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2015: What a Year To Be in Belize! Part Two

Dec 28, 2015|Ambergris Caye

I had a great year…and saw lots of changes. The road north is changing San Pedro for sure…Placencia is seeing development galore AND a cruise ship terminal just a few miles off their shores. Caye Caulker…new bar ownership at the Split and lots of construction. Change!

I ended Part One barely into the month of March. And I still haven’t hit the two HUGE bucket list items that I finally ticked off this year – the ATM Cave and the Blue Hole. Let’s get moving.

I started March with a super cool visit to the northern tip of Caye Caulker – where HL Dole is building, what he calls, the Estuary. Beautiful wooden walk-ways over mangroves and lagoons and…crocs.

You can visit – just check the link above.

There was drama over the Palapa Bar – the new owner (who seems somewhat devilish) and Scott and Jodie.

Usually a discussion works better…

But then…what do I know.

I started to get fed up with the sargasso invasion…and started looking for answers. Depending on the winds, it has come and go all year. This was one of the worst influxes.

I travelled out west to Valley of Peace, Cayo to take a SUPER INTERESTING tour of a HUGE sugar producing operation – that should become much more over the years. Sugar, power, rum. It is the largest private foreign investment in Belize ever. Santander Sugar.

My blog almost blew up when I announced that Steve Aoki – probably the most famous DJ in the universe, was in town.

Apparently it was just a good look alike tricking the bar staff up at Rojo. Or was it…

Love that this guy just played along. Maybe it’s his thing?

Later that week, a crazy submersible worth hundreds of thousands washed up on our reef – a bit worse for wear. The owners DID come to retrieve it.

EASTER was almost here. When half of Belize goes comes to Ambergris Caye to party, 1/4 to Caye Caulker to party and 1/4 to Placencia to party. Things get crazy and I wanted to outline what the proper beach attire would be.

I wrote an April 1st SATIRE about Caye Chapel becoming an oil refinery – believed by way too many. Says something I guess…

I got a bit of flack.

Caye Chapel is now planning a Greg Norman golf course as well as a huge amount of development.

Leonardo DiCaprio and his green team announced their development of Blackadore Caye. A thin strip of land just west of our island. I was skeptical…probably because of the wording “heal the island”….but, hey, you probably can’t pick a better group of developers. They do seem to be planning something really responsible and top notch.

If it must get developed…why not Google Glass?

I visited Mahogany Bay – the largest on-caye development – that is just down the street from me and was stunned by the size and the vision. And the furnishings! I was instantly transported to Nantucket. Gorgeous.

Anyone who has walked the beach north has been intrigued by Essene Way. And the more you learn about it…Y2K preppers!…the more fascinating it is. I took a walk around…it’s such a lovely property.

I published a guest blog about Kite boarding on Ambergris Caye. The Christmas winds we are getting would make it PERFECT if you have some experience.

Kite boarding by Cayo Espanto – the spot that just hosted Ivanka Trump on her vacation.

We drove WAY north and found the quarry that is being used to pave the roads. Whoever owns this land is making mucho dinero.

There was a 5k race for Autism Awareness that brought the community together.

Coconut Leo killed it!

I traveled to the Belize Zoo with the Island Academy and was overwhelmed with animal and kid cuteness. It was Fuego the Tapir’s 2nd birthday!

Fuego eating his sweet potato and flowers cake.

And then I was off to Providence Rhode Island via Cancun and the overnight bus. I wrote all about it…and it wasn’t as HORRIBLE as I remembered. It wasn’t good…but it’s cheap and gets you there alive.

At least you get to enjoy sunrise at the Cancun aeropuerto.