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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BELIZE FIRST MAGAZINE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


==================ON-LINE EDITION======================

This special on-line edition contain text from the original hard-copy
edition of BELIZE FIRST.  Replica and other graphical-oriented
editions of BELIZE FIRST are also available on-line.

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------------------VOLUME II, NUMBER 2-------------------


----------FOCUS ON RETIREMENT AND LIFE IN BELIZE--------



C Copyright 1994 by Lan Sluder/Equator Travel Publications.
Reproduction or distribution by any means, including electronic
distribution, in whole or in part is prohibited.


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* * * WELCOME TO THE NEW ISSUE OF BELIZE FIRST!* * *

* * * RETIRE IN BELIZE? * * *

Mexico and Costa Rica have been the traditional choices for those
seeking retirement in a country with a low cost of living and a high
quality of life.  But Costa Rica has changed its laws for pensionados,
eliminating the tax breaks.  And prices in Ticolandia have tripled in
the past several years.  Mexico, with its overvalued peso and
increasing political instability, doesn╒t look as good as it once did,
either.

Is Belize the new retirement choice for North Americans and
Europeans seeking safety, stability, value and quality of life?  This
issue of BELIZE FIRST focuses on the pros and cons of expat living in
Belize.   Due to reader interest, our next issue also will include
features on life in Belize.

This edition also features the usual candid reports and straight
information from some of the best travel journos writing today.
Hope you enjoy it!

                    Lan Sluder, Editor and Publisher

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IN THIS ISSUE

Vol. II, No. 2       Focus on Life and Retirement in Belize


Opinion, by Lan Sluder: Belize Time

Letters to the Editor

Special Section on Life & Retirement in Belize

   Why Choose Belize? by  Bill and Claire Gray

   What Things Cost in Belize

   The Rules Are Different, by Lan Sluder

   Live Inexpensively in Belize

   Rules for Residency

   Business Practices in Belize

   How to Buy Real Estate

   Real Estate for Sale

The Roads of Belize, by Lan Sluder

Belize by Canoe, by John A. Kumiski

When ╥Lindy╙ Came to Belize,  by Neil Fraser

In Case You Missed It:  News of Belize

Recommended Hotels

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MASTHEAD:

BELIZE FIRST is published five times a year in Asheville, North
Carolina,  by Equator Travel Publications, Inc., 280 Beaverdam Road,
Candler, NC  28715  USA.  Fax [phone].  E-mail addresses:
CompuServe, 76357,147;  America On-Line, LAN SLUDER; Internet,
[e-mail].

Mail subscription rates US$27 or BZ$54 a year in the U.S., Belize,
Canada and Mexico, US$37 a year in other countries. Electronic
versions, in abridged form,  of BELIZE FIRST are available on
CompuServe (2 million subscribers), America On-Line (900,000
subscribers) and the Internet (20 million users) on-line computer
networks.

To maintain its independence, BELIZE FIRST does not accept
advertising.   BELIZE FIRST has no connection with any government,
political party or business.

BELIZE FIRST welcomes contributions from readers, travel writers
and correspondents.  We value writers and photographers and pay
competitive rates for contributions.

Copyright 1994. All rights reserved under international and Pan-
American copyright conventions.

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WHAT╒S IN UPCOMING ISSUES?

Vol. II, No. 3:   Beautiful Islands on the Caribbean Coast

Vol. II, No. 4:   Off-the-Beaten Path in Belize and Beyond

Special Issue:  Best of the Best

Vol. III, No. 1  Best Deals & Bargains in Belize and Beyond

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* * * BELIZE TIME * * *

Editorial Opinion by LAN SLUDER

Belizeans, by and large, are not slaves to clocks and calendars.  Not,
at least, to the kinds of clocks and calendars by which many of us
live our lives, the ones that try to pinpoint a particular instant when
a job must be done, or a meeting held.

The Mayan view of time, infinitely complex, is one of cycles and
circles.  Modern Belizeans, of all backgrounds, look at a perhaps
broader and more profound picture of time than that circumscribed by
the face of a watch. Dinner is when it╒s ready, not 6:45 on the dot.
Friends come and go when it╒s right to do so, not according to a
watch.  Planes and boats leave when they╒re full.

As Emory King writes, there are three time zones in Belize.  On
Belize City Time, you are on time if you arrive within an hour of your
appointment.  On Belmopan Time, you╒re okay if if you arrive within
two hours.  On Belize Country Time, you╒re on time if you get there
the same day.

The Creole saying goes, ╥Too much hurry, get dey tomorrow, tek time
get dey today.╙

Moral:  If you╒re a Type A personality, if you╒ve got to have things
done exactly on schedule, if it drives you crazy for people to relax
and take it easy, or if you write us nasty letters because your issue
of BELIZE FIRST is a few weeks late, don╒t come to Belize.  Don╒t even
think about living there.   You╒ll be very, very unhappy.  Or, better yet,
try a new approach.  Try Belize time.

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* * * LETTERS TO THE EDITOR * * *

BELIZE FIRST welcomes Letters to the Editor.  They  should be mailed
to Editor, BELIZE First, Equator Travel Publications, Inc., 280
Beaverdam Road, Candler, NC  28715  USA, or  sent by e-mail on
CompuServe to CIS ID 76357,147 , on America On-Line to LAN SLUDER
, or via the Internet to [e-mail].  Or fax to 704-
667-1717.  Correspondence may be edited for readability and length.



^^Glover╒s Atoll Resort For People Who Do NOT Want to Be Pampered^^

To the Editor:

We are trying to figure out what kind of magazine you are.

We would be glad to have you come and visit us so you could get a
first-hand account of our place.  Some information on Glover╒s Atoll
Resort.  We offer:

Ñ Diving, snorkeling, fishing ... all from shore or boat.

Ñ Marine science courses for individuals and groups.  Note that
Glover╒s is now a marine park.

Ñ Low cost -- US$95 per week for transportation out and back and
cabin with a cooking corner -- camping $70.

Ñ Boat from Sittee River (near Dangriga) leaves Sunday morning,
returns next Saturday.

Ñ No commissions to travel agents.

Ñ We depend on word of mouth.  We are recommended by Woods Hole
and lots of happy backpackers and regular guests from the U.S. and
Europe.

Ñ  We are mainly for people do not want to be pampered.

We also have a second island which we lease or rent.  It is available
by week, month or year.  Preferably year.  It is 9 acres with four
large and four small cabins. At the moment a kayaking outfit is using
it winter by month, but I would like to see it used the rest of the
year.  We can provide transportation and support and help to
interested parties.

I have just finished a hectic season and can maybe sit down and read
your magazine and get some more ideas.

Marsha-Jo Lomont, Glover╒s Atoll Resort

Editor╒s reply:  Sometimes we, too, have a hard time figuring out
what kind of magazine we are!  For any readers who are interested in
visiting this inexpensive and unusual destination in Belize, the
Glover╒s Atoll Resort address is Box 563, Belize City.  Tel 011-501-
8-23505, fax [phone].



^^Cubola Publishes Belize Materials^^

To the Editor:

Upon reading Vol. II, No. 1 of BELIZE FIRST, I was troubled at finding
no mention of our publications.  In our 22 years of business in Belize,
we have published many historical and cultural materials.  We are
also responsible for the distribution of all of the guide books you
mentioned in your review.

Montserrat Duran, Director, Cubola Productions

Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Belize

Editor╒s reply:  Cubola Productions is well known as a publisher and
distributor of  excellent Belize books, such as Bryan Foster╒s  The
Baymen╒s Legacy and Zoila Ellis╒  On Heroes, Lizards and Passion.

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>THE GOOD LIFE IN BELIZE: <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

@@@@SPECIAL SECTION ON RETIREMENT AND LIFE IN BELIZE@@@@


* Why Choose Belize

*  What Things Cost in Belize

*  The Rules Are Different

*  Business Primer

*  Real Estate for Sale

*  And More!


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* * * WHY CHOOSE BELIZE FOR RETIREMENT? * * *

By BILL GRAY and CLAIRE GRAY

Authors of Belize Retirement Guide

A myriad of reasons make Belize a delightful place to retire.

Belize is an English-speaking country:  If you have traveled much in
foreign countries where you didn╒t know the language, you╒ll
recognize this as a tremendous plus.  Especially when you are going
to be living there, rather than vacationing for a few weeks.  So many
problems are eliminated.  Can you imagine going to the hospital with
chest pains at 3 a.m. and not being able to communicate with the
doctor?

Remember, Belize used to be a British colony, so the national
language became English.  The schools teach in English.  All the signs
are in English, as well as government forms.

Belize is a great place to relax:  In Belize things are laid back, way
back.  No one is in a hurry to do anything, ever.  That includes the
clerk waiting on you in the store and the postal service delivering
your mail.

That makes some people frustrated and very nervous. But many
retirees find that the slow pace in Belize is just their speed.  They
(possibly for the first time in their lives) completely unwind and
enjoy life.  Isn╒t that what retirement is all about?

Belize is a healthy place to live:  Industry is almost non-existent in
Belize.  And so few people live there, and have so few cars, that the
air is unbelievably clean.  I think Belize is as pollution-free as any
place can be, in this day and age.

The life style in Belize is so healthy -- fresh food, fresh air, lots of
sunshine, lots of walking, no stress.  Sounds like a prescription from
the doctor, doesn╒t it?

Belize is an inexpensive place to live:  Belize has one of the lowest
costs of living in the world.  Which may seem hard to believe, when
you see a box of corn flakes selling for US$7.  In fact, Belize can be
very expensive, especially for vacationers with their reckless
attitude toward finances. And for we Americans, who may insist on
having exactly what we were used to at home.  Take the corn flakes,
for example.  In the States, they are an inexpensive breakfast.  In
Belize, they are imported and exorbitantly priced.  Sweet, juicy
mangoes, on the other hand, a real delicacy in the U.S., sell for up to
$2 each.  But in Belize they go for about 15 cents.

 So, with some adapting on your part, you can eat meals that are both
delicious and inexpensive.

Remember that your lifestyle is going to be different there,  and you
may not need the things you have in the States.  After all, Belizeans
live without them.  For example, a washing machine, which most
Americans consider as necessary to life as oxygen, is seldom seen in
Belize.  Laundromats do not exist.  Women wash by hand on a scrub
board and clothes are hung out in the sun to dry.  The clothes come
out spotless.  Some retired Americans have found it╒s not bad to do
the same for themselves.  Others pay wash women to do it for them.
It╒s very cheap.  (It is kind of hard on your clothes, though.)   Life
without a washing machine is possible.

So what is rent like in Belize?  Here are some specific examples to
give you an idea.  I know a couple who rented a very large three
bedroom house right on Corozal Bay for US$150 a month.   It had been
rented previously to an American man for US$250, but they got it in
the off season and a Belizean negotiated the deal for them.
Also in Corozal I know a retired couple who rent a very nice three
bedroom house with a hot water heater (rare in Belize) a detached
wash room/work shop.  The fenced-in yard has fruit trees and is so
large it is like a small park. They pay US$125.

Those are both pretty luxurious houses by Belizean standards.  And
you could certainly live well in smaller, less fancy places.
Belize is politically stable:  Yes, it╒s true.  Despite all you hear about
the political problems in Central America, Belize remains untouched.
It always has.  Think of Belize as kind of a Central American
Switzerland, politically speaking.

Frankly, no one cares enough about Belize to invade her.  Guatemala
talks about it, but never does anything.

As for a coup being staged and the government overthrown?  If you╒d
ever been to Belize you would laugh at the very  thought.  No one has
the motivation.  Belizeans are too mellow for anything like that.  Why
go to all that trouble when you can just lay in a hammock, feel the
tropical breeze, and drink the sweet water of a young coconut?

Belize has great weather:  The average year-round temperature in
Belize is a balmy 79 degrees F.  There is no winter.  No snow.  No
heating bills.  The ocean water is around 85 F. all the time.  Because
the reef makes the sea water calm and shallow, it╒s like stepping
into an enormous bathtub.

Belize isn╒t that far away:  For a foreign country, that is.  It╒s not as
far as Argentina.  Or Guam.  From Brownsville, Texas, going south
down the east coast of Mexico, it╒s 1,350 miles to Belize by road,
about the distance from New York City to Miami.   You can drive it in
a few days.  There are daily flights out of Belize City. So it╒s
possible to travel back and forth quickly.

==This article is excerpted from sections of Belize Retirement Guide,
How to Live in a Tropical Paradise on $350 a Month, by Bill and Claire
Gray, and reprinted with permission from the publisher, Preview
Publishing.  A review of the new 1994 edition of  Belize Retirement
Guide will appear in the next issue of BELIZE FIRST.==


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* * * WHAT THINGS COST IN BELIZE * * *

All figures are in US dollars.


750 ml bottle of Duurly╒s gold rum   $4.45

Installation of residential phone   $45

Monthly telephone charges, residential, with average of  100 local
calls   $14

10-minute call from Belize to U.S.  $16

Air mail letter postage to U.S.  30 cents

Entrance to Belize Zoo (non-Belizeans)  $5

Entrance to Belize Zoo (Belizeans)  $1

8 oz. bottle of Hi-Taste hot sauce  at Save-U Supermarket   82 cents

Lunch at Elvi╒s, San Pedro  $9

Annual cost of private school for child  $400 - $800

Flight from Belize City to San Pedro  $35

Gasoline    $2.35 a gallon

Used 1987 Suzuki Samurai  $3,600

New 30╙ Hotpoint stove  $400

Loaf of white bread  80 cents

Kodak 200 film, 24 exposures, at Santino╒s  $5

Electricity      21 cents/kw

Issue of Amandala weekly newspaper  40 cents

Acre of accessible land in the Cayo, in a 20-acre tract  $500-1,000

Paradise Villas Condominium, San Pedro $185,000

Ocean view lot on Ambergris  $20,000

Two small houses  on 28 acres near Belmopan  $85,000

Bus from Belize City to San Ignacio  $4.50

Rum drink at Victoria House bar  $1.50

Taxi from Radisson Ft. George  to the international airport  $15

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* * * RULES:   THEY╒RE DIFFERENT IN BELIZE.

BOY, ARE THEY DIFFERENT! * * *

By LAN SLUDER

If you╒re looking for a place to live or to retire that╒s just like back
home, only better, for the United States on the cheap,  for Florida
with ruins, reef and rum, you may get a rude awakening when you
move to Belize.

Because Belize ain╒t just like the U.S.A.  Or Canada.  It does have
cheap rum, awe-inspiring ruins, beautiful Caribbean seas and much
more.

But the rules are different.  The people who make and enforce the
rules are different.  Sometimes there are no rules.  Sometimes there
is a set of rules for you, and a different one for everyone else.
In a June 19, 1994, letter to the editor of The Reporter, a weekly
newspaper in Belize City, a U.S. citizen, John Zelenih,  who bought
land in Corozal,  does 700 words on the trials and tribulations he
faced trying to build a house.  Zelenih writes about the delays,
bribes, and political shenanigans of daily life in Belize.  He and his
wife, Zelenih says, spent 13 months in a ╥living hell instead of the
paradise we thought it would be.╙   Zelenih came to the country ╥to
retire and live our lives in peace because we thought it was a
beautiful and laid back place.  We have since found out it╒s not what
it looks like on the surface.╙

Zelenih continues:  ╥We╒ve since sold our house and belongings at a
great loss and are going back to the States.  The last straw that
broke the camel╒s back was last month, when 20 armed men made a
gun & drug raid on our home.  Nothing was found, but my wife could
not sleep since it happened.╙

While the experiences of John Zelenih may not be typical, just about
every ex-pat resident of Belize has some story to tell about problems
he or she faced in adjusting to life in Belize -- or, in not adjusting.
Let╒s look at some of the differences, and what they mean to you as a
potential resident or retiree.

The Population of a Small City

First, Belize is a country with a population hardly bigger than a small
city in the U.S. Even including recent illegal and uncounted
immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, the population
of the entire country is hardly more than 230,000.  My home town of
Asheville, North Carolina, is about that size, with a county
population of almost 200,000. The metro area population, at more
than 325,000,  is considerably higher than Belize.

Imagine the difficulties my home town, or yours, would have if it
suddenly became a country.  Belize has to maintain embassies,
establish social, educational and medical systems, raise a little
army,   conduct affairs of state and international diplomacy, all with
the resources of a small city.

You can see the difficulties Belize faces in just getting by in a world
of megastates.  It lacks the people resources, not to mention the tax
base and financial resources, to get things done in the way North
Americans expect.  If you╒re a snap-to-it, get-it-done-right kind of
guy, you╒re going to wrestle with a lot of alligators in Belize.

Best advice:  Go with the flow. Don╒t worry. Don╒t sweat the small
stuff, or the big stuff, either.


The Angst of Powerlessness

Most people seeking retirement or residency in Belize are white
middle-class North Americans, from a society still run by white
middle-class North Americans.

Belize, on the other hand,  is a truly multi-cultural society, with
Creoles, Mestizos, Maya, Garifuna, Asians,  and what in the rest of
Latin America would be called gringos,  living together in complex
and changing relationships, living together in probably more harmony
than anyone has a right to expect.  In several areas, Creoles
dominate;  increasingly, in other areas Spanish-speaking Belizeans
and immigrants dominate.

One thing is for certain, though:  In this mix, North Americans,
Europeans and Asians have very limited power.  The cover of this
year╒s Belize Telecommunications, Ltd. phone book illustrates
Belizeans of every color and creed.  But not one Caucasian North
American is pictured.

Money talks in Belize, of course, as it does everywhere.  Most of
Belize╒s tourism industry is owned by North American interests.
Much of its industry and agriculture is controlled by U.S.
 multinational companies.  Politically, however, the typical North
American resident of Belize is powerless.  He or she has no vote and
is truly outside the political process.

That╒s the fate of expats everywhere, but some who come to Belize,
seeing a country that is superficially much like back home, are
shocked that they no longer have a power base and are, in a political
sense at least,  truly powerless.

The North American or European is not so much at the bottom rung of
Belizean society, as off the ladder completely.  If you like to pick up
the phone and give your congressional representative a piece of your
mind, you╒re going to miss this opportunity in Belize.

Best advice:  Put your energies in charity or volunteer work where
you can make a real difference.


Culture Shock Is Real

Culture shock is what happens when everything looks about 20
degrees off kilter, when all the ways you learned were the right
ways to deal with people turn out to be wrong.  It is a state, someone
said, of temporary madness.

Usually it happens after about six months in a new situation.  At
first, you╒re excited and thrilled by the new things you╒re seeing.
Then, one day, you just can╒t stand one more dish of stewed chicken.
In Belize, culture shock is sometimes masked by the surface
familiarity.  Most Belizeans speak English, albeit a different English.
They watch -- such a shame -- American television.  They drive big,
old Buicks and Chevrolets.  They even accept U.S. currency.

But, underneath the surface sameness, Belize is different, a
collection of differences.  Cases in point:  The ancient Mayan view of
time, cyclical and recurring, and even the Mayan view today, are
grossly different from the linear way urban North Americans view
time.     The emerging Hispanic majority in Belize has social,
religious and political views which are quite different from the
views of  the average North American, or, even of the typical
Belizean Creole.  A Belize Creole saying (for which thanks goes to
Neil Fraser) is ╥If crab no walk 'e get fat, if 'e walk too much 'e lose
claw.╙   Is that a cultural concept your community shares?

In many cases, family connections and relationships are more
important in Belize than they are in the U.S. or Canada.  Time is less
important.  Not wanting to disappoint, Belizeans may say  ╥maybe╙
when ╥no╙ would be more accurate.  Otherwise honest men may take
money under the table for getting things moving.  Values North
Americans take for granted, such as ╥work hard and get ahead,╙ may
not apply in Belize in the same way.  Physical labor, especially
agricultural work and service work, because of the heritage of
slavery and colonialism, is often viewed as demeaning.  A Belizean
may work long hours for himself -- fishing or logging can be
backbreaking labor --  but be reluctant to do so for an employer.
Best advice:  Prepare yourself for a truly different world view.  If
you have trouble adjusting, get away on mini-vacations whenever you
can.


No Wal-Marts in Belize

Belize has no Wal-Marts.  No K-Marts. No Home Depots.  No Circuit
Cities. No McDonald╒ses.  It has a Hard Rock Cafe, but not the Hard
Rock you╒re thinking of.

While this lack of homogenization is in Belize╒s favor, it also means
that you can╒t go down to your neighborhood hyperstore and select
from 40 kinds of dish soap, or 18 brands of underwear.   Rum may be
US$4 a bottle, but Cheetos may be US$3 a bag.  Every CD player,
nearly every piece of plumbing and electrical equipment, every car
and truck, every pair of scissors, every bottle of aspirin, is imported,
and often transshipped thousands of miles from one port to another
before it gets to the final destination in Belize.  Then it╒s carried on
a bus or under a Cessna seat somewhere else.

Belize╒s small population is spread out over a relatively large area,
served by a network of bad roads, old planes and leaky boats.
 Although the government is shifting its focus from excise and
import taxes more to income taxes, much of government revenue still
comes from import taxes, so the prices you pay may reflect a tax of
60 or 80 or 100 percent or more.

In short, Belize is an inefficient market of low-paid consumers, a
country of middlemen and mom ╘n pop stores, few of which could last
more than a month or two in a highly competitive marketplace like
the U.S.

This is what gives Belize its unique flavor in an age of sameness.
But, you better Belize it, it also provides a lot of frustration.
Best advice:  Buy local products where possible, and make trips to
Mexico or the U.S. for big-ticket purchases.


The Costs of Living

Belize doesn╒t have a cost of living.  It has several costs of living.

The traditional view is that Belize is the most expensive country in
Central America, yet one of the least expensive in the Caribbean.
While there╒s truth to that, especially as regards travel, it really
doesn╒t take into account that the actual cost of living in Belize can
vary from almost nothing to sky high.

You can live in a luxury four-bedroom house on Ambergris Caye, with
air conditioning,  telephones and faxes, a dishwasher, microwave and
cable TV, U.S. food in your pantry and Jack Daniels in your glass, and
you can spend thousands a month.   Or you can live in a small house in
the Cayo, or around P.G., with no phone, eat beans and rice and rice
and beans,  with Caribbean-brand rum to drink, maybe someone to
help clean and cook, for US$300 a month.

After all, the per capita income in Belize is only about US$1800 a
year.  A weekly wage of US$100 is considered pretty good. Tens of
thousands of Belizeans live, and in many cases live comfortably, on a
few thousand dollars a year.   You can, too.  Or you can compromise,
forsaking those high-cost icons of civilization such as 80,000 BTU
air conditioners, while keeping the Ford Explorer, boat or other toys
which you enjoy.   Live partly on the Belizean style, partly in the U.S.
style, and enjoy the benefits of both, and you╒ll get more, for less.

Best advice:   Live like a Belizean, at least some of the time.


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* * *  HOW TO LIVE INEXPENSIVELY IN BELIZE * * *

What╒s inexpensive?  That may mean $1000 a month to one family,
$400 a month to another, $4,000 a month to another.  Whatever your
cost of living goal, here are tips to make it happen for you:

Ñ Earn your income outside Belize.  Belize income tax rates are fairly
high. The marginal tax rate is 45 percent above US$30,000 after a
few allowances and deductions,  but this applies generally to income
earned in Belize.  Pensions, rents, social security, interest, and
wages earned outside Belize are taxed at nominal rates or not at all
for those who are for Belizean legal purposes non-residents of
Belize. (But check with your tax advisor.)

Ñ Choose a rural area.  Housing and other costs are surprisingly high
in Belize City.  Housing prices drop dramatically outside Belize City
and the main towns. The Cayo District around San Ignacio is one
attractive region with lower housing costs, a lower crime rate, and
friendly people.

Ñ Avoid Ambergris Caye.  While this is one of the most pleasant
places to live in Belize, and the first choice for expats, it is also the
most expensive, with prices approaching or exceeding those in
Florida.  Condominiums range from US$100,000 to $250,000, houses
from US$75,000 to $300,000 or more.  Beach-front lots are going for
up to US$1000 per front foot.

Ñ Buy Belizean.   Anything imported to Belize will be more expensive
than in the U.S.  But locally produced items and any local food and
beverage products are generally less expensive than a comparable
item would be in the U.S.  Unfortunately, few consumer goods other
are made in Belize, and Belize imports twice what it exports.

Ñ Make shopping expeditions to Belize City, Mexico and the U.S.
Belize City, while no mecca for shoppers, does have some larger
stores such as Brodies department store and Save-U supermarket, a
modern grocery with air conditioning, bright decor and even an
automatic door, the only one in Belize. Belizeans routinely travel to
Mexico and to the U.S. for major purchases.  While there may be
import taxes to pay, the overall savings may be worth it.

Ñ Get a Belizean to bargain for you.  In Belize, there are often two
prices -- the Belizean price and the other price.  Where the situation
warrants, such as renting a house or buying a big-ticket item, find a
Belizean friend to do the negotiating for you.

Ñ Enjoy the Belizean life.  In most of Belize, you don╒t need heat, a
basement or insulation.  Fans and an open window work almost as
well as air conditioners.  You don╒t need winter clothes or fancy
suits.  You don╒t need electric razors or hair dryers.  You don╒t need
three cars.  You don╒t need chests of silverplate and cabinets of
crystal, or the home insurance policy to cover them.  Belizean life is
simpler, and less expensive.

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* * * RESIDENCY RED TAPE:  HOW TO MOVE TO BELIZE * * *


At present, you have two main options for legal residency in Belize.

One is to get a 30-day tourist entry permit and to keep renewing it
for 30-day periods at the Immigration Department in Belize City, at a
cost of US$12.50 each time.   You can also usually renew the permit
in Belmopan or at police departments in the Districts.  Unlike the
situation in Costa Rica, you do not need to leave the country and
return to get a renewal.  Many people live in Belize indefinitely this
way.  In theory, you need to show resources of US$50 per day or
$1500 for the month, but this in not usually enforced as long as you
do not appear to be a problem visitor.  As with all things in Belize,
certain accommodations to the letter of the law may be possible,
especially after a routine of extensions in established.  Note that you
MUST have a valid passport to enter and remain in Belize.

The other way is officially to apply for residency.  The law states
that Belize ╥welcomes immigrants who are in a position to come
there and establish themselves without government assistance for
any of the following purposes:  a) agricultural purposes, either on a
small holding or plantation basis, b) industrial development, c)
sponsored employment by established commercial organization.╙
If your goal is just to open and run a store or bar, your request for
residency likely will NOT be approved.  Tourism projects, except for
bars and shops, generally do fall under the industrial development
area, however.  Neither can you come to Belize expecting to go to
work, unless you have a special skill and are sponsored by an existing
company.

The current Belize government is not actively seeking residents -- it
already has a major headache with illegal immigration from
Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador -- but generally accepts
retirees or others with resources.  The application process involves
red tape, but if you are, more or less, a respectable sort and have
some money in the bank or other means of support, and especially if
you plan to buy some land, residency likely will be granted within six
months.   Of course, as in all things in Belize, this situation is
subject to change.

To apply for residency, you will need:

1.  An immigration deposit of US$300 to $600, depending on your
present country of residence.  For citizens of the U.S. and Canada, the
fee is $300;  for citizens of European countries, $600.  In theory this
fee will be refunded should you leave Belize, but don╒t count on it.
This fee is per head of household, not for each family member.

2.  A certificate of health including an AIDS test.  Low-cost medical
exams are available in Mexico, including at the border at Chetumal,
and these are acceptable in Belize.

3.  A clearance letter from the police department in the place where
you have lived for at least six months.  The police will take your
fingerprints and run a check on you.  If nothing criminal turns up,
you╒ll get a clearance letter.  There╒s usually a nominal fee, around
$5 to $15.  Don╒t move to Belize and then plan to get a clearance
letter, as you╒ll have to live in Belize for at least six months before
the police there can issue one.

4.  A statement from your bank or other financial institution showing
your account balances.  There is no fixed amount needed, but in
general you need to show you have some resources or income.

5.  Birth certificate, marriage certificate, and three passport-size
photos.

Note that this process is for residency only.  You are not applying for
Belizean citizenship or a Belize passport.

You may be able to get your residency application by mail, but the
quickest and surest way is to go in person to the Immigration office
in Belmopan.  For further information, contact:

Director, Immigration & Nationality Department

Belmopan, Belize

Tel.  [phone], fax [phone]

SIDEBAR:  OTHER OPTIONS


Two other options for residency may, or may not, be possible in the
future:

Purchase of a Belize passport.  This has been common in the past.
Some 60 applications, mostly from Hong Kong Chinese,  made under
the former PUP government,  have been processed by the current UDP
government.  It is possible, for reasons of generating new revenue,
the government may decide to reestablish this policy.  The going rate
averages US$25,000.

New retiree laws.  There has been talk of new laws for encouraging
retirement and investment in Belize, but not much yet has come of it.
Belize has ambitions to become an offshore banking haven, and laws
implementing some of this, such as the International Business
Corporation law,  already have gone into effect.  With the Belize
government badly needing new sources of revenues, it is possible
that a new retiree program, similar to the now-defunct pensionado
program in Costa Rica, may be written into law.  BELIZE FIRST will be
doing follow-up stories on this.


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* * * BELIZE BUSINESS PRIMER * * *

Here, from Government of Belize, U.S. Trade Dept. and other sources,
is a primer on business in Belize:

PRIORITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT:  Belize╒s Investment Code lists
agriculture, tourism, aquaculture and horticulture, light
manufacturing and assembly, deep-sea fishing and processing, and
forestry-based industries as priorities for development.

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS   There are several options for
international executives establishing a business presence in Belize:
joint ventures, partnerships, sole  proprietorships and subsidiaries
or branches of foreign companies.  The majority of foreign
enterprises in Belize are either sole  proprietorships or partnerships.
Belize International Business Corporations (see below) cannot own
land in Belize or do business with Belize residents.

 EXPORTING  The 1990 Fiscal Incentives Act and Export Processing
Zone Act improved the importation and investment climate in Belize
by  providing special tax exemption to investments deemed beneficial
to the country's development.  Accordingly, investments which will
enhance and expand Belize's export potential are encouraged.  There
is also a market in Belize for such U.S. exports as foodstuffs,
construction materials, consumer goods, automobile and agricultural
supplies and equipment, and high-technology products.

 Agents and Distributors:  Under Belize's Investment Code, foreign
entities are restricted from conducting merchandising/retail sales.
Consequently, most foreign enterprises hire local representatives to
simplify the importing process, especially for foodstuffs.  Laws
regarding agent-principal relationships in Belize are straightforward
and similar to those in other British Commonwealth states.

Distributors in Belize purchase goods from foreign manufacturers to
sell in the Belizean market.  Distributors, unlike agents, are legally
independent of the manufacturers from whom they purchase goods.
They are free to market foreign goods without interference from the
manufacturer.  Distributorship contracts are not specifically
addressed in Belizean law and fall under the general jurisdiction of
commerce laws.

 Import Restrictions:  26 products require import licenses.

 Import Duties:  Import tariffs are assessed as direct taxes at the
point of entry.  Belize has adopted the Caribbean Economic
Community (CARICOM) Common External Tariff (CET) which ranges
from 5 to 45 percent.  Some imports also are subject to stamp
duties,normally 12 percent.  With a development concession under the
fiscal incentive act, raw materials used for the production of
exports may be imported duty free.

 Documentation:  Exporters and investors can obtain assistance from
the Belize Export and Investment Promotion Unit of the Belize
Chamber of Commerce and Industry in order to secure export rights
to Belize.

 COMMERCIAL POLICIES   The government allows for 100 percent
foreign ownership of an enterprise but encourages investment
projects to have some form of Belizean element, usually in the form
of a joint venture.

 The Alien Landholding Act of 1973 was designed to discourage land
speculation.  As such, it dictates that any foreigner wishing to
purchase more than 1/2 acre of urban land or more than 10 acres of
rural land must first submit a development plan and application to
the Lands Office in the Ministry of Natural Resources.  The plan must
detail the intended use of a specific parcel of land and the
government is generally quick to grant such requests for legitimate,
productive projects.  The property is first granted on a leasehold
basis for three years and then, if conditions of the original
development plan are met, the lease is changed to a freehold title.

 Exchange Controls:  The Central Bank of Belize (or other authorized
commercial banks) is responsible for controlling foreign currency
transactions.  The Central Bank must grant permission for an entity
to retain a substantial amount of foreign currency.  The repatriation
of earnings and dividends is guaranteed.  To encourage the retention
or reinvestment of capital within Belize, the Central Bank (which
also controls interest rates on savings and time deposits) generally
sets national interest rates at higher levels than those found in the
United States.   Notwithstanding this, the U.S. dollar, fixed at two to
one to the Belize dollar, is widely used in Belize, and U.S. dollars are
held by most Belize businesses.

 FOREIGN INVESTMENT   The Government of Belize encourages
investments which utilize indigenous raw material resources,
produce exportable goods and contribute to the employment of
Belizean nationals.  However, foreign investors are generally not
permitted to operate in the following areas:
 merchandising/distributive trades, commercial fishing inside the
Barrier Reef, sugar cane cultivation, internal transportation,
restaurants and bars not attached to hotels or resorts, beekeeping,
accounting, real estate, and insurance.

 Incentives:  The Government of Belize does not distinguish between
international and local investors when granting development
concessions.  Incentives come in the form of tax holidays, relief from
import duties on capital equipment and raw materials, and
guaranteed repatriation of capital.  Concessions are individually
negotiated and granted for five years with renewal options up to 10
years for most industries.  Export processing industries are eligible
for concessions of up to 25 years. Tax treatment, normally a 35
percent rate for companies, is negotiable when applying for a
concession.  Primary investment incentives include:

Ñ   Tax holiday periods up to 25 years;

Ñ   Waiving of import duties on capital equipment (except  passenger
cars or fuel) and on materials used for import production;

Ñ    Exemption from tax on profits earned during the tax holiday,     up
to an amount equivalent to the shareholder's investment;

Ñ    Guaranteed repatriation of initial investment in addition to
profits and returns from capital gains;

Ñ    Carrying forward of net losses incurred during the tax holiday
for up to five years after the expiration of the holiday, to be offset
against profits chargeable to income tax; and

Ñ   Rental of factory shells in an industrial estate, when  available,
on concessionary terms.

Special incentives are also made available for industrial
development in the more rural areas of the country, for export-
producing projects, and for projects that involve technologies not
previously used in Belize. For international investors to receive
development incentives, their investment must amount to more than
BZ$125,000.

 The length and extent of an investment concession is determined by
several factors including:  extent of local value added, projected
profitability of the enterprise, foreign exchange earnings or savings,
and employment opportunities created.   Currently, over 50 percent of
the development concessions in Belize have some element of foreign
investment.

 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS   Belize, a member of the Berne
Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, follows
the United Kingdom's statutes protecting patents, designs,
copyrights, and trademarks.  In addition, Belize updates these laws in
cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization.

BELIZE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CORPORATION   The International
Business Corporation concept is key to Belize╒s efforts to become an
off-shore tax haven.  A single shareholder can establish an IBC in
Belize.  There only has to be one director, who need not be a Belize
resident.  The cost is around US$700, and the paper work takes just a
day or two.  The advantages include secrecy both in Belize and
outside, and exemptions on all forms of taxes and duties in Belize for
up to 30 years.  New laws were passed in 1990 and 1992, and already
several thousand IBCs have been set up.  IBCs may NOT own land in
Belize or do business with residents of Belize.  Consultants and
lawyers in Belize City are available to assist in setting up IBCs.

TAXATION   The principle forms of taxation in Belize are import
duties and the national income tax.  Citizens and foreigners are taxed
at the same level, except for property transfer taxes, where non-
nationals are assessed an 8 percent tax on property sold (6 percent
for property valued under US$7,500.)

 Corporate Taxes:  Corporations are assessed a flat rate of 35
percent.  Public companies pay 20 percent. There is no capital gains
tax in Belize.  To determine a corporation's taxable income,
deductions are allowed for interest on money borrowed, rent paid,
repair of premises, plant and equipment, and bad debts.  In addition,
the government permits various depreciation allowances on
industrial buildings, plants and machinery.

 Personal Income Taxes:  Non-national individuals and businesses are
responsible for income taxes on income derived from within Belize.
The income tax rate is progressive, ranging from 5 to 45 percent.  A
planned revision in the tax laws will allow those making less than
than US$5,200 to pay no tax but introduces a 1 percent extra tax on
those with incomes of US$25,000 or more.

 Tax Treaties:  Belize does not have any agreement with the United
States to avoid double taxation of citizens from either country.

* * *Business Indicators * * *

Unemployment Rate:  At least 15%

Inflation:  2.8% in 1993

Local Wages:  Minimum wage  87 cents/hour;  craft/trade workers
make US$1.50 to $3 an hour;  household help US$5 to $10 a day

Corporate tax rate:  45%

Largest Bank:  Belize Bank, with 1993 assets of $109 million, owned
by Belize Holdings, Ltd., a public company which also owns interests
in the Radisson Ft. George and Belize Telecommunications

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* * *  HOW TO BUY REAL ESTATE IN BELIZE * * *

Here are the key things you need to know about buying real estate in
Belize:


Ñ  Foreigners CAN buy real estate anywhere in Belize, including on
the Caribbean.

Ñ  No restrictions apply if you purchase 10 acres or less outside a
city, or 1/2 acre or less in a city.  For purchases of larger tracts, or
land in certain areas such as San Pedro town, you need an alien
landholder╒s license, which is usually a formality.

Ñ  Land is available for as little as US$25 an acre.  This would be in
large tracts in remote areas.  In these cases, often the cost of
surveying, arranging title and registration fees will equal or exceed
the land purchase cost.  Accessible land in smaller tracts is still
usually under US$1000 an acre.  Home prices range from a few
thousand for a simple concrete building in a small town, to several
hundred thousand for a home or condo on Ambergris.   Because in real
estate as in everything else, Belize is a small and relatively
inefficient market, prices for the same type of property can vary
widely.  Hotel and lodge owners in particular tend to assign
astronomical values to their properties, values which are not
justified by the actual return.

Ñ  Real estate prices in Belize have been flat to moderately rising in
recent years.  Belize has not seen the steep jump in real estate
prices, caused by speculative buying by foreigners, that has taken
place in Costa Rica.  The greatest appreciation has been in
waterfront property, especially on Ambergris Caye.

Ñ  Including lawyer╒s fees, an 8% property transfer tax, and other
costs, the purchaser will usually pay 10% to 12% of the purchase
price in closing costs.

Ñ  Real estate brokers usually work on a 7% commission on homes,
and 10% on land, payable by the seller.  Due to the difficulty of
getting around the country to see acreage, some real estate brokers
require ╥lookers╙ to pay in-country travel expenses.

Ñ  Property taxes vary by area, but generally are low, at about 1.5%
of assessed value annually for land, usually less for homes.

Ñ  For foreigners, bank mortgage financing is not easy to get, down
payments are large, and interest rates are higher than in the U.S.
Owner financing is widely available, often on a 10-10-10 basis --
10% down, 10% interest, 10-year pay out.

Ñ  Belize has no capital gains tax.

Ñ  Use caution when buying real estate in Belize, as ownership, size
or acceptable use of the property may not be as represented by the
seller and agents.  Sometimes unscrupulous sellers try to palm the
same property to several buyers.  Never buy sight-unseen.  Hire your
own lawyer (don╒t use the seller╒s attorney.)  Have your real estate
broker or attorney register your purchase to protect your title.


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* * * REAL ESTATE FOR SALE * * *

Due to considerable reader interest in real estate in Belize, 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.  A listing here
does not necessarily imply any endorsement by BELIZE FIRST.

 For more information, contact the owner or real estate agent
directly.   Please do not call BELIZE FIRST to inquire about any of
these properties.

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, or fax it to 704-667-1717.   Or contact us
by e-mail on CompuServe at 76357,147 or via the Internet at
[e-mail]. We need your listing in writing.  Please
include your name, address and phone number.  Individual owners may
run up to three properties in any one issue;  real estate brokers may
have up to eight listings.  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

357 ACRES.  Owner wants to sell entire parcel (clear title). Includes
modern hurricane-proof, fully furnished 3 BR ranch-type home
located 1 mile from the Caribbean with 1/2 mile road frontage on the
main highway.  Utilities installed with back-up systems.  Land
partially cleared, fenced with 30 head of cattle.  Flat to rolling hills
to mountain property.  Plus Ford pick-up in first-class condition.
Many extras included.  Age and health of owner a factor in selling
this at a bargain price of $150,000.  Toledo Real Estate & Assoc., P.O.
Box 73, Punta Gorda, tel. [phone], fax [phone].

CAYO DISTRICT:  Foothills of Maya Mountains near San Ignacio.  We
have 30 acres on which we will build for you, yours forever, a
cottage for $10,000 (all amenities!).  Map and a house plan upon
request.  Financing available.  Lois Harley, P.O. Box 81, San Pedro,
Belize, tel. [phone], or in Austin, Texas, 512-292-1607.

22 ACRES.  Rain forest near the village of San Pedro Columbia. All
year flowing river.  Land accessible only by canoe. High bush.
Riverside planted with a variety of fruit trees.  Asking $15,000.
Toledo Real Estate & Assoc., P.O. Box 73, Punta Gorda, tel. 501-7-
22470, fax [phone].

PLACENCIA MOTEL/HOTEL SITE:  At Maya Beach with 300 ft. road
frontage.  Property has beach frontage and canal access to lagoon and
Caribbean.  Could build 40+ units.  Sovereign Real Estate, Placencia,
tel. [phone], fax [phone].

200 ACRES:  P.G./Cattle Landing area.  Rolling hills, low and high bush
with a mile of road frontage.  3/4 mile from Caribbean. Suitable for
ecotourist facility, agriculture, development.  Water and electricity
hookups available.  Asking $80,000.  Toledo Real Estate & Assoc., P.O.
Box 73, Punta Gorda, tel. [phone], fax [phone].

25 ACRES:  On the Southern Highway, Big Falls area.  Rolling hills, 12
acres planted with citrus.  Electricity hookup available. Water
available from roadside wells.  Asking $15,000.  Toledo Real Estate &
Assoc., P.O. Box 73, Punta Gorda, tel. [phone], fax 501-7-
22199.

SEAFRONT 80  x 150 LOT with 2 BR, 1 bath concrete house, living
room, dining room, kitchen.  Many coconut and palm trees, older
established neighborhood.  $72,500.  Sovereign Real Estate, 39A 4th
Avenue, Corozal Town, Belize, tel. [phone], fax [phone].

50,000 ACRES  CAYO, agricultural, timber and scenic mountain
retreat property. Streams, river and highway frontage.  $6,500,000
($130/acre).  Sovereign Real Estate, 39A 4th Avenue, Corozal Town,
Belize, tel. [phone], fax [phone].

CONSEJO:  Beautiful, recently built 3 BR, 2 bath concrete and cut
stone home located in Consejo Shores subdivision.  Large verandah
off modern living room, dining room, kitchen, TV dish, separate
maid╒s quarters on well-landscaped 100 x 200 lot.  $195,000.  Other
lots available from $17,500.  Sovereign Real Estate, 39A 4th Avenue,
Corozal Town, Belize, tel. [phone], fax [phone].


Ambergris Caye

CASA CARIBE:  Village resort community with 1 and 2 BR units.
Restaurant, bar, pool, with on-site management.  From the $90s.  The
Windstar Agency, P.O. Box 33, San Pedro, Belize, tel. [phone],
fax [phone].

ACROSS FROM MEXICO ROCKS:  Two ╥off the beach╙ lots with elbow
room.  Over 1/2 acre for only $19,900, with wonderful terms -- 10%
down, 10% interest, 10-year loan.  Southwind Properties, P.O. Box 1,
San Pedro, Belize, tel. [phone] or fax [phone].

LOT, lagoon frontage, ready to build.  $15,000.  Langdon Supply
Limited, San Pedro, Belize, tel. [phone] or fax [phone].
BELIZE YACHT CLUB:  2-story resort villas, fully furnished,
Mediterranean design, with terrace.  Beachfront or poolside -- all
have access to fresh-water pool, gym, marina and more.  Starting at
$190,000 to $230,000, terms available.    Other beautiful units
available at PARADISE VILLAS from $185,000.  Suites at MAYAN
PRINCESS (formerly Ambergris Lodge) from $115,000.  Southwind
Properties, P.O. Box 1, San Pedro, Belize, tel. [phone] or fax
501-2-62331.

SIDEBAR:  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 [phone]

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

Bella Vista Group, 63 Bella Vista, Belize City, tel. [phone], fax
501-2-32895

Caye & Country Real Estate Ltd., P.O. Box 258, Belize City, tel. 501-
2-35308, fax [phone]

Langdon Supply Limited, P.O. Box 15, San Pedro, tel. [phone],
fax [phone] (affiliated with Belize Real Estate)

Maya Landings at Moho Caye, Belize City, tel. [phone]
Southwind Properties, P.O. Box 1, San Pedro, tel. [phone], fax
501-2-62331

Playa de Piratas Properties, Placencia, tel. [phone], fax 501-
2-23203

Sovereign Real Estate, 39A 4th Avenue, Corozal Town, Belize, tel.
501-4-23106, fax [phone]

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

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

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

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* * *BELIZE ROADS ARE _HOW_ BAD? * * *

By LAN SLUDER

One of the best ways to see mainland Belize is with your own set of
wheels.  You can see more, at your own pace, lingering where you
want, visiting Mayan sites in the bush, just you and the mozzies, and
enjoying the mountains, the villages and the seaside towns of this
fascinating land.

While car rental costs in Belize are notoriously high,  increasing
competition and lower import taxes are bringing prices down just a
little;  while the roads in Belize vary from pretty good to incredibly
awful, the government is working hard to improve the road system.
Belize is the size of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, 8,866 square
miles.  But it has only about 1,500 miles of roads, of which only
about 300 miles are paved.  In other words, paved road mileage in the
entire country of Belize is equal to about the distance from Atlanta
to the Florida state line.  You can count the number of traffic lights
in Belize on one hand and still have fingers left over.

Driving in Belize

Driving in Belize is usually no problem.  Driving is on the right, and
most cars and trucks in the country are of U.S. manufacture.  Because
there are so few people in Belize, and even fewer who own cars, the
roads, except in Belize City, are lightly trafficked.  Often you╒ll go
miles without seeing another vehicle.

Drivers in Belize are not as wildly macho as in Latin countries, but
accidents -- especially involving pedestrians -- are depressingly
common.

Belize gas stations are few and far between.   The cost is around
US$2.35 a gallon.  Lead-free gas is not available in Belize.
Speed limits are more a function of road condition than law in Belize,
but beware ╥sleeping policemen╙ -- speed bumps -- and people and
animals on the roads.

In the rainy season, or at any time, rising rivers can unexpectedly
wash out bridges, and roads may become slick and muddy traps.  When
this happens, it can mean a many-hour detour or backtrack.

Road Conditions

Roads in Belize vary from as good as any in rural America or Canada,
to absolutely, incredibly horrible, passable only with a high-
clearance four-wheel drive.

Belize City:  Some of the streets and roads around Belize City are in
good shape, being paved or of sand/shell/gravel construction.  Others
are narrow, clogged with parked cars, or with bad surface condition.
Regular two-wheel drive autos okay here.

Western Highway:   About 80 miles from Belize City to the Guatemala
border near Benque Viejo.  This is a paved, two-lane road in generally
good condition.  It is mostly level and with many straight stretches.
Overall, the Western Highway is the most drivable road in Belize.
Passable in the family car anytime.

Northern Highway:  About 90 miles from Belize City to the Mexico
border.  Like the Western Highway, this is generally a good, paved
two-lane road, okay for two-wheel drive. Quite a different story is
the Old Northern Highway, which you take to Altun Ha ruins.   Once
paved, this road is now permanently potholed and extremely rough
driving, although it is usually passable with two-wheel drive.

Hummingbird Highway:   About 54 miles from near Belmopan to
Dangriga.  This delightfully named road traverses some of the most
beautiful country in Belize.  One day, it will be a major tourist route.
At present, it is a mix of some of the best road in Belize, and some of
the worst.  Newly graded and paved sections are superb, but the old
sections are, like the Old Northern Highway, deeply potholed and in
bad shape.  More than one-third of the Hummingbird is now in top
condition.  Mostly passable by two-wheel drive, but four-wheel drive
is handy insurance anytime.

Southern Highway:  Although plans are underway to pave portions of
this road, a process that may take years, and in a grand exercise in
optimism the Belize Tourist Office actually tells some people the
entire road is paved, be aware that it is NOT paved.  It is a 95-mile
gravel/dirt road which is badly washboarded in places.  In the rainy
season, it may be slick and virtually impassable, especially farther
south where the rains are heaviest.  Four-wheel drive advised in the
summer. The 24-mile road from the Southern Highway to Placencia
village is if anything in better shape than the Southern Highway
itself.

New Coastal Highway/Manatee Highway:  30-something miles, the
short cut route from Belize City to Dangriga and points south goes
from the town of Democracia on the Western Highway just west of
the Belize Zoo, to the Hummingbird Highway just west of the
intersection with the Southern Highway.  In good weather, this
graveled road allows you to make excellent time, and is much
preferred to going via Belmopan and the Hummingbird. But the road is
sometimes closed, 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. [phone], 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. [phone], 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. [phone], 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.

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* * *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.==


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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.

The  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 Trippe,  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 Colonel Lindbergh for his pioneering efforts to bring
them into the age of air transport.  Certainly it would not have been
long in coming to this part of the world.  Conditions and geography
demanded use of aircraft, and there were men like Trippe of Pan Am
and TACA's Lowell Yerex who were ready to meet this demand.
Lindbergh's fame, however, plus his firm belief in the  future of air
transport, did a great deal to hasten the arrival of regular air service
to Belize, and to all the other previously remote places in Central
America.  As he  stated in his autobiography: "Five minutes of flight
covered what would have been a hard day's riding or walking for a
native.  Even the capitol cities in Central America were  isolated
places."

==Neil Fraser was born in Belize in 1931 and now lives in Atlanta,
where he owns an advertising firm.  In addition to being the author of
a book on co-op advertising and of many magazine articles on
marketing, he is a widely published poet. In the next issue of BELIZE
FIRST, look for his retrospective on Pan Am and TACA in Central
America. ==

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* * * IN CASE YOU MISSED IT * * *

Here╒s an update on what╒s been happening in Belize:

FIVE NEW NATIONAL PARKS CREATED  New Parks created by the
government in May are Aguas Turbia National Park in Orange Walk
District, near the border with Mexico and Guatemala, consisting of
almost 9,000 acres; Sarstoon Delta National Park, in southern Belize,
41,000 acres; Rio Blanco National and Waterfall Reserve between
Santa Elena and Santa Cruz villages, 100 acres;  Payne╒s Creek
National Park, south of Monkey River,  29,420 acres;  and a park in
Belize District adjoining the Manatee Forest Reserve.

NEW BELIZE TOURIST OFFICE IN U.S.  Camella Fairweather has been
named to head the Belize tourism office in New York, which is at a
new address:  Belize Tourist Board, 421 7th Avenue, S.W. 701, New
York, NY  10001.  Tel. [phone], fax [phone].

BILTMORE PLAZA BECOMES BEST WESTERN  The Belize Biltmore Plaza
Hotel at Mile 3 of the Northern Highway has become a Best Western.
It╒s one of only two BW properties in Central America, the other
being in Guatemala.

BELIZE PASSPORTS FOR SALE?  Although the United Democratic Party
government previously indicated it would not resume an ╥economic
citizenship╙ program followed by the previous People╒s United Party
government, whereby payments to various programs result in
Belizean citizenship, reportedly almost 60 cases have been processed
by the UDP since regaining office in July 1993.  The average price for
the nationality certificates was US$25,000, and most of the
recipients were Hong Kong Chinese.   The government says these were
applications made before the UDP took office.  However, as a way to
raise revenues, the UDP reportedly is studying proposals to
reintroduce the sale of economic citizenship to foreign nationals.
Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel now says he would like to see a
public debate on the subject.

MALARIA CASES DOUBLE  Reported cases of malaria in Belize nearly
doubled in 1993 from the year before, to 8,500 cases.  This means
that about 1 in 26 Belizean residents was infected in the last year.
LOW INFLATION  Belize had the second-lowest inflation rate in the
region in 1993, at 2.8%.  This compares with 9% for Costa Rica, 8.7%
for Mexico, 13.4% for Honduras, 13.5% for El Salvador and 28% for
Nicaragua.  Only Panama had a lower inflation rate, 1.6%.

BELIZE POLICE AFTER GANGS  Following months of increased gang
violence in Belize City, including three gang-related murders in one
eight-day period in May, police in June began Operation Gang Bang in
an effort to take back city streets.  They detained and then released
some 200 alleged gang members.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN TROUBLE  The Belize Chamber of Commerce
and Industry reportedly has reduced its staff to a skeletal level,
following internal problems, lots of red ink and at least one court
judgment against it.

TRANS-JAMAICAN AIRLINES DEBUTS SERVICE  Trans-Jamaican
Airlines has begun daily weekday service between Belize City and
Grand Cayman, Kingston, Montego Bay, and separate daily weekday
service between Belize City  and Cancun.  Trans-Jamaican uses 46-
seat turbo props.

MAHOGANY FORESTS BEING DEPLETED  The national tree of Belize,
mahogany, is being harvested at a rate that is three times greater
than is sustainable, according to a Belize Ministry of Natural
Resources study.  New regulations on harvesting and sawing
mahogany are being introduced to conserve remaining stocks.

NOW IT╒S CALLED BILEEZ KRIOL  A June workshop in Belize City on
standardizing Creole as a written language developed several rules
on spelling.  Following the new rules, the name of the country will be
written as Bileez and the language as Kriol.

GUNMEN AT XUNANTUNICH  Two Belizeans --a Belize City
businessman and  the Xunantunich caretaker, Elfego Panti -- were
robbed by masked gunmen in separate incidents June 26 near the
famous ruins.  The crimes took place between the ferry and the ruins,
a site of occasional previous incidents.  One of the robbers reportedly
was carrying a sub-machine gun.

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RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN BELIZE

Belize has about 3,400 guest rooms in some 300 hotels, ranging from
tiny guest houses to modern hotels.   The following list of
recommended hotels is NOT by any means all-inclusive, but these are
some that have been found to be visitor-friendly and offer good value
in the price category.    If your favorite hotel is missing, write to us
and complain!

Price range:  A (over US$100 double);  B (US$50 to $100 double);  C
(under US$50 double).  Rates are for typical rooms without meals
(though breakfast may be included),  may vary by season or with
specials, and are subject to change.

BELIZE CITY (800 hotel rooms):  Belize Biltmore Plaza/Best Western,
A;  Ramada Royal Reef, A;  Radisson Ft. George, A;  Chateau Caribbean,
B;  Four Fort Street Guesthouse, B;  Bellevue Hotel, B;  Colton House,
C;  Belize Guest House, C;  Seaside Guest House, C;  Glenthorne Manor,
C; Hotel Mopan, C.

CAYO DISTRICT (550 hotel rooms):  Chaa Creek Cottages, A;  Hidden
Valley Inn, A;   duPlooy╒s, A;  Banana Bank Ranch, B;   Maya Mountain
Lodge, B;  Mountain Equestrian Trails, B;  Windy Hill Cottages, B;
Hotel San Ignacio, B;  Ek╒Tun, B;   Nabitunich, C;  Parrot╒s Nest, C;  Las
Casitas, C.

AMBERGRIS CAYE (900 hotel rooms):  Victoria House, A;  Belize Yacht
Club, A;  Captain Morgan╒s Retreat, A;  Journey╒s End, A;  Ramon╒s
Village, A;  Paradise Resort, A;  Paradise Villas, A;  Sun Breeze, A;
Caribbean Villas, B;  Spindrift Hotel, B;  Barrier Reef, B;  Ruby╒s, C.

CAYE CAULKER (300 hotel rooms):  Tropical Paradise, C;  Rainbow
Hotel, C;  Vega╒s Far Inn, C;  Shirley╒s Guest House, C.

OTHER CAYES: St. George╒s Lodge, St. George Caye, A;  Blackbird Caye
Resort, Turneffe Islands, A;  Turneffe Island Lodge, Caye Bokel, A;
Lighthouse Reef Resort, Lighthouse Reef, A;    Manta Reef Resort,
Southwest Caye, A; Reef╒s End, Tobacco Caye, B;  Cottage Colony, St.
George╒s Caye, B;   Glover╒s Atoll Resort, Long Caye, C.

PLACENCIA (140 hotel rooms):  Rum Point Inn, A;  Kitty╒s Place, B;
Turtle Inn, B;  Singing Sands, B; Ran╒s, C.

COCKSCOMB NATURE RESERVE:  Dormitory Cabins, C.

DANGRIGA:  Pelican Beach Resort, B.

PUNTA GORDA: Fallen Stones Butterfly Ranch, A;  Nature╒s Way Guest
House, C.

NORTH OF BELIZE CITY:  Maruba Resort, near Altun Ha, A;  Chan Chich
Lodge, Chan Chich, A;  Chau Hiix Lodge, Crooked Tree, A; Crooked Tree
Resort, Crooked Tree, B;  Lamanai Outpost, Lamanai, B;  Adventure
Inn, Consejo Shores, B;  Hotel Los Cocos, Chetumal, B;  Blue Heron
Cove, Sarteneja, C.

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HOTEL UPDATE

This new feature gives you the latest information on hotels in Belize.
The opinions here are those of the individuals named and not
necessarily of BELIZE FIRST.  We invite readers and friends to share
their experiences,  good and bad, with hotels in Belize:

AMBERGRIS CAYE

Victoria House:   Victoria House was like a picture postcard and there
are many other such settings  on Ambergris.  I stayed in one of the
casitas at US$120 a night. The nicest thing about the casita is that
each has a small front porch with two chairs on it.  About half of the
26 rooms at Victoria House depend on ceiling fans, not air-
conditioning. This is a matter of individual sensitivities, but I found
it difficult to sleep at night in my non-air-conditioned room.  If I had
it to do again, I would have angled for one of the newer air-
conditioned units. They don't have "porches," but each has a
reasonably private balcony-type sitting area and most have
comparable views.  Among my small gripes with Victoria House were
the fact the courtesy van to town (2 miles away) gives first priority
to picking up dinner guests from other hotels, not to taking Victoria
House guests to town.   It seems like it should be the other way
around.  Bruce Drake, March 1994

Rock's Inn:  It was great.   The  third floor room number 15 has a view
on three sides of the beach and ocean.  It has high vaulted ceiling
with mahogany wood work.  Very romantic.  It  doesn't have a pool but
it is close to town and a lot (for San Pedro) to do.   Michael S.
Chapman, March 1994

CAYE CAULKER

Rainbow Hotel:  BZ$70 for a double.  Spring for a few extra dollars to
stay on the second floor for cable TV (with remote control!) and a
steady ocean breeze.  (I know, the reason you go to Caye Caulker is to
get away from things like cable TV.)  I will stay here again.  Ate at
several restaurants on Caye Caulker -- liked Pink's the best.  Stan
Dahl, April 1994

OTHER CAYES

Turneffe Island Lodge:  My wife and I, along with two other couples,
spent a week at the Turneffe Island Lodge the first week in April.  We
flew into Belize City where representatives of the Lodge picked us up
at the airport baggage claim and took us to the city docks where
their boat was waiting to take the 15 guests to Turneffe Island. It
was a two-hour boat ride to Turneffe which lies almost directly east
of Belize City. We were greeted at the Lodge by several of the staff
and by the owner of the Lodge, Dave Bennett.

The Lodge is very rustic and simple, although clean and comfortable.
There are four guest units with a total of 12 rooms to accommodate
24 guests. All meals are served at the Lodge by the staff since there
is absolutely nothing else around for miles and miles. The staff was
excellent, food was good, and service friendly and prompt. There was
a slight problem with adequate diesel fuel the week we were there
since all of Belize was short on fuel. (Note:  The units are not air
conditioned but there was a good easterly breeze all week and the 85
degree temperatures were not a problem at all.) The Turneffe Island
atoll is actually several small mangrove and palm tree filled islands
stretching several miles. The Lodge is self contained on a 12-acre
white sand island which is beautifully manicured with plenty of
beach chairs and hammocks. This is not a traditional  Caribbean beach
with swimming but since we were in the water all day long scuba
diving, this was not a problem.

The Lodge is both a fishing and diving lodge, although the majority of
the guests go to Turneffe to dive. The fishing is basically just around
the flats of the atoll on two-person skiffs so there was not any
heavy duty deep sea fishing. They have three dive masters and three
different dive boats that could handle anywhere from eight divers (on
the small boat) up to 24 on the large boat.  The Dive Masters were all
very professional and helpful. We had no hesitation tipping all three
generously following our 17 dives in six days.

The diving was typically excellent. We did have one "scratch" dive due
to poor visibility but all of the other dives gave us 50 to 80 feet
visibility.  Most of the dives were 15 minutes from the Lodge except
our last day when we did a "day trip" to Light House reef for two
excellent wall dives.

I understand that bugs can be a real problem on Turneffe but we did
not encounter any bugs at all. It rained around 10 minutes one
morning and the rest of the time was beautiful.  All in all, we
thoroughly enjoyed this dive trip to Turneffe Island and highly
recommend it people that love to dive (and possibly fish some as
well) and are willing to "rough it" somewhat. However, for those who
like a luxury hotel (i.e., endless supply of fresh water, air
conditioning, expensive restaurants, night life, etc.), this is not the
place to go.  Neal Ater, April 1994

CAYO DISTRICT

Parrot Nest:   About 4 miles from San Ignacio.  BZ$35 double or
single.  Meals extra, about BZ$5  for breakfast, BZ $10 for dinner.
Two tree houses (really!) and two cabanas.  Shared toilets (flush) and
shower rooms, cold only.  Riverside setting.  Owner/operator Fred
Prost enhancing  already extraordinary site with native plantings.
Meals served on porch of  Fred's home.  Unique owner-built structures
that naturally blend into the  surroundings, thatched roofs.
Engineering and construction appeared quite sound (only place we
stayed on this trip where septic system could handle  the toilet
paper).  Very quiet.   Meals were first rate  with fresh vegetables
from local Mennonite farms, reasonably priced.   Caution: a mosquito
net may be helpful.  Mike Smith and Dana von Bargen, January 1994

Pine Ridge Lodge:  Mountain Pine Ridge BZ$130  for a double.  All
cabins are now the same price. Breakfast included.  Lunch, served
there or boxed to take with you BZ$10.  Dinner BZ$20.  Boxed lunch
was good, dinners were terrific.  No electricity or hot water, but I
missed neither. Owners very friendly and helpful. Dinner served
family style. Some nature trails on the grounds.  A bit expensive for
what it offers, but considering it is in a remote area and seemed as
eco-friendly as possible, I highly recommend this place.  Stan Dahl,
April 1994

BELIZE CITY

Colton House:  BZ$80 for a double.  Couple rent rooms in their home.
Very nice rooms.  In one of the better neighborhoods in the city.  As
an aside, Belize City was not anywhere as bad of a place as I was
lead to believe.  Like any city anywhere in the world, there are better
and worse neighborhoods.  However, I don't think I have been
anywhere where people were more helpful and friendly.  Stan Dahl,
April 1994

THE SOUTH

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary:  Accommodations available
through Belize Audubon Society,  P. O. Box 1001, Belize City. Phone:
501-2-34987 or 2-34988, fax [phone]  Alternate contact with
Sanctuary: radio, 2M FM 142.750.  Price of bed (dorm style) BZ$12
per person,   camping site BZ$3. Sleeping buildings contain about 12
beds each.  They are metal roofed with screened windows and
concrete floors.  Cooking area has stove and pots, but few plates or
utensils.  No food is available at the Sanctuary. Toilet is pit type.
There is no shower, but there are walled off  washing areas with
buckets.  Camping area has about four palapas (thatched  roof, no
wall), good for slinging hammock or using as living area of tent
shelter.  We liked being overnight at the sanctuary, witnessing both
the advent of nightfall and dawn.  On-site wardens from nearby Mayan
community were especially helpful.  Caution: There were little black
flies that were a special biting problem;  wear long pants tucked in
all the time.  Mosquito screen for sleeping highly recommended.  Mike
Smith and Dana von Bargen,  December 1993

Fallen Stones Butterfly Ranch and Jungle Lodge:  San Pedro Columbia,
near Punta Gorda, operated by a botanist and butterfly enthusiast
named Ray Harberd.  From P.G., after about an hours╒ drive on a very
bad road we arrived at Lubaantum, an important archeological site
meaning "Place of fallen stones'.  About a mile farther was the Lodge.
Located in the foothills of the Mayan Mountains, it is surrounded by
secondary rain forest, and is within a very short distance of primary
forest, uninhabited by man for about 60 miles!  Ray, and his partner,
Clive, are botanists, with special interests in butterflies.  They have
built a  sizable "farm" where they grow specific plants, found in the
surrounding  area, that are required by various species of butterflies
in their  reproduction.  They also export them to butterfly exhibits
all over  the world.  As a guest at the Lodge one is allowed to visit
the farm, where  hundreds of variously colored butterflies flitter
about!

The lodgings are built based on the local Kekchi type houses, thatched
with cohune palms and with high pitched roofs.  The walls, ceilings
and  floors are constructed with tongue and grooved pitch pine, and
the  windows are fitted with louvered shutters.  Mosquito gauze
keeps the  biting bugs out, although surprisingly, there were few
such critters.  Accommodations are available in small double cabins,
or larger three  bedroom bungalows.  All provide large verandahs with
beautiful and far-reaching views of the Columbia and Mayan
Mountains Forest reserves.

Meals provided vary from ones based on local Mayan cooking to
interesting  adaptations by Ray's wife, Elsie.

One can walk the various trails on the property observing numerous
species of plants, butterflies, mammals and birds.  Many
hummingbird  species frequent the different, colorful flowers.  At
night the area is  frequented by different types of insect eating and
fruit bats, as well as  owls, hawks, jaguars, agouti, coati and other
creatures of the night.   Also, the fer-de-lance is to be watched out
for.  All  three species of  toucans are seen at various times of the
year.

There are no phones at Fallen Stones Lodge.  They can only be
contacted directly via radio.  To contact the Lodge to arrange for
reservations one must contact Alistair King in Punta Gorda who can
get  you in contact with Ray at the Lodge.  Postal address:    P.O. Box
23, Punta Gorda, Belize.   Contact  Alistair King at  the Texaco
Station in Punta Gorda, phone  [phone],    fax  [phone].
Rates:  single BZ$130,  double BZ$155.  Meals:  breakfast BZ$12, lunch
BZ$16, dinner BZ$30.  A 6% room tax, plus a BZ$10 service charge per
person per night, is added to the above charges. Although prices are
high,  this place far exceeds anything else we saw in the Toledo
district.  Joe and Katie Tryby, March 1994


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