Caye Casa Seasons Greetings

 

Happy Holidays

Egrets at Caye Casa

  One of our guests took these pictures of egrets right out front by the pier.
               Wonderful pictures. Equally wonderful guests.

September Celebrations in Belize

       

       There were parades of school children in uniforms, parades of dancing adults in variations of some scanty uniforms, beauty pageants, drumming contests, bands playing into the night and fireworks!     

        Of course, I took pictures – none of which were in focus!! So, here is one of Reef watching the parade from her favorite place. 

Weddings

Caye Casa is the perfect place for a small wedding. I took this photo yesterday as we were beginning to get ready....

Catamaran Sailing

 

    A few days ago, a number of San Pedro women rented the Lady Leslie, a catamaran, for an all day sail and sunset cruise. The conditions couldn't have been better – blue skies, east breeze, water and air about the same temperature – 80's.  Of course, there were refreshments on board and given the characters also on board, stories were shared. Gesturing to make a point, one very valuable camera flew overboard.  While water proof, it was also supposed to float.

   Captain Martin immediately turned the boat while his son, Jody, donned fins, mask and snorkel and held onto a rope to be towed behind the boat in order for him to capture or find the camera.  We were in shallow water- less than 10 feet. We made four passes in a very deliberate grid pattern. Another young crew member joined Jody. All the women stood on the sides of the boat as lookouts. The water was clear and the visibility excellent. We saw fish, a star fish or two, and some sea grass. The owner of the camera thanked Captain Martin and said to stop the search.  No sooner had she said that when:

   Shouts! Clapping!  Cheers! Jody dove and retrieved the camera from the bottom of the sea. The camera didn't float after all.  Needless to say, it remained tied to a wrist for the rest of the trip because the stories and laughter continued even as we watched the sun go down.

   I highly recommend the Lady Leslie, her owners and crew.

The RT Honorable George Cadle Price

Yesterday, Belizeans watched as the Father of the Nation was buried and his life celebrated. All Belizeans knew him personally. The stories about him are endless, wonderful, and all are something like this – also true.

Mr. Price traveled throughout the country in his signature Land Rover as part of his continuous efforts to educate people about his dream of building an independent nation – Belize - free from British Colonialism. He needed support so he went directly to their homes.

One day in the mid 60's, he arrived in Dangriga at the home of one of his hundreds of god children. While greeting every person by name, asking about past illnesses or troubles, he was interrupted by the arrival of that god son. The boy's grandmother apologized in Creole – which sounded like a song when she spoke.

"This little boy won't go to school. He wants to stay out on the caye with his grandfather."

"We're going to need fishermen, too." Mr. Price replied.

September Celebrations

In Belize, most of the month of September is made up of national celebrations and public holidays.

For school children, September is particularly fun because after the first week of school, schools, banks, and many offices close for the Battle of St. George's Caye Day which takes place on Sept. 10^th in commemoration of a great battle in which we, a tiny colony of British Baymen, beat the Spanish. School children in uniforms proudly march. Important people give speeches and a few beauty contests are held.

Did I mention that September is also a great month for hurricanes and rain as well as parades and business closures? With one eye on the weather, people plan for the most important day of the September celebrations.

Our Independence Day is on the 21^st of September. This year it will be 30 years since we officially became Belize and not British Honduras. Schools close. Banks close. Businesses close. And they close not just for one day. They close one day prior to the holiday for preparations; they close for the celebrations; and they close for at least one day of recovery.

There are speeches. There is music. The streets are decorated. The winners of the beauty contests adorn fantastic floats. They are joined in parading up and down every street in Belize by people dressed in tropical feather boas dancing tirelessly and energetically to such loud music a person's heart starts to beat in rhythm. Most of the parades take part in the middle of the day and it’s a miracle most every marcher survives the heat; but, these are celebrations and fluids are provided – sometimes by nature.

It almost always rains on one of the parades but that doesn't matter. Belizeans celebrate. And besides, everything is closed.

Slow Season is the new high

It's the slow season so I'm pleased to announce that things are happening here! We have the annual Costa Maya Festival next week; we have a world famous poker player in our midst; and the Tres Pescadors Fly Fishing tournament is this weekend. But, best of all, the road in back of us is being completed.

By far, the biggest news is that Bob Bounahra, a business man of Belize City (who everyone knows because Belize is small or if they don't know him personally, they shop in one the family stores), has made the Final Table for the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. He will compete against 8 others in November. Remember we have a population of 315,000. Most small towns everywhere in the world are bigger. The entire nation will soon become even more avid texas holdém affectionados. Stay tune for November events.

The Costa Maya Festival has been the highlight of San Pedro summers for years and thousands of people love it. If you like international beauty contests combined with live entertainment – songs and comedy – this festival is for you. Nothing starts until I'm usually asleep so I've not attended (but Caye Casa is a sponsor) Apparently, it's great fun. I think it helps if you can understand jokes in Spanish.

Don't forget the Tres Pescadors tournament for fly fishermen this weekend. I think I might try to compete in the women's casting competition.

HOWEVER, the biggest news, in this slow season, is that road construction has started AGAIN to complete the paving promised years ago. This time it looks like it's going to be completed before most of the rainy season makes it impassible and before the next election.

Come visit. It's cooler here than most of North America.