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Taking the Kids: Sun, sand and adventure in beautiful Belize

By Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on

We feast on conch chowder and conch ceviche, shrimp, squid and it seems every variety of seafood, empanadas, traditional meat pies and more. Accompanied by the national Belikin beer and rum drinks.

At Brianna's Food Palace, popular with San Pedro locals, we feast on garnaches, a fried tortilla with refried beans onion and "Dutch Cheese."

Belizean cuisine is a mixture of many cultures from the Maya to African to European and others, but you will see Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce on every table (a mixture of habanero peppers, carrots and onions that offer mild to "beware" levels of heat).

In 1862, Belize became a British crown colony known as British Honduras and didn't become fully independent until Sept. 21, 1981.

It's amazing today to realize that in 1869, the British Honduras Courts sold Ambergris Caye on the auction block - $625 in gold to James Hume Blake. His stepdaughter inherited the land and established the village, which she named San Pedro. Tourism came later and today as many as 30,000 live here in season, 15,000 all year. But it still has the vibe of an undiscovered locale.

There are four zones to the Hol Chan preserve -- the most popular for snorkeling and one of the most popular dive sites in Belize -- and "Shark Ray Alley," where we see the nurse sharks and rays right around our boat.

We're extremely lucky this cool, overcast morning, to see two green moray eels slithering along just above the bottom. We see schools with scores of Gray Snapper, the silver Horse-eyed Jacks, barracuda and Blue Striped Grunts. And, though it is chilly, the water is warm -- 80 degrees -- so it is comfortable snorkeling weather just in a bathing suit.

 

Tiny harmless jellyfish called Sea Combs swim into our hands; the other fish ignore us -- the Sgt. Majors, the Parrot Fish, the Rainbow Fish, Angel Fish, the small Yellow-tailed Damsel Fish, which are blue, the Spotted Eagle Ray. Everywhere we look there seems to be a different fish oblivious to our presence -- more than 50 different types, our guide suggests.

Those who want to dive the famous Blue Hole, known for its underwater caves and formations, have at least a two-hour boat trip each way, but that dive is one for the bucket list.

Even beginning snorkelers will be comfortable here. It's the perfect place to have a contest to see who in the family sees the most fish. Want to bet the kids win?

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)


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