Life In Belize

Trip down Consejo Rd

Good morning to all of you who have been following Dalliance's Journeys.  We apologize for the long delay in our blog postings.  We have been pretty busy working on the house and trying to adjust to life in Belize.  It is a very different life than the one we led in the States.  We'd like to give you a first hand look at what those differences are and our perspective on the pros and cons of  a "gringos" life in Belize.  Our home is situated northwest of the small village of Consejo on the northern coast of Belize.  We built our home on .75 acres of seafront property on the Bay of Chetumal in a private residential development called Wagner's Landing.  We have 108' of waterfront facing the bay looking east.  Chetumal Mexico is approximately 2 miles across the bay to the north. 

Rio Hondo River

The Rio Hondo river forms the northern border which seperates Belize from Mexico.  It is a fresh water river approximately 50 yards wide with depths up to 75'.   The City of Chetumal is located on the bay at the mouth of the Rio Hondo river.  Consejo is located in the Corozal District of Belize.  The districts in Belize are the governmental equivalent of counties in the states.

Consejo Rd- NOT the intracoastal

Corozal Town is the district seat and is located 7 miles south of Consejo village.  This can be a very long 7 miles during the rainy season as the road is unpaved.  We have seen conditons on the road which run from smooth newly grated to completely covered under a foot of water the entire 7 mile stretch. 
To date there is no residential development along the Consejo road.

Same road - one week later

Sugar cane fields, dense jungle vegetation  and tracts of recently cleared land line both sides of the road.  The land being cleared has been sub-divided into building lots for residential development but no homes have been built. Several private roads intersect the Consejo road and lead to private residences located on the bay between Consejo village and Corozal Town, the Rio Hondo river or small clearings in the jungle.

Road repair in one day-incredible

Casblanca Hotel-Consejo Village

Consejo village is very small with a population of less than 100 people. The residents are primarily native Belizeans.  The villagers traditionally were fisherman, worked in the sugar cane fields or made a living smuggling contraband to and from Mexico.  The smuggling tradition in this sleepy little village is part of the folklore throughout the country of Belize.  Kris and I spend many nights listening for motor boats passing to and from Mexico under the cover of darkness.  We're told that beer, liqour and cigarette's are the most popular items on the black market.  I have been approached only once being asked if I was interested in buying a carton of cigarettes.  I told the gentleman I didn't smoke. A customs house is located in Consejo and is very active due to a regular water taxi service which runs from the village to Chetumal Mexico on a weekly basis or upon request. 

Customs-1/2 mile from our home

Private boats run back and forth routinely as well.  In addition to the Customs house Consejo has a very formal restaurant and hotel called Casablanca, a casual eatery called the Millenium and a small grocery store.  Four residential developments surround the village.  The oldest and largest is Consejo Shores which consists of approximately 75 homes.

Consejo Custom's Dock

The large majority of homeowners in all four developments are ex-patriots from Canada and the United States and are seasonal residents.  The winter season generally runs from December to June. In our next post, we will explore the residential areas nearby.

New Millenium Restaurant-Consejo Village

Marie's Village Grocery