What's the capital of Belize, quick? Belize City, you say? Nope...Not even close. It's Belmopan. What do Belizeans speak amongst themselves? English? Nope...They speak Kriol, a creole language based on English.
Most of us know nothing about Belize; we completely ignore the fact that it exists...I would have probably never made it there had I not been trying to accomplish the goal of visiting 30 countries by the age of 30. I had a few months left to do so and living in Mexico City, Belize and Guatemala were the low-hanging fruit. Belize was #29 and Guatemala will hopefully soon be #30 (I have until April 20th, 2014!).
The fact that Americans know so little about Belize, despite the fact that it is so close, is quite sad. Worse still is that Mexicans--next-door neighbors--know even less about it...They never bother to think of this fantastic little neighbor to the south, at all. As a Mexican and an American, I felt an obligation to go to Belize to meet our neighbors and to try to understand what Belize is all about. What I found on my short trip there was surprising! Truly unbelizeable, as they'd say!
This tiny little country squished between Mexico and Guatemala on the Caribbean Sea, has one of the most remarkable ethnic, cultural and linguistic mixes I have ever experienced. Belizeans, of which there are only about 350,000, can be of Mayan, Mestizo (Native American and European), black, mulatto (African and European), European or Asian descent (all stores seemed to be owned by Asians!)...That said, there seems to be a strong Belizean identity that unites the people of Belize, regardless of race or ethnic background. Belizeans to a large extent have based this national identity on their language, Kriol, which is a source of pride for them. All of them also speak English, however, and many speak Spanish as well. It is not uncommon to hear all three languages simultaneously in a restaurant or a bar. And sometimes the Spanish is being spoken by someone who looks Asian or African and the English by someone who pretty much looks Latin American. It is really quite beautiful, to see the casual interactions, unity and total familiarity of people from such different backgrounds.
Source: HMDM
Belize also has some of the most amazing beaches and islands in North America, along with jungles dotted with Mayan ruins. With all its attributes, tourism opportunities in Belize abound, despite the fact that the country is barely the size of Massachusetts. In particular, Belize is well known for its diving and snorkeling spots. In fact, the Belize Barrier Reef is the third largest coral reef in the world.
Not all is fun and joy in Belize, however. When I was planning my trip, I was surprised by the fact that most people told me to avoid Belize City entirely. Belize is still low-income country and Belize City concentrates much of the poverty and crime in the country.
All in all, I am determined to continue coming back to Belize. On my first trip, I was only able to explore the cayes and a bit of the jungle. Hopefully, I will have an opportunity to see other areas like Placencia and Caracol in the near future. In the meantime, I gotta brush up on my Kriol and learn how to dive!
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