Saturday, October 24, 2009

Parasail over Ambergris Caye! Spectacular vistas!

Of the plethora of activities to do on Ambergris Caye, nothing comes close to hovering over the island on a parasail. Parasailing can be a sport but for most it is a form to escape the realm of everyday life and soar over the island gaining picturesque vistas of the once sleepy village of San Pedro. Over 10 years, San pedro has expanded to become the tourism hub of Belize and it rapidly gaining more exposure and demand as the top destination in Central America. Plan a trip to Ambergris Caye?? Here are pictures of a parasailing adventure and scenes of what you can expect. Pretty gorgeous if i may say so! IOmages courtesy AmbergrisCaye.com







woohoo! what a ride!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Belize is the Only Caribbean Destination You Should Consider

International Living Postcards—your daily escape
Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Dear International Living Reader,

"The 'right' Caribbean island." That's how Ronan McMahon describes Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize.

On Bermuda and St. John, you'll pay $600,000 to $800,000 for an average condo. That's just wrong—especially when you can buy a home on Ambergris for less than $100,000.

This is picture postcard Caribbean. Divers and snorkelers explore its 176-mile barrier reef. (The largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere.) Sport fishermen are equally happy. They reel in snapper, grouper, barracuda, bonito, tuna, kingfish, sailfish, marlin…

But I think the real reason that our property guru likes Belize so much is the Guinness-drinking taxi drivers.

Below, Ronan shares the spoils of his last "research" trip to Belize.

Len Galvin
Managing Editor, IL Postcards

P.S. We've created a brand new report on this country called Belize: Live the Caribbean Dream…For Less. If you're interested in a place in the Caribbean sun…but you don't want to pay typical Caribbean prices…you need to read this report.



Four Reasons Why Belize is the Best Buy in the Caribbean
By Ronan McMahon

On my last trip to Belize, after a long day, my driver invited me to join him and his neighbors in their local bar. Bottled Guinness was the drink of choice. The group warmly shared stories of their heritage: A slave, a pirate, and even a pirate of Irish ancestry. (I believed the story of his ancestry from the fondness he showed for the black stuff). This little group had quickly welcomed me into their world as a new friend. The driver wasn’t looking for a bigger tip. In fact, he wouldn’t accept any tip and insisted on buying me a drink.



***********************************************************************

That's just one story. I have dozens. This is part of why I love Belize. The people are amazing. If you're looking for a Caribbean hideaway, this is just the first reason why Belize should be on your radar.

Belize is a melting pot of the descendants of pirates, slaves, and conquistadores. There’s a quirkiness and edge to the people. They draw on diverse ancestry for unique traditions of music and storytelling. In Belize, you won’t be looking in on these traditions from the outside. You will be invited in.

To truly experience a local culture you need to speak the language. The most successful and happiest expats immerse themselves in the local community. As a former British colony Belize is English speaking. There is no language barrier. You can hit the ground running when you move to your new home and make friends quickly.

Belize is a country of amazing natural beauty. From its Caribbean shores to its jungle interior, Belize is a paradise for nature lovers. The Belizean barrier reef is second only in size to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. On the mainland, unspoiled coast is backed by lush tropical forests and Mayan ruins. All this in a country of less than 9,000 square miles and 320,000 inhabitants. As with the people the landscape has an edge (sometimes rough) to it. This isn’t sterile like the posh parts of the Caribbean. Belize feels real…the type of place you would come for more than a one-week all-inclusive vacation.

The best real estate values in the Caribbean are in Belize. For example, you can buy a casita in Orchid Bay (a high-end master planned waterfront community on the mainland) for $159,000. On Ambergris, you can buy a condo for less than $100,000.

For the next seven weeks (until Dec. 13), the developer at Orchid Bay has agreed to offer IL readers a $10,000 voucher toward a casita at Orchid Bay. This brings the price of one of these little homes down from $159,000 to $149,000.Request your voucher here.

Editor's note: We sent veteran writer (and bulldog bargain real estate hunter) Don Ediger to Belize to sniff out the best places in the country where you can still live the Caribbean dream without spending a fortune. Take a look at his full report here.






Thursday, October 22, 2009

Crocodile feeding woes continue...

The Saga Humane Society has received several complaints in the last several weeks about crocodile feedings down by the water plant area again. These feedings have resulted in the lost of two small dogs on the island.


One of these dogs was a family pet now being mourned by a very distraught and traumatized child. Not only is this behavior illegal and dangerous, it is clearly being conducted by morons. The Saga Humane Society along with the South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch(SACNW)will increase patrols in the area and will prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone conducting or participating in any of these activities.

The Wildlife Division has been notified of these incidents and will also carry out an investigation and remove any crocodiles now conditioned to human feedings. Anyone passing by that area and seeing any of this illegal activity is asked to notify the patrol at the SACNW station. That number is 610-4911. Please help us protect our wildlife by stopping this illegal and very dangerous activity.



National Unsung Heroes Recognized

A livestock farmer and a nurse have been chosen as this year’s local unsung heroes. A ceremony honoring Paul Bradley and Nurse Judith Cuellar-Krieg organized by First Caribbean International Bank was held this afternoon at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. Bradley and Craig were chosen from among 17 hopefuls that were nominated for doing much more than is expected of them in their respective communities. Rosanna Villanueva is the Local Coordinator for the Unsung Heroes programme in Belize.
Rosanna Villanueva: Local Coordinator, Unsung Heroes Programme in Belize
“When we receive nominations the local committee gets together for the selection process. The first thing that we try to do is contact the persons who nominate them to get more information, ask more questions and things like that. Then we start to look at the information contained in the nominations, what is the individual’s level of sacrifice? How long have they been doing the work in the community? How far their impact is on the community? From there we just narrow it down. Eventually we get an interview to them to get a feel of what they are doing and then we select a finalist. It is a wonderful program because it bring out people from little corners of the country who you might not normally hear about.”

Paul Bradley is a livestock farmer in Burrell Boom Village who has assisted farmers in the Belize River Valley Area in countless ways. He has secured grants from the government for the development of livestock programs. Judith Cuellar-Krieg or Nurse Judy, as she is more affectionately known, is a born Belizean who migrated to the states a young girl where she served as a Critical Care Registered Nurse. Nurse Judy came home presumably to relax but wound up providing Hopkins Village and villages in the surrounding area with much needed health care free of cost. Love News spoke to the heroes after the ceremony.

Paul Bradley: Livestock Farmer
“I have some of my friends here with me. We have been trying to form an association to help livestock farmers and other farmers in Belize River Valley to help themselves and to do something with their land. This will allow them to make a decent living. I did not expect anything like this to come out of the work that I have been doing. They say you cannot keep a quarrel on the ground and that is me; I always try to help, I do what I can and I am happy with everyday of my life and what I do.”

Judith Cuellar-Krieg: Nurse
“I was born and raised in Belize City. After that I did a couple of thing before migrating to the states where I met my husband and married and then became a nurse. He was ready to retire and I was ready to kind of relax a little bit myself and we thought that the south might be the place for us. We wanted some place quiet by the beach and that is where we found Hopkins and Hopkins found us. My mom was my mentor and she is the one that woke up in the middle of the night and took care of her patients and thought me nursing and the nursing that I do down in Hopkins. You do what comes naturally, my mom thought me that, my dad thought me that, the community surely needs it; they have accepted me so it is a group effort. It is not me being a hero but the whole. I alone cannot do it alone; it takes a whole village literally.”

Villanueva told us what is next for our Unsung Heroes.
Rosanna Villanueva: Local Coordinator, Unsung Heroes Programme in Belize

“We have had Belize win five years so we are hoping for another win again next year for either Nurse Judy or Mr. Bradley. Their names and their profiles have been submitted to our regional committee who will make a selection from all the territories in which FirstCaribbean operates and that will be announced in December. If any of them is chosen as the regional champion he or she will get US seven thousand five hundred dollars. If they are chosen as one of the runners up he or she will get US five thousand dollars. They will also be taken to Barbados for a wonderful ceremony in their honor.”

At today’s ceremony Bradley and Nurse Judy were presented with six hundred U-S dollars towards their projects and causes. (Re-printed from LoveFm News)

Monday, October 19, 2009

Beach clean-up with Project AWARE


On saturday, October 17th White Sands Dive Sho conducted its first session of the AWARE Kids program. The program is designed for kids 5 through 11 years of age and designed to educate primary students about the underwater environment.

There are a total of 5 AWARE Kids Missions: Kids Clean Up!, Recycling Rocks! Kids to the Rescue! (Threatened Underwater Animals), Way Cool Water Conservation! and Speak Out! each to be conducted on a Saturday.

Saturdays beach cleanup gave kids in the AWARE Kids Program credit for AWARE Mission 1: Kids Clean Up! and each will receive a certificate of appreciation from Jenny Miller Garmendia the director of Project AWARE Foundation. Immediately following the Beach Cleanup the Kids will be given a Reef Snorkel Experience by one of White Sands Dive Shops Tour Guides.

White Sands Dive Shops AWARE Kids program is conducted in conjunction with The Project AWARE Foundation’s Go ECO – Explore, Conserve, Observe. The campaign adopted a mile of Ambergris Cayes beach. The mile of beach begins at Las Terrazas/Journeys End Resort and extends Northward to Mata Grande.

White Sands Dive Shop Manager Emiliano Rivero commented.” The Beach will be patrolled and cleaned regularly of plastics and glass with an emphasis placed on not disturbing naturally occurring beach wash such as sea grasses and drift woods necessary for the prevention of erosion and support of biodiversity of the area. We are not just cleaning the beach we are protecting it. This barrier island beach is a part of the reef system and were going to treat it with the same respect we give the corals.”

AWARE ECO educates travelers about keeping natural areas pristine and encourages tour operators to implement environmentally responsible business practices.
AWARE Kids educates elementary school aged kids who want
to discover, explore and investigate the fascinating aquatic world.

Tourism is the world’s largest industry and travelers are increasingly concerned about
their destination’s environmental condition. San Pedros divers and industry leaders have a responsibility to preserve local resources they depend on every day.

Project AWARE ECO Operators Such as Ambergris’s White Sands Dive Shop provides customers with experiences that enhance visitor awareness. (Reprinted from The Island Newspaper)

Friday, October 9, 2009

100 ways to help save the Environment

In Your Home – Conserve Energy


1. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
2. If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
4. Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
5. Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
6. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
7. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
8. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
10. Unplug seldom used appliances.
11. Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
12. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
13. Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
14. Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
15. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
16. Only use electric appliances when you need them.
17. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
18. Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.
19. Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
20. Insulate your home as best as you can.
21. Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
22. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
23. Plant trees to shade your home.
24. Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
25. Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
26. Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
27. Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
28. Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities.
In Your Office
1. Copy and print on both sides of paper.
2. Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips.
3. Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.
4. Set up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee.
5. Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence.
6. Use recycled paper.
7. Use discarded paper for scrap paper.
8. Encourage your school and/or company to print documents with soy-based inks, which are less toxic.
9. Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup. Ways To Protect Our Air
10. Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting.
11. Recycle printer cartridges.
12. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
13. Don't use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor.
14. Avoid slow-burning, smoldering fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution.
15. Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood.
16. Use solar power for home and water heating.
17. Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers.
18. Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated for your vehicle.
19. Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions.
20. Ignite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid.
21. If you use a wood stove, use one sold after 1990. They are required to meet federal emissions standards and are more efficient and cleaner burning.
22. Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible.
23. Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work.
Ways to Use Less Water

1. Check and fix any water leaks.
2. Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
3. Don't wash dishes with the water running continuously.
4. Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.
5. Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines.
6. Install a low-flow shower head.
7. Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less water.
8. Turn off washing machine's water supply to prevent leaks. Ways to Protect Our Water
9. Revegetate or mulch disturbed soil as soon as possible.
10. Never dump anything down a storm drain.
11. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly.
12. Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil.
13. Take your car to a car wash instead of washing it in the driveway.
14. Learn about your watershed. Create Less Trash
15. Buy items in bulk from loose bins when possible to reduce the packaging wasted.
16. Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33 of what we throw away is packaging.
17. Buy products that you can reuse.
18. Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones.
19. Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates.
20. Reuse items like bags and containers when possible.
21. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.
22. Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones.
23. Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.
24. Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.
25. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.
26. Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials. Old newspapers make great packaging material.
27. Compost your vegetable scraps.
28. Buy used furniture - there is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture.


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Demise of the almighty dollar!

The demise of the dollarIn a graphic illustration of the new world order, Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading...
In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning – along with China, Russia, Japan and France – to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar.


Secret meetings have already been held by finance ministers and central bank governors in Russia, China, Japan and Brazil to work on the scheme, which will mean that oil will no longer be priced in dollars.The plans, confirmed to The Independent by both Gulf Arab and Chinese banking sources in Hong Kong, may help to explain the sudden rise in gold prices, but it also augurs an extraordinary transition from dollar markets within nine years. The Americans, who are aware the meetings have taken place – although they have not discovered the details – are sure to fight this international cabal which will include hitherto loyal allies Japan and the Gulf Arabs. Against the background to these currency meetings, Sun Bigan, China's former special envoy to the Middle East, has warned there is a risk of deepening divisions between China and the US over influence and oil in the Middle East. "Bilateral quarrels and clashes are unavoidable," he told the Asia and Africa Review. "We cannot lower vigilance against hostility in the Middle East over energy interests and security."This sounds like a dangerous prediction of a future economic war between the US and China over Middle East oil – yet again turning the region's conflicts into a battle for great power supremacy.

China uses more oil incrementally than the US because its growth is less energy efficient. The transitional currency in the move away from dollars, according to Chinese banking sources, may well be gold. An indication of the huge amounts involved can be gained from the wealth of Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar who together hold an estimated $2.1 trillion in dollar reserves.The decline of American economic power linked to the current global recession was implicitly acknowledged by the World Bank president Robert Zoellick. "One of the legacies of this crisis may be a recognition of changed economic power relations," he said in Istanbul ahead of meetings this week of the IMF and World Bank. But it is China's extraordinary new financial power – along with past anger among oil-producing and oil-consuming nations at America's power to interfere in the international financial system – which has prompted the latest discussions involving the Gulf states.Brazil has shown interest in collaborating in non-dollar oil payments, along with India.

Indeed, China appears to be the most enthusiastic of all the financial powers involved, not least because of its enormous trade with the Middle East.China imports 60 per cent of its oil, much of it from the Middle East and Russia. The Chinese have oil production concessions in Iraq – blocked by the US until this year – and since 2008 have held an $8bn agreement with Iran to develop refining capacity and gas resources. China has oil deals in Sudan (where it has substituted for US interests) and has been negotiating for oil concessions with Libya, where all such contracts are joint ventures.

Furthermore, Chinese exports to the region now account for no fewer than 10 per cent of the imports of every country in the Middle East, including a huge range of products from cars to weapon systems, food, clothes, even dolls. In a clear sign of China's growing financial muscle, the president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, yesterday pleaded with Beijing to let the yuan appreciate against a sliding dollar and, by extension, loosen China's reliance on US monetary policy, to help rebalance the world economy and ease upward pressure on the euro.Ever since the Bretton Woods agreements – the accords after the Second World War which bequeathed the architecture for the modern international financial system – America's trading partners have been left to cope with the impact of Washington's control and, in more recent years, the hegemony of the dollar as the dominant global reserve currency.

The Chinese believe, for example, that the Americans persuaded Britain to stay out of the euro in order to prevent an earlier move away from the dollar. But Chinese banking sources say their discussions have gone too far to be blocked now. "The Russians will eventually bring in the rouble to the basket of currencies," a prominent Hong Kong broker told The Independent. "The Brits are stuck in the middle and will come into the euro. They have no choice because they won't be able to use the US dollar."Chinese financial sources believe President Barack Obama is too busy fixing the US economy to concentrate on the extraordinary implications of the transition from the dollar in nine years' time. The current deadline for the currency transition is 2018.The US discussed the trend briefly at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh; the Chinese Central Bank governor and other officials have been worrying aloud about the dollar for years.

Their problem is that much of their national wealth is tied up in dollar assets."These plans will change the face of international financial transactions," one Chinese banker said. "America and Britain must be very worried. You will know how worried by the thunder of denials this news will generate."Iran announced late last month that its foreign currency reserves would henceforth be held in euros rather than dollars. Bankers remember, of course, what happened to the last Middle East oil producer to sell its oil in euros rather than dollars. A few months after Saddam Hussein trumpeted his decision, the Americans and British invaded Iraq. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-demise-of-the-dollar-1798175.html

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Press Release, US Embassy, Belmopan, Belize, October 1st - With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years just around the corner, the holidays will soon begin. In preparation for travel over the holidays, the U.S. Embassy recommends that American citizens, as well as U.S. visa holders, plan ahead and ensure enough time to obtain the proper documents well in advance of your travel dates. Make an appointment for any required services at the Embassy as soon as possible as appointments may become increasingly scarce as the holidays approach. U.S. citizens should confirm that passports are not missing, that passports are not expired, and that additional visa pages are not needed. U.S. visa holders should ensure their visa has not expired and that passports have at least six months remaining before they expire.

While passport visa pages may be added as a same-day service, new and renewal passports require seven to ten business days to process, and may take longer during the holiday season. U.S. visas—once approved—are usually available the next day, but may require extra processing time.For more information or to schedule an appointment for American Citizens Services or U.S. visas go to: http://belize.usembassy.gov. NOTE: The U.S. Embassy will be closed October 12th; November 11th, 19th and 26th; and December 25th and 28th, 2009; as well as January 1, 2010.The U.S. Embassy is located at#4 Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Belize;Tel: 501-822-4011 8:00am to 5:00pm—or for after-hour emergencies, weekends, and holidays at501-610-5030, Fax: 501-822-4050.


Monday, October 5, 2009

Bargain Lots on Ambergris Caye! Buy Now for Profit Gains in the Future!

Road Clearing being done to access sub-division....
Map shows location ...
Clearance....
sub-divided lots

YouTube Link for more information ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HACOntWTnOw
Updated Plot Plan.....Reserve you lot or site viewing today!
Call us at 226-3232 or email: AmbergrisProperty@Gmail.com


Saturday, October 3, 2009

Water Rates to go up?!

Just when you thought the cost of living was unbearable, well you might have to dig even deeper into your pockets to cough up more money – that is if the Belize Water Services gets its way. The Public Utilities Commission, P.U.C., is considering a Full Tariff Review Proceeding application. In lay man’s terms, B.W.S. is asking for an increase in water rates. So brace up because the B.W.S. is applying for a whopping twenty-five percent increase.

The company says that it has invested heavily, some thirty million dollars over the past five years. This was done to implement a Customer Codes of Practice for transparency, computers, and to expand and refurbish assets, improve treatment plants, storage tanks and pumping stations. The company’s clientele now stands at around forty five thousand. It also says that the company has reached a point where it sustaining itself is in jeopardy due to economic factors since it does not earn enough to continue to provide the level of services to the growing population without help.

If it gets the approval for the increase notwithstanding low-income customers who use five hundred gallons or less per month would not be affected. The last time the company applied for an increase in rates was in April of 2004 when it received a seventeen percent increase. The P.U.C. has already begun to review the application since Thursday when they received it. That decision will be given at the end of a six month process. That would make the increase effective in April of 2010. The P.U.C. will hold a public meeting on October thirteenth at the Princess Hotel on this critical matter. (Taken off 7News Belize Website: www.7newsbelize.com )

Friday, October 2, 2009

Reward!!! For Info on Fugitive!



If seen, you are asked to contact the nearest police station!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

FOTHS Calender Launched!

What do you need for the perfect party? Free beer, free burgers, free hot dogs and balloons? Or how about a group of sexy men and women? Or maybe some great music, fun games and fantastic prizes? Even better – what if it is all for a good cause?
On Sunday the 4th of October, Friends of the Humane Society (FOTHS) will be hosting the launch of their 2010 Humane Society Calendar at Lime Bar and Grill (opposite Tropic Air Terminal) from 12 noon until 6pm. The calendar features some of San Pedro’s most gorgeous pet owners posing for glamorous shots with their pets to help raise money for the SAGA Humane Society.
The calendar sells for $20, but especially for the launch, every calendar sold will include a choice of a free beer, free burger or free hotdog. Special preview copies of the calendar have been viewed and comments include ‘Wow – That’s hot!’, ‘Holy Moly!’ and ‘I’ll take ten please!’, so you are sure not to be disappointed.
With lovely ladies, bare chested boys and their adorable pets featured throughout, the calendar has something for everyone. The stunning shots were taken by Conch Creative and are all glossy and beautiful black and white portraits. The calendar is tasteful and makes a great Christmas present as not only does it show off the models and their pets but shows off some of the best of San Pedro.
Don’t miss this chance to have a great day out with free beer, burgers, hot dogs and the most gorgeous party crowd on Ambergris Caye. For more information or to donate a prize call Lime Bar & Grill on 226 4152.

For more information contact Sharon Boyd at Lime Bar & GrillPhone: 226 4152Email: fothsbelize@gmail.com
Calendar models will be available for photographs throughout the event.