Flying Over Belize: Something You Can Not Miss Plus An Update on Jet of Jet’s Bar
Spring Fever. That Feeling Like You Just Want to Get out and GET GOING! I’m feeling it…I think almost everyone is.
So when I was invited to Ray Caye Resort over a month ago – a trip down to a 7-acre private island off the coast of Placencia? I was pretty excited. About the island for sure – but also for the flight!
Flying over Belize is a HUGE part of the trip. This country is so varied…so beautiful…and so relatively untouched. Belize is about the size of the US state of Massachusetts – the state has a population of about 7 million people, Belize’s population is around 375,000.
So whenever someone asks me if they should fly or take the water-taxi or land transportation once they get to Belize – I ALWAYS recommend flying…if you can…FLY! It’s THE most amazing introduction to this tiny country – whether it’s your first time or your 50th.
So before I get to all my pics of Ray Caye Resort (and trust me when I tell you I have A LOT), here are my snapshots from my flights to and from Placencia.
Maya Island Air: San Pedro to the International Airport to Dangriga and then Placencia and back again.
The stop at International Airport gave me a chance to stop in and ask about Jet – the FAMOUS owner of Jet’s Bar.
Everyone who has flown through Belize International AIrport knows Jet and Jet’s Bar. For 54 years, until the pandemic hit and the airport closed, Jet suited up and came to work at the airport every single day – 363 days a year (no alcohol is served on Good Friday or Christmas Day)
FIFTY-FOUR YEARS! It was the only spot to get a beer or a rum punch for YEARS at the airport. His place was named one of AOL’s Best Airport Bars in the world…in 2013, there was a fire in his spot but it has since been rebuilt.
My 2013 post about his place and the fire.
Jet is a bonafide Beliziean celebrity. If you are lucky, he signed one of these for you over the years…
…or even better, you had your photo taken with him.
Yesterday I stopped in to ask about Jet. His grandson is working – and the bar had a few patrons but, as you know, social distancing is the law. So while the airport was HOPPING…I was surprised by how crowded it was, the bar was relatively empty – and has unfortunately been walled off almost completely from view by the COVID entry area.
Jet’s grandson filled me in. Jet, who is now 83 years old, is home. His daughters are judiciously keeping him home because of COVID – though he gets dressed to come to work every day. Jet has slowed down quite a bit – the last year of inactivity has been very tough. After 54 years of coming to work every single day…
Let’s all keep Jet in our thoughts! Everyone who loves Belize hopes he regains strength and stamina to come back to work again…not full time but to make a few guest appearances!
We love you Jet!
It’s very cool to think that he was around when Belize Airways was flying! I just got these cool items thru some trolling on Ebay…but that’s a whole different blog!
How cool is this logo!
Focus, Rebecca, FOCUS.
To my photos.
Ambergris Caye and our reef.
And then south of Belize City…
…one of the most interesting places that I’ve ever been to in Belize – Gales Point. A spit of land in a lagoon between Belize City and Dangriga.
An early “maroon” village – people who escaped from slavery in the late 1700s and established a village in what was…and in many ways still is a VERY out of the way spot.
Stopping in Dangriga to let off passengers for the town and the surrounding cayes and Hopkins Village.
Dangriga is built around the mouth of the North Stann Creek River…and surrounded by orange groves.
We fly over Hopkins and then what used to be Sanctuary Belize. The MASSIVE swath of land that is now part of a US case involved fraud. Here’s the questions and answers link from the US Federal Trade Commission.
It’s all in receivership now, I believe. But you can see the acres and acres of cleared land…and….crushed dreams.
I visited and went on the 2-day sales tour in 2014. My Tour Around the Sanctuary Belize Mega-Project in Southern Belize. Visiting Sanctuary Caye on the last day.
And then down to Placencia…the weather clouded up a bit when we got there!
That’s it for now…I’ll tell you all about Ray Caye tomorrow or perhaps the next day. I took THAT many photos!
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