Last Night I Dreamt of San Pedro
It’s a matter of debate whether Madonna was really singing about the town on Ambergris Caye in Belize, but that’s the rumor. Taking a break from I Will Not Hurt Myself/I Will Not Hurt Others, I travelled down to see friends there recently. It may be true, and it may be self-fulfilling prophecy, but one can see a glimmer of those idyllic lyrics. San Pedro today is hustling with tourists and expatriates, grappling with many of the same environmental issues, like sanitation, wildlife preservation, and land conservation as other developing nations, as well as the familiar problems of drugs and corruption. Still, there are many charms to be found in a place so vibrant with color, scent, and humanity. Jostling alongside abundant wildlife and protected reefs, the people of San Pedro are consistently open-hearted and easygoing, everyone seemingly knowing everyone else. And true to my nature, I found myself most happy in the quiet spaces between the bustle and rattle of golf carts and bush planes shuttling between the islands…
Lance the dog is a fixture in downtown San Pedro and ended up following/leading me around my first morning taking pictures.
When a sailor on the dock noticed me taking this picture, he introduced her as his girlfriend and laughed.
It wasn’t all quiet scenes. Part of Carnival in San Pedro involved paint fights in the plaza. This friend of a friend of a friend, was the spirit of the night.
But wait -there’s more!
My trip afforded me the opportunity to skip over the border into Guatemala to visit the ruins at Tikal and Xunantunich, just this side of the border in Belize. I’ve added in a few images of the ancient Mayan complexes. My shots are a more tourist than artist, but that’s okay too.
There always has to be one view of the tree canopy. It’s tourist photo law.
One last shot…
It could, and probably does, exist anywhere. But it’s just a pretty cool sign for our times.
