#Post426140

#Post426140

Living in Belize is an adventure! The majority of the roads are dirt, the traffic laws are lax, there are few police, the borders are porous, corruption by government officials is rampant and overt, there are scary tropical diseases, deadly snakes and health care is relatively primitive. Heck, those are the things I like! On the flip side the violent crime rate is astronomical, the justice system is a joke and violent offenders regularly walk free. It’s like anything goes and I try not to be surprised or outraged at the most recent inexplicable thing. Competent and responsible people are generally left to themselves but if you draw the attention of the police they might just beat the crap out of you, well, maybe probably not you. Life here can have an edge to it and it is not for everyone.
There is a common expression in parts of Africa that could apply to Belize, ”A.W.A.” Africa Wins Again. It does not mean that anyone actually wins, quite the opposite. The phrase is uttered as things perceived as reasonable to accomplish are not because it seems that people and forces beyond our control are inexplicably working against us. It could easily be a popular expression here in Belize, “B.W.A.” Belize Wins Again!
So, why live in Belize? A friend and I were recently kicking around ideas about how we would sell “Life in Belize” without the slick, glossy effect of the tourist brochures or the schmoozy realtor blowing sunshine up your shorts. We thought there should be a little more realism than the “Living in Paradise” angle and sought to boil it down to what we love about this country. The answers were freedom, adventure, cultural diversity, untouched land and the incredible value you can get for your dollar. We never agreed on what might be a good tag line but thought “Land of the Free” was pretty accurate.
Belize is a free land and I feel free as I go about my daily life. If I want to build a deck on my house I don’t need a government official to approve it. If you own property you can generally do with it what you want. While I think this country needs more police officers I also find it refreshing that every time I look in my rear view mirror there is not a cop deciding if they should pull me over. I like that I am able to make my own decisions regarding how I drive, if I want to make a U-turn, for example, it’s ok. People can still ride in the back of pick-up trucks. You can ride a bicycle without a helmet. I just don’t think I need the government making day to day choices for me, I see where their choices have landed them and I’m not impressed. Some of my friends have said that the lack of government involvement in our lives is similar to the way the US was in the 1950’s. In Belize the government simply does not have the resources to be intimately involved in our lives, although I suspect they would if they could.
A major draw for foreigners considering moving to Belize (or buying property here) is the value they get for their dollar. Taxes, for example, are ridiculously low. On the 165 acres that our Barton Creek Outpost is on the annual taxes are a whopping $500US a year. My friend owns a million dollar resort on the beach in Placencia and his property taxes are $75US a year. He pre-pays multiple years at a time. Hello!! My in-laws are trying to downsize from their 10 acres on an island golf course in southwest Florida because their property taxes are a burden. The Income Tax in Belize is about 30% but there are plenty of ex-pats living here who will say, “There’s an income tax?” Sales tax on most items is 12% and there is no Capital Gains tax.
The cost of property in Belize can still very reasonable as well and there are great deals everywhere. I often hear, “I wish we bought land here 20 years ago…” well, 20 years from now this will be 20 years ago and they’ll be saying the same thing. Here are a few examples:
A 245 acre Mennonite farm for sale for $300,000. It has multiple buildings, 2 creeks and year round, drinkable, fresh water spring.
13 acres of undeveloped property adjacent to Chaa Creek Resort for $17,000.
A simple home on 8 acres with a teak farm for $89,000.
Seakunga Beachside Resort for just over a million and the property taxes are only $75 a year!
Here are some common living expenses…
Annual vehicle insurance is about $250US. Annual registration, $100.
Loaf of bread, $1.50
Pound of ground beef, $2.00
Gallon of milk, $8.00
Dozen eggs, $1.50
5 Gallon jug of bottled water, $2
Bottle of good rum, $10
Bottle of beer in the grocery store, $1.50. Beer in a bar, $2.00. Downside….there are only a few types of beer available
Good dinner in a restaurant, $15.00 (alcohol not included)
Gallon of gas, $5.30
Electronics here are twice the price they are in the US.
Beautiful hardwood furniture and custom kitchens are inexpensive.
I had my appendix removed here for about $2,000.
I also appreciate Belize because I have found it educational living in a place where less than 5% of the population has the same skin color as me. Here is a rough breakdown of the ethnic makeup of Belize according to the 2010 Census:
Latino: 50% Creole: 20% Maya: 10% Caucasian (including Mennonites): 5% Garifuna(black): 5% East Indian: 2% Asian: 1% Other: 7%
That kind of ethnic diversity lends itself to a wide range of art and music although I admit to being disappointed in the variety of food. The local food is excellent but it is all pretty similar. There, I said it.
It is not the average North American that travels to Central America, much less moves here. The people that come here and stick are, well, different. They have been able to recalibrate their lives and thought processes and often have done so late in life. They have developed working relationships with other cultures and, if not blend in then at least learn to live alongside. Coming here from the United States has brought challenges for me that I did not anticipate and with the help of friends, family and faith we have been able to meet those challenges. I’ve only been here since 2004 and who knows, Belize may yet chew me up and spit me out but I’ll always be thankful for my time here. It is a land full of beauty, opportunity and hard lessons. We came to an exotic land looking for an adventure and found one. If you are you looking for something different then maybe Belize is for you. If you want to talk about it feel free to contact me.For Photos and comments CLICK HERE.
http://BelizeBritts.wordpress.com

SAN PEDRO SCOOP! An Expat's Daily Blog in Belize: Evil Lion Fish, A Wet Holiday Parade and Roadkill ...

SAN PEDRO SCOOP! An Expat's Daily Blog in Belize: Evil Lion Fish, A Wet Holiday Parade and Roadkill ...: What is one of the most dangerous and dreaded fish in the Caribbean Sea? Bull shark? No. Moray Eel? Nuh uh. It's the small, beautiful b...

#Post425633

Join us as we thank the Maya for some of the most incredible foods that have moulded our cultures throughout the times. Here’s a list of 10 Maya foods that changed the world’s eating habits:

The ancient Maya civilization — which ranged from the Yucatán Peninsula to Chiapas and Tabasco states, part of Veracruz state and as far south as Honduras — is well known for perfecting architectural techniques that produced towering cities, and for developing an advanced written language and creating books centuries before anything comparable appeared in Europe. The Maya also were gifted mathematicians who developed the concept of zero. And their astronomers, through centuries of patient observation, created a 365-day solar calendar that varies by less than 2 seconds from the one we use today — more accurate than what Cortés was using when he landed in 1519.
Lost among the laurels heaped upon the Maya, though, is credit for their agricultural wizardry. When the conquering Spanish started carrying Maya food staples back to Europe and to the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, it changed the world’s eating habits. We’re not talking about the Yucatán’s deliciously exotic lime-and-achiote concoctions but food you buy every day in Safeway’s produce aisles. Just try to get through a day without:
Chocolate
Legions of chocoholics would argue that the Maya’s “food of the gods,” made from the toasted, fermented seeds of the cacao tree, is the New World’s greatest gift to civilization. Though Cortés learned of chocolate from the Aztecs, they had acquired it through trade with the Maya, who first cultivated it about 3,000 years ago. Maya and Aztec aficionados drank their chocolate bitter and spicy; sugar was unknown before the conquest. Even today, chocolate in the Yucatán may be flavored with paprika, annatto or even pepper. But it was more than a drink to the Maya, who believed it came from the gods and formed a bridge between heaven and earth. Cacao seeds were an early form of money, and archaeologists have uncovered counterfeit seeds made of clay.
Vanilla (vainilla)
The elixir from the world’s only known edible orchid, probably first cultivated by the Totonaca in neighboring Veracruz state, had become a common flavoring for the Maya’s chocolate drinks by the 1500s. Vanilla, too, was adopted by the Aztecs, who introduced it to Cortés. Spanish and Portuguese explorers who brought it to Africa and Asia in the 16th century named it vainilla, or “little pod.” Southern Mexico’s jungle is still the only place the Vanilla planifolia orchid grows wild, pollinated by native, non-stinging bees that produce Maya honey. Today’s prized Tahitian vanilla, which came from Mexican stock, requires hand-pollination.
Corn (maíz)
Every elementary-school kid knows corn was the most important food in the Americas. The Popul Vuh, the Maya “bible,” attributes humankind’s very existence to this domesticated strain of wild grass. In its creation myth, the “Creators and Makers” fashioned man from tender kernels of yellow and white corn after failed attempts with mud and wood. Though corn was a dietary staple in most of Mexico as long as 6,000 years ago, it was the Maya who first cultivated it around 2500 B.C., abandoning their nomadic ways to settle in villages surrounded by cornfields.
Chiles
Chiles were cultivated in the Americas as long as 7,500 years ago. Blame Christopher Columbus for mistaking them as relatives of black pepper, native to southern Asia, but give him credit for spreading them throughout the world. The release of endorphins, increased heart rate, mental stimulation and euphoria provoked by chiles’ capsaicinoids — the ingredient that makes them taste hot —qualifies them as psychoactive plants. Southern Mexico’s Capsicum annuum species, with its many cultivars, is crucial to nearly every fiery cuisine in the world.
Tomatoes (tomates)
Even the Italians had to make do without tomato sauce before Columbus set out for the New World. Precursors originated in Peru, but the tomato as we know it came from the Yucatán, where the Maya cultivated it long before Cortés first encountered one in an Aztec market around 1520. Native versions were small, like cherry tomatoes, and probably yellow rather than red. Two years after Cortés brought the tomato back to Spain, it made its way to Naples — then under Spanish rule — where invention of the pizza made tomato sauce a necessity of life. Once believed poisonous because they are related to the deadly nightshade, tomatoes are now a staple of nearly every cuisine in the world.
Black beans (frijoles negros)
Archaeological digs indicate the black bean originated in southern Mexico and Central America more than 7,000 years ago. With their meaty flavor and velvety texture, black beans are still the favorite in and around the Yucatán, where they may turn up in almost any dish. They have spread widely throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States, becoming an important part of the many regional cuisines.
Avocado (aguacate)
From its origins in southern Mexico, where it was prized as an aphrodisiac — the Aztecs called it ahuacatl, meaning “testicle,” and kept their daughters indoors during harvest season — the avocado spread north to the Rio Grande and south to central Peru before Europeans encountered it. The sexual association carried through the 19th century, when growers who wanted to cultivate avocados commercially first had to mount a campaign to persuade the public that eating avocados did not equate to licentiousness. Mexico is still the world’s main source of avocados.
Sweet potato (camote)
Sweet potatoes are native to the tropics from the Yucatán to Venezuela, and the Maya domesticated the plant at least 5,000 years ago. By 2500 B.C., sweet potatoes had spread throughout the Caribbean and South America. Sweet potatoes belong to the genus Ipomoea, which includes morning glories. Though commonly confused with the yam, what we know as yams are simply another variety of sweet potato. True yams are native to Africa; when slaves from that continent were deposited in North America they adopted sweet potatoes as a substitute for the tuber they had eaten in their homeland and called it by the familiar name.
Squash (calabaza, calabacita)
Though corn and beans are better-known Mexican natives, squash predates them by several thousand years; Maya people domesticated several varieties of squash as early as 8000 B.C. Oils from these seeds were the main source of dietary fat before the Spanish introduced beef and pork. Though the native plants included cucumber, zucchini, patty pan and butternut squash, great quantities of pumpkin — la calabaza grande — defines the Yucatán diet even today. Toasted, ground pumpkin seeds still appear on menus even more than the flesh.
Papaya
Though it’s more closely associated with Hawaii now, all indications are the papaya originated in the tropics of southern Mexico and Central America. After the Spanish carried seeds to Panama and the Dominican Republic, cultivation spread throughout South and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Pacific Islands, India and parts of Africa. It has became naturalized in many areas and still grows wild along Mexican roadsides. Hawaii, where papayas first arrived in the 1800s, is the only U.S. state to grow them commercially.

So there you have it, the next time you are enjoying a complimented meal of Corn, Avocado, Chiles, Tomatoes, Squash, Papaya, Black Beans, Sweet Potato, Vanilla or Chocolate — do remember to thank the ancient Maya.
Source#Post425633

Ambergris Today | Stories | Boat Parade Kicks off Christmas

Ambergris Today Stories Boat Parade Kicks off Christmas

Fast Food Restaurants in Belize City - Wade The Gringo Burgers, Belize City Belize District Belize

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The TSA Blog: Loaded .380 Found Strapped To Passenger’s Ankle at DTW With Body Scanner

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Ambergris Today Dorian's Angels Dorian's Angels at Legends Burger House

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Top Secret Famous Recipes Wendy's Taco Bell KFC McDonald's 660 Recipes eBook
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Vacations for Women: 5 Most Surprising Discoveries About Belize | Travel Gear for Women

Vacations for Women: 5 Most Surprising Discoveries About Belize Travel Gear for Women

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drug plane crashed in the Belize

"Di Plane (Crash) Lan'!"This morning around 9:00, the news went out in waves that a drug plane had crashed in the Belize District and two men were dead inside. It happened behind the Belize Zoo, not ...
7 News Belize#story1#story1#story1

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Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce Cheese...in Belize!

Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce Cheese...in Belize!

Dog T-Shirt USD $17.99 - Wade The Gringo Burgers - San Pedro, Belize

Dog T-Shirt USD $17.99 - Wade The Gringo Burgers - San Pedro, Belize

Roadkill Bar - San Pedro - Reviews of Roadkill Bar - TripAdvisor

#1 of 3 Nightlife in San Pedro
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World's Best Panti Rippa - Review of Roadkill Bar, San Pedro, Belize - TripAdvisor

World's Best Panti Rippa - Review of Roadkill Bar, San Pedro, Belize - TripAdvisor

Manatee seen lingering at Caye Caulker's split - Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board

Manatee seen lingering at Caye Caulker's split - Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board

Wade the Gringo Burgers, San Pedro - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

Wade the Gringo Burgers, San Pedro - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

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SAN PEDRO SCOOP! An Expat's Daily Blog in Belize: Scenic Belize City...YES! It's There.

SAN PEDRO SCOOP! An Expat's Daily Blog in Belize: Scenic Belize City...YES! It's There.: Most tourists that come to Belize tend to spend as little time as possible in the Belize's largest city. But Belize City is not just stinky...
Scenic Belize City...YES! It's There.
Most tourists that come to Belize tend to spend as little time as possible in the Belize's largest city. But Belize City is not just stinky canals and dodgy streets (though it definitely has both those things), there is history, colonial homes, museums, school kids, good restaurants and bars, shopping and much more. Belize City is definitely a bit scary (particularly at night) but there is always something going on. I promise, you will not be bored. I'd always visited in the past to just do some shopping...quickly in and out...but I wanted to see a different side of the city.


Belize City is very close to San Pedro...just a 15 minute flight or, even cheaper, an hour and 15 minute water taxi ride. Both are very scenic. Take the flight for a beautiful view of the cayes...you can actually spot manatees in the water sometimes. Or take the boat for a cool entry into the Belize harbor. When I pulled in the lobster fishermens' boats were all lined up. Some dropping off their catch at the co-op or picking up ice, some just doing laundry on their boats. I couldn't take enough pictures. (I honestly took 64 pictures of just these boats).

These pictures are taken from the Swing Bridge. Did you know that it is the only functioning manually operated swing bridge in the world?






First? Let's hit the Museum of Belize. I didn't even know we had one. And it's housed in the old prison right in front of the Central Bank. Belize has a pretty cool history. We saw lots of the usual museum stuff...old money, stamps (from 1837 - Queen Victoria to now) and some really cool pictures and memorabilia about Belize's history. Like most places, Belize City has a history with plenty of disasters. The un-named hurricane of 1931 which killed over 3000 people, Hurricane Hattie that almost wiped out Belize City and countless fires that at times destroyed most of the city.



The prison was built in 1857 and just closed as a jail in the late 1990s.

Here is my favorite of all the stamps...Prince Andrew and his ex, Fergie.

Did you know Mohammad Ali visited Belize in 1965 and did an exhibition at the Palace Theatre (demolished in 1989)? How cool is that?

Or that this Belizean flag was found in the rubble of the World Trade Center and presented by a NYPD officer to the Belizean Mission in NY? It got me a little choked up.



Here is an actual prison door...that little hole was the only light or air. That would definitely scare me straight.



Off to the House of Culture next...a BEAUTIFUL colonial house right on the water. If I were ever to wed (god forbid), this would be the place. It's very "Gone with the Wind" looking over the sea.


This house was the seat of the colonial government from 1814. It's very easy to picture the Brits sipping gin and tonics on the back porch or dancing in the mahongany ball room on the second floor. On Sept 21, 1981, the British flag was lowered and the Belize flag officially raised for the first time on this house's front lawn.
There is not a TON to see...an exhibit on the history of Lotto in Belize and one on slavery but it's definitely a cool place to visit. Did you know that in the early 1800s, slaves made up 75% of the Belize population?


Right across the street is St. John's Cathedral, the oldest Anglican church in Central America. It was built in 1812.



And the High Court building just down the street.


The town was still decked out for the September celebrations. Everything was kept up for the burial and memorial to George Price.







Time for lunch. And I hear that Dits is a Belize City landmark. Neighborhood a bit shady...but definitely worth the trip. Macy's one block over is supposed to be great also.

I got a SERIOUS plate of stew chicken, rice & beans, stuffing and potato salad for cheap. Apparently I looked very hungry.



I didn't even come close to finishing this off...it's a meal for 3 people. Tee hee...looks like I'm crying.



I have a water taxi to catch...so I did a quick shopping trip at Mirab's (the Target of Belize). They were actually setting up their giant Xmas tree. Sept 28th! These guys do a fantastic holiday display.

So that's what I've got. Belize City is not all bad...there is some really good stuff to see. I didn't even show you were I stayed overnight...in the real colonial part of the city. It was REALLY good. Stay tuned for more Belize City...

Ambergris Today | Stories | Arts & Craft Vendors to be Relocated

Ambergris Today | Stories | Arts & Craft Vendors to be Relocated

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW FANS - Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW FANS - Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board
Re: ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW FANS [Re: Marty]
Capt. Hollywood
OK here is the plan..... ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW... Midnight.... Saturday October 29th at the theater. Halloween weekend.. Free admission if you come dressed up....I am trying to put together a shadowcast (participants who dress up and act out the parts on stage.) pm me if you are into it. It will be a fun night.....

I think Marty kinda looks like Frank N Furter What do you say Marty? You in?

PS Sorry coylk but you just can't matinee the Rocky Horror Picture show... It's a crime against art. One night won't kill ya. I'll bring the Geritol.

By the way I also have EL TOPO
_________________________
So c'mon up to the lab, and see whats on the slab. I see you shiver with, antici.......pation!

Cheese Burger Cup Cakes for Wade The Gringos Birthday - Wade The Gringo Burgers - San Pedro, Belize

Cheese Burger Cup Cakes for Wade The Gringos Birthday - Wade The Gringo Burgers - San Pedro, Belize

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FASTDEAL #10968
7 nights departing April 14, 2012 on

Pullmantur's Ocean Dream


Brochure Inside $865

Brochure Oceanview $1,085

Brochure Balcony $1,725

Brochure Suite $1,925



The prices shown are US dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. They include all non-alcoholic beverages and a limited selection of alcoholic beverages. Port charges, airfare and (where applicable) airport or government taxes or fees are not included. Note: Spanish is the primary language spoken onboard.

ITINERARY


DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART
Sat Apr 14 Merida (Progreso), Mexico 7:00am 5:00pm
Sun Apr 15 Cozumel, Mexico 10:00am 10:00pm
Mon Apr 16 Costa Maya, Mexico 8:00am 6:00pm
Tue Apr 17 At Sea
Wed Apr 18 Falmouth, Jamaica 9:00am 6:00pm
Thu Apr 19 Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 9:00am 4:00pm
Fri Apr 20 At Sea
Sat Apr 21 Merida (Progreso), Mexico 7:00am 5:00pm






Speak to a Cruise Specialist
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Open Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm, CST


Important Note: Availability is extremely limited on all FASTDEALS and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. All prices are subject to change without notice by cruise lines, and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. Please have your credit card ready.

get my SAN PEDRO SCOOP!: Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce Cheese...in Belize!

get my SAN PEDRO SCOOP!: Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce Cheese...in Belize!

19092

7 nights departing October 2, 2011 on
Carnival's Carnival Valor




Brochure Inside $1,769
Our Inside $419
NV Resident Rate $349
You Save 80%
Brochure Oceanview $1,969
Our Oceanview $459
You Save 77%



Brochure Balcony $2,169
Our Balcony $659
NV Resident Rate $629
You Save 71%
Brochure Suite $2,599
Our Suite $1,059
NV Resident Rate $959
You Save 63%



If you purchase a resident rate, you will be required to present a valid driver's license or state-issued ID at the pier to prove residency in the state or province.
The prices shown are US dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. They include port charges but do not include airfare or (where applicable) airport or government taxes or fees.





ITINERARY


DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART
Sun Oct 2 Miami, FL 4:00pm
Mon Oct 3 At Sea
Tue Oct 4 Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 7:00am 4:00pm
Wed Oct 5 Roatan, Honduras Noon 7:00pm
Thu Oct 6 Belize City, Belize 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Oct 7 Cozumel, Mexico 8:00am 5:00pm
Sat Oct 8 At Sea
Sun Oct 9 Miami, FL 8:00am





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Important Note: Availability is extremely limited on all FASTDEALS and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. All prices are subject to change without notice by cruise lines, and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. Please have your credit card ready. Click any price to convert to other currencies.

Weather Shakes Up Royal Caribbean Cruise, Causes Minor Injuries - Royal Caribbean International

Weather Shakes Up Royal Caribbean Cruise, Causes Minor Injuries - Royal Caribbean International
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Home > Cruise News > Weather Shakes Up Royal Caribbean Cruise, Causes Minor Injuries

December 13, 2010


Weather Shakes Up Royal Caribbean Cruise, Causes Minor Injuries

Were you on the cruise? Send us your photos and stories.

Updated, 5:30 a.m. EST -- Several passengers were injured early Sunday morning when Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas hit rough weather on its way to the port of Alexandria, Egypt.

According to a statement from line spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez, large waves and heavy winds caused the ship to list several times, injuring about 30 passengers and damaging some of the vessel's public spaces.

A handful of Cruise Critic members are onboard and have been providing first-hand accounts on the boards.

dirtgirl was in her cabin during the ordeal: "I was flying back and forth. My roomie managed to brace herself. The beds were sliding back and forth!! Broken glass everywhere as everything on it went flying. Tables and chairs upended." She also added that the "Gym is in shambles - Ellipticals looked like monkey bars; spin bikes everywhere. Only wine, beer, and soda available at the Centrum bar and Schooner bar. Casino closed, shops closed. No one allowed out on upper decks."

Member jimbo5544 says his son and daughter-in-law are celebrating their honeymoon onboard. "They said all computers had smashed in internet cafe and Grand piano smashed into wall. Much broken glass all over ship, Windjammer closed."

Later in the day, dirtgirl posted that the "staff have been going non-stop to clear the areas. The amount of work they have done to keep us all fed is amazing. The Windjammer was a disaster area this morning. That it was open for limited dinner service was incredible . . . Venues are being reopened. The Casino is up, and everyone was in the Schooner Bar tonight having a good time."

She added in her post that Royal Caribbean has given each cabin a $200 onboard credit ($400 for suites).

pussywillow6 offered this information from her daughter, who works in the ship's onboard spa: "You can't even begin to imagine the damage on the ship, its awful. ... Windows, showers, mirrors, the hairdressing basins have all smashed... The whole ship is wrecked... Grand piano smashed through a window.....There were passengers running around with life jackets on, people screaming, all the spa girls were panicking...... its really horrible!"

Member Feelin'_Nauti drew our attention to this video on NBC, which involves interviews with passengers onboard

Tacogirl Blog Specials - Belize Vacation Packages, Belize Travel Deals | tacogirl.com

Tacogirl Blog Specials - Belize Vacation Packages, Belize Travel Deals | tacogirl.com
Tropic Air: Get a 10% Tropic Air Discount off the regular rate of any Tropic Air Flights listed on their website. Email tacogirl with the dates you want to fly – Tropic Air Flight times you want and and names of people flying to get the discount. Tropic Air is the largest and most experienced airline in Belize and offer over 180 daily scheduled flights throughout Belize and Flores, Guatemala [please note Guatemala City to Flores is not eligible for tacogirl special only Flores to international]
.

Paddling through paradise

Paddling through paradise

Paddling through paradise


By Jim Cochrane, Postmedia News December 11, 2010

Hanging upside down in our overturned sea kayak, we were desperately trying to remember our guide's recent instructions-- "Pull the 'Oh s --t' tab and if you can't find it, punch out your spray skirt with your knees."

This was the part that I secretly feared when my wife, Kathryn, and I planned our trip to Belize.

It was clear from the information on the Island Expeditions website that we would be tipping our kayaks, escaping and eventually getting back in as part of our trip, but being in my 70s, sporting a hip replacement and having never kayaked before, I was a bit apprehensive. But, under the watchful eyes of the staff, we were successful in righting our kayak and climbing safely back in. Whew.

El Pescador hosts Buccaneers and Bones - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board#Post394370

El Pescador hosts Buccaneers and Bones - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board#Post394370

Cayo Espanto may host the Royal Honeymoon - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

Cayo Espanto may host the Royal Honeymoon - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

Man apologises for stealing jerked chicken from employer - Breaking & Current Jamaica News - JamaicaObserver.com

Man apologises for stealing jerked chicken from employer - Breaking & Current Jamaica News - JamaicaObserver.com

Bannister Island Resort · Caribbean Island Brokers

Bannister Island Resort
Bannister Island is a truly unique business opportunity in Belize. As the only island resort in the country specifically designed to serve the growing cruise ship industry, Bannister has virtually no competition. The island is located just outside of Belize City and offers a true taste of the Caribbean for its guests. It is perfectly placed only 9 miles east-southeast of Belize City, 2 miles from the Belize Barrier Reef, and 2.5 miles from the cruise ship moorage.
This is an island that needs to be visited in person to fully appreciate its beauty and to see the business in action. Bannister Island Resort offers its guests spectacular beach break parties and special events.
Guests currently enjoy the following facilities on the island: over 600ft of beautiful beach, excellent for swimming and snorkeling, live bands on most days, 3 bars, a restaurant, kayaking, paddle boats, self piloted zodiacs that are a thrill to ride, kids play area, gift shop, kiosk-candy shop, hair braiding, volleyball, shuttle ball and other beach games. The island is protected by the reef, so the beach and swimming area in front of the island is usually calm. The beach has a very gentle slope that allows the guests to walk out nearly 100 feet before it begins to get deep.
The business has contracts with many of the major cruise ship operators such as Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, as well as few independent private operators producing a substantial net profit for the owners.
The island is approximately 3 acres and is fully self-sufficient. A 21 K.W. generator provides power to the island's facilities and the reverse osmosis desalination system produces plenty of fresh water from the sea. There is also an environmentally friendly septic system.
Additional on site facilities are:
Male and female bathrooms and a separate disabled access bathroom.
Accommodations for onsite staff and caretakers in 3 units.
A complete restaurant capable of handling the demands of a very active business.
2 docking areas, one being dedicated to staff and supplies, the other to guests.
Several palapas scattered around the island
Barbecue area
Several paddle boats and sea kayaks
The business also has fantastic future potential with a full 30% of the island still undeveloped. This would provide ample space for overnight accommodations or a full dive operation. This could also open the doors to weddings, special occasions and events that could be fully operated directly and exclusively from the island.
The terms "unique" or "one of a kind" tend to get thrown around a lot in the real estate business, but this island resort business truly meets and exceeds expectations.
More pictures of Bannister Island can be found here.
Sales Price $1,950,000 US

Discount Cruise Vacations Specializing in Caribbean Destinations

Discount Cruise Vacations Specializing in Caribbean Destinations

World's largest cruise liner has a twin - Yahoo! News

World's largest cruise liner has a twin - Yahoo! News
World's largest cruise liner has a twin


Slideshow:Worlds Largest Cruise Ships
By MATTI HUUHTANEN, Associated Press Matti Huuhtanen, Associated Press – Fri Oct 29, 9:40 am ET
HELSINKI – The second in a pair of the largest cruise liners in the world — an extravagant behemoth spanning nearly four football fields, with a 3-D move theater, an open-air central park and room for 8,300 people — set sail Friday for its new home port in Florida.
The Allure of the Seas, which cruised out of the shipyard in Turku, southwestern Finland where it was built, faces its first big test Saturday, when it must squeeze under a Danish bridge, just one foot (30 centimeters) taller than the ship — even after its telescopic smokestacks are lowered.
The gigantic vessel is the sister ship of the Oasis of the Seas, which was also delivered to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines last year with a price tag of about $1.5 billion. The Allure of the Seas is in the same price range, said Juha Heikinheimo, managing director of STX Finland, which constructed the vessel.
Like its twin, the Allure of the Seas spans 1,200 feet (360 meters) from bow to stern, and its height from sea level is 236 feet (72 meters). It weighs 600 tons — 12 times more than the Eiffel Tower.

It can accommodate 6,300 passengers and some 2,000 crew, and has dozens of restaurants, cafes and bars along a promenade shopping street that includes a park with living trees and numerous plants. The ship boasts a two-deck high dance hall, a 1,380-seat theater and an ice skating rink, numerous pools, spas, gyms and a rock climbing wall.
It names the Rising Tide Bar as one of its showpieces — an elliptical restaurant platform accommodating 50 customers that ascends and descends a vertical distance of 32 feet (10 meters) between the central park and promenade.
The ship's home port will be Fort Lauderdale in Florida, where it is expected to arrive in a few weeks.
Click image to see Worlds Largest Cruise Ships slideshow
AP
Like the Oasis of the Seas, it is scheduled to pass under the Great Belt Fixed Link off the Danish coast. Last year, the other ship passed below the bridge with less than a 2-foot (half-meter) gap, bridge operators said.
The shipping line said that cruise travel, especially in the United States, had picked up since the global downturn and that their cruise bookings were nearly full.
"Markets have developed well. We are not in the same situation as we were before 2008," said Harri Kulovaara, a deputy director at Royal Caribbean. "Our bookings have been full for a year, down to almost the last berth."
Construction of the Allure of the Sea at STX Finland's Turku yard began in February 2008. The company employs 3,300 people in Finland, of whom 1,100 are currently laid off. More layoffs are expected with no new projects until next autumn when the Turku yard is expected to begin the construction of a passenger ferry.
STX Finland is part of the international STX Europe Group, with shipyards in Brazil, Norway, France, Romania and Vietnam.

Hurricane Richard - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

Hurricane Richard - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

Belize Rebuilds After Hurricane Richard
October 26, 2010

This home in Belmopan lost part of its roof during hurricane Richard.
Life is slowly returning to normal in Belize after Category One Hurricane Richard slammed into the lightly populated central region of the country Sunday night October 24 leaving behind damage to infrastructure and agriculture, a total collapse of the electrical grid but no loss of life.
The eye of Hurricane Richard made landfall approximately 10 miles south of the capital Belmopan, population 20,000 Sunday evening. It ripped off the roofs of dozens of homes on the coast, from Belize City to the north, down to Dangriga in the south, and destroyed hundreds of plywood and tin roof shacks used by the poor – mostly in Belize City and nearby villages. Some 4,000 people huddled in hurricane shelters during the storm that brought 92 mile per hour winds and torrential rains, and today Tuesday a couple thousand remain there as their homes are gone or uninhabitable. Most Belizeans weathered the storm in darkness as the country’s entire electrical grid collapsed. Belize purchases electrical power from Mexico and generates its own from two hydro plants but the damage to transmission lines was substantial. The seat of government, Belmopan, built 50 miles inland 29 years ago following a devastating hurricane that partly destroyed coastal Belize City, was also plunged into darkness. The Belize government had decided a couple of years ago to decommission the capital’s diesel generating backup station and rely solely on the national grid.

Crane retrieving hurricane Richard downed billboard at Habet owned hardwware store in Belmopan Belize.
The Belize government has announced an estimated damage of U.S. $18. million from hurricane Richard – not counting the disruption to business and the productive sector due to the collapse of the electrical grid, which also led to no water being available as the government owned water company does not have backup generators to power its pumping stations. Prime Minister Barrow vowed to make all efforts to find the money to rebuild the damage done by the hurricane.
By Tuesday morning approximately 70 percent of the country had electricity restored and the privately owned Belize Electricity Limited was projecting to have the entire grid restored by nightfall. All schools in the Belize, Cayo and Stann Creek districts are closed and will reopen on Wednesday. Many schools serve a dual role as hurricane shelters. Internet service and cable television are still disrupted due to downed lines and utility poles. The country’s international airport near Belize City is now reopened and flight schedules are normal. Additional flights are being put in to retrieve passengers who ended up in other countries, for example El Salvador, when flights had to be diverted on Monday in the aftermath of the hurricane.
At a press conference organised by Prime Minister Dean Barrow in Belmopan yesterday evening it was revealed that about 30% of Belize’s orange crop has been lost. One reporter described walking a citrus orchard in the Stann Creek Valley: “The entire orchard was covered with an emerald carpet of thousands upon thousands of young and immature orange fruit ripped from the trees by the hurricane winds.”
The largest citrus processing company in Belize is starting processing operations ahead of schedule today to do sampling tests and attempt to recover some of the crop on the ground.
Despite the misery endured by Belizeans during the hurricane, the event was not without its lighthearted and interesting moments.
Some motorists and tourists on the Northern Highway near Belize City (and thousands watching on television) were startled to see crocodiles and boa constrictors crossing the highway as it began to flood.
In San Victor, a village in the Orange Walk district, a shelter warden opened his shelter early. But then got drunk and accidentallylocked himself inside the shelter. Being unable to find the keys in the darkness, he rode out the storm by himself while villagershad to flee to another shelter.
And in Belmopan, the government’s post storm press conference at the the National Emergency Management Organization was cut short when the building’s backup generator failed during a long-winded intervention by a local politician.Belizean.com

End of the Earth Postponed - Yahoo! News

End of the Earth Postponed - Yahoo! News

End of the Earth Postponed

It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.
A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)
The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.
"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."
But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.
"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."
Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes.

Discount Cruise Vacations Specializing in Caribbean Destinations

The 2010 Taste of Belize Competition

http://budgetcruise.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/10995397-the-2010-taste-of-belize-competition-

Discount Cruise Vacations Specializing in Caribbean Destinations

American Fugitive arrested in San Pedro - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

American Fugitive arrested in San Pedro - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

99L a threat to develop - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

99L a threat to develop - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board


99L a threat to develop - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board
http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthread...
Heavy thunderstorm activity has increased and grown more organized this morning over the southwestern Caribbean between Honduras and the Cayman Islands, in association with a tropical disturbance (Invest 99L). The storm is bringing heavy rain to the Cayman Islands; two inches has fallen so far this morning at Savannah on Grand Cayman Island. Recent satellite imagery shows that 99L has some rotation, and the winds on the northeast coast of Honduras at Puerto Lempira have shifted to the west-northwest, implying that 99L may be developing a surface circulation. Wind shear is a moderate 10 - 20 knots, which is low enough to allow some slow development. Water vapor satellite loops reveal that the atmosphere in the Western Caribbean is moist enough to support development, and the waters beneath are plenty warm, at 29°C. The latest SHIPS model forecast predicts that wind shear over the Western Caribbean will mostly remain in the moderate range, 10 - 20 knots, for the remainder of the week. The current north-northwest motion of 99L should continue until Wednesday, when a strong ridge of high pressure is forecast to build in, forcing 99L to the south or west. However, steering currents will be weak Wednesday through Friday, making it difficult to predict where 99L may wander to. The only models that develop 99L are the GFDL and HWRF. The GFDL model predicts that 99L will spend enough time over water to develop into a hurricane, and brings the storm to the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday morning. The HWRF model has 99L making landfall over Honduras late this week, before the storm has a chance to develop into a hurricane. NHC is giving 99L a 40% chance of developing into a tropical depression by Thursday. I believe the odds are higher, near 60%. The Hurricane Hunters are on call to investigate 99L this afternoon. Figure 1. Morning satellite image of Invest 99L.

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Home - Belize Cable Guide

Home - Belize Cable Guide

Belize Cable Guide
Cable Guide for Belize. San Pedro, Belize City, And all of Belize.

10% off on TROPIC with Facebook

We will be having a 10% discount for anyone who shows up with a printout of Tropic Air's facebook page. This will run from October 4 - 10. The 10% is not to be given on top of any other discounts, ie, if someone already has a 10% discount or any other discount, they do not get a 10% on top of it.

cruiseshiptrash.com

cruiseshiptrash.com

Manhattan couple booted from cruise over 'Jew slur' fight
A wealthy Manhattan couple was forced to walk the plank during a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 -- after getting into a bizarre fight with a fellow passenger, sources said.
Broadway producer Gloria Sher, 82, and her husband, Frederick Evans, 91, said they were ordered off the luxury liner after their obscenity-filled argument with someone they claim had made an anti-Semitic remarks.
The couple almost wound up stranded in a remote port in Quebec as punishment for their outburst. At the time, they were only days into the $20,000, five-week cruise. Read more: http://www.cruiseshiptrash.com/

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/the_hate_boat_j7PF4V3pbpKwIbssYw6GwO#ixzz11PVqfgbN

The Buzz Log - A New Planet, a New Dimension, and a Final Goodbye: Buzz Week in Review - Yahoo! Buzz

The Buzz Log - A New Planet, a New Dimension, and a Final Goodbye: Buzz Week in Review - Yahoo! Buzz

A New Planet. Scientists find "Earth-like" planet
Even if you're sick of hearing about outer space, we think you're going to agree that this is pretty cool. Astronomers have discovered a new planet that may actually be able to support life. The planet, called Gliese 581g, is about 20 light years away from Earth, so it's gonna take you a while to get there. However, it does possess a few traits that make it stand out to scientists. According to an article that will be published in Astrophysical Journal, the planet is "squarely in the middle of the habitable zone of the star." The habitable zone means that the planet "orbits the star at a distance that allows for the planet to have both liquid water and an atmosphere." Those are two very important things for life. Web searches on "new planet" rocketed upwards 7,232% for the week.

trailertrashvacations.com

trailertrashvacations.com
Cruise bartender sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting girl, 14, on vacation
Posted by wade on October 2, 2010 at 10:41 AM comments (0)

A cruise ship bartender charged with having sex with a 14-year-old girl who was vacationing with her parents was sentenced to just over three years in federal prison Thursday.

Hery Krispiyanto, 30, was sentenced in Orlando federal court for the one count of sexual abuse of a minor he pleaded guilty to in June.

In addition to the prison time, Krispiyanto was ordered to pay about $4,360 in restitution.

Court records said the teenager, identified as "T.W.," was aboard the Carnival Freedom, which left from the Port of Fort Lauderdale in April 2009.

While on the cruise, T.W. and her parents became acquainted with Krispiyanto.

T.W. told investigators she was alone on the upper deck of the ship one night when Krispiyanto walked up behind her, grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby employee-only room and closed the door, court records said.

Krispiyanto had sex with the girl, and then told her to leave, his plea agreement said.

T.W. reported the incident to her mother in August, and it was then reported to the FBI. He was indicted in Orlando federal court in May.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/cruise-bartender-sentenced-to-prison-for-sexually-assaulting-948125.html


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/cruise-bartender-sentenced-to-prison-for-sexually-assaulting-948125.html

AFP: Gels, liquids may be allowed back onto planes by 2012

AFP: Gels, liquids may be allowed back onto planes by 2012
Gels, liquids may be allowed back onto planes by 2012
By Michel Viatteau (AFP) – 1 day ago

MONTREAL — Airline passengers may once again be allowed to board flights with creams, gels and liquids that were banned over security concerns, the International Civil Aviation Organization said Monday.

"In the next two years (the ban) will end," ICAO Secretary General Raymond Benjamin told AFP ahead of the UN organization's 37th general assembly, which kicks off in Montreal on Tuesday.

New equipment capable of detecting explosives in water bottles, makeup kits or toothpaste tubes, for example, would be installed at most airport security checkpoints by 2012, he explained.

The unprecedented security measure took effect in 2006 after British police foiled a transatlantic plot to detonate liquid explosives aboard airliners flying to Canada and the United States.

Discount Cruise Vacations Specializing in Caribbean Destinations

Discount Cruise Vacations Specializing in Caribbean Destinations

belizeind10_0001.wmv

trailertrashvacations.com

trailertrashvacations.com
http://www.carnival.com/cms/Header2009/images/CCL_homepage_wk2_0000_generic.jpg
We just returned (barely) from the worst cruise ever on the Carnival Legglorictorumph. From the moment we arrived at the pier, we knew we were in for trouble. We waited to get off the bus from the airport when we noticed one of the porters opening our suitcase and rifling through it, I ran out to see what he was doing and was shocked when he told me that he “knew” that we weren’t going to give him an adequate tip so he was going to take something of equal value. I then threatened to report him to the cruise line when he said that if I did, I would never see any of my luggage ever again.

When we entered the terminal the lines were huge and most of the people smelled funny. It took over four hours to get through the scanners and another six to get our sign and sail cards. We were also subjected to cavity searches and warned that if they found any alcohol in our suitcases that we would do hard time. By the time we were finally finished, the ship was pulling away from the pier so I had to throw my wife and mother-in-law across the gap and just made the jump myself while carrying three carry-on bags, a wheelchair and an oxygen tank. No one helped us at all, except for one cleaning lady who helped me to my feet and gave me a quick hug. About five minutes later I found that my wallet was missing!

The food was horrible, I’ve tasted better at the Russian gulag I spent three years in the 1980’s! The shrimp cocktail was still moving when I tried to eat it and a melting chocolate cake at the next table to us exploded, killing three people. 528 and a half people butted in front of us at the buffet line and all the items were gone except for the tuna surprise when we finally got to the stations.

The first night of the cruise, the captain got lost and instead of arriving at St. Thomas, the BOAT pulled into San Francisco! We were told that this would be a minor setback and we would be back on route quickly, but no one was allowed to get off at the port due to an outbreak of scurvy in California.

The cabin we selected was too small and every night the toilet and sink would back-up and overflow and leave three feet of water in the room. The door to the balcony didn’t open, but that was a good thing because the railing and the deck were both missing after the second night.

When we woke up on the fourth morning, we noticed that the ship had sunk and no one bothered to let us know. Thank God for the oxygen tank we brought! I called down to the pursers desk to find out what was being done to remedy this new catastrophe and was told that the crew were busily chewing all the gum they could find to make a huge wad to patch up the holes. We were then commanded to get in the lifeboats and help with the raising of the ship. We were each given 200 drink straws, told to put them together end-to-end and direct them to the holes in the hull. We then had to blow air back into the ship and bring it back up from the deeps. This meant that we would not be able to make our shore excursion (which would have sucked anyway). All this time, the crew we sitting around in inner-tubes drinking frozen cocktails laughing at the passengers.

When we finally reached the next port, we were all told that we all had to get off the ship and find our own way home and that Carnival appreciated our business but there would be no refunds, no on-board credits and no assistance in paying for our flights home.

This kind of thing would never happen on RCCL/NCL/Princess etc.


The crew sucked, the ship sucked, the food sucked, the passengers sucked, the entertainment sucked, and all you people that like Carnival suck too!

I will never cruise with THIS cruise line again. Be warned everything I said is true!

.... oh wait I forgot the caveat...

I have taken 16,294 cruises with other cruise lines and never have I had a single problem ever, until I sailed Carnival!

See, I knew I could write an awesome cruise review!!!

cruisecritic.bz

cruisecritic.bz

Are We Justified In Expecting Every Cruise To Be a Luxury Vacation?
The vast majority of people who go on cruises fill out their guest comment cards at the end of their cruise sending the cruise lines a message that they believe they received good or excellent value from their cruise vacation.
So, why is it then that we also see such a large number of posts and Blogs on the Internet complaining, and saying the opposite? Has the cruise community, including past passengers, as well as writers whose job it is to cover the industry, lost touch with the reality of what one can reasonably expect from their cruises?

The industry has certainly changed. Some say it has evolved; others say it has regressed. But, more and more it seems the case that cruisers are expecting every cruise, at every price point, should supply a luxury vacation.

On land there’s few who would expect a breakfast at an International House Pancakes to be the equal of the hottest new “breakfast boutique” in town, that charges twice the price. No one would expect a KIA to offer an equal ride and driving experience of a Mercedes, or even a Ford. No one would expect to buy clothing at Sears, to be as finely tailored, or have the long term wear ability of clothing purchased at Hugo Boss. It’s not that most of us don’t happily buy the lower costs and services. But we seem to do so with a better understanding of the resultant differences that come with the lower costs than we do when we purchase a cruise.

Far too many people think they can interchange the words cruise vacation and luxury vacation. We really do need to have a better understanding of justifiable expectations between a $49/day cruise; a $150/day cruise; a $250/day cruise, or a $500 – $1000/day cruise.

No doubt advertising and the image of cruising leads people to expect more than the resulting reality. But that is the case with many land based products as well. Yet it seems people are more willing to go through the thought process of sorting through those misconceptions to a better grasp of the reality than they are when addressing the topic of cruises.

For example, I frankly don’t “get it” when I see people complain comparing food on a cruise ship to food at, say Denny’s, when all too often they’ve paid the equivalent of Denny’s-like prices. Simply put; there’s nothing wrong with Denny’s food, particularly if that’s what you’re paying for.

For most people it’s probably easy to understand the differences one might expect between a $100/day cruise and a $500/day “luxury” cruise. But, to avoid disappointment we truly need to do a better job of understanding the “expectation differences” between the less drastic price level variances, as they can be (and fairly should be) quite significant.

On most cruises, even the inexpensive ones, one can expect to be treated “royally”, but depending on how much you pay, it’s difficult to expect that in all circumstances you’ll live like royalty (with accommodations and surroundings), or dine like royalty.

When spending $500, $600, or even $1000 for a cruise I’m telling you honestly you cannot expect a “luxury cruise experience”. Though I have no hesitancy at all in saying you can expect a fun time, and full value for your money from your cruise experience.

With a cruise (as with many things) expect to get what you paid for, and more often than not you’ll disembark as a happy cruiser

Storm Karl hits Mexico; hurricane duo roils Atlantic - Yahoo! News

Storm Karl hits Mexico; hurricane duo roils Atlantic - Yahoo! News
Igor is not expected to make landfall for days, but forecasters say storm swells will reach Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by early Wednesday and move from there to Bermuda.

Dangerous surf was also affecting the Leeward islands, and should affect some of the Bahamas Wednesday.

At 0900 GMT Wednesday, Igor's eye was located some 570 miles (915 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward islands and it was heading west-northwestward at nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour, US experts said.

The National Hurricane Center said Karl could bring coastal flooding and up to eight inches of rain to Mexico and parts of Belize and northern Guatemala.

"A storm surge is expected to produce some coastal flooding near and to the north of where the center makes landfall," the center said. "The surge will be accompanied by large and damaging waves.

"Karl is expected to produce total rain accumulations of three to five inches over the Yucatan peninsula, Belize and northern Guatemala, with isolated maximum amounts of eight inches," the center added.

Almost one million people were affected by flooding this month alone, which left 25 dead. The rains, which began in July, are set to worsen as the rainy season continues to almost the end of the year.

More than one third of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz has been hit by flooding which affected some 500,000 people, according to governor Fidel Herrera.

The recent frenetic storm activity comes after prediction from forecasters that the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season would be one of the worst on record.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) predicted 14 to 23 named storms, including eight to 14 hurricanes, three to seven of which were likely to be "major" storms, with winds of at least 111 mph.

This is compared to an average six-month season of 11 named storms, six of which become hurricanes, two of them major.

NOAA said the period since 1995 has been one of unusually high storm activity with eight of the last 15 seasons ranking in the top ten for the most named storms.

Tropical Storm: Storm-Centered Satellite Image : Weather Underground

Tropical Storm: Storm-Centered Satellite Image : Weather Underground

Image Updated: 5:40 PM GMT on September 14, 2010
Invest 92

This area of disturbed weather has the potential for tropical development.

Playboy model panics and tries to open door to NJ-bound plane mid-air - NYPOST.com

Playboy model panics and tries to open door to NJ-bound plane mid-air - NYPOST.com
A buxom Playboy centerfold tried to bust out -- midair -- from a jet yesterday amid a bad case of high anxiety.
Sexy 21-year-old model Tiffany Livingston was aboard JetBlue Flight 522 from Orlando, Fla., to Newark when she bolted from her seat and tried to open the door of the plane, a law-enforcement official said.
"She said she's gone through this before, but never this bad, and didn't have . . . her medication," one source said.
Livingston was detained and placed in federal custody, with charges pending, last night.
Last year, Livingston, a 5-foot-6 brunette from Merrimac, RI, was featured as the centerfold for the debut edition of VIP, the Singapore version of Playboy, in which she was described as "not just another pretty face.
"Tiffany boasts the immaculate poise of a mature model wrapped with a bubbly demeanor," the profile said.
Her agent did not return a call seeking comment.
Read more: http://newyorkpost.com/p/news/national/playboy_gal_stirs_in_flight_fright_cejyXEPzU3AIOy1K5PgnsN#ixzz0zVyECF68

Belize 1998 $2 coin RARE battle of St.George - eBay (item 200515223265 end time Sep-09-10 10:43:18 PDT)

Belize 1998 $2 coin RARE battle of St.George - eBay (item 200515223265 end time Sep-09-10 10:43:18 PDT)

This Belize 1998 coin commemorates the battle of St. Georges Caye It is a very rare coin. It was minted only in 1998, the 200 year anniversary of the battle.The battle of George's Caye in 1778 secured the island from the Spaniards. The Baymen and their African counterparts banded together to form a formidable defense that allowed them to defeat the Spanish/Mexican occupation.

Cruise Ship Hits Unmapped Rock off Canada, Passengers Evacuated - AOL Travel News

Cruise Ship Hits Unmapped Rock off Canada, Passengers Evacuated - AOL Travel News

The Canadian coast guard ferried passengers and crew off the Clipper Adventurer after the expedition cruise ship ran aground on an unmapped rock in the Canadian Arctic.
Adventure Canada, which operates the ship, says the incident occurred off Nunavut, as the ship was en-route from Port Epworth to the small town of Kugluktuk, in the Arctic Ocean."At the time, the seas were calm, sunny conditions and good visibility with no wind or swell," the company says in a statement.Matthew Swan, owner of Adventure Canada, tells CNN, the Clipper Adventurer was steaming along "and very abruptly the ship stopped and we found our self perched on a rock."Crew tried to dislodge the vessel at high tide. When that failed the coast guard came in with the icebreaker, Amundsen.The cruise ship had 128 passengers and 69 crew members onboard. Those evacuated were taken to Kugluktuk. No one was injured in the incident.Adventure Canada says everyone was "safe and in good spirits," adding that passengers continued to "enjoy programming and hospitality," before disembarking the ship, which was listing slightly. They were flown home via Edmonton.Passengers who arrived in Kugluktuk to join the ship, meanwhile, were met with news their cruise was a no go.Among them were authors Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson. Atwood tells CNN she plans to rebook the cruise for next year.The cruises are popular with those looking to see whales and other wildlife.

Russians urged to smoke, drink more

Russians urged to smoke, drink more
Moscow - Smoke and drink more, Russia's finance minister Alexei Kudrin urged citizens on Wednesday, explaining that higher consumption would help lift tax revenues for spending on social services."If you smoke a pack of cigarettes, that means you are giving more to help solve social problems such as boosting demographics, developing other social services and upholding birth rates," Kudrin said, quoted by the Interfax news agency."People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state," he said, offering unconventional advice as the Russian government announced plans
to raise excise duty on alcohol and cigarettes.Alcohol and cigarette consumption are already extremely high in Russia, where 65 percent of men smoke and the average Russian consumes 18 litres of alcoholic beverages per year, mainly vodka, according to official statistics.Russian duties on cigarettes are among the lowest in Europe, with most brands priced at around 40 rubles (one euro, 1.30 dollars) per pack and unfiltered cigarettes selling for much less.The finance ministry in June announced plans to more than double excise duty on cigarettes over the next three years from 250 roubles per 1000 filtered cigarettes to 590 roubles in 2013.The move is likely to be unpopular in the nicotine-addicted nation where a cigarette shortage in the late 1980s and early 1990s incited protests and led then-president Mikhail Gorbachev to appeal for emergency outside shipments.The state recently imposed a new minimum legal price for vodka, implemented a zero tolerance ban on drink-driving and banned night-time sales of alcohol to curb abuse blamed for the deaths of thousands of Russians every year.Alcohol abuse kills around 500 000 Russians annually and greatly impacts male life expectancy, which is lower than in such developing countries as Bangladesh and Honduras, according to official figures. - Sapa-AFP

7 Affordable Places to Retire Abroad - On Retirement (usnews.com)

7 Affordable Places to Retire Abroad - On Retirement (usnews.com)

Belize. With both Caribbean island and inland highlands living options, this is a country where life is sweet and simple.

Do your civic duty: Eat this fish! - U.S. news - Environment - msnbc.com

Do your civic duty: Eat this fish! - U.S. news - Environment - msnbc.com


The federal government has thrown its weight behind plans to field a novel weapon – the American appetite – in a bid to halt the spread of the voracious and invasive lionfish.
Like Tribbles proliferating in the holds of the Starship Enterprise, lionfish have spread throughout the Caribbean and along the Atlantic Coast in recent years, most recently invading critical reef habitat off the Florida Keys.
The non-native fish, with their "manes" of venom-tipped spines, have no natural predators in these waters. They eat indiscriminately — consuming some 56 species of fish and many invertebrate species — and reproduce rapidly.
This has prompted scientists to turn to an equally ravenous species to control the beautiful pest.
"The only way to really help the reefs is to actually get people interested in fishing for lionfish," says Renata Lana, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which just launched an "Eat Lionfish" campaign. "In fact they are quite delicious fish."
Lionfish, also called turkey, scorpion or fire fish, are not considered food by residents of the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, their native habitat. They were kept as exotic pets in the United States for years, and researchers say it was probably someone in the aquarium trade who first freed lionfish into the Atlantic near Florida, where they were first spotted in the mid-1980s.
Since then, there has been a population explosion. A single female produces about 2 million eggs a year, and hatchlings become sexually mature in about one year, said James Morris, ecologist at NOAA’s Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research National Ocean Service in Beaufort, N.C.
"Lionfish have a life history that has allowed them to be a very aggressive invader," he said. "When they invade, they eat the abundant prey first, and then start dieting on other species."
Lionfish now thrive from North Carolina to the Bahamas, in shallow waters and coral reefs, as well as deep water environments. They can live warm or cold water, and have been seen as far north as Massachusetts. In some coral reefs they outnumber native commercial species.
Conservationists say the lionfish threaten recovery of overfished species like grouper and snapper by eating them, consuming their prey and competing for space in the reefs. They also feed on species like parrotfish, which normally control the growth of algae on a reef.
Morris says it would be virtually impossible to eradicate lionfish in the Atlantic. But he says there is evidence that targeting lionfish in specific areas such as coral reefs can make a big difference.
This is where the "Eat Lionfish" campaign comes in, lending the considerable weight of NOAA, a government agency, to grassroots efforts in the same vein.
Tasty, but watch the spines Promoters say lionfish are tasty, with light, white and flakey meat. But they admit to challenges to starting a trend toward lionfish as a dish — including persuading fishermen and diners that the spiky creature is safe to catch and eat.
"Many people are afraid to eat the fish because they are venomous, but it’s only in the spines, not in the meat," says Lad Akins, director of operations for REEF, a marine conservation nonprofit. "With just normal precautions, you can fillet it, and get a very nice piece of fish.”
Wayne Mershon, owner of fish supplier Kenyon Seafood in Murrells Inlet, S.C., says he has a customer for lionfish — a chef at a seaside hotel will take as much as he can provide. He serves it as a delicacy. But only a few fishermen will bring it in -- even when they catch it accidentally while fishing for grouper and snapper – because they don’t want to risk handling it.
“I think the main concern with most of the fishermen is that once you’ve caught it, getting it back in the water without getting stuck by it,” said Mershon.
The lionfish sting normally is not deadly to humans, but it is extremely painful and makes some people very sick.
In its battle to win over hearts and stomachs, REEF has been sponsoring “ lionfish derbies.”
“You can engage and educated the public about the (lionfish) issue -- of course you’re removing all those lionfish -- but you also cook the fish up and give people the opportunity to taste lion fish and see how good they are,” said Akins.
In REEF’s first derby, held in May 2009 in the Bahamas, enthusiastic competitors brought in 1,408 lionfish. Starting next month, it has derbies scheduled for Key Largo, Marathon and Key West, Fla., where the lionfish population is exploding.
NOAA is working on a series of lionfish events at restaurants across the United States in the coming year, aimed at creating a chain of demand —from fisherman, to wholesaler, to the dinner table.
Meantime, REEF is producing a lionfish cookbook, with recipes from around the Caribbean, and distributing environmental information and instructions on how to avoid, and treat, wounds from the fish’s venomous spine.
Akins favorite lionfish dish? “Flavorwise and in terms of simplicity, it's lionfish seviche,” he said. “It’s really good with tortilla chips.”
That tastiness may turn out to be the lionfish’s Achilles’ heel.
“If it didn’t taste good we would be in a world of trouble,” he says.
© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints

PLATE BLOCK BELIZE 60 CENT BLUE HOLE STAMPS ERROR

BELIZE PLATE BLOCK

75 CENT

PLATE BLOCK OF 15 BELIZE 60 CENT BLUE HOLE STAMP MINT OVER PRINTED NUMBERS

PLATE BLOCK OF 15

BELIZE 60 CENT STAMPS

FEATURING

THE GREAT BLUE HOLE

Belize 1998 coin commemorates the battle of St. Georges Caye

This Belize 1998 coin commemorates the battle of St. Georges Caye It is a very rare coin. It was minted only in 1998, the 200 year anniversary of the battle.The battle of George's Caye in 1778 secured the island from the Spaniards. The Baymen and their African counterparts banded together to form a formidable defense that allowed them to defeat the Spanish/Mexican occupation.

.:: SAMAA - Air Blue passengers’ relatives clueless

.:: SAMAA - Air Blue passengers’ relatives clueless

Air Blue passengers’ relatives clueless
Upadated on: 28 Jul 10 08:18 PM


Staff ReportISLAMABAD: The troubled relatives, who came to receive, of crashed Air Blue(AB) plane’s unlucky passengers are facing deep troubles to get information about their deceased beloved ones at Islamabad Air Port and have no clue for next step while the GM of Air Blue has said that emergency cells have been established at Karachi and Islamabad airports, SAMAA reported Wednesday.Total 152 passengers, included crew members, were on board in the Air Blue crashed plane’s flight from Karachi to Islamabad.After hearing about the crash of the aero plane, an uproar started among the relatives of the unfortunate passengers who came to receive their beloved ones at Islamabad airport. They started running, in deep worry and sadness, here and there to get any clue or information about their relatives.The family members of the unlucky passengers of crashed Air Blue flight, turned very upset and hopeless when they remain unable to get any direct and confirm information about their dearest ones. They told that the concerned air line has established an emergency counter for providing information but it is not providing any help or information and we are compelled to circle around many other offices.At the other side, the General Manager of Air Blue has said that the crashed plane was fit by all means and it had no technical misfit.The GM Air Blue, talking to journalists in Karachi, added that emergency cells have been established in Karachi and Islamabad.“The family members of the deceased passengers will be taken to Islamabad and they will be accommodated there as well” he added. SAMAA

Cruise News Royal Caribbean employee arrested for burglarizing cruise travelers - eTurboNews.com

Jun 13, 2010
Don't forget to pack your flip flops - and bolt down your flat-screen TV?
This weekend's hot story involves a now former Royal Caribbean employee who has been accused of using customer information to burglarize cruise travelers while they were off on vacation.
CNN.com reports that Bethsaida Sandoval, 38, has been arrested and charged for 24 counts of burglary in Palm Beach County; Sandoval admitted that she and her husband were involved in the crimes, according to the probable cause affidavit, using her position with the cruise line to source victims' home addresses.

Cruise News Royal Caribbean employee arrested for burglarizing cruise travelers eTurboNews.com