Let’s Wrap it Up: 2018 Around Ambergris Caye & Belize

2018 was a good year.  I am very lucky to live in a place that I love.  And I get to take a million pictures and write about it for a living?

So let me put 2018 to bed with some of my highlights.  I recapped January to May here – the months with the most visitors and the mildest weather.

But June was a month of festivals!

I started the month doing something that I LOVE to do – and something that I plan to do LOTS more of in 2019 – TRAVEL.  I went down to Hopkins, Belize.   An easy hop by Tropic Air to get to Dangriga (just next door) and you are in a village so different from Ambergris Caye.

AND I was there to celebrate one of the best fruits in the world.  The mango.  (I put my top 5 fruits in the world in this post.  Mango is a SOLID #3)  I attended the Mango Festival and bought 4 mango trees to bring home.  (THANK YOU TROPIC AIR!)

I stayed right on the beach for three nights.  My first at such a great budget spot…your own rustic cottage on the beach at Jungle Jeanie’s.

And then two nights in my own posh treehouse at the gorgeous Hamanasi Resort – the staff and the food and the grounds and the attention to detail.  It’s one of the most amazing spots I’ve visited…ever.

I headed home for the San Pedro Lobster Festival.  And took part in the judging.  And haven’t had any lobster since.  The food is all so delicious but eating over 15 rich buttery lobster dishes is…tough.  Seriously!

The night was a huge success.

July started with a Summer To-DO List…and I actually did pretty well on it this year.  And a month long visit from my best friend.  We did all sorts of things – my first visit to the gorgeous Turneffe Atoll…

We stayed 2 nights at a beautiful new home in my newly named “Jade Coast” of Ambergris Caye...

We went on the Belize Food Tour – it was probably Jamie’s favorite outing of the summer.

We went HERE with YOLO Adventures Chill Cruise.  (That’s Jamie in the picture)

We then spent two nights in Caye Caulker at SeaDreams Hotel…we LOVED the location and the hotelCaye Caulker looks GORGEOUS.

I wrote Ten Misconceptions About Traveling to Belize.  I celebrated my 45th birthday – and received a pair of binoculars.  Just in time for my three day Audobon bird course.

In September, I visited the once DELUX resort, El Secreto which had secretly closed its doors and looked…abandoned.

September is also a month of independence celebrations – the culminate on independence day.  I LOVE THE JUMP UP PARADE ON SEPTEMBER 21st.

Mid-October was the closest we came to a tropical storm with Michael who ended up REALLY growing before hitting the Florida panhandle.  I attended the grand opening of Mirabs Department Store in Belize City – the biggest and grandest retail space in the country.

I stepped WAY outside of my box to attend the late night MMA fight in town.  Mexico vs Belize…cage fighting!

I ushered November in lounging by the pool at Las Terrazas Resort.

Oh..yes please!

And then surprising terrifying Jeff, my boyfriend, after feeling off…more than off for a few days while traveling home from British Columbia, arrived in San Pedro and…had a heart attack.

It took a few years off my life.

It was a LONG five days but he is now doing great.  And while I am tempted to go back into health care denial, I’m now looking into medical insurance.  I’ll let you know…

My neighbor at Tuto Belize opened his four cabanas for rental and the most gorgeous property on the island.  I photograph it daily.  (Not in a stalker way…it’s on my dog walk!)

If you follow me on Instagram stories, you’ve seen hundreds of them.

At the end of the month, I finally visited Maria down south at her new fruit stand.  And took some of my favorite pictures of the year with my IPhone.

I was also very pleasantly surprised with a walk thru the Artisan Market in San Pedro.  Really good souvenirs.

And then it was CHRISTMAS!  The build up to it.  For anyone who says that they don’t think it would feel like the holidays in warm weather…here are all the ways we celebrated.

Belize City Christmas Expo and enjoying the decorations at Mirabs (Part two)

The Lighted Boat Parade – I LOVE THIS!

And the LoveFM Lighted Street Parade was MAGIC this year.  

One last thing…a guide to things that was up on the beaches – from sea grass to sea beans (my newest obsession)

I’m excited for the year ahead.  Please send me any places you’d like me to visit or things you’d like me to write about.  I can’t guarantee anything but suggestions help a lot.

Happy 2019…you’ll be hearing from me.

 

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