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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

You came to the right blog for Belize Resources and Information.

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Whirlwind Belize City Shopping Tour

by tacogirl 21/06/2014
written by tacogirl 21/06/2014
simon quan queen st belize

We did a whirlwind Belize City shopping tour on Wednesday, and by whirlwind I seriously mean it. 11 places in the span of about 5 hours – we really got around. In addition to 4 cabs, we still got our exercise in for the day; my movement tracker shows 3.97 miles walked.  

I was planning to take the 8:00 AM flight and due to work and the 9:00 AM being full, I ended up on the 10 AM Tropic Air. That mean the race would be very close – Mary and Michael took the 8:30 boat and our plan was to meet at Brodie’s between 10:00 and 10:30 – they won by a couple of minutes.

My cab ride from Municipal airport to Brodie’s was $10 BZD, and I got the driver’s card for later use.

Belize travel tip – When doing mainland shopping trips, it can be very hot and staying hydrated is important. Drink extra water on the way to stops where you know you will have a bathroom option.

Municipal Airport

Municipal Airport

After hitting Brodie’s and a pharmacy we headed on over to The Angelus Press, our mini version Office Depot. They have all kinds of office furniture, supplies and do onsite printing. Unfortunately they were on back order for the easel and flip chart pads I was looking for, but thankfully had some red clipboards, which will be perfect for our San Pedro Red Cross Street Beat activity at the block party.

the angelus press queen street belize

The Angelus Press on Queen Street

Next, Simon Quan, which is right around the corner. You never know what you will find at this well known shop. Clothing, bags, jewelry, watches, clocks, eyeglasses, arts & crafts, decorations, gifts, electronics, pool toys, games, footwear and so much more.

A bit of Belize History: Sponsored by his cousin Augusto Quan, Simon came to Belize from China in 1959. Quan was a two term President of the Belize-Chinese Association and was well known for his generous community contributions and scholarships. To read more about this interesting man, take a look at the full article on Channel 7 News Belize.

simon quan queen st belize

Simon Quan Queen st.

simon quan queen st belize city

Tropical fabric neatly packaged in Simon Quan

I decided since we were close enough we may as well hit food and beverage next. Located on New Rd, Belize City, this is the place to go to if you’re looking for bulk sizing, good prices and Asian products. The first 3 pictures show what I wanted to buy if we were not continuing on by foot. The last pic shows what I ended up choosing as that was the lightest of the items and a really good price for Belize Cheese 🙂

food and beverage new road belize

Green Works

food and beverage new road belize city

Artichoke Hearts

bulk shoping at food and beverage new road belize

Olives

belize shopping at food and beverage new road

Large Parmesan cheese 24oz for $27.46

Mirab Home decor was next on our shopping list and we were happy to get inside and cool off for a bit. I was excited to find new bedroom curtains in the bathroom section. I was also glad to see they had a good selection of mattress pads, as I am getting around to bed shopping one of these days.

Mirab store carries an extensive variety of home goods, everything from curtains, sheets, pillows, tropical coffee mugs and more. More includes some beauty products, shoes, toys, electronics, and a pet section. They also have a different furniture store.

mirab home decor on  north front street in belize

Mirab Home Decor on North Front Street in Belize City

mirab home decor on  north front street in belize city

Large curtain selection upstairs at Mirab

belize shopping at mirab home decor on  north front street

Finished at Mirab and ready for lunch

Mary and Michael decided they wanted to give the Riverside Tavern a try as they had heard good things about it. Run by the Bowen (aka Belikin beer) family, it is one of the city’s most popular restaurants. The Tavern is known for it’s burgers, although there are plenty of other options on the menu – I opted for seafood chowder and Caesar salad. Riverside also has a reputation for good service and a secure fenced in parking lot.

We considered sitting on the covered patio overlooking Haulover Creek, which is one of the 3 main canals running in Belize City, enjoying some air-condand people watching those there to see the soccer match won.

Our cab ride from Mirab to The Riverside Tavern was $10 BZD, and our driver was waiting right out front when we exited the store.

belize city restaurants

Riverside Tavern on Mapp St.

riverside tavern mapp st belize city

Riverside Tavern Mapp St. Belize City

Since we were getting loaded down and not on a main drag, I decided to call Gilbert, my original taxi driver of the day. He was back at the airstrip and said he would be there in 5 minutes to pick us up.

From there it cost us $15 BZD for him to drop us off at the Health Store on Central American Blvd. I was on a quest for smoothie ingredients and ended up with Chia and Flax seeds. From there, it was a short walk back to “Save U” which is still my favorite shop. We did a good, slow pass through the store and were pretty restrained considering all the things we would have liked to buy. I ended up with some nice smoothie glasses that were $2.98 a piece, so I got 4 green and 4 blue.

belikin beer belize

Save U world cup Light House beer and peanut promotion

We walked across the bridge to catch a cab to the other Brodie’s for our final shopping – the last of the heavy stuff. I added a large jar of Jiff peanut butter to my weight at a cost of $22 BZD, and they added 2 big bags of cat food. I never did ask if it was cheaper but I know their main issue was availability, as they have not been able to find the one they like on Ambergris Caye lately.

After this it was time to part ways, and Mary & Michael headed back to the water taxi dock. I had a bit of extra time on my hands so I decided to cross the road and do a quick pass through Benny’s Home Center. I always enjoy the large selection of choices compared to what we get on the island.

benny's hardware belize

Benny’s Home Center, 2.5 Miles Northern Highway Belize City

After that busy day, I was happy to just park myself in the outdoor lounge at Municipal and relax. As much as I wanted to go, I knew I would not make it to the “lobster crawl it” for Pedro’s All you can eat Lobster Pizza event.

tropic air belize

Waiting in the outdoor lounge at Municipal airport

tropic air belize runway expansion project at municipal airport

Runway expansion project

caue caulker island

Flying over Caye Caulker

caye caulker belize

Imagine living in the solitary octagon house at the end of Caye Caulker

flying into san pedro belize on a tropic air cessna

Home sweet home

tropic air hanger under construction san pedro belize

New hanger construction

Related

tacogirl

Laure 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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San Pedro Block Party -Lobster Fest 2014

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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
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
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
15:58 23 Nov 19
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
18:28 03 May 19
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
Michael Rieck
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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THE ORIGINAL BELIZE BLOG

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 discounts, Contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

3 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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