Belize, Reef to Rainforest 2/05

Welcome to Belize, a tiny country in Central America nestled snugly on the Atlantic coast beneath Mexico.

It's smaller than New Hampshire and has a population equal to the town of Raleigh, North Carolina.

You could call it a backwater except for the fact that a quarter of a million tourists arrive each year. There's a good reason for that; amazing coral reefs, tropical islands, large tracts of jungle, people who speak English, and a laid back Caribbean lifestyle.

How laid back? This store, next door to our hotel on Caye Caulker, is what qualifies as elegant in Belize. My kinda place.

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