Bella Gives Sound Advice

Yet another gorgeous day in San Pedro. 

Ah, the joy of waking up to the smells of freshly brewed Belizean coffee--and varnish! That's right. All the insides of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets had new plywood installed yesterday and, frankly, it's a bit overwhelming. When the guys sprung a plumbing leak under the sink, that was the worst.  Water everywhere! And, now, I'm wondering, where did they put my food and water? Here's a picture of a new friend Agostino working hard inside, literally. Shelley kept everyone happy with cokes and pizza, and things are starting to look good!

Here's some packing advice for your visit: Don't overpack! Pretty much everyone wears shorts here pretty much all of the time. No long pants, guys, no fancy dresses, ladies. (I should add that dresses and long pants are appropriate for church, but shorts and capri pants work just as well.) And that reminds me, it was interesting seeing a baptism service in the Caribbean yesterday. Turns out it was the Seventh Day Adventist Church doing the service. About 45 people were on the beach singing hymns, and one person was in the water being baptized with a few more waiting their turn to be dunked. (No sprinkling here.) The church has a great location on one of the best parts of the beach.

Tom's Flip Flop Tan Line

I go barefoot, of course, but most locals and non-locals wear flip flops or tennis shoes. I overheard a great new measure of distance the other day: "We're staying about a 20 minute, blistered-toe, flip flop walk from here!"


Don't forget your suntan products, sunglasses, floppy hats, etc. Belize is "subtropical" and the sun can be fierce. No sense in ruining a perfectly good trip because you turned lobster red and can't stand to be touched!


Mosquitoes aren't a problem on the beach front where it's breezy, but even the locals have mosquito spray handy even though it's very expensive to buy it here. Actually, a lot of things are costly here in San Pedro. Since we're on an island, most things are brought in by barge. The good news is there's not all that much to buy! But there are lots of things to do, so plan on staying busy. Although, I must add, I passed by a place called "The S&M Gaming Spot" on my walk downtown yesterday and added it to my "You can try it if you want, but not me" list.

Things are pretty laid back here.

We'll probably be watching the Oscars tonight. I'm rooting for anyone with a dog or cat name, except for Brad Pitt.  Anything with pit in it (like pit bull) makes me nervous! By the way, I'm putting my money on "Uggie," top dog in The Artist.


Y'all come visit. Lie back and enjoy the sun and sea. You're gonna love Belize!