Belize and Danger or lack thereof

[In2why]

We went to Belize last week and after reading here, and our other port choices we decided to make Belize a "shopping" day.

 

 

We left the port area and had a wondeful time. Most of the people of Belize are poor but I would rather see them try to sell a service or goods then beg with a sign in the middle of the road and turn lanes in Tampa.

 

We stopped and spoke to vendors hand carving and sanding wooden bowls, and bought a set for half the price they wanted in Roatan. We also found a hand woven hammock, and ate juicy cold papaya that another vendor peeled and sliced right in front of us. We had conversations with people we didn't buy from, and it was fine. The most aggressive people were the "tour operators" and the hair braiders. It wasn't that they wouldn't take no for an answer, but that there were so many of them, that we had to tell them all no, but they weren't bothersome.

 

 

It reminded me of the border towns of Mexico but I think the people in Belize were friendlier.

 

I am going to put this out there, and I am not accusing anyone of anything, but it is food for thought. The people in Belize are black, and I think for most Americans it is a strange experience to be the minority in a place. That in itself can feel intimidating, and at times threatening. I am not saying that is the only reason some people don't like Belize, but I think it is a factor for some.

 

If you want to haggle, find handmade items for sale much cheaper then inside the gates and meet people from a different culture, I think leaving the gates should be part of the experience. My SIL did get her hair braided, (she brought her own comb...and if you think you might want to do this please do the same) and the conversations we had with the women around her and their children were eye opening.

 

There was one little boy who walked up to me right before we went back in through the gates, and he asked me for a dollar. I said you are too cute but no. I have a policy not to give to beggars because I understand how they work based on our charity experiences here....but there was a Salvation Army kettle inside the port area with a woman from the Salvation Army, and they are a great organization so we contributed there. We also had looked into private organizations and donating before we came but it was too complicated so I felt this was a better way.

 

I did want to beat the men who own the horses that drive tourists around the area, because the horses looked horrible, but I blame that on the tourist willing to ride even after seeing them. If they didn't make money they wouldn't overwork them like that.

 

So anyways we enjoyed Belize for what it is......we never felt in danger or even harrassed, and we got some wondeful bargains and met some very nice people. Oh and if you are expecting the lighthouse to be a "real" lighthouse like we were, you will get a good laugh when you see it.

[papilliontraveler]

Thanks for the report.

Did you take a taxi, etc. into town to shop, or just walk?

 

Would like to know more about exactly how you did what you did or where exactly you went. It sounds like something we may want to do.

[crewsweeper]

in2why,

 

My experiences outside the gates, mirror your, albeit, no hairbraiding:D. By myself, I have walked around both the area between the Tourisim Village, lighthouse, Queen street and swing bridge and through the crafts market that's in that area, I did not stop to buy anything. On another voyage, with my SIL, we walked across the swing bridge, down Alberts and Regents Street to the church and the cultural center/musuem and into Brody's the catch-all general store, where we bought some Marie Sharp hot sauce. We did buy some fruit from one of the vegetable stand ladies jsut on the othe rside of the swing bridge. We did not feel threatened at all and the strangers we met on the streets were polite and shop owners and people at the cultural center were very friendly and proud of their country. We jsut stuck to the sidewalk nearest the Tourist Village when heading toward the swing bridge and after short distance past the gates we were not approached by any vendors.

 

I have heard some stories of some crime in that immediate area after dark. But the stories were from one source, area few years old and appeared to be small robberies against people walking late at night in unlit areas. Not sure how true they were. Most crusie ships are long gone before dark.

 

My SIL who loves animals, did comment on the condition of soem of th ehorses she saw. I would tend to think it's more related to the money these drivers have available to buy sufficient feed and keep food and shelter for their own families. I didn't observe any direct cruelty to the horses by the drivers.

 

Pappillion T, hope this helps a bit. Get a good map of Belize City and figure out where you want to go. Stick to the major streets (Fort, Queen, Regents, Albert, Marine Parade) with lots of foot traffic and you'll be fine.

[jlwilliams4]

have either of you experienced cruisers tried the cave tubing in belize? in honderas we are thinking of just doing a beach day and for that you just have to take the ski lift thing across right?

[In2why]

Thanks for the report.

Did you take a taxi, etc. into town to shop, or just walk?

 

Would like to know more about exactly how you did what you did or where exactly you went. It sounds like something we may want to do.

 

 

We just walked. There are a couple of gates that lead out, and if you turn right the "lighthouse" is the end of the market area. If you turn left you get to the bridge and can go into the center of town. We went right and visited the vendors, and right before the lighthouse is a square where there was live music, and a Belizean beer shop. I echo the advice given by Crewsweeper. If you stay on the busy main roads and it is daylight you will feel just as safe as any other strange city. The beer was the best local beer of our trip. There was a man dressed up in "african garb" with a straw skirt and full body makeup dancing, and he will be happy to take a picture with you.....and then tell you it costs $10. We just laughed and told him it wasn't happening. He laughed too and then danced with our daughter.

[In2why]

have either of you experienced cruisers tried the cave tubing in belize? in honderas we are thinking of just doing a beach day and for that you just have to take the ski lift thing across right?

 

I liked the beach at Mahogany Bay and it was a relaxed cheap day with the kids and the water. If I had bought the chair and lift tickets I would have felt ripped off. The free chairs were easy to find, and the lift is a waste of money in my opinion. Walking was faster since they have to stop the lift for every person getting on, and of course to take pictures to put on the photo wall and tempt you to buy. The walk wasn't strenuous at all, and was shaded and looked further from the ship then when you actually get there.

 

I don't know anything about the cave tubing, but people seem to love it. We tube all the time where we live so we passed.