My Friday Five Things on Ambergris Caye

Morning all, It’s a beautiful day on Ambergris Caye.  And it’s starting to feel like the holidays with trees and nativity scenes and lights being strung all over the island.  Here are a few pictures that I took earlier this week.

The tree going up in Central Park.

And then a Manelli’s hand-pushed Ice Cream cart parked on the street.

It has nothing to do with the holidays – and everything to do with the beauty you can spot in San Pedro town.

Love the bell!

If you hear a bell ringing in town, stop and find it!  It’s usually paletas or maybe Johnny Cakes and chicken dip.  Or maybe dukunu.  All delicious.

Here are some things on my mind this morning.

New US Travel Measures in Response to New Variant

The US announced a new tightening of testing measures – it goes into effect “early next week” – for those traveling internationally to the USA.

“Instead of the three days testing requirement, travelers entering the country by air will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of departure, regardless of vaccination status or nationality.”

From my point of view, this shouldn’t be a problem.  There are COVID clinics set up for convenient and quick-testing around Belize.  Our guests have found it easy at Caring Hands Clinic located by the airstrip in San Pedro – you can make appt online and it all takes about 20 mins to get the result.

In terms of Belize’s surveillance of any changes, yesterday the GOB made is pretty clear that they are not considering any flight bans.  For up-to-date COVID measures in place in Belize, check the Belize Tourism Board’s page.

From my point of view, tourism is bustling – and successful.  People are having a great time.

Sunblock

“They” say that most of the damage to your skin is done by age 18.  And that is true for most – but not so much if you live in Belize.  We get SOOOOO much sun down here just in our regular, go-to-work, never-lay-in-the-sun, lives.

So, at the tender age of 48, I’m gonna try to be more adult about this.  I can’t blame my mother’s mantra forever.  I remember her telling me:  You can never be too thin, too rich, or too tan as a small child as she sent us off to the pool sans sunscreen.  Ahhhh the 70s.

Yesterday I applied this all over my face and…I was fine.  It’ll take a little getting used to but it’s mostly dry and just feels like a light lotion.

I got SOOO many great suggestions for other brands on Instagram – you guys are SERIOUS about your sunscreen.

You LOVE this one by EltaMD.  And this one by Supergoop.  

“They” say it takes 21 days to form a new habit?  (“They” say alot.)

I think I’ve got this!  Next step in adulthood is making a dermatologist appointment.  I hear Dr. Julitta Bradley in Belize City is great.  Please let me know if you have any recommendations.

Christmas Shopping

In the last few years, so many great artists and craftspeople around Belize have turned their hobbies into small businesses.  You can buy such beautiful things.  And what is better than buying something locally sourced for the holidays.  Helping small local businesses, getting something special.  Win!

Here are some of the local events and craftspeople that I’ve been eyeing.  I’ll add to this list for sure – I feel like I discover a new small business every day!

Belizean Melody’s Gift Shop on Front Street

She has so many great things in the shop – jewelry, art, products, Christmas ornaments, everything.  But she is also inviting a bunch of small business owners from the mainland to do pop-up shops during December.

I want one of these bracelets from KnotsBZ in every color.

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Turtle Ecologic (take a look at the bags she made for me – – you can message her and pre-order I bet!)

Belize Chocolate Company (they also do gift cards!)

Flight from Miami to Chetumal

Chetumal, the capital of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo and home to about 200,000 people, is just across the border from Belize.  In fact, the Chetumal airport is only about 5 miles from the Belize border.

The Chetumal Airport has been primarily a national airport within Mexico- with flights to and from Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Cancun.  But just this week, it has added a DIRECT flight from Miami to Chetumal.  On Wednesdays and Saturdays with American Airlines.  It looks like flights, at least in the next week, are around $269USD roundtrip from Miami (and not much more Christmas week!).

It’s something to keep on your radar for sure.  And remember that Tropic Air flies daily from Corozal to San Pedro.

Gorgeous Weather Ahead

Winderfinder.com – the only weather forecaster that I find reliable – is predicting great weather this week.  Though we are in the tropics, and of course, things can change (it’s weather forecasting!), it still makes me happy.

Dogs and Doctors Visits

Caring for your pets properly anywhere is expensive.  It is true for Belize.

There are vaccinations and immunizations – for rabies, distemper (which can spread in Belize quite easily – learn more about it) – there are fleas and ticks galore.  (This is the tropics!  Bugs for people and pets!)   There are emergencies that are bound to pop up.

There is tick fever – an awful nervous system illness that stays with your dog for life and needs to be “beat back” by antibiotics every so often.  Our dog Frannie has tick fever – and a few years ago, our young healthy dog’s back legs just stopped working properly.  She struggled to get up the stairs.  We rushed her to the doctor and…tick fever.

There is heartworm.  Another fatal disease if not treated properly.  It is SOOO important to get your pets properly medicated monthly for heartworm.  Mocha our newest dog (we got her during the pandemic, her and her 12 newborn puppies), was diagnosed heartworm positive just a few months ago.

And the heartworm treatment, the one that definitively kills the worms and stops the disease in her heart and lungs, is very expensive.  She had it 30 days ago and yesterday, still tested positive but at a much better level.  Hopefully, she is heartworm free next month.

So…what I am trying to say is:  I feel very thankful to have two clinics on Ambergris Caye that can help.

SAGA Humane Society is staffed by some amazing, hardworking, and very knowledgeable folks – they host visiting doctors from abroad as well as a weekly vet from the mainland.  They are also an adoption agency and shelter for so many lovely pets.  You can find out more here.

We also have the San Pedro Animal Hospital – a private clinic recently purchased by a vet from the US.  Right now, 3 days a week, they have a great vet from Corozal.  They have additional services like dental cleaning, laser surgery (our dog Elsie just had a growth removed from her foot quickly and easily), X-Rays, and quick blood testing.

I hope you all have an amazing weekend.  Get out there and enjoy the weather…with some proper sun protection of course 🙂