Like many developing countries, Belize is certainly not without its problems. Despite its roots as a British colony, Belize is now an independent country struggling with the problems of being a fledgling Democracy and the complexities that come along with that. However, the weather and the nearby American tourists that it brings, its Mayan history, the natural beauty of its islands, and the fact that it is the only country in Central or South America who's official language is English give it a leg up on the competition for the tourist dollars. As well, its natural resources of rare trees and the expensive finished wood that they yield are another check in the plus column for the country. Last, we found the people to be incredibly gracious and friendly to all that passed through their borders. Yes, I know - you could say that about most every country since the people that tourists come in contact with are in the "tourist" business, but in Belize we truly felt a connection with the people that we met that transcended the "I'm here to serve you and get a tip from it" mentality. After seven days of spending time with one bartender/waitress at our hotel, we almost felt like we were a part of her extended family and when she informed us of how poorly her job paid, we were glad to buy her family's Thanksgiving turkey with a 100% gratuity for lunch and a couple of rounds of drinks because she made us feel like we had made a new friend. Not met a server, or made casual conversation, but opened her heart to us and allowed us to do the same in return. This is one of the memories we left Belize with. A memory that will be with us forever.
A couple of our tour guides and cab drivers left us with a lasting impression as well. From tasting sugar cane off the stalk for the first time courtesy of our cave tubing guide, to learning about the childhood of one of our cab drivers who decided to join us in a bar for a couple of beers off the clock, we enjoyed learning about the people of this beautiful country.
Speaking of beautiful, though some would say that Punta Gorda has its share of attractions, most of the things that a typical tourist is looking for here - sun, scuba, and slushy drinks are to be had on Ambergris Caye. We spent much of our time there and truly found plenty to do throughout the day and a seven nights a week nightlife that is uncommon for an island of under 10,000 people. Participating in the "chicken drop" in which tourists snap up one of 100 squares on a board in hopes that the chicken "does its business on their square was very unique yet fun. Finding an outdoor bowling lane to do some beach bowling in the 80 degree sun was a blast, and the bar on a pier 100 yards out in the ocean - all are fond memories that we took home with us.
Belize City on the other hand is meant to be a pass-through point to the island destinations. Although the cruise ships stop here for sanitized journeys to a local market or the Belize zoo, unless you are travelling with a burly cab driver as we were, you don't want to spend much time here - especially after dark. Although we never felt as though we were in danger, just reading about the crime that was committed between the local people made us sad to think that the capital city of this country was not somewhere that we could spend much time. Maybe it will improve as time and tourists help turn this developing nation into a more prosperous location, but for now it is a work in progress.
All of this being said, we were glad that we came to Belize and we would definitely recommend it to others. The things that we experienced were definitely worth the cost and the people were fantastic. As the sign at the airport said, it was "UnBelizeable" and we could see why many Americans who now call it their home visited and never left.