car from my favorite car renter in Belize – a Suzuki Grand Vitara from Budget Belize. Excellent vehicle, almost new (just a few thousand kilometers), in tip-top condition. I put close to 2,000 kilometers on the car with nary a problem (these Japanese cars have everything in kilometers, not miles). Of course, it was painful to pull up to gas stations. Rarely did I fill up without forking out more than BZ$100. I did see that Belize Diesel, the Toyota dealer, has taken over management of JMA Motors, parent of JMA Rentals that operates Budget, along with Royal Motors. Hope this doesn’t affect the Budget operation. In general, I’d say that the high cost of car rentals in Belize, combined with the use of older, high-mileage vehicles, is one of the things that gives Belize the reputation for being overpriced. Compare the quality, condition and cost of vehicles you get when you rent in neighboring Guatemala and Mexico, where road conditions are not necessarily any better than in Belize, and it gives you pause.

Crossing at the Mexico border

NORTHERN BELIZE AND MEXICO • Had a pleasant short stay at Almond Tree Resort in Corozal Town, which has an attractive pool and a nice setting on the bay. Not much has changed in the hotel scene in Corozal. Corozal Bay Resort, Tony’s, Las Palmas, Serenity Sands B&B, Casablanca, Coca Banana, SeaBreeze and the others are still around. There’s still far more space available than demand, so occupancy rates remain low. If it weren’t for people looking for a place to retire or for real estate, most of the hotels would be empty. A few spots, like Tony’s, do get medical mission groups. We had a delicious and inexpensive dinner of conch soup, conch ceviche and fajitas at the new location of Patti's Bistro, which remains my favorite place to eat in town. The conch fritters at Tony’s Ynot Grill (Tony’s spelled backwards, get it?) were as good as I remember them, and the other old standbys like Venky’s (mainly takeout) and Cactus Plaza (weekends only) are still good and inexpensive. Corozal Town remains the sleepy spot it always has been. There are a few new shops and stores. Looks like the new Corozal Art Gallery is going to be an asset to the town. • Spent a pleasant two days in Chetumal. Stayed at Los Cocos for its location. The city is really growing. Generally clean, safe and lots of shopping at the mall, the new Walmart, Sam's Club and so on, plus the hundreds of local shops. Walked around the bayfront near the municipal pier where the boats leave for San Pedro (US$30 to $35, but if you bargain with the agents you can probably get the rate down to US$20 or so) -- people out cleaning, sweeping and picking up trash, nobody hitting on you for money or selling drugs. What a contrast with Belize City or Corozal Town for that matter. By the way, if you can't take your car into Mexico I highly recommend Henry and Joan Menzies at Belize VIP Transfers (www.belizetransfers.com) for a no-hassle transfer between Corozal and Chetumal -- US$30 for up to four people. Takes about an hour depending on how busy the border is. Saves worrying with buses and/or taxis, smoothes things through customs and immigration. Well worth it. You can park your car at Menzies’ place – he is also starting to rent cars (but they can’t be taken into Mexico.) • It was also great being back in Sarteneja. It's one of the truly unspoiled places in Belize. Sarteneja is the largest fishing village in Belize. The lobster boats were tied up off the bayfront, and I’m told that local shipbuilders do about five or six boats a year. We had whole fresh snapper for dinner (BZ$15) at Richie's and breakfast of chicken tacos, salbutes, garnaches and panades from Liz Fast Food -- BZ$5 total for three people. Chez DiDi, the French restaurant (French restaurant??!!) was closed when I was there. I know it’s for sale, so I don’t know what the future may hold for it. Candelie's Seaside Cabanas are just as good as ever -- right on the water, ice cold A/C, sat TV, US$60 double. The Verdes (Jorge, Elvi, Carolie, Cande and the others) are fine people. PLACENCIA AND HOPKINS • Quite a few changes in Placencia since my last visit: some new McMansions at The Placencia (or as Barnacle Bill Taylor, the wit of Maya Beach, says, “modest single-family residences” … several new restaurants and shops in Placencia village … lots of small real estate developments (though not always a lot of sales) … Bella Maya still closed and a real mess in more ways than one. Very slow here at the hotels right now. Hopefully this will pick up soon. Boy, the new road is terrific!

On the beach at Maya Beach • Update on some of the changes in Placencia: -- Not much change yet at Robert’s Grove under the new management. Thatch on pier replaced, and pier repainted, some new lighting and some changes to the original pool next to the office, but otherwise any changes will come later. Many of the old staff are gone. The hotel was very quiet when I was there, but then so were nearly all the hotels on the peninsula. Don’t know about you, but I miss Bob and Risa. -- Most people that I talked with at hotels and restaurants say they had an excellent season, but that it really slowed down starting in May. -- Placencia did very well in the BTB/BTIA awards just held at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City (where I understand several hundred very well dressed tourism stakeholders were in attendance.) Maya Beach Hotel Bistro won Best Restaurant, Avedon Divers won Best Tour Operator, and Althea at Chabil Mar won Best Hotel Front Line Person. -- Among restaurants, Maya Beach Hotel Bistro is still as good as ever – they richly deserved the BTB award for Best Restaurant. Had a great dinner there: shrimp-stuffed squid, coconut shrimp, potato-encrusted snapper, rum & tonic. Frank Da Silva is doing a nice job at Mango’s, and his conch fritters are just as good as they were at Robert’s Grove. Rumfish y Vino, Danube and Dolce Vita are worth trying. French Connection is closed, and the owners back in Europe. There is a new casual restaurant/bar on the beach, Deviners, where La Trattoria used to be, run by Brits. At the cheaper end (though Placencia is pretty expensive even at the low end) The Shak, Yoli’s and Omar’s aren’t bad. Tutti Fruiti gelato is still fantastico! -- There's not much going on at the new "international airport." A security guard is about all you see. The terminal buildings are about half complete, and there are huge piles of dirt. I guess there's some question about paving the runoff. Hard to say, but apparently this will be a "private" airport for The Placencia development, not a true public airport, though who knows? Likewise, some construction at the Copal Beach project, but nothing is anywhere near completion after over three years. The Placencia Residences continue to go up, though, and I understand all are sold. Reportedly The Placencia folks face an investigation in Canada regarding investment practices.

Sign at Chef Rob’s in Hopkins • Hopkins is tooling right along. Quite a few new houses and other buildings going up in the village. Iris’ restaurant has been leased to I believe a South African couple – unclear yet what changes will be made. Taste of India has a sign up “Closed for two months” and no sign of life. Chef Rob’s, Innie’s and of course Barracuda Bar & Grill still among the top places to eat. However, Barracuda is closed in June (at least) for a major rebuild, and several other restaurants were closed temporarily due to the water being out in the village. Thongs is open but on a limited schedule. Among resorts Hamanasi is still doing its superb job, and at the mid-range you have the delightful All Seasons, Hopkins Inn and Jungle Jeanie’s.

Saturday market in PG PUNTA GORDA AND TOLEDO • It was a delight to be back at Hickatee Cottages. Hickatee is such a wonderful small hotel or lodge. I can’t believe they have never won Small Hotel of the Year from the BTB. Sitting on the veranda listening to the howler monkeys and sipping a rum and tonic – ah, heaven!

• The rainy season is a bit tardy this year. Toledo had one 6” rain and a bit more, but not the heavy rains you normally see at the start of the seasonal rains. Hopkins and Placencia also have had a little wet but not much. The Kendal bridge is still open. Some work has been done on the access points to the new bridge but not to the bridge itself. • It has been hot, hot, hot. In Corozal, Chetumal, Sarteneja, Hopkins, Placencia and elsewhere on the coast, the water has been calm with little or no breeze at times. PG has been stifling, though it does cool down a little at night and in the early morning, especially with rain. One day in June the temp in San Pedro hit 104. • The seasonal rains have started in earnest in Toledo. One Saturday night it must have rained 5 or 6 inches in PG, with 3 ½ inches in the first hour alone. I woke up to the heaviest rain I’ve heard in a long time, along with thunder and lightning. But the rain was lovely, cooling things down and promising that everything would soon be green. The rains have now moved north, to Stann Creek and Cayo and even the northern cayes. Watch out for the flood flies! • The Southern Highway is now completely paved, and prep work has started on the San Antonio Road to Guatemala. There is quite a bit of local controversy about the new road from the Dump to the Guatemala border. Preparation of the roadway has begun, and a huge quarry is operating near the junction with the road to San Pedro Columbia. Some local people are glad to see the new infrastructure, which will open up southern Belize to tourists and entrepreneurs from Guatemala. Others worry about “bad elements” from Guatemala coming in (as if they didn’t already). A few budget hotel owners and the water taxi owners fear that the backpacker traffic from Belize to Guatemala via the water taxis will stop, and it probably will. But overall I think tourism in Toledo, and also general commerce, will benefit greatly from a legal southern border crossing between Guatemala and Belize. • The restaurant situation in PG is about the same as usual – not a lot of choices and several of the restaurants tend to have limited hours, especially in the summer. Mangrove Inn (most dishes around BZ$15-18, and it’s BYOB now) is probably the best all-around choice, along with Marian’s Bayside. Earth Runnin’s has pretty good food, though service can be slow and “quirky.” Gomier’s is often not open. Emery’s of course has been closed for a while. Grace’s and El Café are still options for breakfast. Olympic Grill has spruced up a bit. The Bamboo Chicken is a new and very popular bar on the bayfront on Front Street – nice sea breeze, cold beer and light bar snacks.

Oscar and Pinto at Hickatee Cottages

Colonial-era home near PG is now a B&B • Hotels Smotels in PG! Same old same old, except for one interesting new choice – Sirmoor Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast, off New Road. It’s a 100+ year-old colonial house, beautifully restored, with a guest suite of two bedrooms and a bath. The owners have a large farm (Brahman cattle, teak and more), and the setting of the home, on a knoll that catches the breezes, is absolutely stunning. More later on this new jewel. Machacha Hill has another new manager, and another new plan to make this project work. Thank goodness the absentee owner has lots of money. The rooms have been upgraded, but the old blue zinc roofs and cabin exteriors are the same as when the hotel was built as a fishing lodge for rich old white guys. You’re paying many hundreds of dollars a night, and the first thing you see is the beat-up old cabins. You wonder what these people are thinking! Hickatee Cottages and Coral House Inn are as good as ever. Hickatee now has six cabins (or soon will), and Coral House is looking fantastic. In the budget end, Tate’s is the way to go. • Driving up from PG to San Ignacio on a Sunday, I stopped at Sanctuary Belize (formerly Sanctuary Bay). The entrance road had been scraped though it was muddy and sloppy in places after rain overnight. Got to the office, and it was locked tight. There were six or eight pickups parked at the office, and a new entrance bridge and guard box are being built at the entrance to the marina road. I didn’t drive down the marina road, because it appeared to be barricaded, but I understand there are several homes under construction and work is going on at the marina.

Near San Antonio village in Cayo CAYO • Stopped at the new Corker’s restaurant in Belmopan and had an excellent cheeseburger – along with Riverside Tavern in Belize City and Legends in San Pedro, this is one of Belize’s best burgers. I was also happy to see drink prices were reasonable – a Jack Daniels, for example, is BZ$6 and it’s two-for-one at happy hour 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. Two Jack Blacks for US$3 is an unbeatable deal. • Interesting to see that fruit and vegetable prices at the Belmopan market are mostly higher than those at the market in Corozal Town. Banana prices are the same, but prices for mango, papaya and quite a few other items seem to be higher than in Corozal. Would have though prices would be lower in Belmopan, except maybe for papaya, since a lot of them are grown in Corozal District. • I didn’t have reservations for my first night in San Ignacio, so I figured I would get a room at Cahal Pech Village. I was shocked to be told that there was only one room available (and that one didn’t fit our needs) and that for the next several days all 30 rooms at the hotel were sold out. Nothing special going on, I was told, just having a good month. At least some hotels in Belize get it that moderate rates and attractive accommodations bring in guests. I did get a room at San Ignacio Resort Hotel, at twice the Cahal Pech rate. Other hotels also had availabilities, but my daughter wasn’t feeling up to par, so I grabbed one of the upgraded rooms at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, which are very pleasant but not a bargain, even with a little off-season discount. • We had a lovely overnight stay at one of the two new cabañas at Table Rock Lodge, capped by one of my best meals in Belize. Chef Chris prepared roasted lamb flank with a hash of ground lamb and cho-cho. Delicious! Table Rock Lodge won Best Small Hotel honors in the BTB competition. Neighbors Mystic River looks good, and Mariposa Lodge has added a swimming pool. I met with Mick and Lucy Fleming at The Lodge at Chaa Creek. Mick (who looks trim, fit and young after losing 20 pounds and doing a grueling bike race) is spending a lot of time on his organic farm and gardens. Chaa Creek looks as wonderful as ever.

• The situation regarding Tikal is still up in the air. Following the massacre of 27 farm workers southwest of Flores, allegedly by Los Zetas, the U.S. Embassy in Belize issued a warning “strongly recommending against” travel to Tikal and Flores. Some of the lodges and hotels around San Ignacio and in the Pine Ridge have temporarily stopped doing tours to Tikal, on the theory of better safe than sorry, but others continue to offer them if the guests want to go.

Sailwinds Beach Suites and Rose’s Restaurant on Caye Caulker CAYE CAULKER • Had a short but sweet visit to Caye Caulker. The transformation from fishing village to 100% tourismo sure didn’t take long, did it? Remember when there were actually businesses and people on the island who don’t cater to visitors? Be that as it may, the island wasn’t very busy, and several restaurants were closed or had reduced hours. Rose’s was humming, though, and I had a good dinner from the grill. Don Corleone’s was doing a good business, too. The popular Sandro’s is still not serving anything but breakfast, as the co-owner hasn’t yet returned from Italy. Amor y Café has a nice breakfast vibe. Plenty of hotel space available, but Caye Reef Condos was full – excellent value starting at US$105 for a two-bedroom, two-bath condo with full kitchen, A/C and cable. One thing that is increasingly irritating about Caulker is the hustlers on Front Street and elsewhere who constantly harass visitors trying to get them to buy some jewelry or art or to eat at a particular restaurant. Do these jokers really think that hassling tourists is the way to get them to buy anything? AMBERGRIS CAYE • It’s kind of hard to figure out what’s happening on Ambergris Caye. On the one hand, there is new construction going on, lots of new businesses (especially small ones like neighborhood restaurants) opening, and some of the hotels are doing well but then there are a lot of For Sale and For Rent signs. Just Belize, I guess.

On a golf cart heading north on Ambergris Caye -- The golf cart path north is in the best shape I’ve ever seen it, though that may change when the seasonal rains come in earnest. I drove as far north as Costa Maya and could have gone farther. Vehicle taxis (not just golf cart taxis) now go as far north as Las Terrazas (it’s BZ$50 one-way including the BZ$12 vehicle bridge toll all the way to Las Terrazas). -- Had two delicious servings of lobster on June 15, the first day of the season – including fabulous, fabulous, fabulous lobster at Rojo Lounge, where Chef Jeff Spiegel runs one of the best kitchens in Central America.

The infinity pool at Victoria House -- Among the hotels on the island that are doing strong business are Victoria House and Mata Chica. Had a lovely overnight at Mata Chica, where the occupancy rate is high, and the new beachfront cabañas and infinity pool are terrific. Victoria House was virtually full, not bad for mid-June. By the way, the villa suites at VH are incredible, with two delicious bedrooms that

bookend a living and dining area of high design with soaring thatch roof and acid-etched concrete floors. Spent my last night on Ambergris at Tim Jeffers’ beautiful Grand Caribe. -- Haven’t had the chance to visit them all again this trip, but the old fave restaurants on Ambergris appear to be as good as ever – Rojo Lounge at Azul Resort, Wild Mango’s, Red Ginger at The Phoenix, Aji, Lazy Croc, Capricorn, Elvi’s, Mambo at Mata Chica, Hidden Treasure and Palmilla at Victoria House, among others. Service at Crave at lunch was painfully slow, even with only two tables occupied. The Wyatt Earp double patty burger (BZ$19 with fries) at Legends was a mouthful, though a bit dry. Food was so-so at the Palapa Bar, but the bar scene and setting were fun. You can still get a cheap and cheerful local meal at places like Antojitos San Telmo. -- In the rumours department, we understand that Canary Cove on North Ambergris will soon debut as a US$70,000 a week vacation rental, managed by a leading resort. Yes, I said US$70K a week. That’s St. Bart’s territory for the ultra-ultra-rich and could be a game changer for Belize. Another rumour is that a certain resort company on North Ambergris will build a big new project with all units set in a lake-size swimming pool.

Is it Lan Sluder or the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson? ABOUT LAN SLUDER Lan Sluder has been banging around Belize for more than 20 years. He is the author of 10 books and eBooks on Belize, including Fodor’s Belize, Easy Belize, Living Abroad in Belize and Belize Islands Guide.