Life in Belize is casual for us. I usually wear very little (if any) makeup and I regularly blame the wind and humidity for whatever 'style' my hair is in for the day! I do have 'go to town' clothes and 'work in the yard' clothes but they are pretty much always shorts, tank tops and flip flops. It's just that the 'go to town' clothes are usually colour coordinated and have less holes! Put me in a room with a dozen Belizean women and without a doubt, I will be the worst dressed. We haven't given up the basics of personal grooming yet...we still have regular showers and the teeth are still getting brushed...but it's something we'll have to keep an eye on! Yes, we have adopted a more casual attitude. I like to think that we are no longer slaves to the fickle whims of fashion!
But that doesn't mean it isn't fun to dress up once in a while. Last week we had the chance to get all dolled up and attend a fundraiser benefit the for Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic. It was their first, but going to be annual, dinner and silent auction and it was held at the San Ignacio Hotel. What a fun night and a great cause. The clinic looks after the wild animals of Belize. They take care of everything from howler monkeys to turtles and snakes. The hope is always to mend the animals and then release them back into the wild.
A big draw for me was the menu. The appetizer was lion fish. That's the really pretty, spiky, black and white fish that I remember seeing in pet stores when I was a kid. Well, it turns out that they are a terribly invasive species that are starting to do some real damage to the other critters of Belize's barrier reef. There is a movement to build a commercial market for the lion fish meat to encourage more harvesting of them. And they taste delicious! So, if you happen to see lion fish on a menu someday, order it! Very tasty and good for the environment!
But that doesn't mean it isn't fun to dress up once in a while. Last week we had the chance to get all dolled up and attend a fundraiser benefit the for Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic. It was their first, but going to be annual, dinner and silent auction and it was held at the San Ignacio Hotel. What a fun night and a great cause. The clinic looks after the wild animals of Belize. They take care of everything from howler monkeys to turtles and snakes. The hope is always to mend the animals and then release them back into the wild.
A big draw for me was the menu. The appetizer was lion fish. That's the really pretty, spiky, black and white fish that I remember seeing in pet stores when I was a kid. Well, it turns out that they are a terribly invasive species that are starting to do some real damage to the other critters of Belize's barrier reef. There is a movement to build a commercial market for the lion fish meat to encourage more harvesting of them. And they taste delicious! So, if you happen to see lion fish on a menu someday, order it! Very tasty and good for the environment!
But back to our evening....we got together with friends, Bart, Nicole, and Louise. I can say that all of us ladies looked simply wonderful! And Adam and Bart polished up just fine and were worthy escorts for us!
Not only was the food and company a treat, we had good success at the silent auction. This painting is my Christmas present to myself. I love it! And we also came home with vouchers for a guided horseback tour and a chauffeured shopping trip to Belize City. Yup, I'd say it was a really good night!