Flashbacks

Flaskbacks articles

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Here we are on Pescador Drive in the center of town right in front of the world famous Elvi’s Kitchen. Call it progress or call it changing times, but what you see in this flashback is very different from what you see today.  The tiny short pants have been replaced with the short pants that go way below the knees.  No more cool sandy streets, only hot and dusty cobble stones.

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We have always been encouraged to dream big and we will achieve good things.  And so was the case of the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church which you see today.  It was a dream of Father Robert Raszkowski S.J. back in the 1960’s and he lived to see its inauguration in the late 1970’s about ten years later.

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A beautiful spot in San Pedro!  Perhaps you might not recognize it because it looks so different with new buildings and even cobblestones and a lot more of activity.  To the left is Fido’s and to the right is Ambergris Lodge, now Mayan Princess.

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It is landing time by Maya Airways back in 1972 when Jerry McDermott takes this shot as he is about to land at the grassy airstrip of San Pedro.  Here is the story for the younger generation and all newcomers to San Pedro.

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This is the village of San Pedro in the 1960’s.  It extended from the area of the San Pedro R.C. School up north to the cemetery and it stopped right there. You do not need to imagine it; you can see it right here in this Flashback.

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During the month of September when we celebrate anniversaries of the Battle of St.

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The year is 1986, 26 years ago.  No matter what size of parade it was, Miss San Pedro has always been present as the focal point of any parade.  This year it was Flor Marin, with her lovely maids of honor.  The float depicts a whale after which the Island got its name of Ambergris Caye.  The photo was taken from the verandah of Barrier Reef Hotel, formerly the renowned Papa

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In the golden years of the Village of San Pedro, children would go swimming practically every day.  As soon as the school bell was rung for dismissal, children would run home, change into their swimming trunks, and head to their favorite swimming spot- the main pier, Tackle Box Area, Fido’s Area, Paradise Area. Some children even went swimming into their regular school clothes.

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The grand celebration of queens goes back to 1954 when Leni Aguilar Alamilla was first crowned.

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Were these young men standing in the middle of the street to stop all vehicles for the Dollar Drive Fund Raiser?  If they were, they surely would not make a single dollar.  The next question is why are they all not wearing shoes?  Well, who would think of wearing shoes in a place where all streets were sandy?  And why are their short pants so short?  Well, you are looki

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The Costa Maya International Festival actually had its origin as The San Pedro International Sea and Air Festival.  It was the brainchild of a few Sanpedranos along with members of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, particularly Bruce and Victoria Collins.   The early days of the festival had the participation of Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador- the Mundo Maya

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No, this is not Betito Marin, but it is Mireya, his first child in the 1960’s.  Betito’s dad was a humble coconut farmer/fisherman and even tailor and educated him up to high school level.

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This is a funny photo with lots of historical, fond memories.  This Peace Corps volunteer in 1975 would do anything for his San Pedro High School students.

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Before attaining the odd name of ‘Saca Chispas’ given by “We Don’t Know Who”, the official name this sports field is La Plaza de San Pedro.  The land was donated to the village by one of San Pedro’s benefactors, Mr.

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The spiny lobster season is officially open for the next nine months and naturally San Pedro had a blast at the Seventh Annual Lobster Festival.  But did you know that way back in the 1960’s, it was the spiny lobster along with our reef, beach and people that attracted some of the first tourists to our Island?

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Can’t really tell what year they graduated from the San Pedro R.C. School but here we can appreciate Miss Lucy Trejo and Miss Marthita Leslie’s Infant one class of the only primary school on the island in early 1970’s.  Young, energetic and intelligent Mrs.

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Close your eyes and try to imagine a Sanpedrano family in front of their home way back into the 1940’s. You probably would get a different image from what you are looking at.  You will imagine a thatch house like you see on the cover of the book, Twenty Five Years Ago, right?

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Las Leonas- this was how the wives of the Lions were referred to when the San Pedro Lions Club was founded in 1975.  These lovely ladies certainly don’t look like ‘Leonas’ or Lioness but they certainly worked hard along with the Lion members to make of this club a success.

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For a long time Milo Paz’s property used to be the end of the village on the northern end.  It was so until Paradise Hotel was opened just past Milo’s and then the village simply expanded and blossomed all the way up north.  First there was Milo’s Hotel with the cemetery directly in front of it.  Then there was Milo’s Store.  And which child in the 1980’s doesn’t remember wi

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This Flashback clearly shows the elements of a fishing village versus a tourism destination.

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