pulled over for phony traffic offenses, and if you are stopped at a checkpoint, which occasionally happens, no one will promote a bribe.

Safety: In other parts of Central America, macho drivers take blind curves at heart-attack speed. In laid-back Belize, that's less of a problem. Drunk- drivers are a danger, though, in hard-drinking Belize; be cautious especially late at night. Do watch carefully when passing stopped buses; kids may suddenly dart around the bus to cross the road. Another big difference in Belize is that outside of settled areas, you may drive for an hour or more and never see another car. Be prepared: Bring water, a flash-light and other basic supplies, just in case. Don't leave valuables in your car, locked or unlocked.

Driving at Night: Driving at night in developing countries is seldom a good idea, but in Belize night driving is easier than in some other countries because there are so few people on the roads after dark. Jaguars and snakes, yes; people, not too many.

TIPS ON RENTAL CARS IN BELIZE

There are just two things wrong with renting a car in Belize: First, the cost is high, roughly twice the typical rate in the U.S. Second, the vehicles are often in poor condition. Rental companies often buy used cars in the U.S., have them driven down from Texas (drivers get free use of the car for a week or two), and then put them in service in Belize. Unfortunately, some of these vehicles are gas-guzzling clunkers. On my last trip to Belize, I met one couple who had had three flats in one week in Belize. The car renter, Crystal, finally sent a man to install four new tires. Belize First also has received a spate of complaints about Avis in Belize, from travelers who got high-mileage cars in at best fair condition.

Here are questions to ask and things to check BEFORE driving off in your rental. Keep in mind that a break-down on a deserted road in Belize is not like a break-down in Suburbia, USA.

- Check the mileage on the vehicle you've been assigned. Even 'name brand' renters often have high- mileage cars in their fleet. For example, Avis in Belize City has vehicles with more than 70,000 hard miles, and others that are almost new.

- Check the tires. Six-ply truck tires are best for Belize roads. But since six-ply tires are more expensive, many rentals run four-ply passenger car tires, which may not stand up to heavy off-road use. At the very least, tires should have plenty of tread. Also, check the spare, and be sure you know how to locate and use the jack.

- Ask what will happen if you have a break-down somewhere in the boondocks. Some renters, such as Budget, will send a mechanic out to repair the problem. Others may not.

Determine in advance whether you need to accept Collision Damage Waiver. CDW runs US$10 to $15 per day in Belize, and typically it does not cover the first $500 to $1,000 in damage; so you have to cough up for a windshield broken by a flying rock, for example. American Express and other credit cards DO provide primary coverage in Belize, but the catch is that these cards may not cover driving on unpaved roads or in some cases for 4WD vehicles.

- In-season especially, make reservations in advance, as rentals can be tight. There's now a car rental row at the international airport, a short stroll from the airport entrance. Present are Budget and Avis, and locals Jaguar, Cadles Travel Services, Crystal, G/W Holiday, Pancho's and Tour Belize. If there are cars available, and few customers, you may be able to bargain for a better price. National has an office downtown. Hertz has closed its Belize City location.

SPECIAL SECTION: SOUTHERN BELIZE

SUNRISE AT PLACENCIA

By PHIL LANIER

Ask Belizeans where to find the best beaches and chances are they'll tell you Placencia. By that they mean the Placencia peninsula, a long slender tongue of land midway down the eastern coast and home to three communities: Maya Beach, Seine Bight and Placencia Village.

Maya Beach is really little more than a condo/vacation home development and budding resort. Consider it a poor man's Hilton Head in the making. Seine Bight is a friendly Garifuna village just opening up to the promise of tourism. Placencia Village is the southern mainland equivalent of Caye Caulker, a laid-back little beachside community where a narrow sidewalk serves as the main street in town.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Come with realistic expectations: The beaches at Placencia, while pleasant and uncommercial, are not the wide and white postcard- sands you find on the Yucat‡ n or on some Caribbean islands. Turtle grass and other natural flora and fauna thrive on the sea bottom close to shore, making swimming less than world-class in many places. Snorkeling, while superb around the cayes offshore, is at best fair from the beaches.

Prices, too, have risen. While you can stay cheaply in Placencia village, accommodations range from basic to very basic. At the attractive resorts north of Placencia Village, in Seine Bight and Maya Beach, in season two people will end up paying around US$200 a day or more for room, meals, a few Belikins, maybe a snorkeling trip, tax and service. That's moderate by Caribbean resort standards, but it's not that cheap Central American vacation you've heard about, either. Summer rates are lower, thank goodness. Still, Placencia remains one of the most-appealing destinations in Belize, a friendly, safe, comfortable and enjoyable spot, and happily not a place where your neighbors have been.

Placencia has had something of a history of booms and busts. Today, with the air strip operating and renewed government interest in tourism development, the area is in a growth phase, with a hot property market and new small inns being built, especially in the area between Seine Bight and Maya Beach. At any one time, usually at least two or three of the peninsula's resorts are for sale, at prices that seem high based on the potential return, but perhaps reflect a bet on real estate appreciation. These days, land on the Caribbean here reportedly fetches around US$1,000 a front foot.

MAYA BEACH
New homes recently have appeared on Maya Beach, a little more than 16 miles from the turnoff of the Southern Highway, among cleared mangrove and palmettos. There will be more. It's simply too nice a beachfront for developers to leave be. Meanwhile, there really isn't much to the place besides a very comfortable resort, Singing Sands (tel./fax 501-6- 22243), now owned by Australians Bruce Larkin and Sally Steeds.

One of the first things the new owners did when they bought the property was to open a bar, selling some of the coldest beer in Southern Belize. The former owners had frowned on alcohol, as do the present operators of nearby Serenity Resort. Singing Sands is a collection of six thatch-roof caba– as along a beach sprinkled with palms, appealing to travelers who seek a little solitude in paradise. Each of the cabanas has a ceiling fan, hot and cold water and a private bath. At present, the electricity is from a generator by day, batteries at night. Rates are US$79 single, US$89 double, with lower rates off-season. Credit cards are okay. Meals are extra. There are mountain bikes, a couple of windsurfers, 45-foot catamaran, ski boat/slalom skis and a dive shop; Sally is a certified PADI instructor.

A new inn, the Green Parrot, is under construction not far from Singing Sands.

The Ted Williams resort, a pioneering spot at this end of the peninsula, closed several years ago and later burned. The new owners apparently have plans for residential use only.

SEINE BIGHT
Seine Bight is a Garifuna village a couple of miles south of Maya Beach, consisting of simple one-room wooden houses on stilts and a few hundred people. The men tend the fish nets and the women nurture the family garden. The village (and its hotels) are now on the power grid and recently were connected with the Placencia water supply.

The Nautical Inn (tel./fax 011-6-22310), just outside Seine Bight, is a bright new-comer to the peninsula. Here, owners Ben and Janie Ruoti, expats who moved here from Arizona, preside over 12 rooms in a covey of octagonal buildings (the latest erected this summer) imported from North Carolina. A 100-foot dock with a palapa at the end is a beaut. Nautical Inn's wood exteriors and seaside decor inside fit well with the theme of the place. There's a bar/restaurant, on- site travel agency, beauty salon, gift shop, massage service, catamaran, canoes, motor scooters, a new dive boat for snorkeling/scuba trips, with loading on the quiet lagoon side. The US$40 tour to Monkey River is recommended. Rooms come with ceiling fans, hot and cold water and private baths (a few A/C units available). New rates for high-season 1995-96: US$89, single, US$99 double; complete meal package US$30 extra per person. A/C $10 per night extra. Plus 10% service and 7% government tax. Lower rates in summer. (Editor's note: For a first-person review of a recent stay at Nautical Inn by BELIZE FIRST Editor Lan Sluder, see the Hotel Update section in this issue.)

Several new hotels are opening in Seine Bight. French Quarter Belize Resort (P.O. Box 286, Berlin, MD 21811; tel. in U.S. 410-641-0800 or 800-641-6665, fax 410-641-0921) is one. It consists of five mahogany Mennonite-style cottages on stilts close to the Caribbean, on a pleasant small beach. Planned also are several RV hook-ups and campsites across the road, on the lagoon side. The caba– as are attractive, with an interior of rosewood, mahogany and ironwood. Bathrooms are large. Each unit has a veranda 8 feet above the sand to catch the breeze, a nice touch. Most furnishings were made locally, with textiles from Guatemala. The owners, Glenn McCullough and Kathleen Eschenburg, formerly owned a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, also called The French Quarter, hence the unusual name for the Belize resort. Rates: High season: US$99 per caba– a (double, US$10 for additional people), higher at Christmas, plus 7% room tax and a stiff 15% service charge. Summer rate is US$85. Meals: breakfast, US$5-8; lunch, US$7-12; dinner, US$15-$25, with children 12 and under half price.

But maybe you would prefer the rustic charm of a room in town. Auntie Chigi's Place will fill that bill. It's a colorful wood frame building of green with yellow trim. Auntie Chigi's appeals to backpackers and those who really want local flavor. Smack dab in the middle of town, too. Inside, there are five rooms with very simple but clean surroundings, shared bathrooms. Rates are US$20 per room. Contact Edna Martinez in Seine Bight Village. If you can't find it, just ask.

Once in Seine Bight, head over by the hurricane shelter to a little place called Sunshine, the local bar/disco run by Herbert Ramirez. There's natural wood on the outside, pale blue walls inside, four HUGE speakers, and room to dance to punta rock and reggae. A notice tacked to the wall reads, 'Attention: No loafers allowed. No bad words allowed. Avoid unnecessary arguments. No credit until tomorrow. Please do not spit on the floor.'

Take your choice of libations, including bitters, a potion made of various roots and herbs marinated in rum. "De bitter, de better, mon!" Well, it is bitter. But not bad. Especially after the first one or two.

NORTH OF PLACENCIA VILLAGE
Just as with Seine Bight, some of the best resorts around Placencia Village are north of town. Rum Point Inn (tel. 501-6- 23239; fax 501-6-23240; in the U.S. tel. 800-747- 1381), operated by George and Corol Bevier and son Wade Bevier, is certainly one of these and a long favorite of divers from around the world. Only moments from the Placencia airstrip, it offers odd formed concrete caba– as that resemble igloos. Inside, these present a cool, spacious, tropical atmosphere, attractively furnished with hardwood furniture and native plants. There's hot and cold water, private baths and fans. One of the assets of Rum Point is its extensive library of books and videotapes on the region. High-season rates are US$175 single, US$224 double, including all meals, which are served in one of the most-attractive dining rooms in Belize; June 1 to mid-November rates are US$150 single, US$185 double. Rates are plus tax and 10% service. The bustling dive business has a 42-foot jet boat, Auriga, considered one of the best dive boats around. There also are a windsurfer, bikes and tours to the cayes, rivers, Maya ruins and the rain forest.

For my money, though, Turtle Inn (tel. 303-444-2555 or 501-6-23244, fax 501-6-23245), is hard to beat. Resorts don't come much more comfortably casual than this one run by American Skip White. The place is so laid back, for the longest time there was no sign out by the road. Turtle Inn offers great atmosphere, diving and adventure travel to far-off cayes, the reef, and deep into the Maya Mountains. The bar/restaurant's wood deck spills out onto the beach inviting one to step up, plop down and strike up a conversation with the nearest fellow wayfarer. The food here won't disappoint, with a menu heavy on seafood and local dishes.

Accommodations are in quaint thatch-roof caba– as on the beach with ceiling fans, cold water, private bath, veranda and hammocks. After some increases, rates now are US$99 single, US$150 double, three full meals included. With breakfast only it's US$72 single and $100 double. Tariff includes tax but not gratuity. Rates are slightly lower in summer, US$67 single, $85 double with breakfast; $93 single, $136 double, with three meals.

An always-popular choice in this area is Kitty's Place. It has a real island feel, and one of the best beaches on the peninsula. The bar and the restaurant - now "subcontracted out" - on the second floor of the main building overlooking the sea have a perfect Belize setting. The food is fine but not exceptional, with dinner around US$15 to $20. Best accommodations are in the Colonial building, especially the apartment on the second floor which is delightful (US$108 double.) New additions increased capacity and have generally upgraded the resort. About half the guests are divers. Rates November 1 to June 1 range from US$33 to $93 single, US$43 to $108 double, plus tax and 10% service. Tel. 501-6-23227, fax 501-6-23226.

PLACENCIA VILLAGE
Located at the southern tip of the palm-dotted peninsula, Placencia Village is more than 100 miles south of Belize City. Placencia has been a fishing village from the time of the Maya. Even with the growth of tourism, it's still home to many fishermen.

The town is about a mile long with a sidewalk running down the middle of it - well, sometimes it's a sidewalk and sometimes it's sand. There really isn't a main road through the downtown but a back road runs on the lagoon side right up to the service station/bus stop at the end of the peninsula. An aspect of the town's charm is that everyone seems to be related; this is a very small pond and most of the fish are at least cousins several times removed. Almost every other person is an Eiley, a Leslie, a Westby or a Young.

Two places where local activity seems most concentrated are Tentacles Restaurant and Jene's Flamboyant. Tentacles is at the far south end of town, a large cafe with a grand thatch roof over a hardwood deck. Here, you can watch the sea while sampling good seafood, burgers, Italian and local food. Ask about the Reggae Salad. A lobster dinner is about US$15.

In the center of town, Jene's Flamboyant is hard to miss, or at least it's hard to miss the flamboyant tree outside for which it's named. Uncle Jay, the proprietor, takes pride in using fresh ingredients and accommodating special requests. Belizean specials run about US$6-8. Sunday is the day for open-pit barbecue and Garifuna drummers.

The Galley Restaurant and Bar should not be missed by jazz lovers or those who enjoy good food. Cleveland and Julia Berry fix a fine T-Bone (US$8), as well as Creole style lobster (US$12.50). Try their famous 'Seaweed Drink' - similar to egg nog with a pleasing flavor and a shot of brandy for good measure. Locals giggle and say, "It's good for de back mon!" by which they mean it improves a man's performance of his husbandly duties. Who can say?

Kingfisher is another possibility for food.

The Galley and Dockside at Tentacles are where the action is at night.

For accommodations there are numerous small guesthouses in town with names such as Deb & Dave's Last Resort, Jamie's Rooms, Julia's Budget Hotel, Lucille's Rooms, Lydia's Rooms and the like. Most of them are less than US$20 a night. These are great for those who like to live simply.

My suggestion would be to try Tradewinds Hotel ( tel. 501-6-21322) on five acres near the sea. Three caba– as with spacious rooms, fans, refrigerators, coffee pots, and private yards are US$50 per night for up to four people.

The Sea Spray Hotel tel. (501-6-23148), 30 feet from the beach on the point has five caba– as and eight rooms with private bathrooms. Attached to the hotel find the Thatch Bar. Rates for caba– as with refrigerators, hot and cold water US$53; rooms with a community bath, about US$25-35 single, with a private bath US$50-60 double.

Westwind Hotel (tel. 501-6-23255) is priced higher than most other lodging in Placencia Village, and it is also one the most attractive and comfortable. There are eight rooms in all with bright modern interiors, great views, sunny decks, kitchens, hot and cold water, private baths, and fans. This resort provides all the amenities of some of the ones north of town, but right in the heart of the village. Rates are US$25 single, US$55 double; suites are US$90.

For activities, try fishing for permit, tarpon, snook and bonefish. Scuba and snorkeling trips are worth the investment. Trips to the Mayan ruins of Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit are fascinating. But doing nothing can be equally rewarding in Placencia. Take your fun at your own pace, Placencia-style.

Chicago-based free-lance writer Phil Lanier helped update the new edition of Belize Handbook by Chichi Mallan, from Moon Publications. He did articles on Corozal and Ambergris Caye in the Vol. II, No. 4 issue of BELIZE FIRST. Lan Sluder contributed additional material to this piece on Placencia.

PG: TROPICAL OUTPOST ON THE CARIBBEAN SEA

By HARRY PARISER

Almost 210 miles by road from Belize City, Punta Gorda, popularly known as 'PG,' (population under 4,000) is the last sizeable settlement in southern Belize. Despite its Spanish name this town contains Garifuna, Creoles, Kekchi, Mopan Maya, Chinese, Lebanese, and East Indians. All of its five streets - Front, Main, Back, West, and Far West - parallel the shoreline. The town has a tropical-port, land's-end atmosphere. A fishing and farming (beans, maize, and rice) community, it receives over 170 inches of rain annually. Originally a fishing village, it was one of the places originally established for the Black Caribs after they fled Honduras in 1823. Today, it is the capital of the Toledo District. Schools line Front Street, and youngsters are imported from surrounding villages on weekdays in season. Nearby are the ruins of Lubaantun as well as indigenous villages. Trips may be also made to the Sapodilla Cayes.

GETTING THERE: The most frequent service is offered by Z-Line (tel. 501-2-73937) which leaves Belize City at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., arriving at 5:45 p.m. and 12:45 a.m. Buses leave Dangriga at noon and 7 p.m. James also runs. Allow nine hours or more from Belize City. Leaving from Pound Yard, Belize City, Williams Bus Service is yet another line.

By air: Tropic Air (tel. 501-2-45671) flies from Belize Municipal (US$60 one-way, US$108 return) and from Belize International (US$70 one-way, US$140 return) as does Maya Airways. If you take Tropic Air's flight, on the way to Punta Gorda, you make a last sweep over Belize City and then over the sea before swinging back over the coast passing by marshes, jade green rivers, pristine rain forest interlaced with cohune palms which protrude like giant upright feather dusters, small offshore cayes, and citrus farms of staggering proportions. Cut through it all is a road network; the clay color of the strips is clearly visible from the air. As you descend, you spot the former Voice of America antenna, rain forest- covered Seven Hills, and the former British army base. Maya Airlines also flies via Dangriga. By car: From Belize City and the Western Highway, you can take either the Manatee or Hummingbird Highways. Since the resurfacing of most of the Hummingbird Highway, this is the better option. The Hummingbird is pleasant and scenic; the Southern Highway from near Dangriga to PG is not. For details, see the article on Belize roads elsewhere in this issue.

Ecotourism trail: First proposed in 1991, an ecotourism trail around the town is still in the development stages. The idealistic vision of Nature Way's Chet Schmidt, the 4-mile trail and greenbelt surrounding the town has four aims: to preserve land

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