Sarteneja.net

News Archives

What Belize Lacks
Is Really A Gain in Quality of Life

By Ted Horner
August 9, 2004

A tranquil scene of Chetumal Bay from the fishing village of Sarteneja before the fleet departed for the June lobster season.

As a developing country, Belize lacks many of the modern conveniences and infrastructure found in North American First World nations such as the United States, Canada and even Mexico.
In some areas what Belize lacks is a gain in quality of life.
Here are ten of these:

• No dinner-time telemarketing calls: I awoke this morning in a cold sweat from the nightmarish situation of fighting off an aggressive telemarketer trying to sell me mutual funds on the phone. To my relief, upon opening my eyes, I saw the thatch roof of my cabaña and realized that here in Belize telemarketers don’t exist!

• No Wal-Mart: While the corporate behemoth Wal-Mart is bent on invading every community in the world, their tentacles have not yet reached Belize with their low, low prices and slave labor wages and no benefits to many employees. The family-run shop is alive and well in Belize. Let’s hope for a long time.

• No Junk Mail: How well do I remember checking my small post office box in rural Alaska only to find a cascading avalanche of junk mail. I would often wonder how many trees were sacrificed so that some credit card company could offer me their low, low introductory rates. No junk mail here in Belize, though. Every mail item is either a letter from home to be cherished, or a dreaded bill that must be paid.

• No Fast Food: Why is it that almost everything termed “Junk” such as Junk mail, Junk bonds, Junk food is reviled as being such poor quality and yet is so popular? The Fast Food companies who create these obese walruses who waddle down the shopping aisles at American stores say they are attempting to feed the world but then proceed to kill everyone off with diabetes, heart failure and cancer. It makes little business sense to be eliminating your future customers. There’s no McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell or any of the many other fast food joints in Belize and thankfully I have not yet heard of our local “Dis Da Fi Wi Chikin” coming out with McNuggets.

• No Stop Lights: I could be wrong, but I don’t recall ever seeing a traffic light in all of Belize! Such a tiny country has not much traffic congestion and the few trouble spots like on Queen Street at the Swing Bridge is handled by employing a traffic policeman to keep order at the intersection. It sure beats downtown L.A. or New York or hundreds of other cities.

• No Sleaze Centers: Throughout the world, “Red light” districts thrive with adult theatres, sex shops and porno clubs proclaiming messages in Las Vegasesque neon signs protected under their “Freedom of Speech”. I honestly don’t know if there are Belize laws prohibiting pornography or whether it’s just culturally unexceptable, but I have never seen a Hustler magazine at a newsstand.

• No Racism: Having grown up in the 1950s and 60s in Washington, D.C., racial tensions and violent conflict was a regular routine of life. The N-word and many other racial slurs were commonly used and often fueled fistfights and much worse. I lived in L.A. during the riots in the early 90’s where people were pulled from cars because of the color of their skin and beaten to death. Belize is a mixed bag of colorblind people it seems. While inequalities do exist and people still kill each other over money and domestic issues, I haven’t seen much evidence of pure racial hate crimes that occur in the more “civilized” nations such as the U.S.

• No Starvation: With bountiful agricultural and seafood products, Belize is blessed with a broad, available food supply. No one should ever need to go hungry.

• No Heaters: No staggering fuel oil bills, frostbitten fingers or drafty homes. No one misses these.

• No War: The best part is that Belize is focused on their own needs and concerns and doesn’t wage war against other nations to exploit their resources or try to change their way of life.

Ella Captures Top Prize in Sarteneja Easter Regatta

April 11, 2004

SARTENEJA–– The stifling air of Easter week gave way to a fresh easterly breeze just in time for the annual Sarteneja sailing regatta.
Hundreds lined Front Street and the village main pier to witness the three boat races scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The opening contest featured smaller 20-foot sailing vessels which was dominated by Captain Estefan Salis and the crew of the Tu Y Yo who earned $250 prize money for their first place finish. The Maranata took the second place $150 prize.
Perhaps the most exciting race moment of the afternoon occurred during the 22-foot intermediate category. The competing boats sailed neck and neck manuevering their turn around the second flag when the Johana P, sailing tight around the buoy, collided with the Nezeidie. Observing officials disqualified the Johana P from the race.
But bad luck for the Nezeidie would not end at the second buoy turn.
Just minutes later the mainsail spar of the Nezeidie snapped bringing to an end her hopes for a finish.
It soon became no real contest as the Suzeni, captained by Rubice Flores and crew, extended the lead and sailed to an easy victory capturing the $300 first prize money.
The final contest of the Easter afternoon pitted the sailing skills of the crews of larger 24-foot vessels against each other and in the end it was the Ella with Captain Estefan Salis and his crew sailing away with the $400 grand prize. The Ella was followed by the Ubafu, winning $300, and finally Cesiap, earning $200 as the runner-up.
All prizes were announced and awarded later that night during the community dance.

SARTENEJA EASTER REGATTA

FINAL RACE RESULTS

20 Foot Category
1st place – Tu Y Yo, Capt. Estefan Salis – Prize $250
2nd place – Maranata, Capt. Fernance Aragon – Prize $150

22 Foot Category
1st place – Suzeni, Capt. Rubice Flores – Prize $300
2nd place – Nadieska, Capt. Antonio Muñoz – Prize $200

24 Foot Category
1st place – Ella, Capt. Estefan Salis – Prize $400
2nd place – Ubafu, Capt. Nelson Ortega – Prize $300
3rd place – Cesiap, Capt. Valentine Verde – $200

March 27, 2004

SARTENEJA – The first official aircraft to touchdown at the Sarteneja airport carried Prime Minister Said Musa on who was greeted by a crowd of local citizens and dignitaries on Mar. 27 for the dedication of the new air strip.
Upon disembarking from the Belize Defense Force twin-engine aircraft, PM Musa and Representative Florencio Marin cut the blue ribbon to officially open the newly paved airport.
“In the days of George Price, he had to visit Sarteneja aboard the ship the Patricia,” Said Musa said at his address during the dedication. “We have come a long ways.”
The Prime Minister reported that the runway project cost less than $150,000, but would have normally had a $400,000 price tag.
“This project is part of a bigger effort to develop and improve facilities and access to tourism areas across Belize,” the PM said. “Sarteneja deserves to be part of this tourism revolution and it will be part of that revolution.”
Local tourism leaders hope that the new airport will improve access to Sarteneja for tourists and other visitors.