especially in the rainy season. Ask in Dangriga, or in Democracia, preferably of someone who has driven it recently. Two-wheel drive okay in good weather, four-wheel drive needed other times.

Mountain Pine Ridge Roads: Roads in the Pine Ridge are some of the worst in Belize. Even when the roads are in good, dry condition, they will jar your bones. The marl limestone base in some places has deep ruts and limestone rocks the size of hand grenades. As you go deeper into the Pine Ridge toward Caracol, the roadway turns more to clay. Both clay and limey earth are very, very, very slick when wet. You absolutely need a four-wheel drive for this area.

Other Roads: Roads around larger towns and cities are usually okay passenger cars. In beach areas, note that parking lots are often sand. Without four-wheel drive, you may quickly sink into the soft sand and be stuck.

Car Rental

As noted, car rentals in Belize are expensive, more expensive than they should be even given the high maintenance costs and import taxes. Expect to pay US$300 to $500 a week for a four-wheel drive. In addition, many of the car renters will hit you with a CDW of US$10 to $15 or more a day, and usually that does not cover the first $500 to $1000 of damage. Check with your credit card company and see if it covers CDW in Belize. American Express, for one, does, though there may be exceptions for some types of vehicle. Also, inspect your rental car carefully.

Among the rental car agencies we at BELIZE FIRST recommend you consider are:

Budget, 771 Bella Vista, Northern Highway, tel. 501-2-32435, fax 501-2- 30237 or call Budget national reservations in your home country. Rents Suzuki Samurai and Sidekick four-wheel drive vehicles, typically from $348 a week, unlimited mileage -- your rates and mileage may vary.

Hertz, Mile 2 1/2 Northern Highway, tel. 501-2-32710, fax 501-2- 32981, or call Hertz national reservations in your home country. Rates typically $420 to $450 for a Isuzu Trooper or Ford Bronco.

Crystal, Mile 1 1/2 Northern Highway, tel. 501-2-31600, fax 501-2- 31900. Rents used cars and trucks of various types. Prices generally lower than the majors.

SIDEBAR: BEFORE YOU GO

If you drive in Belize, you owe it to yourself and your sanity to have Emory King's 1994 Driver's Guide to Belize in the seat beside you. This is a handy, reliable guide to most of the roads and by-ways of Belize. This 60-page, 8 1/2 x 11 booklet provides maps and mile-by- mile commentary keyed to local sites and landmarks. It also makes wonderful armchair reading, with lots of local-color comments and typically Belizean ads. Says the Driver's Guide: 'In Belize all firm prices and dates of delivery are approximations and all plans based on them are wishful thinking!'

This friendly road guide is by one of Belize's best-known residents, the redoubtable, straw-hatted, cigar-clenching King, who was ship- wrecked in Belize more than four decades ago and decided not to leave. US$12.

Another must for Belize auto travelers is the Traveller's Reference Map of Belize from International Travel Map Productions, 2nd edition 1993-95. This 1:350,000 scale color map is the best general map to Belize we've found. US$6.95.

Both are available, postpaid, from BELIZE FIRST, 280 Beaverdam Road, Candler, NC 28715.

* * *BELIZE BY CANOE* * *

By JOHN A. KUMISKI

An aquamarine sea hissed and foamed around our canoes, its color changing to emerald and jade as we looked toward the reef. Sunlight sparkled off the waves like diamond fire. The distant roar of surf pounding on rock reached our ears as the wind filled our sails and pushed our boats toward Tobacco Caye, a tiny speck of land lying atop the longest coral reef in the Americas.

Along the coast of Belize, idyllic islands and spectacular submarine scenery dominate a landscape drenched in sunshine. Using a canoe- sailing rig as a water vehicle, my friends and I had come here to explore along the Belizean reef, snorkeling, fishing, and relaxing. We wished only to savor life as the Belizeans do.

Our trip began on the docks of Belize City. Caye Caulker was reached after a 40-minute boat ride across open bays and through narrow passages in mangrove islands. "Go Slow," street signs told us.

We stayed in the Miramar Hotel for two nights while we organized our gear and assembled our boats, adjusting to the differences in culture and getting ready to sail to St. George's Caye. We were a crew of four. Ken Shannon, trip leader, a mechanical engineer, had designed and built the catamaran sailing rig for the two canoes. Bill Cleveland, a veterinarian, was our "physician." I was photographer and cook. Jay Shannon, Ken's brother, assisted everyone.

Finally the boats were ready for testing. Ken and Bill boarded the craft under an overcast sky for the great experiment. Jay and I watched while they sailed toward the reef. The rig reminded me of a Hobie Cat, and was almost as fast! They came back exhilarated, and we made ready to sail the next morning.

The boats were much slower with their heavy loads than they had been the previous afternoon but even so, the voyage to St. George's Caye took only four hours. St. George's has a prominent place in Belizean history, being the site of two battles in the 1700s between the English inhabitants and the Spanish, who had claims on the territory. The Spaniards lost the fight. We left in the morning with a stiffening breeze, headed for English Caye. Between St. George's Caye and English Caye lies the main shipping lane into Belize City, known as the Eastern Channel. A clearly visible color change, from green to blue, marks the location of the channel. We usually trolled two fishing lines while under way, hoping to catch a fat grouper or snapper for supper. As we crossed the color change, both of our lines had tremendous strikes. Bill's line tangled. While Bill worked at it, Jay began pulling the fish in by hand. Ken brought a barracuda alongside and gaffed it. As he was lifting it into the canoe, the fish thrashed violently and fell off of the gaff. It lay still in the water, stunned, as the other canoe passed over it. Jay, thinking quickly, reached down and grabbed the 'cuda by the tail while he continued battling the second fish with his other hand. Ken leaped overboard and recovered his fish from Jay, who then pulled in a second barracuda. This later proved fortunate.

Landing at English Caye, we were met by the lighthouse keeper who didn't really understand what we wanted there. We wanted to camp! It was getting late and the weather was getting nasty. We offered him one of our freshly caught barracuda. His smile shone almost more brightly than his lighthouse, and he invited us to stay as long as we liked. It was a good thing he did, too, for high winds and rain held us on English for three nights.

Finally the weather broke, and down came our damp camp. The canoes sailed south, the reef to the east, and various mangrove islands to the west. Caye after caye passed, none of which offered any dry land to the potential camper. The variety of shades of blue and green in the water was astounding. The color varied by depth and bottom cover, and then changed even more as the clouds came and went, covering and uncovering the warm tropical sun.

Onward we went, pushed by the wind, looking for a dry piece of land, watching the cloud shadows race across the sea. The sun was getting low in the west as we passed more mangroves at South Long Caye. A few miles past was Columbus Caye.

On the shore was a fishing shack. We headed in. A weather-beaten man came out to meet us, waving and slapping at himself. Then the hungry hordes also descended on us. We did a quick 180-degree turn and paddled out a bit, then took stock of the situation while liberally dousing ourselves with insect repellant. Tired and hungry from being in the boats all day, no one wanted to deal with these insects. We decided to paddle in, set up the tents, jump in, and the heck with supper. Our plan made, in we went.

The tents went up like clockwork as the fisherman tried to converse with us. He spoke only Spanish, we only English, so dialogue was difficult. In spite of this we learned that his name was Gomez and that he lived in Honduras. He was fishing the waters of Belize and was alone tonight as the rest of the crew had gone to Dangriga to drop off their catch and resupply. Would we like to come into the cabin and cook on the stove? We hesitated because of the bugs, but hunger won out. In we went. Although dark and dingy, the shack was remarkably insect-free. We cooked fish and rice, and ate as Gomez helped himself liberally to a cache of rum he had hidden away. After our repast, we blew the lamp out and left Gomez in the cabin alone, snoring in the corner.

Like Gomez, we were up early the following morning. The insects were hungrier than ever, and we wanted off of Columbus Caye as soon as possible. We said goodbye and hopped into the boats, headed south again. Our goal: Tobacco Caye.

If ever I had to be shipwrecked on a tropical isle, Tobacco Caye would be a nice way to go. Perhaps 20 houses sit atop this tiny island, inhabited by friendly, smiling people, shaded by swaying coconut palms. The caye is protected from the sometimes furious sea by a natural coral barrier. The coral supports myriad forms of life, from the microscopic algae that live symbiotically within the polyps themselves, giving them their hue and supplying them with both food and oxygen, to the giant tarpon, grouper, and sharks that can be seen while snorkeling along the outside of the reef.

What makes swimming with mask and fins even more spectacular here is the profound change in depth, from awash atop the reef to almost 1,000 feet deep within one mile offshore.

A boat came out during our second day there. The captain's name was Maurice Stanley, from Dangriga. We spoke to him at length about our plans for the rest of the trip. We wanted to do some fishing for bonefish, tarpon, and snook. Maurice told us that we should find bonefish at Coco Plum Caye, a small uninhabited caye to the southwest of our present position, and snook and tarpon in a lagoon behind Commerce Bight, almost due west of Coco Plum. He said we could probably stay at the property of Carl McCoy. We should just go there, because he, Maurice, would visit McCoy and arrange it all for us. Coco Plum turned out to actually be two cayes in close proximity, both uninhabited, separated by a shallow cut. On the south side of the cut was an abandoned fishing camp, shaded by coconut palms, with fishing net hammocks already in place. How could we refuse? There was plenty of scrap wood around, so we could actually make wood fires, too. Coco Plum offered us the best eating we'd had yet. We feasted on snapper, barracuda, lobster, and crabs. Green coconuts, once carved open with a machete, slaked our thirst. We quickly fell into a pleasant routine of breakfast, then fishing, then lunch, then swimming, then supper, then campfire, then sleep.

Although we enjoyed the wonderful fishing Coco Plum offered, and loved the solitude, time pressed on us and we packed again. This time our destination was the mainland, Commerce Bight. We had our final sail, heading due west until we spotted a neat white cottage with red trim, the homestead of Carl McCoy. Carl was a gracious host. We had some wonderful conversations under the shimmering stars, sharing a bottle of rum. We stayed at his place for three nights, using the canoes, now without the sailing rig, to investigate and fish for tarpon and snook in the lagoons. Doves sang to us as we fished and explored, and put the final touches on our suntans. One morning shortly after sunrise, Maurice Stanley came roaring down the coast in his boat to pick us up and transport us back to the bus station in Dangriga.

==John Kumiski is an outdoors and travel writer who lives in Florida.==

British Honduras Days

WHEN 'LINDY' CAME TO TOWN

By NEIL FRASER

In the opening sequence of the old TV program Fantasy Island a little man is excitedly calling "De plane! De plane!" It always reminded me of Belize where, as children, at the rare sound of an approaching aircraft we would cry out "A plane!" while running to our verandahs to see what the sky was bringing to this remote place we called home.

Belize, and all Central American nations, took to the air age early and quickly. The lack of roads and railways, formidable jungles and mountains, long journeys by sea, all made airplanes the ideal way of reaching the cities, towns and outposts of these countries. The age of air transport was introduced to Belize on December 30, 1927, by none other than the "Lone Eagle" himself, Colonel Charles Lindbergh.

Lindbergh, a great believer in the future of air transport, was retained by the founders of Pan American Airways to scout Central America and the Caribbean for future air routes. After his transatlantic triumph, he set off to make a quick goodwill tour, departing just before Christmas 1927. The first leg of this, Lindbergh's second historic flight, took him from Washington, DC, to Mexico City. From there the Spirit of St. Louis winged its way to Guatemala City, then to Belize, arriving two days before New Year's. The estimated arrival time at each of Lindbergh's stops was sent ahead by wireless. It is a tribute to his skill as a pilot that he was almost exactly on schedule reaching each destination. Coming into Belize from the south and flying in overcast weather, he strayed out over the water. Letting down through the clouds, he swung west to make a landfall around Stann Creek (now Dangriga). Turning back to the north, he soon arrived over Belize to the excitement of waiting crowds below. The only available landing place in Belize was what Lindbergh, in his autobiography, called "a polo field". It is that area known as The Barracks on the North side of the city where the Golf and Polo Clubs were located...as well as the insane asylum. The open field, bordered by water on one side, was the site of polo, soccer and cricket matches. Until the present municipal airport was constructed in the late 1930s, it was also the landing field for aircraft coming into Belize.

he Spirit of St. Louis landed safely and was immediately surrounded by the people of Belize. One of those on the welcoming committee was my grandfather, Dr. James Cran. The welcoming celebrations included speeches at the Golf Club and the Polo Club, and a parade through the city to Government House. Photos of Lindbergh's visit to Belize provide an interesting insight into the prevailing dress code of the time. In that tropical climate everyone in the photos is formally clad in suits and wearing hats. Lindbergh himself appears to have stepped from the cockpit wearing a suit and holding his fedora. One photo shows Lindbergh working on the engine of his aircraft while wearing his hat, with the sleeves of his white shirt partially rolled up and his tie protectively tucked into his shirt. In this photo, Lindbergh is making a minor repair to the Spirit of St. Louis. Its engine apparently broke a valve spring which the versatile aviator replaced. Somehow my family obtained the broken part. It was an almost sacred relic kept in our dining room's china closet, a rusting piece of metal beside my mother's finest china and glassware: A piece of Lindbergh's airplane. After departing from Belize, Lindbergh piloted the Spirit of St. Louis through the capitol cities of the Central American republics and to the Panama Canal Zone. From there he swung around the northern coast of South America and headed north again via the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. He departed Havana in early February of 1928, returning to U.S. airspace near Fort Myers, continuing on non-stop across Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee and finally landing at his home base in St. Louis. There the Spirit of St. Louis was retired into history, eventually to hang from the ceiling of the Smithsonian.

Lindbergh's next trip to Central America started in the early morning of his birthday, February 4, 1929. This time at the controls of a Sikorsky S-36 twin-engined amphibian, he lifted off the runway at Miami on the first leg of a 2,327 mile flight to Cristobal in the Panama Canal Zone. It was the inauguration flight of Pan American's mail and later passenger service to the Caribbean basin. A crowd of more than 1,000 people, some in evening clothes, were on hand to watch his dawn departure and the dawn of the air age in Central America. The S-36 Lindbergh piloted on this trip was only the second such aircraft built by Sikorsky under a contract with Pan American signed the year before. On board, in addition to Lindbergh, were Colonel Juan Hambledon, Vice President of Pan Am as co-pilot, and Henry L. Buskey as mechanic and radio operator. Pan American's president, Juan Tripp e, rode as a passenger.

After refueling stops in Cuba, the S-36 left bound for Belize, crossing the Yucatan Channel then hugging the coastline southward until its arrival in Belize at 2:55 p.m. The people of Belize, expecting the flight, had been making hasty preparations. My father, C. N. Fraser, who then was an engineer with the British Honduras Public Works, designed and had constructed a wooden ramp extending out into the water offshore from the Barracks. The ramp allowed the amphibious aircraft to lower its wheels in the water then taxi up onto the shore, where a 20- foot square platform waited for unloading and loading. Lindbergh made a smooth water landing, taxied up the ramp as planned, then ran off the end of the platform, bogging the amphibian's wheels into the soft earth. The slight mishap did not dim the jubilation and the ceremonies surrounding Lindbergh's second arrival in Belize. Festivities included the usual speeches at the Golf Club, a dinner and reception at Government House, and then another speechmaking reception at the Polo Club, where Lindbergh stated: "I want to tell you that I am glad to be back in Belize once again, and particularly on the first flight of a service linking Belize, not only with the United States but also with Central and South America. I hope that before long these planes will not only land here once in two weeks but once each day, and I think I can assure you that before many months will have passed that will be realized." Earlier in the day Lindbergh took the governor, Sir John Burdon, and his party for a ride in the Sikorsky while making an aerial survey of the area looking for a possible airport site.

At 9:10 a.m. on February 5, the Sikorsky departed Belize headed for Managua and on to Cristobal in the Canal Zone, arriving there in the afternoon of February 6. At every stop along the way it was greeted by throngs of cheering people. Air transport had arrived in Central America. Belize and the other Central American nations owe a debt of gratitude to

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