It was 1974 the first time I visited Belize. I had just come from the magnificent ruins of Tikal in Guatemala and I wasn’t impressed much with Belize.

Morning in Tikal

I had been traveling throughout Mexico and Guatemala for the last 6 months and had seen some of the world’s most impressive ruins, pyramids and scenery.  Belize was flat jungle with no ruins, at that time, to see.

Location of Belize

Belize was still a British colony at the time and I experienced a  big disconnect of  hearing dark skinned Belizeans speak The Queen’s English with a Caribbean accent.  The other disconnect was how liberal the country was regarding marijuana.

Even though pot was prevalent in Mexico it was a major problem if a Gringo was caught with it.  The presence of marijuana in Guatemala was very rare and the penalties for being caught with it, Gringo or local,  were very severe.

In Belize City I witnessed a traffic cop at the corner of the city’s only lighted intersection, which had mainly foot traffic,  sitting in a rocking chair smoking a joint.  I doubt you’d see anything like that today but I sensed a lenient attitude towards it when I last visited in 2005 from a cruise ship.

I’m not promoting smoking Marijuana or going to Belize because it may be easy to get it there.  I mention it because it is prevalent and I believe reflects the easy going nature of the people.

Belize today is still easy going but much more vibrant than when I was there in the 70′s.  There are organized dive trips, resort hotels, spas and ecotourism.  And now, 35 years later, there have been 35 major sites uncovered containing temples and Mayan ruins.

Both RCI and Interval International have resorts in Belize,  mainly on famed Ambergris Caye.  But to truly experience this interesting country you should divide your time between the Caribbean coast and beach resorts with a few jungle excursions.  More in the next post.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 3 FREE tips on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.