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Really good story Danl. Loved the pictures! I had to laugh at the 80's clothing tho'!

Thanks Guys,,, Hey, we wuz in style then.
Dan'l
PS. Hopin' to get back in Feb.

It was a secret from me for my honeymoon, hubby found it and booked it unbeknownst to me. That trip was in 1994

We had just come from 6 trips to Cozumel for diving, and the last trip, things had changed, too many people, too many cruise ships, to many service employees imported from the mainland to staff the businesses. The island flavor and easy manner had fled. We did too. My son had always wanted to go to Ambergris to dive, so the wife started doing research. We went first in 2000 (minus the son). 4 trips, the last in '04 (with the son). Will be returning when we can, it is still the only place I have ever felt totally relaxed and without care for what was going on elsewhere. Heavy sigh.

Malibu - how incredibly romantic, you're a lucky gal!

Bobber - Hear the sigh and raise you one!

I sure am excited to go and discover Belize myself but i am going with a veteran visitor lol axeman has opened my eyes to this beautiful place and i cant wait to see it for myself and meet the wonderful people he talks about fondly.

In 2003 my daughter called and told me that she & her fiancee decided to get married in Belize and would I attend......my reply: "Where in the hell is Belize?!"
Came down in May 2003 for the wedding and that was it. We couldn't stay away. After 7 trips we bought a condo last year. We're spending at least 4 months of the year now. Love it, love it, love it. We're down here now.....rainy but still love it.

Yup...and she will never forget it...

In 1998 my dive buddy and I were ready to book a trip to Grand Turk when he said, "Is that in the hurricane belt and isn't it still hurricane season?"
Since my answer was "yes, yes" I got back on the internet and found that Belize had not had a hurricane for some 30 years. Through this message board I booked us at an ocean front unit at The Tradewinds.

My buddy lives in Texas and I live in California. He will not be gone from the job for more than five days and I won't travel that distance for less than ten. He was scheduled to fly out on October 28th and the day prior an evacuation was started preparing for hurricane Mitch.

When we walked out to Hustler Dive Shop to get our gear Billy Leslie handed me a sheet of paper where he had drawn a map complete with directions in case we could not get out of the country once we reached the mainland. It showed me how to get to the bus station, pay BZ $10 for a two hour ride to San Ignacio then take a taxi to his family's home outside of town. He explained that they would load the five boats with the dive gear and come up the river; arriving in two days.

That night we found Ched Cabaral in the only open restaurant in town and asked him what he was going to do. He said, "I'm 26, single with no family and there will be a lot of people here who will not get out. We are expecting a big storm surge and I'm staying to help." My heart melted.

The next day by the time we were loaded into one of the many little Tropic Air planes that were making continuous flights to the mainland they had closed down the international airport to small planes. As we landed at Belize City Municipal Airport we saw the American Airline take off. A local young man helped us get a room across the parking lot in a partially finished hotel and we made a number of trips back and forth, complete with luggage, trying to get a flight out. The next morning the US embassy sent a plane in and took all the US citizens to Miami.

Using this message board I was able to follow-up on the condition of the island and that Billy & Ched were OK.

The next year, when we started planning our annual trip I said, "I feel that we didn't finish our trip to Belize; do you want to go back?" "Sure, but not in hurricane season," was his response.

January 2000 we checked back into Tradewinds and walked out onto the Hustler dock to find Billy and Ched sitting on the railing. "Hi Marshall, hi Harriette," said Billy as if we had been there the day before.

In January of 2001 I took ten people from my underwater photo club down to stay at Lily's. When we all walked in to have dinner that night Nellie threw her arms out and said "Welcome home Miss Harriette." Everyone looked at me and I shrugged and said, "That's just how they are here."
In November I took a FAM trip to Blackbird Caye in Turneffe but added a week in San Pedro. On my next trip I took time to go to Caye Caulker thinking it might be more economical there and was beginning to play with the idea of spending extended periods of time in Belize once I retired. I was bored after one hour there and hurried back to San Pedro. By this time I had made many friends there and it was feeling like home.

I retired in May of 2002 and rented an apartment above Mannelly's Ice Cream full time as that was more economical that renting weekly for extended periods of time. I spent many hours in the Coconut Internet Café or sitting with Manny in front of the ice cream shop watching the world go by. What a wonderful world.

All in all I made eight trips to the island before I moved there full time in September of 2003. Now when people ask me about traveling to other areas/islands I simply ask "Why?'

I come back to California once a year for my medical care - but San Pedro is my home.

Spent some time in Chiapas, Mexico two and a half years ago on a volunteer consulting job. Wanted to return to that area and search for something near the water using the mountain area as our base.

My wife said NO I just want to be near the water.

Remembered a friend's nanny was from Belize.
Did an internet search....discovered AC and the area north of the cut. Had some concerns about being so far from town.

Will return for a week the end of this month...in Banyan Bay for "free" RCI week. Returning in Jan for extended stay just past the bridge.