DAY 45---BELIZE CITY, BELIZE

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     Our position today is anchored offshore near Belize City.  It is sunny & 85 degrees today.

They will be using local boats like this to take passengers in the Belize City as the water near the city is not deep enough for cruise ships and there is no dock near the city.

BELIZE BACKGROUND INFO

        The country of Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of Central America with the Caribbean Sea on the east and a dense jungle to the west.  The country’s population is around 420,000 of which 62,000 live in the capital, Belize City, where we are today.  The country is just 180 miles long and 68 miles wide.  Like most of Mexico and Central America the Mayan civilization existed here MANY centuries BC.  For us older folks who studies world geography back in high school, the country was known as British Honduras.  Belize was granted independence in 1981.

        In agriculture, sugar remains its chief crop while the banana industry is the largest employer.  Belize is the world’s third largest exporter of papaya.  It is also a producer of industrial minerals, crude oil, and petroleum. 

        Tourists come here for the climate, barrier reef, 450 offshore small islands, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, numerous rivers for rafting & kayaking, jungle and wildlife reserves, and Mayan ruins.

        The banking systems here allow non-residents to open accounts.  Because of this, many drug traffickers and money launders use the banks here.  Our Department of State has recently named Belize one of the world’s “major money laundering countries”.  The gang activity and drug trafficking makes Belize relatively high in violent crimes.  Violence in the south side of Belize city is due to gang warfare.

LAST NIGHT:

         Our waiter, Joseph, posing with Rebecca and Marcia at dinner in Compass Rose.

                                          I chose prime rib with potatoes gratin and broccoli.

                 Rebecca chose lemon-thyme marinated tiger shrimp with basmati rice.

     Marcia chose coq au vin--chicken with pearl onions, mushrooms, and fondant potatoes.

                               Can't remember what this dessert is called but very good.

                   We enjoyed Ollie's show.  He's a good trumpeter, singer, and showman.

TODAY:

        I had a 2 hour tour of Belize City booked but did not go.  We are anchored quite a way off the coast and they were saying the tender rides might take up to 45 minutes each way.  Not my idea of fun.  So another lazy day on the ship.

        We had our alarm set for 6am this morning.  We've been experiencing occasional noises in the suite coming from outside our balcony.  I believe it to be coming from the lifeboat area.  Clang like a valve slamming shut and then air or liquid rushing in piping.  Happens several times during the day and at night sometimes.  I mentioned it to the Executive Concierge so he arranged for the Chief Engineer to come listen to it.  As it occurred at 6:30 last two mornings I got a call saying they would come to our suite at 6:15 this morning.  Chief Engineer and two other guys showed up.  They waited outside our door until I called them in at 6:31 when the sound was happening.  They are investigating it now.  When I went down to the Coffee Connection to get our morning coffees, they were out looking on the lifeboat deck.  We have a lifeboat on one side of our balcony.  You cannot see it but it is there.  I heard the noise again at 8:30 later this morning but not since then.

         We're dining alone this evening in Compass Rose and then going to the singer, Chris Richie's second show.

        The ship is sailing at 6pm for our next stop which will be tomorrow at Harvest Cay, a small island off the coast of Belize.  More about it tomorrow.