Peacful Protest against Water Increase

Members of the San Pedro Town community will be conducting a peaceful protest through the principal streets of San Pedro Town. The protest started at 9:00 a.m. from the Central Park on Friday, November 27th, 2009. The protest then move through the main streets of San Pedro and culminated at the Central Park. The purpose of the protest was to publicly reject the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) initial approval of 10.6% increase in water rate for the Belize Water Service Limited.

A letter was be circulated during the protest and signatures will be collected, a target of oevr 100 signatures was needed. This will then be forwarded to the PUC before December 2nd, 2009.

AIDS Solidarity Walk this Sunday!

AIDS Solidarity Walk this Sunday

The San Pedro AIDS Commission invites all youths, families, schools, organizations, businesses - EVERYONE to its Annual AIDS Solidarity Walk in commemoration of World AIDS Day. The walk will commence from Central Park on Sunday, November 29th at 9:00 a.m. and will go through the principal streets of town. The Solidarity Walk will culminate with an HIV/AIDS fair at Central Park with information booths, food sale, rapid HIV testing, music and more!Everyone is invited to participate in this endeavor as we march for one common good; to reduce the stigma and discrimination of HIV/AIDS.

San Pedro to celebrate 25th Township Day!

On friday, November 27th, San Pedro Town will celebarte its 25th anniversary of being a Town. Celebrated in San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye, it was on this day in 1984 - 25 years ago - that the Government of Belize officially declared San Pedro a town. Township Day is celebrated with music, parades, fiesta, boat races & fishing tournaments.

Below are images of past year celebrations....do enjoy!

Singer, songwriter Paul Nabor recovers from mild stroke

83 year old Paul Nabor was admitted to the KHMH on Friday, and is recovering from what doctors fear is a mild stroke. Nabor, as most of us know, is a genuine national treasure. He is considered the most prolific and relevant living songwriter in the Garifuna culture.

He is responsible for a number of songs that have become touchstones of the Garifuna musical tradition, most notably the anthemic Naguya Nei – which translates to “I am moving on.” And as of Friday night, the news is that the grand old man of paranda is showing signs of improvement after a scary night.

The last time we saw an energetic Paul Nabor giving one of his classic performances was on May twenty ninth 2004. He was in concert with another great musical talent the late Andy Palacio.

Eighty three year old Paul Nabor affectionately referred to as Nabi was visibly frail as he was taken from the plane, placed on a gurney and put into an ambulance and taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

And if he has anything to do with it Paul Nabor will continue to do his best to inspire and entertain us. Paul Nabor remains in a stable condition at the KHMH. Source: 7 News Belize

How to Invest Hassle-Free Overseas

There are many reasons for choosing to buy overseas property.

You may wish to buy a place where you can retire in comfort for a lot less than you pay now to stay in your own home. Or you may wish to buy a place as an investment. Perhaps you’d like to own a property that can produce an income... or even invest in an undervalued beach lot… where you can sit back and watch it appreciate… a place where you can build a home in years to come.



Regardless of why you want to invest in overseas real estate, International Living can help you. We have dozens of contacts in the overseas havens we write about. Real estate developers... attorneys... title insurance experts... and property scouts... to name just a few of the contacts in our rolodex.



And one of our best contacts is Ronan McMahon, who you may have heard from in one of our recent IL Postcards. Ronan is our foremost real estate scout. He heads up a worldwide team of professionals who dig up the best real estate opportunities the world has to offer.



Ronan has been part of the international real estate scene his entire adult life. He's traveled to more than 25 countries... to find the best properties to present to you in the overseas havens we write about.

Some of these properties are on white sandy beaches tucked away from the hustle and bustle... while others are in booming markets, where property values are still going up, and aren't affected by the recession like they are in the U.S.


An example of a recent deal Ronan found is on the northeast coast of Brazil. Here, he found an opportunity where you can invest with as little as $920 down... and see the value of your stake grow by 1,905% in a matter of weeks.


Buying overseas real estate can be an intimidating venture. But with Ronan’s experience and resources... we can help make the experience fun and worry-free.


As well as being a property investment scout Ronan is also editor of our limited membership service called the Real Estate Trend Alert.


The best part of the Real Estate Trend Alert is that Ronan does all the leg work for you. He travels extensively to find the best investment opportunities for his readers. Then he does his due diligence, and presents those opportunities to you. All you have to do is sit back and pick the ones that suit your needs the best.


Real Estate Trend Alert isn't for all of our IL Postcard readers. In fact, less than 1% of our readers ever participate in the service. Instead, it's for the small portion of people who want to make their overseas real estate investment dreams come true.


If you are one of these readers, Real Estate Trend Alert may be exactly what you're looking for. But only you can decide for sure.

5-K Run/Walk for the Liberty Foundation on Sunday

Interested parties are asked to mneet at the Central Park for juice and muffins at 10:00AM. The walk/run starts at 11:00AM and ends with a party when you reach the finish line at Captain Morgans Retreat.

Proceeds to benefit:

The Liberty Children's Home in Ladyville, Belize - (caring for abused, neglected and abandoned children of Belize - located in Ladyville, Belize.)

Entry fee is only $30Bz - larger donations welcome!

Liberty needs your help urgently. All funds received will go directly to sustaining the daily operations of Liberty Children's Home.

At the finish line at Captain Morgans there will be live music, and fabulous prizes!! Also, on sale there will be bbq and $5 beer.

If you can't walk or run with us, please sponsor somebody. If you can walk or run, find as many sponsors as you can. the person raising the most money will receive a gift certificate for dinner for two and an overnight stay at Captain Morgan's!!

Registration: Stacey Bove/Captain Morgan's**

226-2207 or email staceylynbove@yahoo.com

Walk-Run for your health..... GIVE FOR THE KIDS!

Houston, Texas establishes "Andy Palacio Day"

Singer, Song writer and champion of the Garifuna people Andy Vivian Palacio will be recognized by the City of Houston, Texas on his birthday December 2. The day will be known as Andy Palacio Day. The City of Houston recognizes Andy Palacio’s contributions to Garifuna music and the legacy of his life’s work on Garifuna culture.

The Mayor of the City of Houston, Bill White, will make the proclamation on that day. According to White, Andy Palacio left an important mark on contemporary history, and claims that the rich cultural traditions are popular with many Houston citizens.

“Andy Palacio, of Belize, was a notable example of a poet, musician and activist,” White said. The Mayor recalled that Andy Palacio was the first musical artist from Belize to have a music video on international television, and he popularized Garifuna music and promoted awareness about Garifuna people, through his art form.

Andy Palacio received the award for “Best New Artist” at the Caribbean Music Awards in 1991 and was awarded the BBC Award for World Music in the Americas in 2008. He was born on December 2, 1960, and was raised in the coastal village of Barranco, working briefly as a teacher before turning to music. He died on January 19, 2008.

Palacio was appointed Belizean Cultural Ambassador and Deputy Administrator of the National Institute of Culture and History in 2004, and devoted himself to the preservation of Garifuna music and culture. In 2007, Palacio’s years of work with the Stonetree’s Garifuna All-Stars project reached its high point with the release of the acclaimed Wátina album. Wátina featured a multigenerational crew of Garifuna musicians from Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras (including octegenarian singer Paul Nabor).

With the success of the album Wátina, Palacio was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace and won the prestigious WOMEX Award in 2007. In all, he released more than five original albums beginning with Nabi in 1990. He also travelled widely promoting and performing his music.

On January 17, 2008, Palacio suddenly fell ill with two apparent “stroke-like seizures.” According to a press release from Stonetree Records, he died in Belize at 21:00 hours on January 19 of “a massive and extensive stroke to the brain, a heart attack and respiratory failure.”

The Garifuna will be celebrating Garifuna Settlement Day, next week Thursday, November 19, with the theme from Andy Palacio album WATINA: Gunfuli wamei hayumahan wayunagu, which means: Let us answer the call of our ancestors.

San Pedro Garifuna Calender of Events

San Pedro National Garifuna Council Calendar of Events 2009

- Friday November 13th, 2009:

*All day Huduth Sale @ 11:00am to 6:00pm

*Cultural Foods fundraising, Cultural Drumming

-Saturday November 14th, 2009:

*Uraga Night / Garifuna king @ 7:00pm

*Story telling night

*The Mr. Garifuna Competition at the Lions Den

-Sunday November 15th, Monday November 16th 2009:

*Garifuna Awareness day @ 10:00am to 5:00 pm

*Cultural Garifuna Exhibition

*Drumming at Central Park Palapa

- Tuesday November 17th, 2009:

*School Talent Show @ 7:00pm

*Cultural talent show at the Lions Den

- Wednesday November 18, 2009:

*Battle of the Drums / all night drumming. @ 7:00pm

*Cultural night Show at central park

*Jankunu Dancers from Dangriga

*Live band Punta rock music

- Thursday November 19th, 2009:

*Garifuna Settlement Day Celebrations / Award ceremonies @ 2:00 pm

*The reenactment of the Garinagu, arriving to Belize @ 6:00 am

*Cultural Parade around San Pedro Town

*Live Band Punta rock music

*Cultural Activities at the Central Park

Rapper Busta Rhymes 'Shines' in San Pedro

Moses Leviy or Shyne as he is known celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday. Reports are that he did it with family and close friends in his penthouse at the Renaissance Towers. Two of those close friends were rap star Busta Rhymes and Hot-97 deejay from New York City Angie Martinez.


They arrived on Saturday and flew straight to the La Perla Resort in North San Pedro. They returned to Belize City Sunday for what one family member described as a quiet and emotional dinner. Busta Rhymes and Angie Martinez made an appearance on Wave Radio last night. Before leaving yesterday he told Wave Radio why he came to visit Shyne.

Busta Rhymes, Visiting Shyne

“I just came out here to support my man Shyne and you know, just show and see him after this long stretch. The last time we saw him, we know it was in New York, it was winter time, it was cold, it was ten years ago so I just wanted to come out here and show love to the brother and make sure the people understood that the support for him is extremely importantly, especially at this time.

He is an incredible, number one. Number two, I think he has a greater purpose than just music. It is obvious what he is doing, running around speaking to the kids, trying to bring a whole another life to the city. You can see he is bringing people like us to the city.

We coming back in a couple of weeks because I am coming back for several reasons. I am coming back to spend more time, I am coming back to again visit my brother Shyne, and I am also just coming back to just enjoy the country a little bit longer because the trip was brief, I want to come back and sponge some of the culture a little more.”

Busta was very friendly with the locals on Saturday in San Pedro and after a quick interaction with his fans at the Tropic Air terminal he headed to BC’s Bar where he enjoyed a Belikin Beer while he waited for his skiff to take him up to his resort in North Ambergris Caye.

Seafood cook-off a succulent success!

The Lime Bar held its fourth installment of their cook-offs this past Friday night. The menu for the nights cook-off was strictly seafood. Seafood lovers and chefs put their best dish to test, whipping up their best flavors, sauces and spices. Despite the inclement weather, a hand full of people came out for the tasting. At only $10 Belize, attendees were able to sample all dishes and ate 'til yu belly full'. It was a great success for the Lime Bar who graciously donated the proceeds of the night to New Horizon School.

YUMMMM....the seafood fare was magical....finger lickin' good! Cant wait for the next cook-off, Sharon! What will it be??!!

Bikini Bar opening a smashing success!

Despite the downpours, the long awaited opening of the most artistic watering hole in Ambergris Caye, BIKINI BAR was held. All day, the word of the opening was spreading like wild fire all over town and attracted a party crowd eager to take on the FREE BEERS! Only 20 steps from the Central Park, the BIKINI BAR is nestled at the Big Daddy's beachfront and offers something different to party goers. Bikini wearing barmaids serve up the best in concoctions and cold beers! Live entertainment was provided by FIYA, the Punta Boys and Barrington Castillo was the MC.  Their infectious beats kept the crowd grooving all nite. Below find images of the grand opening....

The Bikini Bar is now open for business! Stop by and grab a beer, realx and enjoy San Pedro's newest and prettiest bar! Opening Hours are MOnday to Sunday from 1pm to 10pm! Bikini Bar - wher the pretty people of Belize come to party!

Rains persists due to tropical storm Ida

All eyes are on Hurricane Ida, now downgraded to Tropical Storm status. James Wilson, Lead Meteorologist, The Weather Channel


Nov. 5, 2009 1:09 pm ET

Ida is now inland and downgraded to a Tropical Storm, and will move very slowly now across northeastern Nicaragua. As of 1 PM EST, Tropical Storm Ida was located about 65 miles south-southwest of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua with top winds of 65 mph. The current movement is stationary.

Tropical Storm warning is in effect for the east coast of Nicaragua from Bluefields to the Honduras border.
The system is expected to stay in weak steering environment the next few days with a slow movement off to the north into eastern Honduras and then the Yucatan Channel. Ida will weaken rapidly over land to a tropical depression by Friday before re-emerging into the Caribbean Sea north of Honduras early Saturday.

Due to the very small wind field, waves from Ida will be less the 15 feet and any surge will be less than 3 feet. Heavy rain is a huge threat and will impact Nicaragua and Honduras. The heaviest amounts of 15 to 20 inches, with locally 25 inches are possible in eastern portions of Honduras and Nicaragua.
Life-threatening flooding and mudslides will be likely as a result. Be ready and take precautions if you live in a low lying area or flood plain.

PROJECTED PATH

On average, about one tropical storm develops every two years during the month of November and every three years a hurricane develops. The southwest Caribbean is the most favored location for this to occur.
The last season with a named storm in November was 2008 when Paloma developed and impacted the Cayman Islands and Cuba.

2009 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season Summary

2009 will go into the record books as a very uneventful hurricane season, to this point anyway. The question "why has it been so quiet" always arises as a season like this one comes to an end, especially after a series of very active years. Hindsight is sometimes 20/20 so I will give my hindsight "opinion" of what happened. But the prediction of the occurrence of the following features is not at all easy to forecast or extrapolate before it happens! There are two primary reasons for the quiet season in my opinion;



1) The mid-latitude westerly winds were much farther south than normal and this southward displacement caused three upper level wind features across the Gulf Caribbean and Atlantic to also be shifted south. The diagram below shows the three upper level circulation features, only one is readily conducive to tropical cyclone formation (the Subequatorial Ridge) and it was displaced south of the typical genesis area and where tropical waves normally track. Read more at weather.com

SP gears up for the magic of the Boat Parade!

The Fourth Annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade will be held on Saturday, December 5th. This eagerly awaited event promises to be even more spectacular than last year with beautiful lighted boats bringing in the Holidays by motoring the shoreline of San Pedro Town from Boca del Rio to Caribbean Villas and back.

This colorful parade is scheduled to commence at 7:00 p.m. Last year the committee opted to change the event from Sunday to Saturday to give our friends and neighbors from Caye Caulker and the mainland a chance to enjoy this wonderful holiday tradition. With the support of the business community, attractive trophies and cash prizes will be awarded to the winners in the various categories like Most Original, Best Religious Theme, Best Overall, the Mayor’s Trophy and others. Like last year a prize will also be given in the Junior Category in order to encourage schools to participate.

From now through to November 26th you can join in the parade for FREE. A late entry fee of $25 will be charged to anyone registering after the abovementioned date. There will be 1st and 2nd place trophies for boats of all sizes. Enter a kayak, canoe, power boat, catamaran or sailboat - the only requirement is that there MUST be lights on board.

The Parade Committee will be collecting sponsorships for this beautiful event. Sponsorships can be in the form of cash donation and/or trophy sponsorship, etc. Watch for more details to come your way soon.

If you are interested in participating by way of a sponsorship, boat entry or help on the committee, please contact Jan Brown at 226-2059/662-2725 or stop by Coral Beach Realty to register. For more information please visit our website: http://www.sanpedroboatparade.com/

Belizean Do's and Don'ts by Coastal Living Magazine

To make your visit to Belize a breeze, follow this practical advice...

1. Don't sit under a coconut tree bearing brown coconuts. "Brown means they are ready to fall, and we've had people knocked out by them," says Ranguana Cay caretaker Steve Rowland.



2. Do wear insect repellent and long pants at dawn and dusk. Too late? Buy some Rainforest Remedy at the pharmacy. It's the Belizean antidote to itching.


3. Do get proper vaccinations before you go. Visit cdc.gov/travel/vaccinat.htm to see what you need.

4. Don't speak Spanish. Belize, once British Honduras, was an English colony, and that language remains widespread.


5. Do go to the local health clinic immediately if you have medical problems. (The Belizean method of overcoming illness may be admirable―"When I got the bug last week, I played soccer and then built a fence," Steve says―but not necessarily wise for travelers.)


6. Don't step on the coral or touch it when snorkeling. Second largest in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef is highly fragile.


7. Do wipe the lip of a Belikin beer before drinking. It's a tradition for good reason: The bottles are dirty.


8. Don't worry about paying in U.S. dollars, but expect your change in Belizean currency. (At press time, the U.S. dollar is worth about double the Belizean dollar.)


9. Do save $32.50 U.S. from your rum-punch funds to pay departure tax when leaving the country.


10. Don't even think about checking your PDA. "When you're in Belize, you're at ease" is the local saying.


(published December 2006)
Coastal Living Magazine