The Belizean Vibe

I’ve been here for eight weeks now. Seems like an adequate amount of time to get the feel for a place. And it feels good here. Belize will forever be a place that elicits a smile from me when mentioned. It’s a place where the people are welcoming and friendly and resilient. Where there are zero resources and inadequate governing and an inability to meet the needs of its people. And yet - this country is alive and always striving towards something better. It’s a more simple life here without a lot of pretense. The people keep themselves busy, the movement is constant, and yet - life swirls at a slower pace than the western world. People in professional capacities advocate for more of everything for those who need it and swing back and forth between feeling hopeless and determined. Kids and adults swim and bathe in the local Macal River, bikes ride over the dusty, pot-holed roads, and the major highways (really a two-lane road) are lined with children of all ages walking home in their school uniforms. Street food (rice, beans, and chicken) is sold under colored umbrellas at most corners and little burrito shops can be found on most streets, enticing locals and tourists alike with their fresh watermelon and papaya juices. Creole is shouted back and forth between most locals and fans of Bob Marley, sporting the dread-lock hair style, eagerly await Gringos to pass by their table of hand beaded jewelry. Old American school buses chug along the narrow town center streets, headed east towards the capitol and Belize City, or west towards the Guatemalan border. And taxis are everywhere, drivers shouting out to foreign bodies, even the ones they see everyday. Dogs roam the dirty grass strips on the side of the roads looking for vacant food containers, all too scrawny, too dirty, and too sad. Chickens cluck in front yards and along the highways, roosters crow at random times, and lots of people walk around barefoot. Reggae club music can be heard thumping in the two local clubs most nights and the bizarre “punta” dancing is a sight to behold in the infamous Faya Wata club. Small grocery stores that are run exclusively by Chinese people sell fresh made tortillas and Coca Cola Light. The buses are way too crowded and stop way too often along the side of the road to drop off and pick up, and there doesn’t seem to be a speed limit in Belize. Or too many rules. People help each other out and generosity is the name of the game. The heat is paralyzing, most days it’s an ever-present companion. And when it rains, it rains hard - flooding one of the two bridges in short time, and creating waterfalls which run down along the big hill into town. People sit in hammocks or on front porches, or in their cars - wherever they find shade. And not a lot happens that people don’t pass around like gossip fresh off the newsstand. There are still flags hanging up, remnants of Septembers parties and signs that say, “Standing proud and moving forward, I am Belize.” Pick-up trucks pack in locals in the back like sardines, football (soccer) is played nightly, and there is an energy to the movement of the town.

And just as San Ignacio has it’s own vibe - so does Caye Caulker. I spent the weekend there again and realized for the second time, how incredibly peaceful and beautiful it is. It’s laid back in a way that cannot even compete with the rest of Belize. It seems only tourists wear shoes, and even the hello’s come across lazy and drawn-out. If there was a sign to help the tourists when getting off the boat, it would read, “SLOW DOWN.” I like the tamale guy that walks around the island with his cart shouting “Tamales, I’ve got hot tamales!” And I like the Bread Guy - he walks around with a tray of fresh baked banana bread in the morning and an assortment of desserts in the afternoon. I like the Lazy Lizard at The Split, where actual lizards (huge ones - the size of cats) live under the foundation and come out when it’s safe. I like that the water is five different shades of blue, that people fish for yellow snapper with just a line and some bait off the beach’s edge, and reggae music is played all day long, everywhere. They’ve even managed to put Cher songs into Reggae stylings. I like the nice locals who park themselves on the side of the narrow main road, asking to braid your hair, sell you coconut jewelry, or get you to eat lobster at their shack that night for ten percent off. I love all the competing snorkel and dive shops, the Rastafarian colors, and the large proportion of dread-lock wearing locals. There’s not a whole lot not to like about the island.

I like it here. I like the way Belize moves. And I like the way Belize celebrates. The month of September was impressive with all of the official celebrations and the culmination of Independence Day on the 21st. (I will never forget my jaunt in the parade!). But there is an air of celebration to even those things that are not official, such as birthday parties, baby showers, funerals, and volunteer appreciation day. I’ve participate in my share of activities and it’s been great. Last week I participated in World Mental Health Week, here in Belize and to kick-off the celebration we had a balloon lift-off. Hundreds of yellow and orange and white balloons floated into the blue sky on a warm Wednesday afternoon. This was after the speeches, the guitar-playing entertainment, and the address given by a patient who suffers from mental illness. All pretty cool. While I’m sure there’s more excitement on the near horizon, I’m looking forward to Garifuna Day - on November 19. Another cultural experience. Another celebration. Another uniquely Belizean experience.

Some pictures