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A Great Christmas Party and Parade

by tacogirl 22/12/2016
written by tacogirl 22/12/2016
December in Belize

Just like the recent winds, December in Belize picked up speed. This past week not only marked the annual lighted boat parade, it was also the San Pedro Red Cross Christmas Party. Both great events with great people and fabulous conversation. I also went on a fabulous boat ride to a longtime favorite place – pics and video coming soon.

Party First

I was happy they chose El Patio for the San Pedro Red Cross Christmas party this year. Open air, ambient seasonal decorations and close to home. Even though we waited out the rain and circled the block, my friend Jack and I were still among the first to arrive. Our Vice Chairperson, Ashty and top volunteer Brenda were chatting on the sofas so we joined in. It was not long before Mayor Danny showed up and we got to enjoy his company a bit before the party started.

Next came our Director General Lily Bowman, who flew in from Belize City to join is, our Chairman Eiden Salazar and then a few more of the volunteer crew trickled in.

We had a great time socializing and enjoying some tasty treats including Jalapeno poppers. I could not resist Facebook messaging one of our Johnstown, Colorado Red Cross volunteer vacationers Tracy, as El Patio poppers are his favorite.

Speeches were great and very encouraging, especially Mayor Danny’s as The Town Council has always supported the work we do to help our community be more resilient.

I even won a prize, a round trip on Ocean Ferry Water Taxi. They decided to play some trivia games and I guessed the correct year that “Together We Can” was implemented was 2004.

Together We Can is a peer health education program that has been implemented in more than thirteen different Caribbean countries since 1993. It was been adapted into our curriculum by the Belize Red Cross through the support, funding and technical assistance provided by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Norwegian and Netherlands Red Cross Societies, Ministry of Health, United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF and OPEC.

By taking a non judgmental approach and providing young people with access to information we can to reduce the risk of contracting HIV, STI’s and unplanned pregnancies.

This is one of the programs that the San Pedro Branch is going to be working on for 2017.

We believe education brings strength and opportunity and it falls under our mission statement; “Changing History Through Saving Lives and Helping the Community.”

There is no better way to help someone than to give them a hand up, especially our youth so they can make the best decisions and choose the most beneficial paths in life. We also recognized a need and address how we might be there for those that made difficult choices, such as making things easier through parenting information and guidance from adults.

I love when Director General Lily Bowman comes out and inspires us.

El Patio Restaurant Belize

Our annual Christmas party at El Patio Restaurant

Our 3rd Lighted Boat Parade

When Brittney initially asked me if San Pedro Red Cross was going to be in the parade I said no as I could not imagine pulling together a boat design this year. Then I thought about it a minute – The San Pedro Lighted Boat Parade needed us now more than ever. After Hurricane Earl, there were many people that would have entered but were just not able to this time around due to being in various stages of bounce back.

I agreed we would do it as long as they found someone else to take the lead and that I was taking a giant step back this year and opted out of the physical planning. I was willing to offer info and suggestions based on past years and costume assistance from afar. I also handled lighting for the “Officers Club” on our Nurse Holly Themed Boat.

Thankfully Jack and Sandie stepped up to take lead roles on this herculean task – I was so grateful. They came up with an awesome design on very little budget and as always we learned a lot about the process and can use that insight to do better next year. As you will see in Sandie’s press thank you list below, many people came to the aid of the San Pedro Red Cross to make sure we had a great parade, and we did.

This was the second year Ecologic Divers sponsored our boat. Last year we had a Cadillac Catamaran, this year Brittney wanted us to get closer to the judges and steered us into the Blue Attitude a roomy Blue Hole dive boat. I was glad for that as the second time we passed for final scoring, Charlie pulled in close enough for Sandie to hand off to the Mayor and other esteemed judges our annual Red Cross Christmas treat.

The boat was perfect, we had a nice covered officer’s club with a spread of different treats and beverages. Those that were daring climbed out the front window and up to the Captains Nest. At one pount I saw 2 of the male nurses sitting on the bow like hood ornaments.

We also enjoyed having base camp at the Sunbreeze Suites thanks to Judy Ann of Black Orchid – that came in very handy for a secure storage option and bathroom.

December in Belize

Our base camp was at the Sunbreeze Suites

December in Belize

Nurse Holly on Blue Attitude boat courtesy of Ecologic Divers

Ecologic Divers

Wounded soldier and nurses in the officers club

Honorable Mention

We got an honorable mention at the Sandbar Hostel After party for our Cool Tattoo Style Pinup Nurse Holly. That was a funny moment in time as Kendall got handed a certificate envelope and saw he had just been handed a prize to his own Business Ecologic Divers. He promptly handed it to Sandie and she and I both started laughing – he had missed reading the second half of the prize; a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant – Casa Picasso. Of course after learning that, the envelope magically ended up back in his hands 😉

San Pedro Hostle

After party and awards ceremony at Sandbar

I will leave you with parade pics, but first the thank you list from Sandie Betz-Eisenberg who is officially on the San Pedro Branch press team, Blood Drive Committee and so much more.

Thanks to all that helped make it happen

The San Pedro Branch of the Belize Red Cross wishes to thank the following individuals and groups for their help in creating our recent entry of the “Nurse Holly” boat in the December 17 San Pedro Holiday Lighted Boat Parade. This is the third year that the Red Cross has entered a boat in the annual event.

A big “thank you” goes to:
— Kendall Beymer; Ecologic Divers, who donated his dive boat and the services of Charlie Mejia as Captain and Manuel Mendoza as 1st mate
— Brittney O’Daniel; Sandbar Raise Me Up, who donated money to help transform Kendall’s boat into “Nurse Holly”
— Emily Moore (The Baker), Mermaid Store, Casa Pan Dulce, Black Orchid Restaurant, and Super Buy for donations of food, drinks and lodging for the volunteers and guests on the boat
— Scott & Jodi Harnish; Palapa Bar, for the donation of lights and a location where we could create our design and light our “Nurse Holly” boat.
—Joy Quyle for lights for the boat

Finally, thank you to our wonderful design and execution team: Jack Burnett, Madison Stone, Joy Quyle, Emily Spaventa, Dennis Harper, Bob Eisenberg, Ashty Dennison, Laurie Norton, Sandie Betz-Eisenberg, Ken Hadubiak and Mike Wilson. It was truly a labor of love!!

Parade Pictures

December in Belize

All the boats gave a great effort this year

I did not mind one bit that these guys butt in line and took our place as the lead of the parade. Watching their fabulous flyboard light show made my night. They repeatedly shot out of the water and then all of a sudden they were gone submerged into the dark Caribbean sea. Incredible.

December in Belize

Coolest show ever

Related

tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

previous post
Which is Better Mid Morning or Sunset?
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Christmas in Belize aka Land of Misfit Toys 

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I just returned from my trip to Belize in mid-June 2022. I had been planning the trip weeks / months in advance and... Laurie (taco girl) wasextremely helpful in preparation for my trip. Her intimate knowledge as an expat who was ONCE a tourist, really helps because she is able to share first hand knowledge of how a tourist can explore Ambergis Caye like a "temporary local". An example of this, was she recommended 2 yoga classes for my wife to enjoy while on vacation that we would not have known about otherwise and the class was far better than a class arranged by a hotel, as you get the local experience not a staged one. In addition, she was helpful in providing recommendations for dinner and sharing some discounts she has arranged with local retailers. Reviewing the taco girl blog and reaching out to Laurie is like having a tour guide, but more important a tour guide that KNOWS Belize.read more
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From the perspective of a couple preparing for a permanent move to Belize, Laurie has been enthusiastically helpful in... both answering our questions and connecting us with local resources for our move. Highly recommend you contact her and make use of her valuable services!!!read more
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Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
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Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
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We have been using TacoGirl for what feels like decades when planning our trips to Belize! It has only been a few... years but she is the first place we stop to see what is happening in our favorite vacation spot. She knows all the best spots to get away and do so many fun things - whether it is relaxing or exploring! We are planning our next trip with our twins and she was the first person I reached out to. Knowing we have a resource like her, makes trip planning a breeze!read more
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Found tacogirl while doing some research on an upcoming trip to Belize. This is the place for all the information you... need to plan your vacation. Incredibly helpful and responsive. I sent an email with lots of questions and received a very quick and detailed response that helped us finalize our plans.read more
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We have been following TacoGirl for years now and before booking any trip to San Pedro we check to see what is... currently happening. We love the emails to let us know when a new blog has been posted. Keep up the great work Laurie, we feel like we know you.read more
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I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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Wanted to give a shout-out to tacogirl belize for helping us! She is a plethora of knowledge and was super helpful and... responsive in helping us find longer term stay on the island. Thank you so much for your help!read more
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I've spent the last month exploring Belize. I'm retired & seriously considering moving down to Belize permanently from... the US. I contacted the local San Pedro expert "Taco Girl" to help me get started in finding an apartment to rent. With her help, I've located several places that meet my needs & budget requirements. Thank you Laurie!read more
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I am so grateful for the time and energy Laurie has taken to share about her experiences traveling to and living in... Belize as well as provide thorough recommendations for planning a trip there. I was so thankful (and honestly surprised) that Laurie took the time to respond to several of my questions via email. I highly recommend reading Laurie's blogs and helping to support her business. Thank you Laurie!!read more
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tacogirl was very nice to share her knowledge with us and assisted with planning our trip to Belize; thank you for the... help and info, it was helpful and allowed us to plan utilize our time accordingly while both on the mainland and islands of this great country.read more
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As a Canadian—tired of long winters—I cannot wait to spend some time in Belize. I haven't set foot yet, but I am... yearning for lots of Caribbean adventure. Thanks so much to tacogirl for her endless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. She is a constant stream of up-to-date information. Her knowledge and love of the area is priceless, and I will need her expertise for future endeavours!read more
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We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
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It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
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I started coming to San Pedro Belize in 2007 and that is when I met the online presence of Taco Girl. Her blogs on the... island and area are very personable and informative. She gives out promo codes from time to time so watch out for those. You cannot go wrong with someone who was a tourist and now lives here for quality info. Thanks Taco Girl for helping make my trips memorable!read more
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I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
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Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice... to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
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I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
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I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
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I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
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Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do what... everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
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Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
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Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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