Friday, July 31, 2009

Miss Costa Maya '08 Arrives

Ambergris Today and San Pedro welcomes Jennifer Chiong, Miss Costa Maya 2008, back to the island. This time around Jennifer returns not to compete but to enjoy her stay in San Pedro while she cashes in on her prize winnings - free golf cart rental during her stay and free scuba certification, among others. She hands over the crown on Thursday, August 6. Welcome back Jennifer.

Actor Michael Jai White Visits Island

Michael Jai White came to Belize for the Belize International Film Festival. Before leaving to the U.S. he was invited by Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, to tour La Isla Bonita. His visit will be short but he will have time to enjoy lunch at the famous Elvi's Kitchen. Here he is arriving at the Maya Island Air terminal and being greeted "Island Styly" by a barefoot Hon. Heredia. White's latest role is portraying the mob boss 'Gambol' in the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. He is also starring in the film Blood and Bone and the blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite which is slated for a 2009 release.



Costa Maya Delegates Have Arrived!

Click on pictures to enlarge

The eight Costa Maya delegates who will be competing at this year’s Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant have arrived in San Pedro. They set foot in Belize City on Thursday, July 30, and were taken on a city tour and enjoyed lunch at the famous Riverside Tavern before arriving in San Pedro. They are being hosted by Ramon’s Village, the official hotel for the Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant. If you would like to meet all eight contestants be sure to make it to Noche Sanpedrana, Friday, July 31, where the San Pedro Lions Club will host them for a night of entertainment and dinner at the Lions Den at 7:00p.m. The event is open to the general public. Miss Costa Maya 2008 Jennifer Chiong (from Guatemala) will also join the ladies at Noche Sanpedrana.


The ladies visit the Barron Bliss Memorial Tomb, Belize City



Pageant night at the Costa Maya Festival is on Thursday, August 6 at the festival grounds. To view a full itinerary of the contestants leading up to pageant night CLICK HERE!

Lunch at Riverside Tavern








Thursday, July 30, 2009

San Pedro Themed Restaurant in Wisconsin



San Pedro in Hudson, Wisconsin??? Morgan Keldsen stumbled upon this Cafe in Wisconsin and sent us the link to its website. The Cafe features an Ambergris Caye themed atmosphere complete with a 100 gallon coral garden salt water aquarium, Belizean made wooden table tops, Marie Sharp Hot Sauce, artifacts of Maria Imports, tropical named menu items and a large wood-fired oven to prepare fresh seafood, slow-smoked meats and vegetables, specialty pizzas and a variety of other culinary delights including Rice & Beans. The owners, we are told, lived in San Pedro for some time and when they moved back to the US, they decided to run a San Pedro-themed restaurant. Its pretty cool - check out their website at www.sanpedrocafe.com/home.asp

Who is your Favorite Costa Maya Contestant?


Vote for your favorite candidate of this year's Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant on our online poll at Ambergris Today Online. VOTE HERE!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Volunteers Offer Swimming Classes



Volunteers to Holy Cross Anglican School from St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades, California taught swimming classes all last week. Almost 50 Island children participated in this program and learned vital water survival skills. The group stayed at the Tides and the management there graciously offered their pool and dock for swimming lessons. Classes were held each morning from 9am until 11:30am with a mid-morning snack served by the volunteers.
Saturday morning was the culmination of a week of fun and learning as the First Annual Swim Meet was held. Prizes were awarded and all participants received new bathing suits and delicious ice cream cones from Manelly’s.
Another team from St. Matthew’s will be in San Pedro offering swimming classes from Monday, August 3 until Friday, August 7th. Monday is reserved for adults who would like to learn how to swim. Classes are free for all children in San Pedro.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Neighborhood Cleanup on Sunday

In an on-going effort to keep San Pedro Clean and healthy the South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch in conjunction with the San Pedro Town Council will be conducting a massive clean-up operation on Sunday, August 2, 2009 starting at 7am at the San Pedro water tower opposite Royal Caribbean Resort.

The clean-up should take approximately 2 hours and will include the area from Victoria House Hotel south to the end of the island. The cleanup will be on the road and the beach. All residents in the area are asked to provide at least one volunteer per residence, condo complex or business to assist with the project. If possible please bring tools such as machete, shovels etc and any vehicles that are appropriate for hauling sacks of trash, logs etc. Be prepared to work and wear sunscreen, mosquito repellent, hat, work gloves, closed toe shoes and appropriate attire. SACNW will provide trash bags and drinking water. Please come along and join in with the cleanup effort, bring a friend and a neighbor – let’s keep San Pedro clean and healthy.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Costa Maya Delegates Arrive Thursday

Miss Costa Maya 2008 Jennifer Chiong (Miss Guatemala)

The eight contestants for the Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant arrive this Thursday to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Follow them around the island and get a glimpse of how HOT the pageant will be on Thursday, August 6. View their full itinerary before they hit the stage on Pageant Night CLICK HERE! Also visit Costa Maya Festival Online! and on Facebook.

Exploring Toledo!

It is the southernmost district in the country of Belize and probably one of the least visited areas both by locals and tourists, but that is all about to change and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) wants everybody to get to know Toledo a little bit better. Ambergris Today was there for all of you to see what Toledo has to offer. Read the article HERE and view the GALLERY HERE to witness the natural splendor of Toledo.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Scheduled Power Outages for Weekend

Belize Electricity Limited advises its customers in San Pedro Town that the supply of electricity will be temporarily interrupted over the weekend during the following dates and times:

*Saturday, July 25, from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon - Areas to be affected: Angel Coral Street, Coconut Drive, Sea Grape Drive, Holiday Land, Mosquito Coast and Boca Ciega.

*Sunday, July 26, 2009, all of Barrier Reef Drive from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Vehicular traffic will be restricted on all of Barrier Reef Drive while the Company conducts works to upgrade the distribution system in the area. BEL recommends that pedestrians avoid the area during this time. Pedestrians who may need to traffic the area are asked to exercise extreme caution.