Back Street & Lagoon Development Since the 50's

If you think that the building of the seawall alongside the lagoon is a big development, well think again for there has been a lot of development in that area that has brought about much change to the area. Here’s how that west side of the lagoon looked in the 1950’s and thereon. The back […]

Was Easter Different 25 Years Ago?

Was Easter different 25 years ago from today? Easter is indeed a religious festivity and as your can imagine, religious celebrations and rituals do not change much. A Mass is a Mass and the same Biblical passages are repeated year after year and the colors of Lent and Easter do not change. However, there are […]

5 Dances in 1 Year Now 5 on a Weekend

Twenty Five Years Ago does not like to lament nor does it like to criticize things that were different in San Pedro. In similar manner, Twenty Five Years Ago does not like to celebrate nor rejoice at changes for what is one man’s happiness is another person’s headache. One person likes a lot of lights […]

Loyalty, Patriotism and Self-Respect

At the Flag Raising Ceremony organized in San Pedro Town by Hon. Patty Arceo and the Ministry of Human Development, Women & Children, & Civil Society, the Mayor of San Pedro offered the welcome address. In his address I could not help reminiscing of strict loyalty, patriotism and self-respect taught to children in the 1950’s […]

San Juan and Boca del Rio Area

Can you close your eyes and try to imagine all that area from Paradise Hotel all the way to the Boca del Rio and all the area at the back known today as San Juan? In short, there was nothing but trees and mangroves and swamps along that entire area. There were no dwellings, not […]

The Very First Dive Shop

There are so many amenities for the avid divers today. They can get pool instruction from qualified PADI personnel at the hotels. They can get all their diving gear at several different professional scuba diving shops. Divers have all measures of safety that a diver’s safety is highly guaranteed. If there is an unfortunate accident, […]

The Very First Gift Shops

Credit must be given to these first two gift shops, which opened doors almost simultaneously in San Pedro to open the doors to this now thriving business. Today there must be close to some 25 gift shops and souvenir places combined with boutique, children’s gifts, and other accessories. The pioneers in gift shop business are […]

Oh, Those Miserable Calm Days

Oh yes, I know what you can do with a beautiful calm day. You can enjoy the outdoor life, the beach, the picnics, the reef, the sun and all that mother nature has to offer. You can swim, sunbathe, go fishing, diving, enjoy a perfect day. A sunny calm day is a tourist’s delight, but […]

A Healthier Past?

I had a lot of fun and laughter with my uncle Cruz Nunez this past Sunday as I usually have every Sunday. In our conversation came the topic or rather question: “Why did people in the past live much longer than people today?” It was observed that a lot of people of the past lived […]

Ah, Those Windy Days!

How do you see windy days today? Some people like them. Others hate them. Johnny Grief can enjoy wind surfing. But the food vendors by Central Park get sand all over their place. If you are a tourist guide and have a group of enthusiastic tourists to take out to sea, you might not be […]

The First Banking Services

It is a booming economy. Soon there will be three banks in San Pedro, three of the most powerful banks in Belize- Atlantic Bank, Belize Bank and Alliance Bank. You would think that banking has been on this island from the time the community was founded in 1948. But no, our history in banking does […]

Roasting Hot Peppers

Why would you want to roast hot peppers? I’ll tell you why. Today you cannot burn a small pile of weeds in your yard without someone calling the fire department. Well, that is understandable for we would all do it to our neighbors. We cannot seem to be able to tolerate any inconvenience. Today we […]

The Very First Ones Part 11

During the next few weeks “Twenty Five Years Ago” will be taking you through a list of “Firsts” in San Pedro and Ambergris Caye which have set the pace for a good start and have led to the development of San Pedro as we know it today. So who and what and when and why […]

The Very First Ones Part 10

During the next few weeks “Twenty Five Years Ago” will be taking you through a list of “Firsts” in San Pedro and Ambergris Caye which have set the pace for a good start and have led to the development of San Pedro as we know it today. So who and what and when and why […]

The Very First Ones Part 9

We interrupted our list of “firsts” to bring in stories of the Holiday Season, and now pick up from where we have left. We have covered the first airstrip, airplane, speed boat, vehicle, doctor, cinema, bar, telephone, generator, water system, hotel, mayor, village council, and first residents of San Juan and San Pablo. First Graduation: […]

Celebrating New Year's Day

Today for New Year’s Day festivities, there is such a wide choice of places to go that all the friends will be split up. Chances are that you will be able to greet and hug only a few of your friends for some will be at Jaguar’s, or Iguana’s, Fido’s, Ramon’s, Holiday Hotel, Big Daddy’s, […]

It's Christmas Day 25 Years Ago!

It is December 25, 1960, one year before Hurricane Hattie. That day there are no boats sailing to the fish traps because it is Christmas and the fishermen are tired. Yes, tired but not of fishing but of dancing. San Pedro wakes up that morning to the sound of pop shots. There are many children […]

Christmas 25 Years Ago

Twenty-five years ago Christmas was celebrated in quite a different manner than today- not better nor worse, just different. One knew that Christmas season was approaching when one saw those huge salted hams in crocus bags hanging from the ceilings of the stores around the village. The shopkeeper made it his duty to call on […]