This blog is just a tiny visual reminder of what’s under the surface ……. the sea, the creatures, the wonders of life.

You can see this amazing world by snorkeling, snuba, scuba OR for those who want to see it all but stay high and dry – a fantastic adventure in a glass-bottom boat!

Earth is called the Blue Planet – Indigo is another word for the most special of all blues. Join us where the blues get happy. We want to share our world with you.

Romance flourishes! Celebrate love in Belize. Most restaurants have Valentine Special dinners with roses, champagne and several courses of fabulous fare. Lobster season stays open until the end of the the 14th – especially so that you can enjoy one last luscious lobster dinner before the season closes. (Lobster lovers, come back in June when the season re-opens and join us for the week-long Lobster-Fest!).

If a dinner out on the town is not what you’d planned as your Valentine treat – consider a couple’s massage, a gift of some wonderful local single-bean organic chocolate, a wonderful floral arrangement or a moonlight cruise …….. Get creative -re-dedicate your love with a butterfly release? Or simply sip a bottle of crisp champagne as you watch the stars from your Indigo seaside veranda.

The San Pedro Sun, our local weekly print newspaper, has sponsored a Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest for at least 20 years. It’s a LOT of fun! The poets read their work at a local bar – usually the Holiday Hotel’s lovely new Caprice Lounge. The poems range from romantic to silly and a few are downright naughty. Prizes are awarded for various categories and everybody enjoys the event immensely. Several years ago this writer entered a poem and asked a lovely young friend to read it at the contest. She read it VERY well indeed – the poem won 2nd prize and a young man in the audience fell in love with her right then and there. That was in 1993 and they are still very married.

If you’re not in Belize right now reading this, think about spending Valentine’s Day 2014 with us. We will make a holiday package that is romantic, unique and more.

For those who have a taste for the unique and who want to fully participate in an “undiscovered” carnival, San Pedro is the place to be!

Posted below is the schedule of events for Carnival on La Isla Bonita:

Day One, Friday Feb 8: Noche de Enmascarados. Witty or scary jesters going around town playing pranks on people.

Day Two, Saturday Feb 9: Sabado de Bando Ball. A grand masquerade ball at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium with live band and entertainment, food and drinks galore. Masks, feathers and necklaces suggested. Selection of Carnival Queen by crowd acclamation.

Day Three, Sunday Feb10: Carnival Comparsas throughout the day, Block Party at Central Park with entertainment singing, dancing, musical renditions, food and bar galore.

Day Four, Monday Feb 11: Comparsas throughout the day. Judging of groups

Day Five, Tuesday, Feb 12: Final Day of Comparsas. Entertainment at park at 7 p.m. sharp, Announcement and presentation of Comparsa Winners.

Wednesday, 13 February is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar. Catholic Churches will celebrate this day with a well-attended early morning mass.

As you can see from the schedule above, there is a LOT going on! Join in. Everybody is absolutely welcome. The jesters will make you laugh, the masquerade ball will be the experience of a lifetime.
The Comprarsas are wonderfully colorful groups that sing and dance seemingly spontaneously through the streets of San Pedro. Nobody seems to know why, but the tradition is for women to dress like men and men to dress like women. Both men and women strive to entertain with rousing song and dance. It is truly joyful, funny and fun to see!!

About the PAINTING – Throughout history and all over the world, springtime is a time of regeneration, planting of crops and of people celebrating the return of longer sunnier days. In many cultures there are dances and celebrations of nature. A part of San Pedro’s Carnival incorporates “painting” – where celebrants toss colorful (hopefully water-based) paint and/or eggs all over each other. Some would say that San Pedro’s tradition of “painting” has come down through the ages from the Druids who used to toss blood on the ground to bless the ground and guarantee abundance. Others might point to the Hindu celebration of Holi where colorful paints are thrown on celebrants and where streets fill with music and dance. Whatever the origin of the “painting” tradition, in Belize you will find it only in San Pedro.
In years past this frolic could go on for two or three days, but in the interest of keeping the town a wee bit tidier, this year the “painting” part of the celebrations will be restricted to one big and wild day – Tuesday (aka Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras). If you want to “play” we recommend that you wear old clothes and put a little paint on your forehead to let the kids know you’re in the game. In general if you don’t want to be painted you’ll be left alone, but after dark things can get a little silly. Be prepared for a one-of-a-kind celebration if you “play”!!!

Here’s a suggestion on how to make the most of such a “night o the town”. At this time of year the sun goes down around 5:45 PM. Ask your Indigo concierge to arrange your water taxi ride to town for about 5:30. You’ll be able to observe the sunset sky and brilliant colors as you ride along the coast headed south to San Pedro. Arrive just before dark and enjoy a cool beverage at any of the relaxing beach-front bars. Although the local beer and rum are popular, you don’t have drink the hard stuff to have a good time. Fresh-squeezed lime-juice and virgin pina-coladas can be rather fantastic treats at the end of a day of adventures. Take a stroll down Front Street….. and Middle Street …… or rent a cart and meander wherever. Watch the town wind down and enjoy the twinkling lights of the holiday decorations. Eventually, find your dinner spot and enjoy! At this time of year it’s a good idea to have dinner reservations. The Indigo office has a full assortment of sample menus for your review and will be happy to make reservations on your behalf. After dinner there is plenty to do if you like nightlife …… and no need to do anything at all if you’d rather just ride home to your nest at Indigo where you can star-gaze and relax into the peace and beauty of this island paradise.

December 21, 2012 marks the last day of the Mayan Calendar “Long Count”. Depending on your point of view, this means the beginning of something new, the end of something old ….. or maybe just some unfinished business as the cartoon below suggests.

Whatever the more esoteric meaning behind the completion of this Long Count, we can say for sure that it has created a wave of travel to Belize. There will be all-night vigils, concerts, parties and even a “Mayan Marriage of Many” where couples from all over the world will be united in marriage at a sacred Mayan Temple in the grand Belizean jungle.

If you wish to learn more about the Mayan Calendar and this amazing culture, please join us in the Mundo Maya any time! Marco Gonzalez is a Mayan Site right on Ambergris Caye – just ride your bike or drive your cart south on the main island road until you think you can’t go any farther ….. you’ll see the Marco Gonzales sign and will be offered a fascinating tour. Take a “round the island” tour by boat, and travel the hand-dug channel through the mangroves, dug by the Maya as a mariner’s short-cut from sea to lagoon. Famous mainland temple-city sites can easily be visited on fantastic day-tours from Ambergris Caye. Jungle by day, home to the island and beach by dinner. Ask your Indigo Concierge for details.

If you will be in Belize on the 21st of December 2012, be assured there will be an event somewhere nearby and you will be welcome to join in the festivities. Elsita or Mary will tell you where to find the fun!

Saturday, November 17, 2012 -
*Jankunu Dancing – House to house dancing – 1:00p.m to 6:00p.m
*Entertainment: Drumming/Singing/Cultural Dancing at Central Park from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00p.m.
Sunday, November 18, 2012 –
*Entertainment Night – Drumming, Dance: San Pedro Dance Academy, Jankunu Performance – Two Foot Cow/Hunterman/Cherikanari – Castillo Drummers – Miguel Dance Group – San Pedro Punta Rock Band – Punta Boys – Mad Skills and Battle of the Drums – At Central Park 7:00 p.m.
Monday, November 19, 2012 –
*Garifuna Settlement Day Reenactment (Yurumei) – 5:30a.m. from Central Park to Boca Del Rio – Parade down to church trough beachside and mass begins at 7:00a.m.
Official ceremonies, marching bands, drumming and carnival group parade through town after mass.

Turkey in Belize is a special treat.  All the turkeys served are “free-range”, tasty and juicy. 
Roast turkey (with marvelous dressing) is a mainstay of holiday fare in Belize so it’s not much of a stretch to honor US Thanksgiving with a feast.   Many restaurants in San Pedro offer turkey dinners on the 22nd.  The recipes run from traditional to exotic, from classic roast turkey with dressing, biscuits and gravy to tur-duck-en to deep fried cajun spice turkey.

Local restaurants will be packed on the evening of the 22nd.   Ask your Indigo Concierge to make dinner reservations for you well in advance!