Who's afraid of Belize City? NDR

[Downing]

Practically every person from the United States that I talk to about Belize City is afraid of it. Too poor. Too much trash. Too much crime. They're astounded that I like it enough to stay there and gasp! even walk around and talk to people. Their advice is always the same: fly in and get out fast.

I know BZ City has more than it's fair share of problems but still there's a lot of very decent humanity there. I especially love to walk around downtown early in the morning before it gets too hot and crowded.

Here are some photos I took from last month's vacation:


Cleaning up the park

Looks good

Hanging in the park

Heading for work

Construction site (yes, the guy on the right is doing what you think he's doing)

Right around the corner

Kids

Street Artist

Fishing in Haulover Creek

And now it's time for lunch

Wanna to buy a crocodile?

Guess where I stashed the Belikins?

When Baboons attack, it's not pretty

Kickin' it on Prince Albert Street

I don't have any water do you have any water? We're dyin' here!

My, my, my, it's a beautiful world

Ok, not all the shots are from Belize City, but you get the idea.

 

[ibj40]

We can't wait to go back, were there in 2007. Stayed the night we flew in, and then had the next morning to kill before the boat out to the Flats, so wandered around, across the Swing Bridge and into town. Shopped a little and just took it all in. Never felt threatened.

Great shots!

 

[Gaz]

Its not just Americans even other Belizeans will have the same mentality because its from Past incidents that has made people like that. I could tell you some horrific storys over the years that happened in Belize City with people being attacked Stabbed, Shot, robberys very common and it is not really somewhere that you just walk around especially some of the areas.

Its a general concensus to anyone form the islands if they have to go to Belize city on business its a get in get out mentality.

Belize is slowly getting better but just look at any Belize Newspaper and you will see page after page of incidents BelizeTimes.com Amandala.com.bz 3 murders in this issue out of Belize City.

I personally do not reccomend what Downing does to visitors its Ok till its not oK and even a Prominent Lawyer the biz partner of the Priminister was shot outside his office in Belize City.

Gaz

 

[Ralph Capeling]

The best thing to do when coming to Belize after landing at the International Airport is to get onto a local flight to Placencia, Cayo, or San Pedro where you find the real Belize. No need to spend time in Belize City.

 

[BTravlin]

Not scared of Belize City, just wasn't particularly fond of it. Loved the Chon Saan Palace Restaurant on Kelly Street though. Ate there two nights in a row and it was excellent!

 

[Doc]

The best thing to do when coming to Belize after landing at the International Airport is to get onto a local flight to Placencia, Cayo, or San Pedro where you find the real Belize. No need to spend time in Belize City.

The same line of thought applies to the Bay Islands of Honduras (versus the cities of Tugucigalpa & San Pedro on the mainland).

No sense it getting all wound up about visits to high density cities when the point of a trip was to spend a week diving in paradise.

 

[fire_diver]

I'm not sure the locals share your high hopes. That balcony wrapped in concertina wire speaks a thousand words.

 

[pnw_diver]

I'm not sure the locals share your high hopes. That balcony wrapped in concertina wire speaks a thousand words.

Sure. It says the same thing as similar ad hoc security measures used throughout Latin America (and elsewhere): "I'd prefer to not be burglarized". I've visited places where poverty was the norm, and violent crime was practically unheard of. Yet, even those who had very little desired to protect what they had from those that had less.

 

[Downing]

No sense it getting all wound up about visits to high density cities when the point of a trip was to spend a week diving in paradise.

Actually, the point of this trip was to see more of Belize, including Belize City, than I did on the last trip, before spending a week diving in paradise. That's why we spent three nights in Belize City, and I spent three very early mornings walking around it, before we hopped the boat to the island.

 

[craracer]

I could tell you some horrific storys over the years that happened in (Insert the name of any of a number of cities within the United States here) with people being attacked Stabbed, Shot, robberys very common and it is not really somewhere that you just walk around especially some of the areas.

I'm just saying.....