Belize City

Belize City is crowded, dusty, and disorganized. It reminded me very much of smaller cities in Kenya and Eastern Turkey.

The people of Belize City, however, were just as lovely and friendly as the people in the countryside. We ate lunch at Carmita’s, a self-serve lunch counter with picnic tables overlooking Haulover Creek, the river that runs through town. (It’s not so much a river, really, but more of a canal and thoroughfare for boats, such as the ones that ferry people out to the cayes.) I chose a styrofoam box with barbecued chicken, beans, and coleslaw; it was, perhaps, the very best barbecued chicken I’ve ever had. An employee stood by while we ate (well, chowed down, really), ready to bring us more paper napkins or whisk away our empty paper plates. The boss came over to check on us and ask how the food was. When we said unequivocally that it was terrific, he replied, “You were hungry, so it tasted good–come back later and try it again–then you can really judge!”

There is a lovely eclectic little museum in town. It has a history of the country, including a video of the transfer of power from Great Britain to an independent Belize that is surprisingly moving. The very first flag raised in independent Belize is on display as well. Its crest depicts two laborers at work, one an African mestizo, the other a native mestizo, in order to show the foundations of a country that has a startling array of diversity.

There is also an extensive stamp collection, a fascinating insect collection, a history of the building itself (which was a prison until quite recently), and a display of Mayan artifacts. There are a couple of wonderful dioramas that prove the existence of prehistoric lounge singers.

On the way out of town, we drove through an enormous cemetery. I mean it when I say “through”–the highway bisects the cemetery. They’ve even made use of the median.

As we neared the western town of San Ignacio, we saw a sign for Hot Mama’s hot sauce factory, so of course we stopped. It was locked up tight, but we rang the doorbell and were ushered in for a tour. Hot Mama’s is a small but growing operation; the cooking facility is spotless, and very organized. Our guide, Michelle, who had a lovely warm smile and a nice firm handshake, gave us a tasting session of all of Hot Mama’s products, which include three levels of habañero sauce, a mango hot sauce, and habañero fudge. It was all fantastic and we bought a ton of stuff to bring home; whether any of it is actually left by February remains to be seen. Hot Mama’s does not have a U.S. distributor, but man, do they deserve one. Business opportunity, anyone?

Almost uniformly, the people of Belize were friendly and kind to us. We hadn’t planned on spending much time there, and we barely scratched the surface of all this lovely little country has to offer. I’d go back there anytime.