Archive for the ‘Belize’ Category
Rt. Honourable George Cadle Price – Father of the Nation – by Shary Trejo, Island Link Cafe and Internet
On September 26, 2011 in Belize
As Belize prepared for its 30th Anniversary of Independence on Wednesday, September 21st 2011, the death of the Rt. Honourable George Cadle Price shocked the country; 2 days short of his milestone achievement.
Mr. Price was born in Belize City on January 15th 1919 and died on September 19th 2011, aged 92. He is considered to be one of the principal architects of the country’s independence. He was the first Prime Minister of Belize and one of the founders of the People’s United Party (PUP). Mr. Price led the country from its colonial state, British Honduras, into the independent country, Belize. Because of him, Belize is what it is today.
Mr. Price, served as a Member of the Legislative Council from 1954-1961, The Legislative Assembly from 1961 to 1964, The House of Representatives from 1964-1984, First Minister from 1961 to 1964, Premier from 1964 to 1981 and Prime Minister of Belize from 1981 to 1984, and 1989 to 1993. He was awarded the status of National Hero by the Government of Belize, the Jose Marti Award – Cuba’s Highest Award by President Fidel Castro, and the Order of the Caribbean Community.
The Right Honourable George Cadle Price is and will always be known as the “Father of the Nation”, “Father of Independence”, a “National Hero” among other titles given to him by both Belizeans and others.
Today, September 26th 2011, a state funeral was held in the city of Belmopan, our capital, and was attended by much family, friends, colleagues and especially the citizens of Belize. To him we give thanks for giving the country of Belize its own identity.
Independence Celebrations Video – by Island Link Internet Cafe!
On September 23, 2011 in Belize
For those who want to see the parade in it’s entirety … thanks to Island Link Internet Cafe, we have it!!
Back To Business As Usual After Tropical Storm Harvey
On August 21, 2011 in Belize, Caye Caulker, News
We had been watching the weather reports closely for several days as a low pressure system began building out in the Caribbean Sea near the coast of Nicaragua. By Thursday the system had become a tropical depression and on Friday it was officially named Tropical Storm Harvey off the coast of Honduras. It was at this stage that warnings for the coast of Belize were sent out and people on the island and across the country were listening closely to the radio for updates and beginning to make preparations to be ready for when the storm would reach us on Saturday afternoon.
Early Saturday morning most of the Ragga bwoys headed down to the office and then began moving all of our boats around to the back of the island were they would be safe from the breeze and surges. The rain was coming down hard but the crew got everything done and then we just waited it out. There were reports that the storm could increase to a hurricane when it reached land in Belize and that it would hit further down south near Dangriga. We still stayed on alert though because you never know what Mother Nature will do. But by lunch time the storm was weakening and it was clear that Caye Caulker wouldn’t be feeling the wrath of Harvey. We were just hoping that everyone would stay safe down south.
Harvey made landfall in Belize at 1pm and made its way west. Stann Creek district and Cayo district received a lot of rain which caused some flash flooding, but overall Harvey caused a lot less damaged then was expected which was a huge relief. On Caye Caulker we had nothing more than some clouds and a slight breeze. You never would have even known there was a tropical storm passing over. We got very lucky.
We unfortunately had to cancel two overnights planned for Friday and Saturday due to the weather, but the sun is shining again today and we are back to business as usual! Let’s just hope that Belize has no more threats for the remainder of the hurricane season and everyone stays safe!
A Look In To Rastafari
On July 27, 2011 in Belize, Culture
There are many misconceptions surrounding the Rastafari Movement with many people believing that to be Rasta simply means to have dreadlocks and to smoke ‘ganja’ while listening to Bob Marley. Although these certainly are customs of this “religion” (Rastafarians refer to their beliefs as a way of life as opposed to a Religion) it is much deeper than that. Because Belize has a substantial amount of Rastafari followers I thought it would be worthwhile to give some information and history into this movement for those who are interested.
The Rastafarian faith was born in Jamaica in the 1930’s due in great part to a man named Marcus Garvey who’s aim was to unite the black community in his country and promote freedom from oppression, black pride and to reconnect his people to their African homeland. It was a prophecy preached by Garvey in 1927 that became the foundation for this faith when he told his followers, “Look to Africa where a black King will be crowned, he will be your redeemer”. Just three years later on November 2nd 1930 Emperor Haile Selassie I was crowned King of Ethiopia. It was then that the movement received it’s official title after the Emperor’s birth name, Ras Tafari. Rastas believed Emperor Selassie to be the physical presence of God (or Jah) on earth, referring to him as ‘King of Kings’ and ‘Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah’. Selassie was King of Ethiopia until 1974 when he was pushed out by a military coup and kept under house arrest until he was apparently killed by his captors in 1975. Many Rastas believed that his death was a hoax, and that he lives on in hiding until the Day of Judgment. Others say that he lives on through individual Rastafarians.
Rastafarians believe in the Judeo-Christian God, whom they call Jah. In general, Rastafarian beliefs are based in Judaism and Christianity, with an emphasis on Old Testament laws and prophecies and the Book of Revelation. Jah was manifested on earth as Jesus, who Rastas believe was black, and Emperor Haile Selassie. Selassie is referred to as His Imperial Majesty or H.I.M. (pronounced “him”). Rastafarians do not believe in an afterlife, but instead look to Africa (called “Zion”) as a heaven on earth. True Rastas are believed to be immortal, both physically and spiritually, a concept called “everliving.” An important Rastafarian concept is “I and I,” which is said instead of “you and I.” It emphasizes the oneness between humanity and God as well as the equality of all humans. Another central concept is Babylon, which refers to the white power structure of Europe and the Americas. Rastas seek to resist Babylon, which once cruelly enslaved blacks and still continue to hold them down through poverty, illiteracy, inequality, and trickery. The greed and conceit of Babylon is contrasted with the humble simplicity and naturalness of the Rastas.
Some of the most common practices of the Rastafarian Movement are as follows:
Marijuana (Ganja)
Marijuana is regarded as a herb of religious significance. It is used in Rastafari reasoning sessions, which are communal meetings involving meditation. Marijuana is used by Rastafarians to heighten feelings of community and to produce visions of a religious and calming nature. It is believed to open the mind and allow you to have a greater understanding of the world.
(* I must note that Marijuana is illegal in the entire country of Belize, as it is in most parts of the world. Please understand if you are caught using Marijuana during your stay in Belize there will be legal ramifications)
Dreadlocks
Rastafarians can often be recognised from the way they style their hair. Rastafarians grow their hair long, before coiling it into dreadlocks. The wearing of hair in dreadlocks by Rastafarians is believed to be spiritual; this is justified in the Bible: They shall not make baldness upon their head – Leviticus 21:5.
Rastas may also refrain from shaving their facial hair and grow beards following the same principle as above.
Diet
• Rastafarians eat strictly I-tal which means natural and clean
• Early Rastafarians are unlikely to eat meat, scavengers or shellfish
• Rastafarians do not eat pork
• Rastafarians regularly eat fish, but will not eat fish more than twelve inches long
• Rastafarians eat copious amounts of vegetables, as they are of the earth, and therefore good
• Food is prepared without salt, and coconut oil is the most likely form of oil to be utilised
• Rastafarians do not drink alcohol
• They do not drink milk or coffee, but will drink anything herbal, grown from natural roots, e.g. herbal tea
• Rastafarians consume plentiful amounts of fruit and fruit juice
Red, Gold, Green and Black
When you arrive in Belize you will notice lots of people dressed in red, gold and green or wearing jewelry in these colors. This is because these are the colors of the Rasta Movement. Red stands for the triumphant church of the Rastas as well as the blood of the martyrs in the black struggle for liberation. Gold represents the wealth of their African homeland and green symbolizes Ethiopia’s beauty and lush vegetation. Black is often also included, representing the color of the Africans. You may have noticed that the Raggamuffin logo, boats and office are adorned in these colors.
Bob Marley
The reason Bob Marley has essentially become the face of Rastafari was that he helped spread awareness of the religion among outsiders through his appearances and his lyrics. Many people believe that Bob Marley was the main factor in the spread of Rastafari to the USA, Canada, most of Europe, Africa and Australasia. His lyrics were influential in the spread of political and social ideas of the Rastafarian movement. He spoke out against the inequality experienced by the black community and the negativity they were subjected to.
So there you have it! Hopefully now you will have a better understanding of what Rastafari is when you encounter it in Belize. In Belize you will find both strict followers of Rastafari as well as people who incorporate only some of these customs to their lives (eg. dreadlocks and a vegetarian diet). If you have any more questions or would like to find out more, just talk to the locals while you are here. Belizeans love to talk and answer questions regarding their country and culture 
Raggamuffin Tours Named in Wild Junket’s Top 10!!!
On July 19, 2011 in Belize, Caye Caulker
Wild Junket is a very popular travel blog written by an adventurous writer named Nellie Huang who is exploring the globe and recording her experiences on her blog and giving her fellow travellers advice and tips for their own holidays.
In one of the latest blogs on Wild Junket Caye Caulker became the topic of discussion for Nellie. She listed her opinion of the Top 10 Things To Do while on this island paradise…….and Raggamuffin Made the cut!!!! Nellie made mention to both the Raggamuffin Sunset sailing tour as well as our 3 day sailing adventure to Placencia.
Click here and have a read for yourself so you can plan out your upcoming visit to Caye Caulker
Thanks for the shout out Wild Junket!!!!
Oil or Tourism?
On June 17, 2011 in Belize, Caye Caulker, Marine Series
Oil or Tourism? That is the question and one that for most of us would be easy to answer!! However, I am sorry to say, that the Government of Belize seems to want us to believe that it is possible to have both and have been pushing through licenses without the consent of the people both onshore and offshore!!
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage was formed back in 8th June 2010 on World Ocean’s Day and is actively looking for a ban on all oil exploration, exploitation and production in Belize’s offshore and protected areas. Furthermore they are pushing to develop legislation and policies for onshore oil exploration, exploitation and production which will enable equitable distribution of oil revenues for Belize’s national development in an environmentally safe manner. – Sounds good to you? Well we are in full support!!!
The Coalition strives, through conducting educational presentations across Belize to inform the Belize people the dangers of the oil exploration. Their second task is to gather signatures of the Belizean people to force the government into a referendum – 17,000 signatures were necessary, the Coalition states that they have currently surpassed this number but they feel the need to continue gathering.
The major hurdle for the organization is the current Goverment and indeed the Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, who unforgiving in his support for the drilling. He says that the windfall gained from the potential oil tax revenue will reduce debt and indeed be just what the country needs. He seems to care little about the threat to our environment.
We will, through this blog, continue to update you in the Coalitions endeavors to protect Belize’s environment!
Hurricane Season Has Begun, And So Can Your Holiday Plans For Belize!
On June 05, 2011 in Belize, Caye Caulker, News
There are many misconceptions about travelling during Hurricane Season, but I am here to tell you that there is no need to fret and that there can actually be some benefits to travelling during these months!
Hurricane Season began on the 1st of June and ends on the 30th of November, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t still book your holiday to Belize during this period. Although we can never predict if a hurricane will hit our region this year, the truth is that it is unlikely to happen as most of these storms end up being pushed up into the Gulf of Mexico or out towards Africa. In fact only 4 Hurricanes have directly hit Belize since the year 2000. However it is wet season so it is likely that you would experience more rain compared to other months, but for the tropics these rain showers generally occur in the morning or late at night leaving most of the day for you to relax or explore. Just yesterday for example it was rainy at 9am and the sky was filled with dark clouds, but by 10:30am the clouds disappeared and it was hot and sunny for the rest of the day.
The weather in Belize will still be ideal but by travelling during these months you will have the opportunity to get your hands on some cheaper flights and accommodation as prices are brought down. You will also be able to enjoy the fact that islands like Caye Caulker will not be jam-packed with tourists like it is in high season, making this paradise even more peaceful and relaxing!
So it’s true we don’t know what Mother Nature has install for us this year, but as long as you do your research and make the necessary preparations then there is no need to put your vacation plans on hold!
Most importantly we just hope that everyone in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean stay safe this Hurricane Season!
