Introducing... Belize!

{All pictures are in a slideshow format - click to advance}
If you're planning a trip to Belize anytime in the near future, I've assembled a few basic facts that you may (or may not) want to or already know. I just came back from old British Honduras (that's Belize), so hopefully some of my information can be of use to someone out there in internet land and I'm not just running my digital yapper. Over the course of the next couple weeks I'll detail a few highlights of my trip to Central America which included (among other things) Mamanoot's Backabush and Caye Caulker in Belize, and Antigua, Pacaya Volcano, and Tikal in Guatemala; but for now... general information ahoy!

Belize is a tropical country bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula to the north, and Guatemala to the west and south. It happens to be the only country in Central America where Spanish is not the official language, rather, it's English, being a former colony of the British Empire.

Belize is mostly rural with a total population of 297,651 (70,800 of which live in Belize City). A rainforest covers most of it that I saw. You can see the jungle constantly trying to reclaim everything from telephone poles to abandoned cars everywhere you go. Off the coast in the Caribbean is a large network of coral islands called cayes (pronounced keys) with the largest barrier reef outside of Australia.

If you're ever in nearby Guatemala, you'll notice that Belize doesn't appear on several of the maps there. Much of the Guatemalan government continues to believe they have some claim to Belizean territory. However, the overall vibe of Belize is unlike that of Guatemala, or the rest of Central America for that matter; instead, it's much more Caribbean. It's almost as if an island, not unsimilar to Jamaica, crashed into Guatemala and formed its own country. You'll find plenty of dreadlocked Rastafarians in accompanying gear throughout Belize.

The food is more Caribbean than Central American and has a hint of Indian to it. You can find Belizean curries all over the country. Like the rest of Central America, rice and beans are staples of the Belizean diet, along with seafood, but, like I said, these things have more of a Caribbean taste than a Central American one. One of the most popular foods there is conch (pronounced konk) which is a mollusk and tastes somewhat similar to scallops with a calamari texture. It kind of has an abalone quality to it, if you've ever tried that.

For such a small country, the population is incredibly diverse. With mestizos, Kriols, Maya, Mennonites, Garinagu, and a surprisingly hefty population of Chinese folk, you'll find yourself in the middle of a racial melting pot. And unlike much of the world, everyone pretty much gets along swell with eachother. All have their own languages (the Kriol and Garifuna languages are particularly interesting), but English is the lingua franca. The Belizean accent sounds very similar to a Jamaican one, and you'll hear a lot of the word "mon" thrown about.

The currency is the Belizean (BZ) Dollar and the exchange rate is more or less $2.00 BZ to $1.00 US. Just about everywhere you'll go they'll accept US dollars. In fact, I never once ran across a place that didn't accept US cash. Often you'll get a US $1.00 back instead of a Belizean $2.00. When compared to Mexico or Guatemala, Belize is a little pricier. Things are still cheaper than the United States, but not by a massive margin, especially when you're out on the cayes where most of the food comes from the mainland.

Traveling through Belize is simple enough. The infrastructure is fairly developed compared to several second and third-world countries. The main roads are nicer than some back streets of LA (which isn't saying a whole lot, but hey, they could definitely be worse). Bus lines run pretty much everywhere. Taxis are simple to hail in the bigger cities (work out a price with the driver before you hop in). You can book cheap flights on Cessna's that service the majority of Belizean cities and larger islands. The two major local airlines are Maya Island Air, and Tropic Air. Also, water taxis run to and from the cayes out of the coastal cities if you don't feel like getting on a Cessna.

Two of the things you will learn to love as you travel through Belize are Belikin Beers and Marie Sharp's Pepper Sauce.

Belikin Beers are pretty much your only choice when it comes to drinking beer in Belize, but that's okay. They're pretty dang good and come in four flavors: Beer (lager), Stout, Lighthouse Lager, and Premium.

Marie Sharp's is a Belizean hot sauce made from a blend of locally grown habanero peppers and carrots. It is (and most people who have tried it will agree with me on this), the BEST hot sauce in the world. It has a perfect combination of heat to flavor, and according to custom's agents, it's the most common thing brought back as a gift from Belize. Trust me; if someone you know likes spicy food, this is the gift for them. I recommend bringing back more than one bottle for yourself too, because it's a sad day when you run out.

Don't be afraid to mingle with the people. Belizeans in general are a pretty happy-go-lucky and friendly folk. The only place I ran across con-artists and scammers was Belize City, but coming from LA they were pretty easy to spot. They're usually just the average crazy looking guy wanting a tip for telling you some information you already know.

One last quick note before I sign off. When you're leaving Belize, if traveling from Goldson International Airport in Belize City, make sure you get to your flight extra early. Why? Because past security check (and an annoying $32 US leaving the country tax) awaits one of the funkiest bars in Belize. It's Jet's Airport bar, run by Eden "Jet" Holland. Mr. Holland started working at the airport as a knick-knack vendor and has since become owner of one the most famous places to get a drink in Belize, not to mention one of the most photographed. Check it out, it's well worth it. Anyway, that should point you in the right direction if you're planning on going to Belize. I leave da rest up ta you mon!