Flashbacks

Flaskbacks articles

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By now it is common knowledge that shrimp trawlers and all forms of trawling nets are illegal in Belize.  This flashback pays tribute to the days when Sanpedrano trawlers brought fresh shrimp from down south to the Belizean tables. Mr. Rosendo ‘Papi’ Graniel and Mr.

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One of the things Sanpedranos really enjoyed was the privilege of being bare footed all the time.  Ninety nine percent of Sanpedranos went about their day without shoes.  But that was only possible because all our beaches and all our streets were covered with six inches of soft white sand.  Here you are looking at a property right on the beach and it was covered with white sand.&

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What’s going on here?  You mean Sanpedranos did not take their wives along when they are having a party?  Of course they did when they went to a dance or some social event.  But this was an end of fishing trip party when the crew of a lobster fishing boat came into town, delivered their eight or nine hundred pounds of lobster tails to the fishing cooperative and then went to Mari

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Scenes like this one are the reason why so many tourists have been attracted to Ambergris Caye and San Pedro.  It is a scene like this that inspired Jerry McDermott to name his hotel on Ambergris Caye the Paradise Hotel.

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Mayor Danny Guerrero is presently serving his term as mayor which in Spanish is an “Alcalde”. Well, he is simply following his father’s footsteps as his dad, Mr. Efrain Guerrero Sr.

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This is a delightful photo taken by Mr.

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In all parts of the world there are the hot spots which people are always looking for. And no, we are not talking about bad hot spots where people go for their share of illegal drugs or illicit sexual gratification. We are talking about hot spots in town where people socialize and look forward to going there to have a grand time with their friends.

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You are looking in the forefront at the once famous Ambergris Lodge, one of the pioneer hotels in San Pedro when it was still a village. Founded in the late 1960’s, The Ambergris Lodge played a vital role in the early development of tourism when Maya Island Air was operating three daily flights from Belize City with connections to the International Airport.

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You don’t have to imagine it.  This is a piece of the beach of San Pedro when it was more a fishing village than a tourist destination.

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Everything in San Pedro has indeed come a long way and what we have today barely compares to what we had 50 years ago or even 25 years.  Such is the case with sea transportation, land transportation and air transportation as well as with hotels, restaurants, shops and stores, residential buildings, business establishments, types of businesses, population, to mention a few.  But one th

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So what is your favorite Carnival Group or theme? Could it be Doña Flora’s, Felix’s, or Cholo’s Dance Gang?  They are all good. Back in time, the favorite groups which showed up dancing on the streets every year were Los Negritos, El Torito and Las Chinitas.  Every boy and girl wanted to be a part of these three comparsas.

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There is so much history and colorful memories in this flashback pic.  The carnival dance is one organized by Jose Pacifico better known today as Spanish, and is wife Maggie behind the guitar.  They were mostly gringo dancers who enjoyed Carnival. Why not?  But look at San Pedro High School right in the center of town, I mean the village.

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The men’s Comparsa or dance group has always been a traditional favorite going all the way back to  Mr.

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You have heard it in many forms that San Pedro is a laid back place both for tourists and locals.

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This is the second hotel to be built on Ambergris Caye after Holiday Hotel. This is Paradise Hotel located just past the cemetery. The main building had a few rooms on the first floor and the restaurant downstairs.

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Look carefully at this Flashback of San Pedro Village in the 1970’s captured by Kay Scott.  There are so many things that come to mind.  Hey look carefully.  Stop reading and look carefully once more.  Alright, now that you have focused, what did you notice?  Did you see that there was a house permanently located in the middle of the street at the very end of Middle Str

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They say a photo is worth a thousand words.  This one is worth a lot more. This photo clearly shows us how much San Pedro has grown.

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After the San Pedro Lions Community Clinic was built by the Lions of San Pedro, Lion Otto Rodriguez was hired as the first resident doctor.  He manned the clinic almost all by himself, but it was strictly as a general practitioner.  Occasionally there were visiting tourists who were doctors and they offered their free services at the clinic.  What we had plenty of were dentists.&

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Las Posadas was very popular in days gone by in San Pedro as they still are all over Mexico.  Las Posadas is the re-enactment of the Holy Family looking for a place for Mary to deliver her firstborn.  All you need are Joseph and Mary, a doll, a stable with a manger, shepherds, the Angel Gabriel, three Wise Men or the Magi, and a group of singers to sing the traditional Posadas song.&n

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The old fashioned Christmas is different for different ages-hams, wine apples, and live Christmas trees.  However for the young girls, the old fashioned Christmas meant a huge doll. “My doll can cry and say mama” boasted Chabby cheerfully as she tilted her doll in a horizontal position so it would cry.

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