Celebrating NYE Downtown San Pedro Style

Some years it is a case of the older we get the more it changes how we celebrate 🙂 We started out by planning to go to the big New Years Eve party at Lola’s, but as the day got closer, decided for something more low key like the party down south at Lone Star or dinner at Black Orchid Restaurant. By the time tacoboy got home from work at 7:30 I could tell that even though he was still willing to get cleaned up and go out on a date, he was feeling tired and over socialized from work. 

I was still working and messaging back and forth with Matt about how their plans for the night were shaping up after their dinner at Caprice. Part of me wanted to go meet them in town for the party, but decided on a quiet night at home watching TV. It was totally what I needed and I was asleep by 10:00 pm or so; not long after tacoboy.

The rapid machine gun fire of neighborhood firecrackers woke me up just in time to catch the fireworks display in town as we get a partial view from our house. As I stood there watching the colorful fireworks, I thought even though I was missing a good party and time with friends, I was glad I opted out of the party this year.

Below you will find a few shots leading up to New Years Eve, a write up, pics and a video from Matt on his first San Pedro NYE party, and a couple of News Years Day pictures. May 2014, give everyone the strength to face the waves of life and the courage to set their sails in new directions.

After spending my first NYE in downtown San Pedro, I must say that Belizeans certainly know how to do it. The entire town was alive with people. Locals, expats, and tourists were all intermixed all over town. Lola’s bar erected a large tent right in front of the bar on the street with the band set up in the alcove of the Belize bank across the street, which provided for some great acoustics. 

Revelers ate BBQ and drank the night away with music pouring out from all corners. In the main square a stage was put up right outside the Jaguar nightclub, with everyone looking their best, local bands serenaded the crowd all night. Smiling faces surrounded us with cheers and laughter and everyone enjoying the festivities. 

When the clock struck twelve, Lola’s featured a ball drop of their own styling. A giant illuminated coconut with a parasol sticking out of the top. It looked like it would hold the world’s largest panty ripper, but it slowly made it’s way back to earth being cheered on by the excited mob.

Then began the fireworks display from the water aboard a barge floating offshore. The crowd moved as one to the beach to take in the display with the show lasting what felt like a very long time. The sky was alive with explosions of color. Cheers could be heard up and down the beach as the technicians worked their firework magic. 

When the show was finished everyone went on with their partying with golf carts parked in every nook and cranny where one could fit. I have never seen downtown so full before, and it was really a fun sight to see as everyone was well behaved in typical San Pedro style.

It was my first New Year’s Eve here and will certainly not be my last.

Downtown San Pedro always comes alive on New Years Eve. This video is Matt’s version the official countdown from the pumped up crowd at Lola’s Pub street party as a giant coconut drink “dropped” from Belize Bank.

These next two pictures are the start of a nice New Years Day. While we have had our fair share of sun today we did get a big shower earlier in the San Pablo Area, so I decided to take a scenic rainy day canal shot.

The next one was not taken today but is a match for some good news for the first day of 2014. Terry, the owner of Corona Del Mar, had purchased an AED for their hotel. His staff will also start attending first aid courses and receive training to use the AED. 

It was pouring the day we started our island assessment and it took us all day to drive from Hol Chan Reef resort 3.5 miles south, to Sunbreeze hotel at the edge of town. Every time we started to dry out it rained again. It was lots of fun though, and we were happy see most people had first aid kits that were in good shape, and many places got a gold star 🙂 There were a few people that needed to check their kits more often, or contain their supplies in one well known place and one place needed to freshen up old supplies – we will be checking  back on them to see if they did.