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happy 4th of july! independence day....after being in central america for a month, the meaning of this has more depth for me now. i wish i was there to celebrate with you all. today i woke up feeling sad...my first bout of homesickness 😞 it has been a month since i've left home and i'm missing my friends and family and the conveniences of life in Philadelphia.
right now i am in dangriga, belize....waiting for a boat to take me to tobacco caye. tobacco caye is rumored to have access to some beautiful coral reefs. unlike the reefs in caye caulker, the reefs here have been virtually untouched. there are not as many tourists and boats frequenting the smallers cayes. so i'm hoping to dive in tobacco caye and will probably skip caye caulker. it is expensive here in belize so i'm looking forward to moving along. in the other countries i have visited i got by on about $12 a day...room costs between $3 and 6 a night plus meals. here the rooms are more expensive....last night i paid $25 for my room....ouch! i spent the night before in placencia, belize and got by on an $8 room, but that required a lot of searching.
it's easy to see the influence of the western world on belize. although they claimed their independence from the british in 1981, they still have queen elizabeths picture on their currency. unlike the other central american countries, belize has some rules. for example: life jackets on the boats, cars get emission testing, there are some (not many) handicap sidewalks. you do not see any of these things in honduras and guatemala.
despite the western influence and "rules", the people are still poor. like other governments in central america, there is a lot of corruption and the money from exporting does not make it to the people. belize recently discovered that they have oil in their country....they thought this would make their gas prices go down. (which is now close to $6 a gallon). but since they do not have a refinery, nor the $$$ to build one, they are forced to pay to export and refine their oil. then they must buy it back for a higher cost. there is so much i love about living in the US and would not want to give it up. but the pivotal role our government has in creating and maintaining the poverty in these countries is revolting.
on a lighter note....i have taken an interest in the public transporation systems of the world. in the US, we have government run public trans systems. our system is pretty organized (keep in mind i'm comparing to those in 3rd world countries)...you know where they make their stops and you have a general idea of what time they will come. and if you live in a major city, if one doesn't show up, there is usually another route you can take. in central america the local people (and backpackers like me) commute on "chicken buses"...they are old converted US school buses. (yesterday, i waited 4.5 hours at a "bus stop" and later found out that buses only stop at certain stops when they feel like it.) they are named chicken buses because people transport their goods on these buses (banana's, rice, beans and oftentimes chicken). in guatemala and honduras, the buses are privately owned. someone buys a bus, personalizes it and creates a route. they own, drive and maintain their own bus. the personalization on these buses is amazing (if not hilarious)...flashing lights, elaborate paint jobs, mini-alters in the front of the bus. the music is intense...whatever the driver likes, you will like for as long as you are on the bus. (i'm about to rip my ears out if i have to hear any more reggaeton). in belize it is similar except that there are four bus lines...each privately owned, but four people basically dominate the market. they have multiple buses on their line and they hire drivers to conduct them. while the buses are not elaborately personalized, the music is still loud and obnoxious. there was a big scandal recently in which a driver from one bus line went to work for another line. it was the first time something like this has ever happened and it created quite the stir up in the political pot.
a little about my experience of belize...
the people speak english and creole. creole is fascinating to listen to....it is an abbreviated english...if you are an english speaker and you listen closely, you might be able to distinguish what they are talking about.
placencia...population: near 1000 (with 500 of those being children)....clean, relaxing, hammocks and coconut trees on the beach....a lot of sailors come here with their boats.
dangriga....population: near 2000. dirty and stinky, the caribbean is yucky here. a lot of chinese and indian immigrants here. saw my first indian restaurant here. there are A LOT of chinese restaurants and grocery stores here.
the majority of the people of the caribbean coast (belize, guatemala and most of honduras) are garifunas. their origin and traditions are fascinating. if you have a chance check out garifuna. com.
okay...i have written enough 😊 hope you are all well and staying cool.
~hugs~
ps- no more pictures for a while...i lost the cable which connects my camera to the pc.
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my hero
you are so brave and concious sue!!!!. i've never traveled like you - on my own - and i feel like a big big coward. go on and let us participate. but don't forget to be careful. hope to see you in dec. d