posts -- if you don't show up in a reasonable time, they'll come looking for you.

Q: Which maps of Belize did you find most helpful?

 
A:  I had the ITMB maps of Belize and the Yucat‡n, and they 
were fine. I also had Emory King's 1994 Driver's Guide to Belize, 
and bought the 1995 edition in Belize City.   This was the easiest 
thing to use.  I just folded the Driver's Guide and put it beside 
me. 

Q: What did you do about unleaded gas in Belize?

A: There is no unleaded in Belize. I filled up with unleaded in Chetumal -- there's a Pemex station right at the turnoff from the main highway to the border. Otherwise I just filled up with leaded and prayed.

Q: Would you do this again?

A: I hope to, next winter.

In Case You Missed It

Late news from Belize and the region:

NEW TOURISM POLICE IN BELIZE CITY
A new 35-person Special Tourism Police unit is scheduled to begin patrolling the streets of Belize City May 15, according to Belize government sources. The salaries of the new constables are likely to be paid from revenues from the hotel tax. In effect, tourists will be paying for their own protection.

10,000 MALARIA CASES IN BELIZE LAST YEAR
About 10,000 cases of malaria were reported in Belize in 1994, up almost 18% from the previous year, according to Dr. George Polanco, Belize's director of malaria control. With a Belize population of only about 230,000, this means that about one in 23 Belizeans were infected last year. The Cayo District in the west was the worst hit, with 3,100 cases. This was followed by the northern districts, with 2,200 cases and with the northern tip of the country near Chetumal, Mexico, seeing a big jump in cases. Stann Creek also had about 2,200 cases, Toledo about 2,100 cases, and Belize District about 700. However, only about 4% of these cases are considered serious, and there have been no recent deaths from malaria in Belize. The Petˇn region of Guatemala near western Belize has a high incidence of malaria, and both Quintana Roo and Oaxaca provinces in Mexico are reporting increases in malaria.

BELIZE PASSPORTS FOR SALE AGAIN
In a new effort to raise cash and attract investment, the Belize United Democratic Party government has begun a program of economic citizenship. Investors pay US$25,000 registration fees and deposit US$50,000 into a special investment fund. In return, they are granted economic citizenship and Belize passports. About 5,000 passports reportedly were sold in similar programs under the previous UDP government, and about 2,000 under the People's United Party government.

TOURISM NEWS IN TOLEDO
According to our correspondents in Punta Gorda, Alfredo and Yvonne Villoria, things are happening in tourism there. A Toledo Tour Guide Association was formed in January and now has a membership of 30 rain forest, village, marine and cave guides ... the Orange Point Marina Resort, near the Voice of America complex, is near opening, and some yachts and boats have already used the facilities ... the cruise ship Maya Princess has been stopping in P.G. every two weeks, en route to Guatemala ... more water taxi operators are now making trip to Guatemala and Honduras from P.G. ... and new group and private guest houses are being built in the Maya villages.

WILL THE CHEAP PESO IMPACT BELIZE?
The collapse of the Mexican peso has not yet had a significant impact on Belize, but that could change in the future, observers say. Since the first of the year, the value of the Mexican currency has fallen by about one- half against the U.S. dollar. So far, in Belize this has only meant that Belizeans are making more shopping trips to Chetumal, where prices are now far lower than in Belize. However, the cheap peso could hurt Belize tourism, because North American and European visitors may choose Mexican hotel bargains over regular prices in Belize. Should Mexico suffer further financial and political destablization, the country's problems could ripple throughout the region.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES
Here are exchange rates of local currencies in the region with the U.S. dollar, as of late March:

Belize dollar .... 2.00
Costa Rica colon ....172.00
El Salvador colon .... 8.70
Guatemala quetzal .... 5.70
Honduras lempira .... 9.00
Mexico new peso .... 6.70
Nicaragua cordoba .... 7.30

TOURISTS ATTACKED ON AMBERGRIS AND IN GUANACASTE PARK
While residents of San Pedro have been working with considerable success to reduce crime on the island, incidents continue to occur. In March, a woman and her 12-year-old daughter, staying at a resort north of San Pedro, were attacked and robbed while on their way to catch a ferry to San Pedro. The assailant grabbed the daughter and held a knife to her throat, demanding money from the mother. The mother gave the assailant about US$200 in cash. He then ran away, leaving the tourists unharmed. Separately, Belmopan police in February arrested a Belizean, charging him with attacking a German tourist in Guanacaste Park, severing his left index finger with a machete.

BELIZE ZOO BREEDING IGUANAS
The Belize Zoo is hatching thousands of green iguanas. Zoo workers will release some of them in the wild. They'll keep others for educational purposes, hoping to encourage Belizeans to start other iguana breeding projects. Iguana iguana, used for food in MesoAmerica for thousands of years, is becoming an endangered species due to over-hunting.

AIR FARES TO AMBERGRIS INCREASE
Tropic Air, Maya Airways and Island Air have all increased their fares from Belize City to San Pedro. Fares vary slightly on the three airlines, with the top rate being US$80 round-trip from the International Airport in Belize City, and US$40 round-trip from Municipal.

TICO TOURISM UP 17% THIS YEAR
For the first two months of 1995, earnings from tourism in Costa Rica grew 17%, to US$125 million, compared to the same period in 1994. The Atlantic/Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, however, has seen tourism drop, due to a spate of highly publicized crimes against visitors late last year, including a gang rape and a murder near Cahuita.

MARK ESPAT, 26, RAMADA GM
The largest hotel in Belize -- it has 120 rooms -- the Ramada Royal Reef in Belize City, now has one of the country's youngest general managers, 26-year-old Mark Espat.

MAYA VILLAGE HOME-STAY NETWORK TURNED OVER TO MAYAN LEADERS
Ecotravelers to the Toledo District now have the opportunity to experience Maya village life first-hand through a home-stay network in seven villages -- San Antonio, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Na Luum Ca, San Pedro Columbia, Silver Creek and Santa Elena. Costs to the visitor are modest. The network was started in 1989 by Alfredo and Yvonne Villoria of Dems Dats Doin. It was turned over to the village Mayan leaders late last year. For more information, send US$3 (for postage, photocopying and supplies) to Dems Dats Doing, Ltd., P.O. Box 73, Punta Gorda, Belize.

1,500 DRUG CASES IN BELIZE LAST YEAR
About 1,500 drug-related cases hit Belize courts in 1994, up about 10% from the previous year. Drugs continue to plague Belize this year. One drug bust near Belize City in January 1995 netted 1,458 pounds of cocaine. The cocaine reportedly was being transshipped from Colombia to the U.S. through Belize and Mexico.

NORTH AMBERGRIS TWISTS AND TURNS
In a surprising turn of events, the former owners of a 22,000-acre tract of north Ambergris Caye reportedly have proposed that the Belize government return the tract to them in lieu of the US$17 million they say is owed to them for transferring the land to the government in 1990. Of this amount, the former owners say US$12.5 million (US$568 an acre) is the value of the land and the rest is interest and fees. The Belize government says the land is worth about US$4 million (US$182 an acre). Ambergris Caye, Ltd., in a February letter signed by John E. Worthen, stated that they as the former owners will take back the land and pay off money owed to the Paul Broadhead Group, a developer from Mississippi, for putting together a development plan for the property, the former Pinkerton Estate. The Broadhead Group's proposals for developing the land, which represents about two-thirds of the total area of the caye, ran into opposition because the plans emphasized rapid development of luxury hotels, golf courses and retirement communities. A new study funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, under consideration now by the Belize government, recommends a "go slow" approach to development.

BELIZE WATER DEFICIT CONTINUES
Despite rains late last year, much of northern Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan, is suffering from lower-than-normal water tables and low river levels. On Ambergris Caye, the San Pedro Sun reports, well levels are somewhat low at a number of hotels. The island's reverse osmosis plant is operating at capacity of 40,000 gallons of water per day, but supplemental fresh water supply from the well field has been affected due to a low water table.

MCI ACQUIRES STAKE IN BTL MCI, the large U.S.-based telecommunications company, has acquired a 23.5% stake in Belize Telecommunications Ltd. BTL operates a small -- only 30,000 lines -- but modern network in Belize.

NEW EARTHWORM DISCOVERED IN BELIZE Brazilian and Canadian scientists have discovered a new species of earthworm in Belize, Eodrilus jennifaerae. To the naked (human) eye, the worm just like an ordinary garden earthworm, scientists say.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Due to reader interest in real estate, BELIZE FIRST offers the following listings of properties for sale, exchange and wanted. These listings are NOT paid ads. They are being run at no charge as a reader service. BELIZE FIRST does not warrant the facts or figures. For more information, contact the owner or real estate agent directly. If you would like to have your real estate notice run at no charge, please send your notice to BELIZE FIRST, 280 Beaverdam Road, Candler, NC 28715 USA,, e-mail us at BZEFIRST@aol.com.  We need your listing in writing. Please include your name, address and phone number. Photographs are welcome. BELIZE FIRST reserves the right to edit listings or to reject any listing without providing any reason. All prices are in U.S. dollars.

MAINLAND BELIZE

3 BR HOUSE AND 3.51 ACRES IN COROZAL, US$75,900, TAXES $9 A YEAR. Owner and BELIZE FIRST reader says, "After 19 years in this paradise we call Belize, I must, most sadly, return to northern climes -- to cold weather and often colder people, but with instant cardiac care." 30 x 30 ft. house, plus patio and carport. 3 BR, 1 bath with large shower, living room, kitchen/dining combo. Concrete block and stucco construction with steel roof. Solar heat. Lot has 2 wells, 2-room workshop, paved roads, street lights, partially fenced. Orchard with many fruit trees -- mango, avocado, grapefruit, lime, lemon, custard apple, tamarind, banana, cherry. Close to Corozal Town in San Andres. Contact owner, Stan Coulthard, P.O. Box 140, Corozal Town, Belize, tel. 501-4-23269.

36 ACRES ON OLD NORTHERN HIGHWAY, $500 PER ACRE. Offered by BELIZE FIRST subscriber. Adjoins Maskall Village, near milepost 39. Tel. 501-1-49672.

AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE

NEW ON MARKET: Recently constructed 2 BR home on high ground. 100 ft. beach frontage. Approx. 1/3 acre. $130,000. Windstar Agency, P.O. Box 33, San Pedro, Belize, tel. 501-2-62525, fax 501- 26-2497.

PRIVATE VILLAS FOR RENT in San Pedro by BELIZE FIRST subscriber. One 1BR, 1 bath unit and one 2BR, 1 bath. On beach at Paradise Villas. Fresh water pool, A/C in bedrooms, fans elsewhere. Beautifully decorated and fully furnished, with kitchens. Daily maid service. 1BR, $125 per night; 2BR, $150 per night, plus 6% tax. No service charges. Local manager greets guests at the airstrip. Free brochure. Contact owner at 36420 Bendel Terrace, Fremont, CA 94536, tel. 510-792-2639, or via Internet e-mail to SusanG7605@aol.com.

THE VILLAS AT BANYAN BAY. New, luxury "condo-tel" located between Corona del Mar and Mata Rocks at Mar de Tumbo. 2 BR, 2 bath units with full kitchens, A/C and Jacuzzi. Call 501-2-63171.

BY OWNER: 80 x 200 ft. beachfront lot by Journey's End. Large beach reserve, high elevation. Tel. 501-2-63088.

TWO 50 x 100 ft. LOTS, $12,500 each. San Pablo area. Langdon Supply Limited, P.O. Box 15, San Pedro, tel. 501-2-62147, fax 501- 2-62245.

COSTA RICA

JUNGLE FARM in foothills of Talamanca Mountains, minutes from the Caribbean. 2.5 acres, three-fourths of which is virgin jungle. Other one-fourth has been planted extensively with indigenous fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, bananas, etc.), coffee, cocoa and coconut plants, and hardwoods like laurel and cedro macho. 20 x 26 ft. house, wood with corrugated metal roof, with two rooms plus kitchen and porch, is three years old. Outhouse, no electricity. Property is surveyed and has all legal documentation. Free access via public gravel road. Beautiful property but not for the fainthearted tourist who cannot live without modern conveniences. $30,000. Contact Paul Hawkins or Cathie Whittaker, 268 Scotchline Rd., W., RR#3, Merrickville, Ont., KOG1NO, Canada, tel. 613-258-5284.

REAL ESTATE COMPANIES IN BELIZE

Note: Companies here are listed as a convenience to BELIZE FIRST readers. No endorsement of any particular real estate or development company is implied or intended, nor does the absence of a company suggest any lack of endorsement.

Belize Business Consulting Services, P.O. Box 407, Belize City, tel. 501-2-30012, fax 501-2-31048

Belize Land Consultants, Ltd., P.O. Box 35, Corozal Town, tel. 501-4-23195, fax 501-4-23396

Bella Vista Group, 63 Bella Vista, Belize City, tel. 501-2- 44711, fax 501-2-32895

Caye & Country Real Estate Ltd., P.O. Box 2231, Belize City, tel. 501-2-35308, fax 501-2-32770

Langdon Supply Limited, P.O. Box 15, San Pedro, tel. 501-2- 62147, fax 501-2-62245 (affiliated with Belize Real Estate)

Maya Landings at Moho Caye, Belize City, tel. 501-2-33075 Playa de Piratas Properties, Placencia, tel. 501-6-23180, fax 501-2-23203

Scheffer Real Estate, 24 Gabourel Lane, Belize City, 501-2- 34285

Southwind Properties, P.O. Box 1, San Pedro, tel. 501-2-62005, fax 501-2-62331

Sovereign Real Estate, 39A 4th Avenue, Corozal Town, Belize, tel. 501-4-23160, fax 501-4-23157

The Windstar Agency, P.O. Box 33, San Pedro, Belize, tel. 501-2-62525, fax 501-2-62497

Toledo Real Estate & Assoc., P.O. Box 73, Punta Gorda, tel. 501-7-22470, fax 501-7-22199

W. Ford Young Real Estate, Ltd., P.O. Box 354, Belize City, tel. 501-2-31022, fax 501-2-31023 (affiliated with Belize Real Estate)

HOTEL UPDATE

The latest word, good and bad, on lodges, inns, hotels and resorts in Belize, plus tidbits on related matters such as knowledgeable guides or rip-offs, from BELIZE FIRST readers and friends. BELIZE FIRST will send a pound of delicious, fresh-roasted Central American coffee (roasted by Mountain City Coffee in Asheville, N.C.) to each reader providing a hotel update.

BELIZE CITY

Belize Biltmore Plaza, Mile 3, Northern Highway, Belize City,. Tel. 501-2-32302, fax 501-2-32301, US 800-327-3573 (a Best Western franchisee). We paid US $70 double; rack rates $100. Ninety rooms in a pseudo-Mediterranean pink building. The Belize Biltmore Plaza is barely four-years old, but is beginning to severely show its age and lack of management. Most rooms have built-in air conditioning, and ceiling fans, but in some the fan has been replaced with a hole and a warehouse-style fluorescent fixture. Furnishings are faux-white oak, beds are double, and rooms may have mirrors, lamps etc. But in some rooms only holes in the wall remain where fixtures have been removed. A garden once touted in guide books has deteriorated to a weedy sand-box in the central court, a side-yard fenced off to store construction materials; the main garden now is a "sports arena" featuring chigger-infested grass with a volleyball net and two football (soccer) goals.

I liked the location, with easy access to the Northern Highway and airport. Nothing else. Service ranged from apathetic to non- existent. There was no hot water for the entire time we stayed (it did actually rise to tepid once or twice), though many guests complained repeatedly. It took four tries and three hours to get towels. The rooms (we stayed in two rooms) were more than mildly dirty (spots and stains on walls, dirty carpets and spreads, missing ceiling panels in several bathrooms) and unkempt. The Christmas buffet dinner was in fact the Christmas buffet lunch, allowed to remain in trays over canned heat most of the day. Food was mediocre at best. People who booked tours via the front desk were picked up over an hour late.

Would never go back here. At a "discounted" US $70 a night, the Belize Biltmore Plaza has to be one of the worst buys for your money. Check your guidebooks for alternatives.

Josˇ Kirchner, Sacramento, Calif., December 1994

[Editor's note: We are sorry to hear this negative report about the Belize Biltmore Plaza. We've stayed there on several occasions in the past, before it became a Best Western, and always enjoyed it. Below is another view of the hotel, from a BELIZE FIRST subscriber who stayed there about the same time.]

Belize Biltmore Plaza: I found it a great deal -- they gave me 50% off rack rate for being a Sanborn's Mexico Club member. Far better deal than I was offered anywhere else in Belize for the same quality room. I didn't note any deterioration in facilities. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. A/C worked, plumbing was there, TV had CNN on it, etc. About equivalent to a Ramada Inn or La Quinta Inn in the U.S.

Lynn Williams, Asheville, N.C., April 1995

BELMOPAN AREA

My family and I spent three days at the Banana Bank Lodge, (tel. 501-8-22677, or 800-552-3419 in the U.S.). Our party of four adults, one teenager, two children and one occasionally screaming toddler were always made to feel welcome. We stayed in two of their beautiful, clean cabanas. Each cabana was separated from the others by about 50 feet, leading to a sense of comfortable isolation. The kerosene lanterns (required after the generator was turned off at 9:30 p.m.) added to the atmosphere of rustic comfort. Meals were good, American home-cooking fare, served family-style at a communal table in the main lodge. The ever- changing guest roll made for interesting conversations at each meal. The meals were a treat. The food was the freshest and best- prepared that we had during our entire stay in Belize. The fresh- baked bread and mango jam were especially toothsome.

We took two of their tours. The first was to Mountain Pine Ridge, 1000-Foot Falls, Rio Frio Cave and the Rio On pools. Most of these were on the road to Caracol which is currently being upgraded. I was told this road is in the best condition it has ever been (still a bit bone-jarring). We were fortunate to have John Carr as our driver/guide on this trip, as his interest in, and knowledge of his adopted country made the trip especially enjoyable.

Our second trip was to the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich on the Guatemala border, and to a second set of ruins nearby in the city of San Ignacio. This trip was much more posterior-friendly, as the ruins are just off of the Western Highway. On our way back, we stopped at Clarrisa Falls for lunch and a swim, and had the only meal that was equal to (and arguably better than) than food at Banana Bank. The food there was local fare, and I recommend the Relleno Negro (surprisingly to this Texan, not a stuffed pepper) which is a wonderful onion, pepper, black bean and chicken soup. The stuffed squash is also highly recommended.

John Banta, Dallas, March 1995

CAYO DISTRICT

You must check out Rancho Los Amigos in San Jose Succotz Village (tel 501-9-32261, rooms around US$15). Run by expats Edmund and Virginia Jenkins, it's a jungle wonderland. Both are healers and members of B.A.T.H. (Belize Association of Traditional Healers), but are not so metaphysical as to put off the uninitiated. The Belize government has put 6,500 acres in the hands of B.A.T.H. for their stewardship. Driving in Guatemala: tough, real tough. I have driven through before but never via Flores. To get to Rio Dulce took 4-wheel drive, 12 hours and a lot of patience. I do not recommend it for the weak of heart. There are no services on this route. I had mechanical problems and drove from Dolores to Guatemala City with no clutch. Part of the problem was we were in a Ford Bronco II. Parts for American makes are difficult if not impossible to come by in Guatemala. However, many Japanese used parts can be found.

Rafael Stumbo, Dallas, November 1994

We disagree with the assessment of the Venus Hotel in BELIZE FIRST (Vol. II, No. 3) as "the best lodging value" in Cayo. The rooms don't even have windows! In San Ignacio, we stayed at Elvira's Guest House on Waight Street. Sort of dilapidated, but we had a private bath and the run of the house, including a lovely balcony with a hammock, for US$7.50. It's run by a pleasant and earnest young man named Carlos, Elvira's son, who also runs the nearby

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