This week with hit the road and went to Placencia for some beach time. We made plans with friends to meet up there. Donna and her mom, Jeanne, are from Corozal (in northern Belize). Donna was our first landlady when we arrived here. She and Jeanne were so amazing to us and really helped us get settled in our new country. As an extra bonus, Jeanne's home base is Parksville, BC. That's the same as my Mom. Incredible coincidence! Every since Jeanne went back to Canada she and my Mom have been best friends. They travelled to Belize together. Unfortunately, Donna lives about three hours from us, so we don't see her and Jeanne that often. So it was a real treat to spend a few days together, especially at beautiful Placencia!
We really noticed a difference in Placencia since our last visit. And that visit was just last month with Sheri and Victor! Now that it's mid November, things are starting to pick up and get busier with tourists. So many more places were open and it seems like everything has a fresh coat of paint and a new welcome mat. Very nice! We found an amazing ice cream shop...to die for! I had three ice cream cones in two days! And I make no apologies!
This weekend Belize celebrates Garifuna Settlement Day. One night we were treated to a local group of drummers, singers, and dancers. The Garifuna are a unique cultural and ethnic group. They first appeared in this area over 300 years ago, when escaped and shipwrecked slaves mixed with the native Caribs who had given them refuge on Saint Vincent Island. The Garifuna adopted the Carib language but kept their African musical and religious traditions, against the demands of the island's colonial masters. In 1795 the Garifuna people rebelled against the British; the Crown punished them for their insolence by deporting them to the island of Roatán, off Honduras. In the years that followed, the Garifuna slowly established villages on islands and along the coasts of southern Belize, Guatemala, and northern Honduras.