Flashbacks
Flaskbacks articles
Five-A-Side a Dead Sport in Ambergris Caye
It used to be the No. 1 sport for sports aficionados. It used to attract hundreds of young children and teenagers to become athletes, and hundreds more young and old, men and women as fanatics of the event. Five-A-Side used to fill up Central Park for hot soccer action every Friday and Saturday nights.
San Pedro's Warm Hospitality Hasn't Changed Over The Years!
If you were hosting some friends today, you would probably take them diving or snorkeling at Hol Chan and then take them out to dine at one of the most popular restaurants in town. Not so in the past as you can appreciate in this flashback. Sanpedranos would take them out to the beach, pull down some coconuts and enjoy the mixed drinks or cocktails.
Halloween in Old San Pedro
The Wizard of Oz was driving around San Pedro back in the 1980’s along with witches, devils and ghosts and they were high in possibility of winning the grand prize. Halloween in Old San Pedro was mostly for the children who dressed up for their Halloween fair, danced in a circle and won a prize or two. It was later that adults got into the frenzy that it is today with elaborate cost
Downtown San Pedro Then and Now
I am certain a lot of you do not recognize this setting of old San Pedro. From the right to left, instead of the home of Don Juan Alamilla Sr, you now have the complex housing Love Belize, and several other offices. Secondly instead of Maestro’s Reyes Book Center you have Royal Caribbean Sports Center Bar. The San Pedro R.C.
A Look Back at Manelley's Ice Cream Shop
I bet you don’t know the origin of the name Manelly’s Ice Cream. I am sure I can pause for five minutes and you stop reading momentarily and you still cannot figure out how the name Manelly’s came about. Okay, bet won so here it is. The clue is that the owners of this very popular ice cream place are Manuel Delvalle and Shelly. Take ‘Man’ from Manuel and ‘elly’ from Shel
The First Belize Independence Parade
The year 1981, thirty two years ago, on September 21, Belize witnessed the first Independence Day parade ever and it took place in the commercial capital, Belize City. By Belize standards this was the biggest parade in memory. Take a look at the parade in Belize City. It was one solid mass of people from the foot of the Belize Swing Bridge all the way down Albert Street as far
Patriotism in the 1970's
It is not the size of a parade but the patriotism that goes along with it. These San Pedro kids, Milo Paz Jr.
The Oldest Beauty Pageant of San Pedro
San Pedro is very likely the most active community in Belize as it relates to pageantry to include several Miss Kindergarten Schools, Miss Chiquitita, Miss SPHS Chiquitita, Miss Isla Bonita Elementary, Miss ACES, Miss SPHS, Miss Costa Maya International, Miss Carnabal, Miss Lions International, and Miss San Pedro.
Pioneer Tourist Guides in San Pedro, Belize
Since Holiday Hotel was the first hotel to welcome tourists to San Pedro, the pioneer tourist guides have got to be Mr. Gabriel “Gaby” Perez, Mr. Abel Guerrero and Mr. Jose Gonzalez. Pictured here along with San Pedro High School benefactor, Mr. Al Felly, is Gaby Perez. Their main objective was to give their guests something to brag about - a large catch of fish and a fantastic day at sea.
Simplicity San Pedro Style
When Al Felly took this shot in 1971, he was impressed by the simplicity of Island life in San Pedro. All of the fishermen and tour guides carried small locally built mahogany skiffs powered by small outboard engines. So simple that they could leave their skiffs moored at the hotel pier and nobody would bother them except for children who begged for leftover sardines for their own f
A Trip to Belize City on Cargo Boat
First it was by sailing boat in the 1960’s, then it was by the cargo boat which was motorized in the 1970’s. After the Elsa P cargo boat threw away its sails and installed an inboard engine, passengers found it much more comfortable to travel to Belize City for their shopping or medical needs. It was in no way close to a water taxi as the passengers still had to wake up at 3a.m.
Siesta Time in San Pedro was Gene Inherited
The culture of San Pedro is such that it calls for a siesta or a short nap time just after midday lunch or by mid afternoon. This goes back to 1898 when the coconut farmers (milperos) simply laid down to rest under the shade of a coconut tree. This of course happened after long hours of collecting coconuts and peeling the nuts out of the thick husk.
Constructing the First Concrete Buildings and Hotels in San Pedro
We must say kudos to these men and operators of the famous lighters or flat-bottomed sailing boats used for cargo.
San Pedro's Best Football Days
This Flashback photo takes us back to what we can call “San Pedro’s Best Football Days ever". Some of the best players San Pedro has ever produced are right in this team. These are all amateur players, not a single semi professional nor professional, but they all gave San Pedro much excitement, pride and most of all glory. Glory because they played against any visiting team in
Traffic The Wrong Way in San Pedro Village
This nice looking boat is parked right in front of Caramba Restaurant on Pescador Drive.
High Science Lobster Pats
Some call it lobster pats; others call it lobster traps. However in Spanish it is known as “Nasa” and though it has nothing to do with Nasa space exploration, it is indeed scientific in its operation. It used to cost less than ten dollars to build one and it served a fisherman at least two seasons.
Long Before the Compactor Trucks in San Pedro, Belize
San Pedro’s Garbage Collection has always taken a priority in the list of duties of the Village Councils and Town Councils of our community. At first the garbage was deposited on the left side of the narrow streets leading from the back street towards the lagoon. When the heap was too high, volunteers would set it on fire and thereafter level it to the ground using some of it as lan
San Pedro Remembers Mama Vilma
At first it was a humble wood residence located near the end of the village even before the R.C. School was built close by. It was the home of Mr. Francisco “Fash” Arceo and Vilma Forman Arceo and their large family of about ten including Patty, Neria, Vicky, Maricela, and Omar. Later on it was the site of the once famous The Hut Restaurant, which revolutionized local cuisine.
La Beluga Submarine in San Pedro
Submarines are said to have been sighted outside the reef along the north coast of Ambergris Caye during World War II. Could this have been one of them captured and landed in San Pedro. That would have been cool, but no, only wishful thinking. This is actually one of those life boats used in those big container ships. In times of emergency, several men could lock t
Real Estate Now Multi Million Business in San Pedro
Walk around San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye and at every block you will find a Real Estate Office with its walls pasted with photos of properties on sale. Real Estate is a multi-million dollar business on Ambergris Caye. But this is not how it all started.