By Angel Nuñez
YOUK KNOW YOU ARE AN OLD TIMER SANPEDRANO IF
In your days you could only buy nightly raffles from some women and children and on Sundays you bought Panama instead of lottery. These nightly raffles included a $15.00 cash prize for 25 cents or a case of lemonade, or some toy. During Christmas season the raffles included a ham, a dozen apples and pears or five pounds of grapes. There was no Belize Sunday lottery so we depended on a weekly lottery that was drawn in Panama and announced by Panama Radio on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Of course the MODERN SANPEDRANOS today can buy huge sums of nightly boledo and even greater numbers of Sunday lottery for a lucrative WIN or a big time LOSS.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE AN OLD TIMER SANPEDRANO IF
In your youthful days you had heard that marijuana was smoked by the bad boys at Yabrough area or Majestic Alley but you never got to see a stick of weed yourself here in San Pedro. Marijuana was introduced to San Pedro in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s by some of the early Belizean district immigrant to San Pedro. It was a blessing for the old timers that they only had to deal with rum and beer along with Winston, Benson and Hedges, Salem, Viceroy, Philip Morris, Colonial, Camel, Lucky Strike and Marlboro cigarettes.
MODERN DAY SANPEDRANOS unfortunately have to deal with marijuana, cocaine, crack, and a whole litany of illicit and dangerous drugs.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE AN OLD TIMER SANPEDRANO IF
Early in the morning you had to rush to the public toilets before your friends made a line at the latrine. All boys and men used these communal/public latrines which were located over the lagoon at the end of each street that led to the lagoon- that is Black Coral Street, Buccaneer Street, Ambergris Street, Pelican Street, and Caribeña Street. It was a small 4-foot by 4-foot cubicle with a roof and with a smooth piece of wood across where you could sit and “do your thing” right in the lagoon. Lucky for the old timers if they got there and the latrine was empty or only one or two in line. And how unfortunate for the old timers if they had loose bowels and got there to find some ten people in line. Do you wonder what they did? Simple! They stooped at the edge of the pier that led to the latrine.
25 Years Ago Books Can Be Purchased At:
-Ambergris Today -Lala’s Store -Chico’s Meat Shop -Pampered Paws -Ambergris Jade -San Pedro BTB Office -Aquarius Salon (Kim) -S.P. Town Library -Di Bush –Richie’s Stationery -San Pedrano’s Stationery -Rum, Coffee & Cigar House
Contact the Author at: nunez_nest@yahoo.com
