A Busy Holiday Weekend in San Pedro, Belize

This is a holiday weekend in many parts of the world.    Monday is Commonwealth Day here in Belize, Memorial Day in the US, Whitmonday in France…it’s the unofficial start of Summer.  Get out those barbecues (always out in Belize), white shoes and pants…SUMMER!

A photo of a flamboyant tree yesterday.  I can’t get enough of them.

Here in San Pedro, kayak teams took off early yesterday morning for the 11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco Challenge.

Teams of 2 kayaking 42 miles around Ambergris Caye.  And yesterday afternoon rain and wind moved in…

Here is a photo from 2012.

And here is last year’s finish.  They will come across the line early afternoon in Central Park today.

The wind is seriously gusting from the east this morning…gusts up to 27mph.  Keep it up teams!

I chose to help out with the Phoenix Resort’s weekly trash clean-up instead…I wouldn’t make it one mile in that kayak race.  You can check their facebook page for more information but 8am Saturday mornings, keep the town beach clean…always a good idea.  And they have their staff, friends and visitors come out to help.

Banana pancakes at my favorite breakfast spot were a must…

The Garifuna National Council is holding its 31st Annual Convention in San Pedro.  I followed some of the beautifully dressed ladies to the Lions Den and snuck in while a meeting was in session.

 

Our minister and mayor were at the desk wearing festive dashikis.

 

And a crew of women were working hard preparing the lunch.  Coconut milk and coconut oil being made by hand…

I am headed into town for the end of the kayak race.  The athletes are paddling down the coast today and though there was just a brief rain shower…things seem to be clearing up.

I am expecting them in town around noon?  But somehow I always seem to get the timing exactly wrong.

I’ll report back.