Belize

I loved Belize. I found the people really friendly. And it was such a relief that people spoke English. Signs dubbed it the melting pot of races, which it is. Belize was a state in Guatemala, but it was given to the British in exchange for a highway, that was never built.  Britain's main interest in Belize was sugar cane (this I made up, but believe to be true). In order to run the sugar plantations, many black slaves were brought in. In addition to the Mayan indigenous people and the former black slaves (likely a lot from Jamaica) there is a lot of white people, some recent, some not. There are Normans and even an Amish village, these are all white people, I believe they have been there quite a long time, why though, I do not know.  There is also a lot of Americans, Canadians and Europenas who like to live there as Believe does not tax foreign income. There is also a number of Chinese people, who I am told own almost every single grocery store. At one point it was possible to simply buy a Belize citizenship, I believe when Hong Kong went back to Chinese ownership, the not-quite-so-wealthy Chinese moved there. I met a Black girl there named Judith who gave me a short lift in her truck. Her husband was Canadian from the island.. They were both     real estate an gents, both in Vancouver and Belize. And was there ever a lot of for sale signs. Not sure how the locals afford it. I also went to what they call the smallest best zoo in the world, which if it hadn't been so dear I would call awesome.