Portraits of Belize

In our travels in Belize we have come into contact with many diverse characters- so I thought it might be interesting to take a snapshot of some of the people from this unique country to hold them in our memory...

• Karen, the English retiree in a slouchy tank top who owns a homey guesthouse on Corozal Bay
  
• Venky, owner of 'Venky's Kebab Corner' the small Indian hole in the wall with the best Aloo Gobi ever
  
• Chris, the solo traveler with a snazzy camera who took amazing pictures going down the New River
• Ludwig, the friendly vet/poet/artist/carver/landlord who invited us into his unfinished art gallery & tea house in Punta Gorda, telling us stories of his creations and growing up Garifuna in Belize
• Francis, the knowledgeable and passionate vegetarian gallery/museum owner in Dangriga
• Jim & Jacqueline, who moved from Texas to the remote jungle outpost of Barton Creek to raise their family
• Nesh, the shuttle driver, using the back of his beat up Toyota truck to carry people & their backpacks around, who peeled a mean orange right off the tree
  
• Mrs. Guerra, the elderly hotel owner in San Igancio who asked after me each time Lee went out for reinforcements while I was feeling sick
• April at the Snack Shack, raised in Belize who moves fluidly between a clear American accent and a thick musical Belizean Kriol
• Ignacious Gomier Longville, our favourite vegetarian Rastafarian chef, with gray dreads down to the ground
• Will, the tall man who brings in a Mayan family to a local cafe introducing them as his friends, yet clearly trying hard to convert them to Jesus Christ
• Ellie and Leslie, warm and friendly ladies from Nelson, BC who can talk about birds, Belize & "the big stuff"
  
• Ruthie, our adopted Belizean grandmother, a brash and friendly host at her beach side cabanas
• Sabana and Chris, friendly laughing ladies of leisure at Lydia's just off Placencia beach
• Simon and Davog, ambitious longterm jungle volunteers escaped from the UK, trademark headlamps hanging around their necks
• Kathleen, a young volunteer from Washington D.C. diving into intense work with kids in schools
• Howard, the generous village school principal, who gave us a ride after our bus decided to skip the main stop, and shared his perspective on Mayan village life and the relationship with the Garifuna people
• Andy Palacio, the recently passed, but nationally adored Punta Rock artist who is largely responsible for bringing the musical culture of Belize alive on a international level
  

And of course there are the many who we are familiar with but didn't know more in depth or know their stories:

• the small Mayan ladies wearing their brass hooped earrings and hair tied high
• the dread locked wading fishermen and lolling sunset cyclists
• the single mother at the family owned hotel, reviewing spelling homework with her young daughter
• the ex-pat retiree, wearing an American flag sun visor and wildly colorful pant suit
• "Mr. Melvin" who just celebrated becoming a Belizean as announced on the local cafe chalk board
• children on their way back and forth to school - groups on the highway waiting for the bus, whizzing by on bikes, walking in gaggles
• the "sitters" that find shade in any public spot during the afternoon heat and watch the world go by with their friends
• the laughing women in the market stalls searching for fresh fruits and veggies and of course that small town chit chat that comes from knowing your neighbours...

Tomorrow we fly to Costa Rica. We have had a wonderful time here in Belize and will miss the friendly people, the Kriol lilt, bumping along to Punta & Reggae on the old school buses, watching the spectacular sunrises and sunsets, and of course the white bright clouds floating dreamily overhead. Thanks Belize!