What Can I Buy at the Grocery Store?

Generally you can buy almost any basics in Belize that you can buy in the US.  You may have to travel across town, visit several stores, and/or pay “the price” if you are looking for something specific.  If you are a food connoisseur, you might be disappointed.  For example, while staying in another part of Belize a few years ago, one volunteer loved Mt. Dew.  We traveled to every store in the town until we found a source; needless to say, we bought them out but the volunteer was thankful to have Mt. Dew.  Different areas of Belize provide different foods.  In fact, we were used to having an abundance of potatoes and onions in the Stann Creek District.  However one local shared that potatoes were harder to come by in San Pedro. 

Two of our favorite groceries are Richie’s and the Greenhouse.  Richie’s, located at the round-a-bout, has reasonable prices and great customer service.  The Greenhouse always has a really nice supply of fresh produce and fairly decent prices.  They are located on Middle Street.  Some of the items found were an abundance of wheat pasta and even lady’s fingers for Tiramisu (can’t even find those in the States sometimes).  Some of the produce included romaine lettuce, broccoli and even Brussels sprouts.  There wasn’t an abundance, but they had them. 

The point being many foods are available; you just have to be flexible with your American taste buds.  Many local fruits are available like bananas (be careful that they are not too ripe), oranges, and grapefruits.  You have never tasted these fruits until you have eaten them in Belize – delicious!

Island Supermarket is located more on the southern part of town.  With several isles (they have those potatoes you may be looking for and a variety of cheese as well), it’s the largest supermarket in town but be ready to pay the tourist prices!  If you are more frugal, check out the fresh fruit and vegetable stand across the street from the Belize Yacht Club.  Her name is Maria and she is delightful.  She sells fresh juices as well by the gallon (orange, pineapple, mango, watermelon etc...)  We also heard that if you find yourself not feeling well for whatever reason, she was the bush doctor on the island before medical doctors were around.  She will fix you up with herbs and teas and other “all naturals” that will work. 

Several Mennonite farms produce vegetables, eggs, chicken, etc that are brought over from the mainland.  Fruits generally come from the mainland citrus farms.  If you are a big pork and beef eater, you might not be satisfied with the sausage or hamburger from Belize.  Fresh fish is almost always available from local fisherman.  A staple for many Belizeans is stew chicken with “rice and beans”; or “beans and rice”.  Yes, there is a difference!  (“Rice and bean” is mostly white rice cooked in coconut milk with some beans mixed in.  “Beans and rice” is stewed beans and a bed of white rice.).  Enjoy your venture to the store!  And bon appetit!

Places to Eat in San Pedro Belize

For anyone traveling to Belize for the first time, it is helpful to get some direction from former Belize travelers. We will keep you informed of the places we have found that are good experiences and also the locations that aren’t so good.

Tonight we will cover locations that have been good eating experiences in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

First for breakfast you can go to Ruby’s about 7:00 AM. There you find local and tourist alike packed into a kitchen size room ordering coffee, egg sandwiches and SWEET ROLLS. And are they good!?!

http://ambergriscaye.com/rubys/

The next two restaurants can either be lunch on dinner.

Fidos is on the beach. It has an open atmosphere and descent food. Most nights there is a live band and during high season plenty of tourist. Never many local folks seem to be there unless they are escorted by a tourist.

http://www.belizegateway.com/db_clients/2975.php

Blue Water grill is probably my favorite restaurant in San Pedro so far. The atmosphere is warm and restful. It is right on the beach and the food is fantastic. Many of the local folks eat there as well as tourists.  If you decide to eat at Blue Water Grill, ask for Jorge, he will take very good care of you.

http://www.bluewatergrillbelize.com/



That is all the reporting for tonight. We have been all over Belize and will continue to update you with our findings.

What LTA Needs!

Many people ask us what we need. And of course the need changes from day

to day, but for today here are some items.

1. Frequent Flyer Miles: If you have any Delta, Continental, American Airlines or US Air frequent flyer miles and they are not being used, we can definitely use them. Especially Delta airlines! We would pay the transfer fee, so there would not be any expense for you.

Just email me at: LTA.Anthony@Gmail.com

2. Volunteer staff for San Pedro: After the staff house is acquired (April 12^th) we need 3-5 people (volunteers) at the staff house. There are several functions that need to be performed while there and a schedule is being developed to show the open slots. We will present the details of volunteering if you request: LTA.Mailus@Gmail.com

3. School Sponsorship: On the http://www.livingtreeacademy.org/ website, we have setup a sponsorship plan. This is available for an individual or group to sponsor an LTA School or Volunteer for 25.00 US a month. All donations are tax deductible.

As always, we look forward to seeing you here, there, San Pedro or in the Air.