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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

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San Pedro Belize Carnival – A Pause for Reflection

by tacogirl 08/03/2019
written by tacogirl 08/03/2019

This year the first great Carnival event gave me something different and I can credit San Pedro House of Culture for that. The night took me back through the years not only with San Pedro Belize Carnival history. It also had me reflecting on my life in Belize and past Carnival celebrations. I thought about my photographer friend Karen Brodie too, another Canadian immigrant. I bet she never dreamed just how much she would impact history by moving here and capturing hundreds of colorful Carnival pictures. As well as other important topics such as The Golden Years Project, which was another great House of Culture event.

They put on a great show this year of Carnival history and theatrics which was followed by a great photography exhibit by Karen Brodie Photography.
You can catch her show up until March 14th. She also gets a reflection credit.

 San Pedro Belize Carnival

What had me reflecting during her show? As I watched a woman flip through the thick stack of Karen’s pictures I could not help remember years past. Some I had seen in person and some were new. Of course, there were many great shots of the late well loved carnavalera Felix Ayusø. He was always radiant on camera and wearing most perfectly designed costumes. Of course, Felix had excellent seamstress Sandra Ayusø on his side.

San Pedro Carnival

Karen’s paint party pictures also brought back some great memories. I remember the time I got painted, it was 2007 and I had gone out to take a few pictures. After seeing kids in line with eggs at the grocery, my ex said he was steering clear altogether. I was doing fine for a good while then all of a sudden one polite kid came and marked my cheek. That was all I needed. I quickly ran back to our apartment in town above the old Mickey’s Restaurant and put on a t-shirt I did not mind sacrificing. It was so much fun to embrace the moment and get covered in paint. I also remember various years after that listening to newer friends excitedly recount their stories of joining the fun and first-time carnival paint parties.

San Pedro Belize Carnival

There was a good turn out for the exhibit. Mito Paz, Brenda Henkes, and crew did a fantastic job (as always) of honoring San Pedro Carnaval 2019 with the first big event followed by 4 days of fun in the town center. It was a bit hard to capture good quality pics for the outside part of the evening so I shot a short video instead. Included is a bit of the opening night comparsa dancers and main event Karen’s photography exhibit. Followed by the Saturday afternoon kids paint and foam party in Central Park.

50 Shades of Color 

As always Central Park turned into a rainbow of color as kids joyously ran around doing the annual people painting. Of course, I had to get a shot of Karen in action, I also got permission to raid Karen Brodie Photography for a picture or two. Her Carnival 2019 – kids album is worth looking at, don’t forget to like her page while you are there. She is always putting up fabulous Belize photographs and sometimes other cool places.

San Pedro Belize Carnival

For the painting part, generally, kids will leave you alone if you say so. There is always the exception to the rule so make sure you are wearing things you do not mind splatters on. My exception to this time was that a young stealth ninja swooped in with some olive green paint and got a good swipe down my printed shirt. It happened while I was snapping pics and dodging painters, who were running around soaking each. Thankfully none of the others noticed and I got off light.

Of course, I had way too many pictures to choose from, I narrowed it down to 29 and then further still. Here are my favorite few paint party shots. Of course, Karen Brodie in action comes first, as for me this year was largely about her fabulous work. I have seen her in action many times. You can’t tell but in the end, the kids closest to her were ading a bit more pain to her.

San Pedro Belize Carnival
 San Pedro Belize Carnival
 San Pedro Belize Carnival
San Pedro Belize Carnival

Foam Fun Never Gets Old

I am a total bubble bath girl, so I enjoy watching a good foam party. Many of these kids have never seen a bathtub, I enjoyed the feeling of excitement as they played foam. all the while DJ Debbie was spinning great trax. She also did a short $50 best dance moves contest before the foam hit.

San Pedro Belize Carnival

Following kids fun, came a parade and comparsas (street dancers.) Due to timing, well really things being a bit on Belize time, I missed the parade. Eileen at DaandE’s called it right and sure enough, the 5 pm start rolled by their frozen custard shop at 7:00 pm 😀 I missed the dancers too as I was busy at the time they happened. I did score a pic Hot of the presses from Karen to share with you, not even the facebook world has seen it yet 😀 Every year a group of men dress up as women and dance through the streets of San Pedro town, Below are two of them.

San Pedro Belize Carnival

Sadly I read on Ambergris Today the comparsas were low this year, a sign that means tradition could be dwindling. I was also sad to see (as always) there was no public mention for the painters to steer clear of the water. Many were washing off their latex paint in the sea and I cannot believe that is a good thing for marine life.

If you want to see more colorful San Pedro Belize Carnival fun, visit Ambergris Today, San Pedro Sun, San Pedro Scoop, Carnival De San Pedro Facebook page, and Tropic Air.

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.

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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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B W
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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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D Zep
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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
Ty Willingham
Ty Willingham
01:47 20 Aug 21
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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Greg Cox
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I am very glad I found you and asked you a question about a spice in Belize. You helped me figure out the name of it... and where i could buy it. You went above and beyond to help. Thanks again.read more
Katherine Jones
Katherine Jones
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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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Greg R
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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
ksniegoc1
ksniegoc1
17:45 02 Jun 21
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
Myra F
Myra F
01:30 25 Mar 21
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
Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
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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Carol Taylor
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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
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
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
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
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
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
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
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
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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
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
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
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
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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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Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
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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