The Beginning:

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This was simply a trip for relaxation and to help bring creative inspiration. Oh, and a break from the below zero temperatures in the Chicago-land area! I booked this trip on a flight deal (duh....) as a gift to my "other half". He works a lot so unless I force him to carve out the time- it has a high probability of not happening.

 

”Beware of the Mosquitos! They carry larva that can grow inside of your body and the only way to get it out is to cut open the area and pull them out with tweezers!"

Listen, I saw the video that went viral of the woman having seven worm looking things pulled out of various areas of her body. Yes, she was in Belize- more than likely in a wooded or forest area. Truth of the matter is that larva eggs can be carried by mosquitos in areas within the US (down South) and a variety of other Countries. Yes, the Mosquitos were brutal in Belize. We spent our entire time in Belize City, and *note* that this is during the dry season. We brought bug repellant- OFF Deep Woods (with Deet). I sprayed down clothes and even the top layer of the bed with this stuff. I made it through the trip with getting only three bites. All three were on my arms in areas that were not sprayed. Those sneaky monsters got me while I was sleeping.

Belize City, Belize:

I chose the Best Western Biltmore Plaza on one of the booking sites. I got a great deal for the three nights we would be spending there. They offer shuttle service (for a fee $25 USD) each way (not mentioned during booking) to and from the airport. The hotel itself was pretty nice, it had everything needed in order to be comfortable. The prices at the restaurant were a little high (but expected when at a hotel just about anywhere). The Belize currency is 2:1 of the USD so it's nice that the dollar stretches if that's your currency of choice. We found that eating and drinking in the "city" was super affordable. There was a restaurant called "The Tap Room" that had a mixture of seafood and non-seafood items, a large selection of drinks, appetizers etc... that was fairly priced. The portions were pretty good, our two meals and four or five drinks totaled approximately $40USD.

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Everyone we encountered were nice and helpful. Since this was a "relaxation" trip we didn't do anything that required a lot of energy. LOL! Needless to say, there were a lot of adult beverages and eating. I spent most of my time by the hotel pool with the exception being our day of exploring the downtown area. Let me say this-there are so many other areas of Belize I would recommend checking out. The city itself didn't have much to offer and we were warned a few times to "be careful" by hotel and restaurant staff. The city isn't the safest (especially for tourist as of lately) and not a place to "hangout". We chose to check out another hotel that had a casino, movie theater, kids play center, Spa and a few other amenities. The rooms were a bit worn and outdated, but the location was near restaurants and had a view of the beach. The theater  inside the hotel wasn't open but it did have up to date movies showing. We spent some time in the Casino, and I made it rain pennies (I doubled my little money). They only had penny and nickel  slot machines. *Note about Casinos* If you are going to play at the casino be sure to check in at the desk where people redeem their winnings. Let them know you want to play with USD and expect payout in USD. They will give you vouchers to play in the machines. We only found out because I went looking for a playing card like you get in the States to keep track of everything. So if you want to receive USD in return for your winnings then- get the vouchers!

 

In Summary:

Belize has a lot to offer and a lot to see outside of Belize City. This wasn't a typical trip for me so the review is what it is. I will be returning in the future to explore other areas such as Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. I don't scuba dive but saw a lot of people with their gear. My biggest take away was that everyone moved on Island time. So- just like Cayman Islands, Tucks & Caicos, Aruba and many others don't expect things to happen quickly. Bring your patients' along with that Mosquito Repellant...have a "go with the flow" mentality and just relax by the pool (or the beach) and just exist.