Saturday, November 13, 1999 Hundreds and hundreds (really) of dragonflies filled the air this morning - all different colors (saw a beautiful irridescent green one), wing spans and shapes. They just hatched! The kids (and cats) were having a ball chasing after them. The cashew trees are full of caterpillars right now, so the second week of December show be a butterfly show extraordinaire. The coming of the butterflies signals the beginning of the Christmas season for Belize children. A "Mini Funfest" being held at the Community Center today as a fundraiser for the school. Baked good, games, music and prizes. Saw some sun yesterday afternoon for a few brief shining moments. Cloudy again today, but as yet, no more rain. Very, very few rooms in the area for the end of December. If you're even THNKING about a Christmas/New Year's visit, better act NOW!!!!!!!! Tuesday, November 9, 1999 Weather: Rain has definitely put a damper on just about everything - transportation (you can imagine what 7 days of continual rain has done to the road), fishing, diving snorkeling. Coupled with periodic blackouts while BEL is installing a new transformer means little to do but eat, drink - - and gossip. Satellite images indicate that things may be clearing up in the next two days. Sure hope so, we may be out of rum and Belikans soon. Friday, November 5, 1999 Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash*Trash* It happened, it really happened! We just completed our first week of garbage collection! The old Village is looking great! Now that people have a place to PUT their trash, everyone seems to be pitching in to keep Placencia litter-free. Even the junk cars along the road will soon be gone! Regular garbage pickups now run from the Village north as far as Robert's Grove. An extension is planned. Weather. Cold and rainy - must be down to 72 or 74 degrees tonight! We all have our sweaters and jeans on. The rain shouldn't help road conditions. Soulshine. The owners (Todd and Sue Vickstrom) are looking for a new manager. Gasoline. Fuel prices have increased across the board - - 29 cents per gallon for premium fuel. We expect this increase to have a major impact on all segments of the economy. Surfside. We understand that the rehab center in Maya Beach has been subdivided into residential and commercial lots. Residential lots are .4 acres and have an asking price of $59,500 USD. Maya Beach Hotel. Also apparently on the market. Asking price, $350,000 USD. Flamboyant. Closed until Dec. 1 (owners are in the States). Saturday, October 30, 1999 Flores. Tropic Air is once again offering flights from Belize City International to Flores. Flights depart from Belize City on Mondays through Fridays at 8:30 a.m. (arrive in Flores at 9:15 a.m.)and on Wednesday and Fridays at 2:30 p.m. (arrive Flores at 3:15 p.m.). Round trip fare is $320 BZD ($160 USD). One-way fare is $160 BZD ($80 USD). Humane Society. The first Placencia Humane Society Chapter has just been formed with childhood education as its first priority. Donations of pets-oriented books, videos, and coloring books are needed. The Chapter could also use donations of pet supplies such as leashes and collars, flea shampoo and collars, brushes and other grooming aids. Donation cans for cash donations will soon be available at local businesses. See our Donations Page for more information. Roads. As usual, roads are in bad condition. The road south to Punta Gorda is particularly teacherous as a result of large rocks being dumped on the road to prevent erosion. Punctured gas tanks are a distinct possibility. Groceries. Wallen's new air-conditioned and tiled retail store is nearing completion and should be ready for the start of tourist season. Olga's is installing a new cooler and freezer. Trash. Trash cans have been distributed, and garbage collection is scheduled to begin sometime during the first week of November! House Numbers. My aren't we moving up in the world! As a result of the garbage collection system, houses in Placencia now have house numbers! Ours is 199. So we guess our new address is: Kevin Modera Guide Services, 199 The Sidewalk, Placencia, Belize. Sunday, October 23, 1999 Belize Botanic Gardens. The 45-acre Belize Botanic Gardens, adjacent to DuPlooy's in the Cayo District, will officially open in January 2000. The Gardens include a 3,000 square foot Orchid House to hold specimens of the 280 species of native orchids in Belize, and planned improvements also include a visitor's center, student accommodations, research laboratories and five native eco-zones typical to Belize. Donations to the Belize Botanic Gardens, a not-for-profit corporation, are needed and welcome. The Gardens have been developed with the assistance of the Raleigh International venturers. Nim Li Punit. A new visitors center was dedicated last week. The new center includes informational panels, a stelae house for proection of some of the most important stelae and infrastructure upgrades (such as upgrading of paths, restrooms, signs and road to site). Green Parrot. Ray Twanow and Colleen Fleury have a buyer for Green Parrot and should close shortly. No information yet about the new owners. Colleen and Ray will be moving to Belize City to start a new Central American-oriented full-service travel and tour agency. Leon Small will continue to manage Green Parrot. Tuesday, October 12, 1999 Glover's Reef and Manatees. Not strictly Placencia news, but important: Glover's Reef: Beginning 15 November 1999, Fisheries will have a Manager, a Biologist and two Rangers stationed at Middle Cay, Glover's Reef. Effective immediately visitor (tourists only, Belizeans are exempted) fees will be $5 BZ a head, or $20 BZ a week. Local resorts will submit a weekly guest list with a check made payable to the Fisheries Department. Official Glover's Reef Atoll Marine Reserve Chart showing conservation, wildlife and seasonal closure area. Diving: Visiting dive boats must register their guests at the Reserve Headquarters on Middle Cay before diving. All divers will be required to show their c-cards and a 2-3 minute briefing will be given on the rules and regulations inside the Marine Reserve. In addition, visiting dive boats must obtain special registration. Registration forms will be available at Middle Cay, or can be obtained by fax from the Fisheries Department in Belize City. Call 02-44552. A yearly fee of $100 BZ is required for boat registration. Sport fishing: Sport fishing will be allowed in the General Use Zone and a special license is required. The fees are $20 BZ a month for Belizeans and $50 BZ a month for non-Belizeans. The forms are available at Middle Cay and Fisheries. Visiting Sport fishing boats must register under the same rules and fees as dive boats. All sport fishing is catch and release and the details of the catch (species, size and area) should be reported to the Reserve Manager for statistical purposes. General Rules and Explanation of the Zones: Throughout the reserve the rules are as follows:
The reserve will continue to be divided into specific zones:
Brochures detailing the boundaries and specific rules of each zone will be distributed via regular (ground) mail. The brochures, the forms referred to above, and copies of the Statutory Instrument for Glover's Reef will be available at Middle Cay and the Fisheries Department in Belize City. Maps will be posted at gas stations throughout the coastal area informing fishermen of the new management and boundaries. The Fisheries Department welcomes any input and suggestions from the public. Please contact the Reserve Manager or the Fisheries Department if you require further information on the Marine Reserve at Glover's Reef. Funds generated from the fee collections will go towards the operational costs (i.e. patrolling and research projects, etc.), creating an educational Visitor's Center on Middle Cay, and creating public educational programs for Belizeans and visitors alike. Sincerely, Lisa Carne, Manager, Glover's Reef Marine Reserve During this "bashment", Masas and Sindawg touched me on my shoulder and said "you got to go catch the manatee killers". These were two of the local fishermen who had stopped in to inform me of the remains of three slaughtered manatees. It was late in the evening, which meant that going out at that time would not have been very productive. This morning at the crack of dawn, TIDE personnel were on the waters with the two local fishermen. As we approached the Deep River area, we could see the vultures feasting. As we got closer to a cleared area in the mangrove we could smell the stench;there it was, the remains of three brutally slaughtered manatees. Two adults and one calf. The prime meats were cut off and the remains were left for the vultures. I find this to be very sad and disturbing, since just last week we in Belize we were celebrating Manatee Week. Some of us were giving ourselves praises for the good work we are doing to protect the endangerd specie while at the same time poachers were having a ball. For years now we have been trying to curb or reduce the amount of manatees that are being poached in this area. The poachers always seem to have one up on us. Early this year, we had regular patrols but due to budget constraints, we had to cut back on the number of patrols. The poachers who more than likely are illegal fishermen from across the border capitalized on these moments. It is a shame that during these times manatees are still being poached. I have said in the past and will say again,'no one in Guatemala or Belize will go hungry if they do not eat manatee meat'. Killing manatees is an easy way to make a quick buck. These very docile creatures are slow and has lots of meat and can be sold easily on the open market in Livingston and Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. We definitely need to do more to try and stop these senseless killings of our manatees. Almost all the killings have taken place in the 'Proposed Port Honduras Marine Reserve'. TIDE, for years have been lobbying for the area to be declared. So far, TIDE has held community consultations; has written the management plan; have show case the area to Technical people from the Fisheries Department, Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute, and members of the Fisheries Advisory Board all of whom has recommended that the area be declared but up until now the area has not been declared. It is a rather large area and the Fisheries Department alone cannot patrol the area. Thanks to the people at the Orvis Flyfishing Company, Proarca Costas and others who have provided money for fuel so that we could do regular patrols. If we were not out there on a regular basis, maybe by now the manatees in this area would have suffered the same fate as the Sawfish which is now extinct in this area. If anyone out there can urge the Minister to declare the area protected, we urge them to do so. The Minister has said publicly that he is ready to declare the area but so far has not done so. If the area is declared, we would be able to tap into other sources for fuel money so that we can continue the patrols. If this does not happen, I could almost say that within the next few years, manatees will be extinct in this area. The Minister of Fisheries email is mafpaeu@btl.net or species@btl.net Wil Maheia, TIDE Monday, September 13, 1999 Hotels, Restaurants and Bars. Corner Pockets in Placencia Village opened and closed its doors for the last time Saturday night, September 11, 1999. Julia and Lawrence decided that compliance with the sound insulation law that becomes effective September 30, 1999 was too costly. They plan to erect housekeeping cabanas on the property. A coffee shop is planned for the vacant lot across from the road and just east of BJ's Restaurant. A new bar is in the works for Maya Beach across from the old Mangoes. Some local opposition has surfaced to both the coffee shop and the bar. Mrs. Barbara Edricks has decided not to re-open La Petite Maison after Bud's death. Weather. Thunderstorms and rain almost every evening. Weather remains hot and still during the day. So far, no impact from any of the lurking hurricane activities. Banks. Heard a rumor that Belize Bank may be opening a branch in Placencia. Hurray! (Nothing like a little competition to improve service.) Thursday, September 2, 1999 Prime Minister Said Musa today met privately with the Village Councils of Placencia, Seine Bight and Independence to discuss a number of issues including garbage disposal, crime, the proposed causeway and the road. On a lighter note, we spotted about 30 pilot whales near the Silk Cayes, including a number of babies. Several of them swam up next to the boat, and one was "lounging" around on his back, lazily flapping his flippers. A whale family reunion maybe? Pilot whales belong to the whale group Odonticetes. Odonticetes whales are the toothed whales and include pilot whales and killer whales. Odonticetes whales belong to the Delphinidae family - the dolphin family. (All dolphins are whales, but not all whales are dolphins - the Odonticetes whales are in the dolphin family, but the Mysticetes group of whales are not party of the dolphin family. Mysticetes whales include blue whales, right whales and humpback whales.) The pilot whales that frequent warmer southern waters are short-finned pilot whales - hence their common name, Southern Pilot Whale (and are also known as "pothead" whales). The scientific name for the pilot whale is Globicephala macrorhynchus. Their range in length from 12 to 21.5 feet, in weight from 1 to 4 tons, and have anywhere from 28 to 36 feet. Pilot whales are the whales that are frequently found beached. No one knows why. Also, when one whale gets beached, others usually follow. Scientiests speculate that the group beachings are caused by the tightly knit "communities" in which pilot whales travel - where one goes, so go others. We hope to have some pictures soon and will publish them on the site. Some links for more information about pilot whales: http://whale.wheelock.edu/whalenet-stuff/classifications.html Short-fin Pilot Whale Photographs by Phillip Colla Links about Pilot Whales and the Faroe Islands Saturday, August 28, 1999 According to the Placencia chapter of the BTIA (Belize Tourism Industry Association), permits were denied for the proposed water ski school in the Upper Placencia Lagoon. Barracuda & Jaguar Inn/Picked Parrot has been taken off the market. Weather - hot and still (great fishing weather, but the rest of us definitely miss the breeze) Saturday, August 7, 1999
Saturday, July 31, 1999 More Transportation News: The Gulf Cruza is now offering ferry service every Friday between Belize City, Placencia, Big Creek and Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Fliers give the schedule as follows:
For Lease: Rumor is that Barracuda & Jaguar Inn (and Pickled Parrot) are available for lease. No other information, but if interested, email and we'll check out further details. Restaurants: David Dial (owner of Placencia Industries and Placencia Dive Shop) has taken over management of Tentacles Restaurant. The former owners of Kowloon have assumed management of Jene's Flamboyant. Hotels/Resorts: Luba Hati re-opens August 7. Sea Spray is adding a second story to its central building. Thursday, July 22, 1999 But Can You Get There from Here? Shuttle: The shuttle is no longer operating, but should be back in service by November with new buses/vans. Water Taxi: The Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association plans to establish a water taxi service between Belize City and Dangriga, Dangriga and Placencia, and Placencia and Punta Gorda. Causeway: Support in Placencia seems to be growing for a ferry between Big Creek/Independence and Placencia as the preferred alternative to a causeway. Friday, July 16, 1999 Rain! Roads are awful - may be impassable in some places. Rain has put 2.5 to 3 feet of water over the road in some places down the Peninsula. The Coastal Highway is in terrible shape - a delivery truck that braved the Coastal Highway broke 1/3 of the bottles it was carrying on Thursday. Fly, fly, fly!!! Tuesday, July 13, 1999 Mail! We have a post office again! Located upstairs in the Fishermen's Co-op Building across from the Placencia Tourism office. AND - our mail will even be delivered! So keep those cards and letters coming, Ladies and Gentlemen! Sunday, July 11, 1999 Earthquake! Well, today has certainly been interesting. Lots of rain and wind and the sea is extremely rough and choppy - all the result of a hurricane to the west of us (in the Pacific, but heading away from Belize, and a tropical depression to the east - however, the weather is expected to clear by Tuesday). As if a hurricane and tropical depression weren't enough, while checking the weather satellites this morning, the floor suddenly started shaking violently and the room started swaying - EARTHQUAKE! Very disorienting to expect water/wind related disaster from the sky or the sea and then have it come from the ground! No damage here, but turns out all the "rocking and rolling" was caused by a pretty strong earthquake about 20 miles east of the Puerto Barrios area of Guatamala (about 40 miles south of Placencia). According to the AP Newswire, the quake was felt as far north as Villahermosa, Mexico and as far south as Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. AP says there are no immediate reports of injuries, but some buildings were damaged in Guatemala up to 90 miles away from the epicenter. The Boulder, Colorado earthquake center reports the quake as a 6.6 on the Richter scale, while Guatemala puts it at 5.9. Either way, not insignificant. Tuesday, June 8, 1999 Roads and Rain: Frequent evening rains and dirt roads do not a match in heaven make. Bus trips from Dangriga are taking well over 3.5 hours, without many of the regular stops on smaller sideroads (which are frequently impassable). Tourists should definitely consider flying into Dangriga and Placencia. Proposed Marine Reserve: The fisheries department hosted a meeting last night (6/7/99) at the Placencia Community Center to discuss possible designation of the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye area (the "elbow" of the reef) as a marine reserve. Commercial fishing and water sports (diving, snorkeling and sports fishing) in the area would be limited within designated zones (much like the program instituted in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve off Ambergris Caye). The purpose of the reserve is to prevent over-fishing and other activities that may adversely affect the reef and marine wildlife. Further meetings are scheduled in Independence, Seine Bight and other locations in the area. A preliminary proposal for the reserve will then be presented in another series of meetings for public comment. Weather: Rainy, but pleasantly mild temperatures. Post Office: Placencia no longer has one. Until last week, Placencia's post office was a volunteer "community" post office with no official home. Unfortunately, families responsibilities forced our volunteer postmistress, Caroline Leslie, to resign her position (thanks for all your hard work Caroline). An official post office (with a paid staff) has been approved by the national government. However, the post office as yet has no home - or staff. Mail is still being delivered to Placencia, but is being stored in a room next to Atlantic Bank. So, don't expect any postcards from Paradise for awhile (also, don't expect any thank-you's for care packages - no mail is being released to area residents). Tourist Police: Two "tourist police" have been temporarily approved for the Placencia area (on a 2-month trial run). The "tourist police" assist local law enforcement with tourist-related crime. Health Care: Placencia has been fortunately allocated a visiting doctor from Cuba, Dr. Ileanan Alayo, to assist with our health care needs. The visting Cuban doctor program is one year in duration. Garbage: The Village Council has been informed that we should have our dumpsite approved and able to be up and running with a month or so. So, finally, we'll have a place, literally, to "put out the garbage." Resorts, Hotels and Guesthouses: Hotel Seine Bight is under new ownership and has been renamed Bahia Laguna. A new resort appears to be under construction next to the newly renamed Bahia Laguna. Sea Spray Hotel is considering constructing additional rooms.
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of Placencia Village (just
south of Julia and Lawrence's guest houses) in this building (a third floor is now being added). 