Belize 2012: 5 - Belize City & Home

Sunday, March 25, 2012

We made such good time on the drive back that we decided to go to the Belize Zoo. When we stopped to ask directions we found we passed it 15 miles back! It is very well done - no cages, just large fences off areas of natural habitant to which the animals are accustomed. They have only animals of Belize.

Lunch was at the Manatee View Restaurant, located on the banks of a river where manatee frequently travel up and down. We were apparently at the wrong time of day to see any. Service was desperately slow, the food not great and mosquitoes plentiful, but the beer was ice cold! The car rental return was quick and they drove us to the Radisson Hotel.

We were put in the new "villa" wing, but were not impressed when the elevator broke down on the way to our floor and then the door to our room wouldn't open as it was damaged. When we went for a swim the main pool was dirty, and food we ordered was slow arriving and not great. The place has really gone downhill since I was last there. When I tried to do some work at night the Internet cut off repeatedly. It was necessary to work on the balcony in poor light due to weak signal inside.

Monday, March 26, 2012

I caught a cab for an 8:30 AM business appointment. Cabs are $5 US or $10 Belize to anywhere in the city. Back at the hotel I picked up Marilynn, and went for one more meeting downtown before we wandered around so Marilynn could shop. She was over the moon with the bargain prices and had a grand time. We stopped in a humble restaurant on the river at the end of an alley for lunch. It looked like a jail - no walls, just bars. The tough looking crowd turned out to be incredibly friendly, as were the chef and staff. Every time we had a question the whole place responded, having some great debates over who had the better answer. The food and drinks were both good and cheap.

Back at the hotel we used the pool in our wing, which was cleaner and not filled with kids as it was yesterday. In the evening we went to the excellent Riverside Tavern for a fabulous dinner with the fellow I met with in the morning and his wife. They drove us back to the hotel after a really pleasant evening.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Our flight was scheduled to leave today, but was cancelled. We wandered around town where Marilynn got in some more shopping before walking to Bird Island where there is an inexpensive restaurant located on the edge of the ocean. The place was packed with locals and was fun, so I passed the time drinking lots of beer from fresh, frozen glasses. It had been a long, hot walk here, so we taxied back to the hotel, stopping at the Princess Belize Hotel along the way in search of alternate accommodation for future trips. It looked pretty good, but though prices were lower they charge for local calls and Internet.

Another swim in the hotel pool, and we tried the Smokey Mermaid Restaurant in the Great House next door. It was so bad that we paid for a drink and walked over to our hotel dining room. They had the same disappointing menu in the dining room as at the pool bar, so we taxied to the Riverside Tavern for another great meal.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Our taxi driver from yesterday picked us up at the hotel. We stopped to look at the Best Western on the way out of town before continuing to the airport. I picked up a bottle of scotch at the low priced duty free in the boarding area - it was 20% less than I'd seen in any other duty free.

The flight was comfortable, and Marilynn got in a little shopping in the large mall in the San Salvador Airport where it was an hour between planes. The flight to San Jose arrived ahead of schedule - we were through customs and out of the airport in 15 minutes, where trusty caretaker Carlos was waiting to drive us home.

It was a great trip for variety and relaxation. We'll do it again, and heartily recommend Belize to those looking for a bit different holiday in a place with friendly, English speaking people.