Belize and Israel: A Comentary for freedom an unholy Alliance

The unholy alliance between the Belizean governments both past and present with the occupiers of Palestinian land, the so-called state of Israel, is one of the biggest failures in Belize’s foreign policy. It will surely go down as the disgraceful use of elitist power which defies our socio-historical experience, morality and diplomacy strategies.

This pin joins the flags of Belize and Israel.

The modern state of Israel is a recent imposition. Most Belizeans both at home and abroad are likely not aware that before the land of the Palestinians was considered by the imperialist powers of Britain and the United States as a “homeland” for the so-called Jews of Europe, Belize was also on the top of their list.

Indeed, this was acknowledged by an Israeli ambassador in a recent visit to Belize: “In the beginning of the century there were a few ideas about where to build the new Jewish state. We were talking about Uganda in Africa, we were talking about Belize and other places,” said Israeli Ambassador Mattanya Cohen in 2009.

It was known that the region of Central America was far too hot for these Europeans. It was the mild Mediterranean climate of Palestine which became the selected location for the unjust invasion and establishment of an Israeli state. The people of Palestine were driven from their land and pushed behind the barb wire of concentration camps – which are now the bombarded Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Belizeans must realize that the Israeli apartheid regime, which holds our brothers and sisters hostage in their own lands, has been the greatest supporter of the genocidal military oligarchy in Guatemala. And Guatemala, as we are well aware, is a sworn enemy to the Belizean people with an unfounded territorial claim over Belize.

When Belize campaigned for international support from the United Nations to achieve independence, Israel was not Belize’s ally. In fact, Israel was one of the main suppliers of arms and ammunition to Guatemala. This created a mood of war during the 1970s (see former Belize Minister of Foreign Affairs Assad Shoman’s “Belize’s Independence and Decolonization in Latin America” (2010) pp. 107, 137, 146).

Israel consistently abstained from voting on the resolutions that were introduced to secure Belize’s independence (see Shoman, 2010). This was done in order for Israel to remain an ally of Guatemala. The power elites of Israel would have benefited if Belize and Guatemala had entered a war because they were going to be the main suppliers of arms and ammunitions.

Belizeans must realize that the Israeli apartheid regime, which holds our brothers and sisters hostage in their own lands, has been the greatest supporter of the genocidal military oligarchy in Guatemala. And Guatemala, as we are well aware, is a sworn enemy to the Belizean people with an unfounded territorial claim over Belize.

In the past, the George Price People’s United Party government did recognize the legality of the state of Israel – perhaps they were compelled to do so. But when the Esquivel United Democratic Party administration came to power in 1984, Belize became a pronounced supporter of Israel. Under Esquivel, Belize declared its pro-United States, pro-neoliberalism policy to the international community. And concerned Belizeans, like BREDDA and UBAD (United Black Association for Development), knew that the Belizean people were heading towards greater international dependency.

Then during the Musa PUP administration in 1998, there was a slight turn away from diplomatic support of Israel. But since gaining power in 2004, the Barrow UDP administration, with its diehard pro-West foreign minister, Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, has gone to great lengths to accommodate Israel within Belize’s body politic.

As noted by 7 News: “Israel and Belize have long had an uneasy relationship … But today [Nov. 16, 2009] in a surprise diplomatic move, Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington boldly cemented relations with Israel, allowing a visa waiver and a technical assistance program. We suspect that it is the kind of thing that could not have happened during the last government when Said Musa, who is of Palestinian descent, was the prime minister. But things change and Elrington today said the new pact will help Belize with knowledge.

Belize now has official diplomatic relations with one of the most loyal military allies of Guatemala. This is despite the fact that Israel refused to vote in our favor during the independence campaign. We are now showing affection to the state which provided arms and ammunitions that could have led to our dissolution as a nation. As Evan X Hyde wrote in The Publisher in January: “This makes no sense. The friend of my enemy cannot possibly be my friend.”

As the bombs fall on innocent Palestinians, it becomes obvious that our previous and current governments have wedded an unholy alliance with the occupiers of Palestine. By failing to break our current diplomatic relations with Israel, we are signaling our acceptance to the actions of Israel in the genocide that is unfolding before the eyes of the world.

As the bombs fall on innocent Palestinians, it becomes obvious that our previous and current governments have wedded an unholy alliance with the occupiers of Palestine. By failing to break our current diplomatic relations with Israel, we are signaling our acceptance to the actions of Israel in the genocide that is unfolding before the eyes of the world.

We must not remain silent while Israel unleashes hell on unarmed civilians. Due to our historical experience we should be the most sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians. We could have been the ones to experience the present state of terrorism plaguing the Palestinian people. This is a call for civil society organizations, civil servants, educators and academics to insist that Belize break its diplomatic relations with Israel.

Bilal Morris is a Belizean journalist residing in Los Angeles. He has authored many articles on Belize and also on Islam in the Caribbean and Central America. Rolando Cocom is a graduate of the history program at the University of Belize. His research includes the experiences and struggles of multiculturalism, nationalism and social movements. 

The Belize Jazz 'N Culture Show

Come and enjoy a relaxing evening at The BW Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel as The Belize Music Agency brings you 'The Belize Jazz 'N Culture Show' on Saturday, Aug. 16th, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. - Tickets are Bz$50. each. Book yours early with ticket agent, Melanie Eiley. Thank you!

Students from Davidson Day find rare archaeological finds and visited Belize

Davidson Day School students are making rare archaeological finds on a dig at the 12th-century medieval castle of Zorita de los Canesa in Spain, their teacher, archaeologist Mat Saunders, said Thursday.

“Things have gone much better than expected,” Saunders told the Observer in an email.

The team has discovered a new section of the castle wall with carved stone cannon balls, several coins from the era of the Catholic kings, and most importantly, the crypts and bodies of dozens of individuals, Saunders said.

“One section that we’ve investigated is roughly 2 meters by 3 meters and is filled with human remains (no particular order, just piled high),” he said. “The other individuals are buried properly in carved tombs. The images that we’re getting are amazing.”

The team uncovered three castle windows with openings from which cannon balls or bullets from early rifles were shot, Saunders said later by phone. The walls were under six feet of dirt, he said.

The 14-member Davidson Day team is the first to excavate at the site, Saunders said, and Spanish media “has already been all over it,” referring to what the students have discovered since flying to Spain on July 18.

The castle is about an hour east of Madrid.

The castle was occupied by Christians, Jews and Muslims over its life and was built from the stones of an ancient Visigothic city, Saunders said. The team is excavating a cemetery presumed to hold the tombs of medieval knights.

The team’s final day of excavation is Friday. They return home on Sunday.

“There’s so much more,” Saunders said. “We hardly put a dent in the courtyard. Next year, who knows what we’ll find.”

Saunders also has led student teams in recent years to the Central American country of Belize to unearth artifacts at a tomb of Mayan royals who ruled more than a thousand years ago.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/31/5078448/davidson-day-students-make-rare.html#.U9rOjvldXZE#storylink=cpy

Emancipation Day is celebrated on August 1, 2014

Emancipation Day is celebrated in many former British colonies in the Caribbean and areas of the United States on various dates in observance of the emancipation of slaves of African origin. It is also observed in other areas in regard to the abolition of serfdom or other forms of servitude.

The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 ended slavery in the British Empire on August 1, 1834. Emancipation Day is widely observed in the British West Indies during the first week of August. In many Caribbean countries the Emancipation Day celebration is a part of Carnival, as the Caribbean Carnival takes place at this time (although Carnaval in Trinidad and Tobago takes place in February or March according to Ash Wednesday. In Belize it is not observed. The anthem and flag of Belize prefers to remember “Our father’s the Baymen valiant and proud”. In truth, the British were regarded as the most cruel slave masters. The clip I prepared for a Caribbean History class on the slave trade. 

April 16, 1862 marks the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia. Over 3,000 enslaved persons were freed eight months before the Emancipation Proclamation liberated slaves in the South. The District also has the distinction of being the only part of the United States to have compensated slave owners for freeing enslaved persons they held.

11 Countries are about to head into Bankruptcy

After years of bitter court battles with creditors, Argentina has defaulted on its debt, according to rating agency Standard & Poor’s. After failing to come to an agreement with creditors from its previous default in 2001, the country missed necessary bond payments on July 31, triggering the default announcement. As of publication, other organizations, most notably the rating agency Moody’s Investors Service and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, a derivatives trade group, have yet to release public statements confirming the default.

Argentina is not the only country that has struggled, or even failed, to pay its debt in recent years. It is hardly the only country with a severely impaired credit rating either. Alongside Argentina, Moody’s currently lists 10 other countries with a rating of Caa1 or worse. A Caa1 rating is several notches below Ba1, which still carries substantial credit risk. Based on ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, these are the 11 countries at risk of default.

The countries with the lowest credit ratings significantly differ from one another. They span the globe, ranging from Greece and Ukraine in Europe, to Pakistan in Asia, to Ecuador, Venezuela, and Belize in South America.

These nations also suffer from vastly different problems. Some nations, such as Ukraine and Egypt, owe their recent downgrades to political conditions. Others, such as Belize and Ecuador, have actually been upgraded in recent years based on their improved financial positions.

When a government has a great deal of debt relative to the size of its economy, its credit rating may also be lower. Three of the nations potentially at risk of default had among the world’s highest debt levels, at 120% of GDP or more based on 2014 estimates. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Greece’s debt is projected to hit nearly 175% of GDP by the end of this year, more than that of any other nation in the world except for Japan.

However, not all countries with low ratings necessarily have a large amount of outstanding government debt. For example, Ecuador’s government debt, according to the IMF, was forecast to total just 24.8% of GDP in 2014 — an exceptionally low amount. In many cases, these countries simply do not regularly access international bond markets, either because of small financial sectors or because of debt-restructuring agreements.

Borrowing funds in the international bond market can be quite expensive for countries with poor credit ratings. Countries have to pay high interest rates on their debt because because investors require greater returns on what they perceive to be riskier investments. For example, a 10-year U.S. Treasury Note pays an annual coupon of just 2.5%. By contrast, a comparable bond recently issued by Jamaica pays out 7.65% a year. In Greece, yields on 10-year government bonds reached 29% in early 2012, right before the country defaulted.

Often, countries that tap into international bond markets do so in other currencies. For example, nations such as Argentina, Jamaica, Belize, and Ukraine have all issued bonds in other nations’ currencies. The main reason to use common currencies — such as the dollar, yen, and euro — is that their inflation rates are typically far lower than the currencies of the issuing countries. This means that investors do not need to worry as much about their investment losing value.

In fact, inflation is a major problem in several of the countries with the worst credit ratings. In one such nation, Venezuela, inflation is expected to exceed 50% in 2014, according to the IMF. Argentina’s inflation rates are likely much higher than reported by government statistics on consumer prices, which were long considered highly unreliable.

Based on credit ratings provided by Moody’s Investors Service, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 11 countries with credit ratings of Caa1 or worse. A rating of this level indicates considerable credit risk. Because many of these nations have significant debt in other currencies or have otherwise weak currencies, we used foreign currency ratings and outlooks for these nations. Figures on GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, population and debt levels are estimates for 2014 from the IMF’s World Economic Outlook.

Winner's of the most Photogenic on International Costa Maya

As the contestant arrived in San Pedro during the course of the day on Thursday July 28th,2014 this contestant are Miss El Salvador Ana Graciela Hasbun, Miss Costa Rica Raquel Maria Guevera, Miss Nicaragua Katherine Gadamuza, Miss Panama Karol Salinas, Miss Honduras Maria Jose Alvarado, Miss Guatemala Keyla Bermudez, Miss Mexico Elisa Espinoza and Miss Belize Grisel Rosseli Carballo.

As a competition with the photogenic was vote among all this are the winner's for the most popular photogenic. Miss Costa Rica Raquel Guevara Avila wins the Miss Photogenic competition. Miss Belize Grisel Rosseli Carballo finishes 2nd, while Miss Guatemala Keyla Bermudez finishes 3rd. Miss Costa Rica will receive a plaque, while all three will receive gift baskets. They will receive these next week before the pageant. Just a reminder that this competition does not affect the results of the actual Miss Costa Maya pageant. Thanks to all who voted and supported the delegates.




Vote total of the Top 5:

Costa Rica: 3,664
Belize: 3,659
Guatemala: 1,467
Honduras: 929
Mexico: 851







This are the three winner's of the most Popular Photogenic with the most voted. Also their will be prizes for the winner's.

Furball Fashion Show With the Costa Maya

Come join the fun here at Wet Welly's Cantina for a fun of Foreva Fancy Fashion Show. $20.00 entrance raffle and Live music picture with the queens.!

Coming this Monday August 4th, 2014. It's all for Charity Doors are open at 7:30pm and show begin's at 8:30pm.

Three vehicle was handed over to the POLYCLINIC II in San Pedro

On Friday July 25th three health support vehicles were handed over to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II. The tuk-tuks, as they are commonly referred to, are a part of a donation made to the Government of Belize by the government of Dubai, United Emirates in April.

According to Bowen and Bowen a single three wheeled is valued each at $11, 538.  The health support vehicles throughout the country was valued at $300,000 Belize Dollars. The three wheeled motor-cycled comes with an attached covered unit equipped with seating and a stretcher to transport patients. The vehicles will not be used as a replacement for conventional ambulance but will support assistance with our partners at health promotion events, social events, mobile clinics use and home visits.

The Ministry is giving its pleasure to minister Heredia, the Attorney General Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Wilfred Elrington for the support in this initiative. The vehicle's where handed over  were present Minister Heredia Jr. along with Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero and other members of the town council. On hand to receive the much anticipated vehicles were Polyclinic Administrator Owen Vellos, Dr. Javier Zuniga and volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT), Alex Parmelee.

Alex Parmalee will be in the voluntary in charge for training volunteers in the community those who wants to contribute their services to the clinic and working on establishing a San Pedro Emergency Medical Service (EMS). He work for more than 20 year's of experience within the ambulance in the US. 

The Institute of Archaeology Dr. Jaime Awe say thank you

On behalf of archaeologist from Belize & abroad, NICH & especially the Institute of Archaeology (IA) we say thank you Dr. Jaime Awe for the many years you gave to the then Department of Archaeology and now IA and to Belizean archaeology. We will move forward on the foundation you built for us. As we know your life will forever be centered on Belizean archaeology. We once more congratulate our new director Dr. John Morris, as we all thank our outgoing director Dr. Jaime Awe.

Joint Press Release, Oceana/Belize Audubon Society/World Wildlife Fund/MarAlliance/Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations/Oceana, Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Belize’s largest conservation and tourism organizations, as well as members of the public, have joined forces in opposition to a proposed seven star mega-resort on Belize’s most remote coral reefs. The project, named Puerto Azul, would transform two private islands on the northern side of the Lighthouse Reef atoll. The brainchild of Italian promoter Domenico Giannini, Puerto Azul was launched during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival at a lavish celebrity-studded party. Belizean ministers of government were also flown in for the occasion.

Opposition to the project is based on its massive scale in an undeveloped area that is over 50 miles from the nearest mainland supply depot. Lighthouse Reef, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, is one of only four atolls in the Caribbean and is home to the world renowned Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments; both are protected areas and World Heritage Sites. The developers want to build what they describe as a “citadel of luxury” inclusive of underwater suites, a golf course, amusement park, submarine base, hospital, super-yacht marina and Formula 1 race track, all serviced by a two mile long international airport to be dredged from the sands and productive sea grass beds of the Lighthouse Reef atoll. The resort’s proposed one thousand guests would be served by a small city of two thousand employees.

The Government of Belize has yet to formally approve the project and the developers have not closed on the property but investors are moving forward with the studies required for environmental clearance. Selective clearing is also happening on the cayes. That reality has prompted a rapidly growing number of organizations and individuals familiar with Belize’s environment to take the position that while they support overnight and high-end luxury tourism, they are unable to support a tourism venture whose infrastructure will irreversibly alter the same environment that is meant to attract visitors. There are more appropriate sites for expansive projects that require large-scale alterations to the environment that yield lower impacts and provide more benefits to Belize’s economy.

“In 30 years of sustained growth Belize’s tourism industry has relied on one constant factor: the careful stewardship of our incredible natural resource base,” says president of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, Herbert Haylock. “To transplant a Disneyesque city into the middle of one of Belize’s most beautiful marine habitats is an act of environmental arrogance that runs counter to all that has made Belize an authentically unique and successful destination.” Executive Director of the Belize Audubon Society Amanda Acosta agrees. “As co-managers of these two destinations, we are all too aware that these resources are already on UNESCO’s list of in-danger sites. Scale is the issue. If Puerto Azul were to happen it would be the nail in the coffin of Belize’s World Heritage status.” WWF’s country representative Nadia Bood adds, “Any vision for development in this remarkable area must protect national interests over the long-term.”

Belize’s marine resources contribute to the national economy well beyond tourism. According to Dr. Melanie McField, Director of the Healthy Reefs Initiative, a 2008 World Resources Institute economic evaluation found that Belize's reef and mangroves provide about US$500million dollars every year in goods and services to Belize. “Direct ongoing benefits to the people and country of Belize are threatened by this ill-conceived, unsuitable and completely inappropriate proposed development that will benefit few Belizeans and expatriate the nation’s natural and actual wealth.”
 

Other scientists, including Dr. Rachel Graham, executive director of MarAlliance, notes, “Puerto Azul will irreversibly impact a fragile biodiversity hotspot and coral reef site of local and global importance. The proposed development would further displace the atoll’s traditional fishers and rapidly extirpate the atoll’s marine resources – both the basis of a sustainable tourism and a heritage benefiting all Belizeans.”

And that, says Janelle Chanona, Oceana’s Vice President in Belize, is why Belizeans are vigilant. “There are strong economic and cultural connections between Belizeans and Belize’s marine resources. This location in particular has a very special place in the heart of all Belizeans. It is a sacred place. You don’t scar sacred places. Developments must not risk our precious environment or compromise the livelihoods of this generation or future Belizeans.” - End of Release -

Another in San Pedro is predeceased Jesse Cope from San Pedro Daily

It is with sadness that I must bring the news of the passing of Jesse Cope. He ran the San Pedro Daily. He fell ill earlier this week and was admitted to Belize Healthcare Partners where, late last evening, he succumbed to his illness. Though words are of little help, he was well cared for and went peacefully without pain. His family has been notified and are in touch with Dr. Lerida and will be making arrangements with her as to the final preparations. 

I would not be posting this except that one of the more urgent matters is the care of Bear, his friend and companion dog. Bear is presently being boarded at Pampered Paws but with 14 other dogs in her care, Kaita cannot keep him. If there is anyone who can foster him temporarily until the family can make the decision as to what should happen with him, it would be appreciated. He is a well behaved older rottweiler who would cause no fuss. Please call Pampered Paws at 226-2227 if you can provide a home for him while Jesse's affairs are being sorted.

An Islander of San Pedro Ambergris Caye was stab by his Common Law wife

The San Pedro Sun Released a report concerning a  domestic dispute that left an islander of Ambergris Caye dead shortly before six this morning. The victim has been indicatedas 28-year old Felix Eduardo Alamilla, a caretaker of a Mosquito Coast Area of San Pedro Town.

Alamillla was predeceased at the arrival while he was transported at San Carlos Medical Clinic where Dr. Giovanni Solorzano examined his body.

Alamilla and his common-law wife were involved in a domestic dispute in which the woman inflicted stab wounds to his head, chest area and leg. Police have detained the woman pending charges.At this name of Alamilla has not yet been released and the body was transported to Belize City for further investigation. 

TROPIC AIR ANNOUNCES INCREASE IN SERVICE ROATAN, HONDURAS

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, July 23, 2014 - Tropic Air announces today, that effective November 1, 2014, it will increase service to Roatan, Honduras from four times weekly to daily.

“We are very excited to be increasing our service to Roatan in response to the overwhelming support and enthusiasm of our passengers", said John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. “Roatan has become an important part of our network, and a source of growing tourism and trade business to Belize. The next logical step is for us to increase the frequency to daily to allow traffic to grow even more”.

This increase in service will also allow the people of Roatan to make easy connections to Cancun, Merida, Flores (Tikal), and 11 destinations within Belize. Roatan is Tropic's second destination in Honduras and was inaugurated in 2013.

Effective November 1, 2014, Tropic's new schedule between Belize City International and Roatan will be:

DEPARTS                    TIME               ARRIVES                   TIME              Days

Belize City Int'l (BZE)    4:15PM           Roatan (RTB)               5:15PM          Daily

Roatan (RTB)                7:00AM           Belize City Int'l (BZE)   8:00AM          Daily

ALL TIMES LOCAL (STANDARD)

The service is bookable via the web at www.tropicair.com, via e-mail at reservations@tropicair.com, by phone at (501) 226-2012, by contacting any of our stations, or your friendly travel professional.

Creator From 'The Shield' Moves Forward with New Project and to meet an old school friend in Belize

A new project is in the works from the creator of FX's critically acclaimed cop drama "The Shield," andDeadline.com reports that the project has received a pilot order from Amazon.

The project is “Mad Dogs,” an adaptation of a British black comedy/thriller, from "The Shield" creator Shawn Ryan. Cris Cole, the creator of the original U.K. series, is on board as an executive producer, along with Ryan, and has written the adaptation.

The project, which will be directed by Emmy winner Charles McDougall, was initially set up at FX as a limited series.

The latest version is about four fortysomething men who reunite to meet an old school friend in Belize, but things go wrong. Left Bank, the original British producer, is co-producing with Sony Pictures TV, which has an overall deal with Ryan.

Belize has all the ingredients for a surf and turf vacation

The same turquoise waters that lure tourists to Caribbean destinations slosh around Belize’s island chain. But tiny Belize has a major advantage in reeling in the holidaymakers — spectacular Maya ruins tucked away in lush jungle. The nation is home to more prehistoric buildings than modern-day ones, according to its Institute of Archaeology.

That ancient appeal draws in backpackers eager for adventure as well as divers ready to gawk at its bustling reefs or plunge into its famed Blue Hole. Belize has all the ingredients for a surf and turf vacation — at least for those who don’t mind the odd giant cockroach or neon green frog that may invade their jungle dwellings.
Evidence of human sacrifice in Maya times litters the floors of the Actun Tunichil Muknal caves, where the skeletons are welded in place by limestone sediment. 

Mayan pottery is also frozen in time there, with archeologists opting to leave most artifacts as they were centuries ago. To get to the caves, visitors are led down a gentle jungle trail that includes several river crossings. Next, comes an invigorating swim across a frigid pool of water at the cave’s mouth (which is patrolled by a resident vine snake). Water winds throughout the cave, and visitors have to squeeze through impossible-looking openings before being rewarded with the archaeological trove. But don’t expect to plaster social media with photos documenting the adventure. 

Clumsy tourists — including one who left a camera-sized hole in the skull of a sacrificed child — led to a ban on cameras at the site.Just a fraction of Caracol, a once powerful Maya city state, has been unearthed by archaeologists. Once home to 150,000 inhabitants (nearly twice the population of Belize’s current industrial center, Belize City), the site was lost until a logger stumbled upon it in the 1930s while in search of mahogany.

Nearly a century later, 90 percent of it still belongs to the jungle. Shards of ancient pottery are scattered around the complex, which includes astronomical buildings, ball courts, palaces and a 40-meter-tall pyramid that remains the tallest man-made structure in Belize. The guttural intonations of howler monkeys and the eerie screech of the yellow-tailed bird provide the soundtrack for those wandering through the massive archaeological site.

This complex of ruins got its Maya name, Xunantunich — meaning “stone woman” — from a sun-soaked apparition said to haunt the site. The city was built up over millennia and its history is sketched out neatly at the newly opened visitor’s center. At the site itself, the main attraction is the ruin known as “El Castillo,” which towers above the jungle. Four elaborate stucco friezes depicting Maya gods once hugged each side of the building.

Now just two remain, and they’re both covered up by fiberglass copies to preserve the originals. Despite its lofty appearance and elaborate decorations, the Castillo likely served as an administrative hub, not a temple, according to the visitor’s center.

Even from its perch high up on a hill, Cahal Pech lives in the shadow of its more impressive neighbors, Caracol, Xunantunich and Tikal. Cahal Pech — which unflatteringly means “Place of the Ticks” in Yucatec and Mopan Mayan — sits on the outskirts of San Ignacio, a popular base for those exploring Maya ruins.
Under the cover of an encroaching jungle, visitors can get a glimpse of how the upper crust lived in Maya times through the site’s palace structures. The site is also home to a nice example of a Maya ball court.
Caye Caulker is a sandy strip of land surrounded by a bounty of sea life. The more laid-back alternative to San Pedro (immortalized by the 1987 Madonna hit “La Isla Bonita”), provides a base for the thriftier tourist looking to explore Belize’s nearby barrier reef.

The island is crowded with tour companies that ferry visitors to reef hot spots, such as the intimidating Shark Ray Alley. Nurse sharks and sting rays were originally drawn to the area by fishermen cleaning their catch, but now it’s tour boats that chum the waters. The fish expectantly clamor around any boat that arrives. Other underwater highlights include an enormous logger turtle that is blind in one eye that hovers around a conch fishermen’s boat, and a rainbow of tropical fish.

Eerie night snorkeling affords an opportunity to watch the fish scurry to find a home among the reef before darkness falls. When things do turn truly nocturnal, snorkelers armed with underwater LEDs have the opportunity to spot squid, octopus, lobster and crabs.Scuba divers can also catch a ride to Belize’s iconic Blue Hole, an underwater sinkhole that’s 300 meters wide and 120 meters deep.

Iguana scurry all over San Ignacio thanks in part to the efforts of the Iguana Project, which hatches and releases the critters whose eggs are regularly gobbled up by predators in the wild. A guided tour of the facility where they’re kept allows tourists to get up-close-and-personal with the scaly beasts.

Among the highlights is the iguana nursery, where willing participants can be covered in a brood of four- to six-month-old bright green iguanas. Belizeans are prohibited from keeping the lizards as pets, but Iguana Project guide Jorge Lopez says locals will eat green iguanas for dinner. And he insists they taste like chicken. The project works to boost the lizard’s population by releasing 100 to 150 iguanas a year.

Tropic Air to Increase flight services to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

“Since commencement of the route, we have been working closely with our partners at the Yucatan Tourism Board and in the Merida tourism community on building traffic. We are now excited to be increasing our service in response to their feedback, support and enthusiasm", said John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. “Clearly Merida has the potential to be an important part of our network, and a source of growing business to Belize and beyond. We want to do everything we can to allow that relationship to develop”.

This increase in service will also allow the people of Merida to make easy connections to Roatan, San Pedro Sula, Flores, and 11 destinations within Belize. Merida is Tropic’s second destination in Mexico and its fifth international route, and was inaugurated in March of this year.

Effective November 1, 2014, Tropic’s new schedule between Belize City International and Merida will be:

 Departs:                                                              Departs:

 Belize City Int’l (BZE) at 11:15AM                     Merida (MID) at 2:00PM
  Arrives:Merida (MID) at 1:00PM Daily              Arrives: Belize City Int’l (BZE) at 3:45PM Daily
                                                                           ALL TIMES LOCAL (STANDARD)

The service is bookable via the web at www.tropicair.com, via e-mail at reservations@tropicair.com, by phone at (501) 226-2012, by contacting any of our stations, or your friendly travel professional.

Support a worthy donation Back to School Supplies

It's back to school planning time and many of our Belizean children need help with this, so my group of friends and I have decided to do a "Build a Backpack" back to school drive this year! These are the items we are collecting:

• Gently used or New back pack ( Kinder - highschool)
• Gently used tennis shoes or black shoes ( kinder - Highschool)
• Stationery: Blanks, pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rulers, highlighters, folders, folder sheets crayons, markers etc.

we will also take uniforms in good condition and donate them to the school they can be used at. Together we can make back to school a great experience for needy kids: Deadline to hand ove these backpacks to the students is August 16. These are the members that can pick up items you would like to donate this summer.
Lisa Marie Forman: can pick items up from you in San Pedro, Jeannie Alpuche : Belmopan, Andrea Pelayo: Orange Walk, Risi Teresita in Coro, Patty Arceo in Caye Caulker, Gisele Sabido, Yesenia Zetina Michelle, Rudon, Lilian Alamina or , Olgi Urbina-Goughin Belize City. 

FREE SKIN CANCER SCREENING IN SAN PEDRO AMBERGRIS CAYE

This freen screening is for everyone, all you have to do is just show up. \this will take place on AUGUST 9th from 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

Pass it on to your your church members, the lions club, the business association, dive shops, tour company's, all employees, all people working on the streets, and in the sun.

A little education and a bit of prevention goes a long way. We want to reach all people of San Pedro as this would help each and every one of us. If we could get a little promotion from all of you we could try to reach as many folks as possible

We want to reach the schools, churches, groups, elderly, non-english speaking community. 

CANCER AFFECTS US ALL, EARLY DETECTION AND EDUCATION IS THE KEY.
IF WE COULD GET YOU FLYERS, WE WILL....IF YOU CAN HELP SPREAD THE WORD WE ARE THANKFUL

ANY ADVICE WE ARE OPEN TOO. We would love to get on radio, TV, everywhere. Printed flyers help. posting this note in your window making sure the elderly are aware. Please lets work together to get this word out. Dr. Lopez will be doing free screenings at ZEN ARCADE on AUGUST 9TH FROM 1:00PM TO 6:00 PM

PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GENEROUS OFFER FROM DR. LOPEZ
for more information on the Doctor see his website: www.drlopezgranja.com

ZEN ARCADE IS LOCATED ONE BLOCK WEST OF ISLAND ACADEMY. 

Press Release Ministry of Health receives vehicles from the EU

Ministry of Health receives vehicles for Vector Control Unit through a grant from the EU - Today the Ministry of Health hosted a presentation to the media of eleven (11) Toyota Hilux 4 x 4 pick-up trucks at Belize Diesel & Equipment Co. Ltd. compound in Belmopan. This comes as part of a Contribution Agreement from the European Union to improve and upgrade the Vector Control Unit of the Ministry of Health.

The transportation vehicles will be used to assist the health workers of the program in intervention, surveillance, treatment and compliance of vector control efforts in both the urban and rural communities across the country. The vehicles have a total value of $720,000 BCY.

Chief of Operations, Vector Control Unit, Mr. Kim Bautista shared that the vehicles will be a great addition due to the limited mobility that they now face. The vehicles will also help to carry out the timely interventions, including the control of mosquitoes which directly spread vector control diseases such as Dengue, Malaria, and Chikungunya. Dr. Gerardo de Cosio, PAHO/WHO representative for Belize mentioned that they are indeed glad to once again partner with the Ministry of Health towards the goal of a healthier community.

"The Strengthening of the Prevention and control of Dengue and Malaria in Belize" Project was signed on December 17th, 2013 between the European Union and the Pan American Health Organization with the Ministry of Health as the implementing partner. The project also includes for the management and maintenance of vehicles at a total cost of $2,280,345.77 BCY.

Kate Sealy named as Belize's flag bearer for the XX Commonweakth Games

At an executive meeting held by the National Olympics on Saturday July 12th in Belize City, heptathlete Katy Sealy was selected as the flag bearer for Belize at the XX Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremonies. 

Katy was named Belize's flag Bearer following an assessment of her commitment  to he sporting discipline. As a dedicated athlete who was grown tremendously over the past few years and has invested significant time to improve her performance, Katy's representation  of Belize at an international level has been stellar. 

The Belize Social Network would like to wish all the athletes and officials of teams Belize success in the XX on the Commonwealth Games and a safe Journey.