A quick walk for the dogs at dawn this morning so that I could make a last, quick, shopping trip to Placencia before Christmas. This was what I saw before the sun came up:
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| Cruise ship on the horizon. You night have to zoom in to see it. |
Tourism, which is the lifeblood of Belize, has been recovering slowly. It is good to see tour boats go by everyday taking visitors on guided trips up the Monkey River. One of the guides from Monkey River Village has the major contract with Norwegian Cruise Lines for Monkey River Boat Tours. He has 2 large and several small boats, each of which must have a captain/tour guide and a "sailor" - an important source of income for quite a few families in the village. Anyway, when I was walking the second dog, I saw a second cruise ship coming in. A welcomed sight after almost 2 years of no ships at all. I took a few more photos on the trip to and from Placencia this morning.
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| Two cruise ships. |
The larger ship is docked at the NCL private island "Harvest Caye". The ship dwarfs the little caye. The smaller ship is anchored at sea and passengers are tendered in to the island and to Placencia and Independence for land-based tours.
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| The smaller cruise ship and one of the Monkey River tour boats full of passengers. |
I ran my usual errands - bank, pharmacy, grocery stores (2), gas/petrol fill up, produce stands (2) - then was on my way back home. The gracious owners of the grocery store we frequent included a small holiday gift in our order.
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| A Chinese calendar wall scroll, Christmas Canes, cookies, and - my favorite - fancy loose tea leaves. |
I understand the cruise ships are vital to the economic health of the island but I think they are monstrosities! Your opinion?
ReplyDeleteHi Chris! Thanks for visiting and asking my opinion. I think cruise ships are horrible! They contribute a small amount to the economy of Belize and much more to the economy of the cruise line owners. But I do rejoice in seeing them as a sign that the global economy and tourism in general are showing signs of life. I would rejoice more if the cruise lines were more generous to the honest tour guides and business people of Belize instead of greasing the palms of those who can grant permits, etc.
DeleteIt's good to see the economy recovering. Belize is a destination I will have to consider for a birding trip.
ReplyDeleteYes, as I replied to Chris above, having the cruises return is a good sign of the return of tourism. The birding here is amazing. Although lacking the higher altitude birds that you find in Costa Rica, Belize makes up for it in other ways. Belize Audubon Society has a good website to whet your appetite!
DeleteMy favorite, Danish-style butter cookies! I’ve consumed many a tin of those over the years. I forgot about Norwegian’s private island there. Such a strange sight.
ReplyDeleteThat huge ship is very strange docked at the caye. It looks like it could tow the caye off.
DeleteI brewed a cup of the fancy tea this morning to take the chill off of the coldest night we have had so far. It got down to 66F! The tea was good. Now I have socks on and a blanket wrapped around me. Feels like winter!
The cruise ships are huge. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Hi Janie! Had to retrieve your comment out of the spam box! Merry Christmas and lots of love to you.
ReplyDelete