Built on top of mahogany chips and
rum bottles used to fill low-lying swampland, the largest city in Belize
is a survivor. Once settled by pirates and swept off its feet by two
major storms, Belize City, the country's heart and soul, has always
bounced back. Today the city has a fast-paced pulse, marching to the
beat of progress.
Belize City is the country's only
genuine urban area, as Belizeans call it, is the commercial and cultural
center containing both the main seaport and a colorful mix of about
one-third of the country's 250,000 residents.
Somewhat of an anachronism, Belize
City extends a welcome mat of colonial charm while flashing a modern-day
smile. Whitewashed, wooden colonial structures are accented by
gingerbread fretwork. Red and Green tin roofs sparkle in the sun.
Classic verandas are draped in brightly colored flowering hibiscus.
Wooden sloop rock placidly in a peaceful harbor near a historic swing
bridge cranked open by hand. Quaint clapboard buildings, set on narrow
crisscrossing streets with names like Euphrates, Baymen and Tigris,
recall days of yesteryear.
