Flashbacks
Flaskbacks articles
Rush Hour on Barrier Reef Drive
Rush Hour on Barrier Reef Drive better known as "Front Street" to locals. Sandy, two way street in San Pedro. You could walk up and down the street without worries as there waw barely any vehicles on the once quaint fishing village of San Pedro. Here is a comparison of today's Barrier Reef Drive.
Carnaval Spirit Runs In The Blood
Just recently upon the passing of Felix Ayuso Jr., he was highly associated with Carnaval. Some of his friends said , "He is Carnaval". This flashback reminds us that the spirit of Carnaval might come in the blood. Seen in this flashback of "El Torito" is Feliz Ayuso Sr. as well as Don Francisco "Pancho" Bardalez, uncle of Felix Ayuso Jr (+).
Flashback to a Candy Treat of the Past
- by Angel Nuñez - No, it’s not sand that you are looking at. This is Casham (also spelt Caan Sham) an OLD Belizean treat (or candy back in the days) that you cannot find in the stores anymore. You know you are an Old Time San Pedrano if you know what Casham is.
Longing for Beach Properties and Sandy Beaches
Gone are the good old days when children living on the beach used to sit on the sand in their own yards and enjoy the cool of the afternoon under a coconut tree. Sometimes it was the entire family that would gather there go enjoy a relaxing afternoon while they waited for dad to return from a trolling trip with a catch of barracudas, king fish or wahoo.
A Taste of Nostalgia
GONE are those good old days when there were sandy streets all over San Pedro, like on back street and sand on Middle Street as seen in this Flashback. The sand has been replaced by concrete.
When One Police Officer was Enough for San Pedro
Can you even imagine the town of San Pedro only needing one police officer to keep the peace? Well at one point in the islands history, when San Pedro was just a sleeping fishing village it was more than enough; and maybe it was too much. The village was so quiet that the police officer had to find odd jobs to keep busy and from falling asleep on the job. That's right!
Everything Was Low Key in San Pedro
Everything, absolutely everything was low key in San Pedro during the days of this Flashback. The political banner was one out of about ten (only) that was hung in San Pedro at the time. By the way the banner reads: “Baldemar Really Cares for Belize Rural South”.
Remember When there was No Bridge Over Boca del Rio?
How did we ever manage without a bridge over Boca del Rio!? Remember when there was only this tiny floating platform that used to barge people back and forth from North Ambergris Caye? It was operated by a couple guys who used to manually pull the platform with a rope across the Boca del Rio cut.
The Original Sands Hotel
It is not among the first hotels but certainly among the early hotels on Ambergris Caye. Sands Hotel was built by the owner himself, George Parham, a member of the very influential family, the Parham's.
The Little Clinic That Could
Back in 1975 when the San Pedro Lions Club was chartered, one of its first big projects was to build a clinic and equip it with a resident doctor and registered nurse. Three years later this building was completed with the sweat and blood and skills of the Lion members.
The Quiet Beach of a Fishing Village
A Quaint Fishing Village, Paradise, Isla Bonita, Belize's No. One Tourist Destination- these are some of the descriptive words that have been used to describe Ambergris Caye and San Pedro. The peacefulness of the island and the pristine beaches are the main characteristics that make San Pedro what it is.
Early Days Of Tourism in San Pedro
At the right of this Flashback Picture is the towering first three story hotel on the Island, Sea Breeze Hotel belonging to the late Seferino Paz Sr. Directly in front is the Ambergris Lodge and across the street is Fido's Hotel. Both Sea Breeze Hotel and Fido’s Hotel had partnered into the Coral Beach Chain of local hotels.
High School Students Build Their Town
You night have imagined that these kids are in detention serving time for some misconduct at school. Former Principal of San Pedro High School played no jokes with unruly students and raking streets was a form of disciplining those few.
The Historical Landmark Roman Catholic Primary School
One of the landmarks of San Pedro is the Roman Catholic Elementary School. From the beach in front of Central Park to the temporary building of the Catholic Church to its present location, the primary school has always been the hub of activity for the children of San Pedro.
Beginnings of Sunbreeze Hotel and Development of South Ambergris Caye
There was a time when the entire beachfront of Ambergris Caye looked like virgin land. Such was the case with this parcel of land immediately south of the San Pedro Roman Catholic School. However one of the local pioneers in tourism, Seferino Paz Sr., decided to bring development to that area.
Village Life Vs City Life in San Pedro
Village life is happy life - that is happy in a different sense. It is simple, yet it is beautiful. There is less, yet there is more. In village life there is life indoors but plenty of life outdoors. Let us take a look at how it used to be different. You hardly see small residential homes in downtown San Pedro anymore; you now see a business spaces almost everywhere in the town core.
A Different San Pedro
There are several things that are quite different from this Flashback of San Pedro to our San Pedro of today. For one thing, you do not see small residential homes in the downtown; you now see a business space almost everywhere in the town core.
Alan Forman Scuba Diving Pioneer of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
While it can safely be said that Celi McCorkle is the Tourism Pioneer in the hotel industry of San Pedro, Alan Forman is the Tourism Pioneer in the scuba diving operations on the island. Alan and a group of San Pedranos formed the chain of local small hotels known as Coral Beach Hotels.
The Building of the San Pedro Lion’s Clinic
This past week on October 25, the San Pedro Lions Club celebrated its 40th anniversary. Among the many celebrated achievements was its first large project- the Lions Clinic.
Andrew Bradley Enjoys Sitting on His Verandah
The proprietor of this humble house is Mr. Andrew Bradley, a quiet and reserved but very happy man. He lived a small part of his life in neighboring X’calak, Mexico. In the late 1950’s he literally saw an entire family lose their life during Hurricane Janet, but he managed to save the life of one child; that child was Edwardo Brown Sr.