Category Archives: Looking Back

Botanic Gardens, Looking Back

Looking Back – What was it like 30-odd years ago?

What it was like before Running Water & Electricity

Looking back on the last 30-odd years I’ve been pondering life in Belize Visitors to Belize Botanic Gardens often ask what it was like here in the days before electricity and running water.  My favorite book growing up was Swiss Family Robinson so a family adventure always had a special appeal to me.

One big difference though was that the Robinson’s were shipwrecked on an island with a ship loaded with supplies.  When they ran out of good stuff – like fine wines, cheese, chocolate, etc, they merely rowed their dinghy out to the ship and brought back what they needed.  For us it was a hard-driven 10 miles to reach San Ignacio in an hour and change  (each-way),  with more riding  around town in order to find the basics.  And there was definitely a shortage of fine wines and cheese!!

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Looking Back

Belizean Expressions

Belizean Expressions –

Understanding the Meaning Behind the Words

This link above will take you to a site where you  to a site where you can learn some Kriol and Belizean Expressions, It’s always been interesting to me how identical words and phrases take on different meanings in different places.  For instance, when we first arrived in Belize, nearly 35 years ago, and I first heard the expression, “Right Now“, we thought that meant immediately.  It didn’t take us long though to figure out that, in Belize, it  means sometime in the not-to-distant-future.

Even in different parts of our own countries we have differences in vocabulary, so when a Belizean uses a word you don’t understand, ask what it means and you will have learned something.  Then share one of yours with him/her.

When your waiter asks your title to put on your bar tab, don’t tell him you’re a bank manager, tell him your last name.

It can be  frustrating when you ask for something and are told
“Right Now” and you wait patiently and then when nothing happens and you ask again a half hour-later and the reply is  an unapologetic “Right Now“. Continue reading Belizean Expressions →