A Gorgeous Day On Ambergris Caye, A Mural of the History of San Pedro & A Collective Pit in our Stomachs for Ida

Yesterday was such a perfect day on Ambergris Caye.  The bluer than blue sky, the sparkling clear water, the fat cotton candy clouds…it was one of those days that FORCES you to pay attention to the beauty of this island.  And has me jumping out of our cart, often annoying the traffic behind me, to take pictures!

While at the same time, we all, everyone around the Caribbean, Gulf, and Atlantic coastlines, have a pit in our stomachs watching Hurricane Ida move to Louisiana.  The hurricane season is just moving towards its peak (Sept 11th) and we have months ahead.  Everyone who has been thru a storm here in Belize knows we dodged a bullet.  And we are all hoping and praying for all of those in Louisiana this morning.  160mph winds recorded overnight?  Horrifying.

As I type this, this local camera feed is still working – in Grand Isle, Louisiana, a tiny barrier island RIGHT in the path.  I hope all the humans and animals have moved somewhere else.

Here are the photos that I took yesterday on Ambergris Caye.  Just driving around and then passing the SP High School.

The lagoon at about 6 miles north.

And the junction at Secret Beach.  Just recently large orange posts got pounded in…and I’ve been told it is going to be a gas station.  Is this the new location of mini-town north?  Let’s call it San Pedro Medio?    (Middle San Pedro?)

And over the bridge into town.

Beautiful, right?

There were quite a few golf carts around the high school – the island’s only one.  It was a vaccination clinic – for kids over 12 years old going back to school.  Just recently, the country got a big shipment of Pfizer vaccines 🙂

AND…I spotted a line of artists painting a mural on the high school’s wall.  The history of San Pedro as depicted by 5 different local artists!  How cool!

From the Maya to tourism…a work in progress.

Artist Pablo Guerero.  (Read an older bio of him in the San Pedro Sun)

And then the coconut and fishing industries…

Fred Trejo depicts the old pull ferry – and then the bridge…

See his biography and some of his beautiful work here.

And Paisano watching over it all.  Pisano was an island personality – the unofficial Mayor Of San Pedro – who passed away in 2006.  (You can read about him and see lots of photos of him here)

And finally the tourism, flyfishing and eco-tourism industry – our present day.

I can not wait to see the final product!

That’s Day 2 of 7 of my week’s writing challenge.

Hope you are all having a great weekend and PRAYERS for those in the path of Ida.