May is for mangoes in Belize. The country has over 20 varietals of mango trees. Twenty types of mangoes! They grow wild along the roadsides and have been expertly grafted and planted in yard- mangoes are everywhere, and they’re fruiting like mad at the moment.
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Waaaaay out west in the Cayo District, and I’m talking waaaay out there… further west than you’ve ever been, there is a massive man-made lake. Belize has 3 hydroelectric plants on the Macal River and the first dam, the Vaca Dam, has created a year-round reservoir that is pristine and placid and seldom visited. The lake is massive and some local innovators have fashioned a few pontoon boats to tour the area on. We had one of those magical days; one of those days where I catch myself…
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The weather is warm, the restrictions are loosening, tourism is picking back up, and the general attitude around town is expectant and lighthearted. The CDC has dropped their travel alert for Belize to a level 2, making it one of the safest destinations to visit right now. Loads of local residents have received their first round of vaccine at very efficiently ran public pop-up-community-clinic events and though enhanced sanitizing and social distancing protocols are still in place, things are feeling darn near normal. So, with that said, let’s…
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I spied something new-to-me at the veggie stand this week so I asked the friendly fellow behind the counter what it was. A Star Apple!
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We recently enjoyed an exceptional agritourism experience in Toledo District at the Copal Tree Lodge. The entire operation, from “field to flask” as they like to say, takes place on the property.
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Real Life Recess reviews Copal Tree Lodge in Toledo, Belize. Often referred to as the forgotten district, a stay in Toledo might have the exact recipe for an unforgettable vacation. Exploring Toledo is similar to an Easter Egg Hunt of hidden treasures—from lesser know ruins to exclusive jungle resorts to fantastic fishing spots. Toledo is a cultural potpourri of proud, long-established communities of Maya, Mennonite, and Garifuna among others. We had the pleasure of spending a night at the charming Copal Tree Lodge, an eco-luxury resort near the town of Punta Gorda.
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Road tripping to Placencia? Plan your drive with stops along the way. I wrote about must-see spots between Belmopan and Dangriga in this post: Road Trip: Hummingbird Highway, where to stop along the way. Now to continue south; where to stop on the Southern Highway between Dangriga and Placencia.
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About halfway between Dangriga and Placencia, along the Southern Highway, there is a community named Maya Center. This village is situated at the entrance to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Reserve and Jaguar Sanctuary. Clean and quaint and steeped in tradition, this living cultural center is a day-destination in its own right. Shop arts and handmade crafts at the Women’s collective, speak with traditional healers and tour their medicinal gardens, learn how to process cacao the time-honored way on a chocolate tour, and sample classic Belizean and Mayan dishes….
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It wasn’t the mayhem and debauchery that Easter celebrations typically are but after all the non-events of 2020, this weekend’s Easter Celebrations were encouraging. Hotels and vacation homes were booked out up and down the peninsula and restaurants did a brisk business. I was so pleased to see families staked out on the beaches with coolers and BBQs going. Though there was no live music or big dance parties or Belikin-sanctioned beer drinking contests, it was a generally good holiday weekend.
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Expat families come and go in Belize. Many move back to their home towns for various reasons: schools, sports, medical reasons, they couldn’t make the finances work, immigration was a hassle, or any number of what-have-you’s. Belize isn’t for everyone but regardless of why people choose to move on, a resounding commonality is that they’re grateful for the experience and happy they “tried.” I met expats, the Tomasian family, when we moved to Placencia. They’ve since moved on to Mexico and I thought it would be really interesting…
Read More© 2014 Megan Rodden and Phil Nagengast.
I love this recipe because it's really easy. We have an Alphonso mango tree but they're not quite ripe yet.…