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Perky Peppers in Placencia I packed up my things at Log Cab-Inn on Thursday morning, checked out, and said goodbye to the friendly staff, then I drove a few miles into San Ignacio. I bought some groceries there, including another five-gallon jug of drinking water (a must-have if you ever visit Belize), then I got back in the Jeep and hit the road bound for southern Belize. Although I'd visited Belize twice before, this would be my first trip to southern Belize. Nicole, a ProBelize staffer, had told me, "It's a totally different world down there," so I wanted to check it out.
About five miles outside of San Ignacio, I pulled off the highway at a roadside stand, where I bought some hot and greasy (and delicious) homemade chicken tamales. The woman running the stand didn't speak any English, so I had to dust off my high school Spanish ("Dos tamales con pollo, por favor, y seis bananas"). I hopped back into the jeep and continued on to Belmopan, the low-key, non-descript and frankly quite plain capital of Belize, when I devoured the tasty tamales at a grassy park. What a great lunch, I thought to myself!
There's really not much to do in Belmopan other than eat hot and greasy (and delicious) chicken tamales. But there are embassies here, so after finishing the tamales and wiping off my fingers, I drove over to the U.S. Embassy building out of curiosity. And, just like everything else I see, as you've probably guessed by now, I snapped a few pictures of it. That prompted an American guard to briskly leave his kiosk and walk over to me. He asked me to please not do that, for security reasons. Busted in Belize, I guess! I thought about posting the pictures here but I don't want to be scolded by the guard again, so I can't show you what it looks like.
I turned my Jeep south at Belmopan and, still feeling a bit abashed about the friendly reprimand, drove along what is known as the Hummingbird Highway. What a delightful name, I thought. About fifteen minutes later, I stopped at Blue Hole National Park, which features a natural limestone swimming hole about 50 yards across and is surrounded on all sides by steep jungle cliffs. It's something like a very small (and very blue) version of Crater Lake. The water here is an iridescent shade of, yes, you guessed it, blue.
I returned to the jeep and resumed my southerly drive down the Hummingbird Highway, and a few hours later I pulled into Placencia (population 2,000), a beautiful coastal village that seemed to cater to American tourists who wear Tevas and stylish designer sunglasses. Placencia, in fact, is probably the most Americanized coastal town in Belize other than San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. And the prices here reflect it, because I rented a beachside cottage for $100 US, which is pretty pricey by Belize standards. But it was wonderful to lie in a hammock that warm evening and stare up at the stars, while nibbling on a habanero pepper and listening to Jimmy Buffett sing about that other Placencia, also known as "Margaritaville."
I love spicy food, and that's putting it mildly – no pun intended. Someday I'll tell you about my close encounter with a huge, fiery Chinese chili pepper that was sitting in my plate of Kung Pao chicken back in Portland (hint: it didn't end well for the chili, or me). Or you can check out the recipe for my world-famous "Three Alarm Chili" which includes four different types of chili powder plus a whole lot of cayenne. But lying there in the hammock near the beach, I could make it only halfway through the habanero pepper before I had to give up. It's a good thing I'd bought that five-gallon jug of drinking water, because this hot little habanero – sounds like a girl I used to know – was way too much for me. And that sounds like another girl I used to know.
It was sunny the next morning and, with my tongue still buzzing from that habanero, I packed up and got back on the highway, then I continued my southward trek towards Punta Gorda. This part of Belize is very different from the areas farther north that I was more familiar with. It was much more rural down here and more "Central American" and less "Mexican," to put it one way. The Mayan Indian culture is much more prevalent here and the area was what I envisioned Honduras and Guatemala to be like, compared to the more developed (and Hispanic) areas farther north.
Around 4 p.m., and after driving south all day, I reached Punta Gorda (that means "Fat Point" in English), the southernmost town in Belize. This largely-Mayan community is commonly called "PG" – which I suppose is better than "Fat Point." I got a room in a funky and colorful hotel on the outskirts of town, then I unpacked and walked into PG, where I found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and ordered a large Fanta orange soda and a huge plate of Chinese food. Fanta, as you've probably guessed by now, is quite popular in Belize.
And yes, that's right: Chinese food. There are lots of folks from Taiwan in Belize, oddly enough, because apparently it's a popular stepping stone for Taiwanese who want to immigrate to America. In fact, you'll see Chinese grocery stores and restaurants all over the country. It's strange to see a "Wong's Superstore" next to a "Pedro's Auto Parts," but everyone in Belize seems to get along pretty well. Although Punta Gorda is mostly Mayan, there are a few Chinese in PG. And I'm guessing that all the movies shown in the local theatre here are, ahem, rated PG.
Above left: This was my home at the Log Cab-Inn near San Ignacio. It was very cozy and comfortable – and even better than a log cabin! Above right: I reached Placencia, on the central coast of Belize, that afternoon
Above left: I lolled in the hammock for several hours that evening while listening to Jimmy Buffett music and eating habanero peppers. Well, TRYING to eat them (note the empty water jug). Above right: The next afternoon, heading to southern Belize.
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