News2002-2003

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<h3>Roundup of News and Opinion about Belize and the Caribbean Coast</h3>
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<h3>LATE
NEWS OF BELIZE AND THE CARIBBEAN COAST 
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A Round-Up of News and Opinion from 2002-2003

By Lan Sluder 
BELIZE FIRST

CRUISE TOURISM: HOW WILL IT WORK OUT? The bright spot for Belize tourism this year appears to be cruise
ships calling on Belize City, but the jury is still out on how
successful this will be in the long term. The Belize Tourist Board
has said about 200 ships will stop in Belize City this year. Among
the ships set to call on Belize City this year are Norwegian Sea, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Dream (Norwegian Cruise Line), Galaxy (Celebrity Cruise Line), Volendam (Holland America Line), Carnival Spirit, Carnival Legend and Carnival Pride (Carnival Cruise Lines), Nordic Empress, Rhapsody of the Seas and Splendor of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International). Typically, these ships are on
a seven-day Western Caribbean itinerary, beginning in Fort Lauderdale,
Fla., Miami or New Orleans. Other stops may include Key West,
Fla., Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and Cozumel or Playa del
Carmen, Mexico. Celebrity's Galaxy is unusual in that it has a 10-day itinerary leaving from Baltimore.
Cruise lines are adding "exotic" new ports of call, such as Belize
City, to appeal to experienced cruisers who have visited the standard
Caribbean ports several times. In addition, the small (100-passenger)
ships of American Canadian Caribbean Line makes stops in Belize
during the winter. 
 
Because the Belize City harbor is too shallow to allow large cruise
ships to dock, ship passengers are brought in on tenders. Passengers
line up to get on the tenders and disembark at the new Point George
Tourist Village. Typically ships arrive in Belize City in the
early morning and leave around 6 p.m. Many passengers appear intrigued
by Belize, but others say they find little to do in Belize City.
The cruise director for Celebrity's Galaxy said that passengers on the 1,850-passenger Galaxy who sign up for organized tours -- cave tubing at Jaguar Paw
being the most popular -- are usually very satisfied with their
Belize experience, but that those who just walk around Belize
City are often not enthusiastic about Belize. They report little
to do or see, and some passengers, having heard stories about
Belize City crime, are reluctant to walk even as far as the new
Museum of Belize in the Central Bank Building, just a few blocks
from the Tourist Village. The bulk of the cruise ship tours are
handled by a few large tour operators, such as Belize City-based
Cruise Solutions. 
 
Tourism experts say cruise ships are a mixed blessing for a tourist
destination. While they deliver a large number of visitors, and
generate income for local governments in the form of port fees,
many passengers spend little money locally. Cruise ships rarely
buy supplies from ports where they stop. Most of the income from
cruise operations goes to a handful of well-connected tour operators.
In areas such as Cozumel, where as many as eight to ten ships,
each with around 2,000 passengers, call on the port each day,
the atmosphere of the local community can be dramatically changed
by hordes of day-tripping tourists, and local hotels may actually
suffer from the area's reputation as a cruise ship port. Belize
City is far from reaching this point, however. 
 
WHAT'S NEW IN BELIZE? A whirlwind country tour by BELIZE FIRST Editor Lan Sluder in
mid-June found hotel and tourism operators cautiously optimistic
about the balance of the year and next year's high season. Since
Easter, however, business at many resorts has been slower than
expected. Operators see a pickup starting in late June. Resort
development has slowed in Belize, with only a few places opening
or expanding. Many hotels remain up for sale. 
 
Around the country, business owners are complaining about BTL
and the new seven-digit telephone dialing system. Some businesses
claim the new BTL 2002 telephone directory contains a lot of errors.
"The new directory is a fiasco," says Bill Wildman, a real estate
developer and surveyor based in Corozal. "Every telephone and
fax number of ours is incorrect both white and yellow, no e-mails
even. Other people have also got similar problems. BTL does it
again and nothing we can do about it but suffer the year." Other
businesses are giving up on BTL's Internet access and going with
Starband or another high-speed satellite Internet system, which
provides DSL-speed downloads even in remote areas. Technically,
these systems are still not permitted in Belize, and a U.S.-address
must be given for billing. 
 
Until the torrential rains in late June, which caused severe flooding
in several areas, temporarily closing parts of the Western, Southern
and Coast highways, the rainy season had been off to slow start
in Belize, with only sporadic rains in most areas. Due to rains
earlier in the year, however, mosquitoes were worse than usual
in a number of regions. 
 
 Belize City: Despite its serious crime problems, Belize City continues to grow
and to become a more livable small city. Several new restaurants
have opened in the Fort George area, including the Village Steakhouse
in the Fort Point Tourist Village, the Wet Lizard and Harbor Light.
Jam-Bel Jerk, which has a location in San Pedro, reportedly is
opening in the old Three Amigos spot. Hotels remain fairly busy,
thanks to regional business and meeting business and overnight
stopovers by tourists. The owners of Colton House are thinking
of selling their beautiful guesthouse across from the Radisson,
with the price around US$500,000 outfitted as a guesthouse and
US$400,000 for the house and lot only, we're told. The attractive
and modern department store, Mirab, remains an asset for the city
centre. The Feinstein-developed Fort Point Tourist Village (see
above) is a well-executed project, but its long-term viability
may depend on its ability to attract local residents as well as
tourists, while keeping a damper on crime, observers say. The
new Museum of Belize, on the grounds of the Belize Central Bank
building in what was the former national prison, is a jewel. Currently
on the first level is a historical exhibition on Belize City.
The exhibition was organized by Yasser Musa, son of the Prime
Minister. Upstairs on permanent exhibit are Maya artifacts from
the Belize National Collection. Among the items displayed are
stunning jade pieces and pottery in amazingly perfect condition.
If you're in the city, the Museum is a must-see (admission US$5). 
 
 Corozal Town: Corozal remains as laid-back as ever. More expats are discovering
the area as a retirement or relocation destination, thanks to
its low real estate prices and proximity to Mexico, but real estate
prices in expat areas such as Consejo have had little appreciation
over the past decade. A real estate/retirement tour planned by
Bill and Claire Gray for mid-year was canceled. Thanks to medical
mission business and other group business, established hotels
in Corozal Town (but not in outlying areas) are enjoying healthy
occupancies this summer. On the night we came through, Tony's
Inn was full except for one non-A/C room. Overall, however, Corozal
isn't even on the radar screen of most tourists visiting Belize.
Sadly also, crime is increasing in Corozal, though it remains
one of the friendliest and safest places in Belize. Even the Hok'ol
K'in Guesthouse was held up at gunpoint earlier this year. The
blue sky plans for a casino, hotel and shopping area near the
Corozal Free Zone have been deconstructed and now only a casino
may get built, sources say. Reportedly the old Don Quixote hotel
site in Consejo is under contract and may become a fertility center.
Top restaurants in town include the French-Caribbean Café Kela,
which is supposed to get a liquor license in August, and which
has some of the best pizza in Central America, and Cactus Plaza,
home of tasty bargain-priced Mexican food. 
 
Placencia: Visitors to Placencia these days are split into two camps: those
who rave about the good time they had there and urge everyone
to visit despite the lingering impact of Hurricane Iris, and those,
mainly budget travelers, who are put off by the state of Placencia
and Seine Bight villages and, while sympathizing with the plight
of the villagers, aren't pleased with the lower peninsula as a
vacation destination and, in some cases, actually leave early
for other budget areas such as Tobacco Caye or Caye Caulker. Has
the peninsula recovered from last October? Yes and no. In Maya
Beach and other areas north of around Seine Bight village, things
are about back to normal. All the major resorts are fully operational,
and some are doing good business. But dozens of wood homes in
Seine Bight village were destroyed and have still not been rebuilt.
Parts of Placencia village look quite different from pre-hurricane
days, and there is still debris which has not been removed. With
a few exceptions, such as Inn at Robert's Grove, where occupancies
have held up reasonably well and the hotel continues to expand
with a new restaurant, dive shop and small marina on the lagoon
side, hotel and tourism business is down sharply for many. Luba
Hati, for example, closed in late May for the summer, and except
for Tradewinds and a few other places in Placencia village, there
is only limited budget-level tourist activity this summer. Another
exception is The Moorings, a yacht charter business in Placencia
Harbor which opened right after the hurricane and by all accounts
is doing a booming business. It is expanding part of its operation
to Robert's Grove marina, where it will base six captained boats.
Real estate continues to be a driving force of the local economy,
and several large upscale homes are being built at The Plantation
and in other developments. Robert's Grove has sold four condos
in what is the mainland's first "condominium zone." Owners Robert
and Risa Frackman plan to build other condos on the lagoon side,
but only when sold and not on spec. The Southern Highway is now
paved past the cut-off to Placencia, but the 25-mile road to Placencia
village remains a potential hazard after heavy rains. We're happy
to see, however, that one of southern Belize's prime watering
holes, Sugar Reef (formerly Lagoon Saloon), stays busy, especially
during happy hour. In other miscellaneous Placencia news, beginning
June 1 non-Belizeans visiting Laughing Bird Caye must pay a US$4
fee. A terminal building at the airstrip is nearing completion.
Despite indications that lobsters will be in less than abundant
supply this year, the Placencia Lobsterfest in late June attracts
visitors from all over the country. Construction and rebuilding
of Turtle Inn, which will be the name of Francis Ford Coppola's
beach place (instead of Blancaneaux's Turtle Inn) is well underway.
Grand opening is tentatively set for mid-December. Quite a few
of the lodges and hotels on the peninsula reportedly are for sale,
including Soulshine, Kitty's, Nautical Inn, Luba Hati, Barracuda
and Jaguar Inn, and others. 
 
Hopkins Area: The Hopkins area has benefitted somewhat from post-Iris troubles
farther south. There are now more than two dozen hotels, guesthouses
and resorts in the Hopkins/Sittee Point area. A few, such as Jaguar
Reef, Pleasure Cove and Hamanasi are larger properties owned by
Americans or Canadians, but most are small guest houses, in many
cases operated by local families. Most visitors have nothing but
good things to say about the friendliness of Hopkins residents.
There are now not one but two Web sites focused on Hopkins: www.hopkinsbelize.com
and www.hopkinsvillage.com. Between Placencia and Hopkins is Belize's
newest all-inclusive, Kanantik, built and operated by Roberto
Fabbri, a former yacht salesman who was born in Italy but lived
for many years in San Francisco, and his partner. Kanantik opened
a couple of months ago, after seven years of planning and construction.
It has 25 thatch cabanas with air-conditioning, a 1,200-ft. stretch
of beach and a beautiful pool. Everything is included for one
price here -- food, prepared by a chef from Guatemala, deluxe
lodging, air transfers from Belize City, tours, local drinks,
diving and, for the time being at least, fishing. The one price
isn't cheap, US$300 per person double occupancy, and we feel it's
still too early to say whether this business model will work in
Belize, but we wish Roberto well. 
 
Ambergris Caye: The hyper-development of Ambergris Caye has slowed a bit, although
two large new bank buildings, one for Belize Bank and the other
for Alliance Bank, are under construction on Front Street and
numerous other commercial and residential buildings are going
up. Seferino Paz is building some beautiful and pricey (like US$450,000)
condos south of Banyan Bay. Tim Jeffers has added 31 units to
his popular Banana Beach resort. The units range from regular
hotel rooms to four-bedroom suites; a few may be rented on a monthly
basis, starting at US$900 a month for a one-bedroom suite with
the tenant paying utilities. A second pool is open here, and a
new air-conditioned restaurant and gift shop are on the way. The
island real estate market remains active, though the apartment
rental market has softened significantly with the departure of
many of the nearly 200 students at St. Matthews offshore med school,
which moved in late spring to Grand Cayman. Two other schools,
Medical School of the Americas, now in temporary space at the
Belize Yacht Club, and St. Luke's downtown, may take up some of
the slack as they add students. More hotels are for sale on the
island than we've seen in a while. Among them: Hotel Del Rio,
for US$580,000; Hideaway Sports Lodge, asking just under a million
US; Coconuts, US$850,000 with some owner financing now possible,
we understand (if we had the money, this is the place we'd probably
buy); Mayas Katut, $275,000; and Caribbean Villas, US$1,875,000.
The rumor mill has it that several other resort properties south
of town are in play, with the potential buyer being a group associated
with a well-connected island businessman. 
 
El Cayo and Mountain Pine Ridge: In the Mountain Pine Ridge, there are plans to set out millions
of Mountain Pines to replace those killed by the Southern Pine
Beetle. A nursery near Blancaneaux is growing the seedlings. Speaking
of Blancaneaux, this lodge looks better than ever despite the
death of many pines on the grounds. An American crew was brought
in to remove the dead trees, and landscaping highlights the remaining
trees and shrubs. Although there's no denying the impact of the
blighted pines, near the four lodges in the Pine Ridge are large
areas of broadleaf forest unaffected by the beetles. Hidden Valley
Inn has been purchased by the family that operates Belize Biltmore
Plaza in Belize City and SunBreeze in San Pedro. The lodge will
reopen soon, with a new pool and other improvements. Eventually,
a dozen more cottages may be added. Some of the lodges and hotels
in San Ignacio have suffered from the slowdown in tourism, and
several are for sale. The nearly new Mayaland Villas near San
Ignacio is being sold at public auction. 

....
SETTLEMENT MAY BE NEAR ON GUATEMALA-BELIZE TERRITORY DISPUTE Reports are that a final agreement may be reached soon in the
old dispute between Guatemala and Belize regarding Guatemalan
territorial claims. The settlement could involve a land swap and
a national referendum in each country. Details are still secret
pending a final agreement.
UPDATE ON CARJACKING AND ROBBERY AT EL PILAR 
Based on eyewitness reports, here's an update on the carjackings
and robbery of tourists at El Pilar Maya site near Bullet Tree
village in Cayo. On the afternoon of Sunday, May 19, two groups
of tourists and a local farmer were stopped and robbed by a masked
gang as they approached El Pilar ruins in their vehicles. At least
one visitor was slightly injured, and several women had their
slacks and, in at least one case, underwear, pulled down by the
robbers, believed to be young Guatemalan men, who groped them
as they looked for hidden money or other valuables. Initially,
four tourists en route to El Pilar in a rental car were stopped
by six masked men, who tied them up and robbed them. About a half
hour later, another group of tourists, all staying at Mopan River
Resort in Benque Viejo, which offers tours as part of its all-inclusive
packages, came along the road in a van. The van was stopped by
the masked gang, as was a local farmer just behind them in a pick-up.
At gun point, the gang forced the tourists, the guide and the
farmer to lay face-down on the ground. Their hands and feet were
bound. 
 
"It's horrifying to consider what might have happened, and we
feel very lucky to be alive and intact," said Linda Carlson-Blankenship
of Los Angeles, Calif., one of the people in the van. In an e-mail,
Carlson-Blankenship said her husband, Tom Blankenship, was "was
kicked in the ribs aggravating already torn rib cartilage, and
he was also jabbed four times -- in the face, hand and legs --
with the machete one of the gang members was carrying." Blankenship
has now recovered from his injuries, his wife said. Carlson-Blankenship
said she was "just shoved and stepped on." She said she believes
local tour guides should be given training on how to respond to
attempted car jackings. 
 
After the gang left, the victims were able to untie themselves.
The farmer recovered his cell phone, which a gang member had thrown
into the bush after the farmer, thinking quickly, had said the
phone didn't work, and the police were called. Reportedly about
US$6,000 in cash, jewelry and cameras was taken, along with other
items including hiking boots. Belize police are investigating,
working with authorities in Guatemala. El Pilar, thought to be
the largest Maya site in the Belize River Valley, is close to
the Guatemala border. 
 
The latest robbery is one of several recent incidents in Cayo
involving attacks on tourists by groups believed to be from Guatemala.
In August 2001, shots were fired at three Americans and their
Belizean driver in a taxi en route from San Antonio village to
San Ignacio. A man described as Hispanic attempted to stop the
taxi. When the driver refused to stop, the bandit fired two shots,
hitting the driver and Bob Perez, from San Jose, Calif. Neither
was seriously injured. Earlier in the year, Costa Rican tourists
in a van belonging to the Lodge at Chaa Creek were stopped and
robbed by a band of masked bandits, also believed to be Guatemalans,
on the Chial Road west of San Ignacio. In December 2001, the manager,
an expat American, and the Guatemalan assistant manager of Black
Rodge Lodge were murdered, and a half dozen American guests were
terrorized, and one raped, in what reportedly was the result of
a dispute between the lodge manager and a Guatemalan family.
Despite these incidents, most visitors to Cayo say they feel safe,
noting that crime can happen anywhere.
TOURIST SHOT IN BELIZE CITY In mid-May, two Texans staying at a Belize City guesthouse were
approached on Eve Street at around 2 in the morning by a young
man on a bicycle who demanded money. When the Texans refused,
the bicyclist pulled a handgun and fired at the ground. The shot
ricocheted and hit one of visitors, identified as Scott Williams,
21, in the head. Williams was taken to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital,
where he was treated and released the next day. 
 
NEW PHONE BOOK PUBLISHED The 2002 Belize telephone book, delayed so that new seven-digit
numbers introduced May 1 could be included, has now been published
by Belize Telecommunications Ltd. A new feature is a section of
e-mail addresses. 
SANDY BEACH LODGE NEARLY DESTROYED BY FIRE Sandy Beach Lodge in Hopkins was severely damaged by a fire in
mid-May. Damage to the thach cabañas was estimated at US$40,000.
The lodge is operated by a women's cooperative in Hopkins.
SOME WATER TAXIS TO CAYES NOW LEAVE FROM TOURIST VILLAGE Travelers to San Pedro and Caye Caulker now have two options for
water taxis. Several operators previously leaving from a variety
of points in Belize City have banded together as the Tourism Village
Water Taxi Association, with their boats leaving from the Fort
Point Tourist Village in the Fort George area where cruise ship
passengers are brought in on tenders. The Caye Caulker Water Taxi
Association boats to San Pedro and Caye Caulker still leave from
the Marine Terminal near the Swing Bridge.
BENQUE BUS FARE PROTESTERS SHOT BY POLICE In April more than a hundred Benque Viejo residents protesting
a hike in Novelos bus fares were fired on by police. In the ensuing
riot at least two protestors were hit by gunfire and more than
two dozen police were injured. Two Belizeans were hospitalized
with gun wounds. Bus fares were raised -- the new fare from Belize
City to Benque is US$4 -- allegedly due to hikes in the price
of gas and diesel fuel. Unleaded gas in Belize is now about US$3.40
a gallon and diesel is around US$2.25.
 
NOTED ANGLER AND HOTELIER LOGAN GENTRY DIES IN BOATING ACCIDENT
Logan Gentry, who with his sister, Ali Gentry, revitalized El
Pescador fishing lodge on North Ambergris Caye and who also helped
develop a new fishing lodge in Toledo district, died May 9 in
a boating accident. Returning to the lodge late at night, Gentry's
boat hit a dredge, which reportedly was unlit. BELIZE FIRST extends
all sympathies on this tragic loss.
TWO CORO MEN KILLED IN THEIR SKIFF NEAR SAN PEDRO José Majil and his brother in law, Alejandro Arevalo, both of
Corozal, were murdered May 7 in Majils water taxi near the southern
tip of Ambergris Caye. Police report a stocky Hispanic man chartered
the boat for a trip to San Pedro. Majil was shot in the stomach
and Arevalo in the head, in an apparent gangland style killing.
Their bodies were discovered in the water near the skiff. Authorities
reportedly suspect the murders have a drug connection. 
TOURISM BEGINS TO BOUNCE BACK IN MARCH Tourist arrivals at the Philip Goldson International Airport inched
up 0.8% in March, compared to the year-ago period, according to
the Immigration Department. A total of 16,347 visitors arrived
at the International Airport, where about 80% of Belize's total
tourists come in to the country. The first two months of the year
experienced decreases in arrivals of less than 10%. In another
positive sign, American Airlines announced that this summer it
would add a second daily flight to Belize from Miami. International
arrivals by air to Belize increased 1.6% in 2001 over 2000, to
133,774 according to the Belize Tourist Board. September arrivals,
following the terrorist attacks in the United States, were down
22% and December arrivals were down about 8% from the previous
year. November was flat and October actually saw an increase,
but statistics for these months are misleading because Hurricane
Keith cut travel to Belize dramatically last October and part
of November. Belize eked out the year-to-year gain despite the
impact of Hurricane Iris and the recession in its major market,
the U.S., which contributes more than three-fourths of air visitors
to Belize.
 
USAIR TO BEGIN CHARLOTTE-BELIZE SERVICE USAir, a troubled carrier now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has announced
plans to fly from its hub in Charlotte, N.C., to Belize City twice
weekly, starting in early November 2002. Separately, American
Airlines has added a second daily flight from Miami to Belize.
The AA flight, whose late afternoon departure will allow those
flying from Europe to make connections to Belize the same day,
rather than overnighting in Miami, will operate only during the
summer. 

 
CRUISE TOURISM BOOMING A total of almost 60,000 cruise ship passengers visited Belize
in the first quarter of 2002. This represents an increase of 185%
compared to the same period last year. The new Fort Point Tourist
Village, designed primarily to serve cruise passengers, has more
than 35 shops, stores and services. The cruise ship business in
Belize is no longer seasonal. Cruise ships are docking at Belize's
City year round with more than 200 expected to call on Belize
during 2002.
 
CURRENCY CRISIS DRAGS ON: Belize's currency crisis appears to be here for awhile. The demand
for U.S. dollars in Belize exceeds the supply, resulting in a
weakening Belize dollar and concern among business owners that
they will not be able to get U.S. currency to pay for imported
items or for freight costs. There is renewed talk of devaluation
of the Belize dollar which has been pegged to the U.S. dollar
at 2 to 1 for many years. 
On the gray market in Belize and border areas, currency traders
are giving up to 2.40 Belize dollars for 1 U.S. dollar. Unconfirmed
reports are that wealthier Belizeans who cannot convert their
Belize dollars to hard currency are buying real estate, believing
that the value of Belize property will track the value of the
U.S. dollar, regardless of any declines in the value of the Belize
dollar. 
The Belize government has announced only that it has licensed
12 cambios around the country to control the currency flows. These
cambios use the 2 to 1 rate but a service fee brings the rate
up to 2.15 to 1, an effective 7 1/2% devaluation. 
The government also has asked hotel operators, a major source
of hard currency receipts in Belize, to report monthly on foreign
currency income. 
So far, the currency exchange problem has not affected tourists
directly. Hotels, tour operators and others in the tourist industry
continue to do business at the 2 to 1 rate. Thanks to imported
products already in the pipeline, the shelves at most retail shops
are well-stocked. Most visitors to Belize are unaware of the crisis.
 
ALL TELEPHONE NUMBERS IN BELIZE CHANGED MAY 1: Effective May 1, 2002, Belize went to seven-digit dialing nationwide,
with all telephone numbers being changed. Now, when dialing Belize
from outside the country is is necessary to dial the international
access code (011 from the U.S.), country code (501) and the new
seven-digit number. 
Formerly when dialing locally it was usually only necessary to
dial the last four or five digits of a number. 
Most local area codes have changed. In some cases, the new numbering
system results in the entire telephone number changing, and in
others, the last five digits remain the same with only the first
two digits changing. 
The changeover caused some problems, as some numbers could not
be dialed using either the old or new numbers. BTLs Web site,
www.btl.net, provides an on-line database which provides the new
number when you input the old number. 
 
BRITAINS PRINCE ANDREW VISITS BELIZE Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, spent four days in Belize in
early March, as part of tour of Central America. Among other activities,
he went to Monkey River to visit with victims of Hurricane Iris,
dedicated a newly paved section of the Southern Highway, the 25-mile
stretch from Bladen Bridge to Big Creek Port, and opened a new
youth hostel and library at Gracie Rock. 
 
SAN PEDRO AND BELMOPAN GET NEW OFFSHORE MED SCHOOLS BUT ST. MATTHEWS
LEAVING FOR CAYMANS Its getting so you cant tell the offshore med schools in Belize
without a program. Two small offshore schools have opened, but
Belizes largest med school, St. Matthews University, is packing
up and moving to the Cayman Islands. The school, which has about
180 students in San Pedro, graduated its first class last year.
The Medical University of the Americas began operation in mid-January
with 35 students in residence on it temporary campus in San Pedro
at the Belize Yacht Club. If students in clinical rotation are
included, the school has 75 students. Some of the faculty are
former St. Matthews University staff. Grace University School
of Medicine, formerly of St. Kitts/Nevis, has moved to Belmopan.
A fourth school, Belize Medical School, remains in Belize City.
 
NEW AND DIFFERENT: 
 The Fountain Blue Hotel in San Pedro, which just opened late
last summer, has closed. The suites hotel was controversial when
it was being built by a local businessman, San Pedro Hardware
owner Simon Harmouch. Originally set for four stories, which would
have made it a story higher than any other building on the island,
a permit for the top story was denied by the town council. The
hotel opened to mostly positive reviews for its attractive, though
not overly large suites, pool and convenient setting. Then, just
six months later, it closed, reportedly in foreclosure, and more
controversy swirls around its financing and the use of associated
tax concessions. 
 Ambergris and Caulker water taxis may be moving to the new Fort
Point Tourist Village from the Marine Terminal, according to sources
in Belize City. The Tourist Village, developed by the well-connected
Michael Feinstein group, which also operates Black Bird Caye Resort,
Royal Mayan Spa and other businesses, has about 45 stores and
shops. It targets cruise ship passengers but has been closed at
times when there are no ships in port. 
 A new budget hotel, Chateau Giselle, opened March 1 in Caye
Caulker.
 
YOU CANT WORK WITHOUT NEW BELIZE SOCIAL SECURITY CARD As of April 1, 2002, it is illegal to hire or employ anyone without
a valid new Social Security card. Non-citizens will not be able
to get a Social Security card unless they have proof of legal
status, such as a permanent residency card, temporary work permit
or naturalization certificate.
 
TWO KILLED AT CAYO LODGE; SIX GUESTS TERRORIZED, ONE RAPED In late December, a gang believed to from Guatemala killed John
Luce, the American manager of Black Rock Lodge on the Macal River
near San Ignacio, and assistant manager Mario Cocom. They then
attacked six guests who were staying the lodge and raped one woman,
an American. According to Caesar Sherard, owner of Black Rock
and also Caesar's Place on the Western Highway east of San Ignacio,
the killings were the result of an unresolved argument between
the Luce and a Guatemalan family. A police investigation continues.
Black Rock Lodge is located only about 3 miles from the Guatemala
border. In the wake of this and several other incidents involving
tourists in western Belize, several lodges in Cayo have beefed
up security, hiring guards or taking other measures to assure
the safety of their guests. Most visitors to Cayo say they feel
completely safe. 
 
SALE OF PASSPORTS DISCONTINUED After years of controversy under both the PUP and UDP administrations,
the economic citizenship, AKA buy-a-passport, program has been
halted as of January 15. Applications still in the pipeline will
be processed, but no new applications are being accepted. The
Qualified Retired Persons Incentive Act program, designed to attract
retirees aged 45 and over to live in Belize, continues and is
not affected by the discontinuation of the economic citizenship
plan.
 
GOVERNMENT TO PRIVATIZE 'FOUR Ps' -- PORTS, PRISON, PRINTING AND
POST OFFICE Belize ports, prisons, printing department and post office soon
will be in private hands, if plans announced by the government
materialize. Already, electricity, water and telephone services
have been privatized.
 
PLACENCIA RECOVERY ON TRACK Most of the debris from Hurricane Iris has been removed, and the
peninsula has water and electricity again. Nearly all the hotels
and restaurants north of Placencia village have reopened, as have
some in Placencia village. Still, with many businesses having
little or no insurance to pay for rebuilding, full recovery is
likely to take many more months. Placencia village and Seine Bight
villages are still badly beaten up. Few tourists are venturing
to the peninsula. 
Here's a status report on Placencia, as of December, provided
courtesy of Mary Toy of Kevin Modera Guides.
UPDATE ON PLACENCIA PENINSULA AS OF LATE DECEMBER 2001 
COURTESY OF MARY TOY, KEVIN MODERA GUIDE SERVICES 
http://www.kevinmodera.com 
 
 
Locations/Communities 
 
Other than the lives lost in the Wave Dancer tragedy, no lives 
were taken by Hurricane Iris. However, structural damage was significant, 
and the following describes damage and rebuilding efforts in the
communities of Placencia Village, Seine Bight Village, Maya Beach
and Monkey River Town. 
 
--Placencia Village: Because of the Village's location at the
southern tip 
of the Placencia Peninsula, Hurricane Iris hit Placencia Village
almost dead 
center, crossing land at Lat. 16.55 and Long. 88.48 -- Placencia
Village is 
at Lat. 16.5167 Long. 88.3667. Estimates are that 75%-85% of the
structures 
in the Village were destroyed or damaged by the storm. 
 
However, many home owners and businesses in Placencia Village
started 
rebuilding almost immediately after Iris. Olga's Grocery and Professional 
Building Supplies re-opened quickly to provide needed food and
building 
supplies to local residents. BJ's Restaurant operated as the command
center 
for local distribution of donated food and water, while The Galley 
Restaurant fed relief and rescue workers, with Serenity Resort,
Kitty's 
Place and Robert's Grove providing housing for insurance adjusters
and 
utility crews. 
 
Most businesses in Placencia Village plan to rebuild (and probably
80% were 
at least partially insured). Jake's Internet Café opened on Thanksgiving
Day 
offering breakfast and lunch service, along with BJ's, Merlene's,
The Galley 
and J-Byrd's. Tradewinds plans to have 3 cabanas operational by
December 
15, with 3 more completed in January. Sea Spray Hotel, Serenade
Hotel, 
Manatee Inn, Harry's Cabanas, Carol's Cabanas and Blue Lagoon
Apartments 
have already re-opened. 
 
--Monkey River Town: Only 2 buildings remained standing in Monkey
River 
after Iris struck and the roof blew off the hurricane shelter
at the height 
of Iris. However, Monkey River has benefited greatly from private
and 
governmental assistance with the rebuilding of homes at low interest
rates 
and most people there now have new homes (albeit small ones).
Residents of 
Monkey River Town are very anxious to again welcome anglers and
visitors to 
the Monkey River jungle. 
 
--Seine Bight Village: Located north of Placencia Village, Seine
Bight was 
not as hard hit by the actual storm as Placencia Village or Monkey
River 
Town. However, almost as many structures in Seine Bight succumbed
to the 
storm surge due to the age and condition of the structures there.
Some 
rebuilding is occurring in Seine Bight, but few people were insured,
and few 
have the financial resources to rebuild. Government and private
aid have 
not yet produced any significant recovery in Seine Bight. 
 
--Maya Beach: Because of its location at the northern end of the
Peninsula, 
most structures in Maya Beach were not heavily damaged by winds,
although 
water damage to first floors was significant. Most homeowners
and 
businesses were insured. 
 
--Cayes: Ranguana Caye escaped with the loss of only the easternmost
cabana (and the Caye is actually a little larger than before Iris). 
 
David Alvarez, the new owner of Ranguana, has appointed Kitty's
Place as its 
new manager, and work has already begun to rebuild the destroyed
cabana, as well as upgrading the existing cabanas. A new food
service area is planned, in addition to new private baths in each
cabana. (Tent camping is no longer available on Ranguana.) Frank's
Caye in the Sapodilla Caye Range is 
undamaged. 
 
Other cayes did not fare as well as Ranguana Caye. Little Water
Caye lost 
all of its structures as did Morris Caye, George's Caye and Whipparey
Caye. 
Pompion Caye and Moho Caye were also heavily damaged. Cary Caye
lost its 
sand and mangroves were uprooted on cayes closest to the Peninsula.
No 
trees remain on Round Caye. 
 
However, as mentioned in the activities section of this newsletter
(in Part 
II), over 50 cayes are in the waters off the Peninsula, and most
of those 
cayes did not suffer significant damage other than the stripping
of leaves 
from trees and bushes - much of which is quickly recovering. (We've
watched the vegetation come back day by day on Placencia Caye
just off the dock area in Placencia Village.) 
 
--Placencia Lagoon: The Lagoon does not appear to have suffered
much damage other than the loss of leaves on some mangrove trees
and the destruction of some structures built close to the water's
edge. Vegetation is regrowing rapidly. 
 
--Toledo District: Most Mayan communities within 75 miles of the
coast in 
the Toledo District were completely destroyed. Help was slow in
reaching 
these communities, many of which had no phones or other communication
with the outside world. 
 
However, the Red Cross, the Belize Emergency Hurricane Net, NEMO,
the 
University of Belize and other local and international organizations
are now 
responding with assistance, including the building of homes, children's 
disaster counseling and donations of seeds for crop replanting. 
 
But, all banana plantations in the Toledo District were severely
damaged or 
destroyed, taking away the primary incomes of most people in these
areas. 
Plus, all milpa crops were destroyed, taking away the secondary
source of 
income and subsistence in the District. Conditions in the Toledo
District 
are still grim, although much improved since October. 
 
--General Peninsula: BEL (Belize Electric Limited) did an amazing
job in 
installing new electric service along the entire length of the
Peninsula in 
less than a six weeks. 
 
Restoration of water service has been much slower due to the total 
destruction of the water line running under the Placencia Lagoon.
However, 
that line has now been replaced and installation of water lines
to 
individual homes and businesses in Placencia Village should soon
be 
complete. 
 
Unfortunately, BTL (Belize Telephone Limited) has not shown the
perseverance and dedication of BEL or the local water service
company. A few temporary phones have been installed in local businesses,
but full phone service is not expected on the Peninsula until
possibly July, 2002. (So please be patient with responses to email
inquiries.) 
 
Regular garbage pickup has also resumed post-Iris. 
 
NEMO (the Belize National Emergency Management Organization) has
done a very good job in coordinating emergency services in the
Stann Creek and Toledo 
Districts. Jim Manmohammed, a business owner from San Pedro appointed
by 
the government as the local coordinator, has done a herculean
job in the 
face of huge obstacles. 
 
--Village Planning. The Placencia Village Council is now working
on a 
Master Plan for the entire Village which will include building
codes, sewage 
disposal, setbacks, police and fire protection, rights of way,
ability of 
the Village Council to condemn properties, etc. New 12-foot vehicular 
rights of way will run from the road to the sidewalk. (Parts II
and III 
follow.) 
 
Activities 
 
--Fishing: The beautiful Caribbean Sea is still at our doorstep,
with 
better beaches than ever post-Iris. (The storm widened the beaches
with 
additional soft, white sand.) 
 
The water is clear, visibility is great, the grouper came in early,
the 
snook and juvenile tarpon have shown up in Monkey River right
on time, and 
we're seeing lots of bones and permit on the flats. 
 
(Our most recent client (12/8-12/11) caught two permit - one on
the flats 
off the Peninsula coast and one down at Punta Ycacos -- also landed
three 
tarpon and reports that bonefish were plentiful and easily caught.) 
 
Winter in Placencia always means good fishing for Black Grouper
(Gag). 
However, Hurricane Iris may make this an even better year than
ever. 
(Anglers in Florida have consistently reported that large numbers
of Black 
Grouper are seen after a strong hurricane. For example, "phenomenal 
catches" were reported after Hurricane Elena in 1985.) 
 
This year, the grouper showed up off the Placencia shores about
two weeks 
early (mid-November instead of early December). Bottom fishing
for 
Strawberry Groupers (and occasionally Nassau Grouper and big yellowtail 
snapper) should also be good in January and February. 
 
Monkey River remains THE place for snook and juvenile tarpon in
the winter 
months - and Monkey River residents are eager to see anglers again. 
 
Snook and tarpon are also a possibility during the winter months
by fishing 
from shore at high tide at the point just north of the Placencia
Village 
dock. (Did you know that snook are protandric hermaphrodites,
which means, 
like groupers, male snooks can become females snook if there are
too few 
females around.) 
 
The truly adventurous can also try for big tarpon (80# plus) at
Deep River 
during December and January - but tent camping is required. Anglers
this 
week are also catching mid-sized tarpon at the cayes (20-40# range). 
 
Other good bets this winter are bonefish (flats), permit (Punta
Ycacos 
Lagoon and flats), King Mackerel and Barracuda. 
 
--Diving/Snorkeling: Iris did not muddy the waters for more than
a few 
weeks, and water visibility is now very good. 
 
Some areas of coral were damaged by Iris, most notably around
the cayes 
closer to the Peninsula (based on early reports from divers and
snorkelers). 
 
However, the MesoAmerican Barrier Reef does not seem to have been
heavily damaged which means that snorkeling and diving around
cayes such asRanguana, the Silks and Little Water should remain
good. Also, snorkelers 
in November reported larger than usual numbers of tropical fish
around some cayes such as the Silk Cayes and Moho Caye. 
 
Iris should also have no effect on whale shark migration in April
and May. 
Best times for whale shark interaction trips are 3 few days before
and after the full moons on April 27 and May 26, 2002. 
 
-Ruins, Jungle and Caves: The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Reserve
and the 
Mayflower Archeological Reserve escaped unscathed by Hurricane
Iris. 
 
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Reserve (a/k/a Jaguar Jungle) is home
to the 
world's largest number of studied jaguars, tropical birds and
birds, rivers 
and waterfalls. (Jungle river tubing is a popular part of many
Cockscomb 
tours). 
 
The Mayflower Archeological Reserve includes several waterfalls
and two main 
Mayan sites, the Maintzunun (Small Hummingbird) and T'au Witz
(The Place of 
the Local God of the Hill). Maintzunun was first occupied during
the Late 
Classic period (600 AD) and abandoned during the Terminal Classic
period 
(900 AD). 
 
The jungle around Monkey River and Monkey River Town was heavily
damaged by Hurricane Iris, and lost much of its canopy. However,
the jungle grows 
quickly and much of the vegetation is returning. We were concerned
about 
the fate of the Howler Monkeys in the area because of the loss
of the 
foliage - their primary food. Fortunately, vegetation began returning 
quickly enough to save most of the monkeys and other jungle birds
and 
animals. The jungle isn't as lush as it was pre-Iris, but birders
and 
wildlife lovers will find a benefit in the new ease of spotting
jungle 
creatures at Monkey River. 
 
Tours to Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit/Blue Creek Cave have been
temporarily 
suspended. Large amounts of post-Iris debris block access to Blue
Creek 
Cave and large rocks and boulders are covering portions of the
ruins at 
Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit. 
 
The caves at Caves Branch were unaffected by Iris - and several
of us took 
refuge at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Jungle Resort during the
storm. All 
Caves Branch caving and caving/tubing trips remain available. 
 
Currently Open for Business: 
 
(Note: we believe the following information on hotels and restaurants
is 
complete and correct. However, without telephone service, information
is a 
little difficult to obtain, so we apologize in advance for any
errors or 
omissions.) 
 
--Resorts/Hotels: Kitty's Place, Inn at Robert's Grove, Barnacle
Bill's 
Beach Cabanas, Green Parrot Guesthouses, Luba Hati Resort, Maya
Breeze Inn, 
Nautical Inn, Rum Point Inn, Serenity Resort, Manatee Inn, Sea
Spray Hotel, 
Serenade Hotel, Harry's Cabanas, Blue Lagoon Apartments, Carol's
Cabanas, 
Lydia's Rooms, Toucan Lulu's, Myrtle's Rental House, Blue Crab
Resort 
 
--Restaurants/Bars: Jake's Purple Space Monkey Internet Café (also
has 
Internet service available), Merlene's Restaurant, BJ's Restaurant,
The 
Galley Restaurant, Kitty's Place restaurant, Robert's Grove restaurant,
Luba 
Hati restaurant, Nautical Inn restaurant, Serenity Resort restaurant,
Green 
Parrot restaurant, J-Byrd's Bar, Pickled Parrot Bar, Night Moves
Bar. 
 
Rebuilding: Soulshine Resort (and restaurant), Mariposa Beach
Suites, 
Tradewinds Hotel, Ranguana Lodge, Julia and Lawrence's Guesthouse,
Cunche's 
Villa, Easy Living Apartments, Sun and Sea Cabanas, Turtle Inn
(and 
restaurant), Daisy's Restaurant, Omar's Restaurant, Bella Beach
Restaurant, 
Dockside Bar, Tentacle's Restaurant, Westwind Hotel, Wamasa Beyabu, 
Angelfish Inn, Miller's Landing Hotel, Maya Playa Guesthouse,
Lee's Secret 
Garden Rental House, Cozy Corners (restaurant and hotel) 
 
--Tours: Most local tour operators and guides are back in full
operation. 
See the Activities section in Part II of this newsletter for more 
information on specific activities. 
 
 
 
Organizations 
 
--Schools: St. John's Memorial School in Placencia Village re-opened
on 
Monday, November 12. St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic School in Seine
Bight 
Village opened two weeks earlier. 
 
Both schools are short on supplies, furniture and teaching aids,
all of 
which were swept away by Iris (a number of children in Placencia
Village do 
not have desks or chairs and must stand or sit on the floor during
class). 
 
Classes in Placencia are severely overcrowded, primarily due to
the 
destruction of two small annexes constructed within the last year
to 
alleviate overcrowding 
 
Marilyn Beckstead, a retired Canadian educator who now makes her
home in 
Placencia has formed a registered Canadian charitable foundation
to raise 
funds and supplies for southern Belize schools. The Iris Foundation
for 
Education (http://www.theirisfoundation.com) will offer ongoing
funding and 
training assistance to area schools, beginning with the Placencia,
Seine 
Bight and Independence schools, and eventually expanding into
the Toledo 
District. (Earlier this year, Marilyn participated in a teacher
training 
program for local teachers in Big Falls in the Toledo District.
The new 
school there built largely by volunteer community labor was destroyed
by 
Hurricane Iris.) 
 
For more information about The Iris Foundation or to make a donation,
visit 
the Website at http://www.theirisfoundation.com or contact Marilyn
Beckstead 
at nskry@btl.net. 
 
--Village Councils: With the help of NEMO, the Placencia and Seine
Bight 
Village Councils have been coordinating local relief efforts including 
distribution of food, water, clothing, building materials and
other 
supplies. The Placencia Village Council Office on the second floor
of the 
building next to the Placencia Cooperative at the dock is again
open from 
8:30 a.m. to noon, and 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Fixed cell phone
service 
should soon be available to the Placencia Village Council office. 
 
Placencia Humane Society: Three emergency clinics were held on
October 20, 
November 19 and December 8 and 9, 2001. Veterinary care was provided
to 149 
pets and homeless animals. Cost of all treatments was paid by
the Placencia 
Humane Society unless the owner voluntarily paid or made a donation
- cost 
to the Humane Society for emergency veterinary care is currently
over $2,000 
BZD. 
 
Dr. Michael DeShield who provides veterinary care at monthly veterinary 
clinics, and the SAGA Society of San Pedro donated dog and cat
food for 
local pet owners. 
 
For more information about the Placencia Humane Society or to
make a 
donation, contact Marcia Fox at foxbuddy@btl.net, Marilyn Beckstead
at 
nskry@btl.net or Mary Toy at mtoy@kevinmodera.com. 
 
Transportation 
 
--Airlines: Both Maya Island Air and Tropic Air are in full operation
with 
five flights each day between Placencia and Punta Gorda/Dangriga
and Belize 
City. Flights are operating on regular schedules. 
 
Roads: Iris pretty much sounded the death knell for what little
paving 
remained of what was a very poor paving job to begin with. In
other words, 
roads are back to normal on the Peninsula - potholes and all.
Not too 
muddy, though. However, the Southern Highway work is moving right
along, 
with only small sections remaining unpaved. 
 
Buses: Southern Transport is providing regular service to and
from the 
Peninsula, Punta Gorda, Dangriga, San Ignacio, Belmopan and Belize
City - 
and all points in between. 
 
Ferries The Hokey Pokey water taxi service to Independence is
running 
Monday - Friday at 10 a.m., returning at 2:30 p.m. 
 
Services 
 
Bank: Atlantic Bank at the Placencia Village dock is open regular
hours 
from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
 
Tourist Center: The Placencia Tourist Center at the Placencia
dock is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to Noon and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Center has
a phone 
and can be reached at placencia@btl.net. 
 
Grocery Stores: Olga's Grocery and Wallen's Grocery are both open
in 
Placencia Village with regular hours. Dave's Grocery in Seine
Bight is open 
with regular hours. Placencia Grocery in Placencia Village is
also open, 
but with irregular hours. Jim and Sarah have resumed their weekly
sales of 
fresh produce at the Placencia Village Dock on Saturdays from
9 a.m. until 
everything is gone (which doesn't take long these days). 
 
Health Clinics: The Placencia Village Health Clinic and the Seine
Bight 
Village Health Clinic are both open. 
 
Placencia Fish Cooperative: The Co-op is open at the Placencia
Village dock 
and is again selling fresh lobster, fish and cubed ice. 
 
 
GREENBACK SHORTAGE CONTINUES It's not a currency crisis, according to government officials,
but the shortage of U.S. dollars continues to be a problem for
Belizean businesses. Many businesses must pay for imported products
and shipping in U.S. dollars, as the Belize dollar can't easily
be converted outside of Belize. Being unable to get sufficient
American currency through legal channels, business owners are
in many cases buying dollars on the grey market, paying Belize
2.20 to 2.40 for 1 U.S. dollar, 10 to 20% higher than the 2 to
1 peg. Other businesses are requiring payment from customers in
U.S. dollars. Rumors continue regarding an official devaluation
of the Belize dollar. Such rumors have occurred regularly over
the years, but no devaluation has taken place. As Belize imports
far more than it exports, a devaluation could be devastating for
the country, according to conventional economic wisdom. A weak
Belize dollar would drive up the cost of many products, creating
inflation. A devaluation would probably not boost tourism to Belize,
as most hotel and tour prices in Belize are denominated in U.S.
dollars. The government has moved to crack down on grey market
money changers, claiming that only the Belize Central Bank can
designate who can legally hold American dollars. The Belize Chamber
of Commerce and Industry has gone on record supporting the concept
that all Belize adults and businesses should have free access
to U.S. currency. 
 
 
POLL: 70% OF BELIZE HOTELS REPORT BOOKINGS DOWN 
 
A late November survey of more than 30 Belize hotel operators
around the country by BELIZE FIRST Editor Lan Sluder found that
about seven in 10 of the hotels report bookings for the 2002 high
season are down, compared with the same period last year.
If there's good news, it is that Christmas bookings are holding
up fairly well, with few cancellations reported by hotel operators.
(Editor's note: December saw only an 8% decline from the same
month a year ago, a smaller decline than in many other destinations.)
Some hotels, especially on Ambergris Caye, are fully booked for
the holidays. 
Of hotels surveyed in November, about 70% report that bookings
for the first four months of 2002, Belize's high tourist season,
are down from the same period last year. The percentage decline
ranges from a very little to "big time," as one lodge operator
in Cayo put it. Another hotel manager in northern Belize reports
a decline in bookings of more than 90%. Only one hotel, on Caye
Caulker, predicted an up year, while about 22% felt that future
reservations were flat or about the same as last year.
 
Airlines flying into Belize and Central America say international
travel has declined by 25% or more since the September 11 terrorist
attacks in the U.S. American, which serves Belize City from Dallas-Fort
Worth and Miami, reported a 32.9% decline in international seat
miles for November, though figures for the Belize routes weren't
available. A seat mile is one passenger flown one mile.
 
Most Belize hotels, however, say that bookings for the Christmas-New
Year period are strong, with few cancellations. U.S. airlines
also report that holiday air travel levels will be close to that
of last year, despite the slowing economy and the aftermath of
the terrorist attacks. "The events of September 11th gave us a
bad October and November, but the future doesn't look as bad as
I originally thought -- presently we seem to be getting more Europeans
than usual for this time of the year which is making up for the
reduced amount of Americans traveling," says one Belize City hotel
operator.
 
The exception for Belize is the Placencia peninsula and nearby
areas, where Hurricane Iris cleanup and rebuilding continues in
Placencia and Seine Bight villages, and where some parts of the
peninsula still do not have pipe water or land telephones. While
most of the resorts north of Placencia village, including well-known
places such as Inn at Robert's Grove and Kitty's Place, have reopened,
the lack of e-mail and telephone access since the October 8 storm
and reluctance by tourists to book into an area devastated by
a hurricane means that holiday tourism levels will be very low
compared with the last few years. This is true also in Toledo
district, but that area gets relatively few visitors even in an
ordinary year.
 
Overall, unless conditions change significantly in early 2002,
next year could see a one-fifth drop in international arrivals
in Belize. This would be the biggest year-to-year drop in tourism
ever recorded. A large upswing in cruise ship arrivals will partly
offset this drop in air and land arrivals, but the positive impact
will be felt mostly in Belize City and among the small group of
tour operators serving the cruise market. 
 
"Things have slowed down big time, but I anticipate a lot of last
minute bookings getting into the season, even more so now that
everyone is offering specials," says a Cayo lodge operator.
 
Interviews with Belize hotel operators and responses to the poll
also show these trends: 
-- Travelers are waiting later than usual to book and are making
more last-minute bookings. 
-- While Americans still dominate the Belize tourist market, representing
about 75% of Belize arrivals, hotel operators are seeing more
European visitors than before. European travelers to Belize are
mostly at the budget level, though they tend to stay longer than
Americans. 
-- Hotels in Belize are holding down price increases, typically
keeping 2002 rates at the same level as 2001. 
-- More hotels are running specials, promoting discounts in the
high season, a practice rarely seen before. 
-- Hotels in popular resort areas, especially Ambergris Caye and
Caye Caulker, appear to be doing better than those in other areas,
including Belize City, Cayo and Corozal.
 
Says one knowledgeable tour operator in Belize: "I noticed the
slow down last April. Things went dead September 11. They've started
picking up, but it's still up and down, not up. I've called lodges
and hotel owners to see how they are doing -- they say fine and
then I get there and it doesn't look so fine to me. Thanksgiving
was good. It always is. Christmas is (almost) sold out. It always
is. But Osama bin Laden could have sold out his hotel in Belize
during Christmas, if he had one." 

HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND VISITOR FACILITIES DAMAGE REPORT: What hotels, restaurants and other visitor facilities in Belize
were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Iris in October? Which
ones are open now? Heres a list BELIZE FIRST has compiled, based
on first-person reports in Belize and information straight from
the hotels and other facilities. Weve tried to cover as much
ground as we can, but we know weve missed some hotels, as communications
with remote areas are still difficult. Its also likely that some
of this information could change, as hotels rebuild and recover
from the storm. The information contained in this report is believed
to be accurate but is not guaranteed. If youre planning to stay
at a specific hotel in an area that received significant damage,
such as Placencia, the best advice is to try to reach that hotel
directly, to ask about the status of repairs and the reopening
date. 
 
If you have additional information, updates or corrections, please
contact BELIZE FIRST. 
 
The GOOD NEWS is that with exceptions of Placencia village, Monkey
River and a few other areas, hotels and visitor facilities in
Belize are open and operating as usual. Come on down! 
 
Ambergris Caye: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Caye Caulker: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Belize City: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
San Ignacio Area, Cayo District: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Belmopan Area: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Mountain Pine Ridge: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Corozal District: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Orange Walk District: No damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Dangriga: Very little damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Punta Gorda Town: Very limited damage -- all hotels operating normally. 
 
Hopkins/Sittee Point: Only limited damage from high waves. Some debris on beaches. Swinging
Armadillo restaurant and Over the Waves restaurants destroyed.
Swinging Armadillo is rebuilding. Dock at Hamanasi destroyed but
hotel and pool are undamaged and are operating normally. Jaguar
Reef undamaged and operating normally. No other reports of significant
damage in the area and hotels are operating normally. 
 
Placencia Peninsula: The center of the hurricane came ashore near the south end of
the peninsula, causing severe damage to wooden structures in Placencia
and Seine Bight villages. Maya Beach had less damage. Electricity,
water, telephone (except cell) and Internet service is still out
in most areas. These services may be operating again by late November,
but in some areas this could take longer. Larger hotels are trucking
in water and some properties have their own generators. 
 
Maya Beach (Placencia Peninsula): 
 
Barnacle Bills: Some damage to one cottage. Expected to be ready
for guests in November. 
 
Mangos Restaurant: Roof blown off but being replaced. 
 
Green Parrot: Moderate damage. 
 
Maya Playa: Destroyed. 
 
Maya Beach Hotel: One building heavily damaged. 
 
Maya Breeze Inn: Status unknown. 
 
Singing Sands: Cabins damaged. Pool destroyed. 
 
Oceans Edge: Little damage. Both cottages okay. 
 
 
Seine Bight Village Area (Placencia Peninsula): 
 
Inn at Roberts Grove: Little serious damage. Ready to accept
guests by November 1. At least one pool open. 
 
Millers Landing: Some damage. Expected to be ready for guests
by Christmas. Pool damaged and will not be open by then. 
 
Luba Hati: Main hotel building and cabins appear okay. Status
unknown. 
 
Nautical Inn: Some damage but buildings still standing. May reopen
in November. 
 
Blue Crab: Significant damage, including restaurant and some cabins.
Rebuilding and could be open in November or December. 
 
Angelfish Inn: Heavily damaged. 
 
Bahia Laguna: This vacant hotel is still standing but was damaged. 
 

Placencia Village Area: 
 
Kittys Place: Little damage. Restaurant open and most units including
beachfront cottages ready for guests. 
 
Mariposa: Some damage. Will not reopen until mid-January 2002. 
 
Blancaneauxs Turtle Inn: Mostly destroyed. Work has begun on
rebuilding. Reopening date not announced. 
 
Mother Ocean: All but two cabins destroyed and these are in poor
condition. 
 
Serenity: Main buildings okay. 
 
Rum Point Inn: Some damage. Newer quad units only minor damage.
Expected to be ready for guests by Thanksgiving. Pool damaged
and will not be ready by then. 
 
Seaspray: Older buildings damaged and condemned. Newer building
expected to be ready for guests in December. 
 
De Tatch Restaurant: Destroyed. 
 
Omars Restaurant: Destroyed. 
 
Sea Horse Dive Shop: Destroyed. 
 
Tentacles and Dockside: Destroyed. Expected to rebuild. 
 
Sonnys: Destroyed.
Seren ade Guest House: Moderate damage, juice bar destroyed. May
reopen in November. 
 
Purple Space Monkey Cybercafe: Lost roof but now reopened (still
without Internet access, however.) 
 
Westwind: Heavily damaged but still standing. 
 
Village Inn: Seriously damaged. 
 
Sun and Sea Cabanas: Seriously damaged. 
 
Ranguana Cottages: Destroyed. 
 
Coconut Cottages: Destroyed. 
 
Barracuda & Jaguar Inn: Damaged, including roofs blown off, but
being repaired. 
 
Sunrider: Destroyed. 
 
Julias and Lawrences Guesthouse: Destroyed 
 
Manatee Inn: Some damage but may be ready for guests in late November. 
 
Atlantic Bank: Office has reopened for business. 
 
Placencia Grocery: Open. 
 
Olgas Grocery: Open. 
 
Cozy Corners: Destroyed 
 
Tradewinds: Two cabins destroyed. Other cabins damaged but can
be repaired. Main house lost roof but can be repaired. 
 
Soulshine Resort: Seriously damaged. May reopen by Christmas. 
 
 
Monkey River: This village was almost completely destroyed. 
 
Bobs Paradise: Destroyed. 
 
The Monkey House: Destroyed. 
 
 
Rural Toledo District: Although the town of PG escaped serious damage, many rural areas
of Toledo were heavily damaged, mostly by high winds. Thousands
of people are temporarily homeless (rebuilding of thatch houses
and other houses has begun.) In some areas, up to 90% of the rainforest
was blown down. 
 
IZEs Blue Creek Lodge: Some cabins damaged, rainforest canopy
walk destroyed, many trees down. 
 
Ranguana Caye: Most cabanas at Ranguana Lodge heavily damaged. 
 
Tobacco Caye: Gaviota and Reefs End lodges seriously damaged. Other hotels
expected to reopen in November. 
 
Long Caye at Glovers Reef: Slick Rocks facility received some damage -- three cabins were
knocked down but probably can be repaired. Expects to be ready
for first guests of season in late November. 
 
Southwater Caye: Some damage from storm surge. IZE Leslies cabins damaged, expected
to be ready for guests in late November. Some damage to Pelican
Beach properties. 
 
Turneffe: No significant damage -- lodges operating normally. 
 
Lighthouse Reef: No significant damage -- Lighthouse Reef Resort operating normally. 
 
St. Georges Caye: No significant damage -- hotels operating normally. 
 
Southwest Caye: Manta Resort reportedly received significant damage -- reopening
date unknown. 
 
Franks Caye in the Sapodillas: No significant damage to Serenade Island Resort. 
 
Whipray Caye: Cabins and facilities virtually destroyed.
PRIME MINISTER MUSA GIVES ASSESSMENT OF STORM DAMAGE Hurricane Iris caused more than US$150 million in damage in Belize,
leaving 12,000 to 13,000 temporarily homeless, destroyed 3,179
homes and damaged about 40 villages in Toledo and Stann Creek
districts, according to an assessment by Prime Minister Said Musa.
The storm destroyed 5,500 acres of bananas, 3,581 aces of rice,
5,570 acres of corn, 730 acres of cacao, 35 acres of hot peppers,
203 acres of plantains, 700 acres of mango, some citrus and all
the root crops and vegetables in affected areas in southern Belize,
according to the PM. Iris destroyed 90% of all tourism accommodations
on the Placencia peninsula. The storm damaged 82 registered hotels
( a fifth of all the hotels in the country) causing 570 hotel
rooms to need rebuilding or repair, he said. 
 
HURRICANE IRIS SLAMS PLACENCIA AND SOUTHERN BELIZE: 
19 Killed in Dive Boat Near Big Creek; Thousands of Homes and
Businesses Destroyed; Monkey River, Placencia, Seine Bight Villages
Virtually Wiped Out by 140 MPH Wind 

Hurricane Iris, a compact but powerful storm with winds of 140
mph, has roared through the southern coast of Belize on the evening
of October 8, creating a storm surge as high as 15 feet. Efforts
to assess the damage are only beginning, but the storm is believed
to have caused many deaths, including 17 Americans, on a dive
boat, and to have virtually destroyed a number of towns and villages,
including Monkey River, Seine Bight and Placencia villages. As
many as 13,000 people in southern Belize are homeless.
 
Iris made landfall around 7:30 p.m. Belize time (9:30 p.m. EDT)
Monday, packing winds of 140 mph and higher. The center of the
eye of the Category 4 hurricane appears to have been on the southern
end of the Placencia peninsula, one of Belizes most important
tourism centers. 
 
A live-aboard dive boat, the M/V Wave Dancer operated by Peter Hughes Diving in Coral Gables, Fla., sank near
Big Creek, a deep water port to the west of Placencia. At least
19 people -- 17 American divers and 2 Belizean crew -- died after
the 120-foot boat, moored at Big Creek in 12 feet of water, capsized.
A spokesperson for Peter Hughes said that 28 people were aboard,
mostly divers from the Richmond, Va., area. Another dive boat,
the Belize Aggressor, also with members of a Richmond dive club aboard, was moored
nearby but safely road out the storm. Reportedly a local resident
repeatedly asked the dive boat occupants to come ashore but most
declined to do so. 
 
Other deaths from high water or wind are reported. The total death
toll is as yet unknown, but one source put it at 30 or more. No
deaths have been reported in Placencia.
 
Many homes and businesses in Placencia, a Creole village at the
south end of the peninsula, and in Seine Bight, a Garifuna village
a few miles north, reportedly have been damaged or destroyed.
Among the well-known businesses believed destroyed in Placencia
village are Ranguana Lodge, Sonnys, Sea Horse Dive Shop and De
Tatch restaurant. Many of the hotels and resorts on the peninsula
are thought to have been damaged or destroyed by the high winds
and sea surge. At one point, most of the peninsula was under several
feet of water. The Inn at Roberts Grove, Luba Hati, Rum Point
Inn, Nautical Inn, Kittys and Serenity, while water-damaged,
are still standing. Co-owner Risa Frackman said Roberts Grove
would reopen in a couple of weeks. Amazingly, in post-storm
aerial photos taken by Tony Rath, many palm trees are shown still
standing along the beaches. Rath's still photos can be seen at
http://www.belizenet.com/iris_fnl/ 
 
Monkey River, a Creole village of about 2,500 people south of
Placencia, is believed to have been almost completely destroyed,
according to a Belize government information officer quoted by
Reuters. Most homes and all the hotels in the village were destroyed.
Other nearby villages, including Silver Creek, Independence and
Mango Creek, also have reported massive damage. Several schools
and other buildings used as hurricane shelters had their roofs
blown away. 
 
Farther south, some homes in Punta Gorda Town and in rural Toledo
district, an area with many traditional Maya villages with simple
thatch houses, have been reported destroyed. The hurricanes main
swath of damage appears to have started around Seine Bight village
and extended south through Monkey River and into rural Toledo.
Areas to the north, including Dangriga Town and Hopkins village,
received relatively little damage. Fortunately many residents
and tourists on the coast were evacuated before the storm hit.
The Placencia peninsula has a population of more than 2,000, with
another 5,000 or more living in the Independence area. September
and October being the slowest months of the year for tourism in
Belize, the number of visitors on the Placencia peninsula is thought
to have been relatively low.
 
According to initial reports, much of Belizes banana industry,
which is centered in southern Belize, was destroyed by the storm.
Significant damage also was done to the citrus and shrimp farming
industries. 

Hopkins/Sittee Point, Dangriga, Belize City, Belmopan, Cayo District,
and northern Belize, including Corozal and Orange Walk and the
popular resort islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, escaped
with little or no damage. Hotels and resorts are operating normally.
The international airport and all local airports are operating.
Belize's tourism industry has expressed hope that tourists would
continue to travel to Belize.
 
Donations for the relief effort can be made to the American Red
Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington,
DC. 20013 or AmbergrisCaye.com (www.ambergriscaye.com), which
is sending money straight to Belize, with no overhead or administration
costs. 
 
---- 
 
news summary provided by Lan Sluder, Belize First Magazine, http://www.belizefirst.com/ 
 

BELIZE HOTEL SURVEY FINDS MODERATE SLOWDOWN IN AFTERMATH OF TERRORIST
ATTACKS -- Christmas Bookings Remain Strong But 2002 Looks Iffy -- In the aftermath of the tragic terrorist attacks in the United
States, at BELIZE FIRST we wanted to assess the impact of the
attacks and the worldwide travel slowdown on tourism in Belize.
Tourism, with agriculture, is a top driver of the Belize economy.
During the first week in October, we surveyed about two dozen
hotel owners and managers in all areas of Belize, including Ambergris
Caye, Caye Caulker, Belize City, Cayo, Placencia and Corozal,
asking them about current bookings and future trends. Here are
the results. 
 
KEY FINDINGS 
1. Most properties in Belize have experienced cancellations for
September and October, some ranging up to 30%. However, due to
the time of year -- September and October are routinely the slowest
months of the year for tourism in the Western Caribbean -- the
actual economic impact in Belize has been modest so far. 
 
2. Bookings remain strong for the prime Christmas holiday season,
and hotels so far report few cancellations for this period. However,
since stiff cancellation penalties dont usually kick in until
30 or 60 days before arrival, more guests may cancel as these
deadlines approach. 
 
3. In the aftermath of the attacks, future bookings for 2002 slowed
significantly, but hotel operators are seeing some bounce now. 
 
4. Hotel operators are unsure about how the terrorist attacks
and an anticipated U.S. and global slowdown will impact Belize
tourism for the next year. The consensus appears to be that tourism
in Belize next year at best will be flat, with no growth from
this year. A few operators are still holding out hopes for a strong
2002, while the more pessimistic believe that if the global economy
sours and military action heats up, next year could turn out to
be the worst for Belize tourism since at least the Gulf War in
1991. 
 
DETAILED FINDINGS 
Heres what hotel owners and GMs are saying about tourism in Belize.
Keep in mind that this is not a scientific sampling of the more
than 400 hotels in Belize. However, it does represent the views
and experiences of the operators of many of the largest and most
successful hotels, lodges and beach resorts in Belize. 
 
* Nearly all hotels surveyed in Belize have experienced cancellations
or no-shows for September and October. In most cases the number
of cancellations has been small, from a few to around 30%. With
flights into Belize canceled for almost a week following the attacks,
a few hotels saw business after September 11 drop 40% or more.
However, because September and October are routinely the slowest
months of the year for tourism in Belize, and some hotels and
lodges were already scheduled to be closed for part of this period,
the impact of the cancellations so far has been relatively modest.
One island resort operator says: Our business is probably down
about 25-30% for September and October. I would guess November
will be down some but not as much. Activity on our web site was
way down but now has returned to normal levels. Hopefully that's
a sign that people are considering traveling to Belize. 
 
* Hotels are handling cancellations in various ways. Some are
offering credits for future stays, some are applying their standard
cancellation fees, and a few are providing full deposit refunds
and waiving penalties. 
 
* Hotels and lodges that traditionally have gotten a lot of business
from New York and the Northeastern U.S. are feeling the impact
more than hotels that generally draw from other areas. Although
the survey sample is not large enough to state this with confidence,
it appears that the more upscale properties catering to older,
more affluent guests are seeing greater weakness in bookings than
budget properties catering to younger travelers, especially those
from Europe. 
 
* Almost all hotels surveyed say bookings for the prime Christmas
and New Years period are strong. A number of the caye and coast
resorts are fully booked for the period this year, as they were
in previous years. Hotels report virtually no cancellations yet
for Christmas. However, since at many properties stiff cancellation
fees dont kick in until 30 or 60 days before arrival, more guests
may cancel as these deadlines approach. Says a Belize City-based
operator: Its hard to find a room for Christmas and New Years,
but were not over the hump yet. Most hotels only have deposits
now. Theyll know more when they request the balances, usually
30 days prior to arrival. 
 
* Overall, bookings for early 2002 appear to be significantly
lighter than last year and below operator expectations. A beach
hotel operator says: Christmas is mostly booked as usual but
early 2002 still looks weak. Many people seem to taking a wait
and see attitude at this time. A lodge operator reports: As
of the first week in September, we were well on our way to having
a banner season ... It was dead quiet from the 11th for at least
two weeks. But now, I'm getting several inquiries a week, and
deposits for next year are coming in. Another mainland operator
says: Bookings stalled for the first few weeks ... and have now
returned to just plain slow, but I should be seeing lots more
requests at this time for future bookings. 
 
* Due mostly to economic softening in the U.S., which is the source
of about three-fourths of Belize tourist arrivals, Belize hotel
owners are holding the line on price increases. In most cases,
rates for 2002-2003 are being kept the same as for this year,
and in at least one case a hotel rolled back a planned service
charge. So far, hotel operators havent announced plans to discount
to attract new business. 
 
* Looking ahead to 2002, most hotel operators are cautiously optimistic.
The consensus is that tourism in Belize wont see the growth previously
projected but will remain at about 2001 levels, flat but not down.
A lodge operator says: I think it will result in this season
going from a great year to a fair year but probably not as bad
as the year of Desert Storm. 
 
* Tourism in Belize wont collapse, operators say, because much
of their business -- especially on Ambergris Caye -- is repeat
business from visitors who know Belize and wont hesitate to come
back. Also, Belize may get more business from Europe and more
from Americans who may decide to vacation closer to home rather
than to travel to Europe or elsewhere. A lodge operator says:
It is conceivable that we may even do better due to redirection
of travel from Europe, Middle East and Asia. Wholesalers and agents
will be hustling for safe close-to-home product or they will go
out of business - I think Belize fits the bill. 
 
* Hotel operators say they think things will slowly return to
about normal, assuming there is no major war. Overall, operators
are more concerned about a U.S. recession than about the fallout
from military action against terrorists or countries that harbor
terrorists. A San Pedro hotel operator says: The economy is an
even greater worry since we have been enjoying the benefits of
Americans with lots of disposal income. In San Pedro, we have
the same guests returning several times in one year because they
could afford it. That will cease. 
 
* Hotel operators say it is still to early to assess the full
impact of the attacks and the potential global recession. Much
depends on what happens militarily and how the economic slowdown,
especially in the U.S., plays out. This aint over by a long
shot. This is a brave new world, and no one knows what it will
turn into, says one knowledgeable tourism operator. 
 
* Should the slowdown continue for a long time, or should the
global economy go through a severe downturn, Belize tourism operators,
who are mostly small, lightly capitalized businesses, could have
a hard time coping. Despite two years of record or near-record
hotel occupancies, many hotels in Belize are barely staying afloat.
Says one operator: Many hotels in San Pedro are still recovering
from both Keith and Mitch, bank loans are at high interest, costs
are very high, everything we buy costs us and arm and a leg. Most
people live close to the bone, and not a lot of skin covering.
Im not pessimistic, but Im being realistic.
BELIZE TOURIST BOARD: TOURISM OFF 25% IN SEPTEMBER Tourism in Belize in September is down about 25%, says the Belize
Tourist Board. Although not many cancellations have yet been received,
there are few reservations being made through the rest of the
year, according to the BTB. The BTB says it's hard to predict
what will happen for the immediate future. Many Belize hotel operators
are still optimistic, however. Most flights to Belize in mid and
late September have not been full, but September is traditionally
the slowest month of the year for tourism in the Western Caribbean.
 
 
GALERIA MAYA JUST A PIPE DREAM? Galeria Maya, the casino and hotel project headed by Glenn Godfrey,
may be going nowhere after all. Channel 5 TV in Belize City says
activity, such as it was -- nothing much was ever really done
other than to hold a groundbreaking ceremony and put up a billboard
-- at the site has stopped. As BELIZE FIRST reported from Corozal
Town in July, many in the hospitality industry there had doubts
that the project would ever get off the ground. The grandiose
plans to bring in cruise ships through Chetumal Bay and the Four
Mile Lagoon sounded far-fetched to some local observers. 

ALEX KING DEAD IN AUTO ACCIDENT Alex King, 32, died as a result of an auto accident September
18 on the Western Highway. King, who was involved in a number
of media projects in Belize, reportedly was returning to Belize
City from Belmopan early in the morning when his Isuzu Rodeo overturned
near Rockville. King recently had joined the University of Belize
as a public relations officer. He was the son of Emory and Elisa
King and is also survived by his wife, two young children and
a brother. Emory King is Belizes best-known American expat and
the author of numerous books on Belize. BELIZE FIRST joins with
others in Belize and around the world in expressing sympathy to
the King family. 
 
GUAT GANG FOILED NEAR BELMOPAN In more evidence that lawlessness in the Petén region of northern
Guatemala is spilling over into Belize, Belize police stopped
a gang of heavily armed men September 16 at a road block on the
Western Highway near Roaring Creek. One man, Zacarias Copo Jr.
of Orangewalk Town, a Belizean, was arrested, but five or six
men believed to be Guatemalans escaped. Police found assault weapons,
ammunition and a face mask in a vehicle left behind. Authorities
say they think the Guatemalans entered the country illegally and
were met by Copo. Masked gangs believed to be from Guatemala have
been involved in several recent holdups in Cayo.
FLIGHTS RESUME TO AND FROM BELIZE American, Continental and TACA flights between the U.S. and Belize
City have resumed. Increased security measures at the International
airport require that passengers check in three hours in advance
of international flights. International mail service between Belize
and the U.S., discontinued after the September 11 terrorist attacks,
also has resumed. 
 
TERRORIST ATTACK ON AMERICA COULD HAVE SEVERE REPERCUSSIONS ON
BELIZE ECONOMY Despite an upbeat message delivered by Belize Prime Minister Said
Musa, the September 11 terrorist attacks, using hijacked passenger
planes, on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon
in Washington, D.C., which shocked America and brought much of
its transportation and commercial infrastructure to a standstill,
may also have a serious impact on Belize. Observers believe tourism,
with agriculture the top driver of the Belize economy and a leading
source of foreign exchange earnings, is likely to be hit hard.
Even before the attack, the economic slowdown in the U.S., where
almost three-fourths of tourism to Belize originates, was being
reflected in slower bookings for the upcoming Belize high tourist
season. Now, with the U.S. economy expected to slide into recession
and with U.S. domestic and international airline traffic predicted
to decline by as much as 25% or more, Belize tourism could be
in for its worst period in many years. The anticipated slowdown
comes at a particularly bad time. Belize operators, coming off
two records yeaars for tourism, have added new capacity. More
than 400 new hotel rooms are under construction or have been recently
completed on Ambergris Caye alone. This expansion is taking place
just as world economies appear to be headed into the first truly
global recession since the early 1970s. 
 
An e-mail survey of hotel operators in San Pedro by Lan Sluder,
BELIZE FIRST editor and publisher, conducted, by coincidence,
just after the terrorist attack, found that most operators still
believed that 2002 would be better than 2001. Unfortunately, if
patterns in international air travel follow those of the period
after the Gulf War in early 1991, the Pan Am bombing in 1998 and
a spate of terrorist attacks in the Middle East in the 1980s,
when air traffic dropped from 5 to 20% for a time, that optimism
could be misplaced. The period following the Gulf War was especially
traumatic for the travel industry, according to an article in
USA Today, and the U.S. slipped into a nine-month recession. Travel
and tourism rebounded in 1992 and 1993, however. 
 
Travel agents in the U.S. report cancellation rates of 20 to 40%
for upcoming trips, especially for travel over the next few weeks
to Europe. Many airline flights are running at less than 50% capacity.
How consumer fears may impact travel to Belize is as still unclear,
but traffic and postings on many Belize and other travel Web sites
has been off dramatically since the attacks September 11. The
stringent security measures being implemented for U.S. airports
to combat terrorism are expected to further reduce air travel.
 
 
Should the U.S. launch an attack against terrorist enclaves or
entire countries thought to harbor terrorists, air travel and
tourism likely would drop even more precipitously. American defense
officials have said the U.S. will launch sustained military strikes
against those behind the terrorist attacks and said the administration
was considering options that included the use of air, sea and
land forces over a lengthy period. 
 
However, a few observers believe that destinations such as Belize,
away from urban centers which may be targets of future terrorist
attacks, might actually benefit, as tourists may feel safer in
Belize than in some other areas. Also, some think that Belize
could get additional interest as a safe harbor for retirement
or relocation. Laid back Belize is hardly a high-profile target
for international terrorism. 
 
Airline industry watchers say the terrorist attacks will have
a massive negative impact on airlines worldwide. Worldwide airlines
are expected to post losses of US$10 billion just as an immediate
fallout from the terrorist attacks. American, Continental, Delta,
USAir and other major American flag carriers have announced service
cut-backs averaging 20%, and several carriers in the U.S. and
elsewhere, including Continental, American , Delta, British Air,
Air Canada and USAir, have announced major layoffs, with the total
involving more than 125,000 employees. 
 
Other industries in Belize, including agriculture, may suffer
less from an economic slowdown in the U.S. and worldwide. However,
demand for citrus, sugar and seafood products, all important to
the Belize economy, is in great part tied to the state of the
U.S. and European economies. The U.S. is Belizes leading trade
partner. A contracting American and global economy will cut into
agricultural and seafood exports from Belize. Even before the
September attacks, consumer confidence in the U.S. and elsewhere
had been in decline. A widely watched University of Michigan consumer
sentiment index for the month ending September 10, the day before
the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, had plunged to 83.6
-- the lowest level of the year -- from 91.5 in August. 
 
NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO BELIZE PRESENTS CREDENTIALS The new United States Ambassador to Belize, Russell Freeman, in
September presented his credentials to the Governor General, Sir
Colville Young, at the Belize House in Belmopan. Ambassador Freeman
called Belize the jewel of the Caribbean. He noted that there
are close ties between the two countries, with some 80,000 Belizeans
living in the U.S. and 3,000 Americans living in Belize. Ambassador
Freeman was a lawyer in Fargo, North Dakota.  He served as a judge
advocate in the United States Army and is a graduate of Grinnell
College in Iowa and Northwestern University Law School. The Belize
ambassadorship is considered a political appointment. The attorney
was George W. Bushs leading fund raiser in North Dakota, and
his brother, Brad Freeman, an investor in Los Angeles, was a big
fund raiser for and contributor to the Bush presidential campaign.
BELIZE EXPRESSES SYMPATHY TO AMERICA; FOUR BELIZEANS FEARED KILLED
IN WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK Belize Prime Minister Said Musa on September 11 asked new U.S.
Ambassador to Belize Russell Freeman to convey the condolences
of the government and people of Belize to the people of the United
States for the tremendous loss of human life, property and grave
injury caused by the horrific actions committed against government
and commercial installations in major United States cities. Prime
Minister Musa described the acts as callous and cowardly. At least
two and perhaps as many as four Belizeans were among the more
than 6,000 innocent people killed in the Islamic terrorist attack
against the World Trade Center towers in New York. They worked
in offices in the WTC twin towers. 
 
BELIZE TELECOMMUNICATIONS MONOPOLY WILL NOT BE RENEWED At a meeting September 4, Belizes Cabinet decided not to renew
the exclusive license to provide all telecommunciations and Internet
services of Belize Telecommunications Ltd. after it expires at
the end of December 2002. They agreed to notify BTL in writing
before the legal deadline in December 2001. This decision was
taken to address concerns from the general public regarding the
high cost of telecommunications services, according to a Belize
government press release. Many Belize consumers and business people
rejoiced. 
 
BELIZE CLAMPS DOWN ON U.S. DOLLAR AND MEXICAN PESO HOLDERS In late August, the Belize government began a crackdown on money
changers and others holding large amounts of U.S. dollars and
Mexican pesos in Belize, citing a law that requires transactions
for all significant currency exchanges to go through Belize banks.
The crackdown apparently is directed in part to companies doing
business in the Corozal Free Zone. The Belize Central Bank position
is that the Belize dollar is the only legal tender in Belize,
but that the U.S. dollar is the only legal tender for business
transactions in the Free Zone. Business people in the CFZ can
buy U.S. dollars from the Belize Bank office in the Free Zone,
but they are expected also to deposit their U.S. earnings with
the bank. The immediate reaction was a shortage of both U.S. dollars
and pesos in Belize and a decline in the value of the Belize dollar
as set by grey market money changers in Belize, Mexico and the
U.S. 
 
LARGEST HOTEL IN BELIZE BREAKS GROUND The former Casa Caribe, now owned by a timeshare developer with
projects in Cancun, will be expanded to 242 units, it was announced
at a ground breaking for Avalon Resorts in early September on
North Ambergris. Currently the largest hotel in Belize is the
Princess Hotel and Casino in Belize City, with 119 rooms and plans
for 66 more. Reportedly the construction of the Avalon project
will employ as many as 1,000 people. A dredging permit for land
and beach reclamation on the east side of the island near Mexico
Rocks reportedly has been approved by the governments Geology
Department. Belize conservation organizations have lobbied the
government to designate this area as a marine reserve or as a
part of the nearby Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve.   Rumors
in San Pedro are that the hotel eventually wants to cut a channel
through the island, but that has not verified. Avalon Resorts
is headed by Mike Kelly. 
 
MEDICAL SCHOOL BROUHAHA CONTINUES Just after the graduation of its first class this summer, several
of the top administrators at St. Matthews Medical School, a privately
owned and operated offshore med school in San Pedro which opened
in 1997, were removed and a new administration installed. The
new regime was headed by first by B.D. Owens, Ph.D., a medical
consultant, and then by Henry M. Haire, M.D. Some members of the
former administration, including St. Matthews founder and former
CEO Jeffrey Sersland, M.D., supported by several former St. Matthew
staff members and some Sanpedrano business people, reportedly
are attempting to set up another school, a branch of the Medical
University of the Americas, another offshore med school which
has operations on the Caribbean islands of Nevis and Saba. At
one point, St. Matthews was given an eviction notice from its
temporary location next to Villas at Banyan Bay but it is now
back there, at least for the time being. 
 
BRIT NAVY HELPS IN BIG COCAINE BUST Following a three-hour helicopter and boat chase near Hick Caye
off Belize City, in early September Belize police and the British
Royal Navy nabbed more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine with a street
value of US$56 million. The drug traffickers escaped, and no one
was arrested. 
 
CHANTAL CAUSES FLOODING IN THE NORTH OF BELIZE BUT LITTLE DAMAGE
AND NO LOSS OF LIFE Tropical storm Chantal, briefly nearing hurricane strength, caused
flooding in northern Belize and a little beach erosion on the
cayes, but otherwise did little damage as it swept across Belize
into the Yucatán in mid-August. Some roads were closed for a short
time due to flooding. There was no loss of life. As a precaution,
as the storm approached tourists on Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
were evacuated to the mainland. The evacuation went without incident,
although a few hotel owners and visitors complained that tourists
arriving at the international airport, with their onward flights
to the cayes canceled, were not given any information about where
to go or what to do. 
 
FORMER PLACENCIA RESORT OWNER KIDNAPPED AND KILLED IN HONDURAS Tom Giblin, the former owner and operator of Serenity Resort
in Placencia, in August was kidnapped and killed near Puerto Cortes,
Honduras, where he was constructing a seafront home. Giblin had
moved to Puerto Cortes earlier this year, after selling his interest
in his Placencia properties. Honduras police have arrested five
Hondurans, four of them reportedly employees of Giblin, in connection
with the murder. Friends of Giblin in Placencia, where he had
lived for about 12 years since moving to Belize from Connecticut,
expressed regret and sadness. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Honduras
called Honduras a high-risk country in which to live or invest.
The spokesperson said that on average a U.S. citizen is killed
in the country every two months, adding that the killings of at
least 11 U.S. citizens over the past three years are unresolved.
Six U.S. citizens were killed in Honduras last year. About 12,000
Americans are thought to live in the country. 
 
MIAMI PHYSICIAN DIES IN BLUE HOLE DIVING ACCIDENT Dr. Reuben Delgado, a 43-year-old Miami cardiologist, was believed
drowned in a diving accident at the Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef
August 5. The physician was separated from the rest of the diving
party as the divers surfaced from about 130 feet. Despite searches
by a mini-submarine, the body has not been recovered. Dr. Delgado
is believed to be the fifth diver to have perished in the famed
Blue Hole over the past 25 years. 
 
CROC KILLS BOY IN BELIZE CITY CANAL Jamaal Swift, 13, was killed August 7 by a crocodile which attacked
the youth while he was swimming in a canal off Haulover Creek.
The boy was bitten and pulled underwater by an 8 or 9-foot American
Saltwater crocodile. 
 
TOLEDO MAN DIES FROM FER-DE-LANCE BITE A 50-year-old farmer, Monico Cho, died August 5 as a result of
a bite from a fer-de-lance or Yellow Jawed Tommy Goff as the deadly
snakes are known in Belize. The man was bitten as he walked to
his farm near Mafredi village and died before reaching the Punta
Gorda hospital. 
 
MACLEAN'S RUNS CRITICAL ARTICLE ON CHALILLO DAM Macleans, one of Canadas leading magazines, ran a lengthy and
critical article on the Chilillo, the controversial dam that is
set to be built on the Macal River. The article, by writer Tavia
Grant, begins this way: The dense jungle of the Macal River Valley
in western Belize is among the most ecologically diverse on the
planet. It is home to the tapir, the floppy-nosed ancient relative
of the horse, and the rare scarlet macaw, one of the largest and
noisiest members of the parrot family. The Macal River also sustains
the 800 villagers of Cristo Rey, who fish and drink its waters.
But now, they fear the river is about to be destroyed -- and they
blame a Canadian company, which, with Ottawa's help, is planning
to dam the Macal, a project that would submerge two ancient Mayan
settlements -- and a way of life. It's just a pity, says Robert
Bateman, the renowned Canadian artist and naturalist who has twice
visited the region. To think that a Canadian company would be
involved in this dam. Bateman is not alone. Other international
celebrities, including actor Harrison Ford, are also lending their
voices to the growing opposition to the $50-million dam, which
will stand 35 m high and stretch nearly 350 m in length. Proponents
of the project, including St. John's, Nfld.-based Fortis Inc.,
which in 1999 bought Belize's electrical utility and plans to
finance and build the dam, say the power it would generate could
help alleviate poverty, attract foreign investment and reduce
the country's dependence on imported oil from neighbouring Mexico.
But Bateman dismisses those arguments, claiming dams are no longer
a panacea for economic growth. 
 
FIRST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO RETIRING, LIVING AND INVESTING IN
BELIZE PUBLISHED Adapter Kit: Belize, a comprehensive guide for those considering buying property,
working, retiring or living in Belize, has been published by Avalon
Travel, the California company which also publishes the Moon Handbook
travel guides. The author is Lan Sluder, editor and publisher
of BELIZE FIRST MAGAZINE and the author or co-author of four other
books on Belize. Subtitled A Travelers Tools for Living Like
a Local, the new book is also for those who just want to experience
the authentic Belize rather than to have a purely tourist experience.
Sluder says he interviewed more than 100 people, mostly expat
residents in Belize, for the book. At 262 pages, with many maps
and photographs, Adapter Kit: Belize is available from Amazon.com and Borders.com and in bookstores
worldwide for US$17.95 or less. Sluders book is one in a new
series for Avalon. Other Adapter Kit titles focus on France, Mexico,
Ireland and other population retirement and relocation destinations
around the world. 
 
WATER OUT FOR NEARLY FOUR DAYS ON AMBERGRIS CAYE The municipal water supply was out for nearly four days on Ambergris
Caye in early August, due to a problem at the Belize Water Services
pumping plant. Residents say the water smelled like diesel fuel
before it was turned off. Businesses, hotels and residents with
wells or cisterns reconnected their old lines to provide a temporary
source of water. Belize Water Services is a private company that
provides water on the island. 
 
BELIZE TOURIST BOARD PUBLISHES TOURISM STATISTICS BOOKLET The BTB has published a booklet, Belize Travel and Tourism Statistics,
which presents data on Belize tourism for the year 2000. The stat
book includes information on hotel occupancy rates, attendance
at selected attractions, tourist arrivals and other information.
It costs US$7.50 and is available from the BTB. 
 
ANOTHER TOURIST INCIDENT IN CAYO In early August, shots were fired at three Americans and their
Belizean driver in a taxi en route from San Antonio village to
San Ignacio. A man described as Hispanic attempted to stop the
taxi. When the driver refused to stop, the bandit fired two shots,
hitting the driver and Bob Perez, 50, from San Jose, California.
Neither were seriously injured. Police say the crime is similar
to others committed in Cayo District by Guatemalans who routinely
move back and forth across the border. Earlier this summer, tourists
in a Lodge at Chaa Creek van were stopped and robbed by a band
of masked bandits west of San Ignacio. Local lodge and hotel operators
say they arent worried about the spillover of crime from Guatemala,
but observers say the situation poses a threat to tourism in western
Belize. 
 
CHAA CREEK WINS ECO AWARD The Lodge at Chaa Creek has won the Islands Magazine-Caribbean
Tourism Organization Sustainable Tourism Award. The resort was
honored for its focus on the environment, commitment to local
culture and products, a recycling program and educational outreach.
 
 
STUDY SUGGESTS CATNIP BEATS DEET FOR MOZZIES Ever seen a Belize mosquito bite a cat? Could be because skeeters
hate catnip, according to scientists at Iowa State University.
Preliminary research suggests that oil of catnip is up to 10 times
more effective than DEET in keeping mosquitoes at bay. But tests
on human subjects are needed before scientists can be sure that
catnip actually works. 
 
BELIZE CITY CRIME IMPACTS TAXI DRIVERS, GROCERS, EVEN NEWSPAPER
EDITORS Police continue to claim that crime is down in Belize City and
across the country, but the media appear to report otherwise.
In a single day in June, three taxi drivers -- two in Belize City
and one in Belmopan -- were jacked. Robberies of groceries and
other businesses are near daily occurrences in Belize City. Gang
shootings occur many times a month, and murders are almost too
routine to report. Even Harry Lawrence, the 68-year-old editor
of The Reporter newspaper, which reports extensively on crime in Belize City,
isnt exempt from criminal attack. In late June, Lawrence was
hit on the head with a gun in a robbery of the newspapers offices.
Lawrence was treated at Karl Heusner hospital and released. Increasingly,
Belize City residents are fighting back. Sydney Sikaffy in mid-July
shot two gang members who robbed his Belize City store. Both thugs
ended up in Karl Heuser hospital, one in serious condition. Sikaffy
reportedly received dozens of calls from neighbors congratulating
him on doing what the police seem unable to do -- stop criminals
in their tracks. Outside of Belize City, crime is much less of
a problem. 
 
IF YOU THINK CRIME IS BAD IN BELIZE, CHECK OUT GUATEMALA The crime wave in Guatemala makes Belizes look like a summer
vacation. In late June, nine people, including two Mennonites
from Belize, were shot to death in a kill squad attack in the
Petén, and another seven people were wounded. Drugs were thought
to be involved, although responsible sources say the Belizean
Mennonites were just there looking at farms to buy and were simply
in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the Tikal park, at least
one tourist guide was killed and several tourists have been attacked
and raped in recent months, in a series of organized attacks by
three ski-masked gangs. In the month of June alone, in Guatemala
City, a gang with assault rifles killed six people, and two businessman,
one German and one Guatemalan, were kidnapped and murdered. In
May, an American nun was car jacked and killed. There have been
14 bank hold-ups and armored car robberies this year, resulting
in at least two deaths. Kidnappings and extortion attempts in
Guatemala have doubled in the last year. Robberies and burglaries
occur routinely throughout the country, and police rarely solve
any crime. Citizens have taken to vigilante actions to try to
stop crime. Observers rank Guatemala along with Honduras as the
highest risk countries for crime in Central America. Nicaragua
and El Salvador are considered moderate risk. Costa Rica and Panama
are viewed as low risk. 
 
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN DEPARTMENT In June, a San Ignacio Chinese restaurant chef was accused by
Fisheries Department inspectors of skinning and frying a cat.
The cook at the restaurant said he was preparing gibnut, a rat
sometimes eaten by Belizeans. Patrons said they believe the restaurant
was going to serve the cat as fried chicken. Charges against the
restaurant owner, Li Chun Hua, were later dropped, as there was
insufficient evidence the restaurant owner himself was involved. 
 
BELLEVUE HOTEL DARK The venerable Bellevue Hotel on the Southern Foreshore of Belize
City has closed. Operated by the Dinger family, the hotel has
struggle to remain open and of late had gotten good reviews by
guests. The Belize Supreme Court, however, closed the hotel for
non-payment of debts and returned the hotel to the Social Security
Board, which earlier had rescued the hotel from bankruptcy. About
30 employees were put out of work. The future of the property
is not known, though local sources in Belize City say the hotel
may soon reopen. 
 
PROMINENT CAYO HOTEL OWNER PROFILED AS U.S. TAX FUGITIVE ON FRONT
PAGE OF WALL STREET JOURNAL A front-page article in the July 3 edition of the Wall Street Journal profiled a prominent Cayo District resort owner, Jay Picon. The
thrust of the article was "how a U.S. tax fugitive is having a
wonderful life in a Belizean paradise." Jay and Pamella Picon
own Mopan River Resort in Benque Viejo del Carmen. Pam Picon also
publishes an electronic newsletter on Belize called Belize Report.
Jay Picon, an Oklahoman who made his money running an aviation
company -- he says he trained 110,000 pilots during the Vietnam
war -- has been on the lam since he was indicted in 1986 for tax
evasion. He lived in Mexico for awhile and also in Europe. The
American fugitive and his wife had an apartment at Marina Towers
in Belize City after being chased out of Canada by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police. They then moved to Benque where they built a beautiful,
5,000 square-foot home and the all-inclusive resort. The Picons
are in Belize under the economic citizenship -- or buy-a-passport
-- program. Very little was new in the article except that Jay
Picons real name is Joseph Ross. Most in Belize know the details
of the story, and Jay/Joe himself is quite open about his tax
problems. Overall, observers say, the article in the prominent
business daily, which has a circulation of more than a million,
may have been good public relations for Belize. 
 
LOCAL FUNGUS EATS CDs Scientists have discovered a fungus in Belize which appears to
destroy compact discs. A microscopic fungus is eating through
the plastic, aluminum and polycarbonate resin on some CDs in Belize.
Some observers hope that the newly discovered fungus has a taste
for rap music. 
 
AIR JAMAICA MAY BEGIN FLYING TO BELIZE, BUT DELTA SERVICE STILL
NOT SET Air Jamaica may begin three-times-a-week service between Montego
Bay, Jamaica, and Belize City in November. Long-awaited service
from the U.S. by Delta has been postponed again. It could begin
sometime in 2002. 
 
COUNTERFEIT $100 BILLS SURFACE Look twice at any Belize $100 bill you get. It could be bogus.
The counterfeit blue notes have been found all over Belize. 
 
LOBSTER SEASON OFF TO A SLOW START Lobster catches have been lower than expected this year. Most
observers blame the punk season, which began June 15, on last
years Hurricane Keith. 
 
BELIZE ARTISTS ON TOUR An exhibition of Belizean art organized by the Image Factory is
on tour in Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Spain
and elsewhere. The exhibition, titled "Zero: New Belizean art",
features works by Gilvano Swasey, Alfonso Galvez, Michael Gordon,
Yasser Musa, Damian Perdomo and Santiago Cal. 
 
NEW EDITION OF GUIDEBOOK PUBLISHED The second edition of The Rough Guide to Belize, by Peter Eltringham, was published in mid-July by The Rough Guides,
London. 

TOURIST VAN JACKED IN CAYO A van carrying tourists was stopped in May by armed bandits on
the Chial Road west of San Ignacio. Four tourists and their tour
guide, en route back to their lodge from a canoeing trip on the
Macal River, were robbed of several thousand dollars in cash and
valuables. They were released unharmed by the gang, who were described
as being very young men who spoke only Spanish and were believed
to be from nearby Guatemala.
PROMINENT YOUTHS BEATEN, ONE KILLED IN BRAWL WITH GHURKAS AT BROTHEL David Zabanah Jr., 14, the son of Belizean businessman David
Zabaneh, died in a Tampa hospital where he was transported after
a brawl in May with Gurkha soldiers at Raul's Rose Garden, a well-known
club and brothel on the Northern Highway south of the International
Airport. According to media reports, Said Musa Jr., also underage,
was with the Zabanah boy and was involved in the fight. The Gurhka
soldiers, part of an elite fighting unit from Nepal, have been
training in Belize for some time. On the night of the alleged
fight, about 35 to 40 Ghurkas and about the same number of British
troops were at Raul's when the group of young students, admitted
despite being under the legal drinking age of 18, came in. A fight
ensued and the students were badly beaten, according to reports.
FREAK TROPICAL STORM DUMPS TWO FEET OF RAIN ON PARTS OF BELIZE In late May the tail end of an early Pacific storm dumped up
to two feet of rain on Ambergris Caye and Northern Belize. 
GLENN GODFREY STRIKES AGAIN Galeria Maya, a luxury hotel cum casino complex and marina on
the Four Mile Lagoon has broken ground. A company affiliated with
entrepreneur, banker, political insider, lawyer, telecommunications
venturer and Internet gaming heavy hitter Glenn Godfrey is a part
of the development, which will target Mexicans and other tourists. 
 
YEAR 2000 A RECORD FOR TOURISM IN BELIZE AND TREND CONTINUES IN
2001 International arrivals by air in Belize totaled more than 131,000
in 2000, a record. This was despite a slowdown in tourism in October
and November following Hurricane Keith. Many point to the US$2.3
million ad campaign, mostly in spot TV in the U.S., as the reason
for the strong tourism showing. With land arrivals, the total
tourist count for Belize for 2000 is more than 200,000. In addition,
more than 55,000 visitors spent at least a few hours in Belize,
arriving by cruise ship in 2000. Average hotel occupancy rates
in Belize increased to almost 42 percent in 2000, up by more than
10 points. Results for the first months in 2001 suggest the trend
will continue, as tourism continues to see record numbers. International
arrivals at the International Airport totaled almost 67,000 for
the first five months of 2001, up 1.7% from the previous year.
May set a record for the arrivals for the month. However, cruise
ship visitation is experiencing a temporary lull. At present the
only major line calling in Belize City is NCL with a 1,700-passenger
ship every Wednesday through April. The Carnival Spirit and Norwegian
Sun, both with capacities over 2,000 passengers, will begin weekly
visits to Belize City in fall 2001, when the new Tourism Village
at Fort Point may be ready. New hotels and other tourism developments
continue to be planned for Belize. Several new condo projects
are underway on Ambergris Caye, and new small lodges and hotels
have opened in Belize City, Placencia, Hopkins, Cayo and elsewhere.
Also, expansions or renovations have been completed at a number
of properties including Inn at Roberts Grove and Blancaneauxs
Turtle Inn on the Placencia peninsula and Chaa Creek near San
Ignacio. 
 
ELECTRICAL BLACKOUTS PLAGUE BELIZE The usually fairly reliable electrical power system in Belize
has been jolted by a series of blackouts and power outages this
spring due to generator and transmission failures in Mexico, from
which Belize buys a significant part of its electrical power.
Rolling blackouts have affected up to one-half of the country
on some days in March and April. The Belize government and BEL
say that the proposed Chalillo dam project would help eliminate
these types of problems. Environmentalists say the cost to the
Macal River Valley ecosystem due to the dam is too great, despite
any improvements in electrical power supply. 
 
CHEESY BUT POPULAR TEMPTATION ISLAND A PR BOOST FOR BELIZE 
Fox TVs Temptation Island proved a public relations blessing
for Belize, particularly Ambergris Caye, where the show was mostly
filmed. The eight-episode reality TV program was panned by critics
but got a large audience in the U.S. Captain Morgans and Mata
Chica, the two resorts on North Ambergris where the shows cast
were housed, have experienced a surge in bookings. 
 
PINE BEETLE DEVASTATES PINE FOREST IN MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE AND
SPREADS SOUTH The Southern Pine Bark Beetle has killed thousands of acres of
pines in the Pine Ridge and the little beast is now spreading
southward into coastal areas of Stann Creek District. Dead and
dying trees in the Mountain Pine Ridge have contributed to a spate
of dry season forest fires in Belizes hill country. The Mountain
Pine, related to the Caribbean Pine, is a dominant tree in some
parts of the Mountain Pine Ridge. 
 
MED SCHOOL ON AMBERGRIS BREAKS GROUND FOR NEW CAMPUS St. Matthews Medical University, a fast-growing offshore medical
school, has broken ground for a new campus on Ambergris Caye.
The new facilities will be located south of the present temporary
quarters near Banyan Bay villas, on six acres between Victoria
House and Caribe Island Resort. This spring, the medical school
graduated its first class. 
 
BELIZE POLICE OFFICIALS CLAIM CRIME IN BELIZE IS DOWN, BUT HIGH-PROFILE
KILLINGS CONTINUE Belize police officials say major crime in Belize is down by
double digits, but newspaper headlines dont always substantiate
that claim. For example, two young children were killed in a hail
of gang gunfire in Belize City January. The shootings occurred
in broad daylight in the Mahogany Street Extension area. Two Belize
City men have been charged with the killings. Murders, burglaries,
drive-by shootings and muggings appear relatively common in Belize
City and not unheard of in other areas. 
 
ECONOMY IMPROVING, ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT Prime Minister Said Musa says Belizes economy is definitely
on the upswing. Real Gross Domestic Project growth jumped to more
than 8% in 2000, from a low of 1.4% in 1998, while unemployment
fell to 11.5%, according to government figures. Citrus, tourism
and shrimp farming have grown, while sugar continues its decline
due to low world prices. 
 
GLENN GODFREY, INC. -- BELIZE'S ONE-MAN CAPITALIST POWERHOUSE
Apparently not satisfied with bringing Internet gambling to Belize through his
DataPro International outfit, running an offshore bank, Provident
Bank, and keeping his well-connected hand in many other businesses
in Belize, Glenn Godfrey appears to be positioning his companies
to get into the telecommunications biz when BTLs monopoly ends
in December 2002. Godfreys ITL will work with Koreas giant LG
Electronics to build a wireless Internet telecommunications network
in Belize for use by the government and schools, according to
an announcement by the PUP government 
 
NEWS ORGANIZATION SAID TO BE LOOKING IN TO BELIZE CORRUPTION
AND TREATMENT OF FOREIGNERS A reporter from the Associated Press reportedly has been in Belize
researching alleged corruption in Belize and alleged mistreatment
of foreign nationals who have invested in Belize. The AP reporter,
Lisa Adams, based in Mexico City, says her goal is always to
present all sides of every story. Stay tuned. 
 
LAST BRIDGE COMPLETED ON HUMMINGBIRD, SOUTHERN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION
STILL UNDERWAY With the completion of the Caves Branch bridge, the Hummingbird
Highway resurfacing is now officially complete. The Hummingbird
Highway is considered one of the best two-lane roads in Central
America. Surfacing of the Southern Highway between Dangriga and
Independence continues. 
 
THREE TRANSFUSED WITH HIV-INFECTED BLOOD AT KARL HEUSNER HOSPITAL In late March, three Belizean patients including a two-month-old
infant received blood transfusions which contained HIV. The hospital
is investigating how this could have happened. The infant later
died, but not as a result of the HIV transfusion, according to
hospital officials. Belizes largest and most modern hospital
has been plagued with equipment and medicine shortages and poor
training of some staff, according to many observers. 
 
NEW BANK IN BELIZE Alliance Bank, part of the growing Glenn Godfrey business empire,
has opened, with a temporary office on New Road in Belize City.
It has plans to move to new offices on Barrack Road. This makes
five full-service bank companies operating in Belize. The other
four are Belize Bank, Atlantic Bank, Scotia Bank and Barclays. 
 
PRINCESS ANNE VISIT Englands Princess Anne has announced a visit to Belize in mid
April. In 2000, Prince William, the son of Prince Charles, visited
Belize as part of his military service. 
 
SHRIMP FARMING JOINS TOURISM, SUGAR AND CITRUS AS MAJOR BUSINESS Shrimp farming, a capital intensive business concentrated in
central and southern Belize, is now the fastest-growing industry
in Belize, and along with tourism, sugar and citrus one of the
largest. Shrimp are farmed in lagoons and sold to seafood-hungry
corporate buyers in the U.S. and elsewhere. Environmentalists
worry that these farms may be detrimental to Belizes fragile
coastal ecology. However, the Belizean and international money
behind these operations talks loudly and so far little has been
done to limit the growth of shrimp farming operations in Belize,
some of which range over hundreds of acres and employ large numbers
of workers. 
 
TOURISM VILLAGE SEEN AS KEY TO INVIGORATING PARTS OF BELIZE CITY
The US$5 million tourism village under construction in the Fort
Point area of Belize City is seen as key to improving the downtown
area. The tourism village is expected to add shops, galleries,
restaurants and other attractions for cruise ship passengers and
other visitors in Belize City. Completion is set for late 2001. 
 
 
WASA PRIVATIZED Belizes Water and Sewerage Authority is the third Belizean utility
to be privatized, following BTL and BEL. The new majority owners
of the utility, which now will be called Belize Water Services
Ltd., is CASCAL, a European consortium jointly owned by British
and Dutch companies. The sale brought in US$30 million to the
Belize government. How the sale may affect water services and
rates is as yet unknown. 
 
BTL LOWERS CELL RATES BTL has cut cellular phone rates to US 35 cents a minute for day-time
calls in Belize and to US 20 cents for calls after 8 p.m. 
 
NEW BOOK ON LIVING, RETIRING IN BELIZE DUE OUT THIS SUMMER Adaptor Kit: Belize, a new book by Lan Sluder, editor and publisher of Belize First
Magazine, is to be published in August by Avalon, the publishers
of the Moon Handbooks, Rick Steves Through the Backdoor and other
popular series. Sluders new book will be the definitive guide
to relocating or investing in Belize, according to the publisher.
It features interviews with dozens of expats in Belize along with
the latest information on retirement and residency programs. Sluder
is the author or co-author of several books on Belize, including
Guide to Mainland Belize, Fodors Belize and Guatemala Guide, and UpClose Central America. 
 
ZOO WINS, LANDFILL RE-SITED The government has decided it wont locate a major landfill next
to the Belize Zoo after all. Instead, it will be located several
miles to the east of the zoo, at Mile 24 of the Western Highway. 
 
 
 

HURRICANE KEITH SLAMS AMBERGRIS CAYE AND CAYE CAULKER, LEAVES
MUCH OF MAINLAND UNSCATHED A tropical depression appeared suddenly September 29 off the
coast of Belize and quickly grew into Hurricane Keith. On Saturday
morning, September 30, it was a weak tropical depression, and
by late in the same day it had become a Category 3 to 4 hurricane.
It all happened so fast that there was little time to prepare
and almost no time to evacuate from the cayes and coastal areas.
Hurricane Keith is worst storm to hit Belize directly since Hurricane
Hattie in 1961 (see below for information on Belize's hurricane
history). Belize officials say that the total toll of both known
dead and presently missing is under 10 and estimate that damage
from the storm will reach US$200 million. 
 
Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, Belize's two main resort islands,
were hit hard by the storm. Winds of 120 mph + pounded the islands
for many hours. Water rose rapidly, especially on the back sides
of the island and may have reached 5 feet or more in height. However,
only one person, an American woman on a catamaran, is known to
have been killed and fewer than 10 people are missing. Rumors,
so far unsubstantiated, put the number of dead and missing higher.
Scores of homes and some hotels were damaged on these two resort
islands. Several hundred island residents are homeless. Clean-up
and repairs are already under way, and the British Army and Belize
Defence Forces are on the islands. Boat and air services between
Belize City and Ambergris and Caulker are resuming. Although non-essential
travelers to the islands are for now being warned away, the cayes
could welcome visitors again beginning in about two weeks. Further
news on the hurricane and hotel damage reports are included in
the special Hurricane Keith report on this Web site. Most hotels
on the resort islands expect to have roof and other repairs completed
within two to four weeks, easily in time for the high season;
a few badly damaged hotels may take longer to rebuild. 
 
Most of mainland Belize saw minimal impact from storm. There was
significant flooding in Belize City and on the Western and Northern
highways. No deaths were reported as a direct result of the storm,
but a Venus bus accident on a flooded highway north of Belize
City resulted in the death of three Belizeans and another road
accident in Cayo District claimed the life of an Irish volunteer.
Placencia, Punta Gorda, Cayo, the Mountain Pine Ridge, Orange
Walk and Corozal had little if any damage and should be back to
normal within days. No serious damage was reported to any hotels
or other tourist site or facility in these areas or in Belize
City. Airports including the international airport are now open
and international and domestic airlines are flying again. Most
roads are open and passable. After this week, visitors should
experience few if any difficulties traveling in mainland Belize.
Remote cayes report no deaths or serious injuries and only moderate
to light damage to facilities. Most resorts report no significant
damage and expect to reopen for business soon.
PRIME HURRICANE SEASON ARRIVES WITH A VENGEANCE September through early November is prime time for hurricanes
in the Western Caribbean, but, until Keith, Belize had dodged
the windy bullets this year. Belize has been hit by just three
serious hurricanes in the past 70 years, far fewer than any of
the major hurricane alleys of the U.S. -- Florida, the Carolinas
and the Gulf Coast of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
On September 10, 1931, an unnamed storm with winds over 130 mph
literally decimated Belize City, killing 1,500 of the then 15,000
or so people in the port city. Hurricane Janet on September 27,
1955, nearly leveled Corozal Town and much of northern Belize
and Chetumal, Mexico. Janet left 17 dead and 20,000 homeless.
In 1961, on Halloween eve, Hattie hit Belize City with winds to
200 mph, killed more than 300 people and destroyed much of the
city. Hurricane Fifi in mid-September 1974 created heavy rains,
but most of the loss of life and damage were in Honduras and elsewhere
in Central America. Hurricane Greta blew through on September
22, 1978, causing flooding but minimal other damage. Gilbert,
in September 1988, sideswiped Belize slightly on its way to landfall
in Mexico, after doing much damage in Jamaica. In 1998, Mitch
gave Belize a scare but did almost no damage. Most storms which
threaten Belize originate in the far Southern Caribbean off the
coast of South America and then track northwestward across to
Belize and the YucatÃ¡n, or else they originate off the southern
part of Central America and move north, hooking back to the west
to smash into Belize.
BELIZE STARS IN THE OLYMPICS One of the most famous athletes in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney
is Belizean. One-half Belizean anyway. Marion Jones, the track
and field gold medals winner who is billed as "the world's fastest
woman," ran for the U.S. Olympic team, but she holds dual Belizean-U.S.
citizenship and her mother is Belizean. After winning her first
gold Medal in the 100-meter dash, the Los Angeles resident did
a victory parade carrying both the Belize and American flags.
Following another gold in the 200 meters, Jones faced disappointment
in her quest for five top medals, failing to win in the broad
jump and one relay. Overcoming bad publicity about the alleged
use of performance-enhacing drugs by her husband and coach, B.J.
Hunter, Jones ended by winning a total of three gold and two bronze
medals. Two other less well known Belizeans also went to Sydney,
officially representing Belize. Jayson Jones (no relation to Marion),
who recently graduated from Florida State University, competed
in the 200-meter dash. Emma Wade ran the 100-meter dash. Neither
participant won a medal.
CENSUS: BELIZE POP PEGGED AT 240,000 The official population of Belize was 240,204 on Belize's Census
Day, May 12, 2000, according to preliminary figures released by
the Central Statistical Office. This is an increase of about 27%
since 1991, when the Census showed 189,292 people. Observers note
that Belize's actual population may be higher, as it's likely
some immigrants from Guatemala and Honduras living in remote rural
areas were missed. Orange Walk Town remains the country's largest
urban area outside of Belize City, but San Ignacio is the fastest-growing
town and likely will pass Orange Walk soon. Corozal Town and Belize
City both appear to be losing population. Belize is about evenly
split between rural and urban populations. A final report should
be released late this year.
TOURISM ON A ROLL THOUGH KEITH MAY SLOW THINGS DOWN; NEW PROJECTS
AHEAD Fueled by a whopperized economy in the U.S. and an improved marketing
strategy on the part of the Belize Tourist Board, tourism to Belize
continued to grow through the summer of 2000. The impact of Hurricane
Keith is as yet unknown, but it clearly will hurt tourism for
the balance of the year, especially since it did so much damage
to Belize's number one tourism destination, Ambergris Caye. Belize
has notched gains in tourist arrivals every month for the past
10 months. For the first six months of 2000, nearly 82,000 tourists
arrived at the international airport compared to about 64,000
during the same period of 1999, a strong 27% increase. Cruise
ship arrivals also have increased dramatically, and if trends
continue the year 2000 will see arrivals of some 75,000, more
than double the number in 1999. Carnival cruise lines, one of
the largest operators, has announced one of its ships will stop
in Belize City beginning in early 2001. The BTB has announced
plans, using revenues from a new US$10 border exit fee, to upgrade
border facilities at Santa Elena near Corozal in the north and
at Benque Viejo in the west. It also plans a US$14 million upgrade
of facilities at the nation's Maya sites including Caracol, Altun
Ha and Xunantunich. A tourism village and cruise ship facility
in the Fort George area of Belize City is supposed to open in
2001.
MEGA RESORT PLANNED FOR NORTH AMBERGRIS Ambergris Caye, already Belize's top tourist destination, may
get 500 more hotel rooms. Two luxury hotels, at least one of which
may be managed by Hyatt, have been announced for Punta Azul on
North Ambergris Caye. One hotel would have about 300 rooms and
would target the meeting and conventions market; the other, at
around 200 rooms, would be a luxury property targeting individual
travelers. Some equity funding for the project reportedly would
come from developer Rochamel Development Company Ltd., a British
firm. Hyatt already operates several resorts in the Caribbean,
including ones in Aruba, Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, St. Kitts
and St. Lucia. Rochamel Construction built the 300-room Hyatt
Regency St. Lucia. The Belize government says it will float an
international bond issue to finance part of the development costs.
Critics expressed surprise, noting that the era of government-financed
hotels ended with the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union
and Eastern Bloc countries. They also say the Belize government's
track record in hotels isn't too good; it lost its investment
in the Ramada/Fiesta Inn in Belize City when that hotel, now the
Princess Hotel & Casino, went belly up. Opening date for the Ambergris
Caye hotels and other details, such as how guests would get to
the hotels on the north end of the island, are as yet unknown.
Ambergris Caye currently has about 65 hotels. Currently the island's
largest hotel is Journey's End, with 90 rooms, and most properties
have fewer than 25 rooms. If the mega resort had been open when
Hurricane Keith hit the island, it likely would have suffered
significant damage, as did a number of existing properties on
North Ambergris.
THREE LUXURY RESORTS TO OPEN NEAR HOPKINS Three small upscale resorts are set to open near Hopkins around
the end of this year and the first of next. Hamanasi, a 20-room
beachside resort and dive operation, is scheduled for a "soft
opening" in fall 2000, with official opening in late 2000. The
resort, on about 17 acres with 400 feet of beach frontage, is
south of Hopkins village, about 500 feet north of Jaguar Reef
Lodge. Rates for suites will be about US$210 double Dec. 15-May
14 and US$150 off-season; beachfront rooms and "tree houses,"
US$160 in-season, US$100 off. Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort, a
25-room resort on 300 acres with 1,300 feet of beach south of
Hopkins, expects to open in early 2001. The resort is in a remote
area, and the developer had to put in a 4-mile road and 10 miles
of power line. Accommodations are in thatch-style air-conditioned
cabañas. The resort will operate on the all-inclusive plan, with
accommodations, meals, tax, local beer and rum, tours, scuba diving
and beach boating included in the price. All-inclusive rates are
expected to be in the US$300 per person range, among the highest
in Belize. Pleasure Cove Lodge is a small resort between Jaguar
Reef and Beaches and Dreams inn, with rates around US$150 double.

PRINCESS HOTEL TO GET BIGGER The Princess Hotel & Casino, already Belize's biggest hotel at
119 rooms, is getting bigger. The government has approved a tax
concession for an additional 66 rooms. The hotel recently opened
a movie theater, Belize's only first-run house.
HOTELS AND CASINOS PLANNED FOR COROZAL FREE ZONE Upmarket hotels and gambling casinos, targeting affluent Mexicans,
are being proposed for the Corozal Free Zone just south of the
Belize-Mexico border at Santa Elena. Casinos here might siphon
off some of the business of casinos in Belize City, most notably
the Princess Hotel & Casino.
OTHER TOURISM INDUSTRY NEWS The Caye Resort at Mata Grande on North Ambergris Caye has been
sold and is now operating as the 12-room Sundiver Beach Resort.
It has a pool and air conditioning. The hotel received some damage
during Hurricane Keith. In Placencia, the Bahia Laguna hotel has
closed, Lagoon Saloon has been sold, with owners Mike and Bonnie
Kline leaving to live on a sailboat, and Turtle Inn, which has
been offered for sale off-and-on since the early 1990s, reportedly
has been sold.
BTL CRACKS DOWN ON INTERNET PHONES Fed up with the high prices for international long distance charged
by Belize's phone monopoly -- a call to the U.S. costs US$1.60
a minute -- Belizeans have turned to Internet calling. They're
using Dialpad, IP Star and other Internet systems to make low-cost
calls. Now, Belize Telecommunications is cracking down on these
bargains, claiming that Internet calls violate the monopoly's
right to control all types of telecommunications in Belize until
at least 2002. "It does contravene ... the Telecommunications
Act as well as ... our license," says Ediberto Tesucum, CEO of
BTL. However, in early October the Belize Supreme Court temporarily
blocked BTL from enforcing its IP Star ban.
FOX NETWORK SURVIVOR-CLONE SHOW TAPED ON AMBERGRIS CAYE; CREW
GETS MORE REALITY THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR "Temptations," a reality-based show seeking to cash in on the
popularity of CBS' "Survivor," was shot in late September at Journey's
End, Captain Morgan's, Sundiver, Mata Chica and elsewhere on Ambergris
Caye. The show is said to focus on the relationship of four unmarried
couples visiting a tropical island. Ironically for a show that
got its impetus from the highly rated â?Survivor" series, much
of the crew of the show was still on Ambergris Caye when Hurricane
Keith hit. The crew hunkered down in hotels on North Ambergris
until the fierce storm blew over. All of the crew were reported
unharmed and most have now returned to the U.S. "Temptations"
will air on Fox in January 2001.
GAS NOW US$2.90 A GALLON As in most other parts of the world, Belize's gas prices continue
to increase due to higher prices for petroleum. Premium unleaded
gas is now about US$2.90 a gallon, while diesel is around US$2.15.
Prices vary only slightly from station to station around the country.
Venezuela has said it will provide some petroleum to Central America
at lower prices than it gets elsewhere.
BELIZE ELECTRICITY PRICES HIGHEST IN REGION Belize has by far the highest electric charges in the region,
at about 21 U.S. cents per kilowatt. That's more than four times
higher than costs in Mexico, and nearly three times higher than
charges in Costa Rica and Guatemala, and about twice as high as
in Panama, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
PRINCE WILLIAM VISITS BELIZE Britain's Prince William, 18, came to Belize in August. It wasn't
a vacation, though. The son of Prince Charles and the late Princess
Diana motored from Mexico through the border at Corozal and then
went to the Mountain Pine Ridge, where he took part in survival
training exercises with the Welsh Guards, a British regiment in
which is father is a colonel. Fresh from Eton, Prince William
is taking a year off before going down to university at St. Andrews
near Edinburgh, Scotland.
PRISON BREAK-OUTS CONTINUE: KILLER RUNS BUT CAN'T HIDE The epidemic of break-outs from the notorious Hattieville prison
continues. The latest occurred in early September when Estevan
Sho, 22, escaped by climbing over a fence. Sho was serving 25
years for manslaughter in the stabbing death of Anna Lightfoot,
a Raleigh International volunteer. Police recaptured Sho in his
home village of Red Bank.
GEORGE PRICE HONORED George Price, 81, considered the father of independent Belize,
has been awarded the country's highest honor, the Order of National
Hero of Belize. Price, who helped found the People's United Party,
became the country's first prime minister and served in that post
longer than anyone else. He holds the title of Senior Minister
in the current PUP government. PM Said Musa presented the award,
saying that "George Price had the vision and the mission to move
Belize from colonial backwardness to independent promise."
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS TOP CAUSE OF DEATH IN BELIZE Traffic accidents are now the leading cause of death in Belize,
accounting for about one-fourth of all deaths in the past two
years, according to the Ministry of Health. Homicide and AIDS
are the next two leading causes of deaths.
BRITISH CITIZEN KILLED IN CAYO In early September, David Butner, a British national and owner
of El Cenote bar and restaurant in San Ignacio, was found dead
in his bed at his home near Cahal Pech. He had been stabbed many
times. Police are investigating.
BELIZE HAS HIGHEST HIV INFECTION RATE IN REGION AIDS has become a serious epidemic in Belize, say local health officials.
AIDS workers estimate that more than 7,000 people in Belize are
HIV positive. Given Belize's small population of 240,000, this
means that one in 34 Belizeans is HIV positive, thought to be
the highest infection rate in Central America. Worldwide, about
one in 120 persons is believed to be HIV positive. In Belize,
nearly three-fourths of HIV infection is spread by heterosexual
contact. The highest number of reported AIDS cases are in Belize
and Stann Creek districts.
BELIZE ECONOMY EITHER DOING GREAT OR IN TROUBLE: IT DEPENDS The economy is either good or bad, depending on whom you ask.
PUP PM Said Musa says the Belize economy is growing at a healthy
6.4% rate without inflation and that investment in key areas such
as tourism, agriculture and aquaculture are at record or near-record
levels. However, UDP opposition leader Dean Barrow, quoting a
leaked Belize Central Bank memo, claims that Belize faces a "foreign
exchange crisis" due to a "huge decline in the country's net official
reserves."
BAD WATER IN DANGRIGA Repeated spillages at a Del Oro company citrus peel dump site
have contaminated North Stann Creek River, the main source of
water for Dangriga and surrounding areas, creating a water crisis.
Dangriga's water authority has switched to using water from wells,
but residents complain this water is brackish. Belize has about
67,000 acres in citrus production, mostly in Stann Creek and Cayo
districts. 
FIRST GUIDE TO MAINLAND BELIZE PUBLISHED The first full-fledged guidebook to concentrate only on Belize's
mainland has been published. Belize First Guide to Mainland Belize
by Lan Sluder, editor and publisher of Belize First Magazine,
has been published by Equator Publications. The 288-page guide,
with more than 75 photos and maps, covers Cayo, Placencia, Corozal,
Belize City, Punta Gorda and all other areas of mainland Belize.
The book, which sells for US$14.95, is available from Amazon.com
and other books, as well as directly from Equator at 270 Beaverdam
Road, Candler, NC 28715, e-mail bzefirst@aol.com. Subscribers
to Belize First will get the book as a double issue. A companion
guide, Belize First Guide to the Cayes and Coast, is set for publication
in early 2001. Lan Sluder also revised and updated the Belize
sections of Fodor's Belize & Guatemala Guide and UpClose Central
America, both due to be published by Random House in late 2000.
He's at work on Live Well in Belize, a guide to retirement and
relocation in Belize, to be released by Avalon in Spring 2001.
Sluder's articles on Belize and other travel destinations have
appeared in magazine and newspapers around the world, including
Caribbean Travel & Life, Canada's Globe and Mail, Chicago Tribune,
The New York Times, Bangkok Post, Honduras This Week, St. Petersburg
Times and others.
BORDER TAX INTRODUCED, EXIT TAX INCREASED Non-Belizeans departing Belize by land at the Benque Viejo and
Corozal borders are now assessed a US$10 per adult border fee.
Students with valid student ID pay US$5. Children under 12 accompanied
by parents are exempt. This new fee was imposed beginning August
1, 2000, and may increase to US$15 after January 1, 2001. The
total of exit taxes and fees payable by non-Belizeans departing
Belize by air have been increased to US$18.75.
THOUSAND FOOT FALLS RETURNED TO BELIZE Belize's best-known waterfalls are now back in public hands.
In a land swap with the Bull Headley, the owner of Hidden Valley
Inn and a huge tract of Mountain Pine Ridge land, the Belize government
got Thousand Foot Falls and 1,300 acres surrounding them in the
Mountain Pine Ridge, in exchange for 5,000 less-spectacular acres
Pine Ridge acres. Headley, U.S.-born, now also holds Belizean
citizenship.
BELIZEAN WATER TAXI HIJACKED IN GUATEMALA, SIX DEAD Three men believed to be Guatemalans boarded the Belizean-owned
water taxi, the Mariestela, in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, as regular
passengers around 2 p.m. on May 30, and then, en route from Puerto
Barrios to Punta Gorda, Belize, pulled guns, demanded the boat,
and without warning began shooting to kill. Before it was over,
six people were dead from gun shot wounds or from drowning, or
a combination. Some on the Requeña Charter boat, facing gunfire
at close range, jumped into the waters of the Gulf of Honduras,
and some were thrown overboard. Among the dead are three Belizeans,
including the captain of the boat, Julio Requeña Jr., and Alicia
Traheta; and at least one Honduran and two Guatemalans. The other
deceased have not been definitively identified. Three are known
to have survived: Larry Smith, an American expat who holds Belizean
citizenship was shot in the back during the attack but survived
17 hours in rough seas. Smith, who with his wife operates the
Seafront Inn in PG, is recuperating in Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital
in Belize City. Also surviving were Ernesto Requeña, the driver
of a boat, and 19-year-old Belizean college student, Evelyn Rojas,
who was returning to Belize for spring break from a Guatemala
university. The motive for the killings has not been established.
Robbery of passengers is not believed to be the reason, as money
and valuables were not taken, so speculation centers on drugs--though
there is no evidence that the owners of the boat were involved
in any drug activity--or on the theft of the boat or possibly
on something to do with business competition on the water taxi
route. According to eye-witness reports, the Guatemalans, who
have been identified by Guatemalan authorities as Cesar Ramos,
20, Fernando Molina, 25, and Wilber Navas, 27, appeared to want
the boat and seemed to be trying to kill the captain, as they
fired at him in the boat and also later in the water. The whereabouts
of the three Guatemalans, one of whom may have been wounded in
the attacked, is still unknown. Citizens in Punta Gorda, Belizes
sleepy southernmost outpost without a reputation for serious crime,
were shocked by the hijacking. Belizean observers noted that Caribbean
Guatemala has long had a reputation for lawlessness, and that
incidents of Guatemalans coming into Belize waters for illegal
purposes, including the killing of manatees, are not uncommon.
The Requeña boat made daily roundtrips between Punta Gorda and
Puerto Barrios. The boat was said to be equipped with a radio,
but the Belizean crew, as is the custom in Belize, was not armed.
IMF GIVES BELIZE PLUSES AND MINUSES IN NEW REPORT Economic growth surged in Belize in 1999, accelerating to 6%
from 1.5% in 1998, according to a summary report from the International
Monetary Fund released in late May. Inflation is seen as no problem
in Belize, as consumer prices actually declined in 1999, by about
1%. Strong economic growth with low inflation is expected to continue
in 2000. Increase in international reserves and a slowdown in
the expansion of the external debt also were seen as positives
by the IMF. However, on the negative side, the IMF expressed concern
about the sustainability of the governments fiscal approach
and advised a more conservative approach in controlling public
sector wages and public debt. It said that Belize still has a
restrictive trade policy with high tariffs and recommended trade
liberalization. The IMF also expressed concern that the governments
effort to provide financing for 10,000 new homes, a key program
of the Peoples United Party which came back to office in late
1998, carries risk to the governments fiscal policy. It is essential,
the IMF report stated, that the exchange rate peg remain at the
current 2 Belize to 1 U.S. dollar level. The consultative report
noted that has PUP has designed its economic policies with the
intention of achieving high rates of economic growth and reducing
poverty. It has opted for a policy mix of initially boosting public
spending on infrastructure and housing, reducing taxes, and promoting
tourism and foreign direct investment. To restrain the growth
in public external debt, which had increased sharply between 1995
and 1997-2001, the government has begun to privatize the remaining
public enterprises to help finance the additional public spending
and raise economic efficiency. The authorities are also committed
to maintaining the exchange rate peg at Belize $2 per US$1 (its
level since 1976) to limit inflation and to preserve confidence.
BELIZE GAS PRICE RISES, NEARS US$3 With a 25-Belize-cents-a-gallon jump in early June due to increased
oil prices on the world market, the price of unleaded premium
gas in Belize has reached almost US$3 per gallon. Increases of
almost 90% in the cost of diesel fuel Mexico in the past year
also have raised fears that the price of electricity in Belize,
some of which is imported from Mexico and already two times or
more higher than typical prices in the U.S., would go up further.
However, Belize Electricity Ltd. says that with recent seasonal
rains production of domestic electricity at the Mollejon hydro
plant has increased and that no electricity price increases are
planned at this time.
CASTRO TO VISIT BELIZE IN NOVEMBER 2000 "Fidel will come to Belize," Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez
Roque said June 8 at a stop in Belize City. Perez noted Cuba's
history of economic and educational cooperation with Belize. More
than 75 Belizeans are now studying at Cuban universities, and
dozens of Cuban doctors and nurses have come to Belize as part
of an effort to improve medical conditions in Belize. Belize PM
Said Musa, in a visit to Havana earlier this year, had invited
Castro to come to Belize.
HATTIEVILLE PRISON BREAK-OUTS BECOMING ROUTINE Eight prisoners, including several serving time for violent crimes,
escaped from the Hattieville Ramada on the Boom Road the morning
of June 5. This is only the latest in a long series of escapes
from the prison, which has been called one of the worst gaols
in the world.
UNIVERSITY OF BELIZE SET TO BECOME REALITY IN AUGUST The Harvard of Belize is set to come into being August 1, 2000,
when several existing institutions, including Belize Technical
College, the Belize College of Agriculture, the Belize Teacher's
Training College, the Bliss School of Nursing and the University
College of Belize will merge to form the UB. The universitys
central campus will be located on a one-square-mile tract in Belmopan,
though for the time being classes will continue at the campuses
of the constituent colleges. Belizean citizens and permanent residents
can attend UB for a tuition of US$10 per credit hour, with student
fees of not more than US$112.50 per semester. Baccalaureate programs
are planned in civil engineering, entrepreneurial studies, teaching
and nursing. Classes are expected to start the third week of August.
FREE E-MAIL Costa Ricas government has announced that beginning later this
year all Costa Rican citizens will be able to send and receive
e-mail and use the Internet free of charge, via a system of community
computers in public buildings set up by the countrys postal service
and state-run telecommunications company. Officials at Costa Ricas
postal system say the free Internet system could be expanded through
Central America. Critics say the Tico postal system is inefficient
and corrupt, with theft of mail being common, and that the state
enterprises may not be capable of running a region-wide computer
system.
BELIZE ADDS PROTECTION FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WITH NEW COPYRIGHT
LAW Pirating of cable television channels and music tapes, both common
in Belize, may stop with the passage of the new Copyright Bill,
2000 in June. Under the new law, copyright owners will enjoy the
same privileges of intellectual property protection that are now
in effect in the U.S. and in Western Europe. Violators of copyright
may be sued in court. At present in Belize, it is common for books,
music tapes, video tapes and cable TV programming to be duplicated,
republished or rebroadcast in Belize without payment to the copyright
owners.
NEW MAYA CITY DISCOVERED Archaeologists have unearthed in the Peten region of Guatemala
what they believe to be a Maya city as large as Tikal. A team
of Guatemalan archeologists uncovered the El Pajaral. The city
is from the Postclassic period and dates to 1200 to 1400 A.D.
The site could rival, at least in size, Chichen Itza in Mexico,
Copan in Honduras and Caracol in Belize.
CONTROVERSY OVER CORAL BLEACHING Controversy erupted in late April after an article appeared in
the British journal Science noting unprecedented bleaching of
coral in Belize in parts of the central barrier reef due to higher-than-normal
water temperatures related to El Niño. Richard B. Aronson, of
the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama, and others reported that,
for the first time, a coral population in the Caribbean has collapsed
completely from bleaching. Mass media reports, ignoring the actual
language of the article which discussed only one part of the central
reef in Belize, sensationalized the dry scientific report, making
it appear that all coral in Belize waters was dead. Even President
Bill Clinton picked up on it, mentioning Belizes coral bleaching
in a speech. Divemasters in Belize and divers who had visited
Belize recently were quick to respond that, to the contrary, that
while bleaching had occurred in some areas in 1995 and again in
1998, that in most places the reef had returned to health. In
other areas, especially in the northern reef, there had been no
significant bleaching at all. Coral bleaching occurs when coral
colonies under stress expel their symbiotic algae.
HAMANASI RESORT A tax concession has been approved for Hamanasi Resort, a 30-room
resort south of Hopkins Village, catering to scuba divers and
adventure travelers.
FOREST FIRE COOKS 6,000 ACRES IN PINE RIDGE A wildfire in late March burned about 6,000 acres in the Mountain
Pine Ridge. At one point, it threatened Hidden Valley Inn, but
the fire was contained by Forest Department firefighters and workers
from several private companies.
LAMANAI OUTPOST, TOADAL ADVENTURE WIN TOURISM AWARDS Lamanai Outpost Lodge won hotel of the year from the Belize Tourism
Board, and Dave Vernon of Toadal Adventure Tours in Placencia
was named tour guide of the year in the first Belize Tourism Board
tourism awards. Among other winners were Sarita and Lascelle Tillett,
tour operators of the year; TIDE and the Caye Caulker BTIA, a
tie, environmental organization of the year; Batty's, a service
award; and Sacred Heart College, educational organization of the
year. Tropic Air and Celi McCorkle received awards for service
in tourism, and the late Jean Shaw of the Hotel Mopan was given
special recognition. Awards were made in conjunction with Tourism
Awareness Week in March.
JAGUAR PAW FOR SALE Belize's first air-conditioned jungle lodge has been put on the
market. Cy and Donna Young opened Jaguar Paw, in the bush near
Belmopan, in the mid-90s, offering what they called "adventure
by day and comfort at night." Using a large generator, the lodge
was a pioneer in offering guests luxury, even in the jungle, with
24-hour electricity, air-conditioning and deluxe meals. Jaguar
Paw joins a number of other well-known hotels and lodges that,
while still operating successfully, are actively for sale, including
duPlooy's in Cayo, Jaguar Reef in Sittee Point, and Kitty's Place,
Serenity and Nautical Inn in Placencia.
TOURISM JUMPS, MANY HOTELS PACKED Following a slight slump in late January, tourists flocked to
Belize in February and March, packing hotels. Resorts in Placencia,
San Pedro and elsewhere reported record booking levels. On several
occasions, virtually every hotel room in Placencia village was
full, and a few travelers had to spend the night on the beach.
On Ambergris Caye, many of the leading resorts have been 100%
full or close to it since Christmas. Lodges in Cayo have not been
as heavily booked, but most report an increase over past years.
The strong bookings, which are expected to continue through Easter
at least, were welcomed by hoteliers. The Christmas and millennium
period was strong, with summer reservations in most areas of Belize
ahead of previous years, leading to speculation that 2000 could
be the best year in history for Belize tourism. The continued
bullish economy in the U.S. and a new television ad campaign on
CNN, CNBC and other cable outlets in Dallas, New York, Chicago,
Boston, Denver, and other key American cities by the Belize Tourism
Board are contributing to the record year. Separately, the Belize
government says it wants to "reposition" the country from a ecotourism
destination to one focused on soft adventure. Tourism observers
are skeptical that the soft adventure niche is big enough and
worry that most hotels on the cayes and coast do not fit this
new positioning, any more than they fit the ecotravel category.
GUATS BLUNDER INTO CONFRONTATION Guatemala held four Belizeans prisoner for nine days, creating
a flurry of international negotiations and causing outrage in
Belize. Guatemalan army troops took three Belize Defence Forces
soldiers and a Belize police officer prisoner on February 24 near
Jalacte village in Toledo district, claiming the Belizeans were
on Guatemala territory. GPS readings suggest the Belizeans were
in Belize. The Belizeans were released March 2 and returned to
Belize City. Prime Minister Said Musa said he is happy to have
the men back home and expressed home that relations with Guatemala
can get back on track. 
HOTELS FOR SALE Kitty's, the legendary laidback beachfront resort in Placencia,
is for sale for US$1.5 million, and the nearby Nautical Inn in
Seine Bight is for sale for US$1.4 million. They join a number
of other hotels on the market or recently sold. Jaguar Reef Lodge
at Sittee Point is on the block for US$3 million, duPlooy's in
Cayo is for sale for about US$1.9 million. Manatee Lodge at Gales
Point, Manta Reef Resort on Glover's Reef, Green Parrot Beach
Cottages and Ranguanga Lodge on the Placencia peninsula all have
changed hands. The Seaview in Belize City is for sale, and a number
of other hotels including Serenity in Placencia, Coconuts Caribbean,
Hideaway Sports Lodge, and Alajuila Suites in San Pedro, Maruba
Spa near Altun Ha, Cahal Pech Village in San Ignacio, and Nature's
Way Guest House in Punta Gorda, are among properties also looking
for buyers. In addition, a lodge on a large tract of land in the
Mountain Pine Ridge and a large timeshare on Ambergris Caye reportedly
are in the market to sell.
LANDFILL PROPOSED NEXT DOOR TO THE BELIZE ZOO Should jaguars, toucans and howler monkeys have to live next door
to a dump? Yes, says the Belize government, which has proposed
to locate a large landfill adjacent to one of Belize's top attractions.
The Belize Zoo is asking visitors and residents to sign a petition
opposing the dump, which zoo officials say would cause the zoo
to close.
BARRY BOWEN INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL
SURGERY IN MIAMI A late-night accident on the Hummingbird Highway resulted in
injuries to wealthy businessman Barry Bowen, his son, Kevin, and
two others riding in a Jeep vehicle. The Belikin and Coca Cola
bottler was airlifted to Miami, where he underwent surgery to
successfully repair broken vertebraes in his neck. 
EMORY KING LANDS ONE: HOLLYWOOD FILMS HEMINGWAY IN BELIZE Trimark Pictures is filming "After the Storm,"based on a short
story by Ernest Hemingway, in San Pedro, Placencia and Belize
City. In the movie, which stars Benjamin Bratt of the TV series
"Law and Order," Belize stands in for the Bahamas of the 1930s,
to which, in the Hemingway story, an American beachcomber has
escaped following the Wall Street crash and the suicide of his
father. Emory King, who has played small roles in a number of
movies filmed in Belize, was named film commissioner in 1999.
Silvana Woods of Kriol Gyal was hired as the local casting director,
and casting calls for several hundred Belizean extras went out
in early March. Other movies made in Belize include "Dogs of War"
(1981), "Mosquito Coast"(1986) and "Heart of Darkness" (1993).
INTERNET CAFES SPRING UP IN BELIZE The Purple Space Monkey Internet CafÃ© has opened in Placencia,
and as-yet-unnamed café is opening next door to the Sea Front
Inn in Punta Gorda. These join established café in San Ignacio,
San Pedro and elsewhere.
HATTIEVILLE "WORST PRISON"EVER SEEN BY TOP BRIT OFFICIAL Peter Kilfoyle, minister of defence for the British Labour government,
toured the Hattieville correctional facility in February and came
away stunned, saying it was worse than any other prison he had
ever seen. The "Hattieville Ramada"near Burrell Boom has a reputation
for overcrowding and is the site of frequent inmate violence.
Escapes from the prison have occurred several times in the past
year. The government has changed management at the prison and
is expanding the facility.
LOBSTER AND SHRIMP LOOKING GOOD FOR BELIZE The 1999-2000 lobster season, which closed February 14 (it reopens
June 15) was a strong one, according to officials of the country's
two fishing co-ops. The Northern Fishermen's Co-op estimated it
produced some 320,000 pounds of spiny lobster, up 22% from last
year. Prices were also up by about 10%, reaching a high of US$16
a pound in late December. Belize's shrimp farms are also doing
well, boosted by higher prices and a predicted global shortfall
in shrimp production. Large shrimp farms are in production or
are planned in Belize and Stann Creek districts. Shrimp could
become the country's leading export, ahead of sugar and citrus,
within a few years, according to Barry Bowen and other shrimp
farming industry leaders.
NOVELO'S BUYS BATTY Novelo's Bus Line has bought Batty Brothers Bus Service. Batty
had been in business for 60 years. No immediate changes in schedules
or service were announced. 
BELIZE CENSUS TO BEGIN IN MAY The 2000 census count will begin May 12 and take six or eight
weeks, according to the Central Statistical Office in Belmopan.
The CSO estimates the country's current population as around 250,000
up from 189,392 counted in the 1991 census.
NEW GOLF COURSE OPEN At last, Belize has a real golf course. That's making some visitors
and local duffers happy, and it's making other people mad. Caye
Chapel Golf Course &amp; Marina is an upscale resort and corporate
conference center being developed by Larry Addington, a wealthy
businessman from Kentucky who has owned the island for many years.
Caye Chapel is located between Belize City and Ambergris Caye.
It's just south of Caye Caulker, and about 45 minutes by boat
from San Pedro Town. In years past, Caye Chapel and its unpretentious
Pyramid Hotel (now demolished) was a favorite R&amp;R spot for
British troops. To say things have changed is a wild understatement.
The biggest news is the golf: Not since British colonial days
has there been a real golf course in Belize. This one is a jim-dandy.
It's a par-72 -- designed mostly by Addington himself, who is
described as a serious golfer -- that lays beautifully along the
Caribbean. This is a flat but long course, playing o over 7000
yards, with four par-5 holes. Between t he back and front nines
is a 23,000 square foot clubhouse. Though it's not yet completely
finished, the clubhouse is stunning, with tile floors, high ceilings,
views of the barrier reef and sea, imported fixtures and a bar
that would knock the socks off even Dean Martin. It rivals the
clubhouses at top U.S. country clubs. Eventually -- the resort
is scheduled to open officially in the fall of this year -- the
clubhouse will house a restaurant with both indoor and open air
dining. Plans also include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a work-out
center, a tennis complex with lighted courts, and a basketball
arena, all to be located near the clubhouse There has been considerable
controversy over the construction of this course, as some environmentalists
believe that a golf course -- which typically requires large applications
of fertilizer and pesticides -- could pose a danger, through run-off,
to the ecologies of the barrier reef and sea. Cynthia Ringgold,
who with her husband is supervising construction and development
on the island for Larry Addington, however, notes that the development
has imported a special hybrid grass from the U.S., called Paspalum,
which requires 50% less fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation.
Dredging and construction of a large seawall conducted in connection
with development here also has been controversial. Accommodations
on the island will be limited to 12 villas. Everything is first-class.
Which it should be -- they go for a whopping US$1,000 a night,
food not included. The market for the island, according to Ringgold,
in part will be corporate meetings and retreats. The resort has
asked permission of the Belize government to have an airstrip
long enough to accommodate small jets, so corporate groups can
fly directly to the island. At present, however, approval has
been granted only for a strip long enough for smaller prop equipment,
so visitors will have to change planes at the international airport
in Belize City. At times when there are no corporate meetings,
the island will be open to the public, with the goal of attracting
high-end travelers who want a luxury Caribbean setting with golf,
tennis and other activities close at hand. The resort eventually
may offer golf club memberships, but ownership of the villas and
other facilities will remain with Larry Addington. Currently,
the golf course and several villas are the only facilities completed;
the resort is not officially open and is not yet being promoted.
Day visitors from Ambergris Caye or elsewhere in Belize can come
to play golf. To date, the number of players is small. Around
90 people played in January, according to Ringgold. The current
rate is US$75 for 18 holes, or US$50 for 9 holes, including cart
and club rental. Eventually the rate may go as high as US$200,
says Ringgold. Visitors have to make their own arrangements to
get to the island and should call in advance. For more information,
contact Caye Chapel Golf Course & Marina, P.O. Box 192, Belize
City; tel. 011-501-2-28250, fax 2-28201; e-mail bzgolf@yahoo.com
or golf@btl.net.
BIG-TIME GAMBLING FINALLY COMES TO BELIZE Like it or not, big-time gambling has arrived. Belize's first
Las Vegas-style casino opened in January at the Princess Hotel
&amp; Casino. Located on the waterfront on Barracks Road, the
Princess is the former Fiesta Inn which was the former Ramada
Inn. The hotel has done extensive building and renovation to house
the casino. A new restaurant will open soon, along with a cinema.
What have NOT been remodeled or upgraded are the rooms. They are
a bit down at the heels, overpriced for what you get, and they
don't compare to the rooms at the Radisson Fort George, the Great
House or other top-end places in Belize City. The 118 rooms and
suites -- the Princess is the largest hotel in Belize -- are scheduled
to be renovated "soon."The first thing you notice about the casino,
which is to the right as you enter the hotel lobby, is the size:
It is BIG. not quite the MGM Grand, but a serious gaming room.
As you enter the casino, slot machines, video poker and other
electronic gaming machines, nearly 500 altogether, dominate the
main part of the room. Live tables -- black jack, roulette, craps
and poker -- are toward the back. An additional section of machines
and tables is scheduled to open soon at the rear of the room.
There's a big bar, and, as in Vegas, players get free drinks and
a free buffet. Russian dancing girls put on two shows in the evening.
These are professional dancers with more than 100 routines. The
casino is open from noon until 4 a.m. Although originally the
Belize government said players would have to bet with U.S., not
Belize currency, in fact Belizean or U.S. dollars, are being accepted
for chips. Visitors to the casino may be required to buy -- though
not necessarily gamble -- US$50 in chips, a requirement that apparently
is designed to keep out those just coming for the free food. The
only other casino open now is The Palace, a casino the size of
a convenience store in San Pedro. It has a few live tables, maximum
bet US$10, and a room for slots. Reportedly, a casino is to be
opened in the Corozal Free Zone in northern Belize, and other
casinos may open, now that they are permitted under Belizean laws
enacted last year. For example, an application has been made to
open a casino in Placencia village. A number of stores, shops,
restaurants and hotels around have video poker, slots or other
game machines. Belize appears also to be gearing up as a base
for Internet gambling. One international company, for example,
DataPro International, reportedly has hired staff at attractive
wages and is building a facility which will be a center for on-line
gaming on the road to Burrell Boom near the Northern Highway.
BELIZE FIRST EDITOR TAPPED FOR TWO NEW BOOKS ON BELIZE Lan Sluder, editor and publisher of Belize First Magazine, is
doing two new books on Belize. Sluder is updating and revising
Fodor's Belize & Guatemala Guidebook for Random House. The third
edition of what Newsweek called the "the King of Guidebooks" will
be released later in 2000. Sluder also has contracted to write
Live Well in Belize, a handbook on retiring and relocating to
Belize, to be published by Avalon/Moon Publications in late 2000
or early 2001. Sluder is the author or co-author of several books,
including Belize Book of Lists 2000 (Equator Publications), Frommer's
Best Beach Vacations, Carolinas and Georgia (Macmillan) and Smart
Travel (Ziff-Davis). His articles on Belize and other destinations
have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Caribbean
Travel & Life, St. Petersburg Times, Bangkok Post, Miami Herald
and other publications.
FIVE CHINESE DIE IN CHRISTMAS ACCIDENT Five men from the People's Republic of China, all recent immigrants
to Belize, died in a traffic accident on the Western Highway late
Christmas night when their pickup truck swerved off the road between
Mile 13 and 14 and hit a tree. According to police reports, during
1999 at least 10 people died in traffic accidents on the Western
Highway between Mile 31 and Belize City.
FIRES RAGE IN SAN PEDRO AND BELIZE CITY December fires in San Pedro and in Belize City left about 10
families homeless. A fire on Front Street (Barrier Reef Drive)
in San Pedro destroyed two buildings. The damage could have been
much worse, as the pump on the town's fire truck failed, but citizens
quickly organized a bucket brigade and extinguished the fire.
A fire on New Year's Eve at Cemetery Road and West Street in Belize
City damaged six houses.
BELIZE RAPPER JAMAL BARROW CHARGED IN NEW YORK CLUB SHOOTING Jamal Barrow, 19, a would-be rap star and son of UDP party leader
Dean Barrow, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder
following a shooting at Club New York in Manhattan. According
to press reports, actress and singer Jennifer Lopez and rap mogul
Sean "Puffy" Combs were partying at the nightclub in the early
morning hours of Dec. 28. When a club patron threw a wad of money
toward Combs, the CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment brandished a gun,
according to police reports, though Combs has denied he did so.
Barrow, who goes by the rap name "Shyne"and who has been described
as a prot?é of Combs, pulled a pistol, a 9mm Ruger, say police.
The young Barrow opened fire, according to the Manhattan prosecutor,
and three bystanders were hit. Combs and Lopez left the club in
a sports utility vehicle. After a chase, the SUV was stopped by
police who allegedly found a stolen, loaded but unfired gun in
the vehicle. Lopez was later cleared by authorities but Combs
has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Barrow,
who remained at the club, was arrested and charged with attempted
murder.
AMERICAN AIRLINES DEBUTS NEW SERVICE TO BELIZE FROM DALLAS American began daily non-stop service Dec. 16 from DFW Airport
to Belize City International. This new Dallas service makes Texas
the primary gateway to Belize. Continental and TACA already fly
to Belize from Houston.
NEW BUS SERVICE BETWEEN BELIZE CITY AND GUATEMALA CITY SET Mundo Maya bus company began twice-weekly deluxe bus service
between Belize City and Guatemala City in January. The buses on
the route offer food service, hostesses, restrooms, videos and
air conditioning. One-way tickets are US$55, or US$20 to Flores
near Tikal. The schedule calls for departures from Belize City
on Fridays and Mondays at 4 p.m., arriving Guatemala City at 5
a.m. Guatemala City departures are on Thursdays and Sundays at
8 p.m., arriving arrival in Belize City at 8 a.m.
ANOTHER FERRY TRIES TO MAKE A GO ON AMBERGRIS CAYE Another scheduled ferry operation has begun on Ambergris Caye.
Previous ferries only lasted a short time, due to lack of year-round
business and in part to opposition from water taxi operators.
This one, called Island Ferry and operated by Tom Vidrine, a U.S.
expat who says he first visited San Pedro about eight years ago
and now owns a house and a business, The BoatYard, on the island,
makes about 10 trips to and from North Ambergris daily going as
far north as Casa Caribe, and about the same number in the south,
as far as Caribe Island Resort. Most fares are US$5 and $10 one-way,
per person.
COSTA RICA GETS ONE MILLION TOURISTS For the first time, Costa Rica in 1989 recorded one million international
visitors, about nine times as many tourists as visited Belize
in the same period.
Y2K NO PROBLEM FOR BELIZE As in most of the rest of the world, the wildly hyped Y2K computer
bugs posed few if any problems for Belize. Belize had been labeled
as among the world's least-prepared countries for the millennium,
but the calendar change took place without incident.
U.S. DROPS BELIZE FROM DRUG LIST The United States has dropped Belize from its annual list of
major drug producing and trafficking nations, U.S. officials announced
in early November. Caribbean Basin countries still on the list
include the Bahamas, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala,
Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama. A Clinton administration official
said, regarding Belize, that "what appeared to be a trafficking
into Mexico and then on into the United States appears to have
diminished to a negligible amount."
BELIZEAN PLAYS IN NBA Milton Palacio, the 6' 3" college standout at Colorado State
and star of the 1998 CARICOM Belize champion team, has joined
the Vancouver, B.C., Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association
as a shooting guard. Though not yet a starter, he is seeing limited
playing time this season, averaging about 2 point per game. "Milt"
Palacio, as he's known on the team roster, is thought to the first
Belizean to play in the NBA.
CRIME COMMISSION APPOINTED, HOLDS FIRST MEETING The Belize government's National Crimes Prevention Commission,
created by Minister of National Security Jorge Espat to help control
the escalating crime problem in Belize, held its first meeting
in Belize City in November at Police headquarters in Belize City.
Leo Vasquez, a retired banker, was named chairman. Other members
include representatives from the media, Belize Defence Forces,
political parties, the Council of Churches and other sectors of
society. Meanwhile, a new series of murders, daytime store robberies,
rapes and prisoner escapes have been reported in Belize City,
Cayo, Punta Gorda and elsewhere.
STUDY ENDORSES CONTROVERSIAL DAM PROJECT A feasibility study for the Chalillo Hydroelectric Project has
been completed, and reportedly the study, by two Canadian firms,
endorses the controversial dam on both economic and environmental
grounds. Several prominent Belizean environmental groups have
opposed the dam, saying that it would have seriously negative
impact on wildlife, including the jaguar and scarlet macaw.
BELIZE TOURISM BOARD HAS NEW OFFICE, CHIEF OFFICER Valerie Woods, formerly director of tourism of the Belize Tourism
Board, has been named acting permanent secretary in the Belize
Ministry of Tourism and Youth. Tracy Taegar, BTB's deputy director
of marketing and public relations, has been promoted to director.
The Boards new office is in the new Central Bank Building in
Belize City. Contact information: 
BELIZE TOURISM BOARD 
New Central Bank Building, Level 2 
Gabourel Lane 
P.O. Box 325 
Belize City, Belize 
Tel: 011-501-2-31913 
Fax: 011-501-2-31943 
Toll-free 1-800-624-0686 
E-mail: info@travelbelize.org 
Web: <a href="http://www.travelbelize.org">www.travelbelize.org</a> 
NEW HOTELS DEBUT IN CAYO Royal Mayan Resort and Spa, a 22-room resort with air conditioning,
telephones, cable TV, pool, sauna, and spa and gym facilities,
opened in December in Benque Veijo del Carmen. The owners, Melita
and Michael Feinsten, also operate Blackbird Caye resort at Turneffe
Atoll. Separately, Mopan River Resort, which bills itself as "the
first true all-inclusive resort in Belize,"opened in late November,
also in Benque. Mopan River has 12 thatch cabañas on the riverfront.
Three of the units are suites with kitchens. Packages include
three meals daily, tours, drinks, beer and soft drinks, hotel
taxes and round-trip transportation from the international airport.
Pamella and Jay Picon own and manage the property. In mid-1999,
Green Heaven opened west of San Ignacio, on the road to duPlooy's
and Chaa Creek. The four-cabin hotel has a swimming pool and a
French restaurant.
BELMOPAN VOTES FOR CITY STATUS In a referendum marked by a low 36% turn-out, Belmopan voters
by more than a two-to-one margin opted for cityhood with government
by a city council. The first election for city council was held
in March 2000, with PUP candidate Anthony Chanona winning the
mayor's race. 
BELIZE ECONOMY IMPROVING, PM SAYS In his State of the Nation address in September, Prime Minister
Said Musa claimed the Belize economy has made considerable progress
under P.U.P. leadership. The PM noted that the 15% VAT had been
replaced with a simple 8% national sales tax, the top personal
income tax rate has been decreased from 45% to 25% with those
earning under US$10,000 paying no tax, the total government deficit
is just 1.6% of GDP, home mortgage interest rates are down from
near 19% to about 16%, and international monetary reserves have
increased to more than US$75 million, strengthening the Belize
dollar.
MORE MANATEES SLAUGHTERED Evidence surfaced in late 1999 of a new slaughter of manatees
in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve in southern Belize. Two females
and a calf were found dead in the Deep River area, their flesh
stripped off, likely for sale in Guatemala or Honduras, according
to reports by Wil Maheia of TIDE, an NGO in Toledo. Maheia said
the culprits "more than likely are illegal fishermen from across
the border."Maheia said patrols in the proposed new marine reserve
area had been cut back due to lack of funds.
IDEA FOR NEW CORRIDOR THROUGH CENTRAL AMERICA FLOATED Central American leaders want Taiwan's help in developing a new
system of modern highways running from Mexico to Panama, linking
ports and economic hubs with 3300 miles of new or repaved roads.
The Central American Logistical Corridor would also include new
customs rules and automated systems to speed the transport of
goods throughout the region. The ambitious plan -- some say dream
-- would cost at least US$1 billion. Private investment and grants
from foreign governments such as Taiwan would pay for the plan,
according to the idea's promoters, which include the Latin American
Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development. Presently,
it takes about 72 hours for a truck carrying cargo to travel between
Guatemala and Panama, about three times as long as it takes a
truck to travel the same distance in the U.S. The concept was
presented at the Central American summit in Taiwan in September,
although the Taiwanese government was then busy on its own infrastructure
reconstruction plans, following a severe earthquake. The idea
is to have three parallel highways covering the length of the
Central America isthmus, one along the Pacific, one down the center,
and the third on the Caribbean side. As presently envisioned,
none of these highways would be in Belize.
UNSOLVED RAPE/MURDERS OF YOUNG GIRLS SHOCK BELIZE Four young girls, ranging in age from 9 to 13 years old, all
from the Southside area of Belize City, have been raped and murdered
in the last year. In September 1998, Sherilee Nicholas, age 13,
was found dead at on the Western Highway. Jay Blades, age 9, turned
up missing in October 1998; her decomposed body was found in June
on Western Highway. In March, Jackie Malic, age 12, was abducted,
molested, possibly tortured, and stabbed to death. The most recent
victim was Erica Wills, age 9, who disappeared from her home in
June. Her body was found in July, wedged into a rock crevice,
near Gracy Rock village west of Hattieville. It is thought that
the murders may be the work of a serial killer. At least two other
young girls have been murdered in or near Belize City this year,
crimes that appear not to be related to the four rape/murders.
Despite intense work by police to solve the crimes, including
bringing in crime experts from the U.S., the cases remain unresolved.
In August, two suspects being held by police were released due
to lack of evidence. In the first major U.S. coverage of the murders
of young girls in Belize City, on September 22 the Los Angeles
Times ran a lengthy front-page story headed "Serial Killer Is
Stalking the Oasis" and sub-titled "Seven girls have been slain
in tiny Belize in the past year. The crimes underscore growing
dysfunction in the former British colony."
BELIZE ELECTRICITY PRIVATIZATION The government officially announced September 13 it was divesting
itself of the 51% interest it still holds in Belize Electricity
Limited. It said it is selling 14.7 million shares at BZE$2.75
a share, raising some US$20 million. B.E.L. employees and Belizean
citizens were guaranteed a certain number of shares if they chose
to buy them. A "strategic investor" from North America or Europe
may purchase about 35% of the company, according to Lynn Young,
CEO of BEL. This investor would bring "expertise along with cash,"
company officials said. However, as of this writing the privatization
has not been completed, with negotiations continuing with the
strategic investor. Carlisle Holdings, formerly Belize Holdings,
headed by Michael Ashcroft, already owns a significant interest
in BEL. The proposed Shallowly Dam project on the upper Macal
River is just one of several controversial issues facing BEL.

HEAVY RAINS POUND REGION Unusually heavy rains in Mexico and most of Central America over
a period of three weeks in September and early October caused
severe flooding and killed as many as 100 people. Mexican authorities
called the flooding the country's worst civil disaster of the
decade, with scores dead and tens of thousands of people flooded
from their homes, mostly on the Caribbean Coast. In Costa Rica,
10 people died and more 5,000 people were evacuated, most in the
normally dry and sunny Guanacaste area on the northwest Pacific
coast. Belize, though receiving rains that soaked wide areas of
the country and kept tourists and beachgoers indoors, escaped
serious damage.
RETIRED PERSONS ACT FINALLY IMPLEMENTED The Retired Persons Act, which gives tax and residency breaks
to those retiring in Belize, passed by the Belize legislature
earlier this year, has at last been implemented. Key features
of the act include: 
- Open to anyone aged 45 or older who is a citizen of the U.S.,
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada
or Belize; a person who qualifies can include his or her dependents
in the program, including children under 18 (up to age 23 if enrolled
in college). 
- Applications for the program must be made to the Belize Tourist
Board and include the following: 
º Copy of birth certificate for applicant and each dependent 
º Marriage certificate (if applicant is also applying for a spouse) 
º Notarized copy of complete passport of applicant and all dependents 
º Copy of police record from last place of residence (completed
within one month of application) 
º Copy of medical exam including AIDS testing 
º An official statement from a bank or financial institution certifying
that the applicant is the recipient of a pension or annuity of
a minimum of US$1,000 per month or that the applicant's investments
currently generate a minimum of US$2,000 per month 
º Four front and four side-view photos of applicant and each dependent.
- Funds from pension or investments must be deposited monthly
in a bank in Belize. 
- Persons applying for residency are subject to a background check
by the Belize Ministry of National Security. 
- Persons residing in Belize under the program cannot work for
pay in Belize. - Persons retiring in Belize under the program
are exempt from the payment of all Belize taxes on all income
or receipts from a source outside of Belize whether that income
is generated from work performed or from an investment. 
- Persons retiring in Belize under the program can qualify for
duty and tax exemptions not exceeding US $15,000 on new and used
personal and household effects. A list of all items with corresponding
values that will be imported must be submitted with the application.
 
- A personal vehicle, boat or light aircraft can be imported duty
free under the law, or such transportation can be purchased in
Belize. 
- Fees for the program total US$705 including a non-refundable
application fee of US$100 to be submitted with the application,
a BZE$10 stamp to be attached to the application, a US$500 fee
to the Belize Tourist Board when the application is accepted,
and a US$100 fee to the Immigration Department to issue a Qualified
Retired Persons Status. 
For further information and an application for the program, contact
Anthony Mahler of the Belize Tourist Board, e-mail anthony@travelbelize.org.
POLICE CHIEF SACKED Minister of National Security Jorge Espat has relieved beleaguered
Ornel Brooks of his job and replaced him with Hugh Williams, former
Deputy Compol, as Acting Police Commissioner. Two assistant commissioners
also were named, Col. Hugh Cain, formerly Deputy Commandant of
the Belize Defence Force, and Carmen Zetina. The police department
has been widely criticized for a series of incidents and deaths
involving people in police custody and for failing to solve several
high-profile crimes, including the deaths of young girls in Belize
City.
CYCLING VETERAN DIES IN FREAK ACCIDENT John "Shamba" Dominguez, 63, who had competed in many Belize
cross country cycling races, was killed in early October in a
highway accident near Mile 15 of the Western Highway. While on
his daily morning ride Dominguez was hit by a trailer that had
broken loose from its rig. An investigation into the causes of
the accident and the actions of police on the scene following
the accident reportedly is underway. 
PM ANNOUNCES CABINET ADJUSTMENTS On October 5, Prime Minister Said Musa announced a number of
changes in his cabinet. The new line up: 
 
Said Musa 
Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs 
 
John Briceno 
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, the Environment
and Industry 
 
Maxwell Samuels 
Minister of Public Utilities, Energy and Communications 
 
Jorge Espat 
Minister of National Security and Immigration 
 
Ralph Fonseca 
Minister of Budget Planning, Economic Development, Investment
and Trade 
 
George Price 
Senior Minister 
 
Jose Coye 
Minister of Health, Public Services, Labour and Civil Society 
 
Henry Canton 
Minister of Works, Transport, Citrus and Banana Industries 
 
Florencio Marin 
Minister of the Sugar Industry, Local Government and Latin American
Affairs 
 
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia 
Minister of Human Development and Women 
 
Daniel Silva 
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperatives 
 
Mark Espat 
Minister of Tourism and Youth 
 
Cordel Hyde 
Minister of Education and Sports 
 
Marcial Mes 
Minister of Rural Development and Culture 
 
Dickie Bradley 
Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal and Home Affairs 
 
Godfrey Smith 
Attorney-General and Minister of Information 
 
Ministers of State: 
Servulo Baeza 
Minister of State in the Ministry of Economic Development 
 
Patricia Arceo 
Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry
CHANGES IN BELIZE CITY 
· Construction work continues on the former Fiesta Inn (originally
the Ramada Royal Reef), operating now as Princess. The original
lobby and lounge are gone, to make room for a new addition on
the front of the hotel which housing the casino. 
· G G's, a long-time favorite for inexpensive burgers and other
dishes, is no more, replaced by Tres Amigos, serving Creole and
other Belizean food. Mango's (formerly The Grill) is now Chef
Bob's.
CHANGES IN SAN PEDRO 
· San Pedro now has its own radio station. Radio Arecife or Reef
Radio went on the air on August 17 at 92.3 FM. The new station,
started by Eiden Salazar Jr., operates daily from 6 a.m to midnight.
Local reaction to the station has been positive. 
· Work continues on paving the street from the primary school
to San Pedro Hardware. 
· A ground breaking was held for a proposed hospital to be located
near the airstrip. The new hospital is being spearheaded by the
San Pedro Lions Club. 
· Rasta Pasta, formerly at SunBreeze, is reopening in late October
on Front Street (Barrier Reef Drive). 
· The new San Pedro Supermarket continues to get rave reviews
from both visitors and Sanpedranos for its selection and competitive
grocery prices.
NIM LI PUNIT VISITORS CENTER OPENS A visitors center at Nim Li Punit at Indian Creek near Punta
Gorda officially opened in early October, with funding by the
European Union and the government of Belize. A similar visitor
center is planned for another Toledo Maya site, Lubaantun. Visitors
centers or museums are already open at Caracol, Cahal Pech, Xunantunich
and Lamanai.
BANDITS TARGET TRUCKS IN MEXICO Trucks, mostly carrying industrial items, groceries and other
business cargoes, are being hijacked in record numbers on Mexico
roads. As many as 40,000 truck robberies took place in Mexico
in the past year, authorities say.
GAS PRICES UP AROUND CENTRAL AMERICA Belize still has the most expensive gas in Central America, at
about US$2.65 per gallon for unleaded, but its neighbors are catching
up with it. Super in Costa Rica is now close to US$2 a gallon;
in Guatemala, which has the lowest fuel prices in the region,
it's around US$1.69.
NEW STUDY: BELIZE HAD MORE THAN 50 MURDERS IN THE PAST YEAR, BUT
HIGH RATE MOSTLY CONNECTED TO DRUG DISPUTES AND FIGHTS WITH FAMILY
OR FRIENDS At least 56 murders occurred in Belize from August 1998 to July
1999, according to a study by BELIZE FIRST, a rate almost three
times higher than that in the United States. But the good news,
if there is any, is that most murders were related to drug and
gang disputes or involved arguments among family members, friends
or co-workers. Among the exceptions were a series of rape/murders
of young girls in Belize District, still unsolved, (see separate
article), the shooting of Chinese shopkeepers in Belize City,
the ambushing and shooting of a Coca-Cola driver on the Old Northern
Highway, and the murder of a British volunteer worker last August
in Stann Creek District. About a fifth of the victims were immigrants,
mainly from Honduras or Guatemala. Statistics shown here were
compiled from news reports and do not necessarily reflect police
figures. Not included are deaths where foul play was suspected
but not proved, or deaths involving vehicles, such as hit and
run cases. Some findings of the study: 
· At least 13 of the murders, including eight in two mass killings
off remote cayes in the Caribbean Sea, were believed to be drug
or gang related. 
· Another 15 to 20 of the deaths were likely a result of squabbles
among family, friends, neighbors or co-workers. 
· At least 9 of the deaths involved immigrants from neighboring
countries, mainly Guatemala and Honduras, and in several cases
those arrested and charged for the crimes were also from outside
Belize. 
· Guns were the murder weapons in at least 22 of the killings;
knives figured in at least 11 deaths and machetes in 8. 
· Belize District led the country in number of murders, with 28
murders. Several areas, including Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker,
had no murders during the period. 
· In about one-half of the cases, suspects already have been arrested
and charged. 
· The murder rate in Belize during this period was about 22.4
per 100,000 population (assuming a Belize population of 250,000).
That compares to a rate of about 7.8 per 100,000 in 1996 in the
U.S. according to Federal Bureau of Investigation reports. 
· In raw numbers, the total of murders in Belize is about the
same as the number of murders in the following U.S. cities, in
calendar 1998 as preliminarily reported by the FBI, with population
as of 1996: Baton Rouge, La. (64 reported murders, population
of 567,000); Denver, Colo. (51 reported murders, population 1,867,000);
Jackson, Miss. (60 reported murders, population 421,000); Oklahoma
City, Okla. (56 reported murders, population 1,027,000); and San
Francisco (58 reported murders, population 1,655,000.) The U.S.
cities with the most murders reported in 1998 include Chicago
(694 reported murders), New York (633), Detroit (429), Los Angeles
(426), Philadelphia (338), Baltimore (311), Washington (260),
Houston (254) and New Orleans (233). There were a total of 19,650
police-reported murders in the U.S in 1996, the last year for
which complete statistics are available.
SWIFT JUSTICE Crime against tourists in Belize is relatively rare, and when
it does happen the Belize judicial system moves with unusual speed
to try and punish the offender. In mid-June, when a Swedish visitor,
just arrived in Belize City from Cancun, was the victim of an
unprovoked attack on Orange Street by a man who struck her in
the head with a board, tourism police reportedly arrested Leroy
Dunn of East Collet Canal within minutes of the attack. Just hours
later, Dunn was tried and convicted by the Quick Trial Court in
Belize City. That same day, he was taken to Hattieville prison
to begin serving a two-year term. The Swedish tourist was treated
by local doctors and released.
MCDONALD'S TO OPEN IN BELIZE IN 2000? Belize, the only country in Central or South America without
a McDonald's restaurant, may get one in the year 2000, according
to a McDonald's executive. Manuel Juarez, McDonald's communications
director for Latin America, told a Reuters reporter in Mexico
City that McDonald's "may open"in Belize next year.
CONSOLIDATION CONTINUES IN BELIZE'S CITRUS INDUSTRY A British company, Commonwealth Development Corporation, has
purchased Belize Foods Ltd., adding to it holdings in Belize.
Last year it bought Citrus Company of Belize. CDC also owns Barton
Creek Farms in Cayo District and a citrus plantation in Toledo
District. Altogether, CDC now manages about 10,000 acres of citrus
groves and employs up to 1,500 workers during harvest seasons.
Continued low prices for citrus products is driving consolidation
in the industry, so that growers can enjoy better economies of
scale. 
JULY TOURISM UP Visitor arrivals at the International Airport in July 1999 were
up 9% over the same month in 1998, according to the Belize Tourist
Board. Arrivals for the month totaled 9,113. Tourist travel to
Belize has been flat for most of 1999, despite an aggressive ad
campaign by the Belize Tourism Board in the United States. June
arrivals at the International Airport were almost exactly the
same as the previous year, January and February were off from
the previous year, while arrivals from March to May were up 2%.
March did see strong tourism numbers, with arrivals topping 12,000
for the first time. Given the full-page ads run this year by Belize
in North American travel magazines, part of a US$500,000 ad campaign,
the results are less than had been hoped for, say some tourism
observers. Although tourism to the main Caribbean has been weak
of late, Belize's regional neighbors Guatemala, Mexico and Costa
Rica are experiencing booms. Tourism has been dead in Placencia,
Caye Caulker and in other areas in recent weeks, say observers.
Belize hotels are cutting rates and struggling to gain occupancy
over the summer. One somewhat upmarket beachfront hotel in San
Pedro is offering rooms for as low as US$45. With only a few exceptions,
hotels and other tourism operators are doing limited business,
and many are unprofitable. Tourism was off 10% during the four
months following October 1998, when Hurricane Mitch ravaged Honduras
and Guatemala, almost completely sparing Belize but leaving misinformed
travelers in its windy wake. One good sign: Bookings for the millennium
celebration appear strong, although some space is still available
in San Pedro and elsewhere in Belize.
NOVELO'S GETS MERCEDES Novelo's Bus Service, based in Benque Viejo del Carmen, has become
the distributor for Mercedes-Benz trucks, off-road vehicles, vans
and other land vehicles in Belize. Novelo's also announced that
in September it would launch a new "executive class"daily bus
service between Benque and Belize City, using two new Mercedes
48-seat passenger buses.
NEW WATER TAXI SERVICE BETWEEN BELIZE CITY AND POINTS SOUTH Twice-weekly ferry service linking Belize City and Placencia,
and costing US$25 one way, has been started by the Caye Caulker
Water Taxi Association. Boats leave the Marine Terminal in Belize
City at 1 p.m. on Friday and Sunday, returning at 7 a.m. on Saturday
and Monday. The trip takes about two hours. Dangriga will soon
be added as a stop. The Association says it plans to offer continuing
service to Punta Gorda and to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. Reservations
are necessary: Telephone 501-2-31969, fax. 2-78710 or e-mail btiajeff@btl.net.
Separately, Gulf Cruza has weekly service from Belize City to
Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Departure is at 6 a.m. Friday, with stops
at Placencia and Big Creek, and arriving Puerto Cortes at 2 p.m.
Cost reportedly is under US$50 one-way. For information, call
501-2-24506.
TEACHER GROUP PROTESTS VIOLENCE IN BELIZE CITY FOLLOWING MURDER
OF TOLEDO INSTRUCTOR About 300 Belize school teachers took to the streets in mid-August
to protest the murder earlier in the month of Pio Coc, a teacher
in training from San Pedro Columbia, Toledo, who was killed in
a ride-by shooting while on a visit to Belize City. At around
11:30 p.m. August 4, two men on bicycles on West Canal Street
approached Coc and two relatives leaving a restaurant, according
to news reports. They demanded money and then began shooting.
Coc was hit several times and later died in surgery. His uncle,
Carlos Jackson, was severely wounded. "Crime is getting out of
hand,"said one teacher at the protest. Police have made arrests
in the case, charging two young Belize City men. In a perhaps
related case, muggers on bikes robbed a German tourist and, separately,
a Belizean woman in the Hone Park area, home to several embassies.
Separately, Talbert Lamb died following a beating August 4 near
New Road and Pickstock Street. Lamb reportedly was with a group
of tourists when he was attacked. The tourists ran away. Police
have arrested a Belize City resident and say they plan to charge
him with murder. In Cayo in early August a San Ignacio taxi driver
was shot to death after taking a fare to Branch Mouth area. A
Guatemalan man has been arrested and charged with the killing.
MENNONITE BUSINESSMAN STILL BEING HELD Meno Penner, a prominent Mennonite businessman who was kidnapped
March 17 in Cayo, is still being held by his kidnappers, thought
to be a band of Salvadoran and Guatemalan bandits who have demanded
a large ransom.
WHAT'S THAT STRANGE BUZZING SOUND? A July 19 TACA flight from the International Airport in Belize
City to Miami was delayed when a large swarm of killer bees attacked
the 737 soon after boarding. Fearing that the bees might be sucked
into the engines, airport officials killed the bees with insecticide,
and the flight departed without further incident. Nearly all honey
bees in Belize now are Africanized. Their sting is no worse than
regular honeybees, but they are much more aggressive. TACA's non-stop
Miami-Belize City flights, suspended April 19, were reinstated
June 19, thanks to the work of the Belize Tourism Board negotiators.
Daily service on 737 equipment resumed between Miami and Belize
City, with continuing service to Flores (Tikal) and Guatemala
City. It's the same route in reverse on the return, bees or no
bees.
ASHCROFT MAKES HEADLINES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC Michael A. Ashcroft, chairman and CEO of Carlisle Holdings (formerly
BHI), and possibly Belize's richest man, has been in the news
in Britain. Newspapers there have attacked Ashcroft, who is treasurer
of Britain's Conservative Party, for his alleged sins in Belize,
including the sale, through one of his companies, of Belize passports.
Such economic citizenship sales have been legal in Belize. Media
in Belize generally have supported Ashcroft. Ashcroft, who recently
was turned down for a peerage, has completed the sale of his company's
non-core assets in Belize, keeping the interests in BTL and Belize
Bank, and saying he would reinvest the proceeds in the U.K. The
multimillionaire reportedly has kept 50 workers busy for two years
renovating a 1910 mansion he bought in London. Tea, anyone?
"STREET FIGHT"IN SAN PEDRO Locals who are tired of muddy streets and tourists and tourism
promoters who want to maintain the atmosphere of the island are
lining up on opposite sides of the street in San Pedro. The San
Pedro Town Board have put cobblestones on a part of Coconut Drive
near the airstrip. Opponents say it is the beginning of the end
of San Pedro's laid-back island ambiance. They point to the influx
of cars and trucks on the island and say that paved streets and
too many vehicles threaten the island's main business, tourism.
Some have suggested making Barrier Reef Drive (Front Street) a
pedestrian-only avenue.
BELIZE BOOK OF LISTS 2000 PUBLISHED The new Belize Book of Lists 2000, which rates and reviews the
"10 best everything"in Belize, from the top jungle lodges to the
best butterfly farms, has been released by Equator Publications,
authored by BELIZE FIRST MAGAZINE Editor Lan Sluder. The new book
has been mailed to subscribers to BELIZE FIRST as part of the
magazine subscription. It is also for sale for US$14.95 postpaid
from Equator Publications, 270 Beaverdam Road, Candler, NC 28715
and will soon be available at bookstores and through Amazon.com
and other on-line retailers. Among the more than 100 categories
in the book are the Top Jungle Lodges, Best Beaches, Best Snorkeling
and Dive Sites, Best Belize Web Sites, Top Ambergris Caye Resorts
and Condotels, Can't-Miss Places to Eat and Best Mainland Seaside
Resorts. "It's a new idea in guidebooks,"says Sluder, who has
authored or co-authored other books published by Macmillan and
Ziff-Davis. "We aren't afraid to go out on a limb and name the
best in every category."
BTL's MONOPOLY TO END? Belizeans love to complain about the local telephone company,
Belize Telecommunications, Ltd. And not without reason, observers
say. BTL has a legal monopoly on all forms of telecommunications
in Belize. Independent ISPs can't offer cheaper, better Internet
access. It's even against the law to use Internet-based long-distance
programs to avoid sky-high long-distance rates from BTL. BTL's
international calling rates are as much as 15 times higher than
those paid for similar calls placed from the U.S. Internet service
is several times more costly in Belize than in the U.S., and service
is spotty, with severe problems with e-mail and Web access, especially
from more-remote areas such as Placencia, PG and Corozal. BTL
turned a US$20 million profit last year. The days of BTL's monopoly,
however, appear to be numbered. The legal monopoly status ends
in the year 2002. Government officials are saying privately that
competition may be introduced before then. For example, new telecommunications
start-ups are poised to operate in Belize's free trade zones.
One, Belize Telecommunications Systems Company Ltd., based in
the Corozal Free Zone, is planning to offer low-priced services
including a US$20-a-month unlimited-use Internet plan, one-price-all-you-can-talk
cellular service, and steeply discounted long-distance rates.
The catch is that, for now, these unBelizeable deals are available
only for businesses located within the Corozal Free Zone. Others
will have to wait. And pay.
BELIZE GETS TOUGHER ON GUNS Beginning July 19, tough new gun control rules went into effect
in Belize. Among the new regulations: Those wanting a gun license
face a four-week waiting period, must attend a training session,
and supply samples of test-fire bullets, cartridges and casings
as a way of linking a gun to its owner. A gun license will have
to be carried just like a driver's license. Farmers in rural areas
are exempt from some of the licensing rules.
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