10th Oct. 2016
We’d been told that today is a Bank Holiday (Day of the Americas) in Belize. Yesterday (Sunday) we had expected town to be quiet and the streets to be deserted (& restaurants closed). We hadn’t expected today to be the same. Given the temperature and humidity (and the Caribbean vibe), it’s understandable that things don’t seem to happen quickly here, but even so!
Today, we move on to Belize City – which used to be the capital of Belize until it was hit by Hurricane Hattie in 1961, after which it was decided to build the new capital of Belmopan further inland. En-route to Belize City, we have a pre-booked stop to see Belize Zoo. Whilst we are not big fans of zoos generally and caged animals in particular, we are interested to see some of the wildlife of Belize in what is a recommended tourist spot.
However, when we get there, the gates are padlocked and there is a laser-printed sign to say that the zoo will be closed today. The is a surprise to Shen Li but there is no one around to argue with, so it is on we go – at least we get to have a little more time in Belize City than we had anticipated!
As we get closer to the city, the terrain changes – the land is flat and we start to see waterways etched through the mangrove swamps. It is very reminiscent of the Florida everglades, even down to the flat bottom boats that we spot moored to jetties. Shen Li explains that the whole area is below sea level (the GPS on my phone say +15m, but who’s arguing). I can see that this might be a problem in a hurricane afflicted area.
We are booked in to the Radisson Hotel which, at least in theory, is the swishest hotel we have stayed in all trip. It turns out that we are in the older (cheaper) section of the hotel and the very (U.S.) American feel is a mixed blessing. At least checking in early is no problem and we have plenty of space and, more importantly, power sockets in our room!
The hotel is near the sea in the middle of the tourist part of town – just as well as the guidebooks are very clear that some parts of the city are not safe to walk around. As we head out, though, the first impressions are of an eerie quiet. There is almost nobody around and it is as if the entire country has shut down for the day.
At the border, we picked up a map of Belize that conveniently has both a map of Belize City and a suggested walking tour around this part of town. This is right up our street (so to speak). The first port of call has to be the nearby Baron Bliss lighthouse – especially as there was a giant Belize sign right beside it, which Ollie took an immediate liking to.
We wander on around the shore front – slowly, given the heat – passing memorial park and the old prison. We’re still wondering where all of the people are. The buildings are distinctly different in architecture and construction from that which we have become accustomed to – British colonial rather than Spanish colonial. There is no mistaking this for a Spanish city.
There is a distinct run-down feel to the city. It doesn’t help that many of the buildings are wooden and have peeling paintwork. Whilst they do make for good photos, you can’t help but wonder how they would stand up in a hurricane. Janet summed it up well by say that when the capital moved to Belmopan, anyone with any ‘get up and go’ got up and went.
Also good for photographs is the river front that runs right through the city – complete with swing-bridge for traffic to cross and a line of yachts on the seaward side of the bridge. We find a good spot on the bank upstream of the bridge and practise with the coloured buildings and boats reflecting in the water. (What do you mean “that is very clichéd”?)
Our evening is like an encapsulation of the day in miniature. We really don’t fancy walking very far from the hotel at night – even the restaurant a couple of blocks away that we had lunch in is a bit further than we’d be comfortable walking (and we just won’t do a taxi). Fortunately, LP recommends the Smoky Mermaid (seafood) restaurant that is right next door to our hotel. Sorted! We think. Until we get there to find that it is closed (despite having a scrolling sign telling us what the special of the day is). So it is back to the (perfectly acceptable if very American) Sports Bar in the hotel for a good, old-fashioned, burger and fries (or ‘English-style’ Fish & Chips, in Janet’s case). This is a funny country!