You Better Belize It!

Belizian tourism interests have adopted this phrase, and we do--Belize it, that is. Belize is the focus for the July 2006 issue of the TravelPod Newsletter and we trust you’ll enjoy a pleasant virtual visit to this increasingly popular Caribbean destination… before the rest of the world catches on.

This month’s Your Words feature comes to you from the oft-kilted Ron Mackenzie, also known as irax. While Ron describes himself as a late-starter, TravelPodders know that it is never too late shed the weight and blaze a new personal path into the world. That is just what Ron has done. Read about it in his words.

BEING THERE: BELIZE

Belize is on the map. It wasn’t that long ago that Belize was all but inaccessible except to the most intrepid of back-packers. Today, direct routes from major airports in the southern United States brings travelers to modest (by Caribbean standards) commercial developments that provide a full range of accommodations from budget to multi-star.

Outside your door you’ll find everything expected of a Caribbean destination: in-land rain forest and low rolling mountain ranges; coastal sun and sand, and a comprehensive complement of recreational distractions. You’ll also find ancient Mayan ruins that put Hollywood notions of vine-covered mysteries to shame. It is interesting to note that carbon-dating of artifacts in Belize prove that Mayan civilization was established as much as 2,000 years earlier than had previously been thought. And despite an impression to the contrary, earnest investigation of the once great Mayan sites has only been underway for about the last 40 years. There is much yet to discover – begin your discovery with Being There: Belize.

Belize Basics
• Population – 287,730 (July 2006 est.)
• Language – English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), and Creole
• Currency – Belizean (BZD) dollars = 0.51 US dollar (1 July 2006)
• Capital – Belmopan
• Largest City – Belize City (the former colonial capital)

Belize Trivia
• Belize changed its name from British Honduras in 1973, foreshadowing the declaration of independence (from the UK) eight years later, on September 21, 1981. That makes 2006 the country’s Silver Anniversary and this year’s Independence Day celebrations are expected to set a new standard for revelry in Belize.
• The flag of Belize bears the Latin inscription SUB UMBRA FLOREO meaning I flourish in the shade. The motto refers to the mahogany tree also featured on the flag but travelers from Northern climes will appreciate the shade of the palms over the white sand beaches of the Caribbean coast. Coastal temperatures can reach into the high 90’s between the months of May and November and dip to a cool but entirely temperate 50 degrees in the early months of the year. In-land temperature ranges are typically more extreme.
• Research shows that Belize was likely the center of Mayan culture for a time and that the area’s population may have topped one million (four times what it is today). The enduring evidence of Mayan domination of the entire Yucatan Peninsula is abundant in Belize. The country’s Department of Archeaology maintains or supports access to at least 21 Mayan ruins sites for both academic pursuits and amateur enjoyment. Can Cich, on the Belize River, even offers the history enthusiast on-site accommodations – there is a small hotel situated on the lower plaza of the ancient ruins. It is hard to imagine being any closer to the past.

Belize By TravelPodders
There are more than 100 TravelPod travelogues revealing the beauty and wonder of Belize, and more than 1,000 photos and videos of the sights and scenes that draw travelers searching for a not-yet-overblown destination. The following selections catch some of the color. Your job is to catch the plane.

  TravelPod Posts From Belize
  Unbelizable! by bonkers
  Belize is a cool place. by katie-jason
  The Fantasticness of Belize by pcvmonroebelize
  More Belize Travelogues

Belize Photos From TravelPod

Clockwise from left
  The Raggamuffin at Sunset by curlycircle
  Caracol Temple by bretmcnally
  Uprising Festival Band by amyandrob
  More Belize Photos

TravelPod-Recommended Links For Belize
  Official Site of the Government of Belize
  Travel Belize: A reasonably comprehensive travel information site
  Belize at Wikipedia
  Belize FactBook from those hard-working analysts at the CIA
  A light but nice personal guide to the major Mayan sites of Belize
  Drop in to the TravelPod South America Forum and share your favourite Belize link.

Considering Belize?
• You can get there from here, wherever here might be. Check for flights to Belize, right now.
• You don’t really want to go all by yourself, do you? Send BEING THERE: BELIZE to the one whose hand you want to hold while negotiating the temple steps.

One morning a few years ago, Ron Mackenzie just up and quit. He was on his way to work, as usual. Enroute he passed the prison, as usual, but on that morning, the familiar landmark took on an overwhelming significance and before lunch, Ron had set himself free to follow his wanderlust. Ron (aka irax) shares his words in this month’s Your Words. Do they resonate with you?

Ron Mackenzie out of Edinburgh, Scotland

What were your life goals and aspirations before you started traveling?
   While at school my target was always to go to University, then at University it was to get a good degree and job. I just enjoyed working in the world of IT for a number of years without any real goal or direction. However when the travel bug bit me I started questioning myself more.

What was your motivation for hitting the road?
   I was a bit of a late starter. I didn't fly until I was 21, and didn't go abroad until 22. That first holiday in and around Madrid set me up for a life as a backpacker. It created a real desire to see different places, meet different people, and smell different aromas. I went on holiday to Thailand a few years later, it was like nothing I'd ever known before. I couldn't stop thinking about my time in Asia once I was home; I slowly adjusted to the idea of giving up a good job, something that goes against conventional wisdom. Seven months later I was on my way to work as usual, I passed the prison and really started thinking about it. I finally realised that you never know what life may bring in the future. I resigned that morning. Two months later I was on a flight back to Bangkok on a one-way ticket.

How did you feel when you stepped off the first plane?
   Arriving in Bangkok on that one-way ticket was just amazing. The possibilities open to me were just mind boggling. I could literally go anywhere that I could get a visa for, and the great thing was that I didn't have a plan. I loved it. Four years later I arrived in St Petersburg on my most recent trip, it was a very different feeling. This time I'd roughly planned the entire year and knew where I'd be for much of my time. It was a feeling of relief that I particularly remember that day, to know that I was finally there after much planning. I kept thinking to myself, "It's day one, only day one!"

What is your favourite travel memory?
   I've been fortunate enough join in some local festivals along my way. Oruro, Bolivia for carnival this year was pretty special. However, I'll never forget arriving in a small town in Southern Laos with my friend Nikki from Australia in 2001. We'd travelled there to see the karst scenery and river, however we stumbled across a full-moon-dragon-boat-racing-lao-lao party. We'd only come for the day, but it became apparent very early on that we'd be staying overnight. All the locals would invite us to their table regardless of how much English they spoke, forcing us to participate in their celebrations. We ended up being taken to the doctor's house where a party was taking place, they had a particularly nasty lao-lao, forcing us to drink it and then grabbing us to dance with them into the night. I guess it was so special because we'd just stumbled across it by chance and we were the only non-Laotians for miles.

How about your worst travel experience?
   I've been very fortunate in my travels so far, nothing terrible has ever happened to me. Sure, I've been sick several times, but never seriously. I've had my big rucksack stolen from a bus in India, but didn't lose anything I couldn't replace. I suppose being mugged in Lima would be the worst so far, even though I didn't end up loosing anything it still really shook me. It was night, and in the dodgy bus station area of town. I was trying to cross a road into the bus station when a local walks up to me calmly, says "Hola Amigo", and grabs my small bag of valuables. I keep a hold of it and struggle with him for a bit, fall to the floor and manage to hold onto my bag as he, or his friend, made a second attempt to pull it off me. Luckily it was a busy area and they ran off at this point. I had to find a quiet corner in the bus station where I felt safe with policemen hanging around and give myself some time to calm down again.

Who is your most memorable character out there?
   Burma is full of great people; the locals love to come up to you and just chat. My favourite opening line there was when someone approached me and said, "I think you're boring no? ". Or another guy that I met insisted on showing me round Yangon, when we went to visit The Shwedagon Pagoda he performed a superman type change and ended up in his official tour guide tunics which he had to wear there. While in Mandalay myself, and an English girl called Rachel, befriended a trishaw driver called Lamu. He was just so friendly and helpful. When we told him that we would be going to a local 'Nat' festival he just said "I'm scared for you. I take you." He wouldn't take no for an answer no matter how much we said we'd be fine. He was brilliant company and insisted on showing us everything and getting us to taste every different type of sweet there. He was so helpful in helping us around Mandalay and it would only have been half as much fun without him.

How did you feel when you stepped off the last plane?
   I'd been travelling for a year by this point and had prepared myself for coming back. I was surprised just how tiring and difficult travelling for an entire year could be. Moving every few days, sitting on those long bus rides and searching for decent restaurants when you arrive in new places. I was looking forward to seeing family and friends again, and, of course, the comforts of home. It was made a lot easier because I already had another trip planned and would be leaving five and a half weeks after returning home. I'm off to East Africa for three months, I hadn't planned for this until last November when my best mate asked me to be his best man in Uganda, how could I refuse? It should be interesting to see what type of reception we'll get there when we turn up in our kilts! I don't know how I'll feel when I get back for real from East Africa.

With reference to those life goals and aspirations above, where are you now?
   I'll be making sure that I enjoy my next little trip away. I'll have to return to the world of IT afterwards, and maybe I'll even settle down. Wish me luck!

• Ready to answer the same questions in Your Words? We’re ready to read them and we’ll be choosing the best to show-off in future installments of Your Words.

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