Paget's Belize Journal - 2001
Spring in Belize-
A princess arrives |
A princess arrivesMy trip in the Spring of 2001 was for about 2 months. This time I decided I wanted to experience a different part of the county, so I didn't make any plans before I left except to check in with my friends in Dangriga before I did anything else. These are the first two entries in that visit's travelogue. Here's a quote from a story in the online Belize paper issued today (April 13, 2001): *** Her Royal Highness Princess Anne is expected to arrive in Belize at the Philip Goldson International airport around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17. *** Guess which day *I'm* going to Belize? Right in one. I land
around 2:45 and at least theoretically fly out again to Dangriga
at 4:30. So maybe we'll just pass in the air. Belize has been
great for celebrities. Remember when I *almost* saw Harrison
Ford? I'll be sure to report about security measures. And since
the sun sets around 6:00 and planes don't fly at night there,
I may also be reporting on sleeping in the airport. Traveling to Belize was long, but uneventful this time. And, as I indicated before, I arrived at the International airport in Belize City just two hours before Princess Anne was scheduled to land (in her private jet, of course). I had anticipated some increased security because of her visit and fretted some about explaining the bags and bags of soy protein, oatmeal and dried apricots I was taking to a friend as well as the toaster oven and multiple jugs of Avon Skin-So-Soft (a good sand fly deterrent). But my bags weren't even opened and as to security, they just posted a policeman at the door and wouldn't let us on the airfield as she arrived. They also rolled out a genuine red carpet and moved all the commuter planes to the far end of the field so we had to walk a loooong ways when it was time to board. A small price to pay. It was a classic ceremony; Princess Anne looks exactly in person as she does on TV. She wore a handsome suit, her hair did not fly around in the wind, she accepted her bouquet from the adorable little girl with grace and enthusiasm, just as if she had not done it 10,000 times before. Everyone who had cameras handy took photos and grinned at their good fortune. The tourists, that is. Not the Belizeans. I met a man on the plane who dismissed the visit thus -- Don't want to see her, she talks too much. Princess Anne did *not* go through customs at all. Oh, no. (I write this next cliched sentence with great satisfaction, because it was absolutely true and may well be the beginning of my career as a romance writer.) The Princess stepped into a waiting limousine and was swept away. After that I walked way across the field and was flown to Dangriga. Just to prove to myself that I was going to be brave about everything this time, I asked to sit in the front with the pilot. And he said yes! So I had a wonderful, thrilling flight, scrunched up as small as I could get so as not to interfere with anything. All my friends in Dangriga are fine. Drinking coffee on the
end of the dock at Pelican Beach at in the cool of the morning
is as wonderful as I remember. I only have two mosquito bites.
And I have found a fine living situation in San Ignacio in the
Cayo district. I'll tell you about it next time. |
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