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Belize – Quiet and Friendly Placencia

The boat ride from hell had at least one upside—it took us back to Belize.

Let’s face it, Honduras was rough. Excepted when in Copán and Utila—two small towns—we had to be really careful. The country has a gang problem and the ingrained gun culture doesn’t help either. Not being able to walk around at night in San Pedro or Puerto Cortes was a pain and, generally speaking, we had to watch our backs.

The people were very nice and welcoming though. The papers are full of stories of Hondurans being deported from the U.S. and even though most people don’t want to admit it right away, they seem to long for the American way of life. No doubt the country being used as a U.S. base left some scars and a twisted idea of what the USA is. Too bad most Americans probably can’t locate Honduras on a map. Talk about being forgotten!

Our first stop in Belize is Placencia, a small town somewhat popular with British, Canadian and American tourists. It’s quiet, picturesque and the pace of life is Caribbean slow. Rows and rows of colourful wooden houses, more or less damaged by the humidity or the rain, kids in oh-so-British school uniforms and cluster of tourists at the bars.

Not all cities or towns in Belize are as sedate but Placencia is perfect to recover from the boat ride and being able to walk around freely even in the daytime is a luxury we forgot.

The beach looks great in pictures but the water was very dirty—the mix of seaweed and garbage washed upon the shore didn’t make it very appealing for a dip. We just relaxed on the sand, watching the birds above our heads and reading. Didn’t accomplish much but that was what we needed.

Booze Shop
Belikin Beer
Placencia
Placencia
Fruits and Veggies Shop
The Dock
Amen!
I Feel Tiny!
Early Drinker
Early Morning Storm
Birds Above Our Heads
Road Kill Tire Shop
Placencia Police Station
Placencia Street
Placencia Street
Placencia
Colourful Chairs
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Zhu

French woman in English Canada.

Exploring the world with my camera since 1999, translating sentences for a living, writing stories that may or may not get attention.

Firm believer that nobody is normal... and it’s better this way.

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