We did Belize a long time ago. We had planned to do it for what seemed like months before we actually got around to it. Honestly it was very similar to Haiti as far as cuisine goes.
Fun facts about Belize:
1. Belize has around 900 Mayan sites.
2. The islands in Belize are called Cayes (pronounced “keys”) and total around 450 including those on the outer atolls.
3. Belize has the only Jaguar reserve in the world, otherwise known as Cockscomb Basin Wildlife sanctuary.
4. Many Belizeans avoid swimming in the ocean or rivers on Good Friday; it is viewed as bad luck. Local Mothers can often be heard telling their kids they “will turn fish!” if they swim on this day!
5. Belizean folklore tells of a 3-foot tall, evil dwarf called El Duende. The thumb less dwarf is said to hang out in the forest and punish any children who kill animals!
6. Belize has its own version of Big Foot/Sasquatch, called El Sisimito. It is a large creature that has no knees, has its feet on backwards and likes human flesh!
7. Belize is the only Central American country where English is the official language. However, you will still hear a mixture of Creole, Spanish, Garifuna and Mayan languages being spoken on the street.
8. The former capital Belize City was nearly completely destroyed by Hurricane Hattie in 1961! After hurricane Hattie, the capital city was moved to Belmopan. With just over 12,000 inhabitants Belmopan is the smallest capital city in the World!
9. The tallest building in Belize is a Mayan temple!
10. There is no McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks or KFC in the entire country of Belize!!!
11.September 10 in Belize is celebrated as the National Day or St George’s Caye Day. On this day in 1798, Spanish forces were repelled by the British in the Battle of St George’s Caye, with no reported casualties on either side.
12.Belmopan is the capital of Belize and its name derives from the union of two words: “Belize” and “Mopan”. After the devastating Hurricane Hattie destroyed the former capital, Belize City, in 1961, the government was shifted to Belmopan in 1970.
13. Some of the exotic names for Belize’s natural wonders include the Owl-Eye Butterfly, the Blue Morpho Butterfly, the Swallow Tail Cattle Heart Butterfly, the Peanut-Head Lantern Bug, the Red-footed Booby Bird, the Lady-of-the-Night Orchid and the False Vampire Bat.
14. Close to 1 million tourists’ visit Belize annually of which 70% of are Americans.
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| dessert was a coconut pudding thing |
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| stewed chicken |
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| stewed chicken, rice and beans, Belizean potato salad and a flat bread |
