Belize, Central America

We are back from our trip! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves even though there wasn't really much to do there. We stayed in Banana Beach resort on Ambergris Caye, one of the many cayes (islets and islands) around the country.

Here's more facts adding to those I provided some time back in April:

1. Belize's Carribean coast is lined with the second longest coral reef in the world (first being the Great Barrier Reef).

2. The roads, including highways, only have two lanes of opposite directions.

3. Despite what the travel books say, there are still pure-blooded Mayans living in Belize today (According to our tour guide, the Mayan people made up 11% of the country's total population)

4. There are Amish people living in the country (we passed one of the Amish villages on our way to Lamanai. I was surprised to see a few Amish teenagers near the bank of the river).

5 The Belizean dollar is pegged to the US dollars. US$1 : BZ$2. (This doesn't mean the stuff are cheap)

6. The Belizean staple is rice with beans (red kidney beans). It is usually topped with stew chicken, coleslaw and fried plaintain.

7. All the taxis do not have a meter. (Then what's the point of them being called a taxi since any vehicle can pick up passengers which, btw, is the case.It costs us US$5 one way to travel about a mile from our resort to San Pedro, a small town on the Ambergris Caye.)

8. Marie Sharp's habanero pepper sauce is found on almost every dinner table in Belize. The habanero sauce tastes better than Tabasco sauce (ok, that's not a fact. This is at least what Tim thinks. I'm sure Keithy Boi will Not agree.)

9. The national flower is Black Orchid; the national bird is Keel Billed Toucan; the national animal is Tapir; the national tree is Mahogany tree. (All of which we did not see). The national beer is Belikin (which we saw everywhere but did not try).

10. The Belizeans love their rum - they have Rum-garita and rum punch.

Hmm... I shall stop here. Too tired to think of more. Now I am dreading tomorrow with the pile of work waiting for me. Tuesday blue....